When Heaven Comes to Earth: Trying to Fathom the Glory of Heaven

Today's episode of A New Beginning is brought to you by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God.

Learn more at harvest.org. And while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith. No more famines, no disasters. God makes all things new. It's a challenge to think about the glory of heaven when we're confined to the stark realities of life on earth. Life here just can't compare with life in the hereafter. But today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how earth has a role in our eternity. Pastor Greg explains just what happens when the fullness of God's end times plan unfolds.

It's part of an enlightening series on those things every single believer should know, a series called Essentials. Now you've heard the expression man who is like heaven on earth. You maybe even used it. Maybe after a fantastic meal or an amazing sunset or arriving at Disneyland. Probably not. That's probably more for the kids, right?

I think the happiest time for a kid at Disneyland is when they arrive and the happiest time for an adult at Disneyland is when you leave. Am I right? Oh let's go. Let's go now. But we use that expression to describe sort of the best of something. A pinnacle.

A great moment. And we wish that time we were having it was that ultimate vacation or that fantastic experience could last forever. But of course they don't. But one day there literally is going to be heaven on earth because there is a new world coming. Not just up in heaven but when heaven comes to earth. Now we tend to think of heaven as some faraway place and earth is a place that we're on now and we will leave never to see again.

But here's the good news. We're going to come back to this earth again. God still has a plan for planet earth.

So there will be heaven on earth one day. And by the way it's just not a sequel but a remake. Sometimes they'll make a great movie and it's very popular until they'll do you know a sequel. And then if it's very successful they'll do prequels right. Remember there was Star Wars and then there was the Empire Strikes Back and those became very popular.

And then later Lucas came back and did the prequels to the Star Wars films which I didn't like at all. But you know and then if a movie is really popular it'll be re-released and maybe they'll go back and digitally restore it and put it on blu-ray or whatever. And so you can see it in its original condition. But I want you to understand that this is not merely a restoration.

This is a full remake. Yet there is a connection to the old. So let's try to figure this out. Look at Revelation 21. We're reading verses one to six. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea that I John saw the holy city new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men he will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes there'll be no more death nor sorrow nor crying there'll be no more pain for the former things have passed away and he who sat on the throne said behold I make all things new and he said to me write for these words are true and faithful and he said to me it is done I'm the alpha and the omega I am the beginning and the end and I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to he who thirsts. So we'll stop there.

Look at verse five again. Behold I make all things new and the new world that is coming it's out with the old and in with the new. There will be no more terminal diseases. No more hospitals. No more wheelchairs. No more funerals. No suffering. No separations. No accidents. No courts or prisons or divorces or breakdowns or breakups. No suicide. No rape.

No missing children. No drug problems. No more heart attacks. No strokes. No Alzheimer's. No cancer. No more famines.

No disasters. God makes all things new. I think we all like to get new versions of something. I mean all the fan boys out there who love Apple products will stand in line to get the latest whatever it is that Apple is offering. We're excited about the newest version. We always want to have the latest thing or it can even be the new season of your favorite tv show. Oh it's coming on.

I can hardly wait to see it. Even that new car. How about the new car smell?

Don't you love that? I was with a friend the other day. The brand new car took me out for a spin. This car just had the new car smell. So I left a burrito in it. I haven't told him yet. He's going to know this very soon.

No I didn't do that but it'd be interesting. But that's why advertisers will often say new and improved on a product. Now the only thing that may be new and improved is actually the packaging or the color. Or maybe they added one ingredient so they could technically say new and improved. But they do that because they know we're drawn to the newest version. We love new. Well listen God loves new too. But in God's case this is not false advertising.

This is the real thing. What started in Genesis is brought to completion in the book of Revelation. Everything is coming full circle.

C.S. Lewis said and I quote every taste of the shadow lands was but the stab, the pang, the inconsolable longing for this place end quote. Lewis would refer to life on earth as the shadow lands.

So he's saying everything has been building to this moment. Chuck Swindoll wrote an outstanding commentary in the book of Revelation and he noted the following. Ten things missing from the new heaven and the new earth.

