New everything?

The following is a recent post I made in "Now that's a good thought!" on my brother's message board. It follows somewhat from reading A.A. Hodge's comments on the Westminster Confession, chapter 32 and from Alan's sermon on this subject about a year ago.

Tonight I was reading a bit and contemplating the new heavens and new earth. It's strange, but it seems that for the most part, people talk about heaven, but they don't talk about the new earth.

Lewis imagined that this was the "shadow" lands, that everything we see here is only a shadow, an outline, black figure (and hard to see) of what is to come. This comes out beautifully in the Chronicles of Narnia, the Last Battle where the children see that this land where they are at is joined by many other lands, all more beautiful and more "real" than they had been while they were still "alive" (though I would argue they are more alive now than ever).

There is a very remarkable sense in which things will be familiar. We shall all be changed and shall be made perfect. The young girl whose face has been scarred by a fire will be made completely whole and beautiful, yet shall be completely recognizable. Somehow we shall know each other and Christ. I firmly believe that when I see other saints in heaven, I shall know who they are. I shall recognize my grandfather, my unborn sibling I never met, Paul, the servant of Christ, and so many more! There will be a familiarity that will make heaven "home." In the Scriptures, it also talks of the New Jerusalem in very endearing terms. Why is it called the New Jerusalem? Merely because it is the new center of God's worship? I think that is part of it, but I think it shall resemble the Old Jerusalem, or more properly, the Old Jerusalem resembled this new one! There shall be a familiarity.

Now back to the new heavens and new earth. I believe there is strong evidence that though this world shall pass away, yet it shall be remade anew.

Rom 8:19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
Rom 8:21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Why would creation eagerly wait for its destruction? It says that creation shall be set free from the bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. This freedom obviously can't mean freedom from suffering (as in annihilation), because that isn't the same as the freedom of the glory of the children of God, to which its freedom is compared. God's children shall be made anew, perfected, brought into that state which man was meant to inhabit, as God planned from the beginning. The creation is also awaiting a "new body" and shall be made anew.

2Pe 3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
2Pe 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Yes, it will pass away, even as this body of ours "passes away" but as our body is made new, so the earth is made new. Completely new as in unrecognizable? I am inclined to think not! Again, the evidence seems to point to the fact that the creation will be redeemed, and re-created in glory, not merely destroyed never to be seen again.

To be honest, I have enjoyed exploring the creation God has made, and when I was young and inclined to climb rocks, trees, explore caves, and dig tunnels, it disturbed me to think that all we would have is one big city, all white and bland with gold streets and a river and a tree and that's about it. It sounded boring! Yet now of course I realize the real focus is Christ and being with Him for eternity, yet at the same time, I believe that if He has endowed us with the wonderful creation He has, and if it's only a shadow of what is to come, and if the earth itself will be renewed, then what we have to look forward to is a world BETTER than this one! Is it indeed possible that something like this passage from Isaiah, which has been figuratively fulfilled, might be literally fulfilled? :

Isa 11:6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

I believe it is possible! If God has made wonderful creatures here on earth for our enjoyment, how much more will He do so for the Paradise He is going to create. If God's original creation was "good" and His second creation is "better" then can you imagine what we have to look forward to? Yes, I believe that you can expect to see animals in heaven, places that are familiar, places you've wanted to visit. The creation will be entirely given to us, but more than that, Christ Himself is our inheritance and everything else, as wonderful as it may seem, will pale in comparison. Marriage and the marriage relationship is the most intimate and loving that we have, the highest form of spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental bonding, yet the love that Christ has for us, His church is even greater than this, it's only a tiny taste of what is to come, the love we shall have for Him, and the love He shall have for us and the knowledge we shall have of each other in this paradise He is both preparing and will prepare.