Epilogue: Remaking Heaven and Earth: One day, at the end of our current age, we'll discover that the end is really a new Genesis, a new beginning. In this epilogue to our series, we’ll see that one day God will re-create the heavens and the earth, that the power of the curse will be undone, and our future is sure. Recorded on Feb 27, 2022, on Revelation 21-22, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of The Making of Heaven and Earth sermon series. There are few more important chapters ever written than the first three chapters of Genesis. These chapters dramatically shape our understanding of who we are, where we’ve come from, and the reason why things are the way they are today. More importantly, they introduce us to the God who created and sustains all things.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re talking about The Greatness of God. And today, we’re finishing a sermon series called The Making of Heaven and Earth from Genesis 1-3. As we’ve said, there are few more important chapters ever written than the first three chapters of Genesis. The creation narratives of the Bible shape our understanding of who we are, where we’ve come from, and the reason why things are the way they are today. But more importantly, they introduce us to the God who created and sustains all things. In this series, we considered the creation of all things and the meaning and purpose and perfect relationships that were intended for us. But then we saw the fall to sin and the division/destruction/death introduced into God’s good and perfect world. But even in the dark chapters of the fall, we saw God’s grace and mercy and the promise of salvation. Today, we’ll turn from looking at the beginning of all things all the way forward to the end of this age and, in one sense the end of this heaven and the earth. But the end is really a new Genesis, a new beginning. And in this epilogue to our series, we’ll see that one day God will re-create the heavens and the earth, that the power of the curse will be undone, and our future is sure. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Rev 21:1. We’re going to look at three sections of Scripture in Rev 21-22, but we’ll unpack each one as we go. v. 1.

Revelation 21:1–5 (NIV), “1 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. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘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.” 5 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.”

Let’s pause here. So Revelation was written by the Apostle John when he was in exile on the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. We ended our Encounters with God series with John’s encounter with Jesus there. But here, at the end of Revelation, John has a vision of the future. There’s nothing that we who live as exiles in this world need more than a hopeful vision for our future. And what does he see? He sees the end of our current age of history, the judgment of the living and the dead, and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. Just as Jesus died but was resurrected, one day, all of creation will die and rise again. And just as Jesus died in humility and weakness, but rose in glory and power, so in the same way, will this broken world,