The doctrine of future things (2)

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Message God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and will dwell among His
people.

Contents The kingdom of peace

Satan is released once again
The Last Judgement
The new creation
The Ninth Article of Faith

Catechism CNAC-QA 575 (address in the lesson)

CNAC-QA 576–581 (background information)

1 Lead-in
What does the What follows after the conclusion of the first resurrection?
Catechism say? This question is answered in CNAC-QA 575 (please read together and
discuss).

Ask What significant events will take place in the future?

The following events will occur:

– Jesus will establish a kingdom of peace (Revelation 20: 4–6): the kingdom of
peace.
– the evil one will be permitted to tempt mankind one last time (Revelation 20:
7–10): Satan is released.
– Jesus Christ will hold the judgement (Revelation 20: 11–15; Matthew 25:
31–46): the Last Judgement.
– God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21; 2 Peter 3: 13:
the new creation or New Jerusalem.

2 The kingdom of peace

Ask How do you imagine the kingdom of peace will be?
Hint The teacher writes the responses on the board in point form. At the end of
this section, the answers are compared with the teaching of the Church. Any
missing elements should be supplemented.

After the marriage in heaven, Christ will establish His kingdom of peace. Satan
will be bound and thrown into the bottomless pit. The martyrs from the great
tribulation will resurrect and reign together with Christ and the firstlings.

A student reads “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgement was committed to
aloud them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness
to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his
image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.

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And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the
dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over
such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20: 4–6).

Explain The thousand years mentioned in this passage are not to be understood in
literal terms. They symbolise an extended period of time that is longer than a
human lifetime and that far surpasses the human experience of time. The Bible
passage makes no concrete statements about the kingdom of peace. What is
clear, however, is that this kingdom will be established on earth, and that evil
will no longer have any power during this period of time. Jesus Christ will now
exercise unrestricted power. This reign is not merely a show of power, and is
certainly not an end unto itself, but rather serves to implement God’s will to
save.

A student reads This time period can be illustrated with the following Bible passage: “For
aloud behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be
remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65: 17).

Explain With the establishment of the kingdom of peace, Jesus Christ will make it
possible for the gospel to be preached to all human beings—both living and
dead—without restriction. The earth will become the place of God’s presence,
and thus of His peace and the rule of salvation, which also incorporates the
unobstructed preaching of the gospel. The Bible says nothing about the
manner in which this salvation of Christ will be imparted to mankind, but
Satan will not be able to prevent human beings from accepting the gospel.
Nevertheless, it may be assumed that human beings will continue to be subject
to the inclination to sin, and that there will be a distinction between them and
those who participated in the first resurrection and possess the resurrection
body.

Explain It must be kept in mind that the kingdom of peace does not signify the
conclusion or completion of the plan of salvation, because it is only one step
on the way to the new creation. Thus the conditions that will prevail during this
period of time will not be perfect in every respect either. It is not yet possible
to describe how life—or the interactions between mortal and immortal human
beings—will be in the kingdom of peace. The only matter of importance is the
belief that salvation will be offered both here and in the beyond during this
period.

3 Satan is released once again

Explain The kingdom of peace will end when Satan is released and given one last
opportunity to lead mankind astray. All those who have accepted the gospel
in the kingdom of peace and come to Christ in the absence of any external
temptation will now be placed into a situation where they must make a serious
decision. The ultimate decision for Christ lies within their freedom of choice,
and must be made in the face of this onslaught of forces opposed to God.

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The time of the renewed activity of the evil one is limited in duration. He will
ultimately be judged and cast into the “lake of fire” (Revelation 20: 7–10). Evil in
all its forms will then have been vanquished forever.

4 The Last Judgement

Explain The Last Judgement is that event in salvation history when human beings will
be exposed before God in all that they are and have ever done. At the same
time, Jesus Christ will pronounce sentence over each individual, and this
sentence will signify either nearness to, or remoteness from, Him. There are
references to the Last Judgement in the book of Revelation

A student reads “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the
aloud earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I
saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.
And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were
judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up
the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his
works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake
of fire” (Revelation 20: 11–15).

Verse 11—“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it”—mentions
a throne and someone seated upon it. Even though it is not explicitly stated,
this is none other than Jesus Christ. The New Testament attests that Jesus
Christ is the Judge (Romans 2: 16; Acts 10: 42).

