What will You Do with the Message of Revelation? (Revelation 22:6-21)

What an incredible journey the book of Revelation has been!  One of the really neat aspects of the book of Revelation is that it concludes by instructing God’s people on what to do with its message (Revelation 22:6-21).  In a book like Revelation, that is immensely practical.  God’s people need to not only understand Revelation’s message but also know what to do with it.  My prayer today is that God would give us grace to understand, to treasure, and to be faithful with Revelation’s message.    

[6] And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”  [7] “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” [8] I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, [9] but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

[10] And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. [11] Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” [12] “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. [13] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” [14] Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. [15] Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. [16] “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” [17] The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

[18] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19] and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. [20] He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! [21] The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:6-21 ESV) So how are we to be faithful with Revelation’s message? 

I.              Know the Message of Revelation (6-7a)

In order to be faithful with the message of Revelation, we must know the message of Revelation!  To do this we need to briefly review the books contents and then from those contents try to distill its essential message.  Here is a basic outline of Revelation’s contents:

                                              i.     Prologue: Introduction (1:1-8)

                                            ii.     God Speaks in the Midst of the Churches (1:9-3:22)

1.     Christ in the Midst of the Churches (1:9-20)

2.     Christ Addressing the Churches (2:1-3:22)

                                          iii.     God Receives Worship in Heaven (4:1-5:14): compare 4:1 & 1:19

1.     The Father is Worshiped for His Creative Work (4:1-11)

2.     The Lamb is Worshiped for His Redemptive Work (5:1-14)

                                           iv.     God Unleashes His Wrath Upon the Earth (6:1-16:21): cycles with interludes

1.     Cycle One: The Seals (6:1-8:5)

2.     Cycle Two: The Trumpets (8:6-11:19)

3.     Cycle Three: The War (12:1-14:20)

4.     Cycle Four: The Bowls (15:1-16:21)

                                             v.     God Establishes His Kingdom Forever (17:1-22:5): a tale of two cites

1.     The Final Judgment of the Forces of Evil (17:1-20:15)

2.     The Eternal Bliss of God’s People (21:1-22:5)

                                           vi.     Epilogue: Final Instructions (22:6-21)

What is the essential message of Revelation?  In verse 6, the angel from 21:9 & 22:1 tells John that the purpose of the book of Revelation is to show God’s servants “what must soon takes place.”  So Revelation is meant to prepare God’s people for what is to come.  Now this whole section should remind you of the book’s introduction (1:1-8), because these two sections intentionally parallel one another.  Listen to the words of Revelation 1:1-3: [1] The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, [2] who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. [3] Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Now, in order to say more about the essential message of Revelation, we will need to answer a few questions about these statements.  First of all, what does it mean that Revelation’s content “must soon take place,” that Jesus is “coming soon,” and that “the time is near”?  Second, what are these “things” that are soon to take place?  Thirdly, how does Revelation instruct God’s people to be prepared for what is to soon take place? 

When John says these things “must soon take place” and that “the time is near,” he is alluding to Daniel 2:28-29 and using imminent language, which is common in the New Testament (Romans 16:20, 1 Peter 4:7, 1 John 2:18), to say that the 4^th quarter of salvation history has begun.  In the New Testament, the “last days” are not merely the end of history but the final period of salvation history that spans from Jesus’ first coming until His second coming.

As far as what these “things” are that must soon take place, we can for sure say that one of them is the coming of Jesus.  Three times in this text, Jesus declares, “I am coming soon” (7, 12, 20).  So what is soon to take place is the coming of Jesus and everything that precedes it.  In a nutshell, what will precede Jesus’ coming is a great war between Satan and the people of God; a war in which Satan will both tempt and pour out his wrath upon God’s people and God will pour out His wrath upon the wicked.  This war will culminate in the soon return of Christ to once and for all deal with His enemies. 

How does Revelation instruct God’s people to be prepared for what must soon take place?  If we were to sum it up in one word, we would say that it calls them to endure.  From start to finish in Revelation, God’s people are either charged to endure or described as people who have endured (1:9; 2:2,10,13,19,25-26; 3:8,10; 12:11; 13:10; 14:4-5,12-13; 19:8; 21:7; 22:14). The book of Revelation calls believers to endure, or persevere, in the face of internal and external opposition.

