Jehovah promised through Isaiah, near the close of his great book, the following: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isa 65:17 KJV). The Lord then had Isaiah to repeat this prophecy: “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain” (Isa 66:22 KJV). The same terminology also appears twice in the New Testament (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1).

Isaiah’s prophecy is declaring that the coming of the Messiah would introduce a new spiritual and moral order or arrangement. Paul speaks of this new order: “that in the dispensation (arrangement) of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth– in Him” (Eph 1:10 NKJ). Isaiah’s new heavens and new earth are the new arrangement to which Paul refers, and before which all old dispensations must pass away. The entire system of Judaism, » Continue reading “What is the New Heavens and New Earth?”

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. –Rev 20:11-15 NAS

Having shown how God would bring the church through her trials and persecutions, John then turns to show that at the final judgment the Lord’s people will be ushered into heaven where they » Continue reading “What is the Great White Throne of Judgment?”