By John Thiel, Third Angel’s Message, study 14, mp3

In previous studies we have gone through the experiences on this planet, from the little season right through to the destruction of the wicked. The Holy Spirit imparts things to our inner being. The holy oil flows to the olive trees, into the pipes and into the candlestick, and then from the candlestick to make the lights burning. God’s people, the church, are the lights in the world in regards to the pure truth. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher of righteousness according to righteousness who is giving the latter rain, which leads the faithful people to be part of God’s kingdom and enter the holy city. This is exactly what the third angel’s message is empowered to do. As we have studied these last messages, we have seen the entire picture of world history right through till after the millennium. Now we will study life on the new earth to bring these studies to completion.

Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence [shall be] the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

This is a comprehensive description of the people who will be dwelling amongst the burnings of this planet. When the elements will melt with fervent heat and the whole planet will be one sea of smouldering burning the wicked and everything that is to be burnt up, the righteous will dwell with the devouring fire. They will dwell with everlasting burnings without being destroyed. These people will be protected during the time of trouble, and ultimately their eyes shall see the King in His beauty, but not only that, they shall also behold the land that is very far off. The cleansing of the earth is here described for us:

While the earth was wrapped in the fire of destruction, the righteous abode safely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part in the first resurrection, the second death has no power. {GC 673.3}

The other ones were destroyed in the fire, but these ones were not; they were safe, like Noah in the ark – God’s people in the city.

While God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a sun and a shield. Revelation 20:6; Psalm 84:11. {GC 673.3}

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin. {GC 674.1}

The earth is totally cleansed by fire, and what is left after these consuming fires which destroy the wicked but are a shield and protection for God’s children?

Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts.

When this fire has done its work, the only thing that is left is ashes. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth.

Said the angel, “Satan is the root, his children are the branches. They are now consumed root and branch. They have died an everlasting death. They are never to have a resurrection, and God will have a clean universe.” I then looked and saw the fire which had consumed the wicked, burning up the rubbish and purifying the earth. Again I looked and saw the earth purified. There was not a single sign of the curse. The broken, uneven surface of the earth now looked like a level, extensive plain. {EW 295.1}

In other words, everything is burnt. There are no mountains, there is nothing; the earth is just one level plain, because all has been burned and melted away.

God’s entire universe was clean, and the great controversy was forever ended. {EW 295.1}

When it is all ashes and it is just one level plain, what do we learn now? This is the completion of all wickedness, everything is clean. But do we stop there?

Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Now that it is all clean and purified, and now that there is no more wickedness, God will create everything new.

The same fire from God that consumed the wicked purified the whole earth. The broken, ragged mountains melted with fervent heat, the atmosphere also, and all the stubble was consumed. Then our inheritance opened before us, glorious and beautiful, and we inherited the whole earth made new. {Mar 351.2}

Everything is a level plain field, and then the words of inspiration say, Then our inheritance opened before us. God’s people who are in the city will actually behold God creating all things new. They are going to see how God created the world in the first place. They are going to watch Him create it all over again. They will behold this molten mass becoming a level field and they will then see God creating everything again.

We cannot imagine these things unless the Holy Spirit makes it vivid to us. The Holy Spirit is showing to us what God has prepared for us in His forecast.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. … 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can actually visualise the things that God is going to do for us.

Many have longed to penetrate into the glories of the future world and to have the secrets of eternal mysteries disclosed to them, but they knock in vain. That which is revealed is for us and for our children. . . . The Great Revealer hath opened to our intelligence many things that are essential in order that we may understand the heavenly attractions and have respect to the recompense of the reward. . . . {HP 366.2}

The unfoldings of Jesus in reference to heavenly things are of a character that only the spiritual mind can appreciate. The imagination may summon its utmost powers in order to picture the glories of heaven, but “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). The heavenly intelligences are all around us. . . . Angels of light create a heavenly atmosphere about the soul, lifting us toward the unseen and eternal. We cannot behold their forms with our natural sight; only by the spiritual vision can we discern heavenly things. Our human powers would be extinguished by the inexpressible glory of the angels of light. The spiritual ear alone can distinguish the harmony of heavenly voices. It is not Christ’s plan to excite the emotions by brilliant descriptions. . . . He has with sufficient distinctness presented Himself, the way, the truth, and the life, as the only means whereby salvation is to be obtained. {HP 366.3}

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can, if we have a spiritual mind, appreciate the things we are reading. Others may try to summon the imagination to picture the glories of heaven, but they can’t. The Holy Spirit is willing to reveal to us the things that we cannot see with our bare eyes, because our eye would otherwise be blinded by them. But the Holy Spirit can reveal them to us inwardly. It is because the Holy Spirit has shown us that we can venture prayerfully into this research to understand what the life on the new earth will be like.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

These are things we cannot comprehend and we cannot know, but He says, I am going to show you, Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Let us venture into what He has revealed concerning life on the new earth.

