Week 13 Revelation 21-22
THE POINT
The
resurrection is our past and future hope.
Revelation
21:1-8
The New Heaven and
the New Earth
Then I saw a new
heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed
away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God
is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from
their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor
crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And He who
was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He
said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And He
said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without
payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God
and he will be My son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the
detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and
all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,
which is the second death.”
Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to
these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Revelation
21:18, 22:20.
Study
Notes
Revelation 21-22 is
not only the culmination of the book itself, but the culmination of God’s
redeeming and saving work. Furthermore, these two chapters reveal to us the
ultimate hope we have as believers in the Lord Jesus. Christ’s triumph over the
grave on that first Easter morning was a glimpse in the eschatological future —
it pointed to a day when all God’s people will rise and dwell with God in
perfect harmony. It pointed to the moment John shows us in Revelation
21-22.
Recognize these two
points:
1) God will
once again dwell with His people. The punishment for sin is separation from
God. Those who have placed faith in the crucified, risen, and victorious King
Jesus are made blameless and washed from all their sin. We are now able to
stand in the presence of God free from the shame, guilt, and punishment of sin.
When the events described in Revelation 21-22 finally come to pass, our
relationship with God will be as it was with Adam and Eve in the garden but so
much better.
2) God will
wipe away death, crying, and pain. The
curses of sin have caused all creation to suffer. This is perhaps the one thing
in the book of Revelation we have no trouble relating to; we know all too well
the sorrows of this life. Yet, this is the exact reason this passage stirs hope
in our hearts. We know that God is making all things new, and that the pain of
life we now feel is not eternal.
Notice, after
chapter 21, the book concludes with a declaration which all creation should
heed. Christ is coming soon; Jesus pleads and warns, “Blessed are those who
wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life…” The
message is two-fold: believer, do not lose heart or grow weary, your salvation
draws near. Sinner, repent and believe as the Ancient of Days will soon make
all things new.
Quotes
“We have confidence
that one day heaven will be full because on that very first Easter Sunday the
tomb was empty.”
Dallas Wilson
“The resurrection of Jesus didn’t just get us where we are; His resurrection will get us where we are going.”
Wayne Bray
“The best proof of the resurrection is living now for what is to come.”
Corey Watson
“Our hope is sure because our Savior is risen.”
Will Bray
“Knowing that Jesus conquered death provides us the confidence that only Jesus can bring life.”
Dustin Dozier
Questions
for Discussion
What is the most
encouraging thing to you about Revelation 21-22?
How does Revelation 21:4 strengthen and encourage us in our gospel witness and mission individually and collectively?
What does this passage say about true, eternal, and abundant life?
Because Christ is making all things new, how then should we relate to the struggles of life and of this fleeting world?
Concluding his prophecy, John prays with earnest desire that Christ will come soon. Why should we long for Christ’s return?
Revelation 21:3 says, “...Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.” Why is this so theologically important?
END
Teacher's Notes:
This is the End, But for Us, It’s only the Beginning.
When sin first entered the world in Genesis 3, God set into motion a plan to redeem and save His creation. This redemptive plan is the plot of the entire biblical narrative. As we come to the last two chapters of the book of Revelation, this plan finally reaches its culmination. And it’s as if all creation gives a sigh of relief; the King is Victorious, and all things are finally made new.
Paradise was lost but has now been regained and God will once again dwell with His people, and they shall behold His face in the New Jerusalem. Yes, we live in a broken and sinful world now, but a new creation is coming and coming soon.
In the movie The Green Mile – John Coffey (Like the drink) was sentenced to be executed for a crime he didn’t commit. He was allowed to watch a final movie and he chose this one because it reminded him of heaven.
Why did there have to be a new heaven?
What do you think heaven will be like?
What is the significance of Jesus saying,
“Behold I make all things new”?
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and He pronounced that everything was very good (Genesis 1:31). Yet mankind sinned, marring God’s creation. The world was “good” no longer. From Genesis 3 through Revelation 20, the earth and everyone in it experiences sin and death (Romans 5:12). Yet something will change after the great white throne judgment. After sin is eternally judged, God promises a new heaven and a new earth where suffering, pain, sin, and death cease for all eternity. This future creation gives believers hope and affects our lives on earth as we eagerly await for this promise to be fulfilled: “Behold I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
In Revelation 21, John recounts seeing the new heaven and new earth. He sees a magnificent Holy City, where God dwells among His people. It is here that God promises to wipe every tear from His people’s eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Finally, all creation will be free from the reign and effects of sin. After observing all this, John sees Jesus seated on the throne declaring, “Behold I make all things new.” This new heaven and earth is what believers long for, along with all creation (see Romans 8:19).
When someone trusts in God for salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells him, and he becomes a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The believer is no longer bound by sin; we become new creations, able to please God and live in His ways. Galatians 2:20 sums up our newness well: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” No longer do we live for ourselves, but we live for the One who is life (John 1:3–4). A transformation occurs in those who surrender to God, and of them it can also be said, “Behold I make all things new.”
