LESSON FORTY

THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING
THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

OUTLINE

1. The first heaven and the first earth being renewed through the judgment of God by the purging of burning fire at the close of the old creation to be the new heaven and the new earth.
2. Being the new universe as the realm of God’s ruling in eternity.
3. Being the issue of God’s work of the new creation within the old creation and of God’s work of restoration in the old creation:
   1. God’s work of the new creation in the old creation producing the regenerated, transformed, and perfected saints to be the kings and priests in the center, the New Jerusalem, of the new heaven and the new earth.
   2. God’s work of restoration in the old creation producing the restored nations to be the people around the New Jerusalem on the new earth.
4. The New Jerusalem being its center.
5. Righteousness dwelling in it.
6. Existing for eternity.
7. The years, months, days, and nights being ruled by the sun and the moon.
8. Its people:
   1. Being the restored nations.
   2. God’s people who do not have God’s life and nature being different from the sons of God.
   3. God, who dwells in the New Jerusalem as the tabernacle, being with them.
   4. God wiping away their tears; and death, sorrow, crying, and pain being no more, for the former things have passed away.
   5. Inhabiting the new earth around the holy city and walking by the light of the holy city.
   6. Their kings bringing their (the kings’) glory into the holy city.
   7. The people bringing the glory and honor of the nations into the holy city.
   8. Being preserved by the healing of the leaves of the tree of life to exist in the created and restored human life forever.

TEXT

In this lesson we will cover the prophecies in the Bible concerning the new heaven and the new earth. There are only four verses in the Bible that explicitly speak of the new heaven and the new earth. Revelation 21:1 says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more.” The other three verses are Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; and 2 Peter 3:13. Isaiah 65:17 says, “I am now creating new heavens / And a new earth, / And the former things will not be remembered, / Nor will they come up in the heart.” Isaiah 66:22 says that the new heavens and the new earth which Jehovah will make will remain before Him. Second Peter 3:13 says, “According to His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” When the old heaven and the old earth pass away through fire and are renewed into the new heaven and the new earth (vv. 10-13), the New Jerusalem will descend to the new earth to be the eternal expression of the processed and consummated Triune God.

I. THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH
BEING RENEWED THROUGH THE JUDGMENT OF GOD
BY THE PURGING OF BURNING FIRE
AT THE CLOSE OF THE OLD CREATION
TO BE THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

The new heaven and the new earth will not be something other than the old heaven and the old earth. The new heaven and new earth will be the old heaven and old earth that are renewed to be the new heaven and new earth through the judgment of God by the purging of burning fire at the close of the old creation (vv. 10, 12). This may be compared to our old man and our new man. We are a new man, not another man, for the new man is the old man renewed. However, whereas we are renewed by the Lord’s life, the old heaven and old earth will be renewed by the Lord’s judgment with fire. The old universe will be burned, but it will not be burned to nothing; rather, this burning will be a purging, for out of this purging the new heaven and new earth will come forth.

Second Peter 3:10 says, “The day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements, burning with intense heat, will be dissolved, and the earth and the works in it will be burned up.” This will take place after the millennium (Rev. 20:7, 11). The word roar indicates a rushing sound or noise. This may be a proclamation of a great change in the universe from the old to the new. The elements refer to the physical elements of which the heavens are composed.

The “burning with intense heat” to dissolve the heavens and the earth will be the procedure that God will use to roll up the heavens and the earth and put them away so that they may be changed from the old to the new (Heb. 1:12). This will be God’s final and consummate dealing with His creation in His government. In God’s final dealing all the material things will pass away, but His eternal word will abide forever (Matt. 24:35; 1 Pet. 1:25). The word of His prophecy will remain and be fulfilled at His appointed time for the accomplishment of His eternal purpose, regardless of the changes that occur in the physical universe.