In this sermon, Pooyan Mehrshahi discusses the doctrine of heaven and hell as part of the end times and the possible interpretations of the new heaven and new earth. The two interpretations are a complete annihilation of the old creation and a new creation of a completely different heaven and earth, or a total cleansing, restoration, and renewal of the present heaven and earth. The sermon explores the significance of Greek words 'kinos' and 'nios', God's redemption victory, and the fulfillment of biblical prophecies about perfect peace on earth. The sermon also highlights the importance of understanding the mystery surrounding the physical details of the new heaven and earth and the unity of these two in the eternal state.

Dear friends, we continue in our study of the doctrine of the end times. Friends at the end of all things, part of the doctrine of the end time that we should consider is that we must give time to the teaching of the Word of God about heaven and hell. As those are the places that either the saved or the lost are going to be for all eternity. They will not be spending their time in heaven because it won't be spent. That will be where they will be forever and ever.

And as we come to study very generally the doctrine of heaven and its glory and joy and delight and light, it's set in great contrast to the torment and to the sorrow and to the darkness of hell. As it was, it is impossible for us to fully describe any of these things that we could think of the terribleness of hell so it is impossible for us and we cannot really fathom it. It is incomprehensible to fully understand the wonderfulness of heaven. Heaven. What will it be like at the end?

What will be our experience of heaven if we are the children of God. One Puritan put it like this, our Lord Jesus Christ is ascended to heaven to prepare a place for the elect there. That's by Christopher Love. So he sees it as what the Lord Jesus says that it's going to be a prepared place. The Lord Jesus has gone to prepare it.

George Whitfield, he said, how sweet is rest after fatigue. How sweet will heaven be when our toilsome journey is ended? What's your desire after you die? What is it that you want after you die? One Puritan put it, a wicked man when he comes to die will prefer heaven before hell but a saint on earth prefers heaven before earth if Christ is ours God is ours heaven is our all is ours I love the quote by Thomas Watson, the Puritan.

He said this, Christians are jewels and heaven is the golden cabinet when they shall be locked up safe. God will keep us safe in heaven. Dear friends, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, at the end of this time, at the end of this age, great changes in heaven and earth will take place. We're reading about this. There is going to be this new heaven and new earth.

There's this holy city. There's a language that is used in the scriptures are in picture language. And we have to understand them in that fashion. There are some scripture references that seems to indicate that the present earth and heaven shall be completely destroyed. And that a totally new earth and heaven will be created.

There are passages that people quote, for example, from Isaiah 65 and verse 17. For Behold, I create new heavens and the new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. So what will it be like? What will that heaven and that earth be like? Some would say, well, it is what we have right now, it is all will be gone, it will be thrown all away.

So, then another passage that we use is this From 2 Peter 3, verses 12 and 13, looking for and tasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens Being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Also that passage that we read together from Revelation 21 and verse 1, 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. So there are these passages that are used to describe seemingly a total change that the earth and the heaven that will come, they will be totally of different origin and different nature as it were. But there are other biblical references that tend to indicate a total cleansing and restoration, a renewal of the present earth and present heaven. And there are passages that say that no, God is going to reform, God is going to renew, God is going to cleanse completely this world. There are various passages that speaks to that end.

For example, Hebrews chapter 1 and verses 10 through to 12. We read this, And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands they shall perish but thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed." It says that word changed is used. Then in Romans chapter 8 and verses 21 and 22 we read these words because the creature itself or the creation itself also shall be delivered that word delivered from the bondage of Corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God so this creation is going to be delivered What does that mean if it was going to be completely destroyed and annihilated and wiped away. Then it says, for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. So the creation is waiting for this change in itself.

And then we read in Acts 3 and verse 21 the first part of it, whom the earth must receive until the time of restitution of all things. Well most Reformed views interpret the new heaven and the new earth to be new in the sense of being totally renewed. All sin with its traces and consequences shall be burned and rolled away. The earth shall be totally cleansed by fire. The new or the renewed earth shall be so thoroughly cleansed and renewed that the remembrance of the old, that sinful world shall never again come to mind.

All sinful elements they will be dissolved and only righteousness shall dwell in the renewed earth. The first sinful earth will have passed away and there will be no more of the restless sea. That's a picture of restlessness. Unsettled the state of sinful minds and sinful mankind. All shall be perfectly peaceful and restful on the new earth." We could say, on the new earth, born-again people will live in a born-again bodies on a born-again earth.

And I presume for some people this view comes as a shock for those maybe who have been brought up in maybe a vague idea of the teaching about the end times or not being really taught or not really have studied, had given time to study these things or look at actually there are different views on this subject or people who've been influenced very much by watching some films and videos on this. Let me give you some reasons to favor the renewal interpretation over that of a complete annihilation or destruction of the old creation and another creation of a totally different heaven and earth. There are a number of things I want to say about that. First of all, we want to think about God's redemption victory. God's redemption victory.

If God would annihilate the present heavens and earth, We could think that Satan would be successful in destroying God's work. But God, however, will completely restore his original creation in a totally sinless state. There will be no trace of sin that shall be observed in the new heaven and new earth. God's victory of restoration over Satan's work of destruction. Satan has been seeking to destroy, but God is going to renew.

