What is The New Heavens and The New Earth?

Good morning, this is truth in love. I'm so thankful that you could join us this morning. Thank you for watching the videos. Thank you for your support. There we go, it may be on my end every time I'm entering into the pot the broadcast this morning.

There's some interference and maybe the the auto Automatic audio adjusters is gonna kick in here in a second. So Leave me a note in the comments if you're if you hear any background noise or interference, so maybe we can make some adjustments.

If we can pray for you, let us know that we can pray for you. We'll pray at the end. All you have to do is type me. You have to let us know what's going on or anything and spread it out publicly. Just type me if you watch the video later.

Send us a message or or write in the comments and we'll see that we'd love to be able to pray for you. We want to start a new series this morning. Through truth in love which which comes from Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15.

But Paul says. But speaking the truth in love we are we are to grow up in all aspects into him. Who is the head even Christ?

So.

A New Series on Biblical Concepts and the Need for Context

We want to start a new series called what is and what is will be. Will be a time where we can Look at biblical concepts and ideas that that may be folks and and probably us in the past have had difficulty understanding.

And okay Tim says it sounds good. Thank you Tim. I really appreciate that. There it goes. All right. Maybe it was just on my end and hopefully that was the case.

So.

We want to tackle biblical concepts and ideas if you're a skeptic if you're struggling with your faith, if you're just a student of God's Word and you are. You come across some biblical concepts or ideas or words that you just ask yourself.

What is this? How do I understand this? We want to try to help you know God by understanding his word and We're going to start this series with. And it depends on where you are in.

This.

In this study. For some this topic Is going to be controversial. For some you you may have never heard of this concept before. For some it may be right up your alley. So, I'm sure there's gonna be folks that this is going to be on different ends of the spectrum.

So we hope to be loving. We hope to share the way we're gonna share the way we understand God to be explaining himself on this topic and issue. But before we get started I have a guest who's going to join me in This series called what is to help explain biblical concepts and ideas brother Daniel and I want to welcome Daniel and I want to give him just a second to Just in general a general introduction introducing yourself letting people know who you are kind of what area of the United States that you're in and Just a little bit more about yourself.

All right, my name is Dan Self. I live in upstate, New York up in the Catskill Mountains. Got three three young ones Logan Judah Amelia, I'm married to my wife Rebecca for a little over nine years now.

I've Spent some time up pastoring in the past looking to do that again in the future. And in the meantime, I'm just looking to glorify God by sharing his word and Explaining studying reading trying to Put together different things to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way and help it impact their lives.

Absolutely, absolutely, and I was speaking to to someone yesterday. This is the way I explained it. I think this is too good to share because God God can call us to many different avenues of service and.

Some people say well the video ministries is a great thing. Some people say well.

It's.

They may have negative feelings about doing a video ministry, but this is what I told somebody yesterday to me. When we do videos when we have an online presence, I see it as Laying a gospel track somewhere.

You lay a gospel track at a gas station at a store wherever you may be and Someone picks it up. You don't know who's gonna pick it up. You don't know where they are in their life. How they're going to take it.

But they someone is gonna pick it up and somebody somebody may throw it away. You know scroll walk right past it. You never know what's gonna happen when somebody walks by sees that gospel tract and and to me the same thing is true with having an online presence.

We have a desire to glorify God and reach our community and see souls saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ and so. Doing a video to me is like leaving a gospel tract and we pray that God will will use it To save souls and edify believers and so that's good.

That's gonna be our goal and our aim. So I think thank you Daniel for or for joining me. You may call you Daniel or Dan.

Either one. I go by Dan most of time, but okay doesn't really matter. Okay.

Well, I'll try to switch over My my brain there and call you Dan. So what we want to do we want to tackle the question. And it potentially could be more a more controversial question. To start off with to start our series off with.

But the question is what is the new heavens and the new earth? And of course that that concept that idea is related to Eschatology and what's eschatology in things in times and Every so often it becomes a hot topic it becomes a hot topic when New vaccines come out or new leadership takes over or something evil happens in the world because of a certain strand of eschatology it come.

Eschatology comes becomes popular and and it comes up becomes a hot topic, but we need to understand Eschatology from scripture the way God wants us to understand it and this is just one aspect of eschatology and we wanted this.

You know start with it this morning the new heavens and the new earth. What is it? So if you have your Bibles if you want to follow along we're gonna start in 2nd Peter chapter 3. And I'm gonna read verses verses 9 through 13, we're gonna spend the the bulk of our time in Isaiah 65.

But this is we're going to start out 2nd Peter chapter 3 verses 9 through 13 They go ahead and read that for us. The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness. But it's patient toward you not wishing for any to perish.

