Hey Bob,
I heard that all the people now living could fit into the state of Rhode Island. (shoulder to shoulder no doubt).
Seriously though, Revelations gives us a good clue.
Revelations 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.
Would a new earth necessarily have to look like this one, or be the same in size?
Hi Joel, well thinking about it, I think the sea plays a very important part in this world... not that God could not change that. In the book of Revelation many things are symbolic and the seems to be the case with the sea. You can even see where people are referred to as "wild waves of the sea" in Jude.
Jude 1:12 These people are stains on your love feasts. They feast with you without any sense of awe. They are shepherds who care only for themselves. They are waterless clouds blown about by the winds. They are autumn trees that are fruitless, totally dead, and uprooted.
v. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their own shame. They are wandering stars for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.
Here is part of the LOF article number 13 'Who is the Beast?' and number 9 'The Lucifer Hoax and the Mission of Satan' where this is explained in more detail.
http://bible-truths.com/lake13.html ------------
SEA, EARTH, AND HEAVEN
There are three realms spoken of in Revelation: sea, earth, and heaven:
"And the angel which I saw stand upon the SEA and upon the EARTH lifted up his hand to HEAVEN, and swore by Him that lives for ever and ever, [for the eons of the eons], who created HEAVEN, and the things that therein are, and the EARTH, and the things that therein are, and the SEA, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer [no longer a time of delay]" (Rev. 10:5-6).
The angels [messengers] of God communicate things from heaven to both the earth and the sea:
"And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the ANGEL which stands upon the sea and upon the earth" (Rev. 10:08).
There are three realms of humanity and three realms of spiritual understanding. The lowest of all is the sea. Those with at least some spiritual understanding are those who dwell in the earth. And those who have the very mind of Christ are those who dwell in heaven. ALL REALMS will give honor and glory to God:
"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in thesea, [need I explain that ‘fish’ do not have the mental capacity to comprehend what is being taught here—these are MEN, MANKIND, HUMANITY] and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sits upon the throne, and upon the Lamb for the eons of the eons"(Rev. 5:13).
Is this not saying the identical thing that Paul teaches in Phil. 2:10-11:
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should BOW, of things [them] in heaven, and things [them] inearth, and things [them] under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
More proof:
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and[inhabitants] of the sea! …" (Rev. 12:12).
v
It is when John is standing on the sand of the sea that he first sees the wild beast come up out of the sea. Now the questions become: "WHEN did John stand upon the sand in HIS life? WHEN do we stand upon the sand in OUR lives?
Answer: When the spiritual house that we all build falls down with a ‘GREAT FALL.’ When (notice I did not say, ‘IF’)…when our spiritual house built upon the spiritual sand falls, WE ARE LEFT STANDING ON THE SAND OF THE SEA. We are only INCHES above the very sea itself—the masses and multitudes of humanity who do not have any knowledge of God AT ALL.
http://bible-truths.com/lake9.html ------------------
"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the EARTH [of man] and the HEAVEN [of man] fled away; and there was found NO PLACE FOR THEM… And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 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." (Rev. 20:11, 16 & 21:1).
It would be mind-boggling enough to think that the entire UNIVERSE could "flee away," but it would be quite another to then suggest that, "there was found NO PLACE FOR THEM." That would be absurd if taken literally. ALL THESE THINGS ARE SPIRITUAL! In the white throne judgment there will be no more a place for the flesh, for the carnal mind, for man’s heaven. There will truly be no place found for them. They will be annihilated in God’s"CONSUMING FIRE" (Heb. 12:29 & I Cor. 3:15)!
God will give man a new earth and a new heaven, and as for the great sea of carnal, God-defying humanity, "…and there was NO MORE SEA."
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I think revelaltion 21:1 applies only after God and Christ's body have finished their work of teaching righteousness to ALL of the people.
The new Jerusalem spoken of in verse 2 will surely not come down here while sin still abounds.
So this may be a place for a "millennium" if that is what will be after Lord Jesus returns, a time of training for all the resurrected sinners who have ever lived.
So, I think the New Jerusalem will be in the next age after the next age.
Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone.
v. 2 I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
There in Revelation it speaking of "New Jerusalem... a bride adorned for her Husband," this of course is the elect having joined with Christ at His return (the marriage supper) and it says what they are doing with Him is "coming down from God out of heaven." So the work of judging the world will not happen while the elect are off in heaven, but they "come down" to the earth with Christ. You can see Revelation 19 speaks of Christ return and the elect with Him.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
v. 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed
in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
v. 9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
v. 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
v. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
v. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
v. 14
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now go back to Revelation 21 and you will see that Christ and His elect with/follow Him and "will dwell with" the people here on the earth.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.
God Himself will be with them and be their God.
So I think that it is when Christ returns to begin the next age that the work of judgment, correction and teaching righteousness will happen right on earth with/among the people.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to 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 worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished(spurious). This is the first resurrection.
mercy, peace and love
Kat