by John Evans

Recently in the question box I received a very intriguing query. It reads:

I welcome this good question and am grateful for the opportunity to respond. The questioner states that the question is only meant to edify and not cause division, and I appreciate that attitude. Just because a question may be difficult or avoided by many people does not mean that it is a bad or inappropriate question. Let's open our Bibles and see what God's Word has to say.

Main Argument:

I. Our questioner first asks why the new heavens and new earth is a dead subject with many in the church today.

To be honest,  I am not precisely sure about the meaning here. It may be that the questioner has in mind that the subject of the new heavens and new earth is not frequently discussed. Perhaps. the questioner might also mean that he or she has observed that many do not believe what the Bible has to say on the subject, or that many are poorly informed on the subject.

In either case, I will have to say that I'm not in a position to judge this fairly. For example, in our ladies' Bible class recently we had one study on premillennialism and one study on eschatology (end of things). I remember in our study on eschatology that we had some discussion on these verses. . It seemed to me that the ladies were willing to consider these verses fairly and fully, with interest and enthusiasm

Another possibility occurred to me. It may be that our questioner is suggesting that many are unwilling to discuss the new heavens and new earth for fear of being labeled a premillennialist. If you say too much about a new earth, some may think that you have in mind a physical, earthly kingdom where Jesus is going to return to this earth and reign on the literal throne of Jerusalem! . Perhaps many Christians are unwilling to discuss these verses too often for fear of being labeled a false teacher!

II. Let's begin by reading 2 Peter 3:9 -13  which provides some insight into how  this phrase is used.

^{V 9. " The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
V10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
V 11. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 
V12. looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?    
V 13.  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."}

This may surprise some people, but in my examination of   verse 13 the key word was "new."  There are two Greek words in our Testaments translated "new. "  One means that which is young as opposed to that which is old. It is a word related to time. The second one means new as to form or quality, -  of  a   different nature. It is the second word (kainos) that is used here. The meaning is that the new heavens and new earth is different in quality, kind, and nature from the old, which will perish by fire. (2 Peter 3:7, 10,12)

We also need to define heavens and earth as used in this passage.   "heavens" here literally means skies in the Greek. While "earth" means the  firmament below. Used together in context, then, they refer to our present habitations. That space that man can see and where he lives.

What do we have, then, in 2 Peter 3:9- 13?

 V. 9 -God doesn't want man to be lost. He wants all men to repent and be saved.
V. 10 )-The Lord is going to return; the Day of Judgment is coming and this old world is going to be set afire. The material universe is going to be burned up.
V. 11 -Since all this is going to happen, you need to be sober and   watchful in your conduct.
V. 12 -You need to anticipate the coming day of judgment because the place of your current habitation is going to be destroyed.
V. 13 -But the Lord has promised a NEW KIND OF HABITATION for His people and it will not be like the old in kind or quality.

To say it another way, the phrase "new heavens and new earth" means a NEW ORDER OF THINGS IN CONTRAST TO THE OLD.  Not an old physical earth made over into some kind of physical paradise.  Not some earthly kingdom where Jesus is on the literal throne of David in   earthly Jerusalem. Not some 1,000 year reign prior to the final Judgment.  Peter says the Day of Judgment is coming; this old world's going to be set afire, and God's people are going to have a new and eternal habitation.  Friends, the "new heavens and new earth" in 2 Peter 3:13 is not something different than the eternal reward of heaven in Col. 1:3-5 & I Peter 1:3-4. It's just another way of describing our eternal abode. . Peter says, you live on this old earth now, but there's coming a time when you'll have an entirely different type of glorious habitation.  And, friends, there's not a hint of Premillennialism in that.

Jesus said plainly, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36.)  Col. 1:13 tells us the kingdom has been established. Premillennialists cannot escape these passages. They want Jesus to return to this physical earth and literal Jerusalem. They want Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom in the future. Friends, when Jesus returns, HE'S GOING TO DELIVER UP THE KINGDOM TO THE FATHER, NOT RULE ON A THRONE IN EARTHLY  JERUSALEM! (I Cor. 15:20-25. )

IV. There is much that you might ask me about the "new heavens and new earth" of 2 Pet. 3:13 that I couldn't tell you: For example,  I can't give you a location. We always want to know a place. Where will our eternal abode be? Friends, I don't know.  I can't tell you all its nature and characteristics.   And I can't tell you what we will look like, either( I John 3:2.)  But it will be the special home that God has prepared for His people as our questioner alludes to in John 14: 1-4, where it refers specifically to our heavenly reward.  We would summarize this part of by saying this:  The heaven of Col. 1:3-5; the new heavens and earth of 2 Pet. 3: 13 and the "mansions" or "dwelling places" of John 14:2, are not talking about  different eternal habitations for God's people; rather, they are different ways of describing the same abode.

V. You may remember, however, that our question also mentioned several verses in Isaiah(Vs 66:16 19  and 66:22)and Revelations (Rev. 21:1 - 2).

Notice that  in Isaiah 65:16-19 & 66:22 and in Revelation 21 that once  again we see that phrase "new heavens and new earth." Are those phrases anticipating the eternal reward for God's people after the final judgment? If you asked 10 different Bible scholars and read 10 different commentaries you might get 20 different explanations. .But for our purposes remember that "new heavens and new earth" in the Hebrew and Greek always  refers to a new or fresh order of things. A time of regeneration. In the immediate context of Isaiah the application is to fleshly Israel at the time of their release  from captivity when they would temporarily return to God. God would bless them in that reformation. Isaiah, of course, also includes many New Testament prophecies concerning Christ and the kingdom. Isaiah tells about the great blessings of the coming as well..So I conclude that the "new heavens and new earth" still means a new order of   things in Isaiah, including the great blessings of the kingdom. But it is not being used in precisely the same way as it is in 2 Pet. 3:13 where it  refers specifically to our heavenly reward.

VI. The phrase "new heavens and new earth "  is also used in Rev. 21:1-2.  Those who were part of Bob Craig's class on Revelation may remember that he takes the view that these verses refer to the church as a "bride adorned for her husband."  I would simply add that I believe the verses at the very least anticipate the great blessings of heaven. V. 4 of Revelation 21 .0leads me to that conclusion.  But do you see that "new heavens and new earth" still refer to a new or fresh order of things? Whether you take the view that these verses are talking only about the church or also describing heaven, the phrase says that God has a new and better habitation for His people. A regeneration and refreshing.  And once again there is no hint of a premillennial idea where Jesus returns to reign from earthly Jerusalem.

If the "new heavens and new earth" is a dead subject among many Christians, it ought not to be so, because that phrase tells us that God has a new and better order of things for his people. A time of regeneration. In some verses it refers specifically to heaven. In other verses it may refer to Judah's return from Babylonian captivity or specific blessings in the church or kingdom. BUT ALL THE VERSES ARE COMFORTING!

I would leave you with this thought. Sometimes when people think of passing from this life, they imagine that they enter the land of the dying. Oh, no, dear one. For the Christian that is 1 00% wrong. When we pillow our heads for the last time, we're leaving the land of the DYING! And we're headed for the land of the living at the throne of God! Peter describes it as the NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH.

    Home           Another Article         Top