Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
Revelation 21:1 (NCV)
One of the features of going on holiday is choosing the destination for your holiday. Do you go to a resort with a beach, a city, old or modern sites, to list just a few of the criteria? One of the things you hope to find in the brochure are photographs to help see the places you intend to go and help you make your decision.
Yesterday I mentioned the Apostle John described being taken into heaven, where you can gain some valuable information about heaven. I confess some of the information is not as clear as I would like, but there is lots of information to help us.
The first page in the heavenly brochure is – heaven is real followed by Everything Will Be New. This is not an old city with cobbled stones or old materials, this is a brand new place – a five-star apartment never been used, streets, rivers and trees and materials of the finest quality.
Napoleon, the emperor of France in the early 1800s, gave his empress a set of tableware made from a rare and costly metal in the world of his day. Today that metal is used to make pots, pans, and aeroplanes. That metal is aluminium. Likewise, gold will be abundant in the new heaven (Holy City). God will pave the streets with it.
Planet Earth is, at the very least, thousands of years old. Some think it may be millions or billions of years old. We would all agree it is showing signs of age. It is getting frayed and worn out. We know how our planet is constantly being polluted and poisoned, and yes sadly much of the damage has been deliberately and selfishly inflicted by man. Albeit we know that some of the marks of deterioration to our planet are due to the wear and tear of age. Planet Earth was not created to last forever! In contrast, your heavenly home is going to last forever and be brand-new. Not just restored, but created fresh.
Consider
- Are you feeling like planet earth worn out, neglected and trying to cope with the present crisis just too much. Is it affecting your, emotions? Personality? Relationships?
- One day there will never again be viruses, lockdown or social distancing, everything including your heart, mind, emotions and memories, past, present, and future all will be made new.
Don’t you want to go and book a place there? You can be guaranteed to have your five-star brand new apartment waiting for you. The deposit is putting your faith in Jesus Christ who paid the full price for you to go there by taking your sin upon a cross. When you ask Jesus to forgive your sin and make a decision to follow Him you are given a brand new start.
If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NCV)
Hope to see you there, look out for me for I am coming too!!