This is the message of Revelation: that Jesus is coming soon to judge His enemies and to reward His servants.  In the meantime, God’s people, though persecuted and tempted (by false teachers and the world) to commit idolatry and immorality, must persevere to the very end.  They must live in such a way that they are always ready for Christ’s return. 

     

II.            Keep the Message of Revelation (7b-9)

Jesus pronounces the 6^th of seven beatitudes (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14) in verse 7: “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”  This again parallels Revelation 1:3, which pronounces a blessing upon everyone who reads aloud, hears, and keeps what is written in Revelation.  What does it mean to “keep” the message of Revelation?  Basically, it means to not only hear it but also to heed it.  It means to apply it and to obey it. 

As James 1:22-25 says, we are not to be “hearers” of the word only, but “doers” of the word as well.  When we are “hearers” and not “doers” of the word, we deceive our own selves.  Revelation, or any other part of the Bible, isn’t written to merely inform us, but to transform us.  This is especially important in a book like Revelation, where people pride themselves on being able to chart out how the world will end.  This isn’t a book that is supposed to make us big headed, but big hearted rather, longing for the coming of Jesus and pursuing holiness with fervor so that we are found faithful when He returns. 

This is the response John has to the message of Revelation.  He is absolutely overwhelmed and moved to worship (8-9).  The angel has to once again stop him from committing idolatry, because the angel is merely a “fellow servant” with John.  John is told to “worship God” alone!  This is certainly part of what it means to keep the message of Revelation: to worship God alone with all our hearts.  That is what the message of this book has produced in John and that is what it is supposed to produce in us. 

III.         Share the Message of Revelation (10-17)

Not only are we charged to know and keep the message of Revelation, we are also charged to share the message of Revelation.  The angel tells John, “Do not seal up the words of this prophecy” because “the time is near” (10).  Sealing up prophecy is an allusion to Daniel 8:26; 12:4,9, where sealing meant that Daniel’s prophecies would not be fully understood or fulfilled until the end.  The opposite of that is certainly true here, but I think this means more than just something being fulfilled and better understood.  What does a seal do?  It encloses and prevents what is inside from getting out (and visa versa).  The opposite of sealing would be to open and expose said contents.  In other words, the message of Revelation is to be shared, not sealed.  The message of this book is to be heard, understood, and proclaimed among the churches and the nations.  In the following verses, John summarizes what is to be shared. 

First, all people are to consider the end of their ways.  I don’t think that this angel is encouraging the wicked to continue in sin in verse 11.  In it’s context, it is a powerful way to call the wicked to consider the end of their ways and repent.  Jesus declares again in verse 12 that He is “coming soon” and that He will be bringing His “recompense” with Him: meaning that He will “repay each one for what he has done.”  I think it is a way of saying, “Keep doing what you are doing and see where it gets you, because I am coming soon to repay everyone of your deeds!”  This would call the wicked to repent and the righteous to persevere. 

This sense is further amplified by the seventh beatitude and the contrast with the wicked in verse 14-15: “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.”  Jesus is offering the rights of heavenly citizenship in New Jerusalem to all those who wash their robes.  We saw how someone washed their robes in Revelation 7:14, where the saints’ robes were said to be washed in the blood of Lamb and made white.  The blood of the Lamb is the only hope fore sinners!  Those who do not wash their robes in the Lamb’s blood will be outsiders with the dogs.  They will be denied heavenly citizenship and cast into the lake of fire where they will pay for their sins forever. 

Second, all people are to consider the identity of the coming Christ.  Jesus is seen in this passage to be the Sovereign Ruler Over History (13).  That is the meaning of “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”  These names set Jesus apart from the entire created order and if you compare them with Revelation 1:8, you will see that these same expressions are used for “the Lord God,” clearly indicating that Jesus shares equal status with God.  Because He is the Sovereign Ruler over history, He is the source of Revelation’s content (16), which is another important indicator that Jesus shares equal status with God because in Revelation 1:1, God is said to be the source of Revelation’s content. 

