REVELATION STUDY
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What makes you say that when Revelation actually tells us that those seals have indeed been opened? Which means that the events presented in those seals will come to pass in a more or less chronological sequence as described, beginning in the first century and going into and past the 21st century. The events of the first five seals have been taking place since AD 100. Only the events of the 6th and 7th seals are in the future (but not too far).
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I disagree.
You know pretribber believe what John 14 tells us, Jesus returns to heaven with His church to the homes he has prepared for us. I think as soon as He arrives in heaven, He will open the 6th seal. Then shortly after (I would guess ten days later) He will open the 7th seal to get the book open and start the trumpets.
But lets go back to the first one. I think the book with 7 seals is the 70th week of Daniel sealed up. God's goal is to get to that 7th trumpet so Satan can be dethroned from his place as god of this world. However, there are seals on the book, so it cannot just be opened any time. The seals must be opened first. I am convinced the devil demanded he have a right to try and stop the gospel. It seems God allowed Him that right, but limited him to only 1/4th of the earth. He would be allowed to use wars, famines, pestilences and wild beasts - straight out of the Old Testament.
Jesus opened the first seal as soon as He got the book into his hands, right after He ascended. That made it legal for Him to send out the church with the gospel. Then He had to open the next seals up to seal 5 for the church martyrs, because the seals MUST be opened to get the book opened. So Satan had a legal right to try and stop the gospel. We have had two world wars, countless famines and pestilences in Europe and Africa - that 1/4 of the planet. There have been millions of martyrs - yet today there are few places on the planet where the gospel is not. Satan failed.
Seal 1: Action: Church sent out with the gospel
Seal 2: Action: Satan allowed legally to start wars.
Seal 3: Action: Satan allowed legally to start famines.
Seal 4: Action: Satan allowed legally to bring pestilences
Seal 5: Action: murder the saints! Stephen was one of the first.
The "action" may not have been instant, but could be legal any time during the church age.
God's purpose is to get every seal opened so that the book can be opened so that the trumpets can be sounded so that FINALLY the 7th trumpet is sounded so that Satan can be kicked dethroned and kicked down from the heavenlies.
There are only TWO seals left to open: seal 6 will be opened right after the rapture, and very soon after that, the 7th.
You really should understand, it is impossible any trumpet be sounded UNTIL all seven seals are opened. In fact, it is not until the 7th seal that the 7 angels are given their trumpets.
8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
We can be sure, NO trumpet will be sounded until all seals have been opened.
You know pretribber believe what John 14 tells us, Jesus returns to heaven with His church to the homes he has prepared for us. I think as soon as He arrives in heaven, He will open the 6th seal. Then shortly after (I would guess ten days later) He will open the 7th seal to get the book open and start the trumpets.
But lets go back to the first one. I think the book with 7 seals is the 70th week of Daniel sealed up. God's goal is to get to that 7th trumpet so Satan can be dethroned from his place as god of this world. However, there are seals on the book, so it cannot just be opened any time. The seals must be opened first. I am convinced the devil demanded he have a right to try and stop the gospel. It seems God allowed Him that right, but limited him to only 1/4th of the earth. He would be allowed to use wars, famines, pestilences and wild beasts - straight out of the Old Testament.
Jesus opened the first seal as soon as He got the book into his hands, right after He ascended. That made it legal for Him to send out the church with the gospel. Then He had to open the next seals up to seal 5 for the church martyrs, because the seals MUST be opened to get the book opened. So Satan had a legal right to try and stop the gospel. We have had two world wars, countless famines and pestilences in Europe and Africa - that 1/4 of the planet. There have been millions of martyrs - yet today there are few places on the planet where the gospel is not. Satan failed.
Seal 1: Action: Church sent out with the gospel
Seal 2: Action: Satan allowed legally to start wars.
Seal 3: Action: Satan allowed legally to start famines.
Seal 4: Action: Satan allowed legally to bring pestilences
Seal 5: Action: murder the saints! Stephen was one of the first.
The "action" may not have been instant, but could be legal any time during the church age.
God's purpose is to get every seal opened so that the book can be opened so that the trumpets can be sounded so that FINALLY the 7th trumpet is sounded so that Satan can be kicked dethroned and kicked down from the heavenlies.
