The passing away of heaven and earth…in Matt 5:18-19 & Rev 21:1-4

The passing away of heaven and earth…in Matt 5:18-19 & Rev 21:1-4

A few weeks ago we began looking at the doctrine of the passing away of heaven and earth and the establishment of a new heaven and earth.  We began by testing the Scriptures to see if a strict literal interpretation of these things was consistent and found that it was not; there were several problems with that interpretation.  So last week we sought to determine what heaven and earth represent in this context.  In that, we determined that:

1.        heavens and earth is rulers and people

2.       the passing away of heaven and earth is the dissolution of OC Israel and

3.       the establishment of a new heaven and earth is the establishment of a new people under a new covenant.

In light of that, I’d like to read you a few quotes.

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
"The figurative language of the prophets is taken from the analogy between the world natural and an empire or kingdom considered as a world politic. Accordingly, the world natural, consisting of heaven and earth, signifies the whole world politic, consisting of thrones and people, or so much of it as is considered in prophecy; and the things in that world signify the analogous things in this. For the heavens and the things therein signify thrones and dignities, and those who enjoy them: and the earth, with the things thereon, the inferior people; …(he goes on to say) Great earthquakes, and the shaking of heaven and earth, are put for the shaking of kingdoms, so as to distract and overthrow them; the creating of a new heaven and earth, and the passing of an old one; or the beginning and end of a world, for the rise and ruin of a body politic signified thereby. The sun, for the whole species and race of kings, in the kingdoms of the world politic; the moon, for the body of common people considered as the king's wife; the stars, for subordinate princes and great men; or for bishops and rulers of the people of God, when the sun is Christ. Setting of the sun, moon, and stars; darkening the sun, turning the moon into blood, and falling of the stars, for the ceasing of a kingdom." (Observations on the Prophecies, Part i. chap. ii)
Jonathan Edwards: "…the dissolution of the Jewish state was often spoken of in the Old Testament as the end of the world. But we who belong to the gospel-church, belong to the new creation; and therefore there seems to be at least as much reason, that we should commemorate the work of this creation, as that the members of the ancient Jewish church should commemorate the work of the old creation." ("The Perpetuity and Change of the Sabbath" (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol 2).
"The gospel-state is everywhere spoken of as a renewed state of things, wherein old things are passed away, and all things become new." ("The Perpetuity and Change of the Sabbath" (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol 2).
"The Scriptures further teach us to call the gospel-restoration and redemption, a creation of a new heaven and a new earth.... ("The Perpetuity and Change of the Sabbath" (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol 2).

David Chilton (1987)
"Moreover, the phrase heaven and earth in these contexts does not, as Owen pointed out, refer to the physical heaven and the physical world, but to the world-order, the religious organizations of the world, the "House" or Temple God builds in which He is worshipped." (Days of Vengeance., p. 544)

Now let’s examine the texts.

Matt 24:35 was the very first text that I mentioned in the beginning of this miniseries.  Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.  I’m not going to spend much time on this since we did a fairly exhaustive study on the Olivet Discourse.  What I will call your attention to is the context of the discourse is the destruction of OC Israel, Jerusalem and the temple, and their judgment for becoming a people who reject their God.  If “heaven and earth” refers to OC Israel (as I have shown), then Jesus’ words are essentially saying OC Israel and their covenant world will pass away but my words will never pass away.  This certainly fits with the context and provides no problems or contradictions for us.  In fact, this actually makes far more sense than for Jesus out of nowhere to bring the planet and solar system into the discussion.  If you would like an analysis of the context of this verse in light of the rest of the discourse, listen to our sermon series entitled “how in the world?” particularly messages 8 & 9.

The next text that I would like to look at is Matt 5:18-19.  This is found in the SERMON ON THE MT (Last week I accidentally called this the Olivet Discourse- hopefully I didn’t confuse anyone with that slip of the tongue).  Matt 5:18-19  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

Let’s see how this fits with our interpretation of heavens and earth as OC Israel along with her rulers authorities and socio-political religious order.  Jesus would then be saying something like this.  This is a paraphrase:

I tell you the truth, until the judgment and passing away of unrepentant OC Israel who remain in the flesh and reject Christ, you are to continue practicing the law just as you and your ancestors have for the past 1500 years.  At that point when OC Israel passes away, along with their rulers, authorities, and Temple, all will be accomplished, when all that is written will have been fulfilled, when I take vengeance on my enemies in this generation when the Romans destroy the city and the Temple and my sword is bathed in blood and I tread the winepress.  Until then, the Law stands and you are to continue to obey it, every jot and tittle.  Be covenant keepers not covenant breakers; judgment is coming on the covenant breakers.  When the kingdom comes in full you will be called great because you were walking in obedience to God and in conjunction with the system He called you to obey; you will be justified.  At that time, when the present order passes away and you are given the kingdom, you will be free from the tyranny of your brothers who accuse you as well as free from the accusation of the Law under which you now serve in bondage.

