Title: New Heavens and New Earth, December 4th
new heavens and new earth
Second Coming Delay Situation
Early Christianity was so vividly waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus that it could be called the Advent Community. However, as the second coming of Jesus was delayed, more and more Christians were dying. Now, delaying the second coming of Jesus becomes a very serious problem for them. People's reactions to this situation were varied. Some people would have prayed for the second coming of Jesus, some would have left the church, and some would have interpreted the meaning anew. Some people in today's text ridiculed this Adventist faith itself. Their argument is as follows. “What happened to the promise that Christ would come again? The ancestors who were waiting for that promise also died, and everything has not changed at all since creation?” (verse 4).
But what is unusual in today's text is the fact that Peter refers to them as people who live 'according to their own passions'. Of course, this is not particularly offensive. This is a common expression for people in the world to live according to their thoughts, according to their own opinions, and “as they wish.” The same is true of all the general attitudes of life we now live in. Rather than scrutinize God's will, we are only faithful to our own inner desires. In this respect, no matter how plausible a life may be, if it is not the result of obedience according to God's will, it can be said to be 'living according to lust. Peter here hints at what those who ridicule the delay in Jesus' second coming are meant to be. They say that rather than paying attention to the second coming of Jesus itself, they use it as an excuse and live according to their own lusts.
Even so, their questioning is not so absurd. As they put it, it seems a bit strange to foretell the return of Jesus when everything has not changed at all since creation. The sun, which has been shining since 4.5 billion years ago, still shines today. Heaven and earth are set before us as they were before. Who among us today thinks the sun could be gone tomorrow? The earth is still rotating and revolving, and the stars are shining in the sky, but the second coming of Jesus is what a bizarre claim is this? Not only early Christians, but today we face similar ridicule. Or whether we ourselves are contributing to this ridicule, I don't know. First, let's listen to Peter's explanation.
change in the world
What is Peter talking about now? Peter is now pointing out the logical problem of those who mock the Adventist faith. In their eyes, the world doesn't seem to have changed at all, but in reality it has changed and will change. While they only see the outward phenomena of the world, the biblical writer sees the inner world. The inner world of this world is undergoing fundamental change through the Word of God. Such changes herald the end of the world, that is, the second coming of Jesus.
Ladies and gentlemen, the world lies before us. The world looks completely different depending on how you look at it. To some, the world seems to run in its own way, independent of God, and to those who believe in God like us, it seems to be closely related to God. We are people who see the world through a spiritual point of view. According to today's text, we are seeing the world based on the Word of God. Some people may find it difficult to understand what it means to see spiritually, to look based on the Word of God. Let's consider this issue a little more focusing on the text of the text.
The biblical writer explained the world in terms of water and fire, the worldview of the ancients. The key here is: The foundation of this world's existence lies outside the world, not inside it. Outside of that, of course, is God, the Word of God. Let me give you the simplest physical facts. The earth does not move by its own power, but is entirely dependent on the sun. Even if the sun lost only 10% of its energy, life on this planet would be extinct. The sun is also a star that occupies a small position in the galaxy. If macrophysics is too far-fetched, consider facts close to us. There are many people who are suffering from a cold these days. Let's say we got rid of all the viruses on Earth so we don't catch a cold. Maybe it will cause humans to disappear. This is the story of the movie <War of the Universe> that I saw once. Aliens invade Earth. Humans could not resist it with any weapon. It was the bacteria (germs) on Earth that brought the aliens down.
Everyone, what are you talking about? We must not see the world only on the surface. That inner spiritual world is much richer and deeper. Even today's science doesn't know exactly how this world has blossomed into such a prosperous life by some force, and how it is maintained. Obviously there are forces at work, hidden in our cognitive system. We who believe that God created the world think of it as a spiritual reality. Anyone with these spiritual realities in mind would not be able to ridicule the delay of Jesus' return by looking at the superficially revolving world.
world disintegration
After defending the ridicule of delaying the Second Coming earlier, the biblical writer actively explains the Adventist faith. According to him, in relation to Adventism, we need to consider three factors.
