Chapter 08 – The reorganization of heaven and earth.

A catastrophe like the Flood.

The effects on the planet.

The effects upon men.

The effects upon Israel.

Final note.

Table – World history: A week of millennial days.

The assignment to the appropriate time.

The Judgment of God with the reorganization of heaven and earth is the last event in the period of the "Day of the Lord". Chronologically seen, it follows right upon the Battle of Armageddon and is, in turn, followed by the beginning of the "Millennium", with the First Resurrection of the martyrs and the return home of the redeemed to the land of Israel.

(See also Chapter 09 "The return home of the remnant of Israel and the rest of the nations.")

(See also Chapter 05: "The Day of the Lord.")

A catastrophe like the Flood.

In the time immediately before the Day of the Lord, in the Great Tribulation, in the antichristian reign such a great distress came over the world and especially over the faithful, as it has not occurred since the very beginning of mankind. Now, on the day of wrath and the Judgment of God, the Lord brings the greatest catastrophe that had ever occurred on earth upon all godless and impenitent.

This catastrophe is comparable to the effects of the Flood, with the difference that this time – according to the promise of God (Gen 9,15) – no flood will come any more which will destroy all life. This time God will create a new heaven and a new earth by the reorganization of the existing world which has been devastated by men.

This reorganization must not be confused with the New Creation at the end of days. Whereas it will be there, at the "Second Creation" a "creatio ex nihilo", that is to say a creation out of nothing – in a similar way as it was the case at the creation of our present world, it is here a "transformation" of the existing things, but – in a similar way as after the Flood – from the point of view of man a "new world", too.

The necessity of this reorganization arises from the fact that man has not done justice to the duty assigned to him by God as administrator and protector of this Creation. As a result of ruthless exploitation man will do damage to this planet, its soil, its plants, its animals, and even its atmosphere in such a way that a further existence will not be possible.

The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they broke the everlasting covenant.

Isa 24,3 The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken is word. 24,4 The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. 24,5 The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. 24,6 Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. Isa 24, 3 – 6;

But the above text from Isa 24,5 – 6 makes us suppose even something more. The earth is not only desecrated by its inhabitants, but they transgress the law and alter the commandments. It becomes clear from the context that it is not any laws of the Scriptures or precepts of sacrifice that are meant here. What is meant here are the fundamental laws of Creation and the commandment not to alter them.

It seems as if we today, with nuclear fission, genetic manipulation, and clonation of forms of life, were at the beginning of a development, which in the last analysis leads to the fact that this "everlasting covenant" of Creation with its God is broken.

The precondition for the Millennium.

Even if still centuries may go by until that critical time – or just because of that – it is today already foreseeable that the insatiable avidity of man will withstand all attempts of common sense to put a stop to this development.

If therefore a remaining part of this mankind is to find a continuation in a paradisiacal Kingdom of Peace that will last for a thousand years as it is promised by the Scriptures, this earth, this heaven must be reorganized and "recycled". Everything must be turned upside down so to speak and the contaminated surface must be replaced by a new, unpolluted soil by worldwide earthquakes.

Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface.

Isa 24,1 Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants. 24,2 And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor. 24,3 The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this word. Isa 24, 1 – 3;

The seventh bowl of wrath.

A great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth.

Rev 16,17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." 16,18 And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. Rev 16,17 – 18;

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.

Rev 16,19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. Rev 16,19;

Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Rev 16,20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 16,21 And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe. Rev 16,20 – 21;

The LORD will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place.

Isa 13,13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger. 13,14 And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, They will each turn to his own people, And each one flee to his own land. Isa 13,13 – 14;

Heaven and earth will be shaken and removed.

Hbr 12,26 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." 12,27 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. Heb 12,26 – 27;

Heaven and earth will be worn out like clothing and they will be changed.

Ps 102,25 "Of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.102,26 " Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. Ps 102,25 – 26;

The effects on the planet.

A displacement of the axis?

The causes that triggered off this act of reorganization but also its consequences shall be examined more closely in the following on the basis of passages from the Scriptures.

The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard and it will fall, never to rise again

Isa 24,19 The earth is broken asunder, The earth is split through, The earth is shaken violently. 24,20 The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, and it will fall, never to rise again. Isa 24,19 – 20;

Although the description above, in Isa 24,19 – 20, is pictorial, since there is talk about the reeling of a drunkard and the tottering of a shack, these are nevertheless no "symbolic metaphors" as one would think, but it is plainly and simply the attempt to make this enormous natural catastrophe clear to us men and to represent it a little bit more descriptively.

It is the description of an event at which the world loses its balance and where its mechanism seems to come out of joint. An event of a similar form could have taken place already at the Flood. Also at that time this global catastrophe was perhaps caused by a crack of the pole and/or a displacement of the axis. However that may be, the releasing moment is in both cases the wrath of God because of the godless mankind. The Scriptures shows us again and again that God acts in his Creation always through his Creation.

