All Things New

Anytime we enter a new season of life we have “expectations.” Anytime you enter a new relationship with a particular person you end of developing expectations.

One of my friends used to say “People don’t let you down… your expectations for people let you down.” Expectations are unavoidable but can be disappointing.

Getting married. Having children. Going on a date. First year of college. First job. I’ve had expectations coming into each of these seasons.

Inevitably, with each one, there were at least certain occasions where I was disappointed over unmet expectations.

For the past several weeks we’ve been talking about the second coming of Jesus and His “millennial reign” on the earth.

As with many other things - people have "expectations” for what that reign is going to look like.

Heavenly Expectations

Have you ever spent anytime thinking about that day?

Bart Millard wrote an entire song about heaven entitled “I Can Only Imagine.” It’s a classic best-seller because it invites everyone of us into that vision of what that day will be like.

Our passage today is going to do the same thing. It’s a tremendous and powerful description of what happens when heaven meets earth at the return of the King.

I’ve entitled the message, “All Things New” because when God is finished with his purpose for this world, he won’t just make things better. He will make ALL THINGS NEW.”

Review/Context

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this series thus far. Revelation 20 opened with ...

the binding of Satan

the ruling and reigning of the Saints

the loosing of Satan and final crushing of his rebellion

the Great White throne judgment and lake of fire

In all of these things we’ve seen that different perspectives take different interpretations of these events.

When we get to Revelation 21 John has another vision. This time, it’s of a New Heavens and a new earth. Some interpreters see this as a continuation

Verses 1-4

With that said, let’s read our passage. Revelation 21:1-4

Revelation 21:1–4 (CSB)

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 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

What an amazing and encouraging passage. Does it not just make you long for that day?

That there would be a new heavens and new earth created at the second coming of Jesus is not surprising if you read all of the other chapters leading up to Revelation 21.

Previously we had seen these 21 judgments of God:

the seven seals,

seven trumpets and

seven bowls of God’s wrath.

Those judgments of God scorched and destroyed this place we call earth.

It’s hard to imagine a millennial reign of Christ on the earth without some kind of recreation and renewal of what was destroyed.

What are some truths we can meditate on when it comes to this new creation? I’d like to offer at least three.

The old will pass away and all things will be made new.

God will be present and chaos will be brought to order.

Death will be destroyed and our suffering will cease.

Old Gone Everything New

The first expectation we can have about this New Creation is just that. It will be NEW.

The OLD things will pass away and ALL things will be made new.

Revelation 21:1 (CSB)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...

We see elsewhere in the NT that this creation we see before us is destined to one day be destroyed and replaced.

2 Peter 3:12–13 (CSB)

...Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. 13 But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

The Apostle Paul talks about a similar “burning up” in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15.

There are more to which we could point.

As with Revelation 20, people debate on the “timing” of this old earth passing away and the New Earth being brought about by God’s creative power.

Some say Revelation 21 is congruent with Revelation 20 and it’s all part of the inauguration of Christ’s Kingdom when he comes back in glory.

Some say it’s at the “end” of Christ’s millennial reign on the earth and starts the beginning of what they call “the eternal state.”

Regardless of the timing, the reality is, this WORLD and the things of this world are going to pass away.

That’s why John tells us in a previous letter “Do not LOVE the world or the things in this world - 1 John 2:17 “... the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.”

If we want to have lives that are appropriately shaped by the glory of heaven we must learn to relate to this world as if it is TEMPORARY. Because it is.

And if you paid attention even a little bit to what we see going on in our world you’ll see right away the course we’re on isn’t a sustainable one.

Paul says in Romans 8 that the creation is GROANING as it waits for the glorification of God’s people at the return of Christ. Because the only way out of the mess we’re is if Jesus comes and burns down what’s dead so something new can come up in it’s place.

Just like the ashes of a forrest fire provide a uniquely fertile context for new life to grow so also will the destruction of this world through God’s punishment of the wicked provide a fertile ground for a new world to house the new home of the righteous.

Lifting the Curse

Not only will “old things” pass away. “All things” will be made new.

That “all things” will become new is an interesting thought. When you think back to the garden of Eden you see over and over again that it was “good.”

But, when Adam and Eve sinned against God they unleashed a curse on this world that has plagued us ever since.

Now, Gen 3:17 “You will eat from [the ground] by means of painful labor all the days of your life.”

When Christ makes all things new, the curse of sin on our world is going to be lifted. No longer will the earth produce “thorns and thistles” for us.

The new creation will be of a totally different kind.

Soliciting life-giving food from the ground will no longer be burdensome but easy.

We won’t have to work 60 hour weeks for 40 years of our lives just to barely enjoy 10 years of retirement.

Paradise Lost will become Paradise regained.

And it’s not just the physical creation that is made new. It’s the metaphysical creation as well.

