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TextsTexts• Rev. 21:10-11 (NIV):–“And he carried me away in the

Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”

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• Rev. 21:1 (KJV):–“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.”

• II Pet. 3:13:–“Nevertheless we, according to his

promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

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IntroductionIntroduction

• In our lesson today we will again focus on the eternal Heaven which will be on the New Earth, and its infinite possibilities.–I am intrigued and very excited

about this New Earth, the location of the eternal Heaven, where God's people will live forever.

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• As we have been learning, the New Jerusalem will be the ultimate capital city of the New Earth.–It will have God's eternal

presence.

–Furthermore, God's people will live in it forever.

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More on the New JerusalemMore on the New Jerusalem

• Finis J. Dake gives a description of the New Jerusalem that fits my concept of the City, writing:–“… the city is a series of mountain

peaks, beginning inside the walls as low foothills and increasing in height until the highest peak is 1500 miles high…

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–On the highest part is built the heavenly tabernacle or capital building where God sits as the Supreme Moral Governor of the Universe. It was after the patterns of this tabernacle that Moses made his earthly tabernacle (Heb. 8:5; 9:23). On the mountains and in the valleys are built the many mansions of John 14:1-3. . .

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–“. . . There are living fountains of waters springing up through the city and rivers of water, clear as crystal. . . The floor of the throne room itself is like a sea of glass, clear as crystal, and of unknown dimensions, but it is very large or it could not contain upon it at one time the innumerable company of tribulation saints, as pictured in Rev. 7:9-17; 15:2-4. . .

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–“. . . There is an immense banquet hall where the marriage supper of the Lamb and other large banquets will be held throughout eternity.”

• Using the city of London, England as an example of population density, it has been computed that the New Jerusalem alone could easily house over 60 billion people!

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• We have been learning about the eternal Heaven being an actual material locale, the New Earth.–There will be many things in our

eternal Heaven that we will be familiar with from their (corrupt) counterparts in this present Earth.

–The difference is, that in heaven, these things will be pure, and free from the curse of sin.

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• Among the things that Scripture teaches do exist in heaven there are: –cities in Heaven: (Rev. 21), –mansions or dwelling places

(John 14:1-3), –trees (including palm leaves, so

there must be palm trees and olive trees (see: Rev. 22:1-3; Rev. 7:9 and Rev. 11:4),

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–rivers and fountains of water (Rev. 22:1-3; 7:17),

–food (Exod. 16:4; Psa. 78:25; 105:40; John 6:31-51; Luke 22:16,18,30; Rev. 2:7,17; 19:1-10; 22:1-3),

–banquets (Rev. 19:7-10; Luke 22:30),

–animals (II Kings 2:11-12; 6:13-17; Zech. 1:8-11; 6:1-8; Rev. 19:11-14, 21; Rom. 1:20),

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–furniture (Isa. 6:1; Dan. 7:9; Heb. 8:5; 9:23; Rev. 4:2,4; 6:17),

–altars (Isa. 6:6; 6:9-11; 8:5),

–fire and coals ( Isa. 6:6; Rev. 8:5),

–Musical instruments (Rev. 5:8; 14:1-5; 15:2-4),

–clothes (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 1:13; 6:9-11),

–books (Rev. 3:5; 5:1-7; 10:1-11; 20:11-15),

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–vials or bowls (Rev. 5:8; 8:3; 15:7; 16:1),

–crowns (Rev. 4:4; 14:14; 19:12), –treasures (Matt. 6:20; 19:21),

–rainbows, thunderings, lightnings, clouds (Rev. 3-8; 10:1-7),

–lamps (Rev. 4:5),

–a sea of glass (Rev. 4:6; 15:2-4), –singing and worship (Rev.4:9-11;

5:9;7:9-17; 14:1-5; 15:2-4 19:1-10)

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–a temple (Rev. 7:15; 11:19; 14:17; 16:17),

–hail (Rev. 8:7; 16:17-21; Ezek. 38:17-21),

–mountains (Zech. 6:1; 8:8; 14:1; Heb.

12:23), –the Ark of the testament (Rev.

11:19),

–pearls, diamonds, and other precious stones, as well as gold in abundance (Rev. 4:3, 4; 8:3; 15:7;

21:12-21),

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–streets (Rev. 21:21; 22:1-3),

–fruits (Rev. 22:1-3),

• And many other: –innumerable things (Rom. 1:20; 1

Cor. 2:9; 2 Cor. 12:4).

• All of these things we are familiar with in their corrupted versions in the present earth.

