An ominous prophecy recorded in Scripture is that the present heavens and earth will be destroyed. By heavens, we suspect the reference includes the things in the entire universe such as stars and planets. By earth, we suspect it means the planet earth will be totally destroyed. In essence, everything that was affected by the fall of man when Adam sinned will cease to exist- “you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17) must have included the race of mankind and the environment created for us.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'”
Genesis 2:15-17
The concept of a new earth was introduced in Isaiah and confirmed and expanded on by the Apostle Peter and the Apostle John. The passages in Isaiah are blended with prophecies regarding the Millennial Kingdom. During that 1000 year period the present earth will be changed. The curse regarding sin and death will be partially lifted, many topographical changes as a result of the tribulation judgments will have occurred, crops will be abundant, the animal kingdom will not attack and peace and righteousness will characterize the earth. However, this is still the same earth we know, and still part of the same solar system and mankind will be living on the earth as human beings. The reference to the new heavens and earth looks ahead to the time after the present heavens and earth will be destroyed. Time will be no more since time is connected to the movement of our present solar system. The new heavens and earth will be in an eternal state not subject to time as we know it.
No sea and no sun in the new earth?
Yes, it is true that Revelation describes a future where there will be no sea and no need for the sun in the new earth. These details are found in the latter chapters of Revelation, specifically:
No Sea
Revelation 21:1 states: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
This verse indicates that in the new creation, the sea as we know it will no longer exist. The absence of the sea could symbolize the removal of chaos and separation, as the sea often represents chaos and danger in biblical literature.
No Sun or Moon
Revelation 21:23 and 22:5 elaborate on the absence of the sun and moon: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:23)
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5)
These passages highlight that the glory of God and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) will provide all the light needed in the new creation, eliminating the necessity for the sun and moon.
Significance
The absence of the sea and the sun in the new earth emphasizes the transformed nature of the new creation. The sea, often seen as a symbol of danger and disorder, will be removed, indicating a state of perfect peace and harmony. The absence of the sun and moon, replaced by the direct presence and glory of God, signifies the ultimate fulfillment of God’s presence among His people, providing light and life eternally. This imagery underscores the completeness and perfection of the new heavens and new earth, where God’s direct presence is the ultimate source of light and life.
Blended Prophecies
It is not unusual for prophecies to blend together different periods. For example, if you compare Isaiah 61:1-2 with Luke 4:16-21 we notice that Jesus took Isaiah’s prophecy and broke it down saying part of it was fulfilled that day while leaving the part regarding his Second Coming unmentioned. That hasn’t been fulfilled even to this day yet Isaiah had them both in one sentence! Prophecies sometimes blend time periods together and have to be handled with care to decipher them properly. For further examples, see Daniel 12:2 which mentions the resurrection of the righteous and evil together when we know they are actually separated by 1000 years. The righteous will be resurrected at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom and the evil will be resurrected at the end to face judgment at the Great White Throne. Another is recorded in Micah 4-5 where the Second Coming of Christ is mentioned first and the 1st Coming of Christ is mentioned next when of course the chronological reality is reversed.
The following Scriptures list the progression of the revelation of the new heavens and earth starting with the Old Testament and becoming more detailed with the New Testament prophecies.
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
Isaiah 65:17
“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.
Isaiah 66:22
“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.
“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
2 Peter 3:10-13
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.”
Revelation 20:11
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
Revelation 21:1
The New Jerusalem
In addition to the new heavens and new earth, we are expecting a New Jerusalem to come down from heaven and rest upon or hover above the new earth. Saints of all ages will reside in the New Jerusalem. The descriptions of the New Jerusalem are awesome and they also confirm that the many prominent features of our present heavens and earth will not be necessary (sun, moon, sea etc). It is interesting to note that the New Jerusalem appears to have been created previously and comes down to the new earth. So the new heavens and new earth will apparently be made after the present heavens and earth vanish but the New Jerusalem may be preserved perhaps in the heaven where God resides and comes down as a bride beautifully adorned according to John’s vision (Revelation 21:1-4).
“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Revelation 21:22-27
The concept of a New Jerusalem was perhaps what Jesus alluded to the night before his crucifixion saying he would prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3). It’s existence was later confirmed by the Apostle Paul, “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother (Galatians 4:26).” The writer of Hebrews also made reference to it in several places. The most vivid description is recorded by the Apostle John as found in Revelation 21-22. The ominous threat of the destruction of our present environment is displaced by the hope of a better inheritance. Praise be to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
“For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
Hebrews 11:10
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24
“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”
Hebrews 13:14
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! 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. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’
“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’
“He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.’
“One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
“The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
“The angel said to me, ‘These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.'”
Revelation 21:2-22:6
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1 Peter 1:3-5
“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 2:9-10
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
