Are The New Heaven And The New Earth Already Here? - Part Five

If the new heaven and the new earth have arrived in the form of the new testament of grace and God’s spiritual family of grace (the spiritual temple of God - the dwelling place of God on earth today where he dwells by his spirit in believers all over the world), then why do we see death, mourning, crying, and pain?

Doesn’t Revelation 21:4 say there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away?

Great questions!

When we read Revelation, we must understand that its theme is the destruction of the old, physical temple associated with the old testament of law and the construction of the new, spiritual temple associated with the new testament of grace.

The law of Moses contained judgments that would be enforced upon the people of Israel if they failed to obey the law.

These judgments are located in Deuteronomy 28-29 and Leviticus 26.

The judgments are written about by the Jewish prophets and carried out in real historical time.

One of the judgments for rebellion to the law of Moses would be that other nations would attack Israel, destroy their land and cities, and carry off their people into exile.

Historically, we see that this happened as recorded in the Jewish Scriptures.

Both Babylon and Assyria carried out judgments as prophesied by the Jewish prophets.

When these judgments took place, there was death, mourning, crying, and pain among the people of Israel.

During the time of the old testament of law, there was intense mourning, crying, and pain associated with the judgments enforced upon Israel for rebellion to the law.

The final judgment that would come upon Israel to conclude the old testament period of law and begin fully the new testament eternal age of grace was foretold by Daniel, Zechariah, and Malachi (see Malachi 4).

John the Baptist referred to Malachi and this final judgment to come (see Matthew 3; Mark 1; and Luke 3).

Jesus referred to Daniel and Zechariah when he foretold of the final judgment to come upon Israel for rebellion to the law and rejecting him as the Christ of the Jewish Scriptures.

According to Jesus, this judgment would involve the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 19:41-44; 21).

This destruction would result in death, mourning, crying, and pain.

The destruction came in AD 70.

The Book of Revelation was written to inform and educate the Jewish believers and unbelievers living prior to AD 70 about the soon to come destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

These judgments were based upon the old covenant of law.

For example, compare Leviticus 26 and Revelation 6.

The judgments in Revelation 6 correspond with Leviticus 26.

Just before the judgments were poured out upon unbelieving Israel, John saw the heavens open up with the covenant of law being opened (Revelation 11:19; 15:15).

The covenant of law contained the law of Moses given to the people of Israel in Exodus-Deuteronomy.

It was a testimony against the people of Israel, testifying that the judgments were justified in accordance to the law.

After the destruction of the city and the temple, there would be no more judgments; because with this final judgment, the new testament of grace was fully and eternally in place, and the old testament of law passed away forever.

Consequently, there would be no more death, mourning, crying, and pain associated with judgments under the law of Moses.

In Revelation 21:1-5, John saw heaven open up once again.

This time, in contrast to the other visions that John had of heaven opening up, the ark of the covenant was not seen.

The ark was not seen in Revelation 21:1-5 because heaven (symbolic of God) was no longer judging the people on earth (Jews according to the old testament law, and judgment of the Gentile nations as seen in the Jewish Scriptures).

In this sense, there is a new heaven and new earth.

Heaven (God) is no longer judging those who live on the earth, neither Jew or Gentile.

Heaven is now dispensing grace to the entire human race, both Jews and Gentiles.

Those who place their faith in Jesus become a part of God’s new spiritual city of grace, his new spiritual temple of grace as seen in Revelation 21:1-5; 9-27; 22:17; Ephesians 2:11-22; 5:32 (the church, the Bride of Christ).

With this background knowledge, we can now understand Reference #4.

Reference #4: There will be no more, death, mourning, crying, and pain.

Revelation 21:4 says there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Revelation 21:4 is a quote from Isaiah 65:19.

Let’s read Isaiah 65:19 in context.

See, I will create new heavens and a new earth [God will not judge the people of the earth any longer - after AD 70 - the Jews nor the Gentiles will be judged on earth]. The former things will not be remembered [past judgments on Israel in accordance to the old testament of law; judgment from God will no longer be executed on the earth], nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy [this is the new Jerusalem that is connected to the new testament of grace]. I will rejoice over [the new ]Jerusalem and take delight in my people the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it [new Jerusalem] no more [weeping and crying based up the judgments of law under the law of Moses as seen in Exodus - Deuteronomy and foretold by the Jewish prophets).

In context, Isaiah is declaring there will be no more weeping and crying heard, relating the old covenant judgments that produce death, mourning, crying, and pain.

We see in Isaiah that there is death on the new earth (Isaiah 65:20).

But it is not death connected to the judgments of God in accordance to the old testament of law.

The old testament of law is now gone, and the new testament of grace has come [2 Corinthians 5:17].

In the new testament of grace, where the new Jerusalem and the spiritual temple come down from heaven to earth (Revelation 21-22), there is only delight and joy because all of our sins are eternally forgiven, we have been eternally reconciled to God, and we know God eternally as our loving Father.

When John was given this vision in Revelation 21-22, he stated there was no more sea.

In the Book of Revelation, sea represents Gentiles.

By this statement, John declared there are no Jews or Gentiles in the spiritual city of God (the new Jerusalem)…the spiritual temple of God…the spiritual family of God.

There are only loved sons and daughters of the Father as written about by Paul in Ephesians, Galatians 3:26-29, and Colossians 2:11.

Today, the spiritual family of grace (spiritual temple of grace) and the indwelling Spirit of God offer to those outside of the family to: “ “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17)

This is the offer to the spiritually dead outside the family of grace, outside the spiritual temple of grace.

It is the offer to come and take of the free gift of the water of life.

And who is the water of life? Jesus

Jesus is the one who established the new testament in his blood to secure the eternal forgiveness of sins.

Jesus is the one who rose from the dead to secure eternal life.

Through faith in Jesus, a person receives forgiveness of sins and moves from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive in Jesus (see Ephesians 1-2).

Believers become living stones as Peter said, and they are added to the spiritual temple of God (the spiritual family of grace) that is expanding all over the world.

One final thought.

If the judgments of Revelation on the nation of Israel are future, then God will have to re-instate the old testament of law and remove the new testament of grace so that he can judge unbelieving Israel again.

This is because the judgments are based upon the law of Moses (see Leviticus 26 and Revelation 6).

These judgments are often referred to as the great tribulation or Jacob’s Trouble.

If these judgments are future, then awaiting the people in Israel who have not believed in Jesus is the worst of times…nothing like they have experienced before.

The good news is that these judgments occurred in AD 70.

They are not in the future.

They are in the past.

God is not going to remove the new testament of grace and re-instate the old testament of law.

That’s the old heaven and the old earth.

This heaven and earth no longer exists.

The new heaven and earth are now in existence, and the free gift of the water of life is being offered to all people in all nations…this includes the nation of Israel.

NOTE: If this is a teaching you have not heard, I encourage you to check it out. Study the Scriptures yourself to see if it is accurate. Regardless of what you conclude, let’s be friends. Let’s not attack one another, but let’s accept one another - just as Christ has accepted each of us.

To read all five parts of Are The New Heaven And The New Earth Already Here?, CLICK HERE