A New Heaven and A New Earth
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1 - New International Version)
In Chapter 21 of Revelation, the Apostle John begins to describe the Eternal Age. Satan and his demonic allies have been defeated. All of mankind has been judged. The saved are now in the presence of God forever. John's description of this time is majestic. The true glory of it will be greater than we can imagine. So we must approach the last two chapters of Revelation with a sense of humility and wonder.
Heaven is used in the Bible to describe the atmosphere, outer space and God's dwelling place. The passing away of the first heaven refers to the atmosphere and outer space, the physical heaven. It will be destroyed and remade along with the earth.
The Apostle Peter wrote, "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 a fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (II Peter 3:10 - KJV)
Peter tells us that the heaven and earth will melt away or be burned up. If this refers to the passing away of the first heaven and earth, then it would seem that God will use the same physical matter when he creates the new heaven and new earth.
The Greek word for new that is used in this verse means a new kind. So the new heaven and new earth will have a different nature than the one in which we now live. There will be both physical differences and spiritual differences. John describes some of both of these.
One physical difference is that the new earth will have no seas or oceans. There will be rivers and possibly lakes, but no large bodies of water. The present earth is about three quarters water so the new earth even if it is the same diameter will have about four times the land area. As well the climate will be effected by the absence of seas, because now they greatly effect our weather patterns.
In Chapter 21 of Revelation, the Apostle John begins to describe the Eternal Age. Satan and his demonic allies have been defeated. All of mankind has been judged. The saved are now in the presence of God forever. John's description of this time is majestic. The true glory of it will be greater than we can imagine. So we must approach the last two chapters of Revelation with a sense of humility and wonder.
Heaven is used in the Bible to describe the atmosphere, outer space and God's dwelling place. The passing away of the first heaven refers to the atmosphere and outer space, the physical heaven. It will be destroyed and remade along with the earth.
The Apostle Peter wrote, "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 a fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (II Peter 3:10 - KJV)
Peter tells us that the heaven and earth will melt away or be burned up. If this refers to the passing away of the first heaven and earth, then it would seem that God will use the same physical matter when he creates the new heaven and new earth.
The Greek word for new that is used in this verse means a new kind. So the new heaven and new earth will have a different nature than the one in which we now live. There will be both physical differences and spiritual differences. John describes some of both of these.
One physical difference is that the new earth will have no seas or oceans. There will be rivers and possibly lakes, but no large bodies of water. The present earth is about three quarters water so the new earth even if it is the same diameter will have about four times the land area. As well the climate will be effected by the absence of seas, because now they greatly effect our weather patterns.
posted by David Frank Wilson | 7:42 PM
2 Comments:
I don't know where you are coming up with your information, but who told you that the new earth will not have any oceans? I find that very difficult to believe for some reason. Where in the Bible does it say this?
Revelation 21:1
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