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TWO EARTHS

Part 2

The NEW EARTH After the Second Coming of Christ

One of the reasons people who believe
that the “NEW EARTH,” currently invi-
sible, is, indeed, going to become a
reality, is derived from their reasoning regarding the existence of a Creator God. They maintain he surely must exist because they observe everywhere the visible manifestations of his incredible INTELLIGENCE and POWER in the entire vast, extremely complicated material, physical universe, attributing to him its creation and permanence from its origin to the present. They deduce that if the Almighty Creator God, currently invisible, claims to be creating a “NEW EARTH" yet invisible, it would be entirely logical to believe him, for his very existence proves that a realm now invisible to the human eye can and really does exist.

In Revelation 21:1, God the Creator calls the material planet Earth “the first earth,” and he calls the material heaven “the first heaven.” In the vision he gave to the apostle John in 95 CE, he projects from that time into the distant future the consummation of his plan for all things material, and looking back from that viewpoint says that “they PASSED AWAY, and the sea was no more.” “…THEY PASSED AWAY.” That is, as expressed in Revelation 20:11, “the earth and the heaven fled away, and NO PLACE was found for them.” Hence, the definitive END of the entire MATERIAL UNIVERSE! In this same apocalyptic context, at the beginning of Revelation 21:1, the apostle John says: “Then I saw a new heaven and a NEW EARTH…” These take the place of
the material “first heaven” and “first earth” in
the grand scheme of God the Creator’s works.

This “new earth” is not material, the word
“earth” being used rhetorically in the
context. On the contrary, the "new earth" 
is HEAVENLY, from Heaven, and conse-
quently, belongs to the spiritual sphere of
the Supreme God who is himself "SPIRIT." 
John 4:24. He is “SPIRIT,” nevertheless, he has
“FORM,” also translated as “appearance” and
“shape.” John 5:37

As the “city of the living God" is the "HEAVENLY Jerusalén" (Hebrews 12:22),  is"the holy city Jerusalem,” which comes "down out of HEAVEN from God" (Revelation 21:2, 10), and is not an earthly, material city, neither is the "new earth" simply a new, improved version of the first, material planet Earth. As"there is a natural body, there is also a SPIRITUAL BODY.”  1 Corinthians 15:42-44. And as there is a "SPIRITUAL BODY,” there is, naturally and logically, a new dwelling place for it in the spiritual realm, that place being the "NEW EARTH."

 

The "natural body," while visible, is temporal and therefore earthly and mortal. Dying, it is buried, cremated, or otherwise dispensed with by forces of nature.  At the resurrection, “it is raised a SPIRITUAL BODY.” Following this same line of biblical teaching and recapitulando, “the first earth,” being material, visible, and temporal, will pass away at a time and way determined by its Creator, replaced by “a new earth,” which will logically be of a spiritual, heavenly nature. 2 Corinthians 4:18

It is thus that a glorified “spiritual body” comes to dwell in a “new earth” of a spiritual-heavenly substance, to which “the heavenly Jerusalem,” synonymous with the "city of the living God," descends, that "city" also being of a spiritual nature, for, logically, it would not be the earthly Jerusalem revived. “The WORLD to COME” (Hebrews 2:5), is, then, a heavenly-spiritual body, where the God who “is Spirit” (John 4:24) will set up his heavenly “tabernacle,” dwelling with “the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 21:3-5), clothed in their new spiritual, immortal bodies. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Who can deny that all these elements of the great tapestry presented to the world by faithful and true Christians are anything but absolutely consistent and marvelously harmonious? Indeed, even the atheist or secularist who labels this tapestry a "fictitious fabrication" must admit its rational, inherent integrity. Here, there is no "spiritual body" dwelling on a "material earth," even if it should be "fully renewed" or "purified" as some religious teachers assert, with whom I personally strongly disagree. Nor is there a new "heavenly Jerusalem" established on a material earth, for example, in Palestine. For as those who faithfully follow the original Sacred Scriptures given by their Divine Author point out, everything is made new in the spiritual realms, including "the holy city of Jerusalem" which descends to the spiritual, heavenly "NEW EARTH," and decidedly not to the physical and materially visible "first earth." “And he that sits on the throne said, Behold, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW.” Revelation 21:5

Since the “new earth” belongs for the present to the category of things “unseen,” biblical logic requires it to be understood as ETERNAL, for “the THINGS UNSEEN are ETERNAL,” quoting 2 Corinthians 4:18 again for emphasis. Linking this text with 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 and 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, we immediately take notice of the admirable logical connection between the texts. A new “spiritual body” that is clothed “with immortality” through resurrection, going to dwell eternally in an eternal “new earth!” Thus, we have before us two bodies of the same nature and duration, namely, spiritual, and that will continue eternally. The impressive harmony of this projection cannot be overlooked by any intelligent and honest mind, even if it resists believing what is projected.

