New Earth's Saved Nations

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

(Revelation 21:23-27)

Who will inhabit God’s new earth? Many would answer that the church will inhabit the new earth, which is true. However, as we will see in the next section, the church will primarily inhabit the New Jerusalem, not the new earth itself. In the above passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit reveals that nations of the saved will bring their glory and honour into the heavenly city of Jerusalem. These nations will live outside the city walls, not within the city. Who are these nations? As mentioned in the first section, they are the children of God currently in heaven. We estimated earlier that the population of children in heaven is between 20 and 25 billion—nearly four times the current population of the earth. This explains why God will create a vastly larger earth, as it will be populated with this number from the outset, and that population will continue to grow in the age to come.

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.

(Isaiah 11:6-9)

The population of the new earth will continue to grow in the age to come. This is confirmed in the above passage of Scripture, which describes life on the new earth. The Holy Spirit mentions little children, nursing children, and weaned children. Since Jesus stated that saints will neither marry nor be given in marriage in the age to come (Matthew 22:30), these children must come from the children of God currently in heaven, who will be blessed with offspring in the new earth. Unlike the saints, who will not marry or have children, the children of God will marry, raise families, and increase from generation to generation. It will no longer be an unusual blessing to see great-great-grandchildren; all will witness many successive generations born into the earth.

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. "No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

(Isaiah 65:17-23)

This passage, referring to the age to come on God’s new earth, confirms that the children of God inhabiting the new earth will multiply. God speaks of them bringing forth children and having offspring. Some are confused by the mention of a child “dying one hundred years old,” assuming it implies death in the age to come. However, we know there will be no death, as God has promised (Revelation 21:4), and the last enemy, Death, will be destroyed in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). The phrase “the child shall die one hundred years old” refers to the transition from childhood to adulthood, as Paul describes putting away childish things when he became a man (1 Corinthians 13:11). Thus, in the age to come, children will remain children until age 100, rather than 13 as in the current age. This slower growth mirrors the pre-flood era, when Genesis records men marrying long after their 100th birthday. Since every child born in the age to come will live eternally, there is no need for rapid growth.

To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."

(Genesis 3:16)

Childbirth in the age to come will not be painful, as it is today. In the above passage of Scripture, part of the curse is painful childbirth. In the new age, God will restore childbirth to its intended joyful experience, free from pain.

Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. "The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time."

(Isaiah 60:18-22)

This passage, referring to the age to come in the heavenly city on God’s new earth, mentions something about the saints that may seem confusing. The Holy Spirit states that “a little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation,” suggesting growth in numbers. Since saints will not have children, how will their numbers grow? The answer lies in the saved nations dwelling on the new earth, which form part of the saints’ inheritance. Scripture teaches that our Lord has made us kings to reign with Him for eternity. The children of God will constitute the nations over which the church will reign. However, not all saints will have the same level of authority; some will govern ten cities, others five, and some may start with a small hamlet (Luke 19:17-19). As these nations multiply, a little one will become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation.

"Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not laboured with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman," says the Lord. "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited. "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.

(Isaiah 54:1-5)

In this passage, “the children of the desolate” refers to the children of God, while “the children of the married woman” refers to the children of the flesh. The Holy Spirit, through Isaiah, confirms that the nations are the saints’ inheritance and that their “children” will outnumber those of unbelievers who rejected the gospel. It is estimated that over 80 billion people since Adam have rejected God as their Creator and Saviour, destined for the second death. How can a church of approximately 300 million surpass 80 billion? As the bride of Christ, the church will inherit the nations of the new earth with her bridegroom, Jesus Christ. As the population of the new earth grows in the new age, it will far exceed 80 billion. As an aside, the mention of inhabiting desolate cities refers to the church’s reign with Jesus during His millennial reign on the current earth.

Michael E.B. Maher

The End of the Age

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