"...Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished..." Isa 51:5-6.
"... And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death..." Rev 21:1- 8.
"... Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness..." 2 Pet 3:12-13.
There can be no question but the New Heaven and New Earth in the above texts refer to the New Jerusalem, The Mount Sion, The New Creation, The City of the Living God, The Heavenly Jerusalem, an innumerable company of angels, The General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in (this) heaven, Where God the Judge of all His people there dwells, and where the spirits of (these) just men are made perfect in Jesus, and where Jesus is truly manifested as The Sole Mediator of this New Covenant, and Spiritually reveals the blood of His sprinkling upon the souls of those that speaks better things than that of Abel that lived under the Old heavens (I speak of souls as including their physical bodies)The Old typical or legal heavens and earth have passed away with a great noise at the coming of Christ to redeem and sanctify His people, and thus give them joy and peace in receiving and believing the promises of God in Him.
This New Jerusalem is synonymous with The New Heavens and the spiritual Mount Zion.
To say that something is new, nearly always implies that the new has replaced the old. If one says they have a new shirt, pair of shoes, or perhaps a new car, they usually mean that they have replaced their old items. Thus, if we have an experience so vastly different from, and which transcends all others of our past, we say that this is something entirely new with us. It is the same with our experience of The New Heaven and New Earth when they are manifested to our view.
"...Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new..." 2 Cor 5:17.
Those who have not (yet) received a truly spiritually manifest Hope in Christ through the intercession of His Spirit within their hearts cannot really embrace the reality and spiritual glory of these things as they are presently and gloriously comprehended in the truly renewed heart. - That the Son of God in the person of Jesus has actually appeared in flesh, (especially in their flesh) is foreign to them. They can only view these things in a historical way or in a yet future accomplishment and manifestation. (And to most of these, in a literal apprehension, or as to that which can be viewed only through human physical faculties.
Many of such do therefore ridicule those who speak of the glory of Christ's Kingdom as already being in existence in the earth, and as compared with those who are left out as seeing only those things which are appreciated by the fleshly experience, such as literal buildings, riches, comforts, etc. Thus they do therefore belie their own lack of understanding and spirituality concerning the present Kingdom of Christ. To those who have, and do spiritually enter into the rest prepared for them within the confines of this City of God, compared with those who have been left out do we now speak as the Apostle John does here. The same analogy can be extended to the Gentile unbeliever just as it was then spoken of the unbelieving Jews of that day: There were some predestinated and chosen by the sovereign will of Jehovah to enter into the blessedness of this New Kingdom, while others would be left out; because God is no respector of persons:
"...Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth..." Matt 8:11-12.
The heaven and earth that John saw was passed away could not in any respect refer merely to the physical earth, much less to the vast physical cosmos; but the language used was only symbolic (but also nearly parallel symbolic language of many Old Testament Scriptures) of the Old Legal Dispensation that was to shortly fade out of view and to be no longer of any consequence to the children of God as a legal and binding instrument for their entrance and communion with God; For these had been brought to the consideration and enjoyment of the New Jerusalem, which then did (and yet does) spiritually speaking, come down from God out of Heaven for, to and within them.
"...I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people..." 2 Cor 6:16.
"...And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us..." Matt 1:23.
"...I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name..." Rev 3:12.
"...For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more..." Heb 8:10-12.
We can view and survey the wonders of this New Heaven and New Earth both spiritually and historically: There was a time historically set in God's Purpose for the Advent or appearance of this New heaven and earth; There also continues to be a constant revelation throughout future ages of time for its appearance to each individual believer. The nature of this Kingdom is radically different from that of the Old heaven and earth, because there was no satisfying righteousness manifested there for God's children except in types and shadows of Christ.
"...Hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus..." Eph 2:6-7.
"... Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit..." Eph 3:5.
"...Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen..." Eph 3:21.
"...Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints..." Col 1:26.
"...For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him..." John 1:17-18.
God's elect are redeemed OUT OF every kindred, tongue and nation of the earth where they shall also sing the song of Moses and the Lamb within the walls of The New Jerusalem:
This song is ever new to those who have been brought to the beauty and glory of this New Jerusalem City. Even David, though living under the confines and restrictions of the Old covenant Jerusalem, saw by faith the liberty and beauty of this glorious city afar off and said:
For these "... Looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God..." Heb 11:10.
"...And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God..."
Notice the very GREAT voice that spoke from heaven. No doubt, this was to emphazise the greatness and glory of the appearing Kingdom that was soon to be brought in full view after the Old Heaven had passed from view by its utter destruction in its own wickedness and apostacy, where it had been left desolate since its Master's departure. This was not to be a mere political kingdom like the old kingdom. because Jesus had said to Pilate:
"...In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away..." Neb 8:13.
"...Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee..." Ps 102:25-28.
There was a necessity of God's Purpose in Christ for changing these old mundane heavens into New and more Glorious ones for the habitation of His chosen people:
"...For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying..." Isa 65:17-19.
"...And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away..." Rev 21:4.
"...Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning..." Ps 30:4-5.
We could go on and on contemplating the glorious beauty of these New Heavens and The New Earth, wherein, and there alone is found true righteousness; Because "..God - that is Christ - "..is in the midst of her, therefore she shall not be moved.." Christ Himself dwells in the midst of this great congregation and with His brethren, sings praises unto God's name: His blood washes away from our conscience all taint of sin and purges it to serve Him in the newness of the Spirit of this New Jerusalem, because He has already once and forever washed it away by the Sacrifice of Himself upon the Tree. To be blessed to be an inhabitant of this New Jerusalem is beyond compare during the saints sojourn in the earth; but what shall the Glory be when we are changed from mortal to immortal unto and into that Immortal Glory which shall unspeakably and eternally transcend the superlative glory of even the present glorious heavens of The New Jerusalem when we awake in His Own Immortal and Glorified Likeness, and in His Presence be forever satisfied.
OAB
To be continued....