Thanks for spending time to answer my query. I did actually look into all this end time prophecy as well as the tribulation and rapture etc.. No one can agree on what exactly is going to occur, so I gave up reading about it all and concentrated on the things at hand.

You might find this site helpful though just in regards to this new heaven and earth. It seems we’re not alone in that we don’t fully understand what will happen either.

http://www.gotquestions.org/new-heavens-earth.html

Good stuff!

Mike

The rapture and the second coming and heaven are subjects of much contraversy, nothing that I’m really keen to get into. Nevertheless, from what I understand from scripture, the first resurrection will be for those who died for the sake of the gospel and they will reign the EARTH for 1000 years, but there will be a holy city where the saints live:

[Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection].

The next few verses talk about it still being in the earth, and also about the city of the saints:

[Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them].

And then after the 1000 years there will be a new heaven and a new earth, with the city Jerusalem in it:

[Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband].

And here is the part that you were asking about, it says that the nations which are saved live in the city, and the kings of the earth will bring their riches (glory & honour) into it:

[Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life].

This would seem to suggest that there are still things that could defile or bring about corruption, but such things would not be allowed to enter the city. However, I might be wrong, as I do not in any means consider myself to be an expert in the book of Revelation. Anybody that can shed more light on this matter, please feel free to comment.

In Grace
Andre

However, I have one query. You said- Is eternity to be a time when those still living out physical lives on the earth will be kept in subjection by a divine dictatorship? (I’m guessing this is rhetorical)

My query- I thought when Jesus comes again to judge the nations that after he’s finished with that and after the rapture there would be a new heaven and earth. I’m just trying to figure out exactly what you mean here. Also I think I understand that we will be given an immortal body like the one of Jesus following his resurrection but will we be taken to heaven or the new earth? haha, either way I’m cool with it, it’s exciting but I wouldn’t mind having some clarity on this.

Thanks again Andre, another cracking article this week!

Michael (the guy with the huge bandage on his head )