Number one there's no more sea. Revelation 21 one. That's because chaos and calamity will be eradicated.

There's no more tears because now we have perspective. Revelation 21 four. There's no more death because mortality will be swallowed up by life. Verse four of Revelation 21. No more mourning because sorrow will be completely comforted. Verse four of 21. No more pain because all human suffering will be cured. Verse four. No more thirst because God will quench and satisfy all desires. Revelation 21 six. No more wickedness because all evil will be eradicated. Revelation 21 eight and 27. No more night because God's glory will give eternal light. That's in Revelation 21. No more closed gates because God's doors will always be open. Revelation 21 25 and finally no more curse because Christ's blood has lifted that curse because Jesus is making all things new.

Now listen to this. This is already as far as God is concerned a completely done deal. Now you might be saying well Greg no it isn't a done deal.

Do you live in the same world that I live in with all the chaos right now? Yes I do but understand God lives in the eternal realm and so in verse six he says it is done. It is done. Even though it isn't done in our life yet in reality yet as far as God is concerned it's done because the term that is used here speaks of finality. Literally they have become past tense meaning that God is speaking of the future as if it were already in the past and that's because God living in the eternal realm will tell us what's going to happen and if he tells us this is going to happen it's not like God is going out on a limb because he can see it with absolute clarity and he is simply describing reality to us.

So when he says it will happen it will happen. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Emails, letters, and phone calls let us know that you're gaining benefit from Pastor Greg's teaching.

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1-866-871-1144. Well today Pastor Greg is bringing insights on the end times. We're learning of the new heaven and earth as a part of God's plan for eternity.

And to hear any part of the message you may miss go online to harvest.org. Now in this series we've been looking at last day's events and I think sometimes people can't see the forest for the trees when you talk about eschatology or the end times. We get confused like when does the rapture happen? When does the second coming happen?

Where does the millennium fit in? So let me just do a quick flyover and bring us to where we are at this particular moment. As far as I'm concerned the next event on the prophetic calendar will most likely be the rapture of the church.

Okay. That's when we're caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then I think really on the heels of the rapture we have Antichrist who we've already talked about. That coming world leader also called the beast emerging on the scene. That effectively inaugurates a seven-year period that is called the great tribulation. That interestingly does not begin with war but it begins with peace. Because Antichrist uses peace as a ruse to deceive people.

The Bible says through peace he will deceive many. In that tribulation period we'll have the rebuilding of the Jewish temple that needs to be desecrated. So the third temple will be rebuilt and that will be called the abomination of desolation. We have wars breaking out culminating in Armageddon and then there is a second coming of Jesus Christ. So that is sort of the big prophetic picture.

So here is how it works for us. When a believer dies they go straight to heaven. Because the Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Paul talked about how he had a desire to depart and be with Christ which was far better. But we haven't received our new body yet. See your body goes into the ground when you die. But your soul goes into God's presence. But then in the bodily resurrection which happens at the time of the rapture that is when those who have died will receive their new bodies. They have been in heaven but they will receive their new glorified bodies at that point. And those who are alive will not die at all. They get to skip death which is very cool and go straight to heaven. Now will we be that generation?

I don't know. I hope so. We could be but we will see. But one way or another here is the good news. You are getting to heaven okay if you have put your faith in Christ. That is all that really matters when it is said and done. Now we are in heaven.

Okay. The tribulation is happening on planet earth. Sometime after the rapture and before the second coming in heaven we as Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. This is not the great white throne judgment. That is the big one for nonbelievers. It happens later. This is the judgment seat of Christ.

Don't be freaked out by that. Because this isn't a judgment as to whether or not you get into heaven. In fact it is. You are in heaven for the judgment. Think of it as an award ceremony.

All right. And that is when rewards will be given out for faithful service to the Lord. And the Bible talks about the crown of life that will be given and the crown of righteousness and other rewards. And so then we are going to have the wedding supper of the Lamb somewhere in that time. And then we will be with Jesus when He returns to the earth.

