Revelations 21 – 22
Verse 21:1 opens with a major change:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Then end of Revelations is confusing since it is not clear on if we are in “renewed” bodies or if we are solely spirit beings at this point.What got me in this first verse was talking about the “first heaven and the first earth” are mentioned. Earth is to be freshened up I understand, but what about the “first heaven”. This is the only place in the ESV this is mentioned and 2 Corinthians 12:2 is the only place the “third heaven” is mentioned. The “second heaven” is not mentioned at all. I searched other versions where this is consistent, but interestingly many omit these two references altogether.
The three heavens are described by many as three unique places. The first is earth, the second is space and the third is where God dwells. But since God is omnipresent one could argue He “dwells” everywhere and therefore is in all three. What has made sense to me is the first heaven is our physical world. We as body, spirit and soul beings live in this world. The second heaven where there is no mention anywhere is the veil between the spirit world and God. What goes on here is not explained in the canonized Bible, but is explained other places. It appears this is where the demons and spirit beings dwell and move. People have said one can “astral project” in this realm and contacts “spirits”. Unfortunately this “spirits” are usually just demons who have observed a person’s life and can tell you what they did.
The third heaven is the layer with God. Now since God is omnipresent I believe this is not a location but is everywhere also. It’s like quantum physics where you can energized into different orbits around a nucleus. Each is the same but different and we exist in all three also. The problem is we cannot get to the third unless God “excites” us to that state.
Verse 21:4 shows God refreshing the world:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.“
The next verse God says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Then it describes a beautiful New Jerusalem which is beyond comprehension when you look at the details. My question is will this be a place for our physical bodies or our “spirit” bodies? Will we be “renewed” without defects or flaws? Are the bodies refreshed from the dead? What about the cremated or ones who naturally turned to dust? This is where I stop worrying about it and am excited to see the end.
Verses 22:8 – 9 are another warning to not worship other God’s, even His angels:
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
As the “End Times” draw near, we need to be on guard on who we “worship”. Here John falls and worships one of God’s angels and this angels has him stand to recognize they are both workers for the only God. We need to be on guard for the anti-Christ whom many will believe is Jesus returned. He will not be a Hitler or an Osama bin Laden, but one everyone can warm up to. The “New World Order” will be orchestrated by Him with little resistance. We must be aware of the signs and prayerful to the only uncreated one, Jehovah God.
In the end as you see we win and everything is beautiful. Our “sin natures” are gone and we can hang out with Jesus for eternity. How cool is that? We have a little inconvenience today for an eternity of joy tomorrow. The key is are we going to hide in our bunkers with our food supplies or suffer while we go out save as many as we can? If you are in the “hunker down” mode, make plenty of space, don’t hog it all. Otherwise make joy for others who do not know the salvation waiting for them through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.