So that makes a lot of sense.  At the end of the age, at the destruction of the temple, the Law would be no more, but until then, the Jews were to continue to follow it as they had been.  Notice I said, “the Jews.”  That was Jesus’ audience in the SOM. 

You may recall our study in Galatians and how Paul had some harsh words for the Law. How does that square with this interpretation since Paul was encouraging his audience NOT to do every jot and tittle, and in fact to do NO jots and tittles.  The difference is the audience.  Paul was writing to Gentiles, not Jews.  Paul was telling Gentiles, you weren’t under that covenant.  Don’t put yourself under it now as it is about to pass away. 

That situation is like someone from a 3^rd world country coming here to live with one of us and saying it was necessary for us to get a black and white TV and VCR.  That would be foolish for someone to do since those items are passing away and there is something far better in blue ray and HD.  Don’t bother with the Old things right on the brink of their extinction.  But there are those who already have black and white and VCR, let them continue to use them until they pass away, but you who have never turned the knob of a black and white, no need to start now.

So interpreting the passing away of heavens and earth in Matt 5 as the passing away of OC Israel not only works, but it is contextual, it is free of contradiction within the SOM, it contradicts no other scriptures, but fits perfectly with the rest of the Scriptures.

Let’s look now at Rev 21:1-4.

One thing to remember is the type of literature, the literary genre of this chapter of Revelation.  It is prophetic, symbolic, poetic, metaphoric, apocalyptic.  At the very beginning, we must admit that Revelation is difficult to interpret and thus, it should be interpreted in light of other Scriptures which are easier to understand.

So we will walk through this passage piece by piece attempting to identify these symbols and draw out their meaning.  We will be venturing into other passages in Scripture for clarification.

 Rev 21:1-4  ¹ 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. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ 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. ⁴ ‘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.”

The main thing I hope to show is that the elements in this passage are covenantal realities, not cosmological realities.  In other words, the things that John associates with the heaven and earth that passes away are old covenant realities.  The things associated with the new heavens and earth are new covenant realities.

The first thing we read in verse 1 is ¹ 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. 

We have already established last week from the Scriptures that heaven and earth is best understood as referring to OC Israel.  What does the sea represent?

I propose to you that the sea represents the Gentiles.  While I could read you a number of quotes to substantiate this, I will read one quote from www.biblestudytools.com The ‘sea’ is a literary image that often indicates the ‘Gentile nations’. This would mean that its opposite term here, ‘earth,’ would refer to ‘the Jews.’ There is support for this in that the Greek word can be used as a technical expression for ‘the land of Israel.’  So according to this quote, earth represents Jews, sea represents Gentiles.  With the establishment of a new heavens and earth there is no more sea; the distinction between earth/land and sea is no more.  In other words, the distinction between Jew and Gentile is no more.  This is a reality that comes with the new covenant, not a new planet.

Let’s continue in the text.  In verse 2 we read ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  As we identified the new heaven and earth as people, I believe there is consistency in understanding the Holy City the New Jerusalem as people, not terrain, trees and dirt.  We talk this way.  Back in May several of us went to the stadium to watch Audrianna graduate.  If you asked me who was there, I would have said, all of Georgetown was there.  That doesn’t mean all of the dirt and trees, but all of the people of Georgetown.  Not only do we talk that way, but Jesus talked that way.  Consider His words in Matt 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.  Jesus wasn’t talking to the terrain, but to the people, OLD JERUSALEM who killed the prophets and stoned those sent to her.  Jesus didn’t want to gather the rocks and trees to himself, but the people. 

