The Kingdom of God is the making of all things new, not the making of different things. The form of the material creation is the form that is to be for eternity. People still will be people. Animals still will be animals. Trees still will be trees. The old things will pass away and the new things will be brought into being; but the new things will be the old made new, although the forms will be marvelously glorified.

When God created the sky and the earth, and people and nature on the earth, they are what God envisioned for eternity. Although the earth and the sky that now are will pass away, God once again will make a sky and an earth. There will be nations of saved people on the earth and they will be ruled for eternity by the kings and priests whom God is forming now. The rulers of the world to come are God's elect from every nation—those whom God has predestined to be changed into the image of His beloved Son.

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

Those in Heaven now are looking forward to the day when they will "reign on the earth." Our stay in Heaven will be a waiting period while God is preparing the creation for its redemption.

The new creation, the making of all things new, is being developed in the elect in the present hour. The saints (holy ones) are a firstfruits of the new creation, and they have the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit that one day will fill the creation, as it apparently did in the beginning.

The making of all things new is taking place now in our inner man. The old adamic nature is passing away and the new Christ Nature is taking its place. The new inner man in us is of God, although it still is we ourselves. The old passes away, yet somehow the old is contained—although now of God and filled with God—in the new.

But what about our mortal body. Will it too be redeemed?

Paul reveals that the redemption of the material creation, having begun in our inner man, soon will be extended into our body.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also make alive [make alive] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)

The making alive of the mortal bodies of the saints, which is the resurrection from the dead, the resurrection to eternal life, is the destruction of the last enemy—physical death. The redemption of the bodies of the saints will signal the beginning of the redemption of the material creation.

Still speaking in the context of the redemption of the creation, Paul states:

And not only they [the whole creation], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)

To be continued.