We concluded our study with these thoughts:

 

(Rev 20:14) Then Death and Hades [the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. {15} And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

 

(Mat 13:41-43 NKJV)  "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, {42} "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. {43} "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

 

(Rev 21 NKJV)  Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

 

 

(2 Pet 3:13 NKJV) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

 

The question that hit me hard was this:  “Why do we need a “new earth”?

 

§     What’s it for?

§     Will someone live on it?

§     Again, what is the purpose of a new earth?

§     Why haven’t I heard much about it before?

 

 

(Isa 65:17-20 NKJV)  "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. {18} But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. {19} I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. {20} "No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

 

Questions we ask?

 

§     Where are we in time?

§     In other words, when does all of this happen?

§     Why is there still death when we are talking of the new earth?   

§     Questions for which I don’t have answers!

 

(Isa 65:21-25 NKJV)  {21} They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. {22} They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. {23} They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them. {24} "It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. {25} The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," Says the LORD.

 

 

(Rom 8:17-23 NKJV)  and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. {18} For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. {19} For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. {20} For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; {21} because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. {22} For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. {23} Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

 

 

(Isa 66:22-24 NKJV)  "For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me," says the LORD, "So shall your descendants [Israel] and your name remain. {23} And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD. {24} "And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." [So ends the book of Isaiah]

 

 

(Rev 21:2) Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Note what is happening:  New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven!  Does this seem in reverse?

 

 

(Rev 21:3) And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

 

 

(Rev 21:4) "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

{5} Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

 

 

(Rev 21:6) And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. {7} "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

 

 

{8} "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

 

"But the cowardly, unbelieving,  (Rev 21:8 KJV)  But the fearful, and unbelieving,

Why is God so hard on the fearful?  Because they have no faith, or as Jesus said, “little faith”!

 

 

(Rev 21:9) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."

 

 

(Rom 11:21-22 NKJV)  For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. {22} Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

 

 

(Rev 21:10) And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

 

And he carried me away in the Spirit A reference to a vision that John was shown.

 

(Rev 21:11) having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. {12} Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: {13} three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

 

The gates, and names written -- which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:  Israel provides the gates:

 

 

(Rom 9:4-5 NKJV)  who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; {5} of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

 

 

(Rev 21:14) Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 

(Rev 21:15) And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. {16} The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs.  [fifteen hundred miles;] Its length, breadth, and height are equal. {17} Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

(Rev 21:18) The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. {19} The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, {20} the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. {21} The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. {22} But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. {23} The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. {24} And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. {25} Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).  {26} And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. {27} But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 

 

When all is over, the ultimate need is to be written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 

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