Heaven and Earth Replaced

II Peter 3:10-13 tells us, “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.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

As Christians, we should be looking forward to that new heaven and new earth.  From Revelation 20-21, we understand that the new heaven and new earth will not appear until after that final judgement at the great white throne.  At that time all who have rejected Christ are condemned to the Lake of Fire, and the old earth contaminated with millennia of sin will be destroyed and replaced with a new heaven and earth, as Revelation 21:1 describes.  “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.”

We do not know what the new heaven or earth will be like, but it will definitely be different than this world.  Today three quarters of the earth’s surface is covered with water, and in that day there will be no more sea.  The new culture and government will be far different than any we have today, as John describes in Revelation 21:2-8.  “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

There will be no criminal element or fear in the New Jerusalem, because all those were controlled by fear, lust and deceit have been cast into the lake of fire.  Those who survive the judgment will be those who have believed and loved God, and will have a personal relationship with God himself, even better than that described in John 14:21-23, because it will include the physical as well as the spiritual.  “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”    As Christians, we definitely hav something to look forward to.