LESSON #5 THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

A.  Christ has a home that He is preparing for us.

1. He promised it. Jesus will return to take us there. 

John 14:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many [a] mansions; if it were not so, [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

  • Jesus said to believe in God and in Him that He is preparing a mansion for us, and He is coming back to take us there to be part of God’s family to live  in eternity where there is no more pain, suffering, crying and death.

Abraham looked for it.

Hebrews 11:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

  • Abraham considered the father of faith, he himself is looking forward to this new heaven and new earth, which is the foundation of his genuine hope and faith in God, knowing that life on earth is only temporary, regardless of our wealth and status in life. 

B. This world will finally destroy itself in a terrible war.

Revelation 11:18 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 The nations were angry, and Your [a] wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

  • The nations were angry and your wrath has come,” refer to world wars among nations. Word War I and World War II already happened where millions of people died. 
  • In World War II nuclear weapons (atomic bombs) were already used in Japan with devastating effects. Not only killing multitude of people but destroyed the environment that no plants grew for decades.
  • World War III is now around the corner for conflicts among nations are getting worse despite the presence of the United Nations. What will happen when Word War III comes? 
  • That would be the end of this world, which is also the judgment day, where God rewards the righteous and punish the wicked.

God will cleanse this earth with fire.

2 Peter 3:10-13 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be [a]burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

  • The passage simply means this world would be destroyed by fire. How? By nuclear weapons. In World War II only U.S.A. had nuclear weapons. At this time, there are now 12 countries and counting that have nuclear weapons.
  • The nuclear weapons now are 1000 times powerful than the atomic bombs used in Japan. According to a military analyst when all these nuclear weapons would be used in the coming World War III, no living things will survive.
  • This is what the above passage says in verse 10, “… in which the heaven will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” 

C.  But God is creating a new heaven and a new earth.

Isaiah 65:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or [a]come to mind.

  • It says after the destruction of this earth by fire, God will create new heavens and a new earth, and we will no longer remember the bad memories we experienced on this destroyed earth. For in the new heavens and new earth are full of joy. No more pain, suffering, crying and death.

What will be the condition of the New Earth?

Isaiah 30:26 New King James Version (NKJV)

26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun will be sevenfold, As the light of seven days, In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound.

  • The light of the moon is as bright as the sun, and the light of the sun is seven times brighter. 
  • To “bind up the bruise” means the healing of His people’s emotional and physical pain they experienced in the old earth.

Revelation 7:16-17 New King James Version (NKJV)

16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to [a] living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

  • There will be no more famine or hunger. The heat will be diverted so there will be nice weather, no more hunger and thirst. It is very comforting for the “lamb” who is Jesus will be with us. 

Isaiah 35:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)

1 The wilderness and the [a] wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert [b] shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God.

  • The earth will be a vast garden, no more desert land.

Isaiah 35:4-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.

  • Our physical defects will be healed and disappear.

Isaiah 11:6-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.

  • In the new heavens and earth even animals will enjoy peace and happiness. They are our friends and no longer harm us. Little children would play with them.

Our body will be changed into an immortal body.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 New King James Version (NKJV)

51 Behold, I tell you a [a]mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

  • The passage means we will be changed from corruptible (sinful) to incorruptible (no longer sinful), and from mortal (subject to die) to immortality (to live forever/eternal life). In other words, death, the one enemy of humanity, since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden is finally conquered.

 The capital city New Jerusalem will come down from heaven.

Revelation 21:18-21 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

  • The construction and foundation of the wall and city adorned with precious stones. The street of the city was pure gold and the gate was of pearl. Those precious stones only the wealthy could own in this world, but in new heavens and new earth those are just ordinary.

Revelation 22:1-5 New King James Version (NKJV)

1 And he showed me a [a] pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

  • We will be able to eat freely from the tree of life when sin’s control over us is destroyed, and our eternity with God is secure. There will be no longer a curse or evil in God’s presence. There is no more night there.

1 Corinthians 2:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

  • Eye has not seen nor heard nor enter the minds of man what God is preparing for those who love him. Meaning our human mind has no capacity to imagine how beautiful and wonderful God is preparing for His faithful followers.
  • What you have read in the Bible is just a birds-eye view. Are you ready to be part of God’s family in the new heaven and new earth? If not, that’s why God still gives us life to be ready. 
  • God gives us the command to share this good news of salvation to others, your loved ones, relatives and friends, otherwise on judgment day they would tell God, “I do not know about your plan of salvation”.

Next lesson—Lesson 6 “The Meaning of Born Again” discusses the difference between physical birth and spiritual birth.  Don’t miss this lesson as it is essential to our salvation.