CHAPTER 14

THE ETERNAL AGE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

God is working out His Plan for all in seven biblical ages through Jesus Christ, who is the Beginning and the End. Jesus began the ages when He first created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. He will end the ages with the shout ‘It is done’, thus bringing to completion God’s Plan for All, which reaches its glorious fulfilment in the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

 
Isaiah 65:17-18

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create.”

God wants us to be glad and rejoice forever because He will create the New Heaven and the New Earth. The vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth was given to Apostle John approximately 2000 years ago on the Island of Patmos.

Revelation 21:1-6

1 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. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 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. 4 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." 5 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." 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End...”

What a wonderful and glorious scripture. There will be no more pain and no more death and Father God Himself will come down to this cleansed and renewed planet earth and live with men. The New Heaven and the New Earth as described in these verses represent the conclusion of God’s Plan for All. When Jesus Christ will shout the words ‘It is done’, He will have fulfilled His complete mission from the beginning to the end of God’s Plan to reconcile all things in heaven and all things on earth to God the Father through the work of the cross.

The place in Revelation 21:6 where Jesus Christ shouts, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End’ should mark the end of chapter 21. This is because the remainder of the book of Revelation from the middle of Revelation 21:6 where it says, “I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 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…etc.”, refers back to events prior to the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth, before the reconciliation of all things.

Please note that there were no verses, paragraphs or chapter breaks in the ancient Hebrew or Greek manuscripts from which the Bible versions are translated. These verses, paragraphs and chapter breaks do not form part of the inspired original writings, but were added later and sometimes placed inappropriately as in this case. Also, please note that the book of Revelation is not written to follow a strict chronological sequence of end time events.

The Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth immediately follows the Lake of Fire Judgment Age. Apostle Peter understood that the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth will happen after God has first cleansed and renewed this earth with its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) by fire.

2 Peter 3:11-13

11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Apostle Paul understood that there is an order in God’s Plan of Salvation and that the End or the fulfilment of God’s Plan will come when Jesus Christ delivers the Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth to God the Father.

 
1 Corinthians 15:22-28

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him that God may be all in all.

This is a marvellous scripture that lays down the events, which will happen before the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth. There are four important points to note.

The first point to note (verses 22-23) is that each and every person without exception (all in Adam) will be made alive in Christ, but each in his own order, as decided by God. God has an order of when each person will be made alive in Christ, which means to be saved and reconciled to God.

The second point to note (verse 24) is that the End, which is the fulfilment of God’s Plan, will come when Jesus Christ delivers the Kingdom to God the Father. The Kingdom referred to here can only be the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth as this is when all in Adam will have been made alive in Christ. 

The third point to note (verses 24-28) is that there are two important events mentioned in these verses that will take place before Jesus Christ delivers the Kingdom to God the Father. Firstly, Jesus Christ must put to an end all rule, authority, powers and enemies, which include all rebellious angelic powers. All of these will be made subject to Christ. In these verses, the meaning of the word subjection is a willing obedience because the same scripture says that Christ Himself will be subject to God the Father. Secondly, death itself, which is called the last enemy, will be destroyed. These two events will happen during God's refining yet merciful Lake of Fire judgement before the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

The fourth point to note (verse 28) is that when all things are made subject to Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ Himself will be subject to God the Father so that God the Father may be all in all. Of course, Jesus Christ is always subject to God the Father. The meaning in this verse is that once Jesus Christ has reconciled all things to God the Father, then Father God Himself will come down to this cleansed and renewed earth, so that He will be all in all. This is when the glorious Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth begins, and this when Jesus Christ shouts the words, ‘It is done!’ as given in Revelation 21:6. 

It is very important to understand that our planet earth is destined to become God’s dwelling place, His throne and the headquarters of the universe. To appreciate this truth, it is necessary to remind our readers that there are three distinct meanings of heaven/heavens in the Bible, and it is important to explain this in more detail here.

Heaven in the Bible

The three distinct meanings of heaven/heavens in the Bible, depending on the context are as follows:

Firstly, heaven (singular) means earth’s atmosphere or the visible sky.

Secondly, heavens (plural) means the Universe.

 
Thirdly, heaven (singular) means the dwelling place of God, where God’s throne is presently located somewhere in the Universe.

‘Heaven’ and ‘heavens’ are translations of the Hebrew word shamayim and the Greek word ouranos. Both of these Hebrew and Greek words can be translated into the singular form ‘heaven’ or the plural form ‘heavens’ depending on the context in Scripture.  In some verses, Bible translators of the NKJV and many other versions of the Bible have confused the plural form with the singular form and vice versa, as in the case of 2 Peter 3:11-13 discussed previously. When the context of a verse refers to either the earth’s atmosphere (the sky) or the current dwelling place of God, then the singular form ‘heaven’ is correct. However, when the context of a verse refers to the universe, then the plural form heavens is correct. The following scriptures clearly demonstrate the three distinct meanings of heaven/heavens.

