THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH by Tuese Ahkiong
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
When someone was placed in Christ and born again (regenerated) by God's amazing grace, they were said to be a new creation and that the new has come. Nothing physically changes. Most people who believe the Gospel who have ailments are not healed of their cancer or a loss of an arm. What has changed was one's spiritual relationship towards God. One was now spiritually alive to God and is a new creation.
The Scripture does not always speak of heaven and earth as the literal physical earth, sky or place where God dwells. If heaven is where God is and it is perfect, why is it necessary to have a new one?
The Bible also speaks of heaven and earth as a covenant world. The old covenant world is the old heaven and earth of law and death. The new heaven and earth is the new covenant world of grace in which righteousness reigns and which the saints were under. Praise God!
Apocalyptic Language is exaggerated, hyperbolic expressions used to describe a nations rise or fall in terms of its universe, sun, moon, stars, earth as shining, glowing, collapsing, darkening,shaking, dissolving, melting, falling…
GOD WIPES OUT EGYPT’S HEAVEN AND EARTH
Isaiah 13:6
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
7 Therefore all hands will be feeble,
and every human heart will melt.
8 They will be dismayed:
pangs and agony will seize them;
they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.They will look aghast at one another;
their faces will be aflame.
9Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the land a desolation
and to destroy its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light;
the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will putan end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the HEAVENS tremble, and the EARTH will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.
GOD WIPESOUT EDOM’S HEAVEN AND EARTH
Isaiah34:1-6
Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the EARTH hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it.
2 For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter.
3Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood.
4 All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.
5 For my sword has drunk its fill in the HEAVENS; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction.
6 The Lord has a sword; it is sated with blood; it is gorged with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For theLord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
YESHUA DESCRIBES JERUSALEM’S SUN, MOON, STARS, HEAVEN AND EARTH TURNING TO BLOOD,DARKENING, FALLING…
Matthew24:29-35 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the HEAVENS will be shaken. 30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with aloud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35HEAVEN AND EARTH will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Mark13:24-31 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in THE HEAVENS will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 HEAVEN AND EARTH will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Luke 21:25-33 “And there will be sign sin sun and moon and stars, and on THE EARTH distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of THE HEAVENS will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33HEAVEN AND EARTH will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
ACTS2
19 And I will show wonders in the HEAVENS above and signs on THE EARTH below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
REV 6:12
Judgment of Jerusalem 70 A.D.
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sack cloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,13 and the stars in the sky fell to EARTH, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The HEAVENS receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Again, this is NOT literal language but apocalyptic. If multiple stars hit the earth, THERE IS NO MORE EARTH. The passage above says star[S} plural falling to the earth.
Haggai 2:
21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.
Noticed how the shaking of heaven and earth is the fall of nations, kingdoms, chariots, riders or armies by judgment! It is not the physical earth or the HEAVENS rocking but apocalyptic language of God describing a kingdom being judged. God took the Babylonians, and would take down the Persians, then Greeks and Romans.
In the Hebrews 12 passage, the context is superiority of the New Covenant over the Old. In fact, the entire book is the superiority of Christ, The Gospel, The New Covenant over the Old. The old HEAVENS AND EARTH of The Old Covenant was being shaken and removed; and the New Covenant which is everlasting and CANNOT BE SHAKEN was being brought into full effect by 70AD, the destruction of the symbol of the OT, Jerusalem and the Temple.
Hebrews 12:
25See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook THE EARTH, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only THE EARTH but also THE HEAVENS ” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Isaiah 51:15-16
I am theLord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— theLord of hosts is his name. 16 And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing THE HEAVENS and laying the foundations of THE EARTH, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
** Isaiah poetically and prophetically describes The Lord’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt through the Red Sea. He recounts how The Lord gives His Word to Moses thus creating the covenant world or people of God; the world or Heaven and Earth of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:30-32:1
31:30 Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:
32:1 “Give ear, O HEAVENS, and I will speak, and let the EARTH hear the words of my mouth.
**Moses speaks to the assembly of Israel and calls them HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.
Yeshua spoke the following on the sermon on the mount.
Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until HEAVEN AND EARTH pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Yeshua said that He came to FULFILL The Law and The Prophets.
-Did He do it or did He fail?
He then says UNTIL (conditioned upon) heaven and earth passing away,
not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Did you get that? HEAVEN AND EARTH HAVE TO PASS AWAY FIRST BEFORE THE LAW PASSES! -
-Did the Law pass?
-If you answer yes, then heaven and earth had to have passed first.
What heaven and earth is Yeshua talking about? Is it the material heaven and earth? Is it referring contextually to the heaven and earth of the 1st covenant which was also symbolic of the temple, law, priesthood, sacrificial system...?
