A new heaven and a new earth

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” (Revelation 21:1)

 

A year has passed, and a new year has come. As always, people plan and decide a lot when the year changes. And at the end of the year, they often regret that they did not do much. Maybe it’s a lack of effort, but our life is still bound to repeat its repentance as there’s nothing new under the sun. So is there really no way for life to change? The person who got the answer to that can look at the new heaven and new earth at any time other than New Year’s Day. The text not only shows us the new world, but also tells us how to stay there.

 

The chapter 20 of Revelation tells about the millennium and the grand judgement in the end of the world. During the millennium, Satan will be tied up in the abyss a bottomless pit and will not be able to function. And Satan will be released for a while after the thousand years and will disturb the world again. In the end, demons and beasts and false prophets, the satanic slaves will be thrown into eternal suffering. And everyone will be judged; those who are not recorded in the book of life are thrown into the fire and those who are recorded see the new heaven and new earth. Some people will get in there, and others will not, according to whether or not his name is written in the book of life.

The writer of Ecclesiastes said clearly, “~ there is nothing new under the sun. ~ It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.” in Ecclesiastes 1:9~10. So he said, everything is in vain as if it were trying to catch the wind. He also said that wisdom creates anguish and knowledge adds to anxiety. If we think that way, year-end regrets and New Year’s resolutions may seem to mean nothing. However, the New Year given by God is the springboard of new hope and opportunity that starts again, as that the conclusion of Ecclesiastes says the spiritual awakening and the hope of God in awe. If you have done something wrong in the past, it would be nice to decide and try to do well in the future. In other words, if you are frustrated and discouraged by the wrong past, you will never have a chance to improve again.

But the hope of Christ’s people should not remain at that level. Everything in the world can not be new, in all ages. Everything in the world has always undergone a chemical change, along with a physical change. Such research for change has made human life more convenient. And the Nobel Prize in Physics may be given to those who contribute to research. But the world, in inverse proportion, has unfortunately moved toward the destruction of hatred and fighting. The natural environment is dry and sick, and it is getting worse. Whereas materially hopeful, spiritually, there’s no newness or development. Unless a fundamental solution is offered, the world will not change forever.

As to the new heaven, and when the new earth will be made in history, it is hard for us to tell that clearly. For what is written in the Bible is not enough to specify certainly the time. Anyway, after the millennium, there will be a new world, but people argue different theories about the millennium; of Pre-Millennialism or Post-Millennialism or A-Millennialism. We cannot have no definitive answer to that. Therefore, I would like to put aside the question and see what God’s conduct in charge of history would be like. only try to do what you can now with sincere faith. As long as you stay in Jesus Christ, you can see the new heaven and new earth, no matter how loud the world may be. Even if it had Jesus’ Advent in the middle of the night, that will never be an emergency for you, prepared by faith. Therefore, anyone in Christ can see the new world and live there at any time.

 

In the Bible, both a historic heaven and the spiritual kingdom of God are mentioned. The heaven we have to occupy is a combination of those two. In order to enter the former in the future, you must achieve the latter first. Those who live in Jesus’ new heaven and new earth, forget their sorrows and pains, and live by drinking the water of life. They do not fear the eternal fire of the second death, but enjoy the glory of eternal new Jerusalem.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Jan 5th 2020)