The Scriptures identify Old Jerusalem as the OC people who rejected God and his messengers.  In Rev 21:2, John identifies the New Jerusalem as the NC people of God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  Preterist church new covenant fellowship.  Church in Georgetown texas church in Georgetown tx preterist church in texas reformed church in Georgetown texas pastor david boone

I propose that this bride is the church (NC people) and the husband is Christ.  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

In order to be consistent, if we are going to say that the church is the bride of Christ and not simply the fiancée then we must out of necessity say that heaven and earth have passed away.  This certainly fits with a covenantal interpretation.  The old covenant world and people have passed away and a new people under a new covenant have been established, the church has been married to Christ.  Christ being married to His church is a new covenant reality, not a new planet reality.

Next in Revelation 21, we read: ³ 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. ⁴ ‘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.”

What I’d like to do at this point is venture into other texts that show these elements more clearly as relating to covenant, rather than cosmology.  In other words,

·         God dwelling among his people and being their God is a present NC reality, not a future reality dependent on a new planet

·         No more death is a NC reality since death pertains to the OC

·         Mourning crying and pain pertain to judgment per OC stipulations

·         The old order of things that has passed away is the OC, not the planet

First, let’s look at the book of Hebrews.  The context of the entire book of Hebrews is covenantal transition, not planetary transition.  It is written to HEBREWS explaining that the OC types and shadows are fulfilled in better things in Christ.

Heb 8:7-13   ⁷ For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another (covenant) ⁸ (note the context here: not that there was something wrong with the first planet, but the first covenant) But God found fault with the people and said (in Jer 31):

   “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. ⁹ It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. ¹⁰ This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (exactly what we read in Rev 21:3.  So God being their God and dwelling with them is a New Covenant reality, not a new planet reality.) 

¹¹ No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. ¹² For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”  ¹³ By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete (the OC) and outdated will soon disappear (or pass away).

So the OC wasn’t completely gone at the cross.  It was rendered obsolete at the cross, but it was still functioning until it fully passed away which wouldn’t happen until 70 AD.  Here in Heb 8 we have in the first century the passing away of the old covenant order. And at the full consummation of the new we have the reality that God will be their God and they will be his people.  Again, this is the very thing we read in Rev 21:3.  This is a NC reality.

I propose that the order that passes away in Rev 21:4 is this OC order that Hebrews says is passing away in his day. Let’s continue reading into chapter 9.

Goes on to say Heb 9:1-10  ¹ Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ² A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, ⁴ which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

 ⁶ When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered (YLT – this is present tense – they do go in) regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. ⁷ But only the high priest enters the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸ The Holy Spirit is showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle is still functioning. ⁹ This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered are not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. ¹⁰ They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

In other words, they belong to the old order.  I propose to you that it is this same old order that passes away in Rev 21:4.  The food, drink and washings apply until the time of the new order, just as Jesus said in Matt 5:18-19.  Jots tittles: food, drink, ceremonial washings, external regulations apply till heaven and earth pass away in 70 when that OC order passed away and the food, drink, washings and regulations cease because the new covenant order is fully consummated and God comes to inhabit his new temple not made with human hands but made of living stones, his People, where Christ Jesus is the chief cornerstone.

From the perspective of the author of Hebrews in the 60’s AD the physical temple was still standing and the OC order was still functioning but was growing old, wearing out like a garment and passing away.

With this understanding of the Old Order, let’s read again John’s words in Rev 21:4 There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

John is viewing in this apocalyptic vision the full passing away of the old order with its regulations and cleansings to make way for the new order (New Covenant).  This passing away occurred fully in 70 AD with the destruction of the people and the temple.

So the order that passed away in Rev 21:4 is not the planetary order but the Old Covenant order.

It was this OC order that brought death.  John foresees this OC order passing away, this order that brought death, making way for the new order that brings life.  Do away with the order that brings death, do away with death.  This is what Paul &Timothy say in 2 COR 3.

2 Cor 3:4-8  ⁴ Such confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶ He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  Paul is comparing the ministry of the OC to the ministry of the NC.  He declares that the law kills but NC gives life.  No wonder there is no more death when the OC order fully passes away.  This becomes even more vivid when we continue reading:

 ⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? Did you catch that?  The ministry that was engraved in letters on stone was the ministry of the OC.  Look what Paul says about this OC in v7: it brought death!!!  No more OC, no more death!!!  Do away with the covenant that brings death, there is no more death.  This is consistent with a covenantal interpretation of Revelation 21, wherein the new heavens and earth have no more death.  No more death pertains to a NC not a new planet.

