A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

The world lives days when millions of people around the world are in social confinement to contain the coronavirus pandemic. One of the consequences of this is the considerable reduction in the level of carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere. The air is purer and cleaner and the landscapes sharper because of the decrease in pollution as a result of reduced industrial activity and the human system. This is reminiscent of a theological theme little talked about in the Church, but which constitutes the consummation of the divine plan of redemption of humanity and the cosmos: "a new heaven and a new earth".

According to Scripture, after completing the creation of the world and man, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good...” (Genesis 1:31). Not only was man created perfect, but also the cosmos itself. However, it turns out that man in Eden was in a state of trial and came to fall. Thus, after his sin, both human nature and Creation were unstructured. "Adam's transgression interrupted the whole order of things that God had created" (PACKER, 2017, p.1092). And so God said to Adam, "Cursed is the earth because of you. The cosmos lost its harmony and became a dangerous place and of suffering.

This idea of destructuring the cosmos is present throughout the Bible. The Apostle Paul, for example, says that the created nature has been submitted to uselessness, that is, it no longer fulfills the purpose for which it was created. It finds itself in a state of "slavery of decadence" and "groans until now as in labor pains" (Romans 8:18-22). Parker (2017, p.1058), speaking about this, states that "Paul was giving the impression that creation (that is, nature) had returned to chaos," which explains the wild and bloody nature of animals (cf. Isaiah11:6-9), the earthquakes, epidemics and other worries of Creation.

For this reason, passages are observed throughout Scripture that speak of the restoration of this universe. The prophet Isaiah will be the first to speak of "new heavens and a new earth" (65:17; 66:22). Then the Lord Jesus speaks of a time of "renewal of all things, when the Son of man will sits on his glorious throne" and of a "Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" (Matthew 19:28; 25:34). And the Apostle Peter also said, "we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13).

But for the redemption of the divine Creation (cosmos and humanity) to take place, the Great Tribulation must come, about which Jesus spoke (Matthew24:21), and in which this world and the human system will be destroyed and God will then establish a new order of things. The Apostle Peter presents a glimpse of this event. He says: "the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly... But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare (2Peter 3:7-13).

This earth must be destroyed and restored because it cannot stand mankind in its state of glory. Bible says that after the resurrection, men will have a body similar to that of Jesus, glorified. Talking about Jesus, see what Paul says: "by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21). Another reason is that in "the new heaven and in the new earth," the Creator Himself will be present. John says, "God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God" (Revelation 21:3). 

It is highly relevant the fact that Scripture ends with humanity and the universe restored, in a state superior to Eden. Superior because the condition of human glory and perfection avoids the need for temptation as in the beginning. Adam fell, but Christ, "the last Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45), representing humanity, conquered sin and death and opened a path that leads man back to God. About this, note that in the new Jerusalem the presence of the "tree of life" is striking, but there is no "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Revelation 22). It is necessary to pay attention to the God's words,  “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5).

Antônio Maia - M. Div.

Copyright

PACKER, James I. Vocábulos de Deus. São José dos Campos: Fiel. 2017