Jesus is also seen to be the Messianic Warrior King (16).  That is the meaning of His being “the root and the descendant of David,” a messianic allusion to Isaiah 11:1-10, and “the bright morning star,” a messianic allusion to Numbers 24:17-19.  Considering the identity of Jesus adds a little different flavor to His coming when you consider these descriptions.   

Finally, all of God’ people are to give the invitation of Revelation.  “The Spirit and the Bride” (19:7, 21:2,9) give an invitation to “COME” (17).  Notice that this is an invitation that is also to be given by anyone who hears this message: “let the one who hears” also say, “COME.”  This is further affirmation that those who hear Revelation’s message are to share it.  God’s people are to declare these things in the church and among the nations, inviting “the one who is thirsty” to “COME” and take the water of life “without price” (freely).  We are to invite them to be washed by the blood of the Lamb by faith and receive the free gift of eternal life. 

IV.          Respect the Message of Revelation (18-21)

Finally, we are to respect the message of Revelation.  Verses 18-19 issue a warning to “everyone who hears” the message of Revelation.  We are not to alter the words of this book.  If anyone “adds to” the words of this book, God will “add to” them “the plagues described in this book,” and if anyone “takes away from” the words of this book, God will “take away” their share in the tree of life and the holy city described in this book.  WOW!  In other words, there will be hell to pay and heaven to lose for the person who tampers with the message of Revelation.

Revelation’s message, as well as the rest of the Scriptures, is not to be altered.  Altering God’s Word is a satanic tactic (Genesis 3, Matthew 4).  We should come to the Bible, especially Revelation, with humility and prayer, willing to submit ourselves to its authority.  We should also commit to learning the Scriptures by Bible study and reading, sitting under good teaching, etc., so that we do not find ourselves altering its message or believing a lie.   

The closing words of Revelation (20-21) contain the final promise of Jesus: “I am coming soon,” the final response of John: “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” and the greatest need of the church to be faithful to Revelation’s message:  for “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” to be with us.   That Jesus is coming soon is one of the central messages of the book of Revelation.  The way John responds is a model for us because it should be the heartbeat of every believer to the news of Jesus’ coming: “Amen.  Come Lord Jesus!”  This should be the response of every believer who reads the book of Revelation.  Is this the cry of your heart?  God, make it so!  It is only when love for Christ increases that love for sin and the world diminishes.

Robert Mounce concludes his commentary on Relation with these words: “At the very close of the book is the confession that the answers to the problems of life do not lie in people’s ability to create a better world but in the return of the One whose sovereign power controls the course of human affairs.”[1] Jesus is the sovereign God of history and the promised Messiah: everyone’s only hope.  He invites all who would repent to come to Him and drink freely from the water of life, but warns those who will not that there will be hell to pay. May we say with John, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!”

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[1] Robert Mounce, NICNT: Revelation, 410

New Jerusalem: Revelation 21:9-22:5

Happy Easter!  Easter is a time to remember and celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ in His life, death, burial and resurrection.  I normally take a break from whatever sermon series I am preaching through at Easter, but as I’ve thought about an Easter sermon over the last few weeks, I really felt led to continue looking at the New Creation.  It is very appropriate to think about the new creation at Easter, because it too is part of what Jesus accomplished in His death, burial, and resurrection.  We tend to individualize Easter a little too much.  Jesus did die for you, but He also died for more than just you.  He died to give His Father a people, He died for all of His people, and He died to set the universe free from the curse of sin and death.  Also, as we have just sang, Christ’s resurrection is a “foretaste of our deliverance!”  Christ’s resurrected body is a foretaste of our own resurrected bodies that we will enjoy in this new creation.  I will go even further and say that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest statement God has ever made about what He is going to do with this world.  So join me as we think about the new creation today as the spoils of Christ’s victory on the cross. 

