The New Beginning - The fourth of three series of Study The Revelation of Jesus Christ
by Paige Ramsey
The New Heaven and New Earth – Lesson 1
Revelation 21:1-9
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, “It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him who is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely. He who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” And there came to me one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, “Come hither, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.”
The most misconceived topic I know of in this world is that of heaven. Hollywood has trouble picturing heaven. Cartoons use clouds, harps, and wings. Even Christians do not seem to visualize what heaven will be. We sing about mansions and no more tears, but other than singing and giving praise to God, we seem to be vague about life in eternity. Where is heaven? Do we go there and stay there forever – or will we be exploring the universe? Will we have fun? Will we have responsibilities?
Even simple questions by children stump us. “Will there be animals in heaven?” “Is my dog, Pepper, in heaven? He died last year.” “Will there be ballgames?” “video games?” “Will we have wings?”
We need to be as educated on the topic of eternal life as God’s Word allows. Yes, we will not know about much of heaven until we get to experience it. Even God likes surprises!! He has saved many true wonders and pleasures to whet our appetite and for our anticipation to grow. But God has left many indications of where and how our eternal life will be. In fact, God mentions heaven 583 times in His Word. We witness to people about Christ dying to save us from our sin so we can live eternally with Him. If we cannot answer simple questions about that life, why would they desire it?
Once, back in the 1980’s Gene led a twelve year old girl to the Lord. She had never been in church, had no Christian family members, and had never heard any of the normal Bible stories children hear. Her name was Kim. I will never forget her. She was so very excited about her new life in Christ, and had many questions, finally getting to “What will heaven be like?”
Gene told her about the mansions and streets of gold, the beautiful gates and singing. Frowning, Kim asked, “What if we don’t want a mansion? We don’t have to have one, do we?”
Gene was surprised. “God wants you to have the very best. He is building a wonderful place just for you. Why wouldn’t you want it?”
“I don’t want to try to keep a mansion clean. It would be too much work and take up all my time,” Kim explained, clearly worried that eternal life might not be what she wanted after all.
“No, you don’t understand. It’s in heaven. It won’t get dirty,” Gene tried to assure her.
“It will if my little sister goes there,” she quickly countered, still quite concerned.
Kim had obviously had a very hard life for a twelve year old. When we began to explore into the situation we found she was a victim of abuses of many kinds, in a home of prostitution. When we tried to help her escape her situation, her mother moved her to another town. She managed to call us and ask us to come get her, giving directions. We found the mobile home park she described and the mobile home. Either no one was home or they didn’t answer the door. We waited for a while, then left to come back the next day, only to find the mobile home abandoned. We never heard from her again. I have prayed for Kim often and am looking forward to seeing her one day as we are enjoying the beauties God has prepared for us.
Those of us who grew up in the United States in a Christian home or even around Christian neighbors often feel like everyone knows the basic concepts of Christianity, like heaven, hell, sin, etc. But that is not the case. We live in a mission field – now, more than ever, with so many people moving in from other areas. If we want to witness to them as Christ has instructed, we must understand the basics well, and be able to express these views in reasonable terms so the uninformed can understand.
So, we’ve all seen the Hollywood and cartoon versions of heaven, and we’ve heard the pat Sunday school answers, but exactly what does the Word of God say about heaven?
Three Heavens
First of all, in Genesis, God created heaven:
Genesis 1:6-8 – And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Then, in Genesis 2:1 & 4, God refers to the heavens (in the plural):
Genesis 2:1 – Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Genesis 2:4 – These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens…
Also note:
Deuteronomy 10:14 – Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
God refers to “the heavens” in the plural 133 times. And, Paul tells about an experience he had:
2 Corinthians 12:2-5 – I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) How he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in my infirmities.
So, what are the three heavens?
The History of Hell
To more fully understand the Third Heaven, we need to understand the history of hell. We have already studied the history of hell in this series, but let’s do a quick review to refresh our memory.
