“Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:5
Life in the new heaven and new earth will not be less than the life you have now. It will be more!
The word “new” can be used in two ways. The first is to say, “I’m moving to a new house.” You are in a different place, and there is no continuity between your old house and your new house. The second is to decide to renovate your house. It’s an old house and it needs everything redone. So you do a total rehab, and when you are done you say, “Everything is new!” And that is exactly what God says (21:5).
Here is the great promise: When God has removed sin and all its effects from his people, he will then remove all the effects of sin from his creation so that the new earth will become a fit place for God’s children to share a life of unclouded joy.
Think about the joys of life in this fallen world: the joys of music, sports, the arts, science, technology, travel, food, and friendship. None of that will be less. All of it will be more, as you enjoy life in the resurrection body on the new earth. All that God has made is good, and when he redeems it, he will make it better than it was before.
John Macarthur says, “God will remake the heavens and the earth, merging his heaven with this earth in a perfect dwelling place that will be our home forever.” That is why we can speak of heaven when we talk about the new heaven and new earth, because heaven will fill the earth.
How does the promise of a “new” heaven and “new” earth affect the way you think about the world around you?
