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General questions
Question:
1. Is the millennium the new heaven and the new earth?
Answer:
The prophet Isaiah writes the following about the new heavens and the new earth:
Isaiah 65:17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 65:18: But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isaiah 65:19: And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
Isaiah 65:20: There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
We read in verse 20 that people still die during the new heavens and the new earth. However, in the book of Revelation according to the prophet John, this is not possible according to the Bible texts below:
Revelation 21:1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Revelation 21:2: And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Revelation 21:4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
According to verse 4, death will no longer be there. So when Isaiah prophesies about the new heavens and the new earth he is talking about the millennial kingdom of peace.
So this is not the same as the new heaven and new earth according to the book of Revelation. We can know this because in verse 1 it says that on the new earth the sea will no longer be there,
while the prophet Ezekiel prophesies the following about the new temple during the millennial kingdom:
Ezekiel 47:8: Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
Ezekiel 47:9: And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
Ezekiel 47:10: And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
So the sea is still present during the millennial kingdom of peace. And the sea is also mentioned at the borders of the land:
Ezekiel 47:15: And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;
Ezekiel 47:19: And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.
Ezekiel 47:20: The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.
So we conclude that when the Old Testament prophets prophesied about the new heaven and new earth, they were prophesying about the millennial kingdom of peace.
However, the prophet John of the book of Revelation in the New Testament talks about the new heaven and new earth after the millennial kingdom of peace where there will be no more death and sea.
After the millennial kingdom of peace, the final judgment takes place according to Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 to 15. Let's take a look at the Bible texts:
Revelation 20:11: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation 20:14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
In verse 15 we read that if anyone is not inscribed in the book of life he will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity, the second death.
So the people who are admitted to the new heaven and new earth are only those who are inscribed in the book of life.
However, we read in Revelation chapters 21 and 22 that there are still Gentile nations present, according to the Bible texts below:
Revelation 21:24: And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Revelation 21:25: And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Revelation 21:26: And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Revelation 21:27: And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 22:02: In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Revelation 22:15: For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
So we come to the conclusion that during the new heaven and new earth there are still Gentile nations present, whose names are written down in the book of life.
So this means that Revelation chapters 21 and 22 are a picture of the condition after the millennial kingdom during the new heaven and new earth.
Perfectly logical and chronological. This also explains the Bible text below in chapter 22 that we will reign even after the millennial kingdom of peace for eternity.
Revelation 22:5: And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
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