All Things New

"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." (Revelation 21: 5)

New things are coming, according to this glorious prophecy of the risen Christ. Christians have a glorious future! They are heirs of a "new world." Who will be the inhabitants and citizens of this new world? What will be "new" about the future, from the Christian perspective?

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (II Corinthians 5: 17)

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby..." (I Peter 2: 2)

"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7: 6)

According to these texts, Christians have already experienced this "renewing" and re-creation. By their having been "born again," or "born from above," they have been newly born, born of the Spirit. They have "new life" in Christ. They, by this birth, become entitled to citizenship in the "world to come." By it they live each day in "newness of spirit." Every day is exciting and fresh for the believer in Jesus; yet, only in a limited way now, but supernally in the "ages to come."

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3: 13)

The present heavens and earth, though lovely and beautiful now, are not as they are yet destined to be. Eden is lost. The earth has grown old. It is like a decrepid old man. Sin has not only wrecked the constitution of its inhabitants, but also his dwelling place.

"I will bring it (the curse) forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof." (Zechariah 5: 4)

Man's sin brought ruin to the whole planet, to the animals and to the vegetation. The heavens are now polluted and the land is cursed. It was all "made subject to vanity" by the sin of its tenant. (Romans 8: 20) Sin destroys both the sinner and all that pertains to him. His dwellingplace is now in a delapidated state, in foreclosure status, but the glorious promise is that it will all be made new!

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." (Revelation 2: 17)

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." (3: 12)

As newly appointed citizens and heirs of this glorious new world to come, new names and titles will be given. There will be a new capital where the king in all his glory will sit and reign upon his throne, in the New Jerusalem, the eternal city of peace, the center of New Eden.

Christians are able to say - "But our citizenship is in heaven." (Philippians 3: 20) Friend, can you say this? Have you been newly born of the Holy Spirit, the thing that gives you "the right to become the sons of God"? (John 1: 12,13) Then, you must sincerely come to Jesus, believe in him and receive his word and Spirit. Come to him today, today hear his voice.