The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 467

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHOBS. Ver& 1---4.-TAe new heavens and ea'l'th. The retribution of God has fa.Hen on the enemies of Christ and his Church. Death and hell, Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, have been cast into the lake of fire, The thunders of God's vengeance are b11shed; . the manifestations of his love to his redeemed now only remain to be tolcl. And here their ultimate and eternal blessedness is shown to us. Their abode and condition are described as "new heavens and a new earth." Let u11 inquire- · I. WHEREFORE ARB THEY CALLED "NEw"? The heaven, the earth, the holy city, are each called "new." Now, this may be because, in ~rt, they are: 1. Phyaica,lly -iew. We do not think this earth will be "burnt up,' nor the elements "melt with fenent heat," nor that there· shall be, literally, "a new heaven and a new earth;" all such representations we regard as metaphorical, and as telling only of great moral and spiritual changes that sbll take place. But in so far as this earth hM been marred and defiled, injured and degraded, by man's sin-as it has been-in that respect and degree will it be made new. The thorns and briars, the poisonous and hurtful herb~, and aU else that is significant, and the result of sin, will disappear; the pestilence will no longer walk in darkness, nor destruction waste at noonday, So far will it be new. There will be : 2. A new manf16'1' of dealing with us on tl,e part of God. This ma,: be intended by the expression on which we are commenting. For "heaven .and earth • is an expte8sion Ulled in Scripture to denote the dispensations of God. ·" 'l'hu11 saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth" (Hag. ii. 6). The prophet is telling of the whole Jewish economy, which was to disappear and to give place t.o another and better. So it had been in the past; the patriarchal gave way to the Mosaic, and that was to give way to the Christian ; and that, in itl turn, will give way to the new heavens and new earth-a new order of things between God and man. 3. And, aaaumly, it wlll seem new. For "no truth is more clear than this, that the world is to a man according to the state of his mind.'' To the voluptuary, it is a scene of animal gratification; to the worlding, it is a scene for barter; to the poet, it i.& beauty; to the philosopher, it is science; to the saint, it i.s a temple. Change a sinner's mind, and you change the world to him. He feela, atid sometimes says, "The world is a new thing to me"-" a new heaven and a new earth." And may we not, therefore, be sure that, to the new, regenerated, and perfect nature; all things will wear another aspect, the heaven and the earth will be as new? II. WHEREIN WILL THE NEWNEBB APPEAR? There will be, according to these verBell : 1 . .A ,iewness of absence. Much that we have known here we shall not know there, for they will no longer be. See the things or which it is here said they shall be no more. (1) The sea. It is the emblem of all unrest. Here there is, indeed, much of this, and it.s causes are manifold. But there, " no more sea." (2) Death. (Ver, 4.) Here it may be said, "death reigns." His might, past, present, or near at hand, ia scarce ever. unfelt. What a change, for there to be '' no more death" I (3) Pain. "Neither sorrow nor crying." 'l'hat will indeed be a new world where these are not. Here, where are they not? (4) Night Twice is it told "there is no night there• (ver. 25 and eh. xxii, 5), .As to the meaning of this, cf. homily on ver, 25. (5) Sin. (Ver. 27.) Here sin rushes as a raging river down our streets; but there, "there shall in no wise enter," ete. (6) Tke curse. (Ch. xxii. 3.) Here it is everywhere. On health and wealth, home and fnends, business and pleasure; for there is no one of them thas may not be a source of sore sorrow to us, and a very fountain of tears. Paradises are still ttimed into thorn-beds as of old. 'l'he curse does it. "I will curse your bleBB- ings.,. But there, no more. 2. And tMre wlll bs newnea in what is present ·Take only thoee opening verses as proof. They assure us of: (1) A new 'revelation of God. '!'he holy fity, the new Jerusalem-the place where of old God revealed himself- .. having the glory of God." (2) A new revelati<in if tM Ohunl,,. "Aa • bride &18· THE REVELATION OP. sr. JOHN: THE DIVINE. [mt llL t-27.