Full Grace Equipper: The Creation of the New Heavens and the New Earth Part 3

The Creation of the New Heavens and the New Earth

Part 3

Part 3 of The Creation of the New Heavens and the New Earth Part 1. http://facebook.com/note.php?note_id=601856483162356

There is no more death.

Revelation 21:4 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.

It is the FULFILLMENT of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 25:6-8:

6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

8 HE WILL SWALLOW UP DEATH IN VICTORY (O death, where is thy sting – o grave where is thy victory? [1 Cor. 15:55] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.[1 Cor. 15:54]; AND THE LORD GOD WILL WIPE AWAY TEARS FROM OFF ALL FACES; AND THE REBUKE OF HIS PEOPLE SHALL HE TAKE AWAY FROM OFF ALL THE EARTH: FOR THE LORD HATH SPOKEN IT.

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Death was finished, terminated, abolished. Hell [hades] was finished. It means death the last enemy was defeated by Christ.

What does it mean?

Ever since Adam’s fall, men were mortal. Do you mean, Adam was immortal before the fall? The soul was mortal. But the spirit [breath of life] that came from God was IMMORTAL. Man was/is mortal, which means he dies, he is corruptible. Subject to decay. Man was called a living soul (Genesis 2:7). A soul dies (Ezekiel 18:4) because it sins. When the body dies, the soul dies, because the body is part of the soul. When the body dies, the spirit [breath] returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The spirit does not die. There is no such thing as “spiritual death”. The soul dies, the death of the soul (natural death).

Ever since Adam’s fall, all men, all sons and daughters of Adam die and go to hell [hades/grave/ground]. Only the spirit returns to God. It doesn’t mean that those who died went to heaven. So Christ came from heaven to earth, became man, and died for the sins of mankind [elect]. The wages of sin is death. So Christ must die to receive that wage or payment of sin: death. What kind of death did Christ have? “Natural death” – the death of the cross. Jesus Christ died the death of the soul [soulish death/ natural death]. Through this, he would save mankind [elect]. He abolished death and has brought life and immortality through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:9). He through death destroyed the devil [accuser] that had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). He was holding the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:8). And finally when he arrived he totally destroyed the last enemy: death. That’s why ever since that time, every believer who dies continues to live with immortality. His death was only a transition from natural to spiritual. From temporary to eternal.

That’s why Revelation 21:4 says: “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.” The question is: Is there no more death “for every man” and “for all men” in the globe? No! It doesn’t say that! There is no more death for “believers” of the Lord Jesus Christ! Remember: THE GIFT OF GOD IS “ETERNAL LIFE” THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. But how can a person receive that gift of salvation and/or eternal life? “BY FAITH” in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.

Acts 16:30-31 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

All men who are NOT BELIEVERS will never live immortally. They will never ever rise again.

Only believers live immortally with Christ.

The Natural Body and the Spiritual Body.

When Revelation 21:4 says “THERE IS NO MORE DEATH”, it doesn’t teach “Universalism” or “Universal Reconciliation”. (I’m sorry to say this to my fellows who are Universalists. But I’m open for that view and be convinced to it if I found out that it really has a valid Scriptural foundation). But rather it teaches that there is no more “MORTALITY” and “CORRUPTIBILITY” for “THE BELIEVERS”. Because of the gospel of Christ, believers are now “IMMORTAL” – “deathless”, possessing the God-given “IMMORTAL BODY”. This immortal body is a spiritual, immortal, incorruptible, glorious, powerful and heavenly body. It is in contrast with our “MORTAL BODY”, which is a natural [soulish], mortal, corruptible, dishonorable, weak and earthy body. (See 1 Cor. 15:38-50). Both bodies are “flesh” (1 Cor. 15:49). Yes, they are both flesh. Both are bodies.