Our culture will no longer be sick with godless and demonic ideologies. Godless false religion, evil authoritarian governments, all of those things that bring about harm in our culture today - those will be replaced with something good.

In the words of the old Christmas hymn,

“No more let sins and sorrows grow. Nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found.”

God Present Satan Not

The second expectation we can have about this new creation is that chaos will be brought back into order.

First, notice at the end of Revelation 21:1 the phrase, “and the sea will be no more.”

It’s actually one of SIX “no mores” in this passage.

No more sea

no more tears

no more death

no more grief

no more crying

no more pain

The idea of there being “no more sea” isn’t just a description of a physical reality. Throughout Revelation we’ve seen the sea take on symbolic meaning as well.

In both Old and New Testaments “the sea” is used to describe danger, chaos, division and godless leadership.

In Revelation 13:1, Satan’s beast - the Antichrist - comes from “the sea.”

Throughout the OT godless immortal leaders were likened to sea animals (dragons, Leviathan, etc) Isa 27:1, Job 41:1.

Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar are linked with these kind of animals. (Ezek 29:3; 32:2; Jer 51:34)

Even the beasts in Daniel 7 come up “out of the sea.”

The sea is a stand-in for godless, ruthless authoritarian evil. It has taken many forms throughout history but originates from the sea.

The sea also communicates unrestrained chaos and danger. It communicates separation and distance.

All of these things are absent in the New Creation.

The absence of the sea means that in God’s new creation "chaos will be brought back into order.”

The Presence of God

Not only will chaos be brought into order. God’s manifest presence will fill the earth.

Revelation 21:3 (CSB)

3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.

God’s dwelling place is “with humanity.”

Throughout the book of Revelation God’s dwelling place has been “in heaven.”

It’s been referred to as God’s temple (Rev 13:6; 15:5)

or his tabernacle (Rev 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:5, 6, 8; 16:1, 17)

This is deep theological concept but it’s important so I want to flesh it out.

Omni < Manifest

The Bible teaches that God is omnipresent. He’s in all places equally at all times.

But in addition to the omnipresence of God is the “manifest presence” of God. There is where the presence of God is clearly seen and experienced.

In the Old Testament, the manifest presence of God was located in a particular place.

When Moses went up on Mount Sinai God was present in a burning bush.

When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness God’s presence dwelled in the ark of the covenant.

When Solomon built the temple then the presence of God dwelled in the Holy of Holies. (only the high priest could go in and only once a year.)

In the Gospels, the presence of God was experienced through the person of Jesus.

In him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell bodily.

He was full of grace and truth, the image of God made visible.

He was the true temple, tear it down and he’d raise it up again!

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit so that God’s presence might be experienced in the bride of Christ, the Church.

We are God’s temple.

We have been empowered for mission by the Holy Spirit.

Gifted for ministry through the Holy Spirit.

The manifest presence of God is now experienced through the ministry of Christ’s Church.

But there’s coming a day when the manifest presence of God is going to FILL THIS EARTH. The TRUE TEMPLE - IN HEAVEN - is going to descend down to the earth.

God will be “WITH US” in way that outshines the temporary manifestations of God in the OT.

It will outshine with “with-ness” that those first century disciples experienced with Jesus during his earthly ministry.

It will outshine the “with-ness” we experience today through the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit.

God’s “with-ness” on that day will outshine any other kind of withness that came before it.

Death Destroyed. Suffering Cease

The third expectation of this new creation can be found in verse 4.

We see the implications of the eternal presence of God on the earth. Death will be destroyed and our suffering will cease.

Revelation 21:4 (CSB)

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

There are so many things in this world that cause us pain. There are so many reason we grieve and cry tears in this world.

But the biggest reason is the greatest enemy and that enemy is death itself.

But when heaven comes down and meets this world it’s going to destroy death in the process. In this new heavens and new earth there will no longer be any such thing as death.

This was foreseen by the prophets in the Old Testament.

John is most likely pulling this imagery from Isaiah 65.

Isaiah 65:17–20 (CSB)

17 “For I will create new heavens and a new earth; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 Then be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. The sound of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her. 20 In her, a nursing infant will no longer live only a few days, or an old man not live out his days. Indeed, the one who dies at a hundred years old will be mourned as a young man, and the one who misses a hundred years will be considered cursed.

Or Isaiah 25:8 “When he has swallowed up death once and for all, the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

We’ve also seen this idea earlier in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 7:16 (CSB)

16 They will no longer hunger; they will no longer thirst; the sun will no longer strike them, nor will any scorching heat.

We’ve been getting little glimpses but now we get the consummation.

Death will be destroyed and our suffering will cease.

Suffering Will Cease

Our suffering and grieving will literally be swallow up and erased by the joy of God’s New Creation.

The unanswered questioned we raise at certain funerals

The seemingly unneeded suffering of innocents in this world

The times where God didn’t just NOT give you what you wanted but instead seemed to take you through extended seasons of suffering when you did nothing to really deserve it.