An easy proof of that is Christ’s feeding of the multitude. The Lord could have just "ordered" that all of these people should not be hungry any more for the next two days. But he chose the other, more complicated way, but also the way that conforms more with the Creation, and made as much bread and fish available, that all people had enough to eat.

But in order to make the global connections here clear to ourselves it is helpful to take an imaginary observation point in the outer space, namely in such a way that we can see the earth in the size of a shack, with the North Pole being in the top position.

Then we can imagine that the globe – as Isaiah describes it – is first reeling like a drunkard and then tottering like a shack. In the original text it says here strictly speaking "like a roof for the night" – that is to say a provisional cover which the field guards had made up for themselves for instance in the cucumber field (Isa 1,8) in order to spend the night watch in the field. This was an extremely instable makeshift construction which started to rock even at the slightest wind.

Also the statement "that it has to fall" is then to be taken not only symbolically, for instance as the "Fall", although also that thought might be contained in it. But it is rather a description that describes us with simple but fitting words a displacement of the axis. The North Pole of our planet, that is to say the "roof" of the shack, will fall, that means it will move by an angle of 90 degrees and take a "horizontal" position. So the axis of the earth would be in the same level as its orbit round the sun (elliptic) as we can see this likewise at the planet Uranus.

And in order that with that also the question is settled if in the course of the rocking motions the earth could not reel back into its old position, Isaiah adds, "never to rise again". At the same time this also expresses that the earth does not disappear and/or cease to exist. As we read it here below, in Rev 20,11, we have to expect this only at the actual end of the First Creation – approximately a thousand years after the event that is dealt with here.

Earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

Rev 20,11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. Rev 20,11;

So, also this time the planet still continues to exist, but there are a lot of changes in the interplay of the cosmic and global factors of influence.

A water jacket around the earth as it was the case before the Flood?

Now, the interpretation of these events is important because they can be very helpful to us when it comes to understand the geological and climatic situation in the Millennium, the Kingdom of Peace that will last for a thousand years on this earth which follows upon this catastrophe. If the North Pole has a tilt of 90 degrees, the two polar regions are consequently in the equator line of the earth from that time on. The consequence of this would be that both polar icecaps melt away and that an inconceivably large amount of water would be released.

There has already been a similar catastrophe, according to the statements in Gen 7.

The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.

1Mo 7,5 Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him. 7,6 Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth. 7,7 Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark because of the water of the flood. 7,8 Of clean animals and animals that are not clean and birds and everything that creeps on the ground, 7,9 there went into the ark to Noah by twos, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 7,10 It came about after the seven days, that the water of the flood came upon the earth. 7,11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. 7,12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. Gen 7, 5 – 12;

All the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered.

1Mo 7,17 Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. 7,18 The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 7,19 The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. 7,20 The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. Gen 7,17 – 20;

The reliability of this biblical report is doubted by many, however without subjecting text and context to a closer analysis. So, again and again the question is raised where these inconceivably large quantities of water shall come from.

We find now in Gen 1,6 – 8 and parallel passages quite a plausible explanation for that.

God separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above.

1Mo 1,6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." 1,7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 1,8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.Gen 1, 6 – 8;

The heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and in the midst of the water.

2Ptr 3,5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and in the midst of the water, 3,6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 2Pet 3, 5 – 6;

At the beginning of Creation the earth was completely covered with water up to the highest elevations. In the subsequent text we learn then that God created a "firmament" within this water by separating these waters round the globe from the ground of the earth, so that a space free from water was formed between the remaining waters on the ground and the large part of the mass of water above this space – which we call today atmosphere.

(See also Excursus 12: "The Creation.")

This "separating" of the waters can be imagined in various ways. It would be conceivable that the water was "raised" up to a height of approximately 400 km. In this part of our atmosphere (ionosphere/exosphere) most of the satellites rotate round the earth today. The consequence would be that this water would have frozen to ice on account of the low temperatures and would have surrounded the planet there in its orbit as a kind of "protective shield" due to the low force of gravity at this height – similar to the Saturn’s Moon "Enceladus".

South polar region with   active fountains

ice crust   global ocean   rocky core

Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror?

Job 37,16 "Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, The wonders of one perfect in knowledge, 37,17 You whose garments are hot, When the land is still because of the south wind? 37,18 "Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror? Job 37,16 – 18;

However, the Scriptures teaches us that God always acts in his Creation also through the regularities of this Creation. And here the thought suggests itself that these waters quite simply evaporated as a result of extremely strong influence of heat of extraterrestrial provenience at the beginning of its existence, and that in that way a jacket of clouds was formed round the earth. This variant has, however, the disadvantage that such a cloud cover – even if one starts out from a height of up to 400 or 500 km – would not be able to hold enough water in order to explain the phenomenon of the Flood.