Becoming a new creation affects the way we live. God’s Word reminds us to put off our former, sinful ways of life (Ephesians 4:22–24, Colossians 3:9). Instead of living in sin and for ourselves, we are called to “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:10, ESV). Regeneration happens at the moment of salvation, but sanctification continues as we grow in faith and in His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). Some ways we grow are through studying God’s Word, praying, having fellowship with other believers, and suffering. “Behold I make all things new” is a statement that affects the way we live when we trust Christ for salvation.
“Behold I make all things new” is a truth anticipated from the beginning. When Adam and Eve sinned, God gave glimpses of this promise as He meted out judgment on sin and promised the Messiah (Genesis 3). The prophet Isaiah declares that salvation is found in God alone and that He will certainly judge sin, and he prophesies of the new heaven and new earth: “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered” (Isaiah 65:17). This sinful, depraved world is not God’s ultimate destiny for those who trust in Him, and we, like Paul, long for the time when God will “bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).
Decay, destruction, death, and evil are all part of our lives on this earth. Even nature groans to be delivered from the curse (Romans 8:22). Yet Jesus’ declaration, “Behold I make all things new,” affords the hope that one day we will be free from the consequences and effects of sin and will live with Him in a new heaven and earth. This truth makes us live with eager expectation, seeking to know Him more, become more like Him, and make Him known. Our hopeful future is what changes how we live as we await Jesus’ making all things new.
Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Concluding his prophecy, John prays with earnest desire that Christ will come soon. He says,
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
Why should we long for Christ’s return?
2 Points to remember:
1) God will once again dwell with His people.
The punishment for sin is separation from God. Those who have placed faith in the crucified, risen, and victorious King Jesus are made blameless and washed from all their sin. We are now able to stand in the presence of God free from the shame, guilt, and punishment of sin. When the events described in Revelation 21-22 finally come to pass, our relationship with God will be as it was with Adam and Eve in the garden but so much better.
2) God will wipe away death, crying, and pain.
The curses of sin have caused all creation to suffer. This is perhaps the one thing in the book of Revelation we have no trouble relating to; we know all too well the sorrows of this life. Yet, this is the exact reason this passage stirs hope in our hearts. We know that God is making all things new, and that the pain of life we now feel is not eternal.
Click Play to Watch
Conclusion
Revelation closes human history as Genesis opened it – in paradise.
The book of Revelation is above all, a book of hope. It shows that no matter what happens on earth, God is in control. It promises that evil will not last forever. And it depicts the wonderful reward that is waiting for all those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
What are the new heavens and the new earth?
The new earth will be the eternal dwelling place of believers in Jesus Christ. The new earth and the new heavens are sometimes referred to as the “eternal state.” Scripture gives us a few details of the new heavens and new earth.
The current heavens and earth have long been subject to God’s curse because of mankind’s sin. All creation “has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth” (Romans 8:22) as it awaits the fulfillment of God’s plan and “the children of God to be revealed” (verse 19). Heaven and earth will pass away (Mark 13:31), and they will be replaced by the new heavens and the new earth. At that time, the Lord, seated on His throne, says, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5). In the new creation, sin will be totally eradicated, and “there shall be no more curse” (Revelation 22:3, NKJV).
The new heaven and new earth are also mentioned in Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, and 2 Peter 3:13. Peter tells us that the new heaven and new earth will be “where righteousness dwells.” Isaiah says that “the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Things will be completely new, and the old order of things, with the accompanying sorrow and tragedy, will be gone.
The new earth will be free from sin, evil, sickness, suffering, and death. It will be like our current earth, but without the curse of sin. It will be earth as God originally intended it to be. It will be Eden restored.
A major feature of the new earth will be the New Jerusalem. John calls it “the Holy City . . . coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). This glorious city, with its streets of gold and pearly gates, is situated on a new, glorious earth. The tree of life will be there (Revelation 22:2). This city represents the final state of redeemed mankind, forever in fellowship with God: “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. . . . His servants will serve Him. They will see His face” (Revelation 21:3; 22:3–4).
In the new heavens and new earth, Scripture says, there are seven things notable for their absence — seven things that are “no more”:
• no more sea (Revelation 21:1)
• no more death (Revelation 21:4)
• no more mourning (Revelation 21:4)
• no more weeping (Revelation 21:4)
• no more pain (Revelation 21:4)
• no more curse (Revelation 22:3)
• no more night (Revelation 22:5)
The creation of the new heavens and new earth brings the promise that God “will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4). This event comes after the tribulation, after the Lord’s second coming, after the millennial kingdom, after the final rebellion, after the final judgment of Satan, and after the great white throne judgment. The brief description of the new heavens and new earth is the last glimpse into eternity that the Bible gives.