-If you answer no, the Law did not pass, then why are you not offering animals for sacrifice? Taking your 3 trips to jerusalem? being killed for not keeping the proper Sabbath which is on Saturday????
Search your feelings and your Bible, you know that the heaven and earth covenant world of Judaism has passed, therefore, the Law has passed.
ALSO, The Olivet Discourse is said in the context of Yeshua stating that the temple is coming down in "this generation (30-70AD)" along with Him saying heaven and earth will pass away and His Words will not pass away.
MATTHEW 24:1-2, 34-35 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 HEAVEN AND EARTH will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
MARK 13:1-2, 30-31 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 HEAVEN AND EARTH will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
LUKE 21:5, 32-33 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 HEAVEN AND EARTH will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
**Notice how Jesus says that until heaven and earth pass away, the law will not pass away; not even a small iota or dot. Well, if the law has passed, then that means heaven and earth passed first.
**The context of Matthew 24 is the destruction of the temple that stood when Jesus was speaking. The Temple symbolized Israel’s priesthood, sacrificial system, The Law, Jewish economy, The Covenant. The Temple was known as "HEAVEN AND EARTH." It was where God came down in His glory in The Holy of Holies to meet man.
Verses 1-33speak of the destruction of the temple, “Great Commission,” Great Tribulation, Abomination Desolation, Sun, Moon & Star darkening, the parousia/return of Christ. Verse 34 says that that generation would not pass away until all those things take place. Verse 35 says heaven and earth, The Old Covenant, would pass away but Jesus’ Words will not pass away, especially what He is saying in this context.
2Peter 3:1-13
This is NOW the second letter that I am writing to YOU, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up YOUR sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that YOU should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through YOUR apostles, 3knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the PROMISE of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the HEAVENS existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the HEAVEN AND EARTH that NOW exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not overlook this one fact,beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward YOU, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then THE HEAVENS WILL PASS AWAY with a roar, and the HEAVENLY BODIES will be burned up and dissolved, and THE EARTH and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought YOU to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which THE HEAVENS will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH in which righteousness dwells.
**2Peter3 is about THE HEAVEN AND EARTH of Israel, the old covenant world passing away. The writer employs the same kind of apocalyptic language from the O.T.
v1 Peter is writing a second letter, NOT TO Christians in the 21st century but "...To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1Pet 1:1) in the 1st century around 67AD.
v2 Peter says the prophets and Yeshua, The Lord, via the Apostles are stirring up their sincere mind by reminder of [THE PREDICTIONS] first of SCOFFERS.
Why and When? Peter is reminding the saints he writing TO because SCOFFERS are already present [In the last days] SCOFFING. The Last Days were the last days of Judaism between 30-70AD. [Peter says Pentecost is the fulfillment that he and his hearers were in the last days, Acts 2: 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
The writer of Hebrews says says that he and the presence of Christ represented the last day
for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
**The age that was ending was the 1st covenant age Old Cov. Judaism.
v3-4 Around 30 AD, Yeshua had PROMISED (2Pet3:4) to return in "this generation" first century (Matt 24;34) and thus the scoffers were mocking that He had not returned yet.
v6-7 But just like God did in the OT with Noah, destroying that HEAVEN AND EARTH world of Noah's time. see v 6. The earth did not perish but the people of that covenant world did. Notice how verse 7 says that THE HEAVEN AND EARTH that NOW exist which is the Mosaic Law/ Old covenant is being stored up for fire and judgment. This happened in 70AD.
Notice how the formation of Israel was symbolized as the creation of “Heaven and earth,” and so its removal is symbolized as heaven and earth being destroyed, removed or passing away.
Hebrews 12:25
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also THE HEAVENS.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Haggai 2:
21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.***Noticed how the shaking of heaven and earth is the fall of nations, kingdoms, chariots, riders or armies by judgment! It is not the physical earth or the heavens rocking but apocalyptic language of God describing a kingdom being judged. In the Hebrews 12 passage, the context is superiority of the New Covenant over the Old. In fact, the entire book is the superiority of Christ, The Gospel, The New Covenant over the Old. The old heavens and earth of The Old Covenant was being shaken and removed; and the New Covenant which is everlasting and CANNOT BE SHAKEN was being brought into full effect by 70AD, the destruction of the symbol of the OT, Jerusalem and the Temple.
Rev 21:1 Then I saw a NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
** The events within The Book of Revelation are said to soon take place, the time is near, coming quickly, at hand TO those whom the book was written to, the 7 churches in Asia 1:4 ?
* If God wanted people to know that He was coming quickly, shortly,soon, at hand, near, what language would He then use?
REV 1:1,3, 7,9-11; 22:6, 7, 10, 12, 20
The Bible is the story of ISRAEL. It ends with the 12 Tribes of ISRAEL redeemed/ saved!
Revelation 7:4And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Revelation 14:1-5 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.
