The New Heaven and the New Earth - Revelation 21:1-8
INTRODUCTION:
Two Sundays ago, we studied the great white throne judgment, the final judgment of all unbelievers from every age of history from the time of Adam right up to the end of the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ. At the time of the great white throne judgment we learned that the present earth and heavens (our atmosphere and outer space) fled from the presence of the One who sat on the great white throne. Not only did they flee from His presence, but John goes on to say that no place was found for them. They disappeared, they were completely destroyed and not a trace of them was found. John MacArthur describes this as the uncreation of the universe.
The apostle Peter describes this destruction or uncreation of the universe in this way in 2 Peter 3:10-14, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…” (2 Peter 3:10–14, NASB95)[1] Peter describes this uncreation as a destruction by fire, and he uses this truth to call us to live lives in holy conduct and godliness as we look for the new heavens and a new earth.
This new heaven and new earth is our subject for this morning and we are going to look at six features that John records for us about the new heaven and new earth. Let’s pray and then read our Scripture passage for this morning.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Revelation 21:1-8. We are nearing the end of our study of the book of Revelation. Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
Revelation 21:1-8,
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ Then He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’” (Revelation 21:1–8, NASB95)[2]
ITS APPEARANCE (Revelation 21:1)
This new chapter is opened in the same way that John has begun many new sections of this book with the words, “I saw…” which always indicates chronological progression. It has been the words that have introduced each of the climatic events beginning with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:11. The close of chapter 20 saw all the sinners of all the ages, the Antichrist and the false prophet and Satan with all his demons condemned and sentenced to the lake of fire to be tormented night and day forever and ever. With all the ungodly men and all ungodly angels banished forever and with the present heavens and earth uncreated, the stage is set for God to create a new heaven and a new earth, a place for the holy angels and the redeemed of all the ages to dwell in forever.
Two passages of Scripture from the prophet Isaiah speak of the new heaven and the new earth. In Isaiah 65:17 the prophet writes, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17, NASB95)[3] and again in Isaiah 66:22 Isaiah added these words of the Lord, “’For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘So your offspring and your name will endure.’” (Isaiah 66:22, NASB95)[4] What Isaiah predicted is now a reality in John’s vision. It is yet future for us, but John sees it in his vision of the future.
The word that John uses here for new does not necessarily mean new in a chronological sense, but new in quality. Understand that this is not a renovation of the former heavens and earth, they are gone, no place was found for them because they were no more, they were uncreated. So not only will the new heavens and new earth succeed the present universe, but they will also be something brand-new and fresh.
We do not have a whole lot of information on the new heaven and the new earth, what it will look like and what life will be like, but we can be sure that it will be more spectacular than we could ever imagine. John does mention one feature of the new earth for us, John writes that there is no longer any sea. If you like the ocean and the coast and the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore, then you better enjoy it now on this earth, because it will not be on the new earth, but it will not matter because the new earth will have wonders that we cannot even imagine. Remember what Isaiah wrote? “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17, NASB95)[5] We will not remember the former things, they will not even come to mind as we enjoy the new heaven and the new earth.
ITS CAPITAL CITY (Revelation 21:2)
John opened verse 1 with the phrase, “And I saw…” and what he saw was the new heaven and the new earth. He opens verse 2 with this same phrase. What does John see in verse 2, the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. John is seeing the capital city of the eternal new heaven and new earth. There is no reason not to take this literally, this is a real city.
This is the second city to be named Jerusalem. The first is the city that David conquered and made his capital, the historic city, which exists today and will be restored and renovated in the millennial kingdom and will be the capital city of the millennial world. This new Jerusalem does not belong to the first creation, it is the completely new eternal city. The old Jerusalem is too stained with sin to survive into the eternal state, it will pass away with the uncreation of the earth and heavens.
The new Jerusalem is called the holy city because there is no sin in it, all who live there are righteous and the One who reigns from this city is absolutely holy. As we consider this city we understand that a city includes many different aspects, there are relationships, activity, responsibility, unity, socialization, communion, and cooperation, but unlike our cities of today all of these aspects will be free of the evil that plagues us today, this city will be free from the effects of sin and the people of this city will live together in perfect harmony and peace. Do you understand what this means? There will be no sin, only the redeemed, glorified saints will live in the new heaven and new earth and in the new Jerusalem. Sin has been done away with and we will live in righteousness and the effects of sin that we see around us today will be gone. Remember death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment, putting an end to sin and the punishment for sin which is death. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:25-26, “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:25–26, NASB95)[6] The He is the Lord Jesus Christ and during His millennial kingdom and at the close of it with the defeat of Satan and his ungodly army, Jesus Christ will have put all His enemies under His feet, He will have defeated them, then the last enemy death will be abolished when it is cast into the lake of fire along with the unrepentant sinners of all ages, the Antichrist and the false prophet, and Satan and his unholy angels. The new heaven and the new earth and the new Jerusalem will be free from the presence of sin. If that does not excite you I do not know what would.
