All Things New

Intro

Question: What comes to your mind when you think of heaven?

For two thousand years, Christians have longed for the return of Jesus. They have longed to see loved ones resurrected and Jesus face-to-face. But what happens after this? This guide will look at some of the key events that take place beyond the second coming of Jesus.

Exploring the Scriptures

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) | What happens when Jesus returns?

Revelation 20:4-6| What insights do we find here about our first 1000 years in heaven?

1 Corinthians 6:1-3 | Do we find here any clues here about the judgment that takes place during our 1000 years in heaven (Revelation 20:4)? Why might God involve us in his work of judging?

2 Peter 3:3-4, 10-13 | What happens to our world at the second coming of Jesus?

Revelation 20:1-3 | Where happens to Satan during the 1000 years?

(The word “abyss” or “bottomless pit” is a translation of the Greek word abussos. This word is also found in Genesis 1:2 [In the Greek version of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint] where in most English Bibles it is translated as “deep.” This could be Revelation’s way of describing our world being returned to a “formless and empty” state like it was back in Genesis 1:2)

Revelation 20:5; 21:2; 20:7-9 (Revelation 20:11-15) | What happens at the end of the 1000 years?

Satan and his followers try to take by force the very city that God tried to give them for free.

Note: The lake of fire appears to take place on the Earth (Revelation 20:9).

Revelation 21:1-5 (Revelation 22:1-5) | The magnificent end of the story and the start of eternity!

The Gift of Jesus

After thousands of years of sin, pain, and destruction, our world will finally experience renewal. Think of it as a kind of death and resurrection. Our world will be destroyed, but only to be made new again. What an amazing day that will be when we look out from God’s city and watch God creating our world again, to watch him forming the place we will call home for eternity. And the best thing about this home is that God will live there with us. We will walk with him and talk with him. We will see him face-to-face. And it will all be because of that wonderful gift, when God so loved our world that he gave us Jesus, so that one day we might spend eternity with him.

Living It

Discuss: What appeals to you the most about the promise of a world made new?

Discuss: How can we ensure that we are in the group that receives all these wonderful things?

Decide: Is it your desire to one day live with God in the world made new?