Additionally, we are told that “the things UNSEEN in our present material world ARE SEEN in that celestial, spiritual sphere, being as REAL there as the things visible in our material surroundings. So then, the glorified body that Jesus Christ received after ascending and passing beyond the clouds (Acts 1:6-11), invisible to us humans in our material world, is seen by God the Father and his angels up there in Heaven. Philippians 3:21.  And so is the celestial, spiritual "new earth" in preparation! As REAL and VISIBLE in its spiritual, celestial surroundings as are the planet Earth and the Milky Way solar system to us in our material, physical world. What logic can there be in doubting or refuting these conclusions?

In that “new earth,” with its “new heavens,” “JUSTICE DWELLS!”  Furthermore, in that “world to come,” justice will prevail completely, there being no place for any injustice, for the new heavenly world can be inhabited only by “the spirits of just men made perfect.” Hebrews 12:23. No unjust person will be admitted to it, for Divine Justice, perfectly equitable and benign, will exist, will dwell, eternally as a natural and inviolable norm.

This aspect of the “new earth” would attract positively the attention of any thinking, analytical earthly inhabitant who respects and loves undiluted, undistorted true JUSTICE, who would like to see it impartially and rigorously imposed on planet Earth, who yearns for it, who laments the plague of injustice that perpetually brings so much suffering, even death, to multitudes of human beings across the globe. It is not surprising, then, that the apostle Peter testifies about first-century Christians, writing: “But according to his promise we are waiting for NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH, in which righteousness dwells.” They eagerly awaited a new world free from injustice, darkness, and evil. And so do true Christians today.

This apostle wrote these words immediately after having affirmed and described, in terrifyingly graphic language, the total dissolution of the material universe that, according to him, God has planned for “the day of the Lord,” which “will come like a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the earth,” that is, the first, material, visible, temporal Earth, “and the works that are in it will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10-12. In view of such a lightning-fast end to the material universe, and also of the hope that he and the recipients of his second epistle entertained, Peter adds: “Therefore, beloved, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by him,” that is, by the Lord, “blameless and unreproveable, in peace.” 2 Peter 3:14

Well, how shall we respond to this? Let's be honest with ourselves. When it comes to being “blameless and unreproveable, in peace,” this is precisely how the vast majority of the inhabitants of this "first earth" are NOT! On the contrary, they are FREQUENTLY AT WAR with themselves, with their “partner,” with their spouse, with their family, with their neighbors, with authorities of every kind. Races and cultures at war.

Motivated to read Peter's two complete epistles in the
New Testament, we find that the people who, according to him, had come to have hope of receiving "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness," had first "purified" their "souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit." 1 Peter 1:22. They had even submitted to "the BAPTISM that... SAVES." 1 Peter 3:21. It follows that these same steps should be taken today by ALL who wish to embrace the same hope that inspired and sustained the Christians of that first century. Will we live on "the first earth" as if this material planet were eternal? Will we die here without hope of anything better beyond death? Or will we believe, “according to” the promises of the Creator God, in “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness”?

Both young and old, women and men, and the
elderly too, riddled with moral blemishes,
vices, and even crimes. Reprehensible in
terms of their attitudes, personality, or
character attributes, and lifestyle. Unfair to
their fellow human beings! Nor are many
religious people exempt, whose religion or
faith is more worldly than spiritual.

The “Three Cities” highlighted in the Bible are: the earthly city of Jerusalem, “the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 11:10; 12:22; Revelation 21), and “Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” Revelation 17

And the “Four Temples” are: (1) the physical temple of the Israelites in Jerusalem, (2) the “Temple of God in heaven” (Revelation 11:19), (3) “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” which is the body of each person obedient to God’s will (1 Corinthians 6:19), and (4) the “holy temple in the Lord,” synonymous with “building… family… church of Christ… kingdom of God.” Ephesians 2:19-22

Author: Homer Dewayne Shappley

May be copied but not sold in any form.

Part 1. The “FIRST EARTH” and the “FIRST HEAVEN PASSED AWAY…and NO PLACE WAS FOUND for THEM.”  “NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH” take their place. CELESTIAL, HEAVENLY, in the SPIRITUAL REALM. The astonishingly harmonious teachings of the apostles John, Peter, and Paul on these highly significant, totally relevant subjects, anyone who would like to know and understand COMING TREMENDOUS EVENTS PROGRAMMED by the CREATOR GOD. A careful, concise analysis and application of New Testament revelations on these subjects.

Revelation 21st Century Commenatry by Dewayne Shappley

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