Chapter 21
God Makes “All Things New”
1. What does it mean to “know” God and Christ? (John 1:14, 18)
OUR knowing Jehovah, the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, will result in everlasting blessings. As Jesus said in prayer to Jehovah:
“This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3)
But this includes much more than just having head knowledge. It requires our learning about God and his magnificent attributes and works, and our really appreciating in our hearts the grand privilege of coming into a happy relationship with him on the basis of the atoning sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ.
2. How should knowledge of Jehovah’s purposes move us? (Psalm 112:1)
2 Having learned the “good news” of Jehovah’s purpose to rid the universe of all wickedness and to bring this earth once more into a clean, peaceful, happy condition, do you not feel moved to praise and thank him? You should! What a joy it is to see his purposes unfolding and to know that we can share therein!
GLAD TIMES AHEAD!
3. Why does heaven rejoice to see false religion devastated? (Deuteronomy 32:43)
3 The day fast approaches when Jehovah will give the decree to execute the world empire of Babylonish false religion. Her devastation will come quickly, as though “in one hour.” Some former supporters may weep over her, saying, “Too bad, too bad,” but those who have been distressed by the reproach she has cast on God’s name will rejoice:
“Be glad over her, O heaven, also you holy ones and you apostles and you prophets, because God has judicially exacted punishment for you from her!”—Revelation 18:19, 20.
4. Why will the “great tribulation” be reason for God-fearing humans to rejoice? (Luke 21:28)
4 But that is not all! The “great tribulation” will continue to sweep “from nation to nation, . . . from one end of the earth clear to the other end of the earth,” bringing annihilation to all the wicked. (Jeremiah 25:32, 33) That storm of destruction will come with startling suddenness, “just as it occurred in the days of Noah,” and it will be brief. So great will be the “tribulation” that unless Jehovah “cut short the days, no flesh would be saved.” The entire universe will be swept clean of those who have disputed the righteousness and rightness of Jehovah’s sovereignty over his creatures. That, indeed, will be reason for rejoicing!—Luke 17:26, 27; Mark 13:19, 20.
“BE JOYFUL FOREVER”
5. (a) What former “heavens” over mankind will be removed? (2 Peter 3:7) (b) What permanent arrangement will then bring joy to God’s people? (Isaiah 32:1)
5 With the subtle influence of Satan and his demons removed, and with man-rule no longer bearing down like an oppressive “heavens” over the earth, the “great crowd” of survivors will work at cultivating a paradise of beauty to the ends of the earth. They will “offer themselves willingly” for this task, just as they do in God’s service today. (Psalm 110:3) Also, they will have help from God’s arrangement for that time, the “new heavens and a new earth,” which Jehovah is even now creating. He invites us:
“Exult, you people, and be joyful forever in what I am creating. For here I am creating Jerusalem [the heavenly kingdom] a cause for joyfulness and her people a cause for exultation.” (Isaiah 65:17, 18)
“The new heavens” will be a permanent, loving arrangement for administering the affairs of “the new earth”—an eternal blessing to Jehovah’s “people” and their “offspring.”—Isaiah 66:22.
6. (a) Who is the “bride” of the “Lamb,” and how does she share in blessing mankind? (Revelation 19:6, 7) (b) What happy relationship will man then enjoy with God? (Psalm 86:9, 10)
6 What joy usually accompanies a wedding! And when the once-sacrificed “Lamb,” now the enthroned Jesus Christ in heaven, is united there with his “bride”—the resurrected 144,000 members of the “little flock” of overcomers—joy will know no bounds! This spiritual “bride” class is beautifully described in the closing chapters of the Bible as part of the “new heavens” that showers blessings on the “new earth,” the righteous, visible society of mankind. She is spoken of as “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,” not physically, but in the sense of turning attention to the human family on earth and healing them. Thus earth’s peoples will come into a most happy relationship with God:
“God . . . will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:1-4.
7. Why are these grand promises sure of fulfillment? (Joshua 21:45)
7 “Unbelievable,” you say? No, it is completely believable! It is certain to come! For all the prophecies of the Bible, starting from God’s promise in Eden six thousand years ago, focus on the events of this present day, when God’s sovereignty is to be completely vindicated through his Messianic “seed.” All of his grand purpose must be accomplished for the blessing of those out of “all nations” who come to serve him in integrity.—Genesis 22:18.
