____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ March 24, 1996 ____________________________________________________ NEWS HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH by Tom Edwards There are some religious people today, such as the Jehovah Witnesses, who believe that the earth is to last forever, which is most likely due to a misinterpretation of various passages that ``seemingly'' assert this. For example, Solomon writes, ``A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever'' (Eccl. 1:4). Let us consider this more. First of all... FOREVER DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN ``EVERLASTING'' In our understanding of this, we must realize that the Bible's use of the term ``forever'' or ``perpetual'' sometimes means ``age lasting''--and not forever in the ``everlasting'' sense we might normally think of it as. Though heaven, hell, God, and the soul of man are literally everlasting, there are various other things spoken of in the Bible as being ``forever'' or ``perpetual,'' but obviously do have an end--or a termination point. For instance, consider the following: The Old Testament priesthood is spoken of as being ``perpetual''; yet we know that it came to an end at the cross of Christ (Col. 2: 14). Therefore, it wasn't literally forever--but ``age lasting.'' It was to continue until its time was complete (Heb. 8:6). As Jesus states in Matthew 5:18, ''...not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.'' Leviticus 30:8 speaks of the ``perpetual incense'' that were to be offered before the Lord. Keeping the Sabbath was also to be a ``perpetual covenant'' (Exo. 31:16; Lev. 16:31; 24:8). The Feast of Booths was to be observed as a ``perpetual statute'' (Lev. 23:41). Some of the Old Testament sacrifices are spoken of as having been a ``perpetual statute'' (Lev. 3:17) or ``perpetual ordinance'' (Ezek. 46:14). During the time of the Old Covenant, David writes that God ``will remember His covenant forever'' (Psa. 111:5), and in verse 9 that ''...He has ordained His covenant forever....'' The Passover was to also be ``forever'' (Exod. 12:23,24). Yet, all these observances came to an end at the cross of Christ. Habakkuk speaks of ``everlasting mountains'' and ``perpetual hills'' (Hab. 3:6). Abraham's descendants were to have the promised land ``forever'' (Exo. 32:13). The moon is said to be ``forever'' (Psa. 89:37). A good king who ``judges the poor with truth'' will have his throne ``established forever'' (Prov. 29:14). The ``smoke'' of Edom's destruction would ``go up forever'' (Isa. 34:5,6,10). Stars are said to be ``forever and ever'' (Dan. 12:3). Judah is to be ``inhabited forever'' (Joel 3:20). Jonah speaks of his experience in the belly of the great sea creature to have been a time he ``descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever....'' (Jonah 2:6). Without question, all these uses of the term ``forever'' or ``perpetual'' are not to be taken as a literal everlasting period of time--for all these verses are expressing time periods that do have a limit. The Bible shows that there is coming a time when the earth and all the universe will cease to exist. "BUT WON'T THERE BE A NEW EARTH?" Peter likens the day of the Lord to that of an unexpected entrance by a thief in the night and describes it by saying that ``the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat...the earth and its works will be burned up...and the elements will melt with intense heat!'' (2 Pet. 3:10-12). He then goes on to say, ``But according to His promise we are looking for NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, in which righteousness dwells'' (v. 13, emphasis mine). Does this mean necessarily that God will make a literal ``new earth''? This expression of a ``new heavens and a new earth'' is not really new to the Bible. The Lord used it through Isaiah, 700 years before Christ came into our world: ``For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind'' (Isa. 65:17). God through Isaiah is not talking about some type of paradise on earth where people live forever, for the context shows that ``the youth will die at the age of one hundred'' (v. 20). People there will ``build houses and inhabit them; they shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit'' (v. 21). ''...as the lifetime of a tree, so shall be the days of My people'' (v. 22). ``They shall not...bear children for calamity'' (v. 23). Definitely, this passage is talking about something that was to occur on planet earth while mankind continues having children, planting vineyards, eating, and dying from old age. Though there is a great blessing spoken of here of prosperity, long life, and a peaceful existence (v. 25). This peaceful existence of verse 25, which states that ``The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox....'' is