My very favorite way to tell stories about God’s Kingdom is to quote scripture (in His words) in a way that leads others to realize what I am trying to say (in my words).
The Very End of Time is in God’s Plan and It Goes on Forever and Ever.
It is the New Heaven and the New Earth and the New Jerusalem.
Our Heavenly Father’s perfect plan “to love and be loved, all to his glory” will come to fruition after the resurrection of the Church, the rise of the Antichrist, the seven-year tribulation, the battle of Gog and Magog, the abomination of desolation, the battle of Armageddon and the second-coming of Christ, the judgement of the nations, the binding of Satan, the Millennial Kingdom, the last battle, the Great White Throne Judgement, and the new creation.
1 Peter 2:4-5 NLT “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple (the new creation). He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.”
The new creation, new heaven and new earth, will come about by way of God’s resetting and recreating the heavens and the earth for His redeemed in Jesus Christ. Then, the beauty of God’s presence in all of his glory, unhindered by sin will be on full display and worship.
Revelation 21:1-2 NLT “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
Where Did this Plan Begin?
In Heaven, the Mercy Seat of God was protected by the Archangel, Lucifer. Lucifer was magnificent and beautiful beyond all the other angels created by God. He became self-aware of his beauty and pride entered into him. Lucifer decided to rebel against God, in order to become greater than him. War broke out in Heaven because of it. The Archangel Michael and his army cast Lucifer (who then became Satan), out of Heaven and down to Earth along with one-third of the Angels as his fallen ones.
In the Garden of Eden, the woman was deceived by Satan, the serpent. The sin of disobedience to God’s command was committed. Mankind fell from Grace. The perfect relationship between God and man was broken, even to future unborn humans. Enter death.
Genesis 3:14-15 NLT “Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman (Israel), and between your offspring and her offspring. He (Christ) will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.””
Where Are We Now?
According to gotquestions.org, the Gospel means “Good News”. It is the message that God out of His immense love, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin and death, offering humanity the free gift of forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.
John 1:12-13 NLT “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”
God’s Church, Prays in Unity
Matthew 6:9-13 NLT “When you pray, pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”
Jesus Prays for Unity of all Believers
John 17:21 NLT “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
Romans 8:19 NIV “Creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”
Where and When Are the Redeemed to Go?
In Matthew, before his ascension to the right hand of God, Jesus told us to “go and make disciples of all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything He commanded us to do. And surely He will be with us always, to the very end of the age”.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NIV “According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
What Is Our Role as the Redeemed?
The “heavenly chorus” is a harmonious praise of Angels and the redeemed, Scripture offers a glimpse into the heavenly worship that believers are invited to partake in, both now and in the age to come.
Revelation 5:13 TPT “Then every living being joined the angelic choir. Every creature in heaven and on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and everything in them, were worshiping with one voice, saying: “Praise, honor, glory, and dominion be to God-Enthroned and to Christ the Lamb forever and ever!””
Christian theology maintains “the armies of heaven” as the celestial host of Angels and redeemed saints. They are most famously mentioned in the Book of Revelation as the victorious followers of Christ during the Second Coming.
Revelation 19:14-16 NLT “The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all Lords.”
The Trinity and the redeemed in Christ will dwell in the New Jerusalem forever.
Revelation 21:3-4 NLT “And I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.””
Revelation 21:9-23 NLT “Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels.
And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles.
Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel). The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.
The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.
I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.”
Sorry, Not Sorry, there is No End to this Story