No matter in which state of aggregation this water may have been – liquid, solid or gaseous – this jacket of water, ice or clouds, these are now those waters which – according to biblical count approximately 1650 years later – at the Flood, fell upon the earth again in the form of continuous rain for forty days and forty nights. And consistently it also says then in the report about the Flood, above, in Gen 7,19, "The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered". So, the earth was again completely covered by water, as it was the case at the beginning of Creation.

As we read below, in Gen 8,3, in the following one hundred and fifty days probably the greatest tectonic movements and isostatic adjustments took place – for the most part below water. The immense pressure of the mass of water upon the relatively thin crust of the earth, formed new, huge ocean basins, lifted entire continents and displaced tectonic plates until the earth has reached the form in which it basically presents itself to us today. At that time possibly also the division of a central continent that was situated at the Northern and Southern Atlantic threshold, into an Afro – European and an North and South American part took place.

Therefore it can also be assumed that before the Flood the surface of the land in relation to the surface of the seas was much larger than today, and that a major part of the water in our present seas flew into these seas at the time of the Flood and that the ocean basins were "torn open" in this short time. (A scientific treatment of this subject can be found in the book "The Flood" by Prof. Dr. J. C. Whitcomb and Prof. Dr. H. M. Morris with TELOS – publishers, Scientific Series).

As we will learn then in Gen 8,3 – 4, the waters of the Flood decreased again after one hundred and fifty days, and the ark rested upon the mountain of Ararat.

At the end of one hundred and fifty days the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.

1Mo 8,3 and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased. 8,4 In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. Gen 8, 3 – 4;

Since a denial of the report of the Flood on principle is hardly possible any more today, as we know similar reports from the Sumerians, the Babylonians (the epic of Gilgamesh), and many others, the criticism concentrates on the various concomitant circumstances of this event. Thus, among other things, also the global dimension of the Flood is contested. Some people want to see here a locally restricted meteorological phenomenon at best. Now, this would be conceivable if this area were situated in a huge basin, enclosed by mountains, so that the "local" rainfalls could not have flown off.

But due to the mention of the mountain of "Ararat", in Gen 8,3, we know still today, where the ark was situated at that time. This mountain is a part of the mountain crest in the Armenian highlands which today belong to Turkey in their western part. While the tableland is situated at a height of 1500 to 2000 m, the mountain Ararat itself rises to a height of 5165 m. Therefore it is a physical regularity and from the geological point of view evident that if the water level – as it is described in Gen 7,19 – was above these mountain peaks, the water must have also overflown every other point of the planet that was just as high as this mountain, and that we have therefore to start out from a global flood.

Also the existence of the ark itself, which cannot be found in the other reports about the Flood, was often disputed in the past. However, there is a report of a reconnaissance plane from world War II, which flew over this tableland on its route and which caught sight of a rectangular, dark thing in the upper part of Ararat, which stuck out from the surrounding ice sheet on account of its straight – lined boundary. This crate obviously lay in an inclined position and stuck out of the ice on one side. It had a visible proportion of about 100 m in length and 20 m in width, with still estimated 50 m of the one end being covered by ice. The pilot flew several times over this place and could also take some photographs.

After the war there were some attempts made to rediscover this object. But as it seems, at that time the ice had probably melted deeper than normally on account of an extremely hot period of weather and therefore gave a view over the ark. In the meantime the ice sheet has again risen in such a way that it covers everything, and nothing could be seen from the airplane any more.

If one compares the dimensions of the object discovered with those of the ark in the Bible, one comes to the conviction that this object that the pilot had seen there must have been the ark. According to Gen 6,15 Noah got the order to make a crate of fir wood. The dimensions should be: 300 cubits in length, 50 cubits in width, and 30 cubits in height. If one converts the length of the cubit with approximately 50 cm (Eze 40,5), one gets the dimensions 150 m in length, 25 m in width, and 15 m in height, which would roughly correspond to the data given by the pilot from World War II.

But in order to come back to our original subject, we have to ask ourselves if the effects of the melting away of the poles due to the above mentioned possibility of a displacement of the axis of the earth could again assume such proportions as with the Flood and if we therefore have to expect a new flood.

But we are saved from that by the word of the Lord in Gen 9,14 – 15, in which he established a covenant with Noah and his descendants – that is to say up to our times and even furthermore.

Never again there shall be a flood to destroy the earth.

1Mo 9,9 "Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; 9,10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 9,11 "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth." Gen 9, 9 – 11;

My bow in the cloud, it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.

1Mo 9,12 God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; 9,13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 9,14 "It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,

9,15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 9,16 "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

9,17 And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth." Gen 9,12 – 17;

This "bow in the cloud" is, of course, the rainbow, and also here an interesting connection arises with the view described above of a water jacket in the atmosphere before the Flood.

It is perceptible from the text of Gen 9,12 – 14 that this "bow" was something completely new for Noah and his family. They had never seen anything like that before. But from that the conclusion can be drawn that there had not been any rainbow either on the earth before the Flood.

