FBCD_FaithEssentials_June_FlipBook

Todd Gaddis

A day is coming when God will transform this “old ball” on which we live into a “new ball.” In fact, a new heaven will come with the deal. The last chapter concluded with the complete destruction by fire of the heavens and earth as they now exist. The Bible says a restored paradise will follow on the heels of this catastrophic event. During his Patmos visions, John “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). Note the new earth will consist of a new city , known first for its beauty – like a woman dressed up for her husband on their wedding day. I’ve done numerous weddings in my sixteen years as a pastor and the brides always sparkle with a special glow. My wife never looked prettier than that summer day in 1983 when she walked down the aisle and took my arm. Likewise, Jerusalem will shine like never before. John caught a sneak preview of this truth by witnessing a place of “brilliance . . . like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:11). The new Jerusalem will be made of pure gold. Walls around the city will be decorated with various kinds of precious stones. Gates along the walls will be made of pearl. Currently, such costly valuables sit in safes, glass cases and tightly guarded museums. In the world to come, they’ll be out in the open, for everyone to see and enjoy. The new Jerusalem will also be known for its immensity . When John saw the city, he measured it to be 1,400 miles in width, length and height (Revelation 21:16). “A metropolis of this size in the middle of the United States would stretch from Canada to Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains to the California border.” 1 If the city is made up of multiple levels, with each floor being twelve feet high, it will contain over 600,000 stories! Believers who have suffered in crowded quarters on this old, fallen earth can look forward to plenty of elbowroom on the new earth.

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