As the new year rolled in, I was spending some time alone in my home with the Lord. As the clock stroked midnight, the thought “Out with the old, in with the new” came into my mind. On the surface, it appeared as a very simple statement. We may not always understand at first, but in time, if spoken by the Lord, the Holy Spirit will bring clarity to our hearts.
John says in Revelation 21:1-5, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”
According to the Scriptures, in the “new order” of God that comes to permanently dwell with man, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. This brings great hope and joy for all those who know Christ. No longer a visitation, but a permanent indwelling within the prepared bride.
The writer of Hebrews 9:7-10 also speaks to us concerning the “new order.” He states concerning the ritual of the high priest on the Day of Atonement when he entered with the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies that they were merely fulfilling “external regulations applying until the time of the new order.”
The Greek for “new order” is “diorthosis.” In a physical sense, it signifies “a making straight, restoring to its natural and normal condition something which in some way protrudes or has gotten out of line, as broken or misshapen limbs.” This aptly applies to the church in America. Somewhere along the line we got “out of line.” We are broken. We now call church that which is not church, and a Christian that which is not anywhere near what the Scriptures call a Christian. The truth of God has been replaced with more “user friendly” terms.
The good news is that “the period of restoration of all things” spoken of in Acts 3:21 has begun. The Lord is restoring that which His enemies have altered. He always has the last word.
May we be like the elderly Simeon and Anna in Luke 2:25-38 who were “looking for the redemption of Israel.” The word “looking for” means “to await with confidence or patience, to expect the fulfillment of promises.” I pray that we have the same heart, not missing what is about to take place. As the Lord spoke, it’s time, “Out with the old, in with the new.”

Pastor Tim Bauer
Capstone Ministries