We see God creating this beautiful new earth, and the description given needs to be understood and appreciated by what will have happened to us physically. This is the first item we will look at:

Our Physical Make Up On the New Earth

Again, we cannot comprehend it with the natural mind or the natural eye, but under the Holy Spirit’s guidance we can appreciate something very interesting:

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

If you saw Him as He is now, what would happen to you? You would die. But when He comes we will be in a physical condition that will enable us to see Him. “We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

We will be like Him in physical state, because, as it says, our body will be fashioned like unto His glorious body. Here we have a clear understanding that the body that we have now, the eyes, the senses and the physical state, is not going to be the same. It is going to be a glorious body. We have a description of how the body is going to be altered:

1 Corinthians 15:35 But some [man] will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? … 39 All flesh [is] not the same flesh: but [there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, [and] another of birds.

The apostle is telling us of different flesh make ups here on earth.

1 Corinthians 15:40 [There are] also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another.

There is the body of earth, and the body of heavenly nature.

1 Corinthians 15:41 [There is] one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for [one] star differeth from [another] star in glory. 42 So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

It is a body in which there is no more corruption. Nothing dies in the body. At the present time your cells are continually being renewed, the old cell dying and the new one growing in its place. It’s happening every so many hours. Your old waste cells are taken out of the body and new ones take their place. That is a body of corruption. There is constant death taking place inside of my body. Hence the words of Scripture, that which dies is sown in corruption, but it is raised in incorruption.

1 Corinthians 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Our body will be a different material, so that there is no comparison.

Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. {6BC 1093.2}

There is a spiritual body, and there is a natural body. The spiritual body has substance that is different.

The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection every man will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry bones live. The same form will come forth, but it will be free from disease and every defect. It lives again bearing the same individuality of features, so that friend will recognize friend. There is no law of God in nature which shows that God gives back the same identical particles of matter which composed the body before death. God shall give the righteous dead a body that will please Him. {6BC 1093.2}

Paul illustrates this subject by the kernel of grain sown in the field. The planted kernel decays, but there comes forth a new kernel. The natural substance in the grain that decays is never raised as before, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him. A much finer material will compose the human body, for it is a new creation, a new birth. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (MS 76, 1900). {6BC 1093.3}

It boggles the mind, but yes, it is a body, it is not the same material, but you and I and every one will be recognized because we will be the same people. But the material is not a decaying and renewing material. It is a new material that stays as it is. That is one detail of life on the new earth, a complete and incorruptible body, a spiritual body.

The Land That God Creates

Isaiah 33:17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty:

With this new body and these new eyes you will see the King in His beauty.

Isaiah 33:17 …they shall behold the land that is very far off.

It is an eye that can see differently to how the earthly eye sees. That is an important factor. Your eyes shall see the land that is very far off. The people who were faithful are spoken of here:

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Here, as God has created this new planet in front of their eyes, they actually see a country. It is a country. It is a complete and better country, a heavenly country. All who have died in the faith have been looking forward to see the land that is very far off. They have been seeking for that country. “If they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country.” “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” The idea that is often in the minds of Christian people is that they are floating around in an ethereal world. No, it is a country. It is a real, living, beautiful country that is created.

In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called “a country.” Hebrews 11:14-16. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. {Mar 353.1}

This is a beautiful picture of crystal clear water, that you can look through, and the tree of life, and the trees, and fruits on the trees, and the leaves serving the people, and paths that have been prepared for the redeemed. God says, I go and prepare a place for you. This is what He has gone to prepare.

There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. {Mar 353.1}

Only imagine, you will be standing on the wall and God will be creating that in front of you. You will see the mountains coming up, the hills, and the plains, and the rivers all coming into existence in front of your eyes.

