16th
FUNDAMENTAL
TRUTH
THE NEW HEAVENS
AND THE NEW EARTH
THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH
“We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13 [KJV]; Rev. 21–22).
The apostle Paul relates an experience of being caught away into the “third heaven” (which he also identified as “paradise” [2 Cor. 12:2,4]).1 His idea of three heavens included (1) the atmospheric heavens surrounding the earth (Dan. 7:13; Hos. 2:18); (2) the starry heavens (Gen. 1:14–18); and (3) the third heaven, where the throne of God is and which is the present home of all believers who have died and gone to heaven (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). Just where it is in relation to the rest of God’s creation the Bible does not reveal.
Both the Old and New Testaments, however, speak of a new heavens and a new earth (see Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21:1). Some believe a good case can be made for the renovation of the present heavens and earth rather than a new creation. For example, the Bible does speak of “everlasting hills” (Gen. 49:26; Hab. 3:6, KJV) and of the earth being “established forever” (Ps. 78:69; 104:5; 125:1–2) and remaining “forever” (Eccl. 1:4).
However, let us examine what Peter says: “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare…. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat” (2 Pet. 3:10,12).
The word in 2 Peter 3:10 translated “disappear” (“pass away,” KJV; Gk. pareleusontai) sometimes means “pass by,” “pass on,” or “pass through.” But it also does mean “pass away,” “come to an end,” “disappear.” This seems to be its clear meaning in Matt. 5:18; 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 16:17; 21:33.
The word translated “destroyed” (“melt,” KJV; Gk. luthesetai) sometimes means “to unloose,” “untie,” “break” (break bonds or seals). But it is also used of a ship breaking up and being destroyed (Acts 27:41), tearing down a building, destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and of abolishing laws. Other uses include “repeal,” “bring to an end,” “do away with.” Then, another Greek word, tēketai, in 2 Peter 3:12 means “melt away” and confirms that the earth, the stars, and the planets will be destroyed.
The word “new” used of the new earth is also used of our new nature as a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 4:24). Yet we still retain our identity as the same person. However, it is more commonly used of something brand new, such as new wineskins (Matt. 9:17; Mark 2:22), a new piece of cloth (Mark 2:21). It is also used of things previously unknown, not previously present, unheard of—such as a new name (Rev. 2:17) and a new covenant, which covenant is entirely different from the old one given at Mt. Sinai (Jer. 31:31; Luke 22:20; Heb. 8:8). It is also used of the New Jerusalem, which already exists in heaven (Gal. 4:26) and comes down to the new earth from heaven. It is, therefore, clearly not the present Jerusalem renovated, but a marvelous new one coming to a marvelous new earth.
“Passed away” in Revelation 21:1 (Gk. apēlthan) is also used of going away, passing from one condition to another. But it is also used of leprosy leaving (Mark 1:42), of a woe being over with, past, and others about to take its place (Rev. 9:12).
Then, since fire is often used in the Bible of cleansing or purifying, it may be taken that the heavens and earth are simply renovated, renewed, and restored to a better state by going through the fire. Yet it is also used of burning something up.
Habakkuk 3:6 speaks of everlasting, or “age old,” hills scattered, which seems to mean they were not as everlasting as people thought they were. Ecclesiastes 1:4, “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever,” simply makes a contrast between generations of people that come and go while the earth is still here. “Forever” (Heb. le‘olam) is often used of the distant past or future when the speaker is not able to see an end, even though there might eventually be one. In Ecclesiastes 1:10 the same expression is translated “long ago.” Some also take Ecclesiastes 1:4 to mean that there will always be an earth, even though the present earth is replaced by a brand new one.
The Psalmist makes a similar contrast between the permanence of God and the impermanence of the present creation. “Perish,” used of the heavens and earth in Psalm 102:26, is used of Jonah’s gourd vine (Jon. 4:10) and of things being destroyed, vanishing, or being blotted out.
Remember that at the appearance of the Great White Throne the present earth and heaven flee away from the One on the throne, and “there was no place for them” (Rev. 20:11). Actually, the simplest meaning is that they are not anywhere; they go out of existence—annihilated! Isaiah 51:6 prophesies that “the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment.” Psalm 102:25–26 says, “In the beginning you [God] laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.” The picture of changing clothes implies putting on a brand new set, which in turn indicates the creation of a brand new heavens and earth.
