13 - The Final Judgment and Eternity

A new Beginning

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A New Heaven and a New Earth

Revelation 21 v 1-8

1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”

This beautiful passage of Scripture describes something that we are all familiar with; the desire for a fresh start. God will finally dwell among his people in unbroken fellowship. There will be no more pain, no more crying, sorrow or death. What a wonderful prospect.

The sad reality is that you can make it your business to be there, and if you are not there, it will be no one’s fault but your own. However, it also makes it clear that those who reject Christ will be eternally doomed.

The choice is yours.

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When will all this happen?

2 Peter 3 v 10-14

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.

12 That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 

Revelation 21 v 1

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

When we compare 2 Peter 3 v 13 with Revelation 21 v 1, it is clear that the new heaven and the new earth are revealed after the Tribulation and Millennium and after the Final Judgement.

This is in keeping with the sequence of events as outlined on Timeline 3 - see link at the bottom of this page.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

• revelation 3:20
• NIV

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A defining moment

John 3 v 16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God loved us so much that he gave his only Son to die on the cross. Jesus came into this world to die for you. This invitation is for you right now. Will this be the defining moment in your life? 

These are the lyrics from a song by Graham Kendrick;

My Lord, what love is this
That pays so dearly
That I, the guilty one
May go free!

Amazing love, O what sacrifice
The Son of God given for me
My debt he pays, and my death he dies
That I might live, that I might live

And so they watched him die
Despised, rejected
But oh, the blood he shed
Flowed for me!

And now, this love of Christ
Shall flow like rivers
Come wash your guilt away
Live again!

The River of Life

Revelation 22 v 1-6

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

In this passage we revisit the Garden of Eden where there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and so sin and death entered the world. God banished them from the Garden of Eden so that they could not eat from the tree of life and live forever in their fallen state.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Revelation 21 v 1

1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

Revelation 22 v 5

5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

The End of Time

We envisage time coming to an end as;

The new earth may not rotate on its axis because there is no more night

There is no longer any sea – no moon is required to regulate the tides

The sun is no more – it’s light is not needed as Christ is the light

The tree of life will be in the new city and will be for the healing of the nations. The conditions of the original innocent paradise that Adam and Eve enjoyed will be restored for mankind but there will be no serpent to disturb it; it will be eternally incorruptible. Hallelujah!

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Timeline 3: Genesis to Revelation