But for all to come to repentance. And I won't start right there just for a second. And and hopefully I won't Push us and push our time too far because I tend to do that but When we're studying eschatology or as we're studying and we're talking about talking about these biblical concepts and ideas.

Danny Dan and I talked about this yesterday that we need to have a good understanding of how to interpret the Bible how to study the Bible and and not Have a comprehensive way. Have a an exhaustive way and not leave anything out when it comes to how to interpret the Bible one of the main ways one of the main concepts in Interpreting and studying the Bible is reading it and knowing it and studying it in context and.

And this is a this could be another video for us. But this is a good place to stop.

Because.

Verse 9 Is calling us to ask questions. And what's the question is calling us to ask? Excuse me. Well, you have the you have Peter saying there the Lord is not willing that any perish, but for all to come to repentance.

So the question with well some people wouldn't even. Think it would be a question to ask because it's so obvious. But the question that we should ask is who are the all who are the any and.

Then.

Who are the you. And What do you do you you stay in the context you look at the immediate context. You look at the chapter context you look at the book context and in this case you look at the other book that Peter wrote to help understand who he is addressing in in this in that particular topic or issue in that verse that the all the any the you and the reason I brought that up is because.

That's the same thing that we need to do when we're looking at in times when looking at eschatology. We need to study it in context and that's kind of the example that Dan and I wanted to show you this morning.

So let me continue in verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in Which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth Its works will be burned up.

Since all these things Are to be destroyed in this way. What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord or of God on account of which the heavens will be destroyed By burning and the elements will melt with intense heat verse 13, but according to his promise We are looking for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwell.

Well, if you're a student of God's Word and You're reading this. This is the and Daniel you can make a comment about what we talked about yesterday. This is where we we fall into error when we're studying God's Word and we just we just stay with.

The the immediate context and we we don't go out further. So what happens here when you when you stick with just looking at these verses and you don't go outside of these verses it talks about. The heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat.

So you have an eschatology out there that teaches Everything is going to burn up. Right, am I correct on that day? Mm-hmm. Yep.

Yep.

They teach that we're waiting to the very last day and at that time everything will melt away. And then something completely new and different will be built back in its place. Created again in the end.

Right.

And so but what do we want to do? We want to look at the at the context not just immediate but chapter Bible and Or book and then Bible to understand What Peter's talking about. What God is talking about?

And so we just look up some of these concepts and concepts and words where you know Peter's telling us the the elements will be destroyed. He says that twice in verse 10 and he says again in verse 12.

Well, what are what are the elements that he's talking about. Is he talking about the the Douglas Wilson says the The. Oh, I can't even I don't even I'm not scientific. I wasn't good at science. The. What's the what's the table the period not a table periodic table Douglas Wilson says.

Is it the periodic table? The gold.

Iron.

Those elements are those things going to melt away. Is that what scripture is talking about? Well, if you just flip over to Galatians chapter 4 and you start in verse 3 Paul says so also we while we were children were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world, but when the fullness of Time came God sent forth his son born of a woman born Born under the law in order that he might redeem those who are under the law.

They we might receive adoption of sons and because you are sons God has sent forth the Spirit his son into our hearts crying out Abba father. Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son and if a son than an heir through God.

However at that time when you did not know God you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. So Paul helps us to understand the biblical concept of elements and What I see also in Galatians chapter chapter 4 there Not only does he speak about the elements, but he helps and and then you can correct me if I'm wrong.

He speaks of the elements and it kind of describes them where you have he speaks of the Jesus was was born under the law and then he What is it he was born under the law that he might redeem those those who are under the law.

So I'm seeing that as as part of the elemental things. They they were under the law and so that that has been burned up and that's part of the elemental things and then.

In.

Verse 12 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 12 looking for a hastening the coming of the day of God on account of which The heavens will be destroyed. And I remember Dan you said I think you were reading in the ESV and instead of elements It said heavenly bodies.

Well here the heavens will be destroyed in Galatians chapter 4. It says in verse 8. However at that time when you did not know God you were slaves. Like it was saying earlier. You're enslaved to those by which by nature are no gods.

So there you have the spiritual realm the heavens that will be destroyed. Those pagan gods those pagan religions. So you have the law and you have the the pagan religions the elemental things of this world.

And my my version my Bible actually interprets Elemental as possibly rudimentary.

Things the rudimentary things. Yeah, go ahead. I think that's probably the best way to go with it. It's talking about the base or foundation of the world in which we live. How do things work? What is the the reality behind what we see that that everything works inside of?