The word translated “hell” in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word “Sheol.” This word is also translated “grave” or “pit” in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the word translated “hell” is the Greek word, “Hades.” The Greeks had many myths about the underworld of the dead which hold no truth, but this was the closest word in the Greek language to express “Sheol.” Some theologians refer to this place of the dead as “Sheol-Hades.” This place is located in the center of the earth – 4,000 miles under our feet. Numbers 16:28-35 tells of an incident where men went physically alive down into the pit.
Jesus gives us a picture of “Sheol-Hades” in Luke 16:19-31. He described where the rich man went who was tormented in flames; the rich man could see into “Abraham’s Bosom” (also called “Paradise”) where Lazarus was comforted. Between Torment and Paradise was a “great gulf.”
When Jesus died and rose again, several phenomenal things occurred. Matthew records for us in his gospel that:
When Jesus rose, He went to the Father and presented His Sacrificial Body in the real Holy of Holies in the Third Heaven. Jesus had to be the first-fruits[i]. Only then could those, for whom His sacrifice was made, enter the Heaven of Heavens. Paradise was then transferred into the Third Heaven, and Torment took over the entire pit[ii].
History of the Third Heaven
Some theologians think that because the angels are created beings, they must have been created in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. Others feel that God created the angels before time began. Either way, God created them all at one time and the Third Heaven is their home with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Those were all the residents in the Third Heaven.
When Lucifer sinned, God cast him and a third of the angels out of heaven and they came to the earth[iii]. So, from that time until Christ rose, the remaining two-thirds of the angels and the Godhead were the residents of the Third Heaven, with the exception of the thirty-three years Christ (God the Son) was on this earth. When Christ rose, He first went to offer His sacrifice to God the Father, then brought all the saints from Paradise into the Third Heaven. I personally am inclined to believe these saints were also bodily resurrected – else, why were their graves opened and their bodies walking around?
From that time forward, when a child of God, a born-again believer, physically dies, his/her soul and spirit go to the Third Heaven to await the bodily resurrection at the “caught up event” described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15, also known as “the rapture.” So, now the Third Heaven is also home for all the departed saints. During the Great Tribulation (at least some of it) the glorified bodies of all the saints will remain in the Third Heaven until coming to the earth on white horses with Christ at the Second Coming[iv].
Where Will We Spend Eternal Life?
People speak about living in heaven forever and ever. Really, that is an incorrect assumption. We will live with Jesus forever and ever. “That’s what heaven really means,” some say. But, where will we live with Jesus? Our Scripture reference, Revelation 21:1-3, tells us: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. We will live in the New Jerusalem that “came down out of heaven”. We will be on the new earth!
There are some very exciting things in store for the new earth! God will actually REDEEM the earth! When Adam and Eve sinned, one of the results was a cursed earth. Our sin not only affected us, it affects the entire earth and all its inhabitants. As beautiful and functional this planet is to live upon, it isn’t even close to what God originally created. It is cursed. The ground is cursed, the plants are cursed, and the animals are cursed. But, when God finally rids this earth of Satan, his demons, and his followers, God will redeem this earth. It will be a NEW EARTH! The cursed earth will no longer exist. That is one of the most exciting things I can imagine!
In the next lesson, we will zoom in on the NEW JERUSALEM and see how life will be lived within its bejeweled walls. If life on this earth is so precious and desirable that we cherish it to the point of trying to prolong our lives to the max, just imagine how exciting and marvelous life will be on a redeemed earth in the New Jerusalem that Jesus has been preparing for two thousand years!
[i] 1 Corinthians 15:20
[ii] Isaiah 5:14
[iii] Revelation 12:4
[iv] Revelation 19:14
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, “It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him who is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely. He who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” And there came to me one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, “Come hither, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.”