If we now take a look at the physical conditions for this atmospheric – optical phenomenon, we find out that a rainbow can be seen when the sun which is in the back of the observer shines upon a rain cloud or rain wall which is in front of him. Due to the refraction of the sunrays in the rain drops the white sunlight is dispersed into the spectral colors, and the reflection directs the rays into the eye of the observer.

So, the basic condition for the formation of a rainbow is the direct incidence of sunrays. If we now proceed from the assumption of a worldwide closed water/ice jacket before the Flood, there was translucent light on the earth at that time all right, but no direct insolation. And therefore a formation of a rainbow was not possible either.

Moreover, this "protective shield" round the planet before the Flood could also give an answer to another question. The statements of natural science about the age of mankind are in complete contradiction to those of the Bible. While the Bible allows the conclusion that man (not the universe!) was created about 5800 years ago, geologists calculate with 1 – 5 millions of years.

Arthur E. Wilder – Smith describes in his book "Herkunft und Zukunft des Menschen" (Hännsler Publishers, Stuttgart) [Man’s Origin, Man’s Destiny, Wheaton, Ill.: Shaw], page 119 and the following pages, the finding (with photograph) of a clearly preserved footprint of a brontosaur in the riverbed of the Paluxy River (Texas, USA) from the Cretaceous period (approximately 140 million years ago).

At a distance of some meters from that there are human footprints in the same formation, which therefore must have been produced at the same time. But with that the 1 – 5 million years of the geologists are obviously disproved. So, either man must have lived together with the saurians already 140 million years ago or the saurians only 1 – 5 million years ago together with man.

If we now take a look at the measuring methods of natural science, we find out that for instance the "dating method C14" – a so – called "short – time meter" for measuring the last ten to twelve thousand years – , which is used for the age determination of the finds of human bones and which thus forms the basis for the scientific theories about the age of the man of today, proceeds from the assumption that all living creatures absorb with the air also radio active carbon (C14) – that is to say take it up with their bodies – and are due to that in balance with the C14 – content in the air as long as they live.

When a living being dies, the metabolic process between the dead body and the air stops, and the radio active C14 which remains in the body starts its process of decay. The advance of this disintegration is measured then. If there is still a large amount of C14 left in the bones, the body has been dead only for a short time. If the residual quantity is low, the process of decay has been going on already for a long time, and therefore, the body has been dead for a long time. That means, much C14 signifies young age, little C14 signifies old age.

However, one has to mention that C14 is produced high up in the stratosphere by a bombardment of the air with cosmic rays. These rays react with atmospheric nitrogen and form radioactive carbon – namely C14 – which, then – in the lower layers of the atmosphere – is breathed in by all living beings with the air and is absorbed by the plants.

Proceeding from the assumption that the earth was surrounded by a water/ice jacket up to the Flood, which, of course, had filtered the cosmic irradiation considerably and might have even prevented it, the reliability of the above – mentioned dating method has to be gravely doubted and /or is not safe any more at all.

All finds of bones of living beings that died before or at the Flood – so for instance also saurians – would not have taken up any radio active carbon during their lifetimes because of the filter effect of the jacket, and would have thus a content of C14 of almost zero and would therefore be assigned an age of millions of years according to this method, although they died perhaps only four or five thousand years ago. This should at least make us think. And precisely this filter effect of the water/ice jacket as protection against the radio active radiation could have also been the reason for the amazingly old age – up to 969 years – , which those people lived who had been born before the Flood.

(See also Table 01: "Chronological table from Adam to Jacob.")

But we are still asking ourselves, how in the case of an assumed melting of the polar ice, the mass of water could be canalized without – as explained above – a new flood being caused.

Although the Lord has, of course, many possibilities at his disposal, to "do away with" this mass of water without doing any harm to men, especially one thought suggests itself – also with regard to the paradisiacal climate in the future Millennium ("they will sow and harvest at the same time"). It would be conceivable that the Lord directs this mass of water there, where it was before the Flood, namely as water/ice jacket into the upper atmosphere.

Bearing in mind that we have already now caused holes in our ozone layer in the size of entire continents, we can – knowing human avidity and unbroken recklessness in spite of all warnings – proceed from the assumption that immediately before the Millennium the earthly atmosphere will be affected in such a way that life on this earth will be less and less possible. Droughts, famine, and diseases such as skin cancer (ulcer) will probably be the order of the day.

Such a water jacket would not only keep off the radio active radiation from outer space and the heat radiation of the sun by our then unprotected atmosphere, it would also cause again the subtropical climate on the whole earth which is required for the climatic conditions, which are prophesied to us for the Millennium. And not least also here the old age would be explainable – again about 900 years – , which men shall reach again according to Isa 65,22 in the Kingdom of Peace of our Lord on this earth which will last for a thousand years.

(See also Chapter 10: "The Millennium.")

