CHAPTER 14

THE ETERNAL AGE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The New Heaven and the New Earth 

 

Father God is working out His Grand Family Plan in seven biblical ages through His Son Jesus Christ. God is the Beginning and the End. He begins the ages and He ends the ages. The Seventh Age is different from the previous six ages in that God will begin it, but it will never end, as the Seventh Age is the glorious Eternal Age of the Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Luke 1:32-33
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever (aion), and of His kingdom there will be no end.

Please note that the Greek word aion in verse 33 above, which is translated as ‘forever’ here in the NKJV, is a time-related word. In this context, its strict literal meaning is an age or ages as we explain in Chapter 17. The reign of Jesus Christ over Israel (the house of Jacob), when He sits on the throne of David in the Millennial Age, will not last forever. It will last for an age of one thousand years only. As discussed previously, the Millennial Kingdom of God is the Fifth Age in God's Plan of the Ages. The Seventh Age is the final age of the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth, which has no end. Therefore, as the scripture above says, 'of His Kingdom there will be no end'. 

God wants us to be glad and rejoice forever because He will create a New Heaven and a 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.”

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 21:1-2
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.

In this scripture, we read that John saw a vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth, and at the same time, he also saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven. We discuss the tremendous spiritual significance of the Holy City in detail, in Chapter 12. The most glorious and exciting truth about the Holy City is that ultimately, in God’s time and order, all unbelievers from all nations will be born again in the Holy City (Psalm 87:1-7); they will all be saved and walk in the Light of the Holy City, and bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it (Revelation 21:24-26). There will be no temple in the Holy City because Father God and Jesus Christ are its Temple (Revelation 21:22).

The Holy City, New Jerusalem, will descend onto the New Earth with its New Heaven after this present earth and its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) have been physically and spiritually cleansed and renewed by God’s physical and Spiritual Fire.

Revelation 21:3-6
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 this is. Father God Himself will come down to this cleansed and renewed planet earth and to live with men forever. There will be no more crying, nor sorrow, nor death, nor pain for the former things will have passed away. The New Heaven and the New Earth, as described in this scripture, represent the conclusion of God’s Plan for All. When Father God proclaims ‘It is done!’ He will have fulfilled His Grand Family Plan of Universal Salvation and Reconciliation of all, through the work of the cross (Colossians 1:15-20).

The place in Revelation 21:6 where God proclaims, ‘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 goes on to say, “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 previous ages before the reconciliation of all  things on earth and all things in heaven, and thus before the Eternal Seventh Age of the New Heaven and the New Earth where there will be no more pain, no more sorrow and no more death.  

Please note that there were no verses, paragraphs or chapter breaks in the ancient Hebrew and Greek Manuscripts from which the Bible versions are translated. These verses, paragraphs and chapter breaks do not form part of the original inspired 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.

We see in John's vision in the book of Revelation that the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth immediately follows the Lake of Fire Judgement Age. Apostle Peter also understood that the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth would happen after God had first cleansed and renewed this earth with its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) by fire (2 Peter 3:11-13).

Apostle Paul clearly understood that the End, which is the fulfilment of God’s Grand Family Plan for reconciliaition of all things, would happen 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 spells out 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 (verses 22-23) is that all of humanity, without exception (all in Adam) will be made alive in Christ, but each person in his own order, as decided by God. God has an order for when each person will be made alive in Christ, which means to be saved and reconciled to God.

The second point (verse 24) is that the end, which is the fulfilment of God’s Grand Family Plan, will happen 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 (saved) in Christ. 

The third point (verses 24-28) is that there are two important events mentioned in these verses that will take place before Jesus Christ delivers the Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth to God the Father. Firstly, Jesus Christ will put an end to ‘all rule, and all authority and power’, which are all rebellious angelic principalities and powers. Secondly, Jesus Christ will destroy the last enemy, which is death. All of Christ’s enemies will be made subject to Him. In these verses, the meaning of the word ‘subject’ is a willing subjection/obedience because the same scripture says that Christ Himself will be subject to God the Father.

The fourth point (verse 28) is that when all things are made subject to Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ Himself will be subject to God the Father, who will then 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 descend with the Holy City down from earth's heaven onto to the cleansed and renewed earth to live with His huge family forever, and be all in all. This is when the glorious Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth begins, and this when Father God proclaims the words, ‘It is done’ (Revelation 21:1-6). 

It is very important to understand that planet earth is destined to become God’s dwelling place, His throne and the headquarters of the universe. Many verses in the Bible show that God has put a special emphasis on 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). 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).

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.
 
In this scripture, we read that Paul was caught up to the ‘third heaven’. The third heaven refers to the future dwelling place of God. Paul was undoubtedly given a vision of the Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth where Father God will dwell with all men, and He shall be all in all. Paul's vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth was so absolutely wonderful and so incredibly beautiful that he describes it as a Paradise. However, Paul was not permitted to give any details of the words he heard or of the things he saw in his vision.

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

The Eternal Kingdom of God will be the glorious Eternal Sabbath Rest from all sin, and all ungodliness and all unrighteousness for all of God’s creation. Everything in the universe will be reconciled and at peace with Father God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The New Earth with its New Heaven will be the headquarters of the universe, as God the Father Himself and His Son Jesus Christ will live there with men forever. Our future in the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth will be glorious beyond description, where all of God's Family will worship Him and love Him.  

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 preapred 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. God’s one united huge Family will consist of Father God as the Head of the Family, His Son Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God, all of humanity as the adopted sons of God and all angels as the created sons of God.

Let us be glad and rejoice forever that Father God will be ALL in ALL when He creates the Eternal Kingdom of God 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.”

 

 

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