February 16, 2025

Revelation 21:1-8 A New Heaven and New Earth

36 minutes

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Revelation 21:1-8

Introduction: Have you ever spent much time in study of Revelation 21 and 22? Most Christians have certainly read the text and were able to grasp the general idea of “what heaven is like,” but as we have seen throughout the book, the various figures that are used have a rich background in the OT. When this background is neglected, we cannot grasp the full meaning of what is awaiting us on that great day.

Quickly consider words and phrases that are dependent on a knowledge and understanding of the OT:

New heaven and new earth

New Jerusalem

Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband

The dwelling place of God is with man

The former things have passed away

Behold, I am making all things new

The Bride

The focus throughout these final chapters is the bride, “the wife of the Lamb.” She is the focus of the first two verses, then mentioned again in verse 9 as the rest of the chapter describes her beauty, and finally in 22:17 as “the Spirit and the Bride say ‘come.’”

We should find this truly amazing. This all started thousands of years ago. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” But then the Serpent and sin, man’s loss of his Garden home, and the curses. We have lived with it millennium after millennium as we waited for God to redeem us and fulfill his promises from before time began. And then we come to the final biblical episode, and what do we see? What is it about? It is about the bride adorned for her husband. It is not simply us who have waited for that joyous day, it is God himself and the Lamb. Indeed, there is a great day coming.

Once we grasp this picture, it seems silly and trite to say we want to “go to heaven when we die.” When that is all the knowledge a Christian has of the next life, no wonder so many have a half-hearted devotion to the Lord. That understanding can only be reserved for children who cannot conceive of the greater promise.

Psalm 45: the marriage of the bride and bridegroom. An amazing picture.

The Dwelling Place of God Is with Man

This statement is arguably the primary theme of all the scripture. God dwelled with man in the Garden prior to sin. But sin separated us from God. However, we very quickly see God giving us glimpses of the day when he will again dwell with us:

Genesis 5: Enoch doesn’t die.

Abraham is given promises of blessing that reverse the curse of death life is given to barren women.

God foreshadows our deliverance by delivering Israel out of the bondage of the Serpent-like Egypt.

In building the tabernacle, God said, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex. 25:8)

When entering Canaan, an angel stood guarding the entrance just as an angel guarded the return of man to the Garden. But his angel opened the gate for Joshua and the people to enter, symbolizing God bringing them back to his Garden. You will notice in each of these instances, God is coming down to dwell with man, but God is also preparing the place.

The Promised land and the Sabbath rest were used to foreshadow God’s people permanently entering God’s rest.

And then through Jesus we were made to be the temple of the living God with the presence of the Spirit of God with us.

The pinnacle picture is now seen with God bringing his dwelling place into a new heaven and new earth, and the beautiful statement: “and God himself will be with them as their God.” This seems to be a merging of what we call “heaven,” God’s present dwelling, and the new heaven and new earth. All have become one. We will be where God is, and God is where we will be.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

The phrase is used two other times in scripture (Isaiah 65 and 2 Peter 3), but there many other allusions that relate. Keep in mind, by looking at these other references, we can more fully appreciate John’s use of the phrase.

First, notice the various descriptions in our text:

“New” heaven and “new” earth does not just mean something similar but different. “New” refers to that which is superior, far above what we see now. In 1 Cor. 5:17, we are called a new creation. Just as with the original heavens and earth, God created us physically, but now we become a new creation, superior to the old.

The newness is identified in verse 5: “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Verse 4 further emphasizes the newness: no tears, no death, no mourning, or crying, or pain. Man is freed from all loss that would disappoint and create pain and crying.

Verse 6: the refreshing “water of life” that is always available without cost, the free gift of life from the Lord.

Isaiah’s new heaven and earth gives us another view:

25:6-9

65:17-25 Remember, this is not “literal,” but earthly pictures that contrast the cursed condition of life in the present heavens and earth.

Note the word, “create.” It is the same word used in Genesis 1:1. It is a new creation, a creation from nothing.

18-19 We are called upon to “be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.” But notice especially God’s response in verse 19, “I will rejoice and be glad” in Jerusalem and in my people. Talk about a bride and bridegroom picture! We and the Lord rejoice in each other. “A bridegroom can think of no greater joy in the world than to look at his beloved and bask in her love” (Oswalt), and a bride has no greater joy than to see the excited gladness that her bridegroom has in her and the prospect of eternity together.

Note again verse 18: “I create Jerusalem to be a joy and her people to be a gladness.” It is not that we will just be glad, it will be our very nature. There is nothing that could change it!