 [9] Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” [10] And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, [11] having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. [12] It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—[13] on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. [14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

[15] And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. [16] The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. [17] He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. [18] The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. [19] The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20] the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. [21] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

[22] And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23] And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24] By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, [25] and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. [26] They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27] But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

[22:1] Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [2] through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [3] No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. [4] They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5] And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 21:9-22:5 ESV)

As I shared with you last time, this vision of the new creation is meant to encourage God’s people to persevere in the face of persecution and temptation by setting the joy of heaven before us in order to motivate us to endure.  My prayer today is again that we would be so taken with this vision of the new creation that we would endure anything to enjoy it.  Also, remember as we get started that Revelation uses the Old Testament more than any other book in the New Testament.  There are major allusions in this passage to Ezekiel’s vision of a future temple in Ezekiel 40-48, as well as major allusions to Isaiah 60, Zechariah 14, and the Garden of Eden in the opening chapters of Genesis. 

I.              The Other Woman: the Wife of the Lamb, New Jerusalem (9)

After the initial description of the new creation (21:1-8), John’s vision focuses upon “the holy city, New Jerusalem.”  Verse 9 says “then” one of “the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues” came to John and told him “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb” (9).  If you compare this verse (21:9) with Revelation 17:1, you will notice that identical language is being used here to contrast the Lamb’s bride with another woman who is a city, “the great prostitute,” Babylon the Great.  Again, this is reason to forsake the love of the world, because loving the world is like loving a prostitute.  The love of Christ, on the other hand is like that of a perfect husband who lays down His life to protect His bride. 

II.            The Outer Description of the City (21:10-21)

Verses 10-21 describe the outside of this city, focusing mostly upon its walls.  Two very important descriptions we need to notice at the outset are that this city is the work, or gift, of God (10) and that is radiates with the glory of God (11).  This city is not the work of human hands, but is the work of God and it radiates with His glory!  This is the city of God’s glory. 

John begins with a general layout of the city (12-14).  The city John sees is “four-square” (16) with a “great, high wall” that includes “twelve gates” (three on each side) that are guarded by “twelve angels.”  This is an allusion to Ezekiel 48:30-35.  Also, these walls rest upon “twelve foundations.”  We’re told that the “names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed” upon the twelve gates and that “the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” were written on these twelve foundations.  What is being emphasized here is the unity of God’s people.  This is their city, the city of the one people of God.  As Ephesians 2:20 says, Jesus’ work on the cross has successfully destroyed the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile.  On a practical note, this also encourages us that we will one day enjoy the company of our lost loved ones who were believers again. 

John then gives several important measurements of the city walls, alluding once again to Ezekiel 40:3-5.  The angel who spoke with John had a “measuring rod of gold” to measure the city, gates, and walls.  The city “lies foursquare” (has four sides and is square), and the “length and width and height” of the city’s walls “are equal.”  The measurement given is “12,000 stadia” (1,380 miles).  Also, the walls are “144 cubits” (216 feet) thick “by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.”  Don’t get lost in the measurements themselves, get lost in the vastness, symmetry, & splendor of this city.  It’s big enough for all of God’s people!  The most important thing I could point out about these measurements is that the dimensions of this city are cubed, like the holy of holies (1 Kings 6:20).  This explains why in alluding to Ezekiel’s vision of the latter day temple, John sees no temple: because the whole city has now become the holy of holies!  John is seeing a “city-temple.”  That means that this is also the city of God’s presence. 

John also highlights several materials that the city is made of and adorned with (18-21).  This great wall is “built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.”  The foundations of the wall are adorned with twelve different jewels which correspond to the jewels on the high priest’s breast plate in Exodus 28:17-20.  This amplifies what we just said about the city being a holy of holies.  In the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter the holy of holies once a year on the Day of Atonement.  But in New Jerusalem, all of God’s people are priests, all of God’s people can enjoy the fullness of God’s presence, and no one has to bring a blood sacrifice to do so, because Jesus’s blood has satisfied God’s wrath!  Remember what we read in Revelation 5:9-10: the blood of the Lamb is what has made this a reality. 

Notice also that the twelve gates are made of twelve pearls, each gate being made of a single pearl (21)!  The streets of the city are “pure gold, like transparent glass.”  The new creation will be a place of great abundance, so much so that what we prize in this world will be common in the next.

