PETER, in his second epistle. (chapter 3) speaking of "the day of the Lord," says: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; here we have the suddenness of its approach. He then goes on to say, in which,” (not at its first approach, but) "in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.... Nevertheless we, according to His promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
This promise we find in Isa. 66:22: "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." Its connection here is with the permanent blessing of an earthly people, even Israel.
The more complete unfolding of this subject is found in Rev. 20 and 21, where the order of things is very distinctly marked.
1. We have the millennium, or thousand years' reign and Satan being bound during the whole of that period. The Church reigns "with Christ." The laws and the nations are ruled over.
2. At the end of the thousand years, we find Satan loosed and, as if to prove that a long period of punishment does not make a sinful being better, he comes forth with more hatred and revenge than ever. In mad fury he gathers together the nations from the four quarters of the earth in open revolt against God, and judgment falls upon them.
3. The devil is now cast into the lake of fire, to be "tormented day and night forever and ever.”
4. The great white throne is now set. The Lord Jesus, as the "Judge of all," sits upon it. It is at this period of the day of the Lord that the heavens and the earth "flee away," or, to use the words of the Apostle Peter, "pass away," and are "dissolved." The dead are judged, and "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
5. All evil being now cleared away forever, God introduces the eternal state of blessedness. "Behold, I make all things new.”
"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. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 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 arc passed away." Rev. 21:1-41And 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. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And 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. 4And 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. (Revelation 21:1‑4).
W. C. B.