March 28th 2024

LIVING OUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE RENEWED HEAVEN & EARTH

¶ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
Revelation 21:1-3

The penultimate chapter of the Bible reveals an eschatology (the study of last things) of ‘newness’. There is a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. And. it also reveals a new understanding of the final eschaton whereby heaven will not be the final destination of the redeemed.

Far too little consideration has been given to exploring what the above text (Rev. 21:1-3) is telling us. The ‘Heaven’ that comes down to envelop and integrate with earth is described as ‘the new Jerusalem’. While the Book of Revelation had referred to the physical Jerusalem of AD65 in far less flattering terms – at times describing it as “Sodom and Egypt where their Lord was crucified” (Rev. 11:8) and “Babylon” (Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2), the new Jerusalem will be true dwelling place of God with man (as Eden had been, then physical Jerusalem was meant to be). Unlike the apostate Jerusalem, the new Jerusalem will be “foursquare” (Rev. 21:16) – that is, its length, height, and depth, are the same measurement. This is same as the foursquare measurements of the Tabernacle’s Holy of Holies. That is, the renewed earth will be holy because it will also be the dwelling place of GOD. And this realisation should help us to appreciate what Dr. Munther Išsac refers to as the Church’s mandate to Edenify the earth.

THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CHURCH FOR TODAY

God’s original mandate for Adam was to dress, till, and keep, the Garden to the east of the mountain-top Eden. It is as if man was to realise that the holy and paradisical garden which God had planted for him to tend was then to be enlarged  across the whole earth as his future generations arose. After mankind rebelled though, this ‘Edenic’ mandate was transferred to the nation Israel who had been redeemed from Egypt. But they also rebelled and failed to realise GOD’s declaration that the Promised Land was to be “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exo. 3:8).

When Christ was about to ascend back into His glory He declared to His disciples that He was now Lord of Heaven and Earth (Matt. 28:18-20). If we can appreciate the implications of His Lordship over the whole earth we should begin to realise to His redeemed are also to beautify the earth just Adam and Israel had failed to do. This at least should involve every local church which has a physical property should take every step they can to landscape it beautifully. This should then lead to every family in every church 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]