The following prophecies, in which the old sky of the earth – that is to say the old atmosphere – will vanish like smoke and will be rolled up like a scroll before "the new heaven is established", fit quite well into this picture.

The LORD’S indignation is against all the nations, and His wrath against all their armies.

Isa 34,2 For the LORD’S indignation is against all the nations, and His wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter. 34,3 So their slain will be thrown out, And their corpses will give off their stench, And the mountains will be drenched with their blood. 34,4 And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree. Isa 34, 2 – 4;

The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up.

Rev 6,14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 6,15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 6,16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 6,17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Rev 6,14 – 17;

The sky will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment.

Isa 51,6 "Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane. 51,7 "Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings. 51,8 "For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations." Isa 51, 6 – 8;

I have put My words in your mouth, to establish the heavens, to found the earth.

Isa 51,15 "For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the LORD of hosts is His name). 51,16 "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.’" Isa 51,15 – 16;

I create new heavens and a new earth.

Isa 65,17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 65,18 "But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 65,19 "I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. 65,20 "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. 65,21 They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 65,22 They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. Isa 65,17 – 22;

The attempt of some exegetes to relate this passage from Isaiah above to the second, the New Creation (Rev 21,1 – 2 and the following verses) fails because of the quite concrete statement in Isa 65,20: "… For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed." In the new, heavenly Jerusalem of the New Creation there will be no death any more, the less so will there be accursed in this city.

(See also Chapter 14: "The New Creation.")

So, the new heaven and the new earth of which the Lord says in Isa 65,17 that he wants to create them so that the former ones will not be remembered, is not the second, the New Creation at the end of days, but the reorganization of the First Creation here, on the Day of the Lord, before the Millennium.

All mountains and hills were made low and the ground became a plain.

And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Rev 16,20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 16,21 And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe. Rev 16,20 – 21;

In the text above, in Rev 16,20 we can then perceive another detail. All mountains and islands disappeared and were not found again. What does this mean now? We get the answer to that question in the following passages from the Scriptures.

The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD.

Ps 97,5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. Ps 97, 5;

Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low.

Isa 40,3 A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 40,4 "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 40,5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isa 40, 3 – 5;

For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake.

Isa 54,10 "For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you. Isa 54,10;

God wants to lower all high mountains and the everlasting hills and to fill up the valleys.

Bar 5,7 For God wants to lower all high mountains and the everlasting hills and to fill up the valleys to make them even with the ground so that Israel can go home safely under the glory of God. Bar 5, 7;

I will make all My mountains a road.

Isa 49,11 "I will make all My mountains a road, and My highways will be raised up. 49,12 "Behold, these will come from afar; And lo, these will come from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim." Isa 49,11 – 12;

Every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low.

Lk 3,3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins 3,4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ’make ready the way of the LORD, make His paths straight. 3,5 ‘every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low, the crooked will become straight, and the rough roads smooth; 3,6 and all flesh will see the salvation of God.’" Lk 3, 4 – 6;

So, all valleys shall be lifted up and all mountains and hills shall be made low so that the ground becomes a plain. This "making low" is not restricted to mountains and hills either. Not only all mountains, also all islands – for they are nothing else than mountains below the surface of the water – are shifted from their respective place. So, the whole surface of the earth will be plain and flat.

All the land will be changed into a plain.

Zech 14,10 All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. Zech 14,10;

God lowers all high mountains and hills and fills up the valleys to make them even with the ground.

Bar 5,7 For God wants to lower all high mountains and the everlasting hills and to fill up the valleys to make them even with the ground so that Israel can go home safely under the glory of God. Bar 5, 7;

Jerusalem in the far north?

But this leap of the pole and this displacement of the axis explain also other connections which are otherwise only hard to understand. So we read for instance in the Psalms

Beautiful in elevation is Mount Zion in the far north.

Ps 48,2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King. 48,3 God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold. Ps 48, 2 – 3;

Well, we know that Zion means Jerusalem. However, the statements "in the north" and "far" are not understandable if one starts out from the present geographical location of Israel and Jerusalem. The alternative would be that the observer would stand deep in the south and thus see Jerusalem "far in the north". This is, however, unlikely because the southern hemisphere is never mentioned in the Scriptures and the standpoint of the beholder, as it is almost always the case in the Scriptures, is also to be supposed in Israel. The possibility of a "transfer" of Mount Zion alone to the far north, is to be excluded, too, on account of the above passage from the Scriptures Zech 14,10 "But Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site".

If, however, one takes into account a displacement of the axis along the meridian on which Israel is located, Israel would – more or less – come to lie near the place where the North Pole is lying now, that is to say far up in the north. In that way Jerusalem would remain on its "site" and nevertheless lie far in the north. Due to the insulating effect of a water/ice jacket there would be a subtropical climate worldwide – and therefore also far in the north.

The earth will be shaken from its place.

