13: I Make All Things New – Discussion Starters
- I make all things new. Often a task assigned to young children at home is to “take the trash out.” Isn’t it true that most of us are looking forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ and seeing God and the angels working to get rid of the trash on earth? Do you ever wonder how all the deadly dirt and evil and sin can be removed? Our lesson this week begins with an all-encompassing promise, prophecy, and declaration of hope. What is that message? Explain the relationship of these future blessings to God’s equally thrilling prediction: “Behold I make all things new.”
- The wedding supper of the Lamb. Let’s accept the invitation to celebrate the wedding supper. But who is getting married? Should you and I even think about attending such an
event? Can you imagine lovely heaven-created garments of “fine linen, clean and bright” being provided for us to wear? Who gives those lovely garments to the guests at the wedding? The full exchange you offer at the wedding is that you give up relying on self in exchange for ____________ and ______________obedience to Christ. Discuss how we will choose this exchange at the second coming. - Armageddon ends. A sharp sword comes out of the mouth the rider of the white horse. What is symbolized by the sword? the rider of the white horse? “At one supper you eat, at another, you die.” What are the verses in Revelation 19 (verse 9, 17 and 18) describing? Which supper brings death? Which supper do you prefer to attend? Can you make a choice, or does God make all the decisions related to your salvation? What is that in the eastern sky? It looks like a man’s hand for a while, and then what? How will people on the entire round world be able to see Jesus coming? Or will they?
- The Millennium. Our lesson states that spiritual beings cannot be physically bound. Is Satan free to roam the universe at this time? What is happening during this time that has never been seen before? Where is Satan during the thousand years? What will he be doing? What about the wicked who have lost their right to eternal life? Will they continue their battle with God’s people? Why or why not? Then there are the righteous. How will they be spending their time? Where will they live? Are you sure of every belief you hold about what will happen during the Millennium? How important is it to know now what will be going on then?
- A new heaven and a new earth. Your lesson calls it the “home of the redeemed.” Why didn’t John seem to object to the lack of a sea in his vision of the new world? When we talk about “heaven” we have to be careful that those we are talking to understand “which heaven” we mean. Can you remember the three heavens we see throughout Scripture? (a) the sky up above, (b) the _______________ where the stars are; and (c) God’s holy temple. Knowing what you do about astronomy and math, can you calculate how far it must be to heaven and guess how long it would take to fly there at the speed of light?
- The New Jerusalem. What is the importance of the New Jerusalem to those who have been saved on earth? If it’s not too hard for you to do, draw a diagram of the city of the New Jerusalem with the assistance of a child or other member of the family. This time, at least draw a sketch of the perfect cube that will outline the New Jerusalem in heaven. Do you concern yourself with being dizzy in this tall temple? Do you wonder how people from earth can survive even a few days in that atmosphere? What are the main reasons people choose to wait and see rather than start exporting or developing useful products? What are some important tasks you feel will be our occupation once we make it to heaven?
A blessing indeed to our final lesson. I was reading the millennium only to start singing a song about the new heaven and earth,, only to see the topic entails the next day of the lesson. I felt good. Why did John fail to see the seas in the new home of the redeemed?
Hi Enoch:
John didn’t actually “fail to see” the seas. The text states there was “no more sea.” There are several possibilities as to why the vast waters we know of today are not longer in the new creation. The sea (in this case the Mediterranean sea in in view here) was a source of storms, a corridor of transportation of enemy forces, it provided great distances between peoples (John being surrounded by vast distance and depths of the sea), and it symbolizes incredible and unfathomable depths. Thus, the source of these fears is gone, signifying a place of enduring and unending peace. The great waters in Revelation has been the symbols of deception, unrest, war, disturbances leading to bad outcomes. All such are ended in the New Heavens and New Earth with there will be no more pain, suffering, dying as tears are dried in every eye. Hope this helps.
The “sea” in the sanctuary set up was the basin for washing, in the new earth we no longer need the burnt altar nor to be washed to be cleansed from sin because there will be no more sin.
In Rev 17:15 the many waters were the people who were fighting against God’s people and there won’t be any who are against God in the new earth