AM Bible Study Group; October 26, 2016 from Revelation 21:1-8
Theme: This passage describes the the nature of the new heaven and the new earth.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
At this point in the story of Revelation, 1,000 years of the reign of Jesus on earth will have come to pass. The grievous but brief rebellion against His reign will have been brought to an abrupt end, and the devil will have been—at long last—cast into the lake of fire, to remain there forever and ever. We’re told that the old heaven and the old earth will have fled away from the face of Him who sat on the white throne (20:11); and the final judgment will have been completed. And now, what follows—and what is to remain a reality from this point forward into eternity—is the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, where God will dwell with humankind.
The Old Testament hints of this glorious new home in a few places. We’re told in Isaiah 65:17, for example, that the new heaven and the new earth will be so wonderful that the former will not be remembered nor come to mind. And in Isaiah 66:22 that this new creation will “remain” before God.. But in no other place in the Bible are we told so much about it as we are in the closing chapters of Revelation. And what a thrill to the heart it is to read!
I. WHAT JOHN SAW CONCERNING IT (vv. 1-2).
A. John declares that he saw “a new heaven and a new earth”. And since it would be impossible for a new one to occupy the place of the old while the old still remained, we’re told that the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. (We’re given greater detail about this “passing away” in 2 Peter 3:10-13.) Were told also that “there was no more sea”. (Some people read that and object, “But I love the ocean.” Perhaps, however, this is meant to show us that the natural, geographical divisions among the people groups that we now experience in this world will not be present in the next. (And besides; our wonderful God who made the ocean is certainly able to make something even more wonderful in the new creation to replace it.)
B. As a centerpiece of this new heaven and new earth, the “holy city, New Jerusalem”, was made to come down out of heaven from God—truly the city “whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). It must be that, in some sense, this city is in existence ‘somewhere’ right now; because we’re told that, by faith, we have come to it and its citizens in Christ (Hebrews 12 :22-23). Perhaps it is that ‘place’ which the Lord said that He has gone away to prepare for us (John 14:1-3). Upon its appearance to our eyes, it will be unspeakably glorious—“prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”. Many of the details of this new city are given to us in verses 9-27.
II. WHAT JOHN HEARD CONCERNING IT (vv. 3-4).
A. A loud voice from heaven spoke, and declared, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell (that is, ‘tabernacle’; “pitch His tent”) with them.” And think of it! The fact that God is telling us this now, before it happens, shows us that this is what God intended to bring about through sending His Son to redeem us all along! God dwelling with humankind! The glorious closeness of this relationship is described in terms of they being His people, and He Himself being with them and being their God. (By the way—do those words sound familiar? This was what God said to the people of Israel at the time of the deliverance from Egypt; “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7). We enjoy intimacy with God now through His Son, of course; but just imagine what glorious intimacy we will enjoy with Him then!—with no more sin or imperfection in us!—with Jesus our Redeemer Himself right there to enjoy it along with us! We will actually behold God as He is (1 John 3:2)!
B. The joy of that intimacy is described in terms of the things that will be missing from the picture—and perhaps that’s the only way we can even begin to grasp it right now. There will be no more tears—because God will wipe them all from our eyes. There will be no more death that separates us from one another. There will be no more of the sorrow, or crying, or pain that so characterizes our lives now; because “the former things have passed away” And as the apostle Paul has put it, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
III. WHAT JOHN WAS TOLD TO WRITE ABOUT IT (vv. 5-8).
A. The next four verses speak of this glorious future time. But they must be meant to be taken as something uttered to John in the context of this present state of things; because it speaks of those who have yet to be cast into the lake of fire. John is spoken to directly by the One who sits on the throne (see 20:11)—almost as if the vision is interrupted for a moment in order for an important message to be conveyed. The one who speaks declares, “Behold, I make all things new.” What a joyous announcement from the one who ‘made’ all things first! Not only are the former things passage away; but what they were is now made new because of our Savior!
B. John may have been stunned by it all; and he had to be told to write. But it may also be that the assertion is given that these things must be written because the One who will sit as Judge on the white throne is also a God of great mercy in the present; and wishes for no one to perish but that all come to repentance. John is told that these words are faithful and true; that is, they can be counted on to be fulfilled. All things truly will be made new. What’s more the One speaking declares, “It is done!” (perfect tense, “They have come to pass”—as if it is all as good as done now, and indeed is so!); and as if to give further confidence that it is so, He declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” He is the A-to-Z. The one who calls Himself this is the one who also spoke at the beginning of the Revelation (1:8), and at its close (22:13). When the resurrected and glorified Jesus spoke to John in his first vision of Him, this was the name He used of Himself (1:11). It is done; and He—the eternal One—sees to it! All of this was a part of the purpose and plan of the Father from the very beginning—completed in perfection unto eternity. And the mercy of this present age is that, in all of it, grace is now declared; “I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely (that is, “for nothing”; free of charge) to him who thirsts” (see also 22:17). “Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (22:17).
C. Note the serious exhortation given at the end. He who overcomes (that is, only through Christ; see Revelation 13:11; 1 John 5:5) shall inherit all things, “and I will be his God and he shall be My son”. One would hope that, in hearing all this, all men would come to drink freely of the waters of life; but sadly this isn’t so. The cowardly (those who will not profess Christ), unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
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But what a glorious hope it is that’s being promised to the ‘overcomers’ in Christ then! How important it is, then, to be an overcomer in Christ now!