But as it seems, we are not only confronted with a displacement of the axis, but in addition to that also with a change of the ecliptic of the earth, that is to say an alteration of the orbit of the planet round the sun.

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place.

Isa 13,13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger. Isa 13,13;

So, the earth will also be shaken from its "place". This correction of the orbit round the sun might be necessary in order to increase the heat effect for instance with a shorter orbit, that is to say an orbit that is closer to the sun or the other way round. In the first case the evaporation of the mass of water would be accelerated by that in the transition period and an increased rise of the sea level would be prevented.

The topicality of this presumption is proved by a concrete study of German researchers (1999), who report to have discovered the cause for the formation of the Sahara. According to them a change of the earth’s orbit about 5000 years ago is responsible for the formation of the desert. And here the Christians who are well versed in the Bible of course think of the Flood in 2103 B.C. In this connection it remains, however, open if this development could have been a precondition or the consequence of the Flood or both.

In the above passage from the Scriptures Isa 13,13 we also see the actual cause for these global changes. The Lord wants to "make the heavens tremble and the earth shake". Hints at this worldwide earthquake can be found throughout the whole Scriptures.

Once more I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

Hag 2,6 "For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. Hag 2, 6;

Heaven and earth – the created things – will be shaken and removed.

Hbr 12,26 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." 12,27 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. Heb 12,26 – 27;

The effects upon men.

Everything that is proud and lofty may be abased, but in Zion there will be those who escape.

Also the effects of these catastrophes upon men can be discovered in some passages from the Scriptures. Everything that is proud and lofty (Isa 2,12), that is to say buildings, skyscrapers, walls, high trees, cedars, oaks, but also people in high positions (Isa 2,11), no matter if they hold political or economic positions, and in particular, of course, all dictators and despots, will be abased.

For us it is very enlightening to see that for God everything proud and lofty is equally condemnable. And it makes no difference if this description is made of mountains, trees, buildings or men. Since the building of the Tower of Babel man has tried to equal God. Almost everything that mankind "created" was done without God, in many cases even against God. But now, on the Day of the Lord, it will become apparent that all these works of men cannot withstand God the Almighty. And everyone who survives will be glad and happy that he was able to escape with his bare life.

A day of reckoning against everything that is proud and lofty, that it may be abased.

Isa 2,10 Enter the rock and hide in the dust From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty. 2,11 The proud look of man will be abased And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

2,12 For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everything that is proud and lofty And against everything that is lifted up, That it may be abased. 2,13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan, 2,14 Against all the lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up, Isa 2,10 – 14;

I will shake the heavens and the earth and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.

Hag 2,21 "Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 2,22 ‘ I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’ Hag 2,21 – 22 ;

Terror and pit and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth.

Isa 24,17 Terror and pit and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth. 24,18 Then it will be that he who flees the report of disaster will fall into the pit, And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake. Isa 24,17 – 18;

And the inhabitants of the earth will die like gnats.

Isa 51,6 "Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die like gnats; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane. Isa 51, 6;

Those who escape among men.

In the two prophecies below, Ps 102,28 and Ob 1,17, we also find out a further detail. While heaven and earth are transformed and changed like clothing, and while the godless and impenitent will perish like gnats (Isa 51,6), the servants of God – that is to say their descendants – will remain living and therefore not die either. And on Mount Zion there will be those who escape.

Heaven and earth will be worn out like clothing and they will be changed.

Ps 102,25 "Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 102,26 "Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. Ps 102,25 – 26;

The children of Your servants will continue.

Ps 102,27 "But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end. 102,28 "The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You." Ps 102,27 – 28;

But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, and it will be holy.

Ob 1,15 "For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head. 1,16 "Because just as you drank on My holy mountain, All the nations will drink continually. They will drink and swallow And become as if they had never existed. 1,17 "But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, And it will be holy. And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions. Ob 1,15 – 17;

But the LORD is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.

Joel 3,14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 3,15 The sun and moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness. 3,16 The LORD roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel. Joel 3,14 – 16;

Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered.

Joel 2, 31 "The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 2,32 And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. Joel 2,31 – 32;

But also those who do not belong to the "sons of his servants" are given a last chance by the Lord to convert to him and to be delivered from this catastrophe. "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered".

Is there anything easier than calling on the name of the Lord in this great danger? According to that one could assume that very many people will survive the day of wrath of God – this time of catastrophes. But let us not underestimate the maliciousness, stubbornness, and arrogance of man. The attitude: "And now all the more" and also the exaggerated opinion of ourselves: "We will be able to manage that anyway", "It will not be as bad as all that".

In the final analysis, this calling on the Lord also has the consequence of doing him honor. Also after the catastrophe. And of admitting to oneself that one was not only incapable of saving oneself but that one also had the wrong attitude and the wrong "gods" throughout one’s life.

The effects upon Israel.

Jerusalem will remain on its site and will be lying on Mount Zion far in the north.

