The New Heaven and New Earth 

A Response to Mark Miravalle’s Critique of Maria Divine Mercy Part 2

by Arthur Policarpio

This article is a continuation of the author’s response to Dr. Mark Miravalle’s critique of the messages given to “Maria Divine Mercy” (MDM).  We tackle in this article Dr. Miravalle’s contention that “a form of the heresy known as Milleniarism is present in several instances of the alleged messages.”

Miravalle expounds on this in his article, quoted verbatim below:

Millenarianism asserts that there will be a literal “1000 year” reign of Jesus on the earth (April 9, 2012 Message), during which time there would be no pope on earth, but rather a type spiritual papacy by which St. Peter will rule the Church from heaven over a type of “paradise on earth” (see Messages, 89, 124, 141; 88, 109, 111, 251, 258). The Catholic Church has rightly condemned Millenarianism and the concept of a literal 1000 year period during which Jesus would reign over an earthly paradise (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 676).

What is “Milleniarism” and Why is it Condemned by the Church?

First, let us understand clearly: What exactly is Milleniarism and why is it condemned by the Church?

Milleniarism (from "millenium", Latin for "thousand years") is a belief by some Christian denominations that there will be a “paradise on earth” in which Christ will reign for 1000 years -  prior to the Second Coming and final judgement of all mankind. This belief is derived primarily from the Book of Revelation 20:1–6.

As Mark Miravalle has correctly pointed out, the Catholic Church condemns Milleniarism.  In particular, the Catechism specifically rejects the belief that there will be a paradise on earth, where Jesus will bodily reign,  prior to the Second Coming and final judgement.

Below are excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 676) about this:

The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.

Is Milleniarism Found in the Messages to Maria Divine Mercy?

According to Milleniarism, therefore:

1. Jesus will bodily come again prior to the Second Coming
2. He will reign on earth physically prior to the Final Judgement

Does Jesus, through Maria Divine Mercy, preach Milleniarism? The answer is NO. Jesus clearly says that:

1. He will NOT come again physically prior to the Second Coming
2. He will NOT reign on earth physically prior to the Final Judgement

In a January 9, 2012 message to Maria Divine Mercy, Jesus explains clearly that the new era of peace will take place after His Second Coming:

My Second Coming will bring to an end the torment you have endured for thousands of years on earth. So great is this Glorious event, that no man will fail to gasp in wonder and astonishment as I appear in the skies. You, of this generation, have been chosen to benefit from this journey with me into My New Paradise, during the Era of Peace, over which I will reign.

No one must be excluded. Not one soul must be allowed to fall through the net. It is My greatest desire to bring you all with Me into My Kingdom. This is the glory which mankind has waited for since My death on the cross.

How are we to Understand the
“New Heaven and New Earth”?

Jesus explains through Maria Divine Mercy that after the Second Coming and the final judgement, God the Father will restore the earth to its original, pristine beauty.  Heaven and earth will merge as one.  The righteous will live with Him in this “new heaven and new earth” for “1,000 years” - not a literal 1,000 years in earthly terms, but rather representing an era, a long period. Jesus says that in this new paradise, “age will be non-existent”. 

What Jesus expounds on, therefore, through His messages to Maria Divine Mercy, is the kind of world that the righteous will inherit AFTER His Second Coming takes place.  He is expounding on what this “new heaven” and “new earth” will be like. He is talking about eternal life, the life to come.  This is NOT Milleniarism - instead, it is Jesus giving us a “sneak preview” of what eternal life will be like for the righteous, after the final judgement takes place.

Nobody knows how this “new heaven and new earth” will be like.  Jesus through Maria Divine Mercy, explains to us what this beautiful new world will be like. Only He, after all, can explain it:

My chosen generation will be with Me for eternity. This Paradise will offer 1,000 years of peace, love and harmony...You, children of this generation, will be given the gift of living in the Paradise, even more beautiful than that prepared for Adam and Eve.

Age will be non-existent as man will live in peace with families of generations. So much love and enjoyment will be an everyday occurrence. Finally you will be accorded true lasting peace in your souls.

