Friday 26 February 2016

What are the New Heavens and the New Earth?

Many people have a misconception of what heaven is truly like.
Revelation chapters 21-22 gives us a detailed picture of the new
heavens and the new earth. After the events of the end times, the
current heavens and earth will be done away with and replaced by the
new heavens and new earth. The eternal dwelling place of believers
will be the new earth. The new earth is the "heaven" on which we will
spend eternity. It is the new earth where the New Jerusalem, the
heavenly city, will be located. It is on the new earth that the pearly
gates and streets of gold will be.

Heaven—the new earth—is a physical place where we will dwell with
glorified physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). The concept that
heaven is "in the clouds" is unbiblical. The concept that we will be
"spirits floating around in heaven" is also unbiblical. The heaven
that believers will experience will be a new and perfect planet on
which we will dwell. The new earth will be free from sin, evil,
sickness, suffering, and death. It will likely be similar to our
current earth, or perhaps even a re-creation of our current earth, but
without the curse of sin.

What about the new heavens? It is important to remember that in the
ancient mind, "heavens" referred to the skies and outer space, as well
as the realm in which God dwells. So, when Revelation 21:1 refers to
the new heavens, it is likely indicating that the entire universe will
be created—a new earth, new skies, a new outer space. It seems as if
God's heaven will be recreated as well, to give everything in the
universe a "fresh start," whether physical or spiritual. Will we have
access to the new heavens in eternity? Possibly, but we will have to
wait to find out. May we all allow God's Word to shape our
understanding of heaven.

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