On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home. . . . {Mar 353.1}

There, “the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree.” “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; . . . and a little child shall lead them.” “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” saith the Lord. Isaiah 35:1; 55:13; Isaiah 11:6, 9. There man will be restored to his lost kingship, and the lower order of beings will again recognize his sway; the fierce will become gentle, and the timid trustful. {Mar 353.3}

These are things that we can dwell upon. That is the country we are looking for, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can truly picture this and let our hearts be warmed toward that.

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp [the snake], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den [a snake]. 9 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.

You will not have a single item of fear there. Everything is absolutely tranquil. No fear of snakes or of the wild ferocious beasts because the lion will eat straw like the ox. They will not do any harm there. Just imagine the situation of being able to be totally free from all stress of the physical nature around you.

Then we began to look at the glorious things outside of the city. There I saw most glorious houses, that had the appearance of silver, supported by four pillars set with pearls most glorious to behold. {EW 17.3}

I saw another field full of all kinds of flowers, and as I plucked them, I cried out, “They will never fade.” Next I saw a field of tall grass, most glorious to behold; it was living green and had a reflection of silver and gold, as it waved proudly to the glory of King Jesus. Then we entered a field full of all kinds of beasts–the lion, the lamb, the leopard, and the wolf, all together in perfect union. We passed through the midst of them, and they followed on peaceably after. {EW 18.1}

It is a beautiful scene. As you walk amongst the animals they warmly follow you. They don’t scatter, they come close to you.

Then we entered a wood, not like the dark woods we have here; no, no; but light, and all over glorious; the branches of the trees moved to and fro, and we all cried out, “We will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.” We passed through the woods, for we were on our way to Mount Zion. {EW 18.1}

This is the description of the country, even with houses in it. We have seen the country, now we look at the city. The faithful seek a city whose builder and maker is God.

Isaiah 26:1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will [God] appoint [for] walls and bulwarks. 2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

This description of the gates opening and letting the people of God come in is beautifully described in Early Writings:

Angels were all about us as we marched over the sea of glass to the gate of the city. Jesus raised His mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly gate, swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to us, “You have washed your robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in.” We all marched in and felt that we had a perfect right in the city. {EW 16.2}

With Jesus at our head we all descended from the city down to this earth, on a great and mighty mountain, which could not bear Jesus up, and it parted asunder, and there was a mighty plain. Then we looked up and saw the great city, with twelve foundations, and twelve gates, three on each side, and an angel at each gate. We all cried out, “The city, the great city, it’s coming, it’s coming down from God out of heaven,” and it came and settled on the place where we stood. Then we began to look at the glorious things outside of the city. {EW 17.3}

It was a city with twelve foundations and gates. Here is a song that Israelites sung:

Psalms 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.

These are the glorious things they sung of in that song. The Holy Spirit was to fill their appreciation and understanding of that holy city. In Revelation 21 we can read these beautiful things which are spoken about that city:

Revelation 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light [was] like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

As you look at this city it is like one precious stone. “A jasper stone, clear as crystal”: these are things that you have to let the Holy Spirit picture for you. A jasper stone is slightly reddish. It is a dark red. Yet it is clear as crystal. It is like light is shining in it.

Revelation 21:12 And had a wall great and high, [and] had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

We are now having a look at the size of the city.

Revelation 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred [and] forty [and] four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

12,000 furlongs is the entire circumference. One fourth of that would be the distance from here (Perth, Australia) to Kalgoorlie. One side of the city would then be over 600kms. The mountain goes very high, and it’s all a city. The city is shining with its beautiful, clear-as-crystal jasper light, and with all its foundation stones. In order to understand the size of the city we turn to the book Daniel and The Revelation, from Uriah Smith, where he sheds light upon this detail:

According to this testimony the city is laid out in a perfect square, measuring equally on all sides. The measure of the city, John declares, was twelve thousand furlongs. Twelve thousand furlongs, eight furlongs to a mile, equal fifteen hundred English miles. It may be understood that this measure is the measure of the whole circumference of the city, and not merely of one side. This appears … to have been the ancient method of measuring cities. The whole circumference was taken, and that was said to be the measure of the city. According to this rule, the New Jerusalem will be three hundred and seventy-five miles on each side. The length, breadth, and height of it are equal. From this language, the question has arisen whether the city was as high as it was long and broad. The word rendered equal is (isos); and … it may be used to convey the idea of proportion: the height was proportionate to the length and breadth. And this idea is strengthened by the fact that the wall was only a hundred and forty-four cubits high. Taking the cubit at about twenty-two inches, the length which is most commonly assigned to the ancient cubit, it would give only two hundred and sixty-four feet as the height of the wall. Now, if the city is just as high as it is long and broad, that is, three hundred and seventy-five miles, this wall of less than three hundred feet would be, in comparison, a most insignificant affair. Probably, therefore, the height of the buildings of the city is to be judged of by the height of the wall, which is distinctly given. {1897 UrS, DAR 756.3}

A cubit is from the tip of the finger to the elbow. A hundred and forty four times this, this is the height of the wall.

