I tuned in to TNP radio a few minutes late today and heard Steve discussing the New Heaven and New Earth, those "outside" it, the Lake of Fire, and the final destiny of humanity. Over the last few months, I've been doing a study of these things based on the final chapters of Revelation; while taking into account the l eschatology of the N.T. This study is ongoing but I've reached tentative conclusions (which are in the thread title). To explain my conclusions in a basic way, I would need to do exegesis of relevant passages. I may get to that later if this thread has responders. That is, if anyone wants to go into it. For now, I'll summarize, the New Heaven and New Earth:
Has-Come
This encompasses everything the Bible says about past tense "already" things.
As a preliminary, let's first go back to "future expectations" with:
Hebews 11:8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (NASB).
Now to the "already-has-come" with:
2 Cor 5:16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV)
and
Hebrews 12:22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (NIV).
We have come to the city Abraham was looking for, and are [individually] "a new creation in Christ." Note how it doesn't say Abraham was looking for God's city "in heaven" (or that he, nor anyone for that matter, would have to go to heaven to see it). There's more to say about this from the final chapters of Revelation.
Is-Arriving
Or we could say "Is-Coming."
Referring back to 2 Cor 5:17 as a starting point to develop this theme: Note in verse 16 how Paul says we now regard ourselves from a spiritual, not-worldly point of view. And on to verse 17, Paul says the old "worldly order of things" is now in the past tense. Did Paul mean to convey that absolutely everything that God has in store has already and fully arrived for Christians? No, I don't think so. Here he is simply saying the "in-Christ order of things" has arrived and can be said to "be-arriving" for believers.
What Paul wrote (above) is reiterated or "restated" in:
Rev 21:5And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."
6Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
"It is done" was the new creation (the New Heaven and New Earth/"new creation in Christ") which has been created in its initial or "(entry)/I am making" stage: Already-here and is-coming, yet not fully and finally realized (see Rev. 21:3-4 at the bottom).
7"He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
The "new creation Christian [who has been justified by God]" and who overcomes will inherit these things. Compare:
1 Cor 6:9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (NIV).
and
Rev 21:8"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Rev. 21:8 speaks in the present tense, as does 1 Cor 6:9a. That is, this will be their fate unless they repent and believe (not inheriting the Kingdom, sent to the Lake of Fire).
Rev 21:10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, (see Hebrews 12:22, above)....
24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
25In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;
26and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;
27and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Rev 22:4Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
15Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying (NASB).
In this age, Christians have already-arrived into the "new order of creation in Christ." The Kingdom of God has-come and is-arriving. Believers have approached the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which-is-descending-down from God in the earth and "expanding its borders" on earth as more enter in.
"Outside", right now, are the dogs, the immoral, murderers, idolaters...adulterers, drunkards, thieves, etc. (cf. 1 Cor 6:9-11 and Rev. 21:15).
Not-Yet-(Fully-Arrived) (specificly future aspects).
Rev 21:3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
4and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
Verse 3 has-come, is-arriving, and expanding its borders as people come in. (More could be said about the Church is the present-age Temple/tabernacle dwelling of of God in the earth)!
Verse 4 will be fully fulfilled at the second coming, after the final judgment: Rev. 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (In bold, the full and final completion of everything eschatological: Eternity)....
Comments? I have more on the present reign of believers with Christ but will save it for later. Preview: we currently share his reign as more (in the nations!) come from the kingdom of darkness and into the New Creation in Christ,
New Heaven/New Earth: Has-Come, Is-Arriving, Not-Yet
New Heaven/New Earth: Has-Come, Is-Arriving, Not-Yet
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
“In Jesus Christ God ordained life for man, but death for himself” -- Karl Barth