Now I saw a new heaven and
a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Revelation 21:1
The prophet
Isaiah wrote of the new heavens and earth.
"For as the new
heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me," says the Lord, "So shall your descendants and your name
remain.” Isa66.22
“We, according to His promise, look
for new
heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.” 2Pet3.13
The new
creation is necessary because this creation was affected by sin, and those effects
will be removed.
“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 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?” 2Peter 3
Romans
8:18-22 associates the present condition
of creation with the effects of sin: “20 For the
creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; 21
because the creation itself also will be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
John the
Baptist could have been looking to the outcome on the world because of Christ’s
sacrifice: "Behold! The Lamb
of God who takes away the
sin of
the world!” John 1:29
Zane Hodges,
in his commentary on First John, suggests that John the Baptist looked to this outcome
: “because of his sacrificial death, ultimately the world’s sin will
be removed from human experience.” John Darby
had the same view in his collected writings.
Through the
death of Christ, the effects of sin on the creation will be removed. Man’s
world will be changed. The consequences
of sin and sinning will be removed from the creation: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more
pain, for the former things have passed away." Rev21.4
Rev21.8 "But the
cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,
idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with
fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Salvation
looks to a new world to come in which man is in dominion.
Hebrews 2:5-8 “For He has not put the
world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.” All things will be subject to man in
the new world.
Eldon Ladd: “Throughout the entire Bible, the ultimate destiny of God’s people
is an earthly destiny...biblical thought always places man on a redeemed earth,
not a heavenly realm removed from earthly existence.”
The New Jerusalem
The new Jerusalem
is called the “bride” and the “lamb’s wife.” Rev21.9 She belongs to Christ, both the city and its
inhabitants.
This city
has a glory that is of God. It shines as
light from a clear-as-crystal stone, Rev21.11.
The city is
square, Rev21.16, and has a wall all
around, with 12 gates and 12 foundations: the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are
on the gates and the names of the 12 apostles are on the foundations, Vss
12-14. This would suggest that the city
is home of all believers of all ages.
The city is
12,000 furlongs or “stadia” (the Greek word), Rev21.16. It is often held that this is the size of one
side, but it could be the circumference. Ezekiel 48.35 gives the measurement
all the way around the Jerusalem of his vision.
If that is the case, then it is 3000 stadia on each side, and the height
is also 3000. The stadia is usual
believed to be 600 feet. That would make
the city about 340 miles to a side and same height. It depends on whether stadia is 600 feet or
just referring to a fixed standard of length of the gold reed, Rev21.15. If you make the gold reed out to be 18’, and
this is the “stadia,” and take that times 3000, you will get about 10 miles,
which is the same size of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 48, if the “measure” (the word
the LXX uses, for “cubit” is added) is the 12’ reed of Ez 40.5. It’s a big difference.
The wall is
a 144 cubits, over 200 feet. Is this
height or thickness? That height would
fit more with a 10 mile high city than the 340 mile high city (that requires the
gold reed to be 18 feet long).
Are the
cities of Ezekiel and Revelation the same? Few would take that view. Time will tell.
The city may
be of a pyramid design and shape. The
stones of the foundation, the pearl gates,
and the transparent gold city and main street reveal the glory of God
and that He is its builder, Rev21.18-21.
--The presence of God
There is no
temple, Rev21.22. Those who believe the
Jerusalem of Ezekiel is the same as in Revelation have a problem, for Ezekiel
says there is a temple, 40.5.
The solution
would be that Revelation uses the Greek word “naos” for the holy place. It would mean that the temple does not have a
holy place, for God and Christ would be the holy place.
Jeremiah
does reveal that there is no ark of the covenant in the future temple: “16 "Then it shall come
to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,"
says the Lord, "that they will say no more, `The ark of
the covenant of the Lord.' It shall not come to mind, nor
shall they remember it, nor shall they visit [it], nor shall it be made
anymore. 17 "At that time Jerusalem shall be called
The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the
name of the Lord, to Jerusalem.” Jer3
No need for
sun and moon, Rev21.23. The glory of God
and Christ will give illumination. Compare this to Isaiah 60.19: "The
sun shall no
longer be your light by day, Nor
for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting
light, And your God your glory.”
The
reference to nations and kings in Rev21.24-26,
with reference to the city seems to place this revelation of the city in
a millennial context. The nations of
those saved sound like those nations that survive the Great Tribulation and
judgment of nations. The kings are their
rulers who come into the city with their honor and glory. Those who see this as after the millennium
distinguish these people from Israel and the church. Whatever the case, only saved people will
enter the city.
The gates
are always open, Rev21.25. This probably
reveals complete safety--no threat from the earthly inhabitants. There is no night, so no reference is made to
condition of the gates. The gates are
always open, and the nations have continual access.
Isaiah 60.11
speaks of the same circumstances: “Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That [men] may bring to you the wealth of the
Gentiles, And their kings in procession.”
No one but
saved people will enter it, Rev21.27. Rev22.14-15
say the unsaved shall not enter into the
city, but this doesn’t mean they can stand outside, for Rev 21.8 says they have
their part in the Lake of Fire.
More City details: the river, tree,
and street
Rev22:1-3: There is a river that flows from the throne
of God. Eternal life is represented by
“living water.” This river is the “water
of life.” This detail compares to the
river in the Millennium—another reason people believe this describes the
Millennium. Ezekiel 47.1-2, 7-12 speaks
of a river from the temple and its healing properties. Zechariah 14.8 also speaks of this living
water.
Rev22.2
speaks of the street (Rev21.21), that in its middle, there is the tree of life
on both sides of the river. How do we
picture this? The river must go down
the middle of the street, and the tree of life is a kind of tree, that is on
each side of the river. Ezekiel 47.7
gives a similar picture, though no mention of a street.
The leaves
of these trees are for healing. Another reason some say this is the
Millennium.
Could it be
that our “immortality” is not without maintenance? There was a tree of life in the garden, Genesis
3.22,24, which Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat of. Revelation 2.7 says that overcomers may eat
of that tree, and 22.14 says the same (or those who “wash their robes,” NU
text, cp. With Rev7.13-17).
John
Walvoord says the word “healing” could be “health” of the nations. The leaves are not for correcting ills that
no longer exist, for there is “no more curse,” but for enjoyment of the new
creation. Yet could it be for the maintenance
of our immortality?
Rev22.3-5
speak of God’s presence among us. His
name on us probably means we belong to Him. We are both God’s servants and
heirs of the new creation. We will be
involved in this new creation, forever, which is a long time.
Life in the new
creation is the completion of our salvation—in the “world to come” (Hebrews 2.5).
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