THE HEAVEN AND EARTH PASSED AWAY

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The heaven and earth that passed away and the new heaven and earth.

When Jesus said that

 “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18)

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”. (Matthew 24:35)

what did he mean then? Did he mean that the “material” heaven and earth will pass away? If that’s what he meant, then he contradicted the Scriptures that teach “the earth abideth for ever”. But Scriptures cannot contradict Scriptures. Then what did he mean by those words? He was talking about a “different” kind of heaven and earth. These heaven and earth he was talking about were not “the material heaven and earth” but “the covenantal heaven and earth”.

Jesus said that “one jot or one tittle” shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”. Was he talking about “his words”? No! Because his words shall not pass away. He was talking about “the law of Moses” and “the Old Covenant”. When will the jot and the tittle of the law pass? When all be fulfilled, when heaven and earth pass away.

When did “heaven and earth” pass away? Or when did “the Old Covenant Law” pass away? When Christ Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.

Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Christ is “the end of the law” (Romans 10:4) for righteousness to everyone that believes. Through his sacrifice on the cross, he ended that heaven and earth of Israel. Since then, men are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). The Old Covenant ended at the cross. The middle wall of partition created by the Law between “Jews” and “Gentiles” was broken down by the cross of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:14-16).That’s why in Revelation 21:1 it was said

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

The first heaven and earth passed away. And now there are only “a new heaven and a new earth”. And there is “no more sea”. Sea divides land from land. Today, there is no more “sea”, no more “dividing wall” between Jews and Gentiles… or between races of people.

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent in twain in the midst “from the top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). Something happened to the temple. The temple was where the presence of God was. It was there he was communing with men through the high priest. The temple was “heaven on earth” for the Israelites. The veil of the temple that separates people was rent in the midst. It signified a spiritual message. That is, when Jesus died, the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles was rent in two, therefore there was no more division between people. And it was rent from top to bottom, meaning that there is no more a wall that hinders men to come before God. Since that time men have an “access” to God (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:18; 3:12).

In prophetic language, “heaven” is the dwelling-place of God (temple) and “earth” is the land/people of God (Israel). Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, God’s dwelling-place is no more “the temple” of Jerusalem for God “dwelleth not in temples made with hands” (Acts 7:48; 17:24) but “the church the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:20-22) where “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:11). And God’s land or God’s people is no more “Israel” but the church the “peculiar people” (Titus 2:14).