Do we pay attention to what God has told us about the future?

QUOTE: I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life.

There are two types of revelation: natural and special. Natural revelation is that which is revealed about God through what we can see in creation.

Through creation we may learn that there is a God, that He is in control, that He has an order, and that He is concerned for our welfare. However, through natural revelation, we are not able to discover the plan of salvation. That comes from special revelation.

Special revelation is that which is given to us through Prophets, the Bible, and even visions and dreams

The ultimate in revelation is the incarnation of Jesus because He came to reveal the Father to us (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22; Heb. 1:1–3) and to communicate to us the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1–4) by which comes salvation.

Christ revealed that he will make all things new.

The new perspective of this last section is glorious.

A new heaven and a new earth: The idea of a new earth, with a new atmosphere and sky is a familiar theme in the Scriptures. Many of the prophets, both Old and New Testaments, spoke to this new heaven and new earth.

During the Advent sermon series, we discussed several prophecies fulfilled by Christ. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies. Imagine someone hundreds of years earlier successfully making over 300 different predictions. The evidence of God’s revelation of the future to His servants fills the pages of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. On the other hand, scientists and other futurists have a decidedly mixed record of predicting the future even only 20 years in the future. For example, World War I shocked the optimistic European powers who never could have dreamed of a war so horrific that it was labelled “the war to end all wars.”

We should have much more faith in what God tells us will happen in the future than any of the guesses made by mortals.

It's worth remembering that the new heaven referred to doesn't mean the heaven where God is enthroned. The Bible uses the word heaven in three senses. The first heaven is the earth's atmosphere, the "blue sky." The second heaven is outer space, the "night sky." The third heaven is the place where God lives in glory. When the Scriptures speak of a new heaven, they mean a new "blue sky" and a new "night sky," not a new heaven where God dwells.

New heaven … new earth: The ancient Greek word translated new here (kaine) means "new in character, 'fresh'." It doesn't mean "recent" or "new in time." This isn't just the next heaven and the next earth; this is the better heaven and better earth replacing the old (the first earth had passed away). The expression “heaven and earth” is a biblical designation for the entire universe. So John sees a transformation of the entire universe. The first heaven and earth will “pass[ed] away”.

We should also understand that this is truly a new heaven and a new earth, not merely a "remade" heaven and earth. We know this because Jesus said that heaven and earth shall pass away, but His word would live forever

In Isaiah 65:17 God says prophetically that He will create a new heaven and a new earth, and the ancient Hebrew word for "create" (bara) means to "create out of nothing," instead of re-fashioning existing material.

No more sea: To the Jewish mind, the sea was a place of separation and evil. Already in the Book of Revelation it is shown to be the source of the Satanic beast (Revelation 13:1) and the place of the dead (Revelation 20:13).

In other passages of Scripture, the sea is associated with the heathen (Isaiah 57:20) and in a more general sense, with the opponents of the Lord that must be conquered (Psalm 89:9).

This teaching startles most people because many have wrongly assumed that believers will spend their lives in the sky. However, the Bible teaches that man’s ultimate destiny is an earthly one. Yes, we will one day return to God’s original plan as revealed in the garden of Eden.

Please also note that God creates the new Heavens and a new Earth. Just as we do not save ourselves, we do not create a heaven on earth by our own actions. God created us, God saved us, and God will provide a new home for us. This revelation should encourage us to glorify God and humble ourselves. Anything we make ourselves will have flaws and be incomplete. What God will fashion is complete and without blemish.

The Father, Son, and Spirit save us in the past, the present, and the future. Before all time; prior to all worlds; when there was nothing “outside of” God himself; when the Father, Son and Spirit found eternal, absolute, and unimaginable blessing, pleasure and joy in their holy trinity — it was their agreed purpose to create a world which would fall, and in unison — but at infinitely great cost — to bring you (if you are a believer) grace and salvation. This deeper grace from before the dawn of time — pictured in the rituals, the leaders and the experiences of the Old Testament saints (cf. Heb. 11:39–12:3) — is now ours. These are the dimensions of what the author of Hebrews calls “such a great salvation” (Heb. 2:3). Our salvation depends on God’s covenant, rooted in eternity in the plan of the Trinity, foreshadowed in the Mosaic covenant, fulfilled in Christ, enduring forever. No wonder Hebrews calls it “great.”

Those who are in Christ have already been saved.

As Christians, we have assurance that we have already been saved. Salvation in the past refers to two great acts of God – our justification and subsequent adoption into His family. In justifying us, God declares that the requirements of holiness required by the law have been satisfied on our behalf. The righteousness of Jesus is imputed to us so that God declares we are innocent. In this way we are saved from the price of our sins.

Those who are in Christ continue to experience salvation.

The process of salvation is ongoing so that it is a present reality as much as it is a past reality.

Salvation in the present refers to two more great promises of God – sanctification and perseverance. Sanctification is a process that is ongoing in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit indwells us at the moment of salvation and begins to affect change in our lives so that we become more and more conformed to the image of holiness modeled in Christ. As we allow the Spirit to lead and guide us, we grow in grace.

The present reality of salvation also promises perseverance so we can have full confidence that we will continue as believers to the end.

Salvation’s future reality points forward to our upcoming glorification. Glorification is a future work of God in which the dead will be raised and in new bodies will be ushered finally into the kingdom of heaven. Our bodies will be freed from all of sin’s corruption. In Romans 8:23 Paul calls this the “redemption of the body.”

Most Americans are familiar with ABC’s hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It is remarkable how motivated people can remodel and restore a run-down house in seven days.10 It is also moving to see the sheer joy of the beneficiaries. Well, can you fathom what the God of this universe can do when He remodels and restores our eternal home? For the past 2,000 years, He has been preparing a place for you that will stagger your imagination. When you see the finished product, you will shout and scream with joy inexpressible! Today we are here at Extreme Home Lampasas Edition. God is preparing a place for us. Everyone who believes in Christ has an invitation bought with the shed blood of Jesus.