Revelation 21
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
We come full circle, to the beginning of the Bible again. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
That creation is what is called here "the old heavens and the old earth." They shall pass away, as we are told, but a new heavens and a new earth are coming. It is the Apostle Peter who tells us what happens to the present heavens and earth.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
That ends the old heavens, but now a new heavens and earth appear where Jesus will continue his reign.
One aspect of this, pictured here, is that there will be no more sea. Someone said, "I don't think I'm going to like the new heavens and the new earth, because I love the ocean." I understand that feeling. I love the ocean too. But the one reason we have a salt sea that covers more than half of this planet is because it is God's great antiseptic to cleanse the earth and make life possible on earth. Had it not been for the ocean, life on this planet would have ceased long before now. It is the ocean that purges, cleanses, and preserves it. The sea is an antiseptic in which all the pollution and filth that man pours into it is absorbed, cleansed and changed. But there will be no more pollution, no more filth, no more need for cleansing in the new universe.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Then next thing we are told here is, the New Jerusalem is called a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. We all love weddings. The climax is when the bride comes down the aisle, beautifully dressed for her husband! Every eye is on the bride because she has prepared herself for weeks to meet her husband there.
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
This is the place where God lives, in his people. This is when the name "Immanuel" ("God with us") is fulfilled in its meaning!
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
I am going to talk about this verse in a few minutes.
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
What is it about new? A New car, new home, new carpet, or new clothes, are incredibly enjoyable things. We are not talking about one or two things new. God said He makes all things new!
You can take these words to the bank.
6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
If you thirst, God will quench your thirst with the water of life.
7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
God encourages you to be an overcomer. Just put your faith in Jesus Christ! Just believe in Him! Listen to Jesus’ words:
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
You can overcome because He has overcome! Here is a list of those who do not inherit life.
8 But the cowardly, 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."
The three attitudes are the reasons why some will miss this magnificent city.
First, the cowards, the fearful, those who are afraid to take on reproach that may come because of identifying with Jesus.
Second, there are the unbelieving, those who know it is true, but don't want it and deliberately turn their backs on truth.
Third, there are the vile. The word means "to become foul." You do not start out that way, but by feeding your mind with filthy things. Then from that attitude flows murders, fornication, adultery, occult practices, and finally, hypocritical living.
9. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
10. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
We are going to hear a description of the New Jerusalem, I want you to remember this truth found in 1 Corinthians 2:9 "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
John has the difficult task of describing with an earthly vocabulary heavenly things. He will talk about things that have never been seen and truly are indescribable.
11. having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13. three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
There seems to be some question as to who the twelfth apostle would be, so many say it will be Paul. Let me take you back to the account shared in Acts 1 when Peter stood up and spoke these words:
"For it is written in the book of Psalms:
'Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.' Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:20-26)
Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles and he would have had a difficult time fitting in at the whole Jerusalem scene.
15. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
16. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
1,500 miles in each direction. Commentators differ as to whether the city is a cube or a pyramid.
17. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
The walls are 144 cubits (22") 264' thick
18. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
19. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
The foundations (with the apostles’ names inscribed on them) include 12 stones involving different colors.
The jasper completely clear diamond
The sapphire was probably blue
The chalcedony is basically blue with stripes of other colors
The emerald is a bright green
The sardonyx is red and white
The sardius is ruby-red in color
The chrysolite is a golden color
The beryl is a sea green
The topaz is a transparent yellow-green
The chrysoprase is also green
The jacinth is violet
The amethyst is purple
Let your imagination picture that marvelous city -- gleaming transparent gold, with foundations sparkling with light in cascading colors, pouring forth from great jewels embedded in the sides -- a kaleidoscope of light and glory!
21. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
The gates are made of single pearls. God must have some huge oysters somewhere in this new universe for each gate is but a single pearl! Pearls speak of beauty out of pain. Beauty comes from pain in an oyster. A pearl is formed when a tiny grain of sand gets inside an oyster's shell and the oyster becomes very uncomfortable. To relieve the pain of this irritant, it covers the sand with a soft lustrous nacre that hardens into a beautiful, glowing pearl. It describes beautifully how the redeemed have come from the pain that Jesus endured. Jesus was the merchant who came looking for a pearl of great price. He found one, he paid for it with His very life when He suffered on the cross. We will never forget for these pearls stand forever as a reminder to us.
The streets of gold, not just gold, but pure gold.
22. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
This is a major change. In our journey through the book of Revelation we have heard about the heavenly temple several times. In the New Jerusalem, there will be no temple because the temple was the place set aside to meet with God, to seek His counsel, to get revelation from Him.
23. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
24. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
25. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
26. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
27. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
You are welcome there, you belong there because your name is written in the Lamb’s book of Life.
Let me conclude by reminding you of verse 4.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
There are some things that will be missing in heaven.
1. God removes EVERY tear
You are carrying hurt with you, some of those hurts are recent and fresh, and some of them happened a long time ago. God is going to completely heal those hurts, He is going to wipe away every tear!
2. There shall be no more death
Death has separated you from people you loved immensely. It had robbed you of grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, some of you have lost spouses, and even children. There will never be that kind of separation again, EVER!
3. There will be no sorrow or crying
Nothing will ever break your heart again. You will never be so overwhelmed that you breakdown and sob. To me this really speak of two things; disappointment and stress. You will never be disappointed or stressed out again.
4. There shall be no more pain
We have all experienced physical pain. The pain of a broken bone, sprained muscle, or other physical ailment. For many who have chronic pain, pain fills their lives. No more. Never again.
Leave with verse ringing in your heart today:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."