III.         The Inner Description of the City (21:22-22:5)

The inside of New Jerusalem is described with a lot of statements about what is not there.  First, there is no temple.  John sees “no temple in the city, FOR its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”  The temple represented the presence of God among His people, but only the high priest could actually enter God’s presence once a year in the holy of holies.  But as we saw earlier, in New Jerusalem, there is no need for a representation of God’s presence because the entire city is saturated by the fullness of God’s presence.  What the temple represented and facilitated has become a reality. 

Second, there is no need for luminaries (23).  The city “has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, FOR the glory of God gives it light and its lamp is the Lamb.”  This is mainly an allusion to Isaiah 60:19-20: [19] The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. [20] Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.  The presence of God seems to nullify the need for luminaries.    

Third, we also see that in this new creation, the nations will no longer rage.  Instead, “the nations” will “walk” by the light of God and the Lamb’s glory.  The “kings of the earth will bring their glory into it”: they will bring “the glory and honor of the nations” into the city.  This continues the allusion to Isaiah 60:3-5,11.  It “envisions a time when all nations will devote their gifts and energies to the worship of the one true God.”[1] This activity will never cease because the city’s gates will “never be shut by day – and there will be no night there.”

This is quite a picture when you consider the role that the nations have played in the context of Revelation.  They have been the enemy all throughout Revelation.  This is no longer the case.  In the new creation, the nations are only made up of the redeemed!  Notice also that even though this is the most secure place in the universe, there is actually no longer any need for security: the gates are never shut.  Why do you lock your doors?  You do so because of thieves and murderers.  You won’t have to in the new creation, because there won’t be anyone to keep out!  All the home security companies will be out of a job! 

Also, please don’t miss the focus upon the nations here.  It has always been God’s heart to be worshiped by all nations.  We see here the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham: all the families/nations of the earth blessed in the new creation through Abraham’s offspring: Jesus Christ.  This is “missions accomplished”: they day when mission are no more because all the nations worship the one true God through His Son.  This is how the world was supposed to be. 

Fourthly, there will be no uncleanness (27).  Verse 27 says “BUT” nothing “unclean will ever enter” this city, “nor anyone who does what is detestable or false.”  ONLY “those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” can enter this city.  Like Revelation 21:8, this is a statement about how lost people will not enjoy this new creation, but will be confined to the lake of fire.  This could be an indicator that New Jerusalem is more than a city in the New Creation, but rather is symbolic for the realities of entire new creation itself. 

As we move into 22:1-5, we are basically going to see the Garden of Eden restored and enhanced.  This is the way the world was supposed to be: a world with no curse.  John first sees the “river of the water of life” flowing “from the throne of God and of the Lamb” through “middle of the street of the city.”  Now this is an allusion to both Ezekiel 47:1-12 and Zechariah 14:8, but even more than that, it hearkens back to the river that flowed in Eden to water the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:10-14).  Here we see river again, only this one is enhanced.  Notice that the source of this river is God Himself.  He will be the source of refreshment, sustenance, and ultimate satisfaction in heaven.  What also reappears is “tree of life.”  It is said to be “on either side of the river” and has “twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit each month.”  This means that the tree of life yields one crop for every month of the year (so enhancing the tree in the original Garden of Eden).    The “leaves” of the tree of life are “for the healing of the nations.”  This obviously hearkens back to the tree of life in Genesis 2:9,15-17.  Also, the curse of Genesis 3:14-19 is explicitly said to be lifted: “No longer will there be anything accursed, BUT the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” 

Notice the way the passage ends: God’s servants will “see His face,” His name will be “on their foreheads,” and “they will reign forever and ever” with Him.  Seeing God’s face was impossible after the fall (Exodus 33:17-34:35), but was the earnest prayer of God’s people (Psalm 11:4-7, 27:4, 42:2).  These are more statements that hearken back to the Garden of Eden.  This is what we were made to do: serve God, worship God, see His face, walk with Him in the cool of the day, and have dominion over His creation under Him.  This also reminds us again of what a treasure God is.  He is heaven’s greatest treasure and we were made to enjoy Him forever. 