You know right now we live in a world that was created by God, but it's fallen into sin. It's one of the things that's talking about here with the the elemental things the the nature of the way things are now.

It's gonna be burned up. That sin is gonna be taken away other places you hear the language of burning where some things will be Burnt off and other things will be purified. So. Those things are not necessarily the the iron nickel cobalt.

You know beryllium or whatever else on the periodic table. What is the the base? Foundational rudimentary things that are that make up our world both spiritual and physical. What is the world system in which we live in think that would be a better way to understand what it means by elemental or elements.

Or heavenly heavenly bodies even so this is.

And.

Doing that Practicing that doing what we just did in practicing that Helps us to interpret in other places. What is what is Peter talking about. Well, I need to go to other places in Scripture. I need to go to other places in the New Testament.

I need to go to the Old Testament To help me understand what Peter's talking about. And so we're going to continue with that thought with that process because the topic this morning is what is the new heavens in the new earth.

And I simply wanted to to bring out those things for for Dan and I to speak about interpretation. So that you can interpret well so that you know how we're getting this Interpretation that we're getting and what we're seeing and how we see it.

We're seeing it from God's Word. So the topic is what is the new heavens in the new earth and that we we get that. In verse 13 Peter says. But according to his promise We are looking for a new heavens and new earth within which righteousness dwell.

Now.

Peter's telling us that there's a new heavens and a new earth coming because of a promise. Now we know that the the scripture speaks of a new heavens and a new earth and in two different places besides here you have revelation 21 and 22 or 20 and 21 21 22 at the end.

But here Peter is referring to the promise. So there was something written down Beforehand and that comes from the Old Testament and and that's what you have to do. You have to take the cues from where you're reading and And follow those cues.

Peter is telling us there is a promise that was made that there's going to be a new heavens and a new earth and that promise was made in Isaiah chapter 65, so What is the new heavens in the new earth?

Let's continue to answer that question. So if you if you're following along with us, we're gonna flip over to Isaiah chapter 65 and I felt like and Hopefully Dan Dan agreed with me because he's He's gonna walk us through Isaiah chapter 65, but this may be a new concept for someone.

This may be an old concept. But maybe you see it differently than we do. I feel like if we if we somewhat walk through Isaiah 65 and Explain how we see God speaking to us through his word. Interpreting scripture with scripture it maybe it will help you to understand where this type of interpretation is coming from.

So Dan I'm gonna I want to turn it over to you. We we went from Peter and we followed his cues. And we found where the promise is mentioned of the new heavens in the new earth. Which is Isaiah chapter 65 and so Dan he's gonna walk us through Isaiah 65.

Right in in the Peter passage it it gives us An idea a concept the new heavens in the new earth and then tells us that there's a promise. So what what we're looking for is for it to. For the promise that was given in the Old Testament to actually define for us.

What Peter is talking about. So when we look at it in Isaiah, we have to try to find the context in Isaiah then bring that context from Isaiah into Peter so that way we understand that he is referring to This passage in Isaiah and what this passage in Isaiah was talking about so we find the fulfillment.

Of.

Passage in Isaiah in Peter and even further on in Revelation 21. Not to put this all in the context. Let's just start at verse 1 in chapter 65. It says I permitted myself to be sought by those who did not ask for me.

I.

Permitted myself to be found by those who did not seek me. I said here I am here I am to a nation which did not call my name right. Here is talking about the nation of.

Israel.

It says I have spread out my hands all day long to rebellious people who walk in a way. Which is not good following their own thoughts. Now this is brought out in another place in Romans 10 where? Where Paul is talking about these is actually running through.

What does it mean to be elect? What does it mean to be called the people of God. What happened to the nation of Israel? What's going to happen to the nation of Israel and he references of this point talking about how the nation of Israel as a nation? Was going to be put to the side.

Then he gets into that or Isaiah does here in this passage that they're going to be put to the side and That what you're going to have is a people who are Those who have faith in God who trust in him and are obedient to his word.

Verse let's see verse 3 in Isaiah 65 says the people who continually provoke me to my face offer Sacrifices and gardens and burning incense on bricks. He's talking about their unfaithfulness and their idolatry.

Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places who eat swine's flesh and the broth of unclean meat is in their pots. Who say keep to yourself do not come near me for I'm holier than you.

Um.

They're talking is talking about how they break Each and every part of the law and then say don't come close to me. I'm God's chosen person. I'm holier than you are because I've I've called by God's name when the point that God is making is No, you're not because you while being called my people are not acting like my people.

You're breaking my law and you're living in sin. It says these are smoking my nostrils a fire that burns.

All day.

