Covenant of Peace: A Return to Holiness

5.3 Old Heavens and Old Earth

The Old Heavens and Old Earth typically refer to God's original creation, as described in Genesis. The question is, when did or when will the New Creation (that is, the combination of the New Heavens and New Earth) come into existence? There is a fair amount of controversy surrounding this topic, which is related to one's eschatology and understanding of the timeline of events in the book of Revelation.

All things are under Jesus' feet, as stated in Hebrews 2:8, even though we don't see that worked out on earth, but it is true in the heavenly domain.

1 Hebrews 2:8

8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don't see all things subjected to him, yet.

I argue that the New Heavens and New Earth, also known as the New Creation, became a reality on Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the same day. This happened because Jesus, as the High Priest, passed through the clouds into the heavens. I suggest that this New Creation, those called out to serve Christ, become a New Israel. In the introduction to his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, John Stott refers to Jesus speaking to a New Israel.

"Further, it seems likely that Jesus deliberately went up on the mountain to teach, in order to draw a parallel between Moses who received the law at Mount Sinai and himself who explained its implications to his disciples on the so-called 'Mount of the Beatitudes', the traditional site of the Sermon on the northern shores of the Lake of Galilee. For, although Jesus was greater than Moses and although his message was more gospel than law, yet he did choose twelve apostles as the nucleus of a new Israel to correspond to the twelve patriarchs and tribes of the old. He also claimed to be both teacher and lord, gave his own authoritative interpretation of Moses' law, issued commandments and expected obedience. He even later invited his disciples to assume his 'yoke' or submit to his teaching, as they had previously borne the yoke of Torah."

The book of Hebrews is very rich in making the analogy that the New Heavens and New Earth pertain to a New Creation. It is advantageous to study Exodus and Leviticus to understand, appreciate, and find deep meaning behind God's directions for the construction of the tabernacle, the assignment of the high priest and his sacrificial duties, the specific details about making sin offerings, and the death of Aaron's sons for offering strange fire to the Lord. Otherwise, we may miss the connection between the fading glory of the Mosaic system of sacrifices and the Greater Glory found in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

The change in the priesthood from sinful man to God the Son was monumental. Jesus is not just the high priest, but also the sin offering. Serious readers of the scriptures who begin by reading the Pentateuch (from Genesis to Deuteronomy) will come away with the importance of serving the Lord in holiness, without which the sentence and fear of death is a somber reality. There is also a compelling thread about God's holiness that transcends both covenants, from the beginning of time to the present. It is what makes Jesus the Firstborn of Creation, particularly the New Creation.

Contrasting the service of the high priest, especially that of Aaron, with that of Jesus is a day and night difference, as we read in Hebrews 4:14-16.

3 Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Leviticus makes no mention of the high priests sympathizing with our weaknesses. They also had to contend with their own sinful nature and the consequences of succumbing to temptation. Jesus alone was able to approach the Father and live, and therefore to sympathize with human weakness. This is the essence of grace: that Jesus alone was able to become an offering for sin, to pay a debt that no man can pay, and to rise victoriously from the grave to disarm the one who has power of death.

Verse 14 describes a high priest who was able to pass through the heavens. This is what happened when Jesus was received up into heaven by the cloud, as described in Acts 1:9. This was a defining moment in history, as illustrated again in Revelation 5:5, 9-13.

5 Revelation 5:5, 9-13

5 And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"

The New Heavens and New Earth in the New Covenant have become available to the Israel of God, people from every part of the earth who give Him glory! Putting all things on earth under subjection to Jesus is the goal of the mandate of the New Covenant, that is, to carry out the Great Commission. The goal of the Great Commission is to declare the gospel to the ends of the earth from generation to generation. It is not to force the return of Jesus. It is to make Him known.

The borders of God's kingdom conquest have been expanded from the Middle East to the ends of the earth! It is not a military conquest. It is one of grace. Grace is receiving the spoils of the war that Jesus won for us in heaven!

The peak of the Old Heavens and Old Earth occurred when Solomon built a house for the Lord, including the inner sanctuary (also known as the Holy Place) as described in 1 Kings 6:14-28.

15 1 Kings 6:14-28.

14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15 He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with cypress boards.

16 He built twenty cubits on the back part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling. He built them for it within, for an inner sanctuary, even for the most holy place.

17 In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits.

18 There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.

19 He prepared an inner sanctuary in the middle of the house within, to set the ark of Yahweh's covenant there.

20 Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold; and he covered the altar with cedar.

21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold. He drew chains of gold across before the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold.

22 He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. He also overlaid the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary with gold.

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

24 Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub. From the tip of one wing to the tip of the other was ten cubits.

25 The other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

26 One cherub was ten cubits high, and so was the other cherub.

27 He set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the middle of the house.

28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

Even so, the temple was only a shadow of things to come. When the veil of the temple was torn when Jesus was crucified, it signified the dwelling place of God ultimately transitioning into the temple of human hearts on the Day of Pentecost. The Ark of the Covenant had been God's old dwelling place at the intersection of heaven and earth. It is where God met with the High Priest annually to atone for the sins of Israel on the Day of Atonement as described in Leviticus 16.

The saints of God have become His dwelling place instead of the house that Solomon built. In the New Covenant, God said He would write His laws on our hearts and place His Spirit within us. God fashioned the inner temple of our hearts using spiritual cedar beams and gold. We are more precious than a house of wood and gold.

Israel was a nation that God called apart based on His covenant with Abraham and his genealogical descendants, specifically with Israel and its twelve tribes. One of the tribes, the Levites, was designated to be separated from the rest, but even within the tribe of Levi, there were hierarchies of the priesthood. Aaron was the first high priest, and his sons were called to succeed him in this role.

God was very strict about how Aaron and his sons were to minister. There was to be no deviating from God's plans - to do so was to be in rebellion. God slew Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu for offering strange and unauthorized fire in Leviticus 10:1-3.

3 Leviticus 10:1-3

1 Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them.

2 Fire came out from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh.

3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what Yahweh spoke of, saying, 'I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" Aaron held his peace.

By then, Aaron knew that he was to keep quiet. After all, he was spared after making the golden calf for Israel.

When David asked for the Ark of the Covenant to be returned to Jerusalem, one of the drivers (but not a Levite), named Uzza, held out his hand to steady the ark because the oxen stumbled. God instantly struck Uzza dead. King David's response in 1 Chronicles 13:10-11 was very telltale.

2 1 Chronicles 13:10-11

10 Yahweh's anger burned against Uzza, and he struck him, because he put his hand on the ark; and he died there before God.

11 David was displeased, because Yahweh had broken out against Uzza. He called that place Perez Uzza, to this day.

The ascended Lamb of God broke the seals of the book, allowing for the transformation to take place for the New Creation. When we examine the book of Revelation, we discover a continuity from the Lamb's ascension to the throne in chapter 5 to the portrayal of the Lamb by the river of life in chapter 22. It sets things right from the Mosaic Covenant to the Greater Glory of the New Covenant from the perspective of the Lamb.

John understood it in the context of the times in which he lived and how Jesus was bringing "these things to pass quickly" within John's generation as the New Heavens and New Earth were being embraced. It is something that started with Jesus' ascension and that continues to this day.