Introduction
Knowing about a new Heaven and a new Earth is essential if you want to understand what God desires. Context to anything is essential! One of the things about the Biblical story that I have been expressing is our lack of understanding about the role of the Earth.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1
The Earth is our responsibility.
The story starts with God creating the heaven and the earth. It is not a secondary thing; it is the main thing. God created everything else to make something good from this formless and void planet. We are clearly told the purpose of our existence, which is to rule the Earth (Genesis 1:26-28). Do not skip over this truth! It is the most foundational piece for understanding the Biblical story.
That understanding of truth is essential because it provides context to the salvation story. Thinking about the playing field illustration, if you are told the game’s goal but have no idea of the field it is played on, you will have a very fuzzy idea about what is happening. For instance, if you know that pickleball is played with a ball and paddle but do not understand the court, you will have problems understanding how the points work. Players will have difficulty succeeding when they don’t understand the court they are playing on.
Take the gospel, for instance. Many have heard the gospel that Jesus came because we are sinners to pay for our sins so that we can live with Him forever and not go to hell. Think about that for a moment. Is that all there is to it? I mean, is the whole purpose to be saved? Saved for what? Where are we going to live? Now, here is the main point we are getting to: what is Heaven? What does the Bible tell us about our final place to live?
The Earth is our Home
We have to go back to Genesis chapters one through three. We are created from the earth to rule the Earth; the Earth is one of God’s grand creations. We must understand the Lord’s destiny for us is to be rulers of the earth. No place in the Bible teaches otherwise. Jesus tells us what our inheritance will be.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5
He is quoting from Psalm thirty-seven.
“But the meek shall inherit the earth;
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”Psalm 37:11
Psalm thirty-seven makes it clear what we are to hope for.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good;
So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”Psalm 37:3
“For evildoers shall be cut off:
But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”Psalm 37:9
“The Lord knoweth the days of the upright:
And their inheritance shall be for ever.”Psalm 37:18
“For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth;
And they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.”Psalm 37:22
“The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell therein for ever.”Psalm 37:29
“Wait on the Lord, and keep his way,
And he shall exalt thee to inherit the land:
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”Psalm 37:34
It is clear that the Psalmist understood that the Earth was our inheritance and it was to be forever. We are not meant for Heaven, where God dwells; we were created for the Earth. That understanding has never been changed and is confirmed in the end.
“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. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 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.”
Revelation 21:1–3
Peter plainly tells us this is our hope.
“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
2 Peter 3:13
Conclusion
We must turn away from a false view of leaving the Earth permanently and focus on how to perform our duties here. We must do our best to live as stewards of the Lord’s creation. Every sin humankind commits is locked in the earth, and the Lord will let the earth speak of our stewardship. That seems to be the point behind this statement.
“And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”
Genesis 4:10
So, the Lord will someday create a new Heaven and a new Earth out of judgment. He will wipe away all sin from it.
“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
2 Peter 3:12
When reading that verse, we should consider it in the light of a similar account. That is the account of our recreation.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
We will be recognized as we are when we are judged and made new (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). When the resurrected Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples, they recognized Him. So, if we do not seem to be recreated in a way that we are not recognizable, should we assume the recreated Earth will be recognizable?
If our Earth is our home, then we pretty much understand what the future has for us. We understand what it means to be good stewards because we know what our Earth needs. The Earth needs peace most, which can only come when everyone is submitted to the Lord. That is why Jesus sent us into the world to preach the gospel. If you want to know the gospel of the kingdom, please click here.
God will create a new Heaven and a new Earth along with new humans, and we will be held accountable for how we treat God’s creation.