Revelation 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was [of] jasper: and the city [was] pure gold, like unto clear glass.

This is the kind of gold that the astronauts wear across their helmets to screen them from the space sun.

Revelation 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city [were] garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation [was] jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.

The light that permeates right through the city is actually the light of God. This is why the stones are glistening with these beautiful reflections. It is simply overwhelming when you let it permeate your mind.

With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes His faithful ones to the joy of their Lord. The Saviour’s joy is in seeing, in the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great white throne, gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold those whom they have won for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these still others, all brought into the haven of rest, there to lay their crowns at Jesus’ feet and praise Him through the endless cycles of eternity. {GC 647.1}

There is a society of people in that city, a society with a government. Here are the social exercises that God’s people experience there:

This temple was supported by seven pillars, all of transparent gold, set with pearls most glorious. The wonderful things I there saw I cannot describe. Oh, that I could talk in the language of Canaan, then could I tell a little of the glory of the better world. I saw there tables of stone in which the names of the 144,000 were engraved in letters of gold. {EW 19.1}

People get thrilled with having their names written down, like at the ANZAC memorial (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). Well, here is a memorial of a 144,000 people’s names written down.

After we beheld the glory of the temple, we went out, and Jesus left us and went to the city. Soon we heard His lovely voice again, saying, “Come, My people, you have come out of great tribulation, and done My will; suffered for Me; come in to supper, for I will gird Myself, and serve you.” We shouted, “Alleluia! glory!” and entered into the city. And I saw a table of pure silver; it was many miles in length, yet our eyes could extend over it. {EW 19.1}

These are different eyes.

I saw the fruit of the tree of life, the manna, almonds, figs, pomegranates, grapes, and many other kinds of fruit. {EW 19.1}

Here is the description of a social fellowship, people coming together to eat. These are all down-to-earth realities.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

On this new earth there are thrones, there is government, there is reigning.

Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

God’s people will sit on thrones; they will be kings and priests. They will have different governmental responsibilities. There will be an interaction of relationships on the earth made new.

Governmental and Social Activity

There we shall know even as also we are known. There the loves and sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages, the sacred fellowship that binds together “the whole family in heaven and earth”–all are among the experiences of the hereafter. {Ed 306.2}

There will be experiences of relationships in which the loves and the sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truest and sweetest exercise. Nothing will be marred by the corruptions of human relationships anymore. That is what many people are hungering for. They are looking for that perfect relationship of perfect fellowship; there it is on the earth made new. Besides this beautiful social interactivity, and in the midst of all this, there is perfect order.

The Order of Heaven

There is perfect order and harmony in the Holy City. All the angels that are commissioned to visit the earth hold a golden card, which they present to the angels at the gates of the city as they pass in and out. Heaven is a good place. {EW 39.2}

What do the angels do as they go in and out of the city? They don’t just go in and out wilfully. Everything is in order; they have a golden card as they go in and as they go out. Isn’t it interesting? There is nothing done without thorough order and organisation. Everybody knows the functions of each particular person by that which is in the card.

The Music

Psalms 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. … 7 As well the singers as the players on instruments [shall be there]:

Singers and musicians will be there in this beautiful society of heaven.

The prophet caught the sound of music there, and song, such music and song as, save in the visions of God, no mortal ear has heard or mind conceived. {PK 730.1}

It is music and sounds that only a sense coming from the Holy Spirit can actually help us to appreciate. It is music and song that, save in the visions of God, no mortal ear has heard or mind conceived. It can be envisioned to us through the Holy Spirit to appreciate this different kind of music.