There are only TWO seals left to open: seal 6 will be opened right after the rapture, and very soon after that, the 7th.
You really should understand, it is impossible any trumpet be sounded UNTIL all seven seals are opened. In fact, it is not until the 7th seal that the 7 angels are given their trumpets.
8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
We can be sure, NO trumpet will be sounded until all seals have been opened.
The Saints Overcome Are The (Two Witnesses) When They Finish Their Work, God Allows Them To Be Killed By The Beast, As Earth's Final Hours Unfold.
Revelation 13:7KJV
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Revelation 11:7KJV
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Revelation 13:7KJV
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Revelation 11:7KJV
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
This is erroneous thinking brother, the First Five Seals are all the Anti-Christ.
Jesus opens the Seals of a Scroll one at a time, do you understand what that means? It's not as Mr. lamad says, or you seem to think, that "THINGS HAPPEN", nothing happens to a scroll when it has 7 Wax Signet Seals on it and 5 are off, ITS STILL SEALED !! Do you not get that my friend? A king sealed a letter/message so no one could read his letter, of course, they usually put three seals on them, and if all three were broken the messenger might well be killed. So, even if two of the wax signets were broken, the Letter was still SEALED and thus had not been read by anyone. The 7 Seals are meant to signify that God Himself is making sure that this scroll is not revealed until the Day of the Lord gets here. The Judgments only come forth AFTER the 7th Seal is broken, just like you can only look into a closeted door with 7 locks on it after the 7th lock has been taken off !! lamad is just wrong here, his thinking is wrong, he has seen ONE VERSE and put forth his whole Eschatology on this verse about the Lamb not being seen, and I have proven his thinking wrong to him, he just will not admit he is in error on this. Thus I stopped conversing with him on these matters, telling him if a guy is that far off on something we have nothing to converse about. I mean, this is way, way, way off kilter my brother.
ALL 7 SEALS MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE THE SCROLL CAN BE READ.
So, here is what happens, the First Seal is opened and Jesus then Prophesies about a coming Anti-Christ who will go forth Conquering, via WAR, which causes FAMINE, which KILLS MANY over a 42 month period. And he especially delights in murdering the Remnant Gentile Church over that 42 months (5th Seal Martyrs). All those are Prophecies by Jesus as he opens EACH SEAL.
Then as Jesus opens the 6th Seal and he Prophesies about God's Coming Wrath over a 42-month period of time, he foretells of the Sun and Moon going dark, just like Joel the Prophet did in Joel 2:31, except Jesus does it when he opens the 6th Seal. Then finally, Jesus opens the 7th Seal and PROPHESIES NOTHING !! You know why? The Scroll can now be read, all 7 Seals are off, it is JUDGMENT TIME. The Angels ready the Seven Trumpet Judgments.
The Anti-Christ understands Dark Sentences (Satan whispers unto him) and thus Satan is telling him, Psstt. wait until the Rev. 8 Asteroid strike, it will take our 1/3 of the known world for you. I think it is the Apophis Asteroid scheduled to come within 19k miles of the earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. That is 10 TIMES closer than the moon. LOOK AROUND, is it time? The signs say yes IMHO. Which means we would see the Rapture in the fall of 2025.
You see that scroll above? With 6 Seals removed, can it be read? NO, thus the Seals DO NOTHING, they are not ACTIONABLE, they are Jesus removing one seal at a time and prophesying what is about to befall mankind over the coming 42 month period of Gods Wrath via Seal 6, and the Anti-Christ uses this Wrath of God to his advantage and STRIKES OUT at that point in time, he goes forth Conquering over the same 42 month period of time, he thus brings wars over 42 months, he thus brings Famine over those same 42 months, he thus brings sickness/death/grave over those sane 42 months. He thus Martyrs the Gentile Saints who repent after the Rapture over those sane 42 months, he CHASES the Woman Israel, who repent, for 42 months but is not allowed to get at her.
At the exact same time, God's Wrath is falling for 42 months, starting with the Asteroid Strike, which is all 4 of the first four Trumpet Judgments. The Fire comes in first (1st Trump), the Impact hits next (2nd Trump) the SAME IMPACT is shown to be WORMWOOD (Nuclear Fallout) because it's shown coming in hot as a star, but it's just the asteroid coming in hot. Scientists say the Nuclear like fallout would be worse than piling all of our Nuclear Weapons in the whole world into one place and setting them all off at once.
