The eternal state..........a new earth. Revelation 21v1-8.
"And I saw.........a new earth.....for the first earth was passed away: and there was no more sea."
The earth as we know it will be destroyed. Jesus foretold it in Matthew 5v18; it is restated in Revelation 20 v11 and Revelation 21v1; Peter, graphically describes the destruction of the earth like this "The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up ....... all these things shall be dissolved." 2nd Peter 3v10-11. The earth which God gave to the sons of men (Psalm 115v16) will disappear and all the hopes for those whom the bible describe as "earth dwellers " will be gone forever. God will create a new earth which will abide forever and Peter describes this as an earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness." This is in contrast to the present earth on which all kinds of unrighteousness prevail.
Who will occupy the new earth?
In His dealings with Abraham in Genesis chapters 15-22, the Lord indicated that there would be an earthly people and a heavenly people. This is made clear in the following scriptures, Genesis 22v17 "In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore." This was the eternal covenant made with Abraham and refers ultimately to the eternal state. The prophet Hosea in chapter 1v10 said "The number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured or numbered." Hebrews 11v12 comments like this "Therefor sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars in the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable." It is clear therefore that the children of the faith of Abraham will be both an earthly people and an heavenly people. Scriptures like Philippians 3v20; 2nd Corinthians 5v8; Philippians 1v23; 1st Corinthians 15v48 all suggest that the church are destined to be an heavenly people as Israel and their followers are destined to be an earthly people. We know that there will be saints from all the ages of time; there are Old Testament saints, there are the saints of the church age, there are the saints of the great tribulation, and there are the saints who will be gathered during the millennium. All will go into the eternal state but it is not clear where each will dwell, only that we know the church will be wherever the Lord will go( 1Thessalonians 4v17), and that the elect saints of the tribulation will follow Him wherever He goes(Revelation 14v4) Heaven and earth wont be separated as it is now and there is evidence that there will be regular movement between heaven and earth in the eternal state. The statement in chapter 21v3 that "The tabernacle of God is with men" seems to suggest more a temporary than a permanent situation. It may be that the new earth will be permanently occupied by o/t saints and millennial saints, and the new heaven by the church and the tribulation saints, but there will be regular interflow between them.
What will the new earth be like? The only thing we know for sure, here, is that there will be no more sea. This is quite an enormous change because the present surface of the earth is covered 70% by the vast oceans. What is involved in the expression "no more sea?" The sea speaks of separation, restlessness, trouble, and a constant tendency to rebel. The commandment of God keeps the sea at bay but it is always seeking to overtake the land. In the new earth there will be none of these things. This is the first of seven expressions of "no more" in these chapters.
- No more sea. 21v1
- No more tears. 21v4
- No more death. 21v4
- No more sorrow 21v4
- No more crying 21v4
- No more pain 21v4
- No more curse 22v3.
In the new earth there will be nothing of sin or the consequences of sin and our experience in eternity, wherever we are, will be different from anything we have ever known. Scriptures like Isaiah 41v15-20; Isaiah 65v1-19 and 21-22 Isaiah 66v22-23 all describe something of the eternal state. Will there be animals in the new earth? Isaiah 65v25 seems to suggest there will be and they will all tame. Instead of the sea the Lord will provide water as follows; "I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water."
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