Strains of music fell upon my ear, melodious, perfect, and entrancing. {LS 171.4} 

Melodious, perfect, and entrancing, it sends your mind into a beautiful sense of trance. Sister White helps us by putting it all into everyday terms:

I have been shown the order, the perfect order, of heaven, and have been enraptured as I listened to the perfect music there. After coming out of vision, the singing here has sounded very harsh and discordant. I have seen companies of angels, who stood in a hollow square, everyone having a harp of gold. At the end of the harp was an instrument to turn to set the harp or change the tunes. Their fingers did not sweep over the strings carelessly, but they touched different strings to produce different sounds. {1T 146.2}

You may hear someone play the guitar by strumming the strings roughly, or they can pick the strings. It sounds much more entrancing to hear the cords being plucked one by one in different positions. That is what the angels did with the harp.

There is one angel who always leads, who first touches the harp and strikes the note, then all join in the rich, perfect music of heaven. It cannot be described. It is melody, heavenly, divine, while from every countenance beams the image of Jesus, shining with glory unspeakable. {1T 146.2}

This new world is not just a place where people lull around enjoying the beautiful scenery. It is also an economy.

The Economy of Heaven

In our world today there is an economy, people are interplaying their monetary activities. In heaven there is also an economy, an interplay of exchange. This is what actually happens in the heavenly Jerusalem:

Revelation 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

This is what happens in economic circumstances; people in the fields outside bring their produce into the city, and communicate what they have gained from the country.

Heaven is a place of interested activity; yet to the weary and heavy laden, to those who have fought the good fight of faith, it will be a glorious rest; for the youth and vigor of immortality will be theirs, and against sin and Satan they will no longer have to contend. To these energetic workers a state of eternal indolence would be irksome. It would be no heaven to them. {Mar 350.1}

On this new earth there is no indolence, it is energetic work. From that energetic work there comes produce.

God designs that all shall be workers. The toiling beast of burden answers the purpose of its creation better than does the indolent man. God is a constant worker. The angels are workers; they are ministers of God to the children of men. Those who look forward to a heaven of inactivity will be disappointed, for the economy of heaven provides no place for the gratification of indolence. {Mar 350.5}

It is an economy that is active. No indolence is productive.

But to the weary and heavy-laden rest is promised. It is the faithful servant who will be welcomed from his labors to the joy of his Lord. {Mar 350.5}

If you produce something you like see the result and to share it with others. That is what will take place there. The activity of produce in that new country is described in Isaiah:

Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [in that] which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. … 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [are] the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they [are] the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

They will labour, but they will not labour in vain. It will be an economy.

A School

We are also to understand that on the earth made new we are still going to be educated. It is a school.

Heaven is a school; its field of study, the universe; its teacher, the Infinite One. A branch of this school was established in Eden; and, the plan of redemption accomplished, education will again be taken up in the Eden school. {Ed 301.1}

We are going to be studying the universe, and the teacher is the Creator of the universe.  Scientists of today who study the universe are but scratching the bare surface of it and are not understanding its realities, but we will be under the Teacher who created it all.

There every power will be developed, every capability increased. The grandest enterprises will be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations will be reached, the highest ambitions realized. And still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of body and mind and soul. {Ed 307.4}

All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God’s children. With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God’s handiwork. And the years of eternity, as they roll, will continue to bring more glorious revelations. “Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20) will be, forever and forever, the impartation of the gifts of God. {Ed 307.5}

We will partake in space travel. The world spends millions to go into outer space.

Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. On his right arm he bore a glorious palm, and on each leaf was written “Victory.” Around his head was a dazzling white wreath, and leaves on the wreath, and in the middle of each leaf was written “Purity,” and around the wreath were stones of various colors, that shone brighter than the stars, and cast a reflection upon the letters and magnified them. On the back part of his head was a bow that confined the wreath, and upon the bow was written “Holiness.” Above the wreath was a lovely crown that shone brighter than the sun. I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said, “It is not; the city is my home, and I have come to visit this place.” He moved about the place as if perfectly at home. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, “You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God.” {EW 39.3}

We will be able to travel to different planets that are inhabited. All this sounds too good to be true. But God is very emphatic as He explains this to us.

These Words Are True and Faithful

Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

God is true and faithful, and we need not doubt that what we have been reading is truly right. From all that we have been studying, we can be sure that all these things are real.

2 Peter 3:11 [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

We are to look forward to this and hasten the coming of Jesus. As people have delayed in response to the three angels’ messages, God has sent another angel, the Revelation 18 angel, to inspire us further. We will next proceed with five more studies on the subject of the fourth angel.

Amen.