The first one is “a mortal, soulish, corruptible body”. The “living soul”. The one that decays. The one that dies and returns to the “earth”. Why? Because this “SOUL” is made of “earth”. Naturally it will return to where it was. The nature of the “earthy body” is weak and corruptible.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The second body on the contrary is “an immortal, spiritual, incorruptible body”. Instead of being “a living soul” it is “a quickening spirit” or “life-giving spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45). The spiritual body is also “flesh” but it is a different kind of flesh. Why did God make different kinds of flesh? Paul the apostle said in 1 Corinthians 15:39-40

39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

“ALL FLESH IS NOT THE SAME FLESH”. There is the human flesh, the animal flesh, the fish flesh, and the birds flesh. They are all flesh, but different kinds of flesh. The bird-kind of flesh is a flesh that fits the air, a flesh that can fly in the air. The fish-kind of flesh on the other hand is a flesh that can live and breathe and swim in the water. It has lungs designed for water. Land animals and humans cannot live in water unless they have “lungs” (artificial lungs, oxygen). Humans cannot fly unless they have wings (riding on airplanes or use parachutes). Do you get what I mean? If there are creatures in other planets, surely they will not have “human flesh”. Why? Because human flesh cannot and don’t fit the life in those planets. Paul continues:

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Just like the different creatures having different kinds of flesh, that can fit their own environments, so also is the kind of flesh or body that believers have. The body that we have now, that we can see is “A SOULISH/NATURAL BODY”. It is not immortal and incorruptible because it is made of “the dust of the earth” which is weak in nature. That’s why, “IT RETURNS TO THE EARTH AS IT WAS”. This kind of body cannot fit “HEAVEN” or “THE KINGDOM OF GOD”.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

This kind of flesh or body [flesh and blood] cannot inherit the kingdom of God which is “SPIRITUAL” in nature.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

This kind of flesh/body cannot fit heaven. Therefore, in order to fit heaven and/or the kingdom of God, man must have a “FLESH” or “BODY” that “CAN FIT HEAVEN”.

If man must live in heaven, he cannot live there with the “NATURAL/SOULISH BODY”. The soul is downward. The spirit is upward. So man must have a flesh or body that is “HEAVENLY IN NATURE”. And what is that? It is “THE SPIRITUAL BODY”. A spiritual body or an immortal body can fit heaven and/or the kingdom of God because it is “HEAVENLY”. It came from heaven. If the “natural body” came from the earth, the “spiritual body” came from HEAVEN. It has the nature of heaven which is “ETERNAL”. The spirit of the believers is “immortal” because it is “the breath of God”. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says that as the dust [natural body] returns to the ground/earth where it came from, the spirit [spiritual body] returns to God [heaven] who gave it.

Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Isaiah 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

Isaiah 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

Ezekiel 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

This lake of fire would be “ON EARTH” and not in some place in the universe.

The Second death.

The lake of fire is called “THE SECOND DEATH”. If it is the second death? Then what is the first death? It is similar to the question about the new heavens and the new earth. If they are new heavens and earth, what are the “FIRST” heavens and earth? The answer is in Genesis 1:1. The first heaven and earth. If it is the “second” death, then there was the “first” death. What is/was that “first” death then?

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The “first” death is the death of Adam, the Adamic death or the Adam-kind of death. The very moment Adam disobeyed God, he died. The process of death began that day he ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. He didn’t die immediately but he began dying until his death in Genesis 5:5 “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.” It was a “NATURAL DEATH”. The “natural body” [dust] returned to the earth [ground] as it was (Genesis 2:7). Adam died. That’s the “first” death.

Revelation 20:

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Death and hell [death and the grave] delivered up the dead [carcasses of men, Isa. 66:24] which were in them. These dead bodies didn’t only die. Death was not the end of their punishment. They were judged and damned according to their works (Romans 2:8-9). And death and hell [grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the “second” death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Of course the ones cast into the lake of fire were “dead” bodies [carcasses]. They didn’t have an honourable burial. Their dead bodies would be stinking and decaying being eaten by worms and fired by fire (Isaiah 66:24). And they were abhorring to all flesh. Of course, how will you react if you smell stinking fried decaying dead bodies? This is Ge-henna (the Greek for the land/valley of Hinnom). That was an abominable place where the Israelite idolaters were sacrificing their sons and daughters to Molech [a false god]. That was a place of judgment. And later became a dumpsite, where dead bodies of rebels and abominable were cast and burned.

Jeremiah 7:32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.

Jeremiah 19:2 And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

Jeremiah 19:6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

Jeremiah 32:35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

The Valley of Hinnom/Gehenna.

The valley of Hinnom [Gehenna] was the “hell” that was always mentioned by Jesus Christ. The people to whom he was talking knew what was the hell he was talking about. It is not the fictitious “eternal torture” hell under the earth where the devil is the master and the chief warden where “souls” are being tormented in eternity. That is a “fake” hell. Jesus knew better than us. And the people to whom he was talking to k new better than us! Look at these verses:

Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of HELL fire.

Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into HELL.

Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into HELL.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in HELL.

Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to HELL: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into HELL fire.

Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of HELL than yourselves.

Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of HELL?

Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into HELL, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into HELL, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into HELL fire:

Hell [Gehenna/ Valley of Hinnom] was the place where those dead bodies [carcasses] of the wicked Jews would be cast and burned down. It is not a “spiritual” place somewhere in the universe. It WAS a “REAL” place of punishment on earth, particularly on Israel land. The land of Israel, particularly “Jerusalem and its temple” became “HELL” [Gehenna] when God judged Israel through the Roman armies. Remember the warnings of Jesus to Jewish leaders. They would never escape the “DAMNATION OF HELL”.

The Lake of Fire.

The lake of fire. John in Revelation was using “symbolic” language when talking about things. He used “figures” and “symbols” for “REAL” things such as “GEHENNA”. He said death and hell [personified as persons] were cast into the lake of fire [final hell].

1 Corinthians 15:54-56 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

Death is swallowed up in victory. Death and hell [grave, in 1 Cor. 15:55] were cast into the lake of fire. The law [the strength of sin], sin [the sting of death] and death were overcome by Christ through his cross and all his works. He finished the law, sin and death. Consider these verses: Matthew 5:17-18; Hebrews 9:26; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:25-26. No law, no sin, no death. They were finished.

When the Bible says that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, it means they [death and grave] were finished. Let us remember that “fire” consumes. FIRE symbolizes or represents the “WRATH” and “JUDGEMENT” of GOD.

Consider these verses:

Hebrews 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 10: 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2 Peter 3:12 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?

Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Revelation 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

Revelation 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

That’s why when the Bible says that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, it means that death and hell [grave] were “CONSUMED” by fire. Something that is consumed by fire will later be ashes. Then it is terminated.

Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

The Vengeance of Eternal Fire.

What about the worms that don’t die and the never-quenched fire? It doesn’t mean that in eternity that fire will exist and that those worms will live eternally. This was a language used for a continuous act until it stopped.

Look at this verse: Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

The Sodom and Gomorrha were suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Does it mean until now Sodom and Gomorrha are being burned? The Bible records show that they are not.

Look at Genesis 19:

24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:

28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

When the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah fire and brimstone and those cities were burned down and their smoke went up as the smoke of furnace, did he continually burn and burn those cities until now and for ever? Of course, he didn’t.

The expression: “the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night” (Revelation 14:11) must not be interpreted by the reader “literally” but with the language and cultural expressions of the writer. FOR EVER AND EVER here means “continues until its purpose is fulfilled”. When you burn a paper, it will never burn for eternity, but it will burn and continue to burn until it is consumed. What is your purpose in burning it? That it may be consumed. I hope you guys understand my point.

Revelation 21:8 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.

The lake of fire spoken in Revelation was a destination of those who disobeyed God. TO BE CONSUMED or DESTROYED.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, WHEN THE LORD JESUS SHALL BE REVEALED FROM HEAVEN with his mighty angels,

8 In FLAMING FIRE TAKING VENGEANCE on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be PUNISHED WITH EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

The context is in the first century and talking about the adulterous and perverse “Jewish nation”. Read Matthew 3:7-12

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee FROM THE WRATH TO COME?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall BAPTIZE YOU with the Holy Ghost, and WITH FIRE:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and GATHER HIS WHEAT INTO THE GARNER; BUT HE WILL BURN UP THE CHAFF WITH UNQUENCHABLE FIRE.

Remember this: “FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE” (Hebrews 12:29).

The Results of Christ’s Finished Work.

Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ from his incarnation, the cross, resurrection unto his second-time arrival on earth, man was completed and prepared for heaven. We believers receive the results of that finished work. Christ became flesh that we might be spirits. Christ did have a human nature (Hebrews 2:16) that we might be partakers of “the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Christ was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ was tempted in all points like as we are, but was without sin (Hebrews 4:15) in order that we become victorious in temptations. Christ died the death of the cross that we might live eternally. He destroyed the devil that had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14) and the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). The devil was the “sin”, the master that pays the wages (Romans 6:23). Christ overcame sin and/or the devil through his cross. He abolished the law of commandment, whereby is the “knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). He spoiled principalities and powers [the Jewish priesthood], the “accuser of the brethren” who accused men before God day and night (Revelation 12:10). The devil was the personification of sin and the Jewish priesthood under the law.

Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.