The New Heaven and New Earth

     In the 21st chapter of Revelation, verse 1, John is shown a “new Heaven” and a “new Earth”. Based on this isolated verse segment, the question is debated as to whether this is the same Earth rebuilt, or is it a brand new physical Earth like our own, which starts a new cycle of existence where God reigns.

     Our Lord clarifies a portion of that debate immediately as if He knew what the first question in a man’s mind would be. It is explained that this is not the same Earth starting a new cycle of existence because we are also told that “the first Heaven and first Earth have passed away.” This phrase means that they no longer exist.

     The answer is made more clearly by looking at the Greek word that was used for “New” and the entirety of chapter 21, where he describes the new Heaven and new Earth and how life would be. The Greek word with its parsing used here for “New” (Strong #2537) means “New, of a different kind”. This tells us that they do not have the same physical properties or construction that our current Heaven and Earth have.

     Jesus further describes some of the new Heaven’s and new Earth’s attributes in the reminder of chapters 21 and 22. We are told that there are no seas or oceans and that there is no Sun or Moon, and hence no day or night as God’s glory provides the light continuously. We are also told that there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain and that this Earth will last forever. This clearly isn’t similar to our physical Earth, where everything decays with time. In fact, this statement would require that entropy, or the decaying of order into disorder, does not exist here. It is clear that our “laws of physics” which apply to our current universe do not apply to this new Heaven nor Earth.

     Because entropy can’t exist here, others have speculated that it’s not a physical Earth but purely spiritual. To answer that question, we just need to read a little further. We see a description of a beautiful and massive city with its physical dimensions and where its foundation is made from 12 layers of precious stones and crystals, having its streets paved with pure gold, having 12 gates, with a river running out of God’s throne providing water for everyone. Finally, we see the “tree of life”, in Heaven that produces 12 types of fruits which we are told we can freely eat.

     Based on our limited understanding of what is possible, we see that this new Heaven and Earth does not match either of our concepts of physical reality, nor it is purely spiritual. We see a Heaven and Earth that lasts forever but has physical dimensions; in other words, “New, of a different kind”. 1 Cor 2:9 tells us that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”. We can’t even imagine or comprehend with our limited understanding all the wonderful things that await us in Heaven with God for those that follow and serve Him.

Why doesn’t my Bible say “New, of a different kind” in Rev 21:1 (or anywhere else)? 

     That is a very good question. Over 400 years ago when the King James Bible was being compiled, the scribes did not have a clear understanding of the meaning of each of the root words but more importantly they did not understand the majority of the Greek parsings that accompanied each word. Consequently, the King James scholars completely ignored them because they didn’t understand them. Don’t get me wrong - The King James Version is an amazing translation, but the scribes didn’t go far enough because they simply couldn’t because of lack of knowledge. It took another 260 YEARS before the Greek words were separated into their root components which were published by Strong in 1890. Without identifying the root words, the meanings they assigned to words in different verses constantly varied and had little to do with the true meaning of the text.

     Not only that, but the scribes had no clear idea of what the Greek parsings were that were assigned to over 115,000 of the words (of the 140,745 total words). The purpose of the parsings is to provide text that could not be misinterpreted which then resulted in a crystal-clear message. Since they didn’t use the parsings, the context and meaning of the English words they assigned constantly varied between verses and that gave rise to hundreds of denominations and disagreements which fragmented Christianity we see today. Their own letter to King James clearly states their frustration and their limitations in not knowing the words and their inconsistency in the final English text, and they chalk it up to their “creative freedom or liberty.” It wasn’t until 260 years after the King James Version was compiled that the parsings of each of the 115,000 words were clarified and released in 1894 by Dr. Scrivener using upwards of 100 scholars spending decades of work on the task.

     When we separate the precise meaning of each of the Greek root words and apply the original parsings, a set of definitions that describe the relationship between one “type” to another emerges and is shown in The Pure Word that is not shown in most other translations. Here are a few of the subtle comparative differences which your Bible may not identify with this one example:

Strong #243 (adj) used 153x: different of same kind
Strong #247 (adv) used 1x: different of same kind
Strong #2087 (adj) used 99x: another one of a different kind
Strong #2088 (adv) used 1x: another one of a different kind
Strong #2098 used 79x: Good News of a different kind
Strong #3501 used 23x: younger, new, of the same kind (wine, younger men or women, etc.)
Strong #2537 used 45x: New, of a different kind (covenant, Heaven, Earth, Jerusalem, etc.)
The Pure Word is a Resource All Christians Must Have!

     The Pure Word has taken each of the 5,624 Koine Greek root words and took the single primary meaning at the time of Christ of each word and directly substituted it into each use of the same root word. In addition, the precise parsings of each of the 115,000 words that were mostly ignored by the KJV scribes and nearly all scholars since, was applied to each word. This process removed all known discrepancies and provided a clarity of meaning that was never before possible. 

     I would strongly suggest that every Christian obtain a copy of The Pure Word and use it alongside your favorite Bible version to see the original meanings and open your eyes like never before.  I humbly wouldn’t even say it was a translation as verses were not “translated”, but a Pure extraction from the Greek into English using the original meaning of each root word as closely as possible as it existed at the time of Jesus Christ and the Apostles along with the original parsings applied to each word.

      Watch the official introductory video now and see exactly how The Pure Word is an invaluable resource that should be used by every Christian, pastor, and Bible study group. Experience the gospel as they did in the first century, during the time of Christ, the Apostles, and the birth of the Church!

CLICK HERE FOR Short 3.19 VIDEO
http://www.onepathpublishing.com/thepureword/