I don't know if you ever been camping but getting smoke up your nose or Get it in your eyes and you just you no matter where you move it's it's always right there. It's that is what it's like for me to see a people who calls themselves my people.

It doesn't act like they're my people. Behold is written before me. I will not keep silent, but I will repay. I will repay into their bosom. Of both their iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together.

Because they have burned incense on the mountain and scorn me on the hills. Therefore. I will measure their former work into their bosom. So what's the result of all this? He says in verse 8 thus says the Lord as They knew as the new wine is found in the cluster and one says do not destroy it for there is benefit in it.

So I will act on behalf of my servant. I'm not gonna destroy everyone from the nation of Israel. I'm gonna save part of it. There's a remnant. There's some benefit to it. I will bring forth the offspring from Jacob and an heir from my mountains.

Actually, I miss some. It was actually really important. So I will act on behalf of my servants in order not to destroy all of them. It goes back to what I was saying. He's not going to destroy all of them.

Judgment on the nation, but not on the people of God who are Who are we're being faithful to him. I will bring forth offspring from Jacob and an heir of my mountain from Judah. Even my chosen one shall inherit it and my servants will dwell there.

Sharon will be a passage or a pasture land for flocks in the Valley of Acre a Resting place for herds for my people who seek me see there. He's talking about those who have faith in God who trust in God who seek to live after his ways who understand that They are sinners and they need to do things God's way instead of their own way.

He goes on jump down to verse 13. Therefore the Lord God says behold my servants will eat but you will be hungry. You hold my servants will drink but you will be thirsty. You hold my servants will rejoice.

But you will be put to shame. You hold my servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart. But you will cry out with a heavy heart and you will wail with a broken spirit. Those who were of the Nation of Israel are not going to receive the blessings of Those who are actually God's servants.

God's servants are the ones who eat. Nation of Israel will go hungry. God's servants will drink the Nation of Israel who go thirsty. And here's what he says in verse or the 15. You will leave your name for a curse to my chosen ones.

And the Lord God will slay you but my servants will be called by another name that name. For National Israel is going to be put aside. He's going to call his servants his people by a different name. I believe that name to be church.

Bride.

Is those who are Faithful the name changed. He said that the people who are truly his people are those who have faith in God who trust in him. Who? Believe in what he has said and live accordingly. Those people are going to have be called by another name, but they are still going to be his servants.

So those are the same people Who he was talking about earlier who were that part of the vine who were still had benefit in it. We think that the same very same language is found in Romans 11. Which is continuation of that quotation that Paul had of this passage in in Romans 10 where it talks about an olive tree now all of tree that is Speaking of the Nation of Israel that has branches broken off or at least some of the branches broken off and had another wild olive branch grafted onto it that being Gentiles The Nation of Israel those national people could be grafted back in.

They'd only be grafted back in if they were to be faithful to God the trust in him and to Be obedient to his law. Now obviously that that'll bring us to To other issues, but we'll get there in just a second.

If I could just make a comment about that verse. When we were looking at it together earlier, but this first is just so powerful.

It's.

If if you take the time to Read it slowly meditate on it. Look at it. This is a. This is a serious verse. Forgot to say I will leave your. Leave your name for a curse. This is a serious verse.

And.

It also speaks of a transition and. And so that's the transition that you were speaking of and you know, if you're reflecting on on.

Scripture.

I'm thinking about you know, and we discussed this to Hosea where one of his children was Not my people so God was telling Israel, you know, you're gonna at one point You're going to become not my people and then so many other chapters and verses in the Old Testament That are fulfilled in the New Testament where God is saying those who were far off Other nations are going to come to me and they're going to come to Jerusalem they're going to come to the temple, which of course is speaking of Jesus and The the Gentiles he's going to call the Gentiles, I mean that language.

That imagery is Scattered all over the Old Testament and it's fulfilled in the New Testament and we see it we see that Transition that Isaiah is speaking of here in verse 15 in which you were bringing out of course in Romans.

But it's this verse right here is just so powerful and it's so key to what we're talking about.

So.

Apologize for taking some of your time there.

Yeah.

It's actually really important to understand because in verse 17 we start to see Talk about the new heavens in the new earth. So that concepts really important that Taking away of the name of one. Which you could almost consider an elemental thing a base thing part of the almost.

I've heard somebody Put at one time the scaffolding for what God is doing. It's Base an idea a Other language would call it a shadow. Right, right. Yeah verse 16 says because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of truth and he who swears in the earth Will swear by the God of truth because the former troubles are forgotten and because they are hidden from my sight.

