Revelation 21:1-4 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I 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 the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”
But when will this happen?
Jesus says in Matthew 24: 29-31, “Immediately after the tribulation…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Well, that at least appears to be the start of a new heaven and earth.
The tribulation Jesus mentions, is the desolation he mentions in Matthew 24:15-18, which refers back to Daniel 9:27. As to when this desolation will come, Daniel in Chapter 9 verses 25..-26.. says, “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem…Desolations are decreed.” The Book of Nehemiah discusses how Jerusalem, walls and all, were rebuilt.
What does this mean? It means that the Desolation already started when Jerusalem was rebuilt around the time of Nehemiah, so we have been in the midst of the Desolation for quite some time! It’s easy to see that, with all the wars that have been fought and are still being fought, and the destruction war has brought. If one argues that there were wars, etc. before Nehemiah came along, well, following Nehemiah all that has been given the name of Desolation. Furthermore, the Desolation may be like nothing we’ve seen before.
But when will the Desolation end and a new heaven ad earth begin? Hate to disappoint, but timewise at least, we don’t know. Daniel in Daniel 12: 5-7 says, “Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, ‘How long shall it be till the end of [the Desolation]?’ And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for A TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, AND THAT WHEN THE SHATTERING OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY PEOPLE COMES TO AN END ALL THESE THINGS WOULD BE FINISHED. “
Then Daniel says in verses 8-9, “I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?’ He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for THE WORDS ARE SHUT UP AND SEALED UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END.’”
While we therefore don’t have a time when this will happen, there perhaps may be the hint of a sign in verse 7 above. According to that verse, it is when the influence of the clergy is finally destroyed. That would mean when houses of worship are no more, and teaching the Word of God is brought to a halt. When could that happen? Perhaps it may happen in accordance with the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34which says, ““Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt…For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM, AND I WILL WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. AND NO LONGER SHALL EACH ONE TEACH HIS NEIGHBOR AND EACH HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST OF THEM TO THE GREATEST, DECLARES THE LORD. FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITY, AND YI WILL REMEMBER THEIR SIN NO MORE.”
So, the short answer as to when we will have a new heaven and a new earth? It is when God is in the hearts of all of us.
But when will this happen?
Jesus says in Matthew 24: 29-31, “Immediately after the tribulation…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Well, that at least appears to be the start of a new heaven and earth.
The tribulation Jesus mentions, is the desolation he mentions in Matthew 24:15-18, which refers back to Daniel 9:27. As to when this desolation will come, Daniel in Chapter 9 verses 25..-26.. says, “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem…Desolations are decreed.” The Book of Nehemiah discusses how Jerusalem, walls and all, were rebuilt.
What does this mean? It means that the Desolation already started when Jerusalem was rebuilt around the time of Nehemiah, so we have been in the midst of the Desolation for quite some time! It’s easy to see that, with all the wars that have been fought and are still being fought, and the destruction war has brought. If one argues that there were wars, etc. before Nehemiah came along, well, following Nehemiah all that has been given the name of Desolation. Furthermore, the Desolation may be like nothing we’ve seen before.
But when will the Desolation end and a new heaven ad earth begin? Hate to disappoint, but timewise at least, we don’t know. Daniel in Daniel 12: 5-7 says, “Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, ‘How long shall it be till the end of [the Desolation]?’ And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for A TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, AND THAT WHEN THE SHATTERING OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY PEOPLE COMES TO AN END ALL THESE THINGS WOULD BE FINISHED. “
Then Daniel says in verses 8-9, “I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?’ He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for THE WORDS ARE SHUT UP AND SEALED UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END.’”
While we therefore don’t have a time when this will happen, there perhaps may be the hint of a sign in verse 7 above. According to that verse, it is when the influence of the clergy is finally destroyed. That would mean when houses of worship are no more, and teaching the Word of God is brought to a halt. When could that happen? Perhaps it may happen in accordance with the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34which says, ““Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt…For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM, AND I WILL WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. AND NO LONGER SHALL EACH ONE TEACH HIS NEIGHBOR AND EACH HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST OF THEM TO THE GREATEST, DECLARES THE LORD. FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITY, AND YI WILL REMEMBER THEIR SIN NO MORE.”
So, the short answer as to when we will have a new heaven and a new earth? It is when God is in the hearts of all of us.