And so that will be a witness against the work of Satan. When God destroyed the old world by the great flood, the new world was established from the old. That's one thing, God's redemption victory. Second thing is this, the comparison of the saints new bodies and the new earth. The saints resurrected bodies, what will they be made from?

It will be these very bodies of ours but glorified. The saints resurrected bodies will be new in many respects, yet they will be the same bodies. In the same manner the restored earth shall be new and yet be the same earth and same heaven. Another thing that is important for us to take note of is that the wording that is used, that is translated as new in our Bibles and whatever translation you might use, the Greek word new in verses such as what we have read in Revelation chapter 1 or 2 Peter 3.13, that word new heaven and new earth, that word new, it is the Greek word kinos. And it is not the word that could be used, that is nios.

Kinos means new in nature or quality or renewed. Nios is the Greek word meaning new in origin. So it's totally new. Detached from anything else. That word is not used here in these passages.

It's the word kynos used which means new in nature or quality or could be translated as renewed. So that's something else to bear in mind. Why God has used this specific word here that could be interpreted as renewed. But also, fourthly, new in the sense of renewed does not contradict the verses which speak about restoration. There are passages that speak about restoration.

We read some of those already. And so this idea of renewed, then it fits well with those passages. So there's Romans chapter eight that testifies of the entire creation groaning and travailing in pain, waiting for its deliverance from the bondage and the corruption of sin. How do we interpret that if we think actually it is groaning but then God is going to destroy it? No.

That's one of the texts that has been, I found it helpful that I've thought about this. There are other verses that speak about the heavens and earth being changed and we said that from Hebrews 1 and verse 12 and as a vesture shall fold them up and they shall be changed." And then there is the the restitution or restoration of all things. That is referred to in Acts chapter 3 and verse 21. Whom the heaven must receive until the time of restitution or restoration of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Then again in 2 Peter chapter 3, it compares the destruction of the pre-flood world by water and the destruction of the present world by fire.

So in 2 Peter 3 and verses 6 and 7 we read, whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished. So that world perished, but it wasn't annihilated. But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." So this destruction was a total destruction of sinful mankind and his works and the entire face of the earth. However, it was not a total annihilation of God's created earth. So that's another thing to think about.

And then fifthly, And finally, the fulfillment of biblical prophecy regarding the saints reign and living in peace on this earth, you're told about that. Now it does depend on how you interpret about the end times and your view of the millennium, but leaving that to one side, it's the fulfillment of this biblical prophecy about the Saints reigning on this very earth is something that we need to consider. The complete fulfillment of the scriptural prophecies about perfect peace on earth can best be understood as taking place on a renewed earth. And So let me give you some example of types, prophetic types. For example, in Psalm 37, verse 11, we read, but the meek shall inherit the earth.

So there are people who say, well, that's the time of the millennium. Well, not necessarily. Or our Lord Jesus Christ spoke and restated it. He said, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, in Matthew five and verse five. And in Romans chapter four and verse 13 we read, for the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousness of Faith.

In Revelation 5 and verse 10, we read, And hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Or from the Old Testament, Isaiah chapter 11, verses 6 through to 9, we have these words. And this is where it fits, you see. The world also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together and the little child shall lead them and the cow and the bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox and the second child shall play on the whole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Or again quoting that passage in Romans 8 verses 21 and 22 is a prophecy of what is going to happen because the creature or creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." So, friends, to the degree to which these prophecies will be literally fulfilled in the saints future state in heaven and that's what's imbued and of course it is differently interpreted by reformed scholars and commentators and ministers but even whether the present heavens and the earth shall remain after a total annihilation of all impurities and discomfort or discord produced by sin, or whether God shall create a totally new heaven and earth not only in appearance but physically in reality. We have to go by these passages and we have to say there is this level of mystery here as well. So we might say, well, I lean towards this or I think this is right. But we have to accept and appreciate the level of mystery. And while the precise physical details of the new heaven and earth cannot be safely determined, scripture does inform us that these two shall be one in the future state.

Heaven is presently the dwelling place of God, Christ and holy angels and the saints who have died. Earth is the dwelling place of the saints who have not yet died, it's that physical death, in the Saints eternal state those two shall be one. God, Christ, angels, all the Saints shall live in a perfect peace in one place called the new heaven and the new earth or both. So again reading those words of Revelation 21 and I saw a new heaven and the new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea and I john john saw the holy city new jerusalem coming down from god out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them.

And they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." God and the Lord Jesus Christ will dwell with his people is the central promise dear friends of this covenant grace of God this this promise of the grace of God from eternity throughout the Old Testament and the New Testaments, the richest and eternal fulfillment of this promise will be witness in the Saints eternal state in the new heaven and new earth. So where will we be? Where are we heading? Where is your destination?

What is your aim? What is your desire right now? Where are you seeking to go and how are you helping others to go to that place? Heaven you're going to Think about further issues, but I've thought of discussing this matter with you because sometimes it's a question sometimes it's something that people haven't thought about. Well, how that heaven, what's the structure of that heaven?

How is it formed? And trying to show you that we need to think more and bring various passages to bear upon this subject. Well, may God bless these thoughts to each one of us. Amen.