How Many Times Does God Create New Heavens and a New Earth? Millennium? What Millennium?

     One of the saddest aspect to those who preach and teach God's word, is their inability to see the obvious, the plain in-your-face word of God, and what it clearly states.
     There are those who teach about a 1000 year millennium that is supposed to begin when Christ returns at the 2nd Advent, and ends as we supposedly see New Jerusalem descending to earth. The "Millennium" has been taught for centuries but no one, none of its adherents, ever state the purpose for this alleged period. Some say we (Christians) will reign with Christ for those literal 1000 years, ruling over Israel (some say it is an Israeli geopolitical kingdom ruling over mankind), and its purpose is to clean and convert unrepentent Jews to Christianity. Can you see the confusing doctrines that are too often integrated with what the word of God actually states.
     The first obvious clue to best understand this conundrum is found in verse 12 of 2 Peter 3:12-17, a group of scripture (see below) which clearly destroys the doctrine of "A Thousand Years" millennial period, which is detailed exhaustively in our book, The End Times Passover.

     Without going into this matter in great detail, we leave you with two groups of scripture that discuss the "new heavens and the new earth" in specific detail. Most Christians read in this first group of scripture (which speaks directly to the church concerning what it should be looking for) that as we look forward to the day of God, that day will include the need for us to look forward to a new heaven and earth:
      12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[a] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position, (2 Peter 3:12-17). [Verses in bold serve as another reminder that way too many preachers and teachers are distorting the actual word of God and instead are inserting man-made theories to benefit their respective ministries]

     However, in the following group of scripture, which most Christians believe does not happen until after 1000 years (The Millennium) has transpired, theorists contend that we don't see New Jerusalem descending until after the Millennium, a topic has been debated for centuries among early church fathers and reformers.
     This group clearly states that John (The Revelator) saw and clearly writes that he sees a new heaven and a new earth, and he also saw New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven, prepared as a bride (supposedly the church as many theorists erroneously deduce):
     1And 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. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away, (Revelation 21:1-4).
     The question begs to be asked: How many times does God create new heavens and a new earth?
     And if He does create new heavens and a new earth twice, can anyone provide the scripture to prove this?
      If God creates a new heaven and a new earth only once, what does this do to the 1000 year Millennial gap that theorists contend has to occur after Jesus Christ returns at the 2nd Advent?
     If you believe God creates new heavens and a new earth twice, please provide the scripture and also explain why He would do this twice.
     Many of you will counter with this and that theory, juxtaposing one scripture from one part of the Bible with another part of the Bible, as so many preachers do in their presentations; but, can they provide more profound scripture than is presented in these two specific groups to prove their point? Or, could it be that throughout the centuries, we (students of the Bible) have failed to read exactly what the Bible clearly states and did not recognize that the Bible tells us that New Jerusalem descends at the same time that Jesus returns to earth at the 2nd Advent?
     Or, as many theorists contend, are we to expect Jesus to reside at the Jerusalem Marriott for 1000 years, instead of occupying His rightful throne inside New Jerusalem as we clealry see stated in Revelation 21:5?

     Of course not. Jesus sits on His glorious throne and He begins to pass judgment by separating the sheep from the goats. This is an earthly scene:
     When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, (Matthew 25:31-32).
     Here is where much confusion reigns amongst scholars and novice Bible students. Many have taught there are two judgments by Christ. One is called the BEMA which they call the "Judgment Seat of Christ" solely for His saints. Why, if Christians are already saved, Raptured to Heaven, and have returned with Christ, is there to be another judgment scenario for them? To quickly clarify this point, in his commentary on Romans 14:10, David Brown (Robert Jamieson, A. R.Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871) made the following observations and makes this claim about the verse that states we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ:

“...stand before the judgment-seat of Christ--All the most ancient and best manuscripts read here, "the judgment-seat of God." The present reading doubtless crept in from 2Cr 5:10, where "the judgment-seat of Christ" occurs. But here "the judgment-seat of God" seems to have been used, with reference to the quotation and the inference in Rom 14:11, 12. (Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871, (THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE ROMANS Commentary by DAVID BROWN). [Underline is by the author, solely for emphasis]
     Can theorists or any other Bible expositors state beyond a shadow of a doubt that The Judgment Seat of Christ and The Great White Throne Judgment are to be distinguished as separate and apart from one another? To whom do we give an account?
     For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:11-12, KJV.)
     Are we to believe that when Christ returns, that Raptured Christian will not have to bow before the throne of our Lamb of God on bended knee, that we will not have to give an account of all the things we have done, nor confess with our individual tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord, solely because we have now been clothed with our new spiritual bodies, ready to begin ruling and reigning with Christ?
     This also is an earthly scene; however, most theorists contend the White Throne Judgment has to be conducted in Heaven and that it does not happen until 1000 years after His first arrival. And they cite Revelation 20:11, which reads "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them, (Revelation 20:11), yet this groups speaks of the old heavens and the old earth being done away with, something we saw happening in 2 Peter 3:12-17, a group of scripture we discussed at the beginning of this message, which deals with what Christians should be looking forward to before the 2nd Advent of Christ.
     Now, mind you, theorists claim this is a heavenly scene, which makes one wonder how those destined to be cast into the Lake of Fire got up to Heaven to attend their actual day of judgment and condemnation. Must be that same Rapture Shuttle bus every talks about.
     This could very well be a conundrum which scholars have dealt with for the longest time. many proferring a variety of explanations, quoting this verse here and that verse there. One of their biggest problems occurs when they take scripture out of context and try to attach it to these verses above to prove their theories.
     However, in this missive, we deal solely with the issue of new heavens and a new earth being created. Either God does this once (immediately before, during or after) the 2nd Advent of Christ or He does this twice. Theorists do not see New Jerusalem coming down until after a 1000 year period of time (The Millennium), which would require God to create a new heaven and a new earth twice. If He does this twice, where are the scripture to substantiate this theory, and why would He do such a thing? By the way, Millennialism has been connected to have origins with the occult religion of Zoroastrianism.
     Therefore, we ask, who do you trust? Preachers and teachers of various theories, or the exact word of God?
     All of this, once again, is exhaustively discussed and explained with corroberating scripture in our book,The End Times Passover. Click or cut and paste to your browser this link to read that chapter: A Thousand Years!
                               
Does New Jerusalem descend at the same time as Christ's return?

     For more information about the author's two books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation. To access the author's web sites and blogs, please click on Joe Ortiz