Rejoicing in the Promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth – The Bible in Lent: Day 39

We’ve reached the end of the Bible in Lent journey! It has been an intense 40 days of reading the entire Bible, often multiple books a day, and getting a glimpse at the big picture message. 

From Genesis to Revelation, we see over and over again the promises of a good God who is calling us to rely on Him. In Genesis, we saw the perfect world God had created marred by the sin of our original parents. The beautiful relationship mankind had with their Creator was broken, but there was a promise. A promise that one would come to defeat the serpent. 

And we see the serpent’s defeat and the undoing of Death in Jesus’s death and resurrection.

As we finish the Bible, we see the promise is still being fulfilled. We live in what is often referred to as the “already not yet.” 

Already, Christ has defeated Death and secured eternal victory and restoration of the relationship with God for those who follow Him. Not yet do we fully experience that victory and restoration. We are waiting for His second coming when the old domain of sin and death will pass away and a new heaven and earth will be established. 

So today, in this in-between time, we live in light of that promise, knowing the victory and coming world that is ours in Christ. 

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut by day—and there shall be no night there; they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.  – Revelation 21: 22-27 RSVCE 

The New Heaven and Earth are coming. 

In Revelation, we see a beautiful picture of what will come and the intimacy with God we will have in the new creation. 

While we wait for these promises, we should not grow weary or doubt the reliability of God’s promises. 

The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9 RSVCE

God is working, waiting, preparing even today. 

He is drawing hearts to Himself, working for the redemption of all. He doesn’t delay because He is distant, uncaring, or indifferent to our sufferings, but because of His immense love for all mankind. 

As we celebrate Christ’s victory of the grace tomorrow, we can celebrate with the assurance of its promises for us, of the hope we have in Him and the life and world to come.