Click
the links below to explore Part 3 of 7 of the New Heaven And
Earth.
1.Nations Of
The “New Earth” Will Have Access To The “New Jerusalem”
2.Heavenly Beings Of The “New Earth”.
3.Natural People (Also Known As Nations) Of “New Earth”.
4.God’s Promise To Abraham Will Be Fulfilled.
5.“New
Heavens” Rejuvenated To Accommodate Ever Increasing Human Population.
6.“God Does Not
Change”: His Original Plan For Human Beings Is Revisited.
7.Existence Of Entropy For Natural Human Beings.
According to Revelation 21 verse 24, nations will continue to exist in the “New
Heaven and Earth”, During this time (which
is also referred to as the period of regeneration in Matthew 19 verses 28 – 29, Mark 10 verse 30), there will be two
classification of beings existing on the
“New Heaven and Earth”. Click here to view topical
index
The first comprises of Heavenly
beings including “God the son” (or Jesus
Christ), His wife (or all of Gods
saints that have previously lived on the “Old Earth” and who were later
resurrected) and the Holy Angels of God. All these heavenly beings are
characterised as having the same spiritual/physical bodily composition acquired
by Jesus Christ Himself after His death and resurrection 2,000 years ago. Read I John 3 verses 1 – 3. The resurrected
immortal body is capable of a lot of unimaginable marvellous things. According to
Jesus Christ, this resurrected body is the same as those that the Angels of God
in Heaven have (Matthew 22 verse 30; Mark 12 verse 25). In I John 3
verse 2; Philippians 3 verse 21, believers resurrected bodies will be
similar to those of the “..Sons of God…” and that of
Jesus Christ. The usage of the phrase “sons of God” in the bible
denotes angelic beings.
The resurrected immortal body doesn’t die (Luke 20 verse 36; Revelation 2 verse 11; 20 verse 6; I Corinthians 15 verses 54, 55). As well as being spiritual, this body can also do physical things. It can be touched (Matthew 28 verse 9); it is made up of flesh and bone, but not blood (Luke 24 verses 39 & 40); it can enjoy the sensation of eating food (Psalm 78 verses 24 & 25; Mark 16 verse 14; Luke 24 verse 30, 41 – 43; John 21 verses 4 & 15); it can be involved in conversations and speak any human language (Luke 24 verses 15 – 17); It has magnificent superpower (II Kings 19 verse 35; Isaiah 37 verse 36; II Peter 2 verse 11), it can appear or disappear at thought and travel at the speed of thought. This body could also go through physical barriers unhindered (Luke 24 verse 36; John 20 verses 19, 26). This body is capable of flying through the sky or space outside the earth (Acts 1 verse 9 & 10; Revelation 14 verse 6). Just like the angels of God, the resurrected body has unlimited wisdom and knowledge (II Samuel 14 verse 20). The body can coordinate activities of any creature to act in certain ways (Revelation 19 verse 17). This body can become luminous. Radiating out light with power and glory (Revelation 18 verse 1; Acts 12 verse 7; Revelation 21 verse 23). Click here to view topical index
The second comprises of Human
beings in their natural body. Unlike the Heavenly beings earlier described,
these Human beings will make up the majority of beings that will exist in the
“New Heaven and Earth”. These natural
human beings will be the descendants of the natural human beings during the
millennial reign of Christ. While natural human beings will be privileged to
fellowship with Jesus Christ and all Heavenly beings who lives in the “New
Jerusalem”, they will however be given autonomy to have their own human
governments (Revelation 21 verse 24) and dominate their environment just as
God originally ordained in Genesis 1
verses 28 – 30. Their ability to relate with heavenly beings is a revisit
to God’s original plan for man to fellowship with His maker on a person to
person basis just like the account of Genesis
3 verses 8 – 13.