8. Why will the resurrection be a time of joy? (Proverbs 10:22)
8 And what of God’s stated purpose to resurrect out of gravedom the billions of human dead? Are we to say that this is unbelievable? No, for Jesus himself assures us: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [Jesus’] voice and come out . . . to a resurrection.” (John 5:28, 29) What cries of joy will accompany the reunions then to take place in the paradise earth! And what happiness there will be in educating these restored ones concerning God’s spiritual paradise! “Scrolls” of instruction will be provided, and these will help them to perform right “deeds,” leading to their names remaining written in “the book of life”!—Revelation 20:11-15.
9. Why can we be sure that Jehovah will make “all things new”? (Isaiah 55:11)
9 Jehovah himself declares: “Look! I am making all things new.” What a heartwarming promise! Does the apostle John hesitate to record such amazing things? Jehovah reassures him, saying: “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” They are as good as accomplished already, for Jehovah adds: “They have come to pass!”—Revelation 21:5, 6; Romans 4:17.
10. How will “spaceship earth” look at the end of God’s ‘rest day’? (Psalm 104:1, 24)
10 A thousand years of glorious restoration, rejuvenation and rejoicing lie just ahead for mankind. And what a marvelous spectacle the earth will present at the end of that thousand-year rule by Jesus and his heavenly “bride”! Physically, morally, spiritually—the globe and its billions of human inhabitants will sparkle as a gem in the heavens to the glory of its Creator. Never will “spaceship earth” have looked more magnificent than at the end of Jehovah’s great ‘rest day.’—Genesis 2:2, 3.
11. What happens at the end of Christ’s thousand-year kingdom? (Revelation 15:3, 4)
11 Then, having “brought to nothing” all effects of death due to Adam’s sin, Jesus obediently “hands over the kingdom to his God and Father.” All mankind, at the end of the thousand years, will now stand directly responsible to Jehovah for their future course as perfect human creatures “in God’s image.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Genesis 1:27) For a short season, “Satan will be let loose out of his prison” to test that perfected world of mankind, as to their choice of God’s everlasting sovereignty. Then Satan and his demons, together with any individual humans who choose to follow him, will be hurled into “the lake of fire”—a symbol of “the second death,” from which there is no resurrection.—Revelation 20:7-10, 14.
AWAITING GOD’S PROMISE
12. How should we exert ourselves while awaiting fulfillment of God’s promise? (1 Corinthians 15:58)
12 With joy we await the earth-wide rule of “new heavens and a new earth.” But we should not be idle! As the apostle Peter tells us:
“There are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell. Hence, beloved ones, since you are awaiting these things, do your utmost to be found finally by him spotless and unblemished and in peace.” (2 Peter 3:13, 14)
We cannot afford to have any “spots” showing on us due to sharing in the practices of false religion or the immoralities of the world. We cannot permit any disfigurements in our new Christlike personalities. We must be at peace with Jehovah, and with one another. This oneness we can demonstrate by standing firmly for Jehovah’s sovereignty and by encouraging one another to “keep on the watch.” And why? “Because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man [Jesus Christ] is coming” to execute judgment on the old system of things and to bring in the new.—Matthew 24:42-44.
13. (a) What special joy may Jehovah’s people have now? (b) Why is the “good news of the kingdom” the grandest of good news?
13 This is the marvelous “good news of the kingdom”! What joy all of Jehovah’s people now have in proclaiming it “in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations”! (Matthew 24:14) Surely, it is the grandest of good news! And in the paradise earth, as Jehovah continues to use Christ’s kingdom in making “all things new,” good news will abound for mankind. Truly, “all the families of the earth will be blessed”! (Acts 3:25) What rejoicing there will be as all peoples pursue a real purpose in life under a heavenly kingdom administered by rulers who extol Jehovah as “Sovereign Lord” and who really understand and care for mankind! (Revelation 6:10) This is indeed “the glorious good news of the happy God.” It is good news to make you happy.
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God will cleanse the earth, wiping away all wickedness and sorrow
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When God makes “all things new,” everything on earth will again bring honor to the Creator
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“The glorious good news of the happy God” is provided to make YOU happy!
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HOLY BIBLE