We have the tendency of coming to Rev 21 and seeing a new planet with no more physical death because we tend to take those things literally.  However, when we read 2 Cor 3, do we take those terms literally?  Do we say that everybody lived forever physically until the Law of Moses came, but when the law came it brought death and that’s when people started dying physically?  No, we don’t say that.  We say that this refers to spiritual death. 

I propose to you that whatever death came through the law is the death that is no more in Rev 21:4.

This is the same thing Paul alludes to in 1 Cor 15:54 – 56.  This is when death is swallowed up in victory – when the law passes away.  Because the sting of death is sin and the power of sin is THE LAW: the ministry of death!  Remove the law, remove the power of sin and thus the sting of death.  Because the wages of sin is death.

So far we have dealt with:

·         The new heaven and earth

·         The sea

·         The new Jerusalem

·         The bride

·         God dwelling with His people and being their God

·         no more death

·         the order that passed away

We have shown that all of these are better understood in the context of covenant rather than cosmology.  The only thing that remains is the concept of mourning and crying and pain.  This concept is no different.  Very briefly, I’d like to point out that these are elements that characterized God’s OC people when they broke covenant and stood under his judgment.  Per the stipulations of the OC (Deut 28) God would judge them with a foreign army.  When they keep covenant, they dwell in the Land and are characterized by abundance, fruitful labor, dancing, singing, joy and gladness. 

So we have these 2 states that OC Israel could find themselves in:

1.        mourning, crying and pain when they break covenant and stand judged

2.       joy and gladness when they obey covenant and stand in God’s favor, dwell in the Land, in His presence

For example, in Jer 6:22-26 Jeremiah prophesied about the coming judgment that God was bringing against Jerusalem at the hands of Babylon.

Jer 6:22-26  ²² This is what the LORD says:“Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth. ²³ They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Zion.”
 ²⁴ We have heard reports about them, and our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor. ²⁵ Do not go out to the fields or walk on the roads, for the enemy has a sword, and there is terror on every side. ²⁶ Put on sackcloth, my people, and roll in ashes; mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

There in the context of covenantal judgment, you have mourning and crying and pain.  These are the very things that Rev 21 says there will be no more of.

After this judgment comes, Jeremiah writes Lamentations looking back on the event and its effects.  I’m going to read to you some portions from Lam.  I would encourage you to read the whole book; it’s short.

Lam 2:11  My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

Lam 5:15-16  ¹⁵ Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. ¹⁶ The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! 

When Israel broke the OC they were judged and their joy and gladness was turned to mourning and crying and pain.  When they turned to the Lord and found favor in His eyes, their mourning was turned to joy.  The OC stipulations that produce mourning crying and pain are no more in the NC, thus, in the NC, it can be said that there is no more mourning or crying or pain. 

The NC is a new order, not like the Old Order.  In the NC, we don’t have our women raped, temple destroyed and land taken while we are carried off as slaves to foreign territory for breaking the Law of Moses.  We aren’t cast out of the presence of God which dwells in the Holy of Holies in the Middle East; we are the Holy of Holies and we remain in the presence of God, we have the favor of God; we are characterized by joy and gladness, not mourning crying and pain.

Like the rest of the elements in Rev 21, mourning crying and pain are best understood in terms of covenant.

Turn back to Rev 21.  Look again at this passage with me as I read you a paraphrase of this text in light of this covenantal understanding:

V1 Then I saw a new covenant world, with a new covenant community – a new people under a new covenant.  For OC Israel had passed away and there was no longer any distinction between Jew and Gentile.  V2 I saw the New Jerusalem the heavenly Jerusalem – aka – the church, prepared as a bride for her husband, Christ.  V3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  V4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more Spiritual death, separation from God; there will be God’s presence, spiritual life.  There will be no more mourning or crying or pain (because the OC stipulations that brought about those things is gone and also because their oppressors who brought about those things have been judged).    For the old Covenant order has passed away.

So as you can see, to interpret these passages with the understanding that heavens and earth refers to OC Israel along with her rulers authorities and socio political religious order is extremely contextual and consistent.

Thus, the first heavens and earth passed away in the destruction of unrepentant OC Israel in 70 AD by the Romans at which point God fully established the new heavens and earth, his gospel kingdom, his new people under a new covenant: his church.  Thus, we are a part of this new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.  What a glorious reality!!! Reformed Church in Georgetown Texas.  Preterist church in Georgetown Texas.  New Covenant Fellowship Church in Georgetown Texas.  Pastor David Boone.preterism covenant eschatology.