The most misconceived topic I know of in this world is that of heaven. Hollywood has trouble picturing heaven. Cartoons use clouds, harps, and wings. Even Christians do not seem to visualize what heaven will be. We sing about mansions and no more tears, but other than singing and giving praise to God, we seem to be vague about life in eternity. Where is heaven? Do we go there and stay there forever – or will we be exploring the universe? Will we have fun? Will we have responsibilities?
Even simple questions by children stump us. “Will there be animals in heaven?” “Is my dog, Pepper, in heaven? He died last year.” “Will there be ballgames?” “video games?” “Will we have wings?”
We need to be as educated on the topic of eternal life as God’s Word allows. Yes, we will not know about much of heaven until we get to experience it. Even God likes surprises!! He has saved many true wonders and pleasures to whet our appetite and for our anticipation to grow. But God has left many indications of where and how our eternal life will be. In fact, God mentions heaven 583 times in His Word. We witness to people about Christ dying to save us from our sin so we can live eternally with Him. If we cannot answer simple questions about that life, why would they desire it?
Once, back in the 1980’s Gene led a twelve year old girl to the Lord. She had never been in church, had no Christian family members, and had never heard any of the normal Bible stories children hear. Her name was Kim. I will never forget her. She was so very excited about her new life in Christ, and had many questions, finally getting to “What will heaven be like?”
Gene told her about the mansions and streets of gold, the beautiful gates and singing. Frowning, Kim asked, “What if we don’t want a mansion? We don’t have to have one, do we?”
Gene was surprised. “God wants you to have the very best. He is building a wonderful place just for you. Why wouldn’t you want it?”
“I don’t want to try to keep a mansion clean. It would be too much work and take up all my time,” Kim explained, clearly worried that eternal life might not be what she wanted after all.
“No, you don’t understand. It’s in heaven. It won’t get dirty,” Gene tried to assure her.
“It will if my little sister goes there,” she quickly countered, still quite concerned.
Kim had obviously had a very hard life for a twelve year old. When we began to explore into the situation we found she was a victim of abuses of many kinds, in a home of prostitution. When we tried to help her escape her situation, her mother moved her to another town. She managed to call us and ask us to come get her, giving directions. We found the mobile home park she described and the mobile home. Either no one was home or they didn’t answer the door. We waited for a while, then left to come back the next day, only to find the mobile home abandoned. We never heard from her again. I have prayed for Kim often and am looking forward to seeing her one day as we are enjoying the beauties God has prepared for us.
Those of us who grew up in the United States in a Christian home or even around Christian neighbors often feel like everyone knows the basic concepts of Christianity, like heaven, hell, sin, etc. But that is not the case. We live in a mission field – now, more than ever, with so many people moving in from other areas. If we want to witness to them as Christ has instructed, we must understand the basics well, and be able to express these views in reasonable terms so the uninformed can understand.
So, we’ve all seen the Hollywood and cartoon versions of heaven, and we’ve heard the pat Sunday school answers, but exactly what does the Word of God say about heaven?
Three Heavens
First of all, in Genesis, God created heaven:
Genesis 1:6-8 – And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Then, in Genesis 2:1 & 4, God refers to the heavens (in the plural):
Genesis 2:1 – Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Genesis 2:4 – These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens…
Also note:
Deuteronomy 10:14 – Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
God refers to “the heavens” in the plural 133 times. And, Paul tells about an experience he had:
2 Corinthians 12:2-5 – I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) How he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in my infirmities.
So, what are the three heavens?
- The first heaven is the sky we see above us – the atmosphere – where the birds fly and planes soar.
- The second heaven is the planetary heaven – outer space – where the planets, stars, and galaxies exist.
- The third heaven is God’s abode, spoken of in Deuteronomy 10:14 as the “heaven of heavens.” We need to clarify the third heaven to help us understand our eternal home.
The History of Hell
To more fully understand the Third Heaven, we need to understand the history of hell. We have already studied the history of hell in this series, but let’s do a quick review to refresh our memory.
The word translated “hell” in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word “Sheol.” This word is also translated “grave” or “pit” in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the word translated “hell” is the Greek word, “Hades.” The Greeks had many myths about the underworld of the dead which hold no truth, but this was the closest word in the Greek language to express “Sheol.” Some theologians refer to this place of the dead as “Sheol-Hades.” This place is located in the center of the earth – 4,000 miles under our feet. Numbers 16:28-35 tells of an incident where men went physically alive down into the pit.
Jesus gives us a picture of “Sheol-Hades” in Luke 16:19-31. He described where the rich man went who was tormented in flames; the rich man could see into “Abraham’s Bosom” (also called “Paradise”) where Lazarus was comforted. Between Torment and Paradise was a “great gulf.”
When Jesus died and rose again, several phenomenal things occurred. Matthew records for us in his gospel that:
- The veil of the temple was torn in two
- The earth quaked
- The rocks cracked
- The graves (plural) were opened and many bodies of the saints who slept (had died) arose and came out of the graves and went into the city and appeared to many
When Jesus rose, He went to the Father and presented His Sacrificial Body in the real Holy of Holies in the Third Heaven. Jesus had to be the first-fruits[i]. Only then could those, for whom His sacrifice was made, enter the Heaven of Heavens. Paradise was then transferred into the Third Heaven, and Torment took over the entire pit[ii].
History of the Third Heaven
Some theologians think that because the angels are created beings, they must have been created in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. Others feel that God created the angels before time began. Either way, God created them all at one time and the Third Heaven is their home with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Those were all the residents in the Third Heaven.
When Lucifer sinned, God cast him and a third of the angels out of heaven and they came to the earth[iii]. So, from that time until Christ rose, the remaining two-thirds of the angels and the Godhead were the residents of the Third Heaven, with the exception of the thirty-three years Christ (God the Son) was on this earth. When Christ rose, He first went to offer His sacrifice to God the Father, then brought all the saints from Paradise into the Third Heaven. I personally am inclined to believe these saints were also bodily resurrected – else, why were their graves opened and their bodies walking around?
From that time forward, when a child of God, a born-again believer, physically dies, his/her soul and spirit go to the Third Heaven to await the bodily resurrection at the “caught up event” described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15, also known as “the rapture.” So, now the Third Heaven is also home for all the departed saints. During the Great Tribulation (at least some of it) the glorified bodies of all the saints will remain in the Third Heaven until coming to the earth on white horses with Christ at the Second Coming[iv].
Where Will We Spend Eternal Life?
People speak about living in heaven forever and ever. Really, that is an incorrect assumption. We will live with Jesus forever and ever. “That’s what heaven really means,” some say. But, where will we live with Jesus? Our Scripture reference, Revelation 21:1-3, tells us: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. We will live in the New Jerusalem that “came down out of heaven”. We will be on the new earth!
There are some very exciting things in store for the new earth! God will actually REDEEM the earth! When Adam and Eve sinned, one of the results was a cursed earth. Our sin not only affected us, it affects the entire earth and all its inhabitants. As beautiful and functional this planet is to live upon, it isn’t even close to what God originally created. It is cursed. The ground is cursed, the plants are cursed, and the animals are cursed. But, when God finally rids this earth of Satan, his demons, and his followers, God will redeem this earth. It will be a NEW EARTH! The cursed earth will no longer exist. That is one of the most exciting things I can imagine!
In the next lesson, we will zoom in on the NEW JERUSALEM and see how life will be lived within its bejeweled walls. If life on this earth is so precious and desirable that we cherish it to the point of trying to prolong our lives to the max, just imagine how exciting and marvelous life will be on a redeemed earth in the New Jerusalem that Jesus has been preparing for two thousand years!
[i] 1 Corinthians 15:20
[ii] Isaiah 5:14
[iii] Revelation 12:4
[iv] Revelation 19:14