The Shadow That The New World Casts Upon This Creation

In my view, understanding the New Heavens and New Earth in scripture is essential. Understanding the world to come is the vantage point that allows us to see how everything else in scripture fits together. Without putting everything in a context of a New Creation, many scriptures seem like puzzle pieces having little or no relation to each other.

The scriptures foretell of a new world

To begin with, God specifically said,

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”

Isaiah 65:17

And,

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.”

Isaiah 66:22

Then in the New Testament,

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

2 Peter 3:13

Moreover, Jesus said,

“But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

Mark 10:30

Furthermore, Paul states,

“For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”

Hebrews 2:5

finally, in the book for revelation John sees,

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

Revelation 21:1

It’s a New Creation

These and many more scriptures reference the New Creation of God.

The New Heavens and New Earth are exactly what it sounds like, i.e. a new creation that God makes after the total destruction of this present cosmos.  God creates the world to come, which is essentially a re-creation of this present world.  The difference is the world to come is perfect and without sin. It is place for the people of salvation to live forever in the presence of God through Jesus Christ.

God saves us from the corruption of this present world.  The New Heavens and New Earth is what God saves us to.  This creation is scheduled for destruction by fire and whoever does not receive Christ as their Lord and Savior will die eternally in the lake of fire. The saved live forever in the paradise of God, which is the world to come.

The dead in Christ must resurrect before they can enter into the kingdom of heaven.  God must glorify our bodies and make them perfect in order to live in the New Creation.  Just as we need bodies in order to interact with this present creation, so too we need perfect bodies in order to interact with the new creation which is perfect. This is the purpose of the resurrection.  The rapture translates those who are alive and remain up to heaven when the resurrection occurs.

There is a “greater than marriage” in the New Heavens and New Earth

People do not marry in the world to come. However, there will be relationships and children will be born throughout eternity. People will form unions and bring forth children as the Holy Spirit directs. Earthly marriages that were not of divine origin will not carry over to the new creation. God ordained unions, those couples connected through His Spirit, will endure.

The wolf will lie down with the lamb, i.e. their natures will revert to their pre-fallen state, in the New Heavens and New Earth. Many scriptures that people apply to the millennium actually refer to the world to come.  In fact, the 1000 year reign of Christ is one big picture of the New Heavens and New Earth.

You must be born again to enter into the kingdom of heaven on this new world

People are “born again” into the new creation of God.  We are born once into this creation through the will of the flesh and we are born again into the new creation through the will of the Spirit,

Paul says,

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Romans 8:11

Jesus, is the first born from among the dead,

“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood”

Revelation 1:5  NAS

The resurrection from the dead is the second birth

Therefore, we are born again when we resurrect to newness of life.  God provisionally saves us when we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.  However, until we receive our glorified bodies we are not born again.

The New Heavens and New Earth is the kingdom of heaven

Jesus says,

“But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom”

Matthew 26:29

And,

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

John 18:36

The New Heavens and New Earth is where the eternal kingdom of Heaven is.   It is called the kingdom of heaven because this prayer is fulfilled,

” Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:10

The error many make, in reference to this scripture, if that they assume that “thy kingdom come” refers to this world when, in actuality, it refers to the world to come.  Again, because we do not understand the teaching of the New Heavens and New Earth we do not understand what many scriptures are really saying.

The New Heavens and New Earth is a re-set of God’s plan for mankind.  Once sin is dealt with, God re-creates a perfect creation complete with a New Earth.  Our Father restores the Tree of Life and we begin again on the path that God foreordained for us.  God makes all things new, including us through His Son Christ Jesus.

Jesus foresaw the New Heavens and New Earth

Christ sacrificed himself for our sins for the joy set before Him, i.e. the world to come.  Jesus knew full well the paradise that God intends for us to have in the world to come.  In fact Jesus promised,

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:42,43

A foretaste of the world to come

God gives us His Holy Spirit as a foretaste of the world to come.  We can do miracles through the Spirit of God because it is a portion or a down payment of what we receive in full in the New Creation.

The New Heavens and New Earth is not heaven because God says,

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Revelation 21:1-2

In conclusion, the new creation is not a refurbished world made new again.  Peter says,

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

2 Peter 3:10

likewise,

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

Revelation 21:1

Therefore, God destroys this creation and makes a totally new creation.

If your son died a horrible death on the front porch of your home What would you do?  Most, if not all people, would move from that house, leaving behind the bad memories associated with it.  Likewise, God destroys this creation and makes another to forget what happened here.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard

The world to come is paradise restored.  It is a place where peace and love reign supreme.  YHWH re-creates us back into His image and likeness.  We do God’s will on the new earth as it is done now in heaven.  YHWH’s original plan, that He ordained for mankind, begins again.

Finally, God says this about the New Heavens and New Earth,

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

Beyond The Sky by Fernando Ortega

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