New Heavens and a New Earth
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen. 1.1) God ideally formed the earth to sustain the life of His prize creation, man and woman. It was perfect and it was good. Man was given a free will so that he could care for this new creation and relate to God as his Lord and friend. For a while, all went well. Man and woman walked with God in the beauty of their surroundings and enjoyed all that the Lord had prepared for them. To enhance their freedom and solidify their friendship, God placed a choice before this first couple. They were to choose life or knowledge; God’s rule or self-rule. With every decision there are consequences and this choice would result in either death or life, curse or blessing. Man chose to reject God’s wisdom and Lordship and went down the path of self-rule, resulting in God’s curse coming over themselves, their posterity and over the natural order of creation.
Paul explained to the Romans that all of creation had been subject to futility and corruption because of man’s sin. (Rom. 8.20-21) In Genesis chapter 3 it says that the ground was cursed because of man, (v.17). What a horrible consequence that resulted from man’s sin. The natural disasters of floods, fires and drought, the plagues of Ebola, cancer and AIDS, and the physical deformities of the newborn, along with the mental abnormalities of so many, all are signposts pointing to the unspeakable horror of moral evil. Each pain, each hurt and every death is a blast of God’s physical trumpet telling man that something is very morally and spiritually wrong. Instead of caring for the earth, man has polluted it. Instead of order there is chaos. Though the creation still belongs to God, man’s rebellion has left unrepairable scares on nature’s design. It is time for a new beginning.
The psalmist declared: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Ps. 24.1) Man was never given possession of the earth. It has always belonged to the Lord and He has a plan to redeem it. In Revelation, chapter 21, John sees a new heaven and a new earth. (v.1) He said that the first heaven and earth had passed away, (the curse must be destroyed), then he saw a city, the New Jerusalem that had been prepared by God, coming down from heaven. In this new earth and new heaven there would be no sorrow, pain, sin, sickness and death. All is new. If you think this world is beautiful now, just wait until it is released of every trace of the curse of sin.
This new earth is the eternal dwelling place for those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. In the first creation, the heavens and the earth were first created, then man was created and placed on the earth. In this new creation, it is man who is first “re-created” or reborn, then the earth and heavens, (universe), are fitted, by God, to be a suitable dwelling place for His glorified family. Jesus said that the redeemed of the Lord will “shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mat. 13.43) Their physical bodies are resurrected and glorified; no more corruption, no effects of sin and no more death. This preparation of man for his eternal dwelling place happens now while the earth is still unredeemed. The root of the problem needed to be first resolved, then God will fix the rest. All of creation is anxiously waiting for this day. It is as if creation is in labor pains, groaning and travailing for the manifestation of the children of God.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Rev. 21 e 22; I Cor. 15.35-58; Is. 65.17; 66.22; II Peter 3.13
This is a fascinating devotion. I have always wondered why we mention ‘going to heaven’ so much when the Bible clearly says we will have a new earth. Is heaven the same as the new earth? What about the phrase ‘kingdom of God’? I have often wondered if the kingdom is the age when Jesus reigns on earth (the millenium). Maybe you could clarify all these if you have insight into them. Thank you!