Verse 20 is another picture of never again will we see death, not of our children, not of our family, and not of our brothers and sisters. To illustrate, NIV translates, “the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child, and to only reach a hundred will be considered a curse.” Remember, chapter 25 told us that death would be no more. So, this is hyperbole. (Isa. 25:7 already said death would end)

Verse 24: We enjoy this now. How much more then?

Verse 25: Everything is described as peace. The serpent is done. He eats the dust.

Peter’s new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3):

13: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” How special! To dwell where only righteousness dwells.

11-12, 14: the practical outcome: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God… Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”

John’s new heaven and new earth:

Verses 4-5 The ending of death and mourning, the wiping away of all tears, is because “the former things have passed away,” and “Behold, I am making all things new.” Now, can any of us imagine that? Can we compare it to anything that we now experience? When Paul spoke of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of Christ, he said, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

Concerning the wiping away of tears, David said concerning his trials, “You have kept count of my miseries; put my tears in your bottle, are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8). God has saved every tear and will justify every one in that new heaven and earth.

Verse 6: It is done! Isaiah and Peter spoke of the coming prophetically, but John actually sees it in a vision. It is done! All that God had planned and promised has now come. What a great day it will be!

Verse 7: Who will be in this great family that enjoy the new heaven and new earth? Those who conquer. Those who conquer through trials. Those who conquer when temptations come. Those who conquer when persecution threatens jobs and security. Those who conquer when family members betray them and the Lord. Those who conquer will be sons and daughters of God.

Verse 8: In contrast, whose portion will be the second death? Notice the list carefully. We have seen most of these before in sins listed by Paul, but one stands out: the cowardly or fearful. When the pressure is on, these caved in. When their life or livelihood was threatened, they were afraid and did not trust the Lord.

What about us? We are not even threatened. But are we afraid to speak about our Lord and what he has done? Are we afraid to invite and teach those whose lives deny the Lord?

Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

Conclusion: Two conclusions:

Did you notice that the descriptions given of the new heaven and new earth are relational images. The Lord is not emphasizing a place, but an identity of what we will be and what we will enjoy with the Lord and with each other. It would be immature of us to concentrate on a place instead of what it means to be with the Lord and with each other as those who have obtained victory.

What more could God do or say to cause us to deny ourselves and take up his cross and follow him? If before you ever read the Bible, God had said to you, write down all that you can think of that I could do for you to cause you to live for me, would you have come up with anything close to what we have just seen? Impossible.

Berry Kercheville

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February 16, 2025

Revelation 21:1-8 A New Heaven and New Earth

36 minutes

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Revelation 21:1-8

Quickly consider words and phrases that are dependent on a knowledge and understanding of the OT:

New heaven and new earth

New Jerusalem

Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband

The dwelling place of God is with man

The former things have passed away

Behold, I am making all things new

The Bride

Psalm 45: the marriage of the bride and bridegroom. An amazing picture.

The Dwelling Place of God Is with Man

Genesis 5: Enoch doesn’t die.

Abraham is given promises of blessing that reverse the curse of death life is given to barren women.

God foreshadows our deliverance by delivering Israel out of the bondage of the Serpent-like Egypt.

In building the tabernacle, God said, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex. 25:8)

The Promised land and the Sabbath rest were used to foreshadow God’s people permanently entering God’s rest.

And then through Jesus we were made to be the temple of the living God with the presence of the Spirit of God with us.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

First, notice the various descriptions in our text:

The newness is identified in verse 5: “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Verse 4 further emphasizes the newness: no tears, no death, no mourning, or crying, or pain. Man is freed from all loss that would disappoint and create pain and crying.

Verse 6: the refreshing “water of life” that is always available without cost, the free gift of life from the Lord.

Isaiah’s new heaven and earth gives us another view:

25:6-9

65:17-25 Remember, this is not “literal,” but earthly pictures that contrast the cursed condition of life in the present heavens and earth.

Note the word, “create.” It is the same word used in Genesis 1:1. It is a new creation, a creation from nothing.

Verse 24: We enjoy this now. How much more then?

Verse 25: Everything is described as peace. The serpent is done. He eats the dust.

Peter’s new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3):

13: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” How special! To dwell where only righteousness dwells.

John’s new heaven and new earth:

What about us? We are not even threatened. But are we afraid to speak about our Lord and what he has done? Are we afraid to invite and teach those whose lives deny the Lord?

Conclusion: Two conclusions: