Eternity

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.” Rev. 21:1.

In eternity there will also be a heaven and an earth. In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth with all its full-ness, He saw that it was very good. Everything was just the way He wanted it. But then sin came and ruined it all, resulting in the curse with its thorns, thistles, and famines. The curse will be abolished in the millennial kingdom that will be on this present earth. God will demonstrate His power by establishing a kingdom of peace on an earth that has been a valley of tears for thousands of years. Everyone will be convinced that it is sin that ruins everything.

But couldn’t God let the present heavens and earth remain in eternity? We know that Jesus has cleansed the heavenly things by His blood, but the fact that sin has been present there is enough for God’s zeal to allow fire to consume it all. Heb. 9:11-23. He hates even the garments defiled by the flesh. Jude 23; 2 Pet. 3:7-10. Satan had access to God, and he stood there accusing the saints day and night. Then Michael and his angels cast Satan down to earth, and Jesus went in with His blood and sat down at God’s right hand as our Advocate to make intercession for us. Rev. 12:7-12. When all of God’s counsel has been fulfilled and Satan has been cast into the lake of fire, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. The difference that is mentioned between the present earth and the new earth is that on the new earth there will be no more sea.

“Then I . . . saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’” Rev. 21:2-3.

There is a common misunderstanding that all of us will be alike and equal in eternity, but that is not what God’s Word says. “There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.” 1 Cor. 15:40-42.

Here the apostle makes it very clear that there will be vast differences. The new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven is made up of those people who have been built up as a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. 1 Pet. 2:5. They will have heavenly bodies. They will come down to the new earth. The people that live there will all have earthly bodies. Here we can see the difference in glory: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them . . . .” Rev. 21:3. That will be incredibly glorious! See how great it is to be built up as a dwelling place for God: “‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” Verses 4-5.

Although there are varying degrees of glory, we see that everyone will receive some glory. But we are reminded of these words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Those who receive comfort are happy, but the ones who give comfort are even happier. How wonderful it will be when every tear is wiped away. What rejoicing that will bring. Think what it will be like to be one who wipes tears away. That is the work of the firstfruits, those whose sole desire during their earthly pilgrimage has been to do good, but who have had their longing only partially ful-filled. They have been limited by time, by their mortal bodies, and by their means and abilities; but then God will fulfill all their desire according to His riches in glory throughout all eternity.

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Verse 8. For these people there is no more hope. Nothing can save them from the second death.

Then John saw the Lamb’s wife, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, “having the glory of God.” They had partaken of divine nature. Their radiance was like a most precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. They had walked in the light and become children of the light. “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”

It is the same today. People need the sun and moon to give them light; in other words, they receive light from without. They do not walk by faith but by sight. Their understanding is molded by neighbors, television, advertising, fashion magazines, etc. But as for the firstfruits—the bride—their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who teaches them all things. They live in faith and receive light from within. This is how it will be in eternity, “For the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”

This is the city Abraham was waiting for, the city with firm foundations whose Builder and Maker is God. Abraham dwelt as a stranger in the land of promise. He sat in his tent together with Isaac and Jacob and spoke about this city. Heb. 11:9-10. If they could see so far into the future, how much more should we see, we who are called to be the city itself?

“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Verse 24. We see the same thing today. Those who are earthly do not know how to cope with life’s difficulties. When they need help, they go to those who are spiritual and walk in their light, just like the moon reflects the light of the sun. The nations on the new earth, the thirdfruits, have never walked in the light and become children of light. They have only experienced reconciliation with God by the death of Jesus, and now they must walk by the light of the city. The light of the Lamb does not shine on them directly; it shines on them through the city. This dependent relationship will last for all eternity.

“And the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Verses 24 and 26. The kings of the earth have the great privilege of bringing the glory and honor of their nations into the city. Today, if a nation wants to give a king a gift as a token of its thankfulness, it gives him the most precious thing it has. It is not the gift itself that the king values, but the thankfulness that it represents. Usually a man who is close to the king is chosen to present the gift. He joins in the festivities and enjoys greater blessings than the rest of the people. But the greatest joy and glory is reserved for the king.

The nations on the new earth will have a deep sense of gratitude and honor because of the blessings that will flow to them from the throne of God and the Lamb through the city. The kings will bear this glory into the city. God, the Lamb, and the city will highly value this glory. It will be as Paul said in Phil. 4:17, “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.” “Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?” 1 Thess. 3:7-10. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thess. 2:19-20.

Paul is, of course, a part of the city, and these verses had already become his personal testimony when he lived here on earth.

“And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Rev. 22:1-2.

From this we can see that the nations will be totally dependent on the city. In order to live, they will have to eat of the tree of life, as they did in Paradise. They do not have eternal life abiding in themselves, so they are dependent on the city to live. “And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15. But we do know that a murderer can receive eternal life as a gift. The thief on the cross was allowed to go into Paradise with Jesus. There he can live forever by eating of the tree of life.

“But he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17. Doing the will of God is the greatest thing we can do here in this sinful world. Those who do God’s will partake of His divine nature, and they have eternal life abiding in them. They are the city, and they have heavenly bodies.

“And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” Rev. 22:3-5.

We see that everything centers around God, the Lamb, and the city. We can’t help but exclaim, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” Verse 14.

You could perhaps ask: If Satan was once an anointed cherub (see Ezek. 28:14) and yet could fall into sin, couldn’t the same situation arise and start the misery all over again? No, that won’t happen. In the beginning everything was untried, but everything that remains for eternity will have already been tried and tested. The fire will have consumed whatever could burn. Everyone in eternity will have experienced good and evil, so they will not be ignorant of it, as Adam and Eve were. A multitude of angels fell with Satan (Jude 6), so even the angels have been given the choice. They have also been tried. God will make sure that there will be two testimonies to these things throughout all eternity. One will be the smoke of the torment of those who worshiped the beast. This will ascend for all eternity. Rev. 14:11. The other will be the smoke of the harlot, which will also arise forever and ever. Rev. 19:3. It was the harlot and the beast that destroyed the first earth. These two columns of smoke will stand for all eternity as a testimony of what the new heaven and the new earth have been spared from.

“Then He said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.” Rev. 22:6.

“And none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” Dan. 12:10. God wants to reveal to His servants the things which are to come. You can’t study your way to this understanding. You must cleanse yourself by obeying the truth and serve the living God; then you will understand. The fear of the Lord is understanding. For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus patiently endured the cross. We, too, can look into the joy that awaits us. “Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” Eph. 1:9-10.

When we see the glory of Christ, all this world’s glory becomes as dung. Then we are able to see how all-encompassing God’s plan is, and all our questions are answered. When we look into the mystery of God’s plan, we realize that we have tremendous things to live for. Our present sufferings are as nothing by comparison when we can see what God is going to do in the last time. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” 1 Pet. 1:6. Truly our afflictions are momentary and light!

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”