Posted by Steven Benjamin (by Proxy) on August 22, 2009, 12:05 am
Sabbath Study
Popular perceptions of Heaven Challenged
Today, 8/16/09, observing Sabbath, I was relaxing outside and reading my Bible.
I was reading Zecheriah 14 and pondering Revelation chapter 21 and 22.
IN the opening of
Revelation chapter 21, John notes that he witnessed Heaven and Earth
Pass away and a new
Heaven and earth created. First of all, the Term Heaven can refer to
a place, or the sky in our
Atmosphere, then also the outer atmosphere, the stars or THE HEAVENS.
IN the timeframe John beholds his vision, we must consider he
witnesses the NEW JERUSALEM
COMING DOWN. In a sense, as the seat of the kingdom will then be here
on Earth, as John witnesses
This earth pass away in a sense, he sees this planet literally become
THE NEW HEAVEN, as in
The seat of the kingdom, and as such, could have quite literally seen
one planet, one orb, become
Both a New Heaven, and as restoration is brought, also a new earth.
But I don’t think he actually witnessed the old HEAVEN, as in the
place, pass away.
Rather I believe what he witnessed was the passing away of the
Celestial Heaven, the Sun the Moon and
The Stars. To see this in perspective, we must note some things,
first let’s start with this “NEW EARTH”
Or “NEW HEAVEN” if you will, in either case, the land upon which John
was standing when in his vision
He witnessed the old Heaven and Earth Pass away, that land, was, is,
This Current Earth.
The popular notion is that When This event happens the earth, that new
earth will be a perfect place. This is not what scripture teaches.
Such is a novel idea, but simply not true. Let’s see what scripture
says…we see John witness and express the timeline for this, or these,
new creations…
REV 21:1 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.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
We see a place with no sea, now that could indeed just be part of this
grand creation most churches would preach, this new earth to come this
perfect earth they preach and I could just be misleading you,
But then again, what if I am right, what if it is the churches of this
world misleading everyone, and what if this new Earth John beholds is
not a PERFECT EUTOPIAN BLISSFULL CREATION? What if the truth is
something else entirely, would you still want to know?
Still here? I guess I have the answer to my last question. SO let’s
see the simple truth of the matter, and place events in perspective
via the timeframe. When John expresses to have witnessed this new
EARTH created, this NEW HEAVEN, what exactly does he witness, what
else has he seen at that point?