Unlike the saints of the “New Jerusalem” whose numbers will be fixed, the natural human population will continue to grow forever as people will continue to be born onto Earth and death will be prevented as a result of access of the nations to the “Tree of Life”. (Genesis 1 verse 22, 28). Click here to view topical index
Over 3,500 years ago, God made a promise in Genesis 22 verses 17, 18 to Abraham about the size of his descendants. Up till today, the numbers of the children of Israel and the rest of mankind is countable (i.e approximately 12 millions Israelites and 7 billions human beings). However since God compared the descendants of Abraham through Israel and the Arab world (i.e without even adding the number of the rest of humanity who do not descended directly from Abraham) to the “stars of the heavens” and “sand on seashore”, we know that this is referring to a staggering number of human beings that is uncountable. Science makes us understand that the stars of heaven numbers in their trillions and zillions. This also applies to every single grain of sand by the sea shore all over the world. This unbelievable number of human beings is as a result of continuous birth, but no death during the era of the “New Heavens and Earth”. Click here to view topical index
“New
Heavens” Rejuvenated To Accommodate Ever Increasing Human Population.
According to Isaiah 66 verse 22, Revelation 21 verse 1, God is going to recreate
the second heavens (i.e not the third
heaven where God lives). This second heaven comprises of the regions of the
Solar system and the stars. Basically every where within space (including all Galaxies). Just as God recreated “dormant planet earth”
in the account of Genesis creation, so might God rejuvenate dormant planets.
While the Bible does not
specifically mention that natural human beings will exists outside of the “New
Earth”, we can however infer that this is a possibility because God is not only
recreating a “New Earth”, but also “New Heaven” which currently houses these
dormant planets. Obviously the continuous growth of natural human beings
population might result in a spill over from the “New Earth” into other parts
of the universe. However big the New Earth will be, continuous growth of the
Human population might necessitates humans inhabiting other parts of the
universe.
Science makes us understand that
most of the other 8 planets of Earth’s Solar System are many times bigger than
the current Earth. This solar system only takes up a minute fraction of the
Milky Way Galaxy (a part of the universe
known as the Orion belt). The diameter within Earths Solar systems is
approximately 1 billion miles long. The diameter within the Milky Way Galaxy is
trillions of miles long. And yet the Milky Way Galaxy is just one out of
hundreds or thousands of other Galaxies which Science says exists
in the entire universe (i.e based on the study from Astronomy. Even
though Scientist have yet to confirm outside their use of powerful telescopes,
the genuineness of the existence of multiple galaxies. What we are saying is
that Science may be right or wrong on the theory that these Galaxies truly does exists. Please note that inspite of the successes of
science, there are areas where some theories are incorrect.).
Assuming this scientific theory
is true, then the above description of the universe,
as big as it is, forms part of the second heavens to be rejuvenated by God. A
lot of people have wondered why is it that the current Earth as small as it is
in relation to other heavenly bodies appears to be the only place of life and
the central focus of the entire universe.
While the Bible does not
specifically describe the composition of the current Heavens (i.e apart from the Sun, moon and stars)
personally, the only way I can explain the significance of the Earth to the
entire universe, is that just as the human body frame is trillions of times
bigger than individual cells which makes up every part of the human body, so is
the current Earth (as microscopic as it
is to other heavenly bodies) the source of life to the entire expanse of space. This explanation is based on a principle
enumerated by Jesus Christ that for anything to become great, it will first
have to start from a seed. This principle is illustrated by the microscopic
sperm of a man as a seed which then eventually becomes a big human adult. Another example is in nature, where trees, plant life starts first as seeds and every other
aspect of developments which must all first of all starts as seed. John 12 verse 24, Matthew 13 verses 31 – 32. This principle might be what will be
demonstrated in the universe. God might have deliberately started human
existence thousands of years ago from the tiniest of planets, called Earth. However during the regeneration of the “New Heavens and Earth” (also known as the eternal state).
This seed of planet Earth in the universe will result in unbelievable growth of
human existence which will scatter across the entire universe.
When it comes to God, there is
nothing too big (i.e the largest Galaxy) or too small (i.e smallest cell in the human body) for His creative abilities.
In summary, it is possible that God who started the existence of natural human beings on the current Earth thousands of years ago will allow the ever increasing population of future generation of human beings to spill into the entire universe. Click here to view topical index
These humans will however not
have the kind of supernatural qualities which characterises the bodies of the
Heavenly beings. It is these human beings that will form the nations of the
“New Heavens and Earth”. This is in line with God’s original plan. When God
created the Earth, His intention is to have Human beings live on Earth forever.
