The creation of the present heaven and earth, is described in Genesis 1:3 to 2:3, and the second day's work is the

making of a "firmament" (Heb. "expansion" see margin), and this is called "heaven" henceforward (Gen. 1:8).

Isaiah refers to this character of the present limited heavens above us, saying that God "stretcheth out the heavens AS

A CURTAIN, and spreadeth them out as a TENT to dwell in" (Isa. 40:22). Here the word "tent" is the translation of the

Hebrew ohel used of the Tabernacle so many times that Young's concordance does not give the number of

occurrences, simply saying "tabernacle freq.". The heavens above us therefore were designed as a Tabernacle for

God "to dwell in", the tabernacle in the wilderness being but a shadow or type. Further, when God challenged Job

concerning the earth, saying:

"Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?" (Job 38:6).

the word thus translated foundation is the Hebrew word eden, a word employed over fifty times by Moses to

describe the silver "sockets" upon which the Tabernacle rested (Exod. 26:19). The present heaven and earth

therefore is likened to a Tabernacle, but the advent of sin and death at the very beginning made it unfit as a dwelling

place for God; THAT is reserved for the "new heaven and new earth".

We now return to Revelation 21 with added knowledge and this is what we find implied in the opening verses.

The new heaven and the new earth take the place of the present heaven and earth, created in the six days for the

home of Adam and his descendants. The original intention, namely, that this limited creation should be a temporary

dwellingplace for God while man grew in knowledge, was rendered impossible by the advent of sin. The cherubim

that were "tabernacled" ("placed" in the A.V.) at the east of the garden, and the Tabernacle in the wilderness were

prophetic pledges that at long last this dwelling of God with men should be achieved, and in the new heaven and

new earth of Revelation 21, we see its commencement. The whole wide earth does not become the dwelling-place

of God immediately, that is limited at the first to the New Jerusalem, and to the Holy Mountain, and it is the

privilege of the Overcomer and "The Bride" to be thus associated with this phase of the purpose of the ages. We

must therefore revise the set-out given on page 19.

"THE PLEROMA"

In the

The "Former"

The "New"

Then cometh

the "end"

The present

The new

Heaven and

Heaven and

God all in all.

Adam to end

New Jerusalem

of Millennium

to the end

Paradise lost

Paradise restored

Instead of placing the new heaven and earth over against the creation of Genesis 1:1 as we have done in the past,

the truth is that the new heavens and earth of Isaiah 65 and 66, of 2 Peter 3, and of Revelation 21, are a renewing of

the six days creation, and not a renewing of Genesis 1:1, the "Regeneration", where the Edenic conditions of

Genesis are more than restored, for in the former the Serpent found an entry, whereas in the latter he will be

removed from the scene. Let us keep every term in its right place and use "In the beginning" to balance "Then

cometh the end", reserving the new creation to balance the old creation associated with Adam.

We can well believe that some of our readers may feel that it is impossible to think that when the new heaven

and the new earth take the place of the former heaven and earth that such conditions as are indicated in the words of

Revelation 21:8 "... shall have their part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the

second death", could possibly obtain, and resort to some interpretation that severs the new creation of verse 1 from

the remainder of the Revelation.

There is however no legitimate way of thus segregating verse 1, and if the problem is insoluble, it will be far

better to acknowledge our ignorance than to handle the word of God deceitfully.