164. The new Heaven and the new Earth

The new Heaven and the new Earth

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 164

Ave Maria series

164  How will the world come to an end?

At the end of time, God will create a new heaven and a new earth.  Evil will no longer have any power or attractiveness.  The redeemed will stand face to face with God—as his friends.  Their yearning for peace and justice will be fulfilled.  To behold God will be their blessedness.  The Triune God will dwell among them and wipe away every tear from their eyes: there will be no more death, sorrow, lamentation, or trouble.  [1042-1050, 1060]  110-112

Christ, by Titian- (detail) 1553, oil on canvas, Prado Museum, Madrid. …..164

Matthew 24:3-14:  As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be of your coming, and of the end of the age?”  Jesus said to them in reply, “See that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.   You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.   Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place.   All these are the beginning of the labor pains.   Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.  And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another.  Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold.   But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.   And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.

[1042-1050, 1060] 

THE HOPE OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

1042 At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal judgment, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. The universe itself will be renewed: --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

The Church . . . will receive her perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come the time of the renewal of all things. At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ.( Lumen gentium 48; compare Acts of the Apostles 3:21; Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:20; 2 Peter 3:10-13.)⁶³¹ –CCC

1043 Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, "new heavens and a new earth."( 2 Peter 3:13; compare Revelation 21:1)⁶³²  It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head "all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth."( Ephesians 1:10)⁶³³ –CCC

1044 In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men.( compare Revelation 21:5)⁶³⁴  "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."( Revelation 21:4)⁶³⁵ –CCC

1045 For man, this consummation will be the final realization of the unity of the human race, which God willed from creation and of which the pilgrim Church has been "in the nature of sacrament."(Lumen gentium 1)⁶³⁶  Those who are united with Christ will form the community of the redeemed, "the holy city" of God, "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."( Revelation 21:2,9)⁶³⁷ She will not be wounded any longer by sin, stains, self-love, that destroy or wound the earthly community.(compare Revelation 21:27)⁶³⁸  The beatific vision, in which God opens himself in an inexhaustible way to the elect, will be the ever-flowing well-spring of happiness, peace, and mutual communion.—CCC

1046 For the cosmos, Revelation affirms the profound common destiny of the material world and man:--CCC

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God . . . in hope because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay. . . . We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.( Romans 8:19-23)⁶³⁹ –CCC

1047 The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, "so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just," sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ.( St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 5,32,1:Patrologia Graeca 7/2,210)⁶⁴⁰ –CCC

1048 "We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man, nor the way in which the universe will be transformed. The form of this world, distorted by sin, is passing away, and we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth in which righteousness dwells, in which happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace arising in the hearts of men."(Gaudium et spes 39 § 1)⁶⁴¹ –CCC

1049 "Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human society."(Gaudium et spes 39 § 2)⁶⁴² –CCC

1050 "When we have spread on earth the fruits of our nature and our enterprise . . . according to the command of the Lord and in his Spirit, we will find them once again, cleansed this time from the stain of sin, illuminated and transfigured, when Christ presents to his Father an eternal and universal kingdom."(Gaudium et spes 39 § 3)⁶⁴³  God will then be "all in all" in eternal life(1 Corinthians 15:28)⁶⁴⁴  –CCC

IN BRIEF

1060 At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. Then the just will reign with Christ for ever, glorified in body and soul, and the material universe itself will be transformed. God will then be "all in all" (1 Cor 15:28), in eternal life. –CCC

JT  Christ by Titian