Despite the set back resulting from Human beings’ fall into sin, God did not
change His mind on the position that Human beings should live forever on planet
earth.
God never changes His purposes
according to Hebrews 13 verse 8, Number
23 verse 19. But He however allows amendments to
the course of achieving His goals. Many examples abounds
in the Bible showing where God allowed this kind of amendment. Some of these
examples are as follow (1) Even though God wanted the human population to
continue to increase on Earth, He however had to reduce mankind’s population
through Noah’s flood to purge the earth of sin in Genesis 1 verses 22 & 28, Genesis 6 verses 6 – 7 (2) God wanted
to use the 12 sons of Jacob to create the nation of Israel, however God nearly
changed this method into only using one tribe through the descendants of Moses.
However Moses’ intercession prevented God doing this in Exodus 32 verses 9 – 14, Deuteronomy 9 verses 12 – 14, 17 – 19. And
(3) as a result of Israel sinning and rejecting Jesus Christ, God changed His
mind from using just a singular race of the Jews into including every race of
people on earth to be part of Jesus Christ’s church on earth in Matthew 23 verses 37 – 39, Matthew 16
verses 17 – 21, Acts 28 verses 26 - 28, Acts 18 verses 5 – 7.
Just as the above examples illustrates how God sometimes amends the process of achieving His goals, so did God amended His plan for Human existence on earth. This amendment involves allowing Human beings of the first dispensation to die and face judgement. However in the “New Earth”, God is going to revisit His original plan for all Human beings to be sinless and live forever. Click here to view topical index
Unlike the Heavenly beings
earlier described, the natural human beings of this era will still live within
a world of entropy. Entropy is the
existence of gradual decline of a state of matter. For example, as a result of
entropy, the energy from the fuel of an automobile will eventually be used up
and the vehicle will stop functioning. But when that vehicle is refuelled, the
consequence of entropy is eliminated and the vehicle will start running
again.
God deliberately allow this
element of entropy because He wants all of His creation to always take steps of
dependence on Him and also for His creations to be constantly reminded that
they exists because of God. If God allows the atmosphere of lack of entropy,
which surrounds Heaven or Heavenly beings to surrounds natural human beings,
there will not be motivation on the part of natural human beings to trust, worship
and serve God, because there will be no propulsion for human beings to have
recourse back to God.
While there will not be entropy in the “New
Jerusalem”, there will be entropy in the rest of the “New Earth”. The
composition of the body of the heavenly beings and their place of residence in
the “New Jerusalem” will not experience the limitations of the natural human
beings who would occupy the rest of the “New Earth”. While the downfall of
human beings through Adam and Eve hastens the effect of entropy, however God’s
design of the universe originally allows for some of element of entropy. This
entropy is however corrected by the provisions of God.
A good example is the human body.
When God created Adam and Eve approximately 6,000 years ago, the design of the
body from clay was such that the functionality of that body is dependent on
energy from consumption of food, necessity to rest this body during night time
in order to facilitate utmost performance during the day time. It is important
to note that the existence of natural human beings destined to live on planet
earth (even without repercussions from
fall into sin) is subject to continual renewal of energy in order to carry
on surviving. Without this energy renewal, the body of that human being will
decline. This is not a result of sin, but the way God chooses Human beings to exists on earth. This is why God ordained that human beings
must eat food (i.e as fuel) in order for their body to
develop (Genesis 1 verse 29).
The human body is therefore
subject to wear and tear. However God provided the “Tree of Life” in the garden of Eden to renew this human body so that it will
never die as a result of wear and tear. This “Tree of Life” had special
spiritual fruits which enables the physical human body not to age (i.e above the adult state of Adam and Eve at
creation) or die. Without these provisions, the human body will be unable
to survive on planet earth. And this is what is meant by the existence of
element of entropy on earth. These provisions were however withdrawn by God as
a result of the fall of human beings into sin. Human beings were denied the use
of the “Tree of Life” and this worsened the original entropy and human beings
had to die. Read Genesis 3 verse 22 – 24.
Click here to view topical
index