Who is the architect and builder of this holy city? God is the architect and builder. The author of Hebrews writes in chapter 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8–10, NASB95)[7] The author goes on in verses 13-16, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:13–16, NASB95)[8] Jesus promised us that He would go and prepare a place for us and as this city descends out of heaven all the redeemed of all the ages are dwelling in this place prepared for them, their home for all eternity.
As the city descends, John states that the city is made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. The city is pictured as a bride because within her is the bride of Christ and the new Jerusalem takes on her character. Just as Babylon was pictured as a harlot, the new Jerusalem is pictured as a spotless bride adorned for her husband.
ITS MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE (Revelation 21:3)
The supreme joy and glory of the new heaven and the new earth and the new Jerusalem is the Person of God. John hears a loud voice from the throne, possibly an angel, since the One sitting on the throne speaks in verse 5. This loud voice heralds an announcement of great importance, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men…” (Revelation 21:3b, NASB95)[9] This Greek word translated tabernacle is a word that can also mean tent or dwelling place, here it may refer to the new Jerusalem. In the beginning God walked with man in the Garden, when God led the people of Israel out of Egypt they built a tabernacle and God dwelt in their midst in a pillar of cloud and fire. When Jesus came to this earth John wrote in His Gospel that the Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us. In the new heaven and new earth, God will pitch His tent (or tabernacle) among His people. No more will His presence be veiled in the human form of Jesus Christ, or in a cloud and pillar of fire, or inside the holy of holies, God now dwells among us in the Holy Spirit who indwells each person who has put their faith in Christ. Not only is His dwelling place among His people, God will dwell among the redeemed, and we shall be His people and God Himself will be among us. This will be a manifestation of God’s glorious presence to His people like no other in redemptive history, this will be the culmination of all of God’s promises and all human hope. We will see God in all His glory, the glorious Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
What will it be like to live in God’s glorious presence for all eternity? We will enjoy fellowship with Him like we never have before, no longer will our fellowship be hindered by sin, our fellowship will become full and unlimited. Second, as His people we will see God as He is—an eternal and expanded vision of God in all His shining glory. We will see all that glorified beings are able to comprehend. Third, we will worship God. Every time we see angels or the redeemed in heaven in the presence of God they are worshipping. Fourth, we will serve day and night in His presence. We have a glorious future to look forward to, no wonder Peter tells us that since we look for this time in our future to be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless. This will be like no other time in history, the closest to this time when God will dwell among the redeemed is when He walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. There is nothing that could even come close to what God’s Person living among us, just the thought of it overwhelms me and causes me to be in awe of Him and grateful that I am one of His redeemed.
CONCLUSION:
I only got through the first three verses of the eight verses that I had hoped to cover this week. I am going to stop here, because if I go on we will be here for a while. This passage is exciting as it tells of our future when we will no longer live in a sinful world and see the effects of sin in ourselves and all around us. We have a glorious future ahead of us. As we think of the new heavens and the new earth and the new Jerusalem and God living among us, I cannot think of any application other then the one already given by the apostle Peter. Let me read these verses again as our application for today.
2 Peter 3:10-14, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…” (2 Peter 3:10–14, NASB95)[10] If Jesus Christ were to return for His church today, would He find you in peace, spotless and blameless?
Maybe you are here this morning and you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ, you don’t know how to be in peace, spotless and blameless. You know that you are a sinner, that you have done things that are displeasing to God. That can change this morning. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sin when He died on the cross. If you agree with God that you are a sinner and helpless to change your sinful condition, but you believe in faith that Jesus Christ died in your place, paying the penalty for your sin, that He was buried, and then three days later rose from the dead, proving that His death paid for sin and conquered death, then your sins are forgiven and you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and you will be found in peace, spotless and blameless when Jesus Christ returns for the church. If you have questions I would be happy to answer them.
Next Sunday is our service and picnic in the park and so I will take a departure from Revelation and I will be preaching out of Romans 5 to prepare us for the following Sunday when we will be celebrating “Rural ministry Outreach Sunday” formerly called Village Missions Sunday. We will be taking a special offering that Sunday for Village Missions designed to help the 44% of Village missionaries who need salary support.
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[4]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[7]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[8]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[9]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[10]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995