Revelation 21:5 NLT
[5] “And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
Well, that’s a fantastic promise!
As fallen human beings, we have broken, spoiled, and messed up so much in our Iives and the Iives of others that God’s promise is a lifeline for us. What if we went into eternity dragging everything we have broken or destroyed in this life with us!
God is not the one who has done the damage. We have, even if we hate to admit our part in the trail of brokenness we leave behind us.
We have all had a part in destroying relationships. We have harmed our children by what we have said, or not said, done or not done. We have damaged those closest to ourselves by our thoughtless words and actions. We have hated and judged instead of forgiving and praying for our enemies. We have ignored those in need, lavishing on ourselves what we could have done for others. We are GUILTY, all of us, in some way or another….
But….
God said that He will make everything new, not new everything. What He created in the beginning was perfect and functional, “Good!” He called it. He will not replace the broken with everything new. He will restore everything damaged by our hands to its former perfection. God doesn’t throw anything away except those who refuse His invitation to be made new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
[17] “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
So, as well as making people new, God will also renew both heaven and earth. In some way we don’t understand, the corruption sin brought to people affected all creation and the connection between heaven and earth.
Romans 8:20-22 NLT
[20]”Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, [21] the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. [22] For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
However,
Revelation 21:1-4 NLT
[1]”Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. [2] And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Our fallen bodies, too, will be restored to sinless perfection and immortality, like the body of Jesus, when He walked out of the tomb.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 49 NLT
[42]”It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. [43] Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. [44] They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies…
[49] Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.”
How will God accomplish this restoration?
God restores, not by patching up something old and worn out but by making it brand-new, all over again as it was in the beginning.
In Jeremiah 23, God describes His word as powerfully destructive.
Jeremiah 23:29 NLT
[29] “Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?”
Just as God created the universe by the power of His Word, so He will destroy everything that has corrupted His creation by His Word.
2 Peter 3:7, 10 NLT
[7]” And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
[10] But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.”
Lest we think that Peter is referring to literal fire, let us first consider the meaning of the word, “elements”.
Strong’s g4747
- Lexical: στοιχεῖον
- Transliteration: stoicheion
- Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
- Phonetic Spelling: stoy-khi’-on
- Definition: (a) plur: the heavenly bodies, (b) a rudiment, an element, a rudimentary principle, an elementary rule.
- Origin: Neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of stoicheo; something orderly in arrangement, i.e. (by implication) a serial (basal, fundamental, initial) constituent (literally), proposition (figuratively).
- Usage: element, principle, rudiment.
- Translated as (count): principles (4), elements (2), basic principles (1).”
Paul uses the same Greek word, “stoicheion”, translated “elements” to refer to the basic principles by which this present evil world operates.
Galatians 4:3 NLT
[3] “And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.”
Even the worthless material His people have used in their work in the kingdom will perish in the fire.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NLT
[10]”Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. [11] For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. [12] Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. [13] But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. [14] If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. [15] But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”
Just as God created the universe by His powerful Word, the Bible tells us, so also He will cleanse the universe of pollution and restore everything to its former perfection through the fire of His Word.
Even the worthless work we have done in His name will be consumed by the flames and only that which is truth and built on the truth will remain. Fire will test all our words and works and everything that is precious and of value will survive.
In view of God’s promise, then,
2 Peter 3:11-14 NLT
[11] “Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, [12] looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. [13] But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. [14] And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.”