Okay. So here we are back on earth for a moment. The tribulation period is raging.

The battle of Armageddon is in full force. And here comes Christ returning to earth. This is different than the rapture. In the rapture we go up. In the second coming we come down.

What goes up must come down. In the rapture He comes for His church. In the second coming He returns with His church. At the rapture we are caught up.

It is like a thief in the night. In the second coming every eye will see Him. Jesus says as the lightning shines from the east to the west so will the coming of the Son of Man be. And then Jude talks about the Lord coming when ten thousands of His saints. And then Paul tells us who those saints are in Colossians. He says when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with Him in glory. So we are coming back with the Lord. So that is good news isn't it?

Right? So if you have never been able to take a tour with us to the Holy Land you are going to get that Holy Land tour. You are not coming back in a bus though. You are coming back with the Lord Himself.

All right now here is where it breaks down for some people. Christ comes back to the earth and establishes what we call the millennium. How long is the millennium? It is a thousand years. That is what the word millennium means. That is where we get the word millennium. The thousand year reign of Christ.

But this isn't the end. During the millennium Satan is bound by a chain. So then here is this time where Christ is ruling over the earth. And this is going to be an amazing time. Because the Bible tells us this is when the Lamb will be with the lion and the little child will lead them and there will be peace on earth and the righteousness of the Lord will fill the planet. And then after this Satan is released from his pit for a short time and a brief rebellion takes place.

This is mind boggling to me. Because see we are not going to be the only ones around in the millennium. We are in our glorified body at this time. We are ruling over others.

Who are we ruling over? Descendants of the descendants of the descendants of the descendants of the tribulation people. There will be mere mortals that will survive the tribulation period and we will rule over them.

Ok. Now we are temptation proof at this point. We are in this brand new glorified body. But these folks are still in a sinful body. And amazingly despite the fact that Christ is ruling righteously and perfectly in the millennial reign some people are going to follow Satan for his little brief fling of rebellion.

That he is completely judged and removed from the scene. And it is around that time that the great white throne judgment takes place. And that is for non-believers. Now at some point the old earth is destroyed. In Isaiah God says I will create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered nor come to mind. The first heaven and the first earth have passed away verse 1 says. Elaborating on this 2 Peter 3 10 says the day of the Lord will come is the thief of the night. The heavens shall pass away with a great noise. The elements will be disintegrated with intense heat. The earth and all of its works will be burned up according to the promise.

We look for these new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So now here comes the culmination of all things. The grand finale.

As the French would say the pièce de résistance. Is that right? Did I say it right? It means.

I don't know what it means. It is the big event now. The big moment. Now heaven and earth have in a sense merged to become one. And the last marking of time was given to us in Revelation 20. So now the millennium is over and we enter into an eternal timelessness.

It's just hard to wrap our minds around isn't it? Have you ever gone on vacation and you know you've gotten to a place where you're so relaxed you don't even know what day it is? I don't know about you but when I go on vacation it takes me seven days to reach chill factor.

Seven days where I actually can just stop thinking about all the things I need to do. And what's weird is even when you don't have your cell phone with you have you ever gotten a text without a cell phone? That's when you know you have a cell phone on you too much right? You get the little oh someone's going oh I don't have a cell phone.

That's weird. Well it takes a while to relax and then you just you know you're kind of enjoying the time. Now just multiply this thousands and thousands of times and you get a sense of this timelessness in the presence of the Lord. Now the Bible does tell us there's no more ocean.

I know this is a big letdown for all the surfers out there. But here's what I know about God. If God takes away something he always gives you something better in its place right? So maybe there's no ocean which separates mankind from one another.

God's removing the barriers that separate us to bring us all together. But we'll have something far better than that for starters that we won't have to deal with cold water. I don't know about you but I like to surf like I was just talking to someone about this the other day. I said I feel like I'm always learning to surf. I mean I've been surfing for like 35 40 years. I don't know and I every time I get in the water it's like I'm just learning because I never surf. I only go when conditions are perfect and the water's warm which is really rarely. So I'm always just how do you catch a wave again?