Peter prophesied that this judgment2 would be by fire that will make the very elements of the universe (the stars and planets) disappear in fervent heat (2 Pet. 3:7–133). In other words, the same thing will happen to them that happens when matter and antimatter (such as an electron and a positron) come together. There is a flash of energy, going off as heat, and then nothing. However God does it, the disappearance of the present earth and heaven will make way for the creation of a brand new heavens and earth where there will be no more sun or moon. Some wonder how this will affect people. The believers will already have their new bodies, immortal and incorruptible, so the destruction of the present universe will not affect them. The dead, who come before the Great White Throne, will also be given some kind of body, for they are resurrected for this judgment (John 5:29). Therefore, neither will they be affected by what happens to the present heaven and earth.
John, in his vision on the island of Patmos, gives details about the new earth that show it will indeed be different from the present earth. There will be no more sea (Rev. 21:1). Sometimes a symbol of restlessness, instability, and danger (Isa. 57:20; James 1:6), the absence of seas may be a way of emphasizing the perfection and peace in the new earth. But seas are not always spoken of in a negative sense (Isa. 11:9; 48:18; Hab. 2:14). Oceans cover the major part of the present earth, and microorganisms (primarily diatoms) in the sea are necessary to replace oxygen and keep the balance in our present atmosphere. Consequently, without seas, the whole environment of the new earth will be different. It seems evident, however, that our new bodies, like Christ’s glorified body, will be perfectly suited for both earth and heaven, no longer being dependent on oxygen or a pressurized atmosphere.
More important, the new earth will become the site of the New Jerusalem, which will come down from God out of heaven. Its dimensions (Rev. 21:16)—about 1,380 miles to its height, width, and depth (using the ancient furlong, the Greek stade of about 607 feet or 192 meters)—describe a cube, like the holiest place in the tabernacle and the temple, and probably indicate that the new earth will be larger than the present earth.
The initial mention of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, in Revelation 21:2–3 lets us know that God’s dwelling will be with the redeemed of humanity, for He will live with them and they will be His people and He will be their God. In this way, God’s purpose for both Israel and the Church will finally be completely fulfilled. (See Gen. 17:7; Ex. 19:5–6; Lev. 11:45; 2 Sam 7:14; 2 Cor. 6:16,18; Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:5,9–10). The effects of sin will never be felt again. Believers will experience the full inheritance and final consummation of all that was purchased for them on Calvary by the death of Jesus and the shedding of His blood. There will, therefore, be no more tears and no more death, for death is the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23), and we have the promise that God “will swallow up death forever” (Isa. 25:8) and death will be “swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:54). Then there will be no more of the kind of separation death brings, nor will there be anything to cause sorrow, pain, grief, or guilt. Nothing will ever mar the fellowship we share with the Lord and with each other.
What a glorious vision of the New Jerusalem John saw! Though the angel promised to show John the Bride (Rev. 21:9), this simply means that his concern was for the inhabitants of the city rather than the city itself. The Bible often identifies a city with its inhabitants. (cf. Matt. 23:37, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem but with its inhabitants in mind.) Therefore, it was a real city John saw in this vision, the home of the saved.
John saw the city filled and radiant with the glory of God, a far greater glory than Moses saw on Mount Sinai (Ex. 33:18–22) or than was manifest in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:34; 2 Chron. 7:1). Its wall draws attention to the security it provides. The wall also draws attention to the fact that the city is real, having physical dimensions. Its gates are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, but they are open and everyone may go in and out freely. There is no wall between Israel and the Church, however, and the twelve foundations with the names of the twelve apostles on them indicate that the city is the final home and headquarters for both Israel and the Church as one great body of God’s redeemed people.
Inside the walls the city is pure gold, transparent like glass. Here John seems to find human language inadequate for describing what he saw. We do not have any gold transparent like glass today. We can pound out gold until it is only a few molecules thick and place it on a window as gold leaf, but it is not transparent like the glass of the window. The Bible seems to be telling us that the new creation will include new substances more beautiful than anything we now know or can imagine.