But this global earthquake also causes some other geological changes on our planet. So, we learn from Zech 14,10 not only that the entire land will be turned into a plain (especially Israel is meant here), but also – as already explained above – that Jerusalem will end up lying high (on a high mountain) and will remain on its site in Israel. And that the entire land would then to be located in the upper north – possibly due to the displacement of the planet.

The Mount Zion will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills.

Isa 2,2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. Isa 2, 2;

Mi 4,1 And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it. Mi 4, 1;

Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion.

Isa 40,9 Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" Isa 40, 9;

Beautiful in elevation, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King..

Ps 48,1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. 48,2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King.. Ps 48, 1 – 2;

That means as a result of the earthquake at this catastrophe the city of Jerusalem – that is to say Zion – will be raised up on a high mountain, the highest and perhaps only one of the new, reorganized world.

The ransomed will return home and come to Zion.

With full justification one can ask oneself now: If the godless have to die, the descendants of the servants of God live safely in Jerusalem, and there is deliverance in Zion, what happens then with the many other faithful? If they are Jews or Christians is then not relevant any more, for in and after this catastrophe all of them will worship the one and only God and his son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. So, what happens to those faithful, who are not in Zion in these days of the future?

Also here the Scriptures give us a clear answer. And we find that answer again in Isaiah chapter 51, from which we have already learned above that heaven and earth will pass away (Isa 51,6) and that the Lord will establish the heavens anew and found the earth (Isa 51,16).

So the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion.

Isa 51,9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon? 51,10 Was it not You who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over?

51,11 So the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

51,12 "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, 51,13 That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?

51,14 "The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. Isa 51, 9 – 14;

The verse Isa 51,10 refers to the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt and the dry – shod crossing of the sea. Just as God cleared the way through the water for his people at that time, also this time the ransomed will come to Zion.

So, the Lord gives "safe conduct" to his children. This is also proved by the following passages from the Scriptures.

The LORD did not create the earth as a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited.

Isa 45,17 Israel has been saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; You will not be put to shame or humiliated To all eternity. 45,18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else. 45,19 "I have not spoken in secret, In some dark land; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a waste place’ I, the LORD, speak righteousness, Declaring things that are upright. Isa 45,17 – 19;

As a shepherd cares for his herd, so I will care for My sheep.

Eze 34,11 For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 34,12 "As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 34,13 "I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.

34,14 "I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 34,15 "I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord GOD. Eze 34,11 – 15;

The herd of the Lord: all faithful in Christ.

Now we must not understand only the people of Israel any more by the "herd of the Lord". It is all faithful in Christ whom the Lord will take home as his ransomed. Even if today – on account of the historical development – one thinks in the first place of the Jews when one hears the concept of the "gathering and repatriation", there will not be any difference any more then between faithful Jews and Christians. They will be all one people of faithful in Christ and the Messiah.

And – even if it may sound strange – then it will apply to the Christians what we today rather know from the Jews: the faithful in Christ will be in the "Diaspora", in the dispersion. They will be spread all over this reorganized world – depending on where their old homeland was – and will wait ardently after all the catastrophes that their Lord "takes them home" to his land, to his city, to their new home town to Jerusalem.

This connection is also confirmed to us by the Lord himself in Jn 10,14 – 16.

I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

Jn 10,14 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 10,15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 10,16 "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. Jn 10,14 – 16;

But we do not only learn that the Lord will lead the ransomed to Zion, we also learn how that shall happen.

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

Isa 45,20 "Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations; They have no knowledge, Who carry about their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save. 45,21 "Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. 45,22 "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. Isa 45,20 – 22;

Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people.

Zech 2,10 "Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD. 2,11 "Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. Zech 2,10 – 11;

I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and I will be their God.

Zech 8,7 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8,8 and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’ Zech 8, 7 – 8;

And they will pass through the sea in distress He will strike the waves in the sea.

Zech 10,11 "And they will pass through the sea in distress and He will strike the waves in the sea, so that all the depths of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down And the scepter of Egypt will depart. 10,12 "And I will strengthen them in the LORD, And in His name they will walk," declares the LORD. Zech 10,11 – 12;

The redeemed of the Lord will walk home to Israel on a straight path.

And finally we also discover in the following texts one of the reasons why the Lord had made the land plain. After the worldwide catastrophes there will not be any vehicles any more. And if nevertheless a car should have remained undamaged somewhere, there will not be any fuel for its operation. Also the subterranean oil deposits will be exploded as a result of the tremendous earthquakes and therefore there will not be any other possibilities left than moving along on foot or on the back of riding animals or by means of carts drawn by animals at best.

Therefore the Lord promises that all obstacles shall be removed from the path for the redeemed of the Lord when they return home to Israel. With this event of the return of the redeemed to Israel we are already at the beginning of the Millennium, the Kingdom of Peace of Jesus Christ which will last for a thousand years.

I will make them walk on a straight path in which they will not stumble.

