“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also
there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and
then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be
burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will
be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of
people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and
hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be
set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But
according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in
which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10-13).
The popular view among those of us who hold to the pre-millennial return
of Christ is that the new heaven and the new earth commence at the end of the
Lord’s thousand year reign (often called The Millennium).
It is neither comely nor logical to entertain the thought that the Lord
of Glory would rule for a thousand years over a cursed world which, like a
basket of overripe summer fruit, is still smelling an decaying from the effects
of man’s sin.
2 Peter 3:10 clearly links the new heaven and the new earth with the Day
of the Lord (see The
Wrath of God), and since the Day of the Lord occurs in connection with
Christ’s coming, the new heaven and the new earth must be associated with the
beginning of the Millennium, not its end.
The creation of a new heaven and a new earth is among the most beautiful
promises in God's Word. More than twenty-five hundred years ago the Lord
proclaimed through prophet Isaiah: “For behold, I create a new heaven and a new
earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be
glad and rejoice forever in what I create” (Isaiah 65:17, 18a). Likewise, Peter
tells of the “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter
3:13b), while John also tells that he “saw a new heaven and a new earth” in his
vision (Revelation 21:1).
Why will the Lord create new heavens and a new earth?
The first reason, of course, is that the earth will be in a state of total
devastation when the battle of Armageddon is over and the Day of the Lord is
completed. As we have seen already, the type of destruction is represented by
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the extent of the destruction is
represented by the worldwide flood of Noah's day.
Summing up the events of the Day of the Lord (or The
Wrath of God) Peter writes: “the heavens will pass away with a roar and
the elements will destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will
be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10b).
Except for God's protected remnants, the entire earth will be filled
with death and destruction. The destruction of the heavens and the earth will
be so devastating, in fact, that new heavens and a new earth will have to rise
from the ashes, so to speak, before the millennial kingdom can be
inaugurated and the earth made inhabitable.
This “creation”, however, will not be ex nihilo, but rather a radical renovation or reconstruction of the
remaining creation. The Greek word translated “new” [kainos] does not refer to something that has never existed before,
but rather to the renewing of something
that already exists. This radically renovated creation then will bring the
heavens and earth back into an interrelationship with one another that was
enjoyed by Adam and Eve before the fall. It will be a “new heaven and a new
earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). In other words, the
heavens and earth so terrible corrupted by the fall and devastated by the Day
of the Lord will be restored and perfected by Christ into a splendid new and
uncorrupted form. This, then, will be the time for which all “creation waits
eagerly” (Romans 8:19), the time that our Lord referred to as “the
regeneration” (Matthew 19:28), the time that Peter called “the period of
restoration of all things, about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy
prophets from ancient time” (Acts 3:21).
It is important to note that the renovation of the heavens and earth
will have already occurred when the first day of the Millennium begins. During Day
of the Lord (The
Wrath of God), the earth has been completely purged of any and all who
were a part of Satan's kingdom of darkness, and renovated and reinstated to its
original splendor as it existed before the fall.
As it was in the days of creation, when “God saw all that He had made,
and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31), so it will be once again,
directly benefiting all of God's protected remnants who are ready to start inhabiting
the millennial kingdom of God, ruled by Christ.
We know that the new heavens and the new earth will be perfect in every
detail -yet renovated in such a way that somber reminders will be left behind
of God's judgment of the wicked on the earth. It will be a magnificent new
heavens and earth, worthy of the New Jerusalem (the “mansions” of God housing
the bride of Christ) that will hover over it, from which Christ will rule with
His saints in perfect justice and righteousness.
SUMMARY
Term Definition:
Heaven is the name that God called the firmament (expanse, i.e., space) where He placed the sun, moon, and
stars (Genesis 1:6-8, 14-18).
The term heaven in Revelation
20:11 and 21:1 refers to the universe including our atmosphere and the expanse
that contains the stars. According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek word used
in these passages is number 3772, ouranos
(cf. Uranus). This word means sky and
by extension means heaven (as the
abode of God). In the KJV translation, this Greek word is translated as heaven 268 times, as air 10 times and as sky 5 times. For example, this Greek word is translated as air in “... the birds of the air...” in Matthew 8:20 and Luke
9:58. This heaven will be shaken and the stars will fall from it (Matthew
24:29-30).
Earth in
Revelation 20:11 and 21:1 refers to the planet inhabited by mankind.
Significance of the New Heaven and Earth:
The old heaven and earth will become old like a garment that is worn out
and ready to be replaced (Psalm 102:25-26; Isaiah 51:6; Hebrew 1:10-12). The
new heaven and earth will no longer suffer the curse of sin (Revelation 21:27;
22:3).
Source of the New Heaven and Earth:
The new heaven and earth come from God.
Length of the New Heaven and Earth:
The new heaven and earth will last for eternity (Revelation 22:5).
Events Prior to the New Heaven and Earth:
The Day of the Lord (see The Wrath of God) precedes and effectuates the
creation of the new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:10).
Events of the New Heaven and Earth:
An old heaven (universe) and earth are purged and renovated in order
that the millennial kingdom can be inaugurated and the earth made inhabitable.
The New Jerusalem will come down from God to the new earth (Revelation 21:2).
God will dwell with His people (Revelation 21:3). There will be no more death,
sorrow or crying (Revelation 21:4). There will be no night in the new city
since God will be its light (Revelation 21:23-25; 22:5).
God During the New Heaven and Earth:
God will live among His people in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3-4;
22:3-5). He will wipe away all tears and ensure that there is no more death,
sorrow or crying. God will make all things new (Revelation 21:5).
Christians During the New Heaven and Earth:
Christians will live forever with God in the New Jerusalem (Revelation
21:3, 4, 7, 27; Revelation 22:5). They will serve Him and see His face (Revelation
22:3-4).
Satan During the New Heaven and Earth:
Satan will be bound and thrown into the abyss (Revelation 20:1-3).
Beast During the New Heaven and Earth:
The Beast and the False Prophet will suffer for eternity in the lake of
fire (Revelation 20:10).
Non-Christians During the New Heaven and Earth:
People who do not belong to God will be in hell expecting for the end of
the Millennium and their judgment at the White Throne Judgment - this is
the second death (Revelation 21:8).
Events Following the New Heaven and Earth:
God will live among His people forever (Revelation 21:3-4; 22:3-5).
Scripture references for the New Heaven and Earth:
Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; Hebrew 1:10-12; 2 Peter 3:7,10-13; Revelation
20:11; Revelation 21:1-27; Revelation 22:1-5; Genesis 1:6-8, 14-18; Psalm
102:25-26; Isaiah 51:6; Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 24:19-20.
