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December 22nd, 2024
AND FINALLY, THE SUPER-EDENIFIED END OF THE OLD EARTH INTO THE NEW EARTH
Most of my website is dedicated to the discussion of the pastoral implications of biblical eschatology (what the bible foretells about the end times) particularly from the Book of Revelation. For many bible-readers, the bible’s prophecies about end-times are about a calamitous end of the world. Perhaps a novice reading of the Book of Revelation may even give the impression that all of its apocalyptic symbolism is reinforcing the preconception that the Book of Revelation, in particular, is about the climatic end of the world. But a closer examination of this profound book, reveals that it concludes, not with a vision of the end of the world — but with a vision of a new beginning. Let’s take a close look at the first six verses of the second-last-chapter of the Bible’s last-book.
1. A New Heaven and a New Earth – a new dimension of supra-time begins, where the redeemed have been resurrected with an imperishable and immortal body.
2. God’s ‘House’, as Christ called it in John 14:2, (heaven), is called the “New Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:2) will ‘come down’ to earth – the supra-physical dimension of ‘heaven’ will envelope the previously physical dimension of the old earth to renew the earth into becoming the new heaven/earth. [Further reading: From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth: A Christ-Centered Biblical Theology of the Promised Land, by Munther Isaac.]
3. God and the Redeemed will be eternally united and the Resurrected Redeemed will be glorified and receive a new nature – the apostle Peter declared that since the Holy Spirit had now been poured out the redeemed had received “divine power” to live a godly life – but in the resurrection they would also receive “the divine nature” (2Peter 1:3-4, note also Phil. 3:21). Consider…[continue reading]
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If we can appreciate the implications of Christ’s Lordship over the whole earth we should begin to realise that His redeemed ones are also to beautify the earth just Adam and then Israel had failed to do. This at least should involve every local church which has a physical property taking every possible step to landscape their grounds beautifully. It should then lead to every family in every church also beautifying their properties as well – to the glory of God. To find out more about this, read my eBook THE MOST EMBARRASSING BOOK OF THE BIBLE… [CONTINUE]
Over the nearly four decades I was pastoring, I was guilty of making an assumption. While I was preaching through the bible; writing small-group bible studies; baptising new converts; counselling engaged couples to prepare them for marriage; dedicating new-borns; taking young men through the manhood rite of passage; and, officiating our young ladies through the affirmation of womanhood, I was assuming that parents were taking what they learned and were teaching them to their children. But it seems I was mistaken…[READ]