The 4th Trump is the Sun and Moon going dark by 1/3, thus the Smoke from all the burning trees and grasses, the IMPACT, etc., etc. will cause the sun and moon's light to dim by 1/3. And the moon will appear as if it's red from the hue of all the trees burning !! So, the Seal 6 Prophecy by Jesus and the Joel 2:31 Prophecy both come to pass with Trumpet #4.
God Bless
Jesus opens the Seals of a Scroll one at a time, do you understand what that means? It's not as Mr. lamad says, or you seem to think, that "THINGS HAPPEN", nothing happens to a scroll when it has 7 Wax Signet Seals on it and 5 are off, ITS STILL SEALED !! Do you not get that my friend? A king sealed a letter/message so no one could read his letter, of course, they usually put three seals on them, and if all three were broken the messenger might well be killed. So, even if two of the wax signets were broken, the Letter was still SEALED and thus had not been read by anyone. The 7 Seals are meant to signify that God Himself is making sure that this scroll is not revealed until the Day of the Lord gets here. The Judgments only come forth AFTER the 7th Seal is broken, just like you can only look into a closeted door with 7 locks on it after the 7th lock has been taken off !! lamad is just wrong here, his thinking is wrong, he has seen ONE VERSE and put forth his whole Eschatology on this verse about the Lamb not being seen, and I have proven his thinking wrong to him, he just will not admit he is in error on this. Thus I stopped conversing with him on these matters, telling him if a guy is that far off on something we have nothing to converse about. I mean, this is way, way, way off kilter my brother.
ALL 7 SEALS MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE THE SCROLL CAN BE READ.
So, here is what happens, the First Seal is opened and Jesus then Prophesies about a coming Anti-Christ who will go forth Conquering, via WAR, which causes FAMINE, which KILLS MANY over a 42 month period. And he especially delights in murdering the Remnant Gentile Church over that 42 months (5th Seal Martyrs). All those are Prophecies by Jesus as he opens EACH SEAL.
Then as Jesus opens the 6th Seal and he Prophesies about God's Coming Wrath over a 42-month period of time, he foretells of the Sun and Moon going dark, just like Joel the Prophet did in Joel 2:31, except Jesus does it when he opens the 6th Seal. Then finally, Jesus opens the 7th Seal and PROPHESIES NOTHING !! You know why? The Scroll can now be read, all 7 Seals are off, it is JUDGMENT TIME. The Angels ready the Seven Trumpet Judgments.
The Anti-Christ understands Dark Sentences (Satan whispers unto him) and thus Satan is telling him, Psstt. wait until the Rev. 8 Asteroid strike, it will take our 1/3 of the known world for you. I think it is the Apophis Asteroid scheduled to come within 19k miles of the earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. That is 10 TIMES closer than the moon. LOOK AROUND, is it time? The signs say yes IMHO. Which means we would see the Rapture in the fall of 2025.
You see that scroll above? With 6 Seals removed, can it be read? NO, thus the Seals DO NOTHING, they are not ACTIONABLE, they are Jesus removing one seal at a time and prophesying what is about to befall mankind over the coming 42 month period of Gods Wrath via Seal 6, and the Anti-Christ uses this Wrath of God to his advantage and STRIKES OUT at that point in time, he goes forth Conquering over the same 42 month period of time, he thus brings wars over 42 months, he thus brings Famine over those same 42 months, he thus brings sickness/death/grave over those sane 42 months. He thus Martyrs the Gentile Saints who repent after the Rapture over those sane 42 months, he CHASES the Woman Israel, who repent, for 42 months but is not allowed to get at her.
At the exact same time, God's Wrath is falling for 42 months, starting with the Asteroid Strike, which is all 4 of the first four Trumpet Judgments. The Fire comes in first (1st Trump), the Impact hits next (2nd Trump) the SAME IMPACT is shown to be WORMWOOD (Nuclear Fallout) because it's shown coming in hot as a star, but it's just the asteroid coming in hot. Scientists say the Nuclear like fallout would be worse than piling all of our Nuclear Weapons in the whole world into one place and setting them all off at once.