First, the relativity of time. The biblical writer quotes Psalm 90:4 and says: “To the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” (verse 8). Every time I think about what time is, I feel distant. It is said that the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years, and it is difficult to accurately determine the difference between that time and the 24 hours of yesterday. As the old adults taught, our life can feel like a moment in our nap. The biblical writer tells us not to calculate the delay of Jesus' second coming simply with our concept of time.
Second, delay in the Second Coming is related to the salvation of mankind. God's grace to give those who have not yet been saved a chance to be saved is the delay of the Second Coming.
Third, the Second Coming will happen suddenly, “like a thief.” Jesus has already given this parable before (Matthew 24:43). The end comes suddenly to us. So is personal death. You don't know how many people die in moments you never expected. Of course, it can be said that death of old age is slightly different from disease or accident, but even such death is fundamentally not very different. Not only the death of an individual, but also the earth's ecosystem can be destroyed like a thief. It is similar to the fact that the levee still looks safe until just before it overflows, but when one side begins to collapse, it cannot be stopped.
The biblical writer describes what will happen at the end of the world like this: “In that day the heavens will disappear with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will burn and melt, and the earth and everything on it will pass away” (verse 10). This expression reflects the apocalyptic thought of the Jews. Because Christianity was rooted in Judaism, it was not without its influence. There are many similar expressions in the Gospels and Revelation.
Modern Christians who read these biblical reports have two reactions. One, there are those who think that the ancient people's understanding of the world is meaningless. Now that modern people are mature people, they need to get rid of this immature worldview. In theological terms, it is the argument that the Bible should be demythologized. Conversely, there are those who need to take this apocalyptic description literally. I'm reading a book by Martin Lloyd-Jones these days, and these people make this claim. Both of these attitudes are undesirable in my opinion. Those who participated in this biblical tradition were compelled to follow the worldview of the ancients, but that was not what they were paying attention to, but the rule of God. No matter how great this world may seem, it is only a creation of God. This world can be dismantled very simply.
new heavens and new earth
Listening to this explanation, it is a big mistake to think that the teachings of Christianity are very negative and pessimistic. Of course, there have been many times when Christianity approached and interpreted life in this world negatively. He denied history, interpreted human life in an asceticistic way, and made a dualistic view of sexuality. These assertions arise because we do not fully understand the fundamentals of Christianity.
It is very clear what the present text's description of the world's dissolution is trying to say. This is not to deny this world, but to break through the limits of this world and hope for a new heaven and a new earth. Look at verse 13. “But we believe in God’s promises and await a new heaven and a new earth.” The old world burns away and a whole new heaven and earth begin. The new heaven and new earth are the key here.
People may be very vague about what the Bible calls a new heaven and a new earth. There are many things to earn and live right now. Agricultural issues, irregular workers, and the Six-Party Talks are current issues. For students, how they take their final exams is the most important thing right now, so the new heavens and the new earth sound like a completely different country. In fact, the daily life set before us is incomparably more important than anything else. Everything we eat, defecate, meet people, and fight to create a more humane world is precious to us. But because these things are precious, we must not lose sight of what the Bible teaches about a new heaven and a new earth.
Let's ask a more specific question. What new heavens and new earth are we waiting for? Is it a world where we are completely free from work? Are you talking about a world where there are no more wars? Is it a world where a perfect welfare society is built, a world where health and longevity are guaranteed by the development of embryonic stems? We must do our best for such a world of improvement and progress, but the new heavens and new earth that the Bible speaks of are not like that. The new heavens and new earth are not achieved through our own efforts, but only through God's total, eschatological rule. The resurrected Jesus, who is a completely new life, comes back to this world and judges the world. A new heaven and a new earth begin for us through the judgment that clearly distinguishes the life and the non-life. So the Bible writer advises: “Not only must we wait for the day of God’s judgment, but we must also strive for it to come quickly” (verse 12).