Most important, there is no temple in the city, for the whole city is filled with the glory and presence of God. By this we see that the New Jerusalem will be the headquarters for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. No longer will God make His chief manifestation in heaven. The Father and the Son will be personally present in a special way in the New Jerusalem, and the throne of God will be there. Spiritually, all believers will also be indwelt by the Spirit and will continue to be together “a holy temple in the Lord … a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Eph. 2:21–22).
Christ will personally be the “lamp,” the source and transmitter of light and energy, so there will be no need of the sun or moon. That is, God will mediate to us divine light and energy directly through Christ. We, however, will still be finite, dependent beings, without a source of energy within ourselves. This is further indicated by the tree of life with its leaves for the “healing” (health, well-being) of the “nations,” that is, all believers from all backgrounds, as they walk in the light of the Lord (Rev. 22:2). Not only will there be no sickness or pain, but we shall know in supreme measure what it means to have the Lord as our Shepherd, so we shall lack nothing that we need. He will provide a fullness of life, strength, and joy (cf. Ps. 16:11).
What a wonderful hope! The curse will be gone. Our worship of the Lord will be unhindered, inspiring, and beautiful. We have a foretaste of that now through the Holy Spirit, but what we experience then will be beyond our present imagination. We shall see the Lord and His name will be in our foreheads (Rev. 22:4), forever identifying us as belonging to Him.
God in His love reminds us of the necessity of the destruction of the present material universe (along with everything an unregenerate world values), so that it all can be replaced by the new heavens and the new earth. God’s purpose is not merely to satisfy our curiosity about our bright, eternal future. He wants us to share in some new things now. He invites us to enjoy springs of living water (John 4:14; 7:37–39). He wants us to stay close to Jesus. Those who do not, those who turn away because of fear, unbelief, lust, or selfish pride, will lose everything. Those who follow false cults and false religions will also end in the lake of fire.
God has made us as believers joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16–17): the heir of all things (Ps. 2:8; Heb. 1:2). Consequently, those who believe in Jesus and obey Him will also inherit all things. We can be sure this includes wonderful things and wonderful, ever-new opportunities that our eternal God and His Christ have prepared for us. In fact, the graphic, concrete language of the New Testament may be at best a pale reflection of the riches and glory to which they point.
To sum it up, we know that the New Jerusalem will be a place of surpassing beauty and light (Rev. 21:23; 22:5). There will be fullness of knowledge there (1 Cor. 13:12). It will be a place of interesting activity, but it will, above all, be a place of rest from frustrating toil and tumult (Rev. 14:13; 21:4). It will not be sheer inactivity, however, for there will be meaningful service there (Rev. 7:15; 22:3). It will be filled with joy (Rev. 21:4). There will be wonderful fellowship (John 14:3; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; Heb. 12:22–23). There will no more heartache, no more loneliness, no more suffering. And it will be permanent, never in jeopardy of being disrupted, for sin—once for all, forever—will have been broken by the Mighty Conqueror!4
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is meant by the “third heaven”?
2. What are the chief arguments for considering the new earth merely renovated?
3. What are the chief arguments for considering the new earth a brand new creation?
4. What effect will the judgment of the present earth have upon people?
5. Why does the Bible tell us about what is going to happen to the present heavens and earth?
6. What does the Bible tell us about the new earth?
7. What are the reasons for taking the New Jerusalem as a real city?
8. Who will inhabit the New Jerusalem?
9. Why is there no temple in the New Jerusalem?
10. What will be our relation to Christ in the New Jerusalem?
11. What is God’s purpose in telling us about the New Jerusalem?
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1 Paul in 2 Cor. 12:2 and 5 speaks of “a man,” to soften the “boasting” (v. 1). Then 2 Cor. 12:7 makes it clear that “the man” was indeed Paul himself.
2 “Peter, however, does not go into all the details that will accompany and follow Christ’s return. They are all part of the Day of the Lord that will lead to final judgment. So Peter jumps ahead in order to draw a lesson from that judgment.” Stanley M. Horton, Ready Always (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1974), 115.
3 Some take 2 Pet. 3:10 to mean simply a rearrangement of the elements; however, 2 Pet. 3:11 speaks of everything being destroyed, and this is emphasized in v. 12.
4 Some of the material in this chap. was adapted from Horton, Ready Always, 117–125; Ultimate Victory, 307–340.