Verse 11 not only speaks of Christ as the Judge, but also mentions a
mysterious event that affects the entire cosmos: “… from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.” This
is already an indication that the old creation—that is to say, the cosmos as a
whole—will pass away.

Verses 12 and 13 make reference to the dead. All those who did not participate
in the first resurrection (Revelation 20: 5) will then be judged. No one can
escape the judgement of God. The words “small and great” are a reference to
the many different kinds of people in existence, the mighty and the powerless,
the rich and the poor. There is no place where anyone might be able to hide.
Not even the “sea”—as an image of remoteness from God—can serve as a
place of refuge. Even the realm of the dead must surrender its dead. All must
appear before the throne of Christ and all must stand before His face.

Explain In connection with the Last Judgement there is also mention of the books
according to which judgement will be rendered, in which the deeds of all
human beings—their faith and their works—are recorded. These books are an
image for the omniscience of God. The opening of the books signals that the
whole of each individual’s existence will now be fully exposed. The opened
books thus also serve as an image to express that the judgement of God is not
arbitrary, but rather that it is passed in accordance with the standards of His
righteousness. Those whose names are recorded in the Book of Life find grace

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before God in the Last Judgement, and will—like those who participated in the
first resurrection—become inhabitants of the new creation.

Verse 14 speaks of the end of Death, that is to say, of all powers that bring
death. The lake of fire—described here as the second death—signifies ultimate
and final remoteness from God. This second death likewise applies to those
whose names are not registered in the Book of Life.

5 The new creation

How do you imagine the new creation will be?

Hint The teacher writes the responses on the board in point form. At the end of
this section, the answers of the students are compared with the teaching of
the Church. Any missing elements should be supplemented.

The end of the book of Revelation (Revelation 21: 1–22: 5) speaks of New
Jerusalem and a new heaven and a new earth—that is, a new creation. The
new creation is neither a renewal nor a transformation of the old creation, but
rather something completely new. The focal point of the new creation is New
Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven. New Jerusalem is compared with
a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21: 1–2). The holy city is the very
core of God’s realm of glory. On the one hand, the image of the adorned bride
brings to expression the beauty of New Jerusalem, and on the other hand, the
close relationship between God and man.

The images for New Jerusalem are a reference to something unique and very
precious. They describe a space for which there are no parallels on earth
today. For example, the foundations of the wall surrounding the city are
adorned with precious stones, each one of the gates consists of a single pearl,
and the streets of the city are made of pure gold like transparent glass.

In order to clearly articulate the complete otherness of the new creation,

all categories and characteristics that once applied to the old creation are
expressly overturned here: there is no night, nor is there any further need for
a sun. There is no more want or need, but rather only abounding prosperity.
There is no pain, no suffering, and no more death. All imperfections and
hardships of the previous world are now a thing of the past. Every person who
lives in the new creation will be in a state of perfect bliss.

The expectations expressed in 2 Peter 3: 13 will now have become reality:

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new
earth in which righteousness dwells” (see also Isaiah 65: 17). The promise will
now be fulfilled: “He [God] will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.
God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21: 3). This king­
dom of God will be eternal, and then God will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15: 28).

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Workbook The confirmands do exercise A in the workbook. Here the Catechism in
exercise A Questions and Answers will prove helpful (CNAC-QA 550–581). The answers
are discussed and supplemented as necessary.

6 The Ninth Article of Faith

Workbook The confirmands do exercise B in the workbook. Put the various elements of
exercise B the Ninth Article of Faith into the proper order by numbering them. Following
this the article of faith is to be read aloud and copied out in its proper form on
the lines provided.

I believe that the Lord Jesus will return as surely as He ascended into heaven
and that He will take to Himself the firstfruits of the dead and living who have
hoped for and were prepared for His coming; that after the marriage in heaven
He will return to earth with them to establish His kingdom of peace, and that
they will reign with Him as a royal priesthood. After the conclusion of the
kingdom of peace, He will hold the Last Judgement. Then God will create a
new heaven and a new earth and dwell with His people.

Any open questions can be answered in a concluding discussion.

CNAC 2.4.9 contains a brief explanation of the Ninth Article of Faith.

The main points

I also want to … … have eternal fellowship with God in the new creation.

Homework Learn the Ninth Article of Faith by heart.

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