Like what is this you know. And I like warm water. I don't like cold water. There's die-hard surfers out there that go out no matter what the conditions. You know those guys that get out there on the dawn patrol and and they're going to catch up first waves while it's dark out still.

That's not me. So I'm thinking what God's going to give us in this place first of all it's warm. It's not cold. And there's no great whites to worry about.

That's good news isn't it? And if there are great whites they'll be Christian I'm sure you know. I heard about a Christian that was out surfing and and he saw a great white coming at him and he said God help me God deliver me. And you know those great whites come and fast and and he didn't know what else to pray and so he just said God I just pray he's a a Christian shark. Make him a Christian shark. And just at that point as the shark is closing in the shark says Lord for this meal that I'm about to receive I give you things. You say Craig haven't I heard that with a bear?

Yeah I just changed it to a shark. This is not a true story. At present two-thirds of the earth's surface is covered with water. The remaining one-third includes a large area rendered worthless due to mountains and deserts.

Therefore only a small percentage of the earth's surface is inhabitable. So God is eliminating these barriers. We all come together. And then we're with all those great men and women of God that have gone before us.

I mean just imagine it. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah. They're all there. Sarah, Ruth, Mary, David, Noah, Jonah, Peter, James, and John. They're there too. And then great people from history like William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, C.H. Spurgeon, D.L.

Moody, C.S. Lewis, and best of all your loved ones that have gone before you. They're there too and you'll all be together for all eternity. But best of all of course is the Lord is there.

And this is what Jesus was talking about when he said in Matthew 5, blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Today on A New Beginning, a glimpse into the future with Pastor Greg Laurie from his message called When Heaven Comes to Earth. It's part of his series Essentials, a collection of truths every believer should know. Now if you missed any part of today's insight, let us help you catch up. You can listen again online at harvest.org.

Just look for that title, When Heaven Comes to Earth. Well Pastor Greg, we're so pleased to have Sally Lloyd-Jones on the program with us today. She's such a gifted children's author.

Yes. And we're making available her new book called Near. Pastor Greg. What do you hope the takeaway truth is for the little one? In other words, when they read this, what are you hoping they walk away with? My prayer is that they never feel that they're alone.

That they always know they have someone who loves them right there that they can talk to and he just happens to be the one who made the entire universe and that he knows their name, knows the color of their eyes, that he cares for the littlest ones even though he's a great majestic God and yet he cares for little ones. Could you just read a little bit of it for our listeners? I'd be happy to.

Okay, Near, a paraphrase of Psalm 139. And of course I have to say I'm only going to be telling you half the story because this is a picture book and it's a story told in two languages. So like I say to children, you'll have to use your imagination because there's incredible illustrations, but you can't see them. So you've got to make them up in your head. Okay.

So, Near. God is my father who made everything. And I am a little explorer of the wide world. He is near me and he protects me. He sees me and he knows me. He is strong and he looks after me. He is with me always.

However far I go, he's always near me. I could climb the biggest mountain. I could fly to the highest star. I could dive into the deepest sea. I could sail far, far away to the North pole. God would still be there. I could trek through jungles, ride through deserts.

Zoom as fast as light. God would still be there. Even in the dark at night, he is still with me there.

He stays close to me and he won't ever leave me because I am his little child and he loves me. Wow. Yeah, that's Sally Lloyd-Jones reading from her new book called, Near.

Isn't that great? Think of what reassurance that would bring to your child or grandchild, or what a great gift for a new parent. We'd like to send this new book along with a second resource from Sally, Babies Carry Along Bible. It's a sturdy little board book for small children with 10 of their favorite stories told in rhyme.

And it even has its own little carrying handle built right in. We'll send both of these resources to you to say thank you to Sally Lloyd-Jones for your donation right now, an investment in keeping Pastor Greg's teaching coming your way each day. So write us at A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300.

Or go online to harvest.org. Well, next time, Pastor Greg digs into God's master plan for the restoration of planet earth. We'll see how it'll be restored to the way he originally planned it. Learn more next time, here on A New Beginning.