New
Heavens, New Earth
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Let's pray together:
Father,
Your Word has shown us that, after the Last Judgment, Your faithful people will inherit a
magnificent dwelling place, the New Jerusalem.
May this lesson help us to learn more about this wonderful city, and cause us to work more
ardently in Your harvest.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it
was very good.
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When God created the earth, it was perfect.
And on this perfect earth, in the garden of Eden, He placed the newly created man and
woman, so that they might enjoy all the wonders surrounding them.
Unfortunately, because they chose to disobey their Creator, they were no longer allowed to
stay in Eden.
But, in His infinite love, God set up His plan of salvation in Jesus Christ, so that they
might, one day, return to paradise.
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John 14:2,3
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.
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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Jesus repeated that promise: there really is a place prepared for those who
follow God; a place where they will spend eternity.
It is, therefore, reasonable to study one lesson simply to have a better knowledge of the
place where we could spend eternity!
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Hebrews 11:9,10
By faith [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise as in
a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
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Abraham knew that the real Promised Land was more than a piece of land in
Canaan.
He was waiting for an infinitely superior heritage: the city prepared by God Himself, the
New Jerusalem.
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Hebrews 11:13,14,16
These all died in faith, not having received the
promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. (...)
But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
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Those faithful men and women knew that, one day, the Lord would replace this
sin-polluted earth with a New Earth, especially for His people.
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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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The message is clear: a New Earth will soon replace this one!
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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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A new, totally restored Earth, in all its beauty, similar to the Garden of
Eden, out of which man was driven because of his disobedience.
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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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A New Earth in which all the inhabitants, both men and animals, will live in
perfect harmony with Nature, which won't present any danger to them.
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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: on this New Earth, God's people will live in an
environment from which all kinds of evil will have been completely banished forever!
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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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A New Earth in which death, that is the wages of sin (Romans
6:23), will be no more!
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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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A New Earth without any sickness: God will have destroyed all diseases forever,
so His people will enjoy perfect physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
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Isaiah 60:18,21
Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither
wasting nor destruction within your borders. (...)
Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever.
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Isaiah 11:9
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
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A New Earth in which words like «hunger», «terrorism», «crime»,
«disaster», «war», «disease», «suffering», «despair», will no longer exist.
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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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A New Earth in which love, righteousness and peace dwell forever. The people of
God will thus «be glad and rejoice forever».
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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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A New Earth filled with righteousness: locks on doors won't be necessary!
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Revelation 21:3; 22:3,4
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He 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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1 John 3:2
We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
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So many people wished to see God's face, but the presence of sin would not
allow it, as we saw in the lesson «God: Could He Be
Dead?».
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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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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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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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 what will they be doing?
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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!
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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!
And even more, the elect will have the incomparable pleasure of receiving the precious
teachings of Jesus Himself, and will then be able to ask Him all the questions that went
unanswered here on earth!
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Hebrews 12:22
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.
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Revelation 21:10,11,18
And [the angel] showed me the great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.
And her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. (...)
And the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
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And the Capital of the New Earth will be the New Jerusalem, City of God.
Our imagination can't possibly conceive the sublime beauties this city will display for
the happiness of God's people living there.
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Revelation 22:1,2,5
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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. (...)
And there shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord
God gives them light.
And they shall reign forever and ever.
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God's people will be allowed to drink at the pure river of water of life, which
will flow through the New Jerusalem.
Also, access to the tree of life will be restored, as in the Garden of Eden.
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Isaiah 51:3
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.
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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 God's people on the New Earth.
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Revelation 21:27
But there shall by no means enter [the New Jerusalem]
anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written
in the Lamb's Book of Life.
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If we sincerely desire it, God will reserve a place for us in His City: all we
have to do is to make sure that our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
But how can we register our name in this Book?
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John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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Galatians 3:29
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise.
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We must recognize that we are sinners, and accept Jesus Christ as our personal
Savior and Lord, for the forgiveness of our sins.
Then we must remain faithful to God until the end.
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Revelation 7:14,15
[They] washed their robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God.
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Revelation 3:5
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and
I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.
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To wash one's robe in the blood of the Lamb means to accept the sacrifice of
Jesus, the Lamb of God, for the forgiveness of our sins and the purification of our heart,
and then to follow Him until the end.
There is no other way to be saved.
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Revelation 2:7; 3:5,12; 21:7
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of
life (...).
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from
the Book of Life. (...)
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no
more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New
Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. (...)
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, I will be his God and he shall be My son.
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If we put our trust in Christ, He will help each one of us to overcome.
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Let's pray together:
Our Father in heaven,
Your promise is so wonderful that we may find it difficult to believe! Yet Your Word says:
«Behold, I make all things new. Write, for these words are true and
faithful.» (Revelation 21:5).
We truly desire that our names may be written in Your Book of Life.
Please help us to faithfully follow You with perseverance until the end, until the day
when You give Your people the New Jerusalem for their inheritance.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 27
is waiting for you!