Introduction

† One of the biggest mistakes people make when reading prophetic language is assuming every mention of the sun, moon, stars, heaven, and earth passing away must refer to the destruction of the physical universe.

† But the Bible constantly uses de-creation language for covenant judgment.

† Isaiah used the same kind of language for Babylon, Edom, and Israel long before Revelation was written.

† The prophets described the fall of nations and covenant systems as though creation itself was collapsing because those kingdoms represented an entire world order being judged by God.

† The real key is timing.

† Revelation wasn't written to people thousands of years later. It was written to first century believers who were about to witness the end of the old covenant age centered in Jerusalem and the temple.

† Jesus repeatedly warned that all these things would happen in their generation, not thousands of years later.

† The language sounds cosmic because the judgment was covenantal and world changing, but that doesn't mean the physical planet was being destroyed.

† Scripture interprets Scripture, and when we compare Revelation with the Old Testament prophets and the book of Hebrews, the meaning becomes very clear.

Revelation 1:1

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

† Revelation opens by saying these things must shortly come to pass.

† The word shortly cannot honestly mean thousands of years later.

† John was writing to real churches facing real persecution in the first century.

† The fulfilled perspective takes the timing statements seriously instead of redefining them.

† If Revelation was mostly about events still future to us, then the opening statement would have been meaningless to the original audience.

† God gave this revelation to prepare believers for the coming judgment upon Jerusalem and the old covenant order.

† Jesus gave the same timeframe in the Olivet Discourse. (Matthew 24:34)

Revelation 22:10

10 And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.

† John was specifically told not to seal the prophecy because the time was at hand.

† Compare that with Daniel, who was told to seal the prophecy because the fulfillment was far off. (Daniel 12:4)

† Revelation was near in John's day.

† The phrase at hand means near, close, imminent.

† This destroys the idea that Revelation was mainly about events thousands of years later.

† The first century church was standing on the edge of covenant judgment.

† Jerusalem was about to fall exactly as Jesus predicted.

Matthew 24:34

34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

† Jesus couldn't have been clearer.

† He placed the fulfillment within the lifetime of his own generation.

† The word generation always refers to the people then living.

† Futurism has to redefine generation because Jesus' timing statements are so direct.

† Jesus was speaking to his disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

† Every sign in Matthew 24 led up to that covenant judgment.

† The disciples had asked when the temple would be destroyed. (Matthew 24:1-3)

† Jesus answered their question directly.

† The destruction of the temple in AD 70 marked the end of the old covenant world.

Matthew 24:29

29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

† Jesus used the exact same de-creation language found in Isaiah.

† This was spoken concerning the coming judgment upon Jerusalem.

† Jesus connected cosmic language directly to first century events.

† The fall of Jerusalem was the collapse of Israel's covenant world.

† Christ was ending the old covenant age exactly as he promised.

Isaiah 13:9-10

9 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
Cruel, with fury and burning anger,
To make the land a desolation;
And He will exterminate its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not flash their light;
The sun will be dark when it rises
And the moon will not shed its light.

† Isaiah used cosmic de-creation language against Babylon.

† The sun, moon, and stars going dark did not mean the literal universe collapsed when Babylon fell.

† This was prophetic covenant judgment language.

† God often described the fall of kingdoms as though creation itself was unraveling.

† Babylon's world was ending.

† Their kingdom, power, and authority were being removed.

† Revelation uses the same covenant judgment language because it was describing the fall of old covenant Jerusalem.

Isaiah 34:4

4 And all the heavenly lights will wear away,
And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll;
All its lights will also wither away
As a leaf withers from the vine,
Or as one withers from the fig tree.

† This prophecy concerned Edom. (Isaiah 34:5)

† Yet the heavens being rolled together as a scroll did not literally happen in the physical sky.

† This proves prophetic language must be understood covenantally and symbolically.

† The Old Testament established this language pattern long before Revelation was written.

† Revelation did not invent de-creation language.

† John was using well established prophetic imagery that the Jews already understood.

† The destruction of Jerusalem was the collapse of Israel's covenant world.

Isaiah 51:15-16

15 For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar (the Lord of armies is His name). 16 And I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'"

† This is one of the clearest covenant creation passages in the entire Bible.

† God describes establishing Zion and making covenant with Israel as planting the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth.

† This proves heaven and earth language was often covenantal, not merely physical.

† If God could describe the establishment of covenant Israel as creating heavens and earth, then the removal of that covenant system can also be described as heaven and earth passing away.

† Revelation and Hebrews are following Old Testament prophetic language patterns already established by Isaiah.

Deuteronomy 32:22

22 For a fire has flared in My anger,
And it burns to the lowest part of Sheol,
And devours the earth with its yield,
And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

† Moses used de-creation judgment language against covenant Israel.

† The earth burning and the foundations of the mountains being set on fire did not mean the literal planet was destroyed.

† This was covenant wrath language describing national judgment.

† Peter used the same kind of language in 2 Peter 3 because he was speaking about the destruction of the old covenant order.

† The Bible consistently uses cosmic language for covenant judgment.

Haggai 2:6-7

6 For this is what the Lord of armies says: 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord of armies.

† Hebrews 12 directly quotes this passage.

† Haggai said the shaking would happen in a little while.

† Hebrews explains this shaking referred to the removal of the old covenant system.

† The old covenant world was being shaken and removed so Christ's unshakable kingdom could remain.

† This confirms that heaven and earth shaking language was covenantal.

Hebrews 8:13

13 When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.

† The writer of Hebrews said the old covenant was about to vanish away.

† This proves the old covenant system was still standing when Hebrews was written.

† The temple was still functioning but was near destruction.