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• Since the things in earth are patterned after the invisible things in Heaven as Paul taught in Rom. 1:20, it is presumed that there are in Heaven the original and better things of the sort that we have on earth.–This would include any good thing

that God created and intended for men to have before the fall.

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More on the New EarthMore on the New Earth• If we believe what is plainly

written in the Bible concerning eternal things on this Earth, we can learn a great deal about the world to come. –God has spoken in scores of

passages concerning the eternal conditions on the New Earth.

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• The land masses will be remade. Rev. 21:1 says: –“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.”

• This does not mean that there will be no more water on the Earth after it is renovated.

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• Take the New Jerusalem alone.–For one thing, the river of the

water of life will flow down from 1,500 miles high, from the throne of God, to the base of the city and on into the New Earth.

–In addition there will be an abundance of living fountains of waters throughout the new Earth.

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• This is clear from other passages, already noted, which speak of the particular river of the waters of life and fountains of waters.–Rev. 21:1 merely tells us that a

great change will take place in the size, and the placement, of Earth’s large oceans as we currently know them.

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• When the Earth was originally formed, evidently the land mass was quite different.–It is theorized that the oceans

grew to their current size as a result of the Flood of Satan, and also as a result of the Flood in Noah’s day.

• Many scientists believe that there was originally one land mass.

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• In original Earth, one huge land mass, with much smaller oceans may have existed.–Later, this one land mass broke

apart and formed the continents as we presently know them.

• The manner in which the current continents can be fitted together suggests that this theory has much to recommend it.

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• After the floods, the majority of the earth has been covered with water.–Approximately 70 to 75% of the

Earth’s surface is currently covered by water.

–Apparently, in the New Earth this percentage of water coverage will be greatly reduced.

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• The large oceans currently covering most of the Earth will be no more, because the waters will evaporate as a result of the "fervent heat" as the Earth is renovated. –This evaporation could mean that

millions of square miles of land would be reclaimed and made habitable for coming generations of natural people.

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• There will be an abundance of rivers, lakes, and small seas on the Earth forever as proved by the following verses, which show that Seas and isles are definitely mentioned in the eternal reign of the Messiah (Psa. 72:8-10, 17; 97:1-6; Isa. 42:4, 10-12; 66:19-21; Zech. 9:10; Ezek. 47:1-23).

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–Rivers are also mentioned (Ezek. 47:1-12, 18-20; Zech. 9:10; 14:8; Rev. 22:1-3).

• Some seas were created when the original Earth was created.–These were intended to be

eternal, and thus, will last as long as Israel, the sun, moon, and the Earth itself (Jer. 5:22; Acts 4:24; Rev. 14:7, etc.).

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• An abundance of water on the Earth will also be necessary to fulfill prophecies which foretell fruitful seasons and waters springing up in the desert (Gen. 8:22; Isa. 35; Amos 5:8; 9:6; Job 38:4-16, etc.).

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The New Peoples & New Earth

The New Peoples & New Earth

• The redeemed saints will already have been with God for at least 1,000 years (or more, depending on when they died).–After Earth’s renovation, God will

then come down to live on the New Earth with men (Rev. 21:3).

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• Our Lord Jesus Christ, the angels, the redeemed glorified saints, seraphim, cherubim, and other heavenly citizens will inhabit the New Jerusalem city. –Earthly and natural people will not

live in the city of New Jerusalem.

–They will traffic in the city, coming and going, but not live in it.

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• Rev. 21:24-27 talks about the natural people of the nations who live through the Millennium, and who do not rebel with Satan against God at the end of the Millennium.–These natural peoples will be

permitted to live on the New Earth to plant, harvest, build, multiply and replenish it forever.

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• They will repopulate the Earth and live eternally as Adam and Eve would have, had they not sinned.–Instead of becoming a glorified

people, they will remain in a natural, but imperishable state as God intended when He created Adam and Eve.

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• These natural peoples will traffic in the New Jerusalem and walk in its light and their kings will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it forever.–Many of the things we do in our

present corrupt life will be present in a pure form, minus the curse of sin in our eternal life in the New Jerusalem and the New Earth.

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• Let me illustrate my last statement with the fact that we will eat various foods and drink various things in Heaven.–The Bible teaches that even

glorified saints will eat in the next life. (Rev. 2:7, 17; 19:1-10; 22:2; Psa. 78:25; Luke 22:15-18, 28-30).

We Will Eat & Drink In Heaven

We Will Eat & Drink In Heaven

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• Foods we know about include: the 12 fruits of "the tree of life," "the hidden manna," "the fruit of the vine" "the Passover" lamb, and bread and fish (eaten by Jesus after His glorification).–We will "eat and drink" at Christ's

table in His kingdom and enjoy foods that we have probably never tasted in this world.