In closing, may we remember that we are in some sense already a part of this new creation.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)  The Bible calls us as new creatures to set our attention and our affections upon things in heaven, not things upon earth (Colossians 3:1-4).  You were meant for more than this world.  C.S. Lewis would say that that is the reason so many people can’t find happiness in this world: because we were made for another.  Will you turn to Jesus and become part of that world today?    

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[1] G.K. Beale, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Revelation, 1153

The New Creation: Revelation 21:1-8

How many of you have ever seen the television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?  Basically in this program, a family in a hopeless living situation has their old home completely transformed into something new.  Sometimes their old home undergoes a radical renovation and sometimes it is replaced entirely, but either way, their new home is completely “new” and better in every way.  A possible title for sermon today could be EXTREME MAKEOVER: UNIVERSE EDITION, because in Revelation 21:1-8, the whole creation gets an extreme makeover, and God’s new creation is indescribably better in every way.  (Review?)

[21:1] 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 21:1-8 ESV)

I believe this vision of the new creation is meant to encourage God’s people to persevere.  Such a vision would have showed them that everything they were about to face was worth enduring.  Is this not still true today?  This vision of the new creation gives us tremendous encouragement to persevere in the face of temptation and persecution.  It sets joy before us that should motivate us to endure.  My prayer today is that we would be so taken with this vision of the new creation that we would endure anything to enjoy it.  If we are going to come to that place, we will need to see in it a reward great enough to justify any that we might suffer.  So what is it about the new creation that would cause us to be willing to endure anything to enjoy it? 

I.              In the New Creation, God’s People will Enjoy a New World (1,5)

After the final judgment (20:11-15), John sees “a new heaven and a new earth” (1).  They have come because the “first heaven” and the “first earth” have now “passed away.”  This statement is the first in a string of allusions to the book of Isaiah in this passage.  Isaiah 65:17-19 reads: [17] “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. [18] But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. [19] I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.”  John’s vision here in Revelation is seen as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.  This is part of God’s “making all things new” (5), an allusion to Isaiah 43:19. 

A question we will want to consider is what is actually means for the first heaven and earth to pass away.  You can read about this event in greater detail in Romans 8:19-23 and 2 Peter 3:1-13.  Some people believe that God will completely do away with the old creation and create a new one from nothing (ex nihilo) as He did the first creation (Genesis 1:1).  Others believe that this means that the new creation will only be qualitatively new.  In other words, God will do more of a renovation and restoration of the old creation than a complete doing away with it.  Here there is a real passing away, but also a real continuity as well, much like a caterpillar’s transformation when it becomes a butterfly.  I tend to side with this second option because of what Romans 8:18-23 says: [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. [23] And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Either way, what I want you to see is that the new creation will be a whole new world.  It will be a real, physical place.  It’s not just a “spiritual state.”  Heaven won’t be a place where we just sit on a cloud, wearing a big diaper and playing a harp.  This language is meant to bring Genesis 1-2 to mind, where God originally created the heavens and the earth.  This new heaven and earth will be another perfect world. 

II.            In the New Creation, God’s People will Enjoy the Fullness of God’s Presence (2-3,6-7)

Here I want to point out how verse 3 seems to be an interpretive or summarizing statement about all that John is seeing.  John is seeing all this stuff, and then we’re given this announcement, alerting us to what all this means.  A voice from the throne announces, “the dwelling place (tabernacle) of God is with man.”  This is the big idea here, that what hasn’t been a reality since the garden of Eden will now be a reality again: the fullness of God’s presence will once again dwell with His people.  This is one of the great themes of the Bible: God dwelling with His people.  In the Garden of Eden, God walked with man in the cool of the day.  We read over and over again that He was “with” the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph).  God’s presence dwelt among the people of Israel in the Old Testament in the Tabernacle and in the Temple.  When Jesus Christ came into the world, the Bible says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us” (John 1:14).  In the new covenant, God’s people are now the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. 

