Impossibilities
Jesus said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" —Matthew 24:35.
For anyone who has been around Christian circles long enough, the idea that one day this old earth will be remade is nothing unusual. Creation groans for its complete restoration. We look forward to the absence of everything evil in that new world over which Christ alone will reign supreme.
But personally, I don't think too often about heaven being remade. Revelation speaks about that event when John notes: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…" (Revelation 21:1). At first glance I figure that this new heaven will be the one where Satan no longer has access to come before God and accuse the brethren as he did in Job's case. But, that's another theme.
The point here is that both this present heaven and earth will disappear, but what God has said will never change. Unlike heaven and earth, it will never have to be revised, redeemed or revisited. It's as it should be.
Though everything around me, including heaven, should crumble, I can count on God's Word to remain intact. It will never change anymore than God Himself will change. It makes sense, then, to cling to what cannot be moved or removed—that solid Rock of eternal truth—in a universe of shifting sand.
For anyone who has been around Christian circles long enough, the idea that one day this old earth will be remade is nothing unusual. Creation groans for its complete restoration. We look forward to the absence of everything evil in that new world over which Christ alone will reign supreme.
But personally, I don't think too often about heaven being remade. Revelation speaks about that event when John notes: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…" (Revelation 21:1). At first glance I figure that this new heaven will be the one where Satan no longer has access to come before God and accuse the brethren as he did in Job's case. But, that's another theme.
The point here is that both this present heaven and earth will disappear, but what God has said will never change. Unlike heaven and earth, it will never have to be revised, redeemed or revisited. It's as it should be.
Though everything around me, including heaven, should crumble, I can count on God's Word to remain intact. It will never change anymore than God Himself will change. It makes sense, then, to cling to what cannot be moved or removed—that solid Rock of eternal truth—in a universe of shifting sand.
You're right, Lynda. I NEVER thought about the new heaven required the removal of the "old" one. Wow. But God will never change - or His Word. That makes it so much more poignant.
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