1 Kings 18:45 (KJV)

And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven (the sky, the earth’s atmosphere) was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens (the universe) and the earth.

2 Chronicles 30:27

Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven (God’s dwelling place).

Most Christians do not understand that when a believer dies, he or she does not go to heaven, the dwelling place where God resides, which is at present located somewhere in the universe. The Bible plainly says that no man has ascended to heaven, the dwelling place of God, except Jesus Christ. (John 3:13, Acts 2:29, 34)

The truth of the Bible is that there is no heaven or hell as understood or misunderstood by traditional Christianity. When a believer dies, he remains in a state of ‘sleep’ until his resurrection in the First Resurrection when he enters God’s Millennial Kingdom on this earth, in his immortal saved body. When an unbeliever dies, he also remains in a state of ‘sleep’ until his resurrection in the Second Resurrection when he is judged in the Lake of Fire, in his immortal yet still unsaved body. Ultimately, all resurrected unbelievers will be saved and they will enter God’s Eternal Kingdom on this earth, but only after God’s refining yet merciful Lake of Fire judgement.

The earth is the focus of God’s creation. Planet earth is destined to become God’s headquarters where God the Father Himself will come down from his current dwelling place in heaven to dwell with men on earth as we read in Revelation 21:1-6. Many verses in the Bible show that God has put a special emphasis on this planet earth. In the very first verse of the Bible, God singles out the creation of the earth from the rest of the universe by saying, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. (Genesis 1:1)

God will first establish His Millennial Kingdom and then His Eternal Kingdom on this earth. The Kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdoms of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 11:15) Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5, Psalm 37:11, 22) The Bride of Christ shall reign on this earth with Jesus Christ. (Revelation 5:10)

Jesus Christ has gone to heaven, the present dwelling place of God, until His Second Coming to this earth. He has gone there to prepare a future place, which will be on this earth for all true believers, His Bride, who will be resurrected in the First Resurrection to join Him at His Second Coming.

John 14:1-3

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

This scripture has been misunderstood by traditional Christianity to mean that immediately after death a believer goes to a place in heaven prepared for them by Jesus Christ. Notice that the scripture says that Jesus Christ will come again to this earth to receive His believers, His Bride, so that they may be with Him in the same place where He is. When Jesus Christ returns, He will remain on this earth with His Elect Bride and complete His mission to deliver the Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth to God the Father. Once God has received the Kingdom from Christ, Father God Himself will then come down onto this cleansed and refined earth to dwell with men forever. Heaven, God’s dwelling place, will then have moved from somewhere in the universe to earth, and God will be all in all.

We have seen that Father God will transfer His ‘House’ from heaven, His current dwelling place, to this earth at the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth. There are many mansions in the Father’s House and the Bride of Christ is promised these as a special reward, which She will receive in the Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Jesus Christ instructed His followers to pray for the Kingdom of God to come and be established on earth and for God’s will to be done on earth.

Matthew 6:9-10

9 …Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 
The only place in the universe where God’s will is not yet being fully done is on this earth, where Satan remains the god of this world. However, the time will come when the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of God, and then this prayer, known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ that Jesus instructed believers to pray, will be fully answered.

 
The Kingdom of God will come on earth in two phases. Phase One will be the Millennial Kingdom and Phase Two will be the Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth. We have covered the subject of the Millennial Kingdom of God in detail in Chapter 12.

Like Apostle John, Apostle Paul was also given a vision of the Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

2 Corinthians 12:1-4

1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

 
Apostle Paul was caught up to the ‘third heaven’. The third heaven here refers to a vision of the future dwelling place of God. Paul was undoubtedly given the vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth, the future dwelling place of God with men on this cleansed and renewed earth. The vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth was so wonderful and so beautiful that Paul describes it as a Paradise. However, Paul was not permitted to give any more details of the words he heard or of the things he saw in this vision.

The Bible has little to say about God’s purpose and plan beyond the ages, after the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth. However, we can be sure of a few things about it.

Everything in the universe will be reconciled and at peace with God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. All people are created in the image of God and we are called His family. (Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 3:15) Our future in the Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth will be glorious beyond description.

1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

We can be sure that Father God has a wonderful, glorious and exciting future beyond our dreams and imaginations for His whole family, Adam and Eve and all of their descendants along with all of God's angels.

The New Earth with its New Heaven will be the headquarters of the universe as God the Father Himself will live there with men. God’s Plan of the Ages will culminate with the creation of the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth. This will be the Seventh Age, which will begin but it will never end, as it will last for eternity. Truly, it will be the glorious Eternal Sabbath Rest from sin and unrighteousness for all of God’s creation.

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