The 4th Trump is the Sun and Moon going dark by 1/3, thus the Smoke from all the burning trees and grasses, the IMPACT, etc., etc. will cause the sun and moon's light to dim by 1/3. And the moon will appear as if it's red from the hue of all the trees burning !! So, the Seal 6 Prophecy by Jesus and the Joel 2:31 Prophecy both come to pass with Trumpet #4.
God Bless
Well, I'll give you this much, it is a theory! And the Beast will overcome the two witnesses. But that is not the intent of Daniel 7 or Rev. 13.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
Sorry, no mention of two witnesses. It is "the saints;" that would be ALL of them.
Rev. 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Again no specific saints, just "the saints." That would include all of them. More proof?
This is the beheaded (overcome) saints showing up in heaven:
2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Again, no mention of just two witnesses.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
Sorry, no mention of two witnesses. It is "the saints;" that would be ALL of them.
Rev. 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Again no specific saints, just "the saints." That would include all of them. More proof?
This is the beheaded (overcome) saints showing up in heaven:
2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Again, no mention of just two witnesses.
We get it that you can't overcome THOSE BIBLICAL FACTS sir. The whole "Some of The Seals" were opened long ago is a non sequitur with me and most people. Everyone understands what a Wax Signet Ring did and why it sealed messages and that message was thus protected until ALL of the Seals were broken, why you can't see the obvious is beyond me, sir.
In a sense, sure. But what if I opened lock 6 first? It would be wrong to assume I opened lock number 1 first and that's exactly the mistake most people make when they interpret the seals. It says he opened one of the seals first, not that he opened seal number one. This is an important thing to notice.
But we just name them as such to give them a "name" in order not to confuse and conflate the ones we are talking about. It IS the First Seal that is spoken of in Rev. 6. Then the next one IS the 2nd Seal spoken about in Rev. 6, and so on. So the number comes from the order they are spoken about, otherwise, they are not numbered.
It's important to know the difference between the first chronological seal events and the first seal that was opened. They aren't one in the same.
IMO Christ opened seal number 6 first. I believe that rider is the AC but that isn't the first event that happens as far as the events the seals will reveal.
The 6th Seal has no horse, the first four do, the 5th is foretelling f the coming Martyrs and the 6th Seal is about God's coming Wrath. It is the only seal not about the Anti-Christ in the ay Jesus prophesies, the 7th Seal has no prophecy, it opens up the last seal, thus we get Judgment instead of Prophecy.
They are separated, God Causes the Wrath/Plagues/Sun and Moon events..........the Anri-Christ attacks when this asteroid event hits, thus cloaking or disguising his attack.
They are separated, God Causes the Wrath/Plagues/Sun and Moon events..........the Anri-Christ attacks when this asteroid event hits, thus cloaking or disguising his attack.
The book is dated at 95-96 AD on many factors, but the writing of Iranaeus is the greatest witness seen below
Wikipedia: Domitian
"Domitian (/dəˈmɪʃən, -iən/; Latin: Titus Flavius Caesar Domitianus Augustus;[2] 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96."
Iranaeus Of Lyons, Against Heresies Book V, Chapter XXX
"we infer, that perchance he who is to come shall be called "Titan." We will not, however, incur the risk of pronouncing positively as to the name of Antichrist; for if it were necessary that his name should be distinctly revealed in this present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld the apocalyptic vision. For that was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign.
Wikipedia: Domitian
"Domitian (/dəˈmɪʃən, -iən/; Latin: Titus Flavius Caesar Domitianus Augustus;[2] 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96."
Iranaeus Of Lyons, Against Heresies Book V, Chapter XXX
"we infer, that perchance he who is to come shall be called "Titan." We will not, however, incur the risk of pronouncing positively as to the name of Antichrist; for if it were necessary that his name should be distinctly revealed in this present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld the apocalyptic vision. For that was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign.
There simply is no evidence for dating the book to AD 96.
There are some things about the Irenaeus statement that need to be noted.
1. First, Irenaeus did not witness this. He only referred to Polycarp who reportedly knew the apostle John.
2. Secondly, the key part – “it is not long since it was seen” – is ambiguous. What defines “not long?” According to Irenaeus recollection, Polycarp saw “it” sometime in AD 95-96, during the last part Domitian's reign.
