Righteous Life, Eternal Worship

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

(Luke 22:28-30)

Another aspect of life in the new earth, as seen in this passage of Scripture, is its normality. In this passage, our Lord tells the twelve apostles of the Lamb that, in the age to come, they will eat and drink with Him at His table. Thus, we see that certain saints, including the twelve, will receive the honour of sharing meals with the Lord Jesus in the age to come. This does not mean that Peter, James, John, and the others will never share meals with other members of the body of Christ. Rather, it means that from time to time, the Lord Jesus will invite them to share a meal with Him. This brings me to my next point: all families on the earth will do the same. They will invite each other to their homes to share meals and fellowship with one another. In fact, families will celebrate various events together, such as weddings, baby dedications, and the dedication of new homes. Moreover, the saints will follow the example of Jesus. Recall that after our Lord was raised from the dead, He appeared to the disciples on several occasions, shared meals with them, discussed the things of the kingdom of God, and then returned to heaven. Similarly, in the age to come, the saints will visit the children of God within their sphere of reign, share meals in their homes, and fellowship with them. They will also attend weddings, baby dedications, and other events, after which the saints will ascend back to the heavenly city, just as Jesus did.

They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

(Psalms 68:24-25)

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.

(Psalms 149:2-5)

The first passage of Scripture quoted above describes the inauguration of the cleansed temple at the outset of our Lord’s millennial reign. In this passage, we see the saints celebrating with singing, playing musical instruments, and dancing with timbrels. The second passage also describes the saints praising the Lord in the New Jerusalem with dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments. Thus, we see that this form of praise and worship will be normal in the presence of the Lord as the saints and the children of God come before Him. However, in the age to come, singing, music, and dance will not be limited to times of worship before the Lord. They will also be employed when families gather for the various celebrations already mentioned. The dancing referenced in these passages involves all the saints joyfully dancing before the Lord. Similarly, when the families of the earth dance and sing at their various celebrations, it will be a communal form of dancing and singing in which all will joyously participate.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

(1 John 2:15-17)

Certain aspects of life in this current age will not be present in the age to come, as they are not of God. In this passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle John, informs us of aspects of this current age that are not from God: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Specifically, what is the Holy Spirit referring to? These include striving for wealth, prestige, fame, fortune, success, striving to be better than others in any field, and doing anything to draw attention to oneself for admiration. Thus, any activity in this current life that produces these aspects will not be present in the age to come.

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

(James 4:1-4)

In this passage of Scripture, the apostle James confirms what the apostle John wrote: striving after the fleshly pleasures of this life is contrary to the kingdom of God. Consider activities that produce carnal pleasures in this life, and you can be assured that none of those activities will exist in God’s new earth. Many mistakenly believe that the New Jerusalem and the new earth will be a place where all their fleshly desires and cravings will be fulfilled. However, this could not be further from the truth, for the eyes of man are never satisfied (Proverbs 27:20). Thus, there is nothing about the kingdom of God that the flesh would find attractive.

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

(2 Peter 3:13)

There will be a complete absence of sin in the new earth. In this passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Peter, teaches that righteousness will dwell in the new heavens and the new earth. Currently, the righteous (the saints) dwell on this earth, yet sin still persists, and righteousness does not fully dwell here. Only those in heaven currently experience an environment where righteousness dwells. We, who live on the earth, cannot fully imagine living in an environment with a complete absence of sin. Thus, only when God creates a new earth will righteousness dwell there, and no sin will be present. Even during our Lord’s millennial reign, sin will still exist on the earth among unbelievers governed by the Lord Jesus and His saints.

For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

(Psalms 125:3)

As mentioned, there will be a complete absence of sin in the new earth. Recall that, originally, the Garden of Eden was also free from sin. However, that changed when Satan entered the garden to tempt Adam and Eve. In the new age, however, there will be no danger of mankind being tempted to sin. In this passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches that God will not allow the sceptre of wickedness to rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous be tempted to sin. In other words, nothing in God’s new creation will tempt mankind to commit sin, for by that time, even Satan, the tempter, will have been cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.

Michael E.B. Maher

The End of the Age

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