Lesson 11: Consummation

by Stacia McKeever and Dan Lietha on February 8, 2016

“The Seven C’s of History” (Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation) help us remember the big events which have affected—and will affect—the history of the universe.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . .” (Revelation 21:1).

In the beginning, God created a perfect world. It was a beautiful place—full of life, without death, disease, pain, or suffering. Adam’s disobedience changed all that. When he ate the fruit God had told him not to eat, sin and death entered the world (Romans 5:12). This corruption changed the world so much that what we see today is only a dim reflection of the world that was. Adam’s sin led to the catastrophe of Noah’s day, the confusion at Babel, and the death of Christ on the Cross.

Is There an End in Sight?

Death has been around almost as long as humans have. Sometimes it might seem as if it is a permanent part of God’s creation. Romans 8 tells us the whole of creation is suffering because of Adam’s sin. It might seem as if there is no end to the suffering brought about by this act of disobedience. Of course, none of us can say that we have not also disobeyed God in our own lives (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:10), so all of us in a sense share in the blame for what we see around us.

However, God, in His great mercy, has promised not to leave His creation in its sinful state. He has promised to do away with the corruption Adam brought into the world. He offers us this salvation through His Son. Also, He has promised to remove, in the future, the Curse He placed on His creation (Revelation 22:3)!

He will make a new heavens and a new earth one day—one which we can’t even begin to imagine (2 Peter 3:13). In this new place there will be no death, no crying, no pain (Revelation 21:4). Nobody will be sad.

As those who have repented and believed in what Jesus did for us on the Cross, we can look forward to this new heaven and earth, knowing we will enjoy God forever in a wonderful place. The corruption that was introduced in the Garden of Eden will be taken away by God, giving us, once again, a perfect place to live.