A Study of Eschatology

Revelation 21:1

We are beginning the final two chapters of the Book of Revelation. Rather than rifling through the remaining chapters like many, I hope to take a detailed look at the New Heavens and Earth. I also want to spent time with the colors, gems and other minerals that are noted in chapter 21.

I am reminded of a story of a little girl whose mother took her outside to observe the splendor of a clear night as it dazzled with millions of stars. After a long moment of silence the young girl looked over at her mom and said, “Mom, if heaven is this beautiful on this side, we must be living on the wrong side. I can hardly wait to see heaven, right side up!” I hope the following lessons will bring us close to this observation of the New Heavens and Earth in the capacity of the words found in Revelation 21 and 22.

The cycles of the moon may help to prepare us for the coming day when God will be in full view of all of His Creation. Revelation 22:4-5. While the detail of this New Heavens and Earth are not found in these chapters, the description of gems and minerals are and we will behold Jesus in all of His perfect glory.

The New Heavens and the New Earth

From Revelation One through Revelation 20 we have studied the “old” and we should be very familiar with the old. The Old and New Testaments, the church, the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The crucifixion of Christ, His resurrection. The Tribulation and a host of other biblical events to numerous to include. Now in the remaining chapters 21 and 22, behold! Everything is New. Also, the sense of this word each time it is used is not a condition that will ever grow old as the past seven thousand years. As you recall from one of Peter's epistles, one day is as a thousand years to the LORD and a thousand years is as one day. 2 Peter 3:8

In general there are four things that can be determined about God's eternal dwelling place:

1. The earth will be without large bodies of water. At the present time it is water and oxygen that maintain the balance of life on our earth. The element of water will not be needed and there will be no need of oxygen. Notice 2 Peter 3:1-7 and Revelation 21:1. Fire will consume the oxygen and water from our known universe.

2. The New Heavens and Earth will be a place where righteousness dwells, 2 Peter 3:13, imagine a world where sin and evil are not present, nor will these products of Satan and man be allow to enter in.

3. It will also be an eternal universe, not like the universe we are presently in where metiers and other celestial changes reveal our temporal condition. Never again will the New Earth be destroyed or be afflicted with water, fire or any other means such as; rain or snow. How can this be one might ask? Good question. Without sin and evil these events of a cursed earth will not be needed, nor will the earth require the harvest. Remember, this is not the one thousand year reign of Christ, this is eternity. Isaiah 66:22.

4. R.C.H. Lenski, a person who has studied these chapters extensively, noted that the newness of heaven not only applies to heaven proper, but it applies to those of us who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life as well. We shall be the same people, have the same body and the same soul that we now have. The exception is that the body will be regenerated, it will be entirely New as it applies to the newness of the New Heavens and Earth. By the way! Regeneration begins on the day we become children of God in time, so if we are neglecting to do as the apostle Peter and others have exhorted us to do. “to grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus” we will suffer some loss of reward. Now while we may think that this is not important as some of us do, I would like to warn you again. It is possible to be carried away by lawlessness. 2 Peter 3:17-18

We will be stopping here and say that we have covered verse 1. There is a lot of material left, but we are sort of in a holding pattern since the weather is not cooperating with us these days. There will be no Sunday School at church tomorrow since traveling may be a problem up until 10 AM. There will be one service this morning at 11 AM.