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• God created our taste buds so that we would have the capacity to enjoy different flavors of food.–Our resurrected bodies will have

resurrected taste buds!–We can trust that the food we will

eat on the New Earth, some of it familiar, and some of it completely new, will taste better than anything we have ever eaten.

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• Food isn’t just functional. –We could, after all, get

nourishment by mixing everything together in a blender with no regard to color or texture or taste.

• Food is also for our enjoyment.–The aroma, taste, preparation,

presentation and variation of foods provide both nourishment and pleasure.

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• The Tree of Life will yield twelve kinds of fruit and the leaves of the trees will be for the healing of the natural peoples of the earth throughout all the eternal generations to come. –Aside from this, there will be an

abundance of fruit from the other different fruit trees throughout the Earth (Ezek. 47:1-12).

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• Isa. 25:6 (NIV) speaks of the great feast God will provide for all nations that are left after the battle of Armageddon and the judgment of the (wicked) nations:–“On this mountain the LORD

Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines.”

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• Isa. 25:6 (Amp. Bible) renders this verse:–“And on this Mount [Zion] shall

the Lord of hosts make for all peoples a feast of rich things [symbolic of His coronation festival inaugurating the reign of the Lord on earth, in the wake of a background of gloom, judgment, and terror], . . .

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–“. . . a feast of wines on the lees--of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.”

• Since there will be no sin in Heaven, evidently our resurrected bodies will be able to ingest wine without becoming intoxicated.–The same could apply with a

number of other drinks and foods.

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• Take for example coffee; will there be coffee in Heaven?–I sure hope so for my mom and

dad’s sake!• I use this to illustrate how we may

expect some familiar things in the eternal Heaven.–If we do have coffee in Heaven,

we want be concerned about the harmful effects of caffeine.

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• Consider the facts: –God made coffee. –Coffee grows on Earth, which

God made for mankind, put under man’s management, and filled with resources for mankind’s use.

• When God evaluated His original creation, He deemed coffee trees (along with everything else) to be “very good” (Gen. 1:31).

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• Many people throughout history in this fallen world have enjoyed coffee – even in a fallen world where neither coffee nor our taste buds are at their best.

• I Tim. 6:17b (NIV) tells us that God: –“. . . richly provides us with

everything for our enjoyment.”–“Everything” may include coffee.

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• In I Tim. 4:4-5, Paul also said:–“For everything God created is

good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”

• Considering these verses, and realizing that caffeine addiction, nor anything else unhealthy, will exist in Heaven . . .

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• . . . can you think of any persuasive reason why coffee trees and coffee drinking wouldn’t be part of the resurrected Earth?–Or, if you aren’t a coffee drinker,

you could substitute tea (particularly iced tea here in the South).

• I can’t see the New Earth having fewer resources than this one.

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• I know we will drink water (Rev. 21:6) and the finest aged wines (Isa. 25:6) and since we will eat from fruit trees (Rev. 22:2), it is reasonable to suppose we will have fruit juice also.–So, along with drinking these

things, might we not also drink coffee or tea?

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• Some of us, for health reasons here, can only drink decaffeinated coffee now.–But in Heaven, aside from

personal preference, the only compelling reason for not having coffee would be if coffee were sinful or harmful.

–But sin and harm won’t exist there, so this isn’t an issue.

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• Similarly, those who for reasons of allergies, weight problems or addictions cannot eat peanuts, chocolate, seafood, or countless other foods and drinks, can look forward to enjoying these things in Heaven.–We will be free from sin, death,

sickness and addiction in Heaven.

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• That means we will enjoy MORE pleasures in Heaven, not less.–Adverse health effects simply

won’t exist.

–I am looking forward to that!

–No more heart, diabetic or kidney related diets!

–No more weight problems or sickness of any kind!

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In ClosingIn Closing

• We have never eaten food in a world untouched by the Curse.–Man’s palate and taste buds were

corrupted after the Fall.

–I doubt if the best thing we have ever eaten will be anywhere near what food will be like in Heaven.

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• If it seems trivial or unspiritual to anticipate such things, remember that it is God who promises that on the New Earth we will enjoy feasts consisting of the finest foods and drinks.–And to top it all off, our heavenly

Father Himself will be the “chef”, and will prepare these fine foods and drinks for us! (Isa. 25:6)

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• I am going to end this here, and we will continue to look at life in the eternal Heaven (the New Jerusalem and New Earth) in our next lesson.

End of Lesson