1st Sunday of the New Year—Part 2
The New Heavens and New Earth
“And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’
And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’”
Revelation 21:5 (NASB)
Introduction – The contrast between the New Covenant in Christ and the Law
I. The Old Testament promise – “New heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17-25)
A. The promise of the new creation contrasted with the “former things” (v.17a) B. The joyful response to the Lord’s new creation (vv.17b-18)
- The new creation superior – the “former things” not remembered (v.17b)
- The new creation characterized by gladness and rejoicing (v.18) C. A detailed description of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ (vv.19-25)
- God will also rejoice in Jerusalem and in (i.e. because of) His people (v.19a) 2. The life-span in the Millennial Kingdom will be much greater (vv.19b-23)
- God will be more responsive to the prayers of His people (v.24)
- Even the wild animals will live in peace during the Millennium (v.25)
II. The New Testament fulfillment – A New Creation (2 Peter 3:3-13)
A. The spiritual/moral condition in the “last days” and God’s past judgment (vv.3-6) B. The impending judgment of God upon the world and all unbelievers (vv.7-10)
C. The implications and ramifications of this future time for believers (vv.11-16) - The implications of God’s coming judgment for our behavior (v.11)
- We are to be “looking for and hastening” the coming of the day of God (v.12) 3. The promise of new heavens and earth brings peace and righteousness (13-14) 4. Peter’s affirmation of the Apostle Paul and his writings (vv.15-16)
Conclusion- We are to be on guard and seek to “grow in grace” and knowledge (17-18)
Key Verse(s) – The coming new creation of God
Isaiah 65:17-20 (NAS) *The promise of new heavens and a new earth
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 19 I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. 20 No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed.”
2 Peter 3:13-14 (excerpts NASB) *The implications of the New Creation for believers “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…”
“Then I saw thrones…and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
Revelation 20:4-6 (excerpts NASB)
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For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.”
Isaiah 65:17 (NASB)
Key x-References – The Millennial Kingdom and the New Creation
1 Corinthians 11:25-26 (NASB) *The Lord’s supper looks forward to the 2nd Coming “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new cov- enant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.’” *The Lord’s Supper is to be a permanent reminder of this new relationship and future
Titus 2:11-14 (NASB) *This passage connects the 1st Coming to 2nd Coming of Christ “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
Isaiah 65:20 (NAS) *Life-span during the 1,000 year long Millennial Kingdom of Christ “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed.”
Revelation 21:1-8 (NASB) *There will be no sorrow or death in the New Creation “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusa- lem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ 5 And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He *said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true…’I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving …their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”
Key Terms (most words have a ‘field of meaning’ —> various translations)
“new” (Revelation 21:1-5) Greek #2537 (44x), NASB kainos; new:– fresh (3), new (39) Note: new – especially in freshness; while Gk #3501 (neos) is properly new with respect to age
“appearing” (Titus 2:13), Greek #2115 (6x), NASB epiphaneias; from Greek 2116 (Titus 1:11); appearance: – appearance (1), appearing (5).
Note: This is the Greek word our English word “epiphany” (or revelation) comes from
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.”
Revelation 21:1 (NASB)
A New Heavens and a New Earth Key Scriptures
Isaiah 65:17-23 (NASB)
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 19 I will also re- joice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. 20 No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. 21 They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. 23 They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them.”
2 Peter 3:10-18 (NASB)
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people 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 destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteous- ness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Revelation 21:1-6 (NASB)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”