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Our Mission: Revelation 14:6-12
If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 97
Everyday
Life in Eternity
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Welcome to this lesson! Let's pray together:
Lord,
Please accept our ultimate gratitude for the wonderful inheritance you reserve for us:
Your holy city, the New Jerusalem.
Now, please teach us about our activities on the new earth.
May Your Word and Your Spirit be our only guides. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 21:9,10
«Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.»
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
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Our last lesson helped us to catch a glimpse of the wonderful
splendor of the New Jerusalem, the marvelous city which will be the inheritance of God's
people.
Today, we will try to understand the everyday life of the redeemed people in the New
Jerusalem.
In what surroundings will they live? What will be their activities?
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2 Peter 3:10,13
The heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements
will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned
up. (...)
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells.
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Revelation 21:1
And 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.
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First, God's people will live in a completely renewed world, with new heavens and a new earth.
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Revelation 21:1
There was no more sea.
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Revelation 13:1
And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns.
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Isaiah 57:20
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest.
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Often associated with evil and its disastrous effects, the seas, which were the outcome of the Flood that punished the unrepentant in the days of Noah, will no longer exist on the new earth.
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Isaiah 35:1,2,6,7
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the
desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
even with joy and singing. (...)
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the
habitation of jackals, where each lay, there shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
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God's people will live on a completely restored earth, similar to the garden of Eden, out of which man was driven because of his disobedience.
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«This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden.» (Ezekiel 36:35)
«For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste
places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.» (ISAIAH
51:3)
«I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I
will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant
in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set
in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see
and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this,
and the Holy One of Israel has created it.» (ISAIAH 41:18-20)
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Isaiah 11:6-8
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie
down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a
little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand
in the viper's den.
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All the inhabitants of the new earth, both men and animals, will live in perfect harmony with Nature, which won't present any danger to them.
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Men will be able to rely on Nature's complete cooperation:
«I will make a covenant of peace with [My flock], and cause wild
beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in
the woods. I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause
showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. (...) And they
shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but
they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.» (EZEKIEL 34:25,26,28)
«In that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds
of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will
shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely.» (HOSEA 2:18)
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Isaiah 29:19-21
The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the
poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the terrible one is brought to nothing, the scornful one is consumed, and all who
watch for iniquity are cut off - who make a man an offender by a word, and lay a snare for
him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of naught.
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But there's still more: God's people will live in an environment from which all kinds of evil will have been completely banished forever!
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Isaiah 2:4
He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
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Psalm 72:3
The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
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Wars, both small and great, will give way to everlasting peace.
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Isaiah 32:16-18
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness
remain in the fruitful field.
The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and
assurance forever.
My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting
places.
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2 Peter 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
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In this world of peace and righteousness, locks on doors will be unnecessary!
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Isaiah 60:18,21
Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting
nor destruction within your borders. (...)
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever.
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Malachi 4:3
You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.
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In this new world created by God, there will be no living being stained by evil or sin, since Satan, his angels, and all the unrepentant will have been destroyed at the Last Judgment, as we have seen in a previous lesson.
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Revelation 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
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Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.
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Even death, which is «the wages of sin» (Romans 6:23), will be no more.
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1 Corinthians 15:54
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal
has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
«Death is swallowed up in victory.»
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Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord (...) shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
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God will give His people not only immortality, but also
incorruption.
So they will enjoy eternal health and vigor.
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Isaiah 35:5,6
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the
deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.
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Isaiah 33:24
And the inhabitant will not say, «I am sick.»
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God will have destroyed all diseases forever, so His people will enjoy perfect physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
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Isaiah 65:17-19
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former
shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a
rejoicing, and her people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be
heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
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Living in a world where love, righteousness and peace dwell forever, the people of God will «be glad and rejoice forever»!
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Revelation 21:3; 22:3,4
[God] will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God
Himself will be with them and be their God. (...)
His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face.
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Exodus 33:20
You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.
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So many people wished to see God's face, but the presence of sin
would not allow it.
On the new earth, where sin will be no more, this desire will be satisfied at last.
God's people will not only be allowed to see His face, but they will also live with Him
forever!
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God's redeemed people will have the privilege of contemplating His face:
«Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.»
(MATTHEW 5:8)
«Your eyes will see the King in His beauty.» (ISAIAH 33:17)
«Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.»