Jer 31,9 "With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn." Jer 31, 9;

Clear the way for the people, build up the highway for the redeemed of the LORD.

Isa 62,10 Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples.

62,11 Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him." 62,12 And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken." Isa 62,10 – 12;

Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.

Isa 51,14 And it will be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people." 41,15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. Isa 57,14 – 15;

The Highway of Holiness is the road of the redeemed.

A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness.

Isa 35,3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. 35,4 Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you." 35,5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 35,6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. 35,7 The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. 35,8 A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. 35,9 No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, 35,10 And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isa 35, 3 – 10;

Prepare the way, remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.

Isa 57,14 And it will be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people." Isa 57,14;

And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD".

Isa 62,10 Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples. 62,11 Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him." 62,12 And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken." Isa 62,10 – 12;

When they are walking through the sea in fear, the Lord will beat the waves in the sea so that all depths of the water will dry up. And there will be a "roadway", a large, wide, and long plain which will be called "the Highway of Holiness". It will be the safest road of the world. Only the redeemed are allowed to walk on it. No unclean men and no wild animals. So, the redeemed will come to Zion with joyful shouting. And they will be seized with gladness and joy. This is now the moment when the Millennium, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus that will last for a thousand years begins.

(See also Discourse 63: "Conditions of life in the Millennium / Millennial Kingdom.".)

And now we can also recognize what the apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells the Israelites in Acts 3,17-23: after his resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and will only tread this earth again after the restoration of all things on this planet.

Whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.

Acts 3,17 "And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 3,18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 3,19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 3,20 and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 3,21 whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 3,22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 3,23 And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ Acts 3,17-23;

Another important thing about this statement of Peter’s is his prophecy in the last verse above – "Every soul that does not listen to that prophet (Jesus Christ) shall be destroyed from the people". All Israelites – and the same applies to all other human beings living on this earth – who does not listen to the Son of God will be destroyed from their people. This means that they have no forgiveness for their sins and are doomed to everlasting damnation.

And also the Lord himself assured the Israelites that their "house" would be left to them desolate. The Temple and the sacrificial altar which had been given them for the daily sacrifice ensuring the forgiveness of their sins were destroyed by the Roman troops of Titus 40 years later, and the people were scattered into the Diaspora. From that time on they will not see their Messiah again until the start of the Millennium, when they will say: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

From now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!

Mt 23,38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 23,39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’" Mt 23,38-39;

But these prophecies above all are an important indication as well, both for Israel and for the Christian congregation, that any "Christ" who appears here on earth before these global upheavals and claims to be the Messiah must be a false Christ, in other words the Antichrist.

Finally these prophecies also explain the curious statement, which Paul gives us being "the word of the Lord" (1The 4,15), that when the Lord comes for the Rapture of his faithful he will not tread the earth but will come from heaven, and will await the faithful who have been raised from the dead, along with all those of the congregation of the Last Days who survive these catastrophes of the restoration of heaven and earth, "in the air". These prophecies too must be fulfilled.

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

1The 4,15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep 4,16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 4,17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 1The 4,16-17;

Final note.

The scenario presented in this chapter may seem a little bit unusual, but similar global happenings can be proved even in the past, too. So, it is a fact that the landmass of Europe and Africa on the one hand and of North and South America on the other hand originally formed a single continent which only later on drifted approximately 6,000 km apart. Even still today the crack of these two tectonic plates forms the Central Atlantic crest (North and South Atlantic threshold).

On the peninsula of Yucatan there is the crater of the impact of an asteroid with a diameter of 500 kilometers. Experts think that this event was responsible for the onset of the last Ice Age and the disappearance of the dinosaurs. It is also scientifically proved that most of the asteroids in our solar system – there are altogether about 75,000 of them – have a diameter of 40 – 80 kilometers. An impact of one of these celestial bodies on the earth’s surface at a speed of between 50,000 and 200,000 kilometers per hour would be a tremendous danger to our planet. The mildest consequences would be worldwide earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and a global climatic catastrophe. The most dangerous effects could displace the polar axis of the earth, throw our planet out of its orbit or tear the earth completely into pieces.

According to the principle of concrete interpretation we are not allowed to twist and turn the Word of God until it fits into our present restricted experience. We rather have to try to look beyond our own horizon of contemporary history in the interpretation of difficult passages from the Scriptures.

In this connection it may be a potential help for us if we take into account all findings of scientific research and development accessible to us and also their projection into the future for a possible explanation. In some cases we will succeed then in realizing the reality behind these prophecies. However, the imperative precondition for this way of proceeding is not to exceed the limits of the scientifically proved findings and to avoid "science fiction" or "zealotry". But in the final analysis, the aim of that is not the postulation of a certain kind of fulfillment, but it shall be simply proved that also difficult – some people even think of them as being nonsensical – prophecies of the Scriptures could make sense and even find a possible realization.

World history: A week of millennial days.(LANDSCAPE)