3. Thirdly, we do not know if the “it” Polycarp was referring to was John's visions he saw, the name of anti-Christ, or the book itself; and we do not even know if he meant that the book was written at that time. Furthermore, it comes to us through three people separated by three centuries. Simply put, this is nothing more than third-hand hear-say.
This statement, even with all of this uncertainty, is the best and only evidence used in support of the “late date” theory. Despite that, it has been accepted by generations of people without really questioning it or examining it in light of the book itself. The late date has been passed on to us in the same way it was passed on to Eusebius, “…it [was] handed down by tradition…” Tradition is not the way to interpret Scripture.
There are some things about the Irenaeus statement that need to be noted.
1. First, Irenaeus did not witness this. He only referred to Polycarp who reportedly knew the apostle John.
2. Secondly, the key part – “it is not long since it was seen” – is ambiguous. What defines “not long?” According to Irenaeus recollection, Polycarp saw “it” sometime in AD 95-96, during the last part Domitian's reign.
3. Thirdly, we do not know if the “it” Polycarp was referring to was John's visions he saw, the name of anti-Christ, or the book itself; and we do not even know if he meant that the book was written at that time. Furthermore, it comes to us through three people separated by three centuries. Simply put, this is nothing more than third-hand hear-say.
This statement, even with all of this uncertainty, is the best and only evidence used in support of the “late date” theory. Despite that, it has been accepted by generations of people without really questioning it or examining it in light of the book itself. The late date has been passed on to us in the same way it was passed on to Eusebius, “…it [was] handed down by tradition…” Tradition is not the way to interpret Scripture.
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Chapter Twenty-one
Do chapters 21 and 22 represent a new state of the world in connection to the Church, or do they speak of the final, eternal state of the Church as well as the doomed beyond the final judgment?
The message of the book of Revelation has, in the words of Foy Wallace Jr., “reached a natural and fitting climax.” What we are going to see in chapters twenty-one and twenty-two is the ultimate fulfillment of the promises of God to his people from the beginning of time. All the long-anticipated imaginings of God's people concerning the blessing of God are realized in the imagery of the two closing chapters. The question under consideration is whether this speaks of the state of the Church as it now exists, or does it speak of the Church as it will exist in eternity. I am convinced that chapters twenty and twenty-one are not descriptive of heaven, but of the Church.
I. The New Heaven and Earth, 1-8
A. “Then I saw (Καὶ εἴδον οὐρανὸν – should be “AND I saw”) a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.”
1. The use of the symbols
a. Heaven – existing governmental authorities
b. Earth – the places of the nations
c. Sea – human society seen in varying states – the placid sea, the troubled sea. Both earth and sea are seen as the sources of governmental powers. In other words, the beasts that “rise up” out of the sea and the earth in chapter thirteen.
2. This symbolism of new heaven and earth is certainly not new language in scripture.
a. In Isaiah 65:17-19, God told the nation of Judah regarding the time when he would restore them to their land following their captivity in Babylon, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.”
This is descriptive of a restored national and spiritual state of Israel as a nation once again as well as a restored relationship with God. This imagery used by John in chapter twenty-one then would have held particular significance to Jewish Christians. They would have known immediately what John was describing. Revelation 21:1-4 is the fulfillment of Isaiah 66:18-23.
b. In 2 Peter 3:11-13, Peter reminds the brethren.
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
Does this suggest something that follows the destruction of the created world of man, or is Peter still looking to a time in which such conditions will be realized following the judgment of Jerusalem? Could this same language be used to describe both? I think so.
3. What are the new heavens and the new earth?
These represent a new and superior state of existence and a renewed relationship with God, just as was described in Isaiah 65. The word καινός refers to something that is superior to what preceded it. It refers to something that is new in type and kind. It can also suggest something that is new in relation to time. Since this is used as a means of comparison against what preceded it, it certainly represents something that is of a different type or kind. It seems to be trying to impress upon the mind of the reader that what is being presented to us is new in relation to time as well as superior to that which came before it. So, what does this mean to the Church? What does new mean to the Church in connection to heaven, earth, and sea?
a. New heaven
The new governmental authorities of the Church are not those of the nations but of heaven. We have a new King. We are citizens of a new kingdom. The seat of our government is in heaven where Christ sits on the throne.
b. New earth
The new place of the nations is now the Church. The Church is comprised of these of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. “All nations shall flow into it,” Isaiah 2:2.
c. “There is no longer any sea.”