And then I don't know what everyone's Bible looks like but mine has a little heading in it. That says new heavens and new earth and sometimes those things are helpful. They can tell you where you're at and what's coming, but also sometimes It's almost like we'll jump in where it says that heading.

Will kind of forget what just came before hand. Um, so all of this is happening in the context of Um God putting away of people who have been unfaithful and Pulling from them of people who are faithful who are going to be called by a new name.

And they said he he describes that in the language of new heavens and new earth. So what he's talking about here is salvation. It's time about the salvation of the people who turn to him who look to him for salvation so what we're looking at is a new heavens and a new earth as a as a concept an idea a description of what God is doing in Salvific history or what he's doing as in regards to salvation.

So in verse 17, we see behold. I create new heavens and a new earth. And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. Know what's being new here. If you look at verse 15 What's new? Or is is these servants who are faithful being called by a new name.

What you see that's former is. That's going to be put away is those people who are called by his name. But have no actual trust or belief in God. They're they're in name only. So what's going to be brought about in the new heavens and new earth?

Is there's gonna be a whole new world system put in place. There's going to be. Faithlessness is going to be put away and faithfulness is going to become greater and greater and this is gonna have real-world Consequences positive consequences.

Negative depending on who you are. We would like to say positive because things are going to be to be good. Look down at verse 18. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness.

Will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. There will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying. Now this this same language is picked up again in in Revelation 21, which will look at.

In a little bit, but I want to bring up a certain aspect out of verse 20 real quick. Verse 20 says no longer will there be in it an infant who dies but a few days. Or an old man who does not live out his days for the youth will die at the age of 100.

And the one who does not reach the age of 100 will be thought accursed. Now what's that saying? Is that there's? Going to be an increased longevity of life. People are going to live a lot longer. There's going to be peaceful.

It's going to be better. There'd be less crying less weeping and what it says there is that. The one who does not reach the age of a hundred will be thought to be a curse. Which means that there will be people who died during this time period of the new heavens in the new earth.

Now what that means is that we can't just take the idea of the concept of the new heavens and new earth and throw it Off into the future after Christ returns the second time. But we do want to as we'll see when we get to Revelation 21.

It is leading to that point in time. It's pointing to that point in time. What's happening? Is that we're seeing that the work of the Spirit applying the redemption of Christ? To the world and as that happens, we see a people who are faithful being called out to God and as those people are called out to God as there are more Christians in the world.

There is less sin as there is less sin things tend to get better and better. Longevity of life it goes on. They will build houses and inhabit them they will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build in another inhabit.

They will not plant another eat means that they're not going to be Producing in their land and working and then have another nation come in and take it over. There's going to be a time of peace. For the lifetime of a tree will be the days of my people and my chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.

Their people are going to live for a long period of time. That's the end game of what or that's the process of What's happening as sin is being removed from the world through the redemption of Christ?

Let me ask you this question. If we're looking at these verses and we're looking we're looking at this Happening now occurring now, and we're a part of this process. Mm-hmm, though. We're not to the fruition of it.

We're not to the consummation of it yet. We're in the process of it, but yet we were in it and to me. And this is where I want your help and ask the question the Lord is speaking of. If someone dies in when he's a hundred he's going to seem to be young and The the children.

Oh.

We'll see an Infant who lives but a few days. Yeah, there were no long that will no longer be and so I'm I'm seeing the the idea of the sciences increasing Us us becoming greater scientist. Our knowledge increasing about who we are about about what he has made his creation.

About Not feeling guilty for for taking care of ourselves, but because obviously God cares about his creation. He cares about his his creatures where he wants to extend their life and therefore We shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to take care of our bodies because he does mm-hmm, and and we should Encourage our children to to be scientists and then there's a big I've heard quite a few sermons here lately about Encouraging our children encouraging the next generation to to be politicians to get rid of this ideology that we have in there now that that's Corrupt that is greedy that is self-centered but to encourage and say it's okay to to be politicians because You can use that office of that political office to love your neighbor to increase his kingdom you can use the sciences to increase his kingdom to glorify God and Am I going too far in pulling that out of out of here?

No. No. No, you're absolutely right.

Part of the way that I believe this will come about is by being as you have more people who are obedient to Christ. What they'll do is they'll be obedient in all things you remember from the end of Matthew.

Matthew 28 verses 18 through 20. All authority has been given to Christ in heaven and on earth. And he says go therefore or therefore going because I have all authority go out and do these things. The things he tells us to do is to disciple the nations.

The first thing we do in discipling the nations is we we baptize them in the name of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit speaking of evangelism. And bringing them into the that fold of what up here and Isaiah 65 was called my servants.