(HEBREWS 12:14)
«For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I
shall know just as I also am known.» (1 CORINTHIANS 13:12)
«Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He
is.» (1 JOHN 3:2)
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Luke 24:39,42,43
«Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and
see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.» (...)
So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in
their presence.
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What will men be like on the new earth? In what form will they
exist?
In order to dispel our desire to spend eternity with God, Satan tries to make us believe
that the elect will be like floating spirits, playing harps on the clouds...
The truth is that they will have real bodies, just like Jesus after His resurrection.
And will they be able to recognize each other?
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John 20:14,16
[Mary] turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not
know that it was Jesus. (...)
Jesus said to her, «Mary!»
She turned and said to Him, «Rabboni!» (which is to say, Teacher).
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This passage of the Scriptures answers our question.
Risen and glorified, Jesus was not immediately recognized by Mary. However, when He spoke
to her, she knew at once who He was.
Likewise, although made incorruptible and immortal at Jesus's return, God's redeemed
people will be able to recognize each other on the new earth.
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Isaiah 65:21,22
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant
vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat.
For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long
enjoy the work of their hands.
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Bursting with energy, never tired, with no fear of sickness or
death, God's people will be able to accomplish extraordinary things.
Building houses and planting vineyards will be only two of all the innumerable activities
on the new earth!
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Revelation 22:1
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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John 4:14
Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up
into everlasting life.
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The redeemed people will be allowed to drink at the river of the water of life, «proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb».
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Revelation 22:2
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was
the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
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Revelation 2:7
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
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Also, they will be allowed to eat the fruits of the tree of life, the same tree that was in the garden of Eden in the days of Adam and Eve.
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Ezekiel 47:12
Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all
kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail.
They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary.
Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.
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Many other trees, with succulent fruits, will also be the delight of God's people.
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Matthew 8:11
And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
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Luke 14:15
Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!
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The redeemed people will also have the privilege of sitting at
the same table as God, eating in the company of the great figures of the Bible, and
listening to their stories!
But there's even more...
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Ezekiel 34:23
I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them -
My servant David.
He shall feed them and be their shepherd.
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Revelation 22:16
I, Jesus (...) am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
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The elect will have the incomparable pleasure of receiving the precious teachings of their Shepherd, Jesus Himself, and will then be able to ask Him all the questions that went unanswered here on earth!
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Receiving Jesus' precious teaching will be a very popular activity!
«Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain
of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say,
"Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of
Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.» (ISAIAH 2:2,3)
«The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living
fountains of waters.» (REVELATION 7:17)
«The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters
cover the sea.» (HABAKKUK 2:14)
«And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God
illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall
walk in its light.» (REVELATION 21:23,24)
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John 14:2,3
I go to prepare a place for you.
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.
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John 17:24
Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me.
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In fact, during His ministry on earth, Jesus often expressed the desire that His friends be with Him in the kingdom of God.
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Isaiah 66:22,23
«For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make
shall remain before Me,» says the Lord, «so shall your descendants and your name remain.
And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to
another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me», says the Lord.
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Psalm 22:27
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.
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From one Sabbath to another, the redeemed people will express their gratitude towards God by offering Him a living and sincere worship.
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God's redeemed people will also sing beautiful hymns in His honor:
«Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and
with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their
foreheads. (...) And they sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four
living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the one hundred
and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.» (REVELATION 14:1,3)
«And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with
everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing
shall flee away.» (ISAIAH 35:10)
«For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her
wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be
found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.» (ISAIAH 51:3)
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Revelation 7:9,10
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which
no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the
throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
and crying out with a loud voice, saying,
«Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!»
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Seeing the wonderful splendor of the new earth created by God for them, the redeemed will never grow weary of praising the Lord for His priceless gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
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1 Corinthians 2:9
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.
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In spite of our best efforts in this lesson, we can't perfectly describe, nor even begin to imagine all the wonders awaiting the people of God on the new earth...
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1 Peter 1:3,4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.
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... however, we can, right here and now, show our gratitude to
God for this wonderful inheritance.
We must first renew our covenant with Him, and then redouble our efforts in order to bring
as many people as possible to His salvation!
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Let's thank God:
Our Father,
Your prophetic Word lets us catch a glimpse of the marvelous inheritance You reserve for
Your people.
This revives our desire to accept the gift of eternal life, and live forever in Your
company, in a new and perfect world where happiness and peace dwell.
Please give us love and zeal, so that we may share this good news with the people around
us, and so that they may also accept this wonderful gift of salvation in Jesus.
In His most precious name we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 97 is waiting for you!