But none of the threads of this great theme do it the justice that it deserves.  This is the day that the whole Bible has looked forward to!  It is beyond human vocabulary to describe what it will be like to dwell in the fullness of God’s presence.  When something is indescribable, you can only try to get close by piling up images that we can relate to.  This passage gives us three such images.  These images attempt to describe the indescribable joy, intimacy, and deep satisfaction that will come from dwelling in the fullness of God’s presence forever.  First, there is the image of the bride and her husband (2).  “The holy city, new Jerusalem” (which will talk more about later in this chapter) is described as a “bride adorned for her husband.”  This bride is a contrast to the great prostitute we saw earlier in Revelation 17.  God’s people are many times portrayed as His bride in Scripture (Isaiah 62:4-5, 2 Corinthians 11:2), and this image is meant to communicate incredible joy and intimacy.  The presence of God in the new creation will bring with it all the joy and intimacy of a honeymoon.  Heaven will be the honeymoon of God and His people, the happiest of all happily ever after’s.  As a side note, it is interesting that there was one wedding that took place before the fall and now only one wedding that takes place after the curse is removed. 

Then there is the image of Father and son (7).  God promises the conqueror this inheritance: God will be their God and they will be His children.  Again, this is attempting to communicate that we will know God in a most loving and intimate way.  Like a Father, God will protect us, provide for us, look after us, etc.  Can you think of any two human relationships that are closer than husband/wife and parent/child?  Finally, we are given the image of the thirsty being satisfied (6).  “Thirst” is an image that Scripture sometimes uses to signify deep desire and longing for God (Psalm 42:1-2).  This imagery communicates that heaven is a place of deep satisfaction, where God will satisfy our souls forever with Himself, because He is what makes heaven heaven.  So pile up the images in your mind: the joy and intimacy of a wedding and honeymoon, the love of a Father and son for one another, and the satisfaction water gives a parched individual, and that is as close as we can get to describing what it will be to experience the fullness of God’s presence forever. 

What does this really teach us about God?  It teaches us that God is heaven’s greatest treasure.  He is better than a spouse.  He is better than a boyfriend or a girlfriend.  He is more satisfying than sex.  He is better than children.  Was this not Paul’s point in saying that being with Christ was “far better” than anything he could experience in this life (Philippians 1:23)?  He is the highest and deepest joy that anyone can experience on either side of eternity.  I wonder, do we savor the presence of God now like the psalmist in Psalm 16:11?  [11] You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

III.         In the New Creation, God’s People will Experience the Fullness of God’s Healing (4)

The new creation will also be a place where God’s people experience the fullness of His healing.  God says that He will “wipe away every tear” from our eyes, and “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (4).  This is another allusion to Isaiah 25:8: He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. These statements imply that the curse of Genesis 3:14-19 has been lifted.  Every consequence that our sin and rebellion brought into the world is now removed. 

How messed up is this world?  Sin and death have reigned since Adam.  It’s a world full of war, violence, hatred, disease, natural disasters, tragedies, etc.  We get sick, we die, the people we love die.  Sin destroys the lives of the people that we love.  They have to battle things like addictions, divorce, and depression, disease, and eventually death.  Sometimes death is sudden and sometimes it slowly eats away the people we love, but it is never easy. 

But this passage points us to a day when there will be no more cancer.  There will be no more Alzheimer’s.  There will be no more heart disease.  There will be no more house fires or hurricanes.  There will be no more death for the people of God, nor any of the tears, mourning, or pain that accompany it because we will experience the fullness of God’s healing.

IV.          In the New Creation, Those Who do not Belong to God will Experience the Fullness of His Wrath & Separation (8): “BUT”

The next description we get of God’s new creation comes as a sobering warning that not everyone is going.  “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” (8).  The inheritance of the wicked will be the lake of fire, a place of eternal torment.  This is some very bad news because all of us find ourselves in this list.  We are all rebels, guilty of the rebellion we read about here.  We are not the “conquerors” that we read about in 21:7.  But here is the good news: we can be.  In Revelation 12:11, we learn here why the conquerors were called so: it was because they were made conquerors by the blood of the Lamb.  What do the words or Romans 8:37 say? “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Those of us who are conquerors are so because Christ has conquered sin and death for us.  May we never forget that the realities we read about in the new creation are blood-bought realities, and they can be true for you if you will come to Jesus Christ in faith and repentance.