Why would this not be possible? This is the earth that was planned by My Father whose Divine Will, will at last finally be realised on earth as it is in Heaven. Rejoice all of you. The New Paradise is to be welcomed with excitement and anticipation. There will be no death. No illness. No sin. You will be given the gift of eternal happiness. (February 24, 2012)

In His first message to Maria Divine Mercy, God the Father explains that the Second Coming of Jesus will restore the earth to its original beauty - the original earthly paradise that was meant for our first parents, but was destroyed by sin:

I created each of you in My Likeness so that I could have a family. I created the world out of Pure Love so that you, My children, could share this Paradise with Me. So lovingly was this created that the angels rejoiced and Heaven was alight with the flames of love that no human being could ever possibly fathom. And then it was destroyed by sin caused by the serpent... The time has come for Me to reclaim the Paradise I lovingly created so that we can, again, become one family...This New Paradise on Earth is now being planned for all of My children. It will last 1,000 years on earth and no one must be excluded for that would break My Heart...This Paradise will be a place of love, beauty, glory, and will be home to all who are pure of heart and soul. (June 25, 2011)

The Catholic Church Acknowledges that the “New Heaven and New Earth” Mentioned in the Bible has not yet been Fulfilled

The Bible talks extensively about this “new heaven and new earth” that will come about during the end of the ages.  Revelation 21:1-4 talks about this beautiful new world that the righteous will inherit after the tribulations of the end times are complete:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

The prophet Isaiah likewise talks about this “new heaven and a new earth”:

For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (Is. 65: 17-18 )

The Catechism clearly teaches that this “new heaven and new earth” has not yet been fulfilled.  Christ’s promise of a “new heaven and a new earth” has not yet been realized.  One needs only to look at history to know that this “new heaven and a new earth” is far from being a reality, particularly in our world today - wars, abortion, immorality, hunger, pain, illness...the list goes on and on.

Below are excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 671) regarding this:

Though already present in his Church, Christ's reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled "with power and great glory" by the King's return to earth. This reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ's Passover. Until everything is subject to him, "until there be realized new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells, the pilgrim Church, in her sacraments and institutions, which belong to this present age, carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God."559 That is why Christians pray, above all in the Eucharist, to hasten Christ's return by saying to him:560 Maranatha! "Our Lord, come!"561

Therefore, we cannot interpret the “new heaven and new earth” as representing our current times, or a period in current world history. Instead, this “new heaven and new earth” points to that “era of peace” that will occur upon Christ’s return to earth in glory to judge the living and the dead.  The Catechism, therefore, actually supports the views on this new heaven and new earth as contained in the messages given to Maria Divine Mercy, in that it refers to the “new heaven and a new earth” as taking place after the Second Coming.

Does the Church have an official interpretation as to the nature of the "new heaven and new earth? No it does not. The Church, in fact, cannot make a judgement in this matter, simply because no human being truly knows what will happen when Jesus comes, how the final judgement will come about, and what the “new heaven” and “new earth” will be like. In other words, the Church does not, and cannot, have a definitive teaching on the state of life in this new heaven and new earth which Jesus reveals through Maria Divine Mercy.

Your Kingdom Come!

“Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be Done!”  Humanity has been saying this phrase from the “Our Father” for 2,000 years, but still, the Kingdom hasn’t really, truly come.  God’s Divine Will still has not been fully done.  We have only to look around at the sinful, rebellious, immoral world around us to know that this is the case.

After more than 2,000 years, don’t you think that God will fulfill His promise and answer this prayer?  That is precisely what He is saying through Maria Divine Mercy - that He will fulfill His promise, and He will recreate paradise to its original beauty:

You, My children, must accept the Promise made by My Son, after His Glorious Resurrection from the dead. He said that He would come again. This time, for the Second Coming of My Beloved Son on Earth, is drawing close. If you believe in the Promises made by My Son, then you will know that He means what He said. When He comes again, He comes to Rule and take up His Rightful Throne in the New Paradise I have created for you all on Earth. (February 23rd, 2012)

For those of us who still question this “new era of peace”, this "new heaven and new earth" mentioned in the messages to Maria Divine Mercy -  instead of questioning and doubting, let us instead ask: Why NOT?  Why won’t God restore the earth to the original, beautiful paradise that He created, prior to Satan’s temptation: a perfect world for humanity? Why would God allow Satan to destroy his original plan of a beautiful paradise?  Won’t He, in His justice, restore it to its original pristine state? 

It is a wonderful promise that will guide us and give us strength in the difficult times to come. Let us close this article by reflecting on this wonderful new world promised to us by Jesus:

My daughter, I will Rule the Earth for 1,000 years. Make no mistake, for I Am now in charge of events as they now unfold in the world. I have now prepared the way for My New Kingdom on Earth and that time is near, much closer than many realize. Rejoice, for this news will be welcomed by all. It will bring to an end all suffering in the world. It will ignite a fount of love and glory for all My children to share. This New Paradise will be beyond your comprehension, but hear this. This new life will offer you, all of My devout followers, a life free from worry. You will want for nothing. All will be provided by Me. Each and every one of you who choose this GloriousKingdom will be astonished at the Precious Jewel that awaits you. Pray now, that your brothers and sisters open their eyes to the Truth of the promises I have made, so they too, can enter this New Life on Earth. (May 20, 2011)

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