Part 5 - A New Beginning

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called A Brief Summary of the Plan of God.

After the final (Great White Throne) judgment, God will create a “new heavens and a new earth” – a new universe (Revelation 21.1-4). We do not know what it will be like or how it will be different from our present universe with regard to its physical laws or properties. We do know it will be wonderful beyond comprehension.

  • Death will have vanished!
  • Sun and moon will not exist as sources of light. God’s glory will light the earth.
  • The new Jerusalem will descend from heaven and reside upon the earth. It will be immense, measuring 1,500 miles in each dimension.
  • The Temple will be gone since reality will have entirely replaced symbol. Rather than the Temple, which was a pattern of the throne complex of God, the very throne room of God will be moved to earth.
  • The Tree of Life, unseen since Eden, will reappear.
  • God will have become fully victorious and the possibility of sin or evil will have ceased.

All who have loved and trusted Christ will begin a new adventure of love, righteousness, and peace. All will love and adore God from a free and willing heart. John here in Revelation 4 and 5 provides us a picture of a heavenly scene that gives us some indication of the glory of heavenly worship:

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying,

“Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4.4-11)

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,

“Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

And the four beasts said, “Amen.”

And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever (Revelation 5.11-14).

God’s eternal plan ends as all good stories end. And they lived happily ever after….

This is the Endof the eternal Beginningand the Beginning of that which Has No End.

- The Series above is derived and minimally adapted from Don Samdahl with (emphasis) added for clarity -

https://doctrine.org/summary-of-the-plan-of-god

©1998 Don Samdahl. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold.

Updated Thursday, July 21, 2016

COMMENT Added from Owen Hughes:

Very interesting and encouraging for the Jews...... This must be the fulfilment and establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth!

every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them” (Rev. 5:13) will gather together to worship God Almighty and the Lamb at this celebration of the establishment of God’s Kingdom.

As stated, “And every creature which is in heaven” …. This will be us the regenerated, with Christ within, having bodies like unto Christ’s glorious body fitted for ‘the heavenlies.’ We will visit earth for this great celebration, returning to heaven to rule and reign with the Son.

Earth is not our future, the New Jerusalem is Jewish in essence having Almighty God (we know as ‘Father’), having the Lamb (we know a ‘the Son’). The 12 gates are named after the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 foundations are named after the 12 disciples. Entrance is only for those with the Lamb’s book of life (Rev.21:27), we have the book of life (Rev.20:15). The book of Revelation is Prophesy (Rev.1:3), we are of the Mystery (Col.1:26,27).