† AD 70 completed the removal of the old covenant world.

† The new covenant kingdom remained as the permanent unshakable kingdom in Christ.

Hebrews 12:26-28

26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven." 27 This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let's show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;

† Hebrews directly explains what the shaking of heaven and earth meant.

† The writer says it referred to the removal of things that could be shaken.

† This was the removal of the old covenant system.

† The temple, sacrifices, priesthood, and old covenant order were about to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:13)

† The unshakable kingdom that remained was Christ's kingdom.

† This perfectly matches Revelation 20 where heaven and earth flee away from the presence of the One seated on the throne.

† The old covenant world was being removed so the new covenant kingdom could fully remain.

† The focus is covenantal, not planetary destruction.

Revelation 20:11

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them.

† This is covenant de-creation language.

† The old heaven and earth represented the old covenant world centered in Jerusalem and the temple system.

† The same language was used throughout the prophets for national and covenant judgment.

† The old covenant age could no longer stand before the presence of the risen Christ.

† The temple system had rejected and crucified the Messiah.

† Judgment came exactly as Jesus warned.

† Revelation 20 fits perfectly within the first century timeframe given throughout the New Testament.

† This wasn't the destruction of planet earth.

† It was the final judgment and removal of the old covenant world.

2 Peter 3:10-13

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

† Peter was also using covenant de-creation language drawn directly from Isaiah.

† The elements here refers to the elementary principles of the old covenant system. (Galatians 4:3; Colossians 2:20)

† Peter was warning about the coming day of the Lord against Jerusalem.

† The new heavens and new earth represented the new covenant order in Christ.

† The old covenant world was passing away.

† The church was inheriting the unshakable kingdom.

† Peter said the day was near in his own lifetime. (1 Peter 4:7)

Historical References

† Eusebius wrote that the church fled Jerusalem before its destruction because believers understood Jesus' warnings concerning the coming judgment upon the city.

† Josephus described the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 in language so horrific that it matches Jesus' prophecy concerning great tribulation.

† Clement of Alexandria spoke of the transition from the old covenant order into the spiritual kingdom established by Christ.

† Lactantius used prophetic judgment language regarding kingdoms collapsing under divine judgment.

† Early Christians understood Jerusalem's destruction as a covenantal turning point, not the end of the physical universe.

How It Applies To Us Today

† We can trust Jesus completely because everything happened exactly when he said it would.

† Christ reigns now in his unshakable kingdom.

† We aren't waiting for another covenant age to arrive because the new covenant kingdom is already here.

† The old covenant system has already passed away.

† Believers today live in the fulfilled kingdom of Christ.

† Understanding covenant judgment language protects us from fear based end time systems that constantly predict the end of the physical world.

† The Bible is a message of covenant fulfillment, victory, and the completed reign of Christ.

† The destruction of Jerusalem proved Jesus was exactly who he claimed to be.

Q & A Appendix

Q: Does Revelation 20 teach the destruction of the physical universe?

A: No. Revelation 20 uses the same covenant de-creation language found throughout the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah used identical language for Babylon and Edom without the literal universe ending. Revelation 20 speaks about the removal of the old covenant world centered in Jerusalem and the temple system. (Isaiah 13:9-10; Isaiah 34:4; Hebrews 12:26-28)

Q: Why is timing so important in understanding Revelation?

A: Because Revelation repeatedly says the events were near and would shortly come to pass. Jesus also said all these things would happen before that generation passed away. (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:10; Matthew 24:34)

Q: What is the heaven and earth that passed away?

A: It refers to the old covenant order, including the temple system, sacrifices, and covenant structure centered in Jerusalem. Hebrews explains that the things shaken and removed were covenantal so the unshakable kingdom could remain. (Hebrews 12:27-28)

Q: What are the new heavens and new earth?

A: The new heavens and new earth represent the new covenant kingdom in Christ where righteousness dwells. It's the fulfilled kingdom believers now live in through Christ. (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-3)

Q: If heaven and earth passed away, why are we still here physically?

A: Because the passing of heaven and earth in these prophetic passages refers to the passing of the old covenant world, not the destruction of the physical planet. Scripture constantly uses de-creation language for covenant judgment. The old covenant age centered in Jerusalem and the temple passed away in AD 70, but Christ's unshakable kingdom remains. (Hebrews 12:26-28; Revelation 20:11)

Q: Did Jesus and the apostles expect these events in their lifetime?

A: Yes. Jesus said all these things would happen before that generation passed away. John said the events would shortly come to pass and that the time was at hand. Peter said the end of all things was at hand. The New Testament consistently places these events in the first century. (Matthew 24:34; Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:10; 1 Peter 4:7)

Q: Why does Revelation use such dramatic cosmic language?

A: Because the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was the end of the old covenant world. The prophets regularly used cosmic language when describing covenant judgment against nations and kingdoms. Isaiah used this language for Babylon and Edom long before Revelation was written. (Isaiah 13:9-10; Isaiah 34:4)

Q: What was actually removed in Hebrews 12?

A: Hebrews says the things that were shaken and removed were the old covenant system and everything connected to it, including the temple, sacrifices, and priesthood. The new covenant kingdom remained because it cannot be shaken. (Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 12:27-28)

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †

© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index

† Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:10; Revelation 20:11; Matthew 24:1-3, 29, 34; Isaiah 13:9-10; Isaiah 34:4-5; Isaiah 51:15-16; Deuteronomy 32:22; Haggai 2:6-7; Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 12:26-28; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Galatians 4:3; Colossians 2:20; 1 Peter 4:7

† Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 6; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 3; Clement of Alexandria, Stromata; Lactantius, Divine Institutes