This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
As wonderful as heaven is, the ultimate destiny for every Christian is the new heavens and new earth, which Peter and John describe as a place of righteousness and restored innocence (2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21-22). Christ returns, resurrects and judges all people, establishes his kingdom in fullness, creates new heavens (atmospheric and stellar) and a new earth, and gives us roles to play in the administration of his eternal kingdom.
John begins Revelation 21 with these words: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth ….” There are two words translated “new” in the Greek New Testament: neos and kainos. Neos is an adjective describing the age of something or someone. But John uses kainos, which means “different from the usual, impressive, better than the old, superior in value or attraction.”
In effect, kainos refers to quality, not time. It suggests fresh life arising from the decay of the old world. This theme is consistent throughout Revelation, for we encounter “the new Jerusalem” (3:12), “a new name” (2:17), “a new song” (5:9; 14:3), and “everything new” (21:5); in each case, kainos is employed.
This should help us understand that God does not annihilate the old order of things and start again from scratch. Rather, he purges the sinful and fallen cosmos and restores it to its pristine beauty.
Jesus calls this work “the renewal of all things,” or “the Messianic Age” (Matt. 19:28). Peter explains it as a cleansing and renewing by fire, and he employs kainos, as John does, to describe the world to come (2 Pet. 3:10-13).
The new heavens and new earth stand in stark contrast to the cosmos after the Fall. God is fully revealed, and we are glorified so that our natural desire is for the intimacy Adam and Eve originally experienced in the garden. God sets his throne among us, and we do not flee from his presence with the shame that drove Adam and Eve to hide among the trees.
There is personal contact with our sovereign creator. We call him “Abba-Father”; an expression of familial intimacy – and he calls us his children. In addition, we find security, joy, and unending peace. God is with us and we never again experience the consequences of separation from the one who is our life.
While heaven is the joyous aim of all who trust in Jesus, the new heavens and new earth are better by far. Satan, sin, and death – three enemies Christ conquered through his finished work on the cross – are banished to the lake of fire, along with all those who reject God’s provision for eternal life. God wipes the tears from his children’s cheeks and declares that the former things – death, grief, crying, and pain – have passed away (Rev. 21:4).
Glory in restoration
When we read the post-resurrection accounts of Jesus’ life, we see that his glorified body can navigate the ravages of a world still under the curse of sin. Jesus eats our food, travels our roads, speaks with befuddled eyewitnesses of his death and resurrection, passes through closed doors, transports himself effortlessly from one location to another, and finally launches from the Mount of Olives into heaven.
Our resurrected bodies are destined to have many of the same capabilities. Yet there’s still something missing in God’s redemptive work. The world in which we live today is fallen, a reminder of the full effects of sin. So, a day is coming when our sovereign Lord reverses the curse and makes all things new (Rev. 21:5).
Jesus refers to this as “the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne” (Matt. 19:28). Peter urges us to wait for “new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13). And in his vision of the world to come, John says he sees “a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more” (Rev. 21:1). These passages refer to the future glorification of the created order, a world purged of sin and its stain, where the pristine innocence of all creation is restored.
Just as Christians look forward to receiving glorified bodies, we delight in knowing that the corrupted world in which we live is going to be redeemed one day as well.
Millard Erickson writes: “Humanity’s original dwelling was in the paradisiacal setting in the Garden of Eden; their final dwelling will also be in a perfect setting – the New Jerusalem. Part of the glorification of the human will be the provision of a perfect environment in which to dwell. It will be perfect for the glory of God will be present.”
After Christ returns, he resurrects and judges all people. He creates new heavens and a new earth, where the triune God resides forevermore with redeemed people. Our eternal home is Earth the way God made it and intended it to be – sinless, perfect, and fruitful in the presence of his unveiled glory.
Next: The renewal of all things