Yes, after a little break Bereans is back!
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Questions
Read the promise of the new heavens and earth in Isaiah 66:22. Did you notice that it says “descendant” not “descendants"? Who is THE descendant of exiled Judah? See also Galatians 3:16. In Genesis 13:15-16 the “seed” seems to be a plural in that it is a multitude. Do you see how Paul is reading Genesis through the lens of Isaiah! What’s the lesson for us?
Read 1 Peter 2:9-10. Do you hear the creation language, “out of darkness into his marvellous light”. What scripture is Peter linking to? V10 is a reference to the gentiles, with an echo of Hosea 1:9. How is the bringing in of the gentiles a reversal of Babel [Genesis 11]? Babel was a de-creation because of sin. Peter is speaking of the re-creation.
Revelation 21:1 says that the new creation will have no sea!? This is very disappointing for some of us! Reading on, however, Revelation 22:1-2 has a river of life that water trees whose leaves heal the nations and is a summary of Ezekiel 47:7-12 in which there is definitely sea? How else is sea used in scripture, e.g. Genesis 1:2? How about Exodus 14?
Have you ever flown over a desert? Suddenly you see these artificial oases where there is irrigation and vegetation thrives. Just add water! Life suddenly appears. How does this reinforce the Revelation 22:1-2 and Ezekiel 47:7-12 language? If we live in Cyprus the imagery is also very vivid!
Will there be marriage in the new creation [Matthew 22:30]? Will we be lonely in the new creation? What is the lesson we can apply now if we are single or in an unloving relationship?
Is it good to work to restore the creation? Repairing things, weeding, medical studies, science and technology. Will we run out of resources? Even now is the earth short of resources or is it being managed badly? Discuss.
The creation is God’s temple. How will the new creation glorify God?
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Experiencing Jesus' New Creation from the Bible Project is an amazing study from Colossians 1-3 on how we live out the new creation in the here and now.