This seems disconnected from the Old Testament passage. There is no mention of a sea in Isaiah 65. So, how does the symbol of the sea fit into this imagery? He does not say there is a changed condition of the sea which is what one might expect if he were talking about a place where peace dwells, which is certainly descriptive of the Church – “swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.” What he is saying here is that there in simply NO MORE SEA. How does this fit the symbolism of the imagery? The Church is not the product of a human social construct. The Church is not the creation of human society. We are the product of the mind and the wisdom of God. We are not part of the social construct. The Church is not a human society.
Do chapters 21 and 22 represent a new state of the world in connection to the Church, or do they speak of the final, eternal state of the Church as well as the doomed beyond the final judgment?
The message of the book of Revelation has, in the words of Foy Wallace Jr., “reached a natural and fitting climax.” What we are going to see in chapters twenty-one and twenty-two is the ultimate fulfillment of the promises of God to his people from the beginning of time. All the long-anticipated imaginings of God's people concerning the blessing of God are realized in the imagery of the two closing chapters. The question under consideration is whether this speaks of the state of the Church as it now exists, or does it speak of the Church as it will exist in eternity. I am convinced that chapters twenty and twenty-one are not descriptive of heaven, but of the Church.
I. The New Heaven and Earth, 1-8
A. “Then I saw (Καὶ εἴδον οὐρανὸν – should be “AND I saw”) a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.”
1. The use of the symbols
a. Heaven – existing governmental authorities
b. Earth – the places of the nations
c. Sea – human society seen in varying states – the placid sea, the troubled sea. Both earth and sea are seen as the sources of governmental powers. In other words, the beasts that “rise up” out of the sea and the earth in chapter thirteen.
2. This symbolism of new heaven and earth is certainly not new language in scripture.
a. In Isaiah 65:17-19, God told the nation of Judah regarding the time when he would restore them to their land following their captivity in Babylon, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.”
This is descriptive of a restored national and spiritual state of Israel as a nation once again as well as a restored relationship with God. This imagery used by John in chapter twenty-one then would have held particular significance to Jewish Christians. They would have known immediately what John was describing. Revelation 21:1-4 is the fulfillment of Isaiah 66:18-23.
b. In 2 Peter 3:11-13, Peter reminds the brethren.
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
Does this suggest something that follows the destruction of the created world of man, or is Peter still looking to a time in which such conditions will be realized following the judgment of Jerusalem? Could this same language be used to describe both? I think so.
3. What are the new heavens and the new earth?
These represent a new and superior state of existence and a renewed relationship with God, just as was described in Isaiah 65. The word καινός refers to something that is superior to what preceded it. It refers to something that is new in type and kind. It can also suggest something that is new in relation to time. Since this is used as a means of comparison against what preceded it, it certainly represents something that is of a different type or kind. It seems to be trying to impress upon the mind of the reader that what is being presented to us is new in relation to time as well as superior to that which came before it. So, what does this mean to the Church? What does new mean to the Church in connection to heaven, earth, and sea?
a. New heaven
The new governmental authorities of the Church are not those of the nations but of heaven. We have a new King. We are citizens of a new kingdom. The seat of our government is in heaven where Christ sits on the throne.
b. New earth
The new place of the nations is now the Church. The Church is comprised of these of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. “All nations shall flow into it,” Isaiah 2:2.
c. “There is no longer any sea.”
This seems disconnected from the Old Testament passage. There is no mention of a sea in Isaiah 65. So, how does the symbol of the sea fit into this imagery? He does not say there is a changed condition of the sea which is what one might expect if he were talking about a place where peace dwells, which is certainly descriptive of the Church – “swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.” What he is saying here is that there in simply NO MORE SEA. How does this fit the symbolism of the imagery? The Church is not the product of a human social construct. The Church is not the creation of human society. We are the product of the mind and the wisdom of God. We are not part of the social construct. The Church is not a human society.