parallel with Isaiah's description of the kingdom (the church) in Isaiah 11:6-9. In both passages, the key to understanding this can be seen in the phrase ``in all My holy mountain,'' for here is where this peaceful existence is to be. And, furthermore, Isaiah shows that it would be in the ``last days'' when the ``mountain of the house of the Lord'' would ``be established as the chief of the mountains'' (Isa. 2:2). Read Isaiah 2:2-4 and realize that this is speaking of what happened in Acts 2, when the word of the Lord first went forth in Jerusalem and the Lord's house, the church (kingdom) was established. Animals--such as wolves and lambs, lions and oxen--cannot be a part of the church; but these creatures are used figuratively to express the peaceful existence that would be formed between Jew and Gentile in God's kingdom. Though these people had formerly been antagonistic toward each other, they now dwell harmoniously as one and in peace with each other in the church (Eph. 2:13-22). The ``new heavens'' and the ``new earth,'' therefore, that Isaiah 65:17 speaks of pertains to the NEW COVENANT DISPENSATION--when God would set up His KINGDOM ON EARTH. And all who are His people enjoy the spiritual blessings of being in this kingdom. For many Jewish people, however, leaving the Old Covenant of Judaism to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ was a radical departure. Many could just not let go. Some wanted to mix Judaism with Christianity (Acts 15:1,5)--but to go back to the old law was to fall from grace and sever oneself from Christ (Gal. 5:1-4). The Hebrew writer, therefore, strove to open the eyes of his Jewish brethren that they might be aware of the superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant over that of the Old. The ``new heavens'' and ``new earth'' of Isaiah 65:17 is, therefore, not literal; but, rather, used figuratively to express this major change from the Old System during the Mosaical Age (which lasted about 1,500 years!) to the New System during the Gospel Age. 2 Peter 3:13, where Peter speaks of the ``new heavens'' and ``new earth'' that Christians are to be looking forward to--in view of the fact that this entire universe will be destroyed--is again used to express a major change from what we are used to now to what our experience in heaven will be. The ``new heavens'' and ``new earth'' is metaphorically pointing to heaven itself, which many of the old patriarchs also sought after as that ``better country''--a ``heavenly one'' (Heb. 11:16). Abraham viewed it as being a ``city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God'' (Heb. 11:10). So, in summing it up, the ``new heavens'' and the ``new earth'' is used figuratively in Isaiah 65 to prophesy of the blessings of God's kingdom (the church) which was to come to earth (Dan. 2:44) and did (Mark 9:1; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:6,9); and this expression in 2 Peter 3, symbolically depicts the blessings of God's kingdom in its eternal glorified state in heaven itself (2 Pet. 1:11). Are you getting ready for the new heavens and the new earth? ___________________________________________ "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first- born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:22,23). ___________________________________________ QUESTION: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN BY "PENTECOST"? 1. The word derives from the Greek for "the fiftieth day." It was the Jewish Feast of Weeks (Ex.34:22; Deut.16:9- 11) also called the feast of Harvest (Ex.23:16) or the Day of First-Fruits (Num.28:26). 2. It was the second of the three great annual feasts on which all the males were required to assemble at the tabernacle/temple. The first was Passover, the second was Pentecost, the third was the Feast of Tabernacles. The second came to be called Pentecost, because it was observed 50 days after Passover (Lev.23:15,16). Pentecost always fell on Sunday, the first day of the week, because they would number 7 complete weeks, making 49 days, ending on a sabbath, and then that next day, Sunday, would be Pentecost. 3. You will recall that Jesus was crucified during the Feast of Passover. The special significance for us attached to the Pentecost after Jesus' crucifixion (recorded in Acts 2), is that He sent forth the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, to guide them into all the truth, and gave them power to confirm the word with miracles. On that Pentecost, Jesus was proclaimed to be both Lord and Christ, and the Gospel plan of salvation, with conditions of forgiveness was preached. On that day, the kingdom came with power. On that day the church was established. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@wwd.net ________________________________________