“And He Who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” (Revelation 21:5a)
As 2018 comes to a close, we’re all thinking about the new year. What will it hold? What new adventures will we have? Will this next year be a good one, or will it include tragedy? Will we meet new people, make new friends? The very idea of a new year is exciting. 2019 has never happened before; this upcoming year will be like no other year in the history of the world. New things are fascinating; a new year is no different. And here’s something interesting: we humans aren’t the only ones who like new things. According to the Bible, God also enjoys them.
At the end of the world, Jesus is going to return. He will reign over the earth for a thousand years, and at the end of that time, He will defeat the devil once and for all. Then, He will make a new heaven and a new earth. Those who have trusted Him as their Savior when they were alive will live with Him forever in the new earth. The things of the old world will be gone. There will be no more sin, no more death. There will be no more night, because Jesus will be our Light. There will never be an end to our life with Him.
Some of us may not like thinking about the end times. The whole book of Revelation is strange and quite confusing, and it can make us a bit apprehensive about what exactly is going to happen. But one thing is certain: God is going to create a new world. When God created this current world, He made us to serve Him. In the new world, we’ll be able to do that forever. The new world will be infinitely better than this one. It will never, ever end. No one will ever leave. No one will ever sin. It will be a perfect world—and God will be living right there amongst us. We’ll be able to serve Him and love Him for all eternity.
But not everyone currently alive will be in this new world. Only those who have trusted Jesus as their Savior will live with Him in the end. Those who haven’t will live apart from Him forever. Jesus—God Himself—came to earth as a man and died for us so that we can be with Him. Those who believe in Him will receive the eternal life He’s promised. We’ll still die on earth, yes, but one day we’ll be resurrected. Jesus is building a place in the new world for each of His followers. There’s plenty of space for everyone who wants it. I can guarantee you that you’ll love the new world. If you haven’t already done so, won’t you make your reservation there? All you have to do is believe in Jesus and take Him as your Lord and Savior. He’s waiting for you, ready to make you new. And that is infinitely better than a new year.