Like a woman after childbirth, the former things will be forgotten. The joy of holding that new life will swallow up and erase the the pain and tears and suffering that came before it.

Those are the expectations you can have for when heaven meets earth and earth becomes heaven.

The old will pass away.

All things will be made new.

Earth’s chaos will be brought into order.

God’s manifest presence will fill the earth.

Death will be destroyed.

Our suffering will cease.

The New Jerusalem

These expectations are vastly beyond what you can even begin to imagine. But there’s one more “expectation” we should consider before we close our time.

The concept is presented in verse two and filled out through the rest of the chapter.

The seventh and final expectation for the return of the King is that God’s Holy City will descend from heaven and shine like the Sun.

Revelation 21:2 (CSB)

2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

John begins to describe this Holy City even more later in the chapter.

Revelation 21:9–10 (CSB)

9 Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 He then 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,

If you’re paying close attention you can see John begin to mix several metaphors together to talk about the same thing...

“Sometimes he calls it the Holy City”

“Sometimes he calls it the New Jerusalem”

“Sometimes he calls it the Bride of the Lamb”

As with many other places in this book, I think John is pulling from each of these ideas to communicate a singular reality.

God’s City > Beast’s City

If you’ve been with us throughout our study of the book of Revelation you’ll know this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a city and a woman tied up together in the same basic concept.

We also saw this in Revelation 17 with the Great Harlot and the Mystery City of Babylon.

John is setting up a POWERFUL contrast to end his apocalyptic vision.

God’s City is the better alternative to the city of the Beast.

God’s Bride is the better alternative to the Harlot of the Beast.

It’s a Place Prepared

John describes it as “the NEW JERUSALEM” because it delivers what the Old Jerusalem could not.

Why is this New Jerusalem able to deliver the goods? Because it wasn’t built by men - it was built by God himself.

It’s a beautiful city whose builder is God.

In Hebrews 11:10, THIS is the city to which Abraham “looked forward.” “The city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is GOD.”

It reminds me of what Jesus told his disciples in John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.”

So many times we equate the “work of God” to the internal aspects of our faith in Christ. He gives us new desires, new habits, new thinking about the world.

But God isn’t just “building us up” he’s also “preparing us a place.”

This is an external glorification of everything new.

Better, incorruptible bodies.

Longer, invincible lives.

Cleaner air. Greener grass. Browner dirt.

Better culture. Better government. Better in every way.

Everything will be new.

It’s a People Prepared

But not only has God prepared a place for his people. He’s also preparing his people for communion with person.

That person is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the groom to the bride. The lover of our souls. The author of our salvation and the finisher of our faith.

Heaven is a place and a person. It’s a glorious destination to which we will arrive and a glorious communion in which we will abide.

It’s a literal city, with literal people, with literal goodness flowing through every street.

Yet it’s also a spiritual union, with our precious Lord Jesus, that swallows up every hurt and pain and hardship that we suffered for his sake.

The New Jersualem is the fulfillment of heaven as that perfect place with that perfect person.

But it won’t just be some disembodied spirit floating on clouds, playing harps in the sky. It will be REAL. Magnificent. Eternal glory in the sweet by and by.

An Invitation & Warning

John concludes with an invitation and a warning in Revelation 21:5-8.

Both the invitation and the warning come from God himself so it’s something we need to listen to VERY carefully.

Revelation 21:5–8 (CSB)

5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But the cowards...”

Again, we are presented with a contrast: the conquerers and the cowards. They could not be more different.

An Invitation to Conquerers

An invitation is offered to those who conquer. “To the one who conquers will inherit these things....”

That are the “these things?” It’s everything we’ve been talking about.

Out with the Old.

In with the New.

Chaos brought into Order.

God’s Manifest Presence filling everything.

The destruction of Death.

The swallowing up of Suffering.

The glory of God Holy City. (a place & a person)

And notice the certainty with which Jesus speaks this invitation. These words are “faithful and true.”

Why? Because the speaker of the words is “faithful and true.”

He is trustworthy. He can be relied upon. He knows the end from the beginning. He’s the Alpha and Omega. He the giver of life and offers living water to the thirsty.

But to receive the living water you’ve got to acknowledge your thirst.

You’ve got to recognize you cannot save yourself. Poverty of spirit. Brokenness over sin. A spirit of surrender must all precede a confession of hunger and thirst for righteousness.

A Warning to Cowards

To the conquerers an invitation is given. To the cowards, a condemnation is received. Jesus warns against the coming damnation.

Revelation 21:8 (CSB)

8 But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

He characterizes the condemned with unique language. Some suggest it is “professing believers” who didn’t really have “genuine faith” that are in view.

If you think back to the seven letters of the seven churches you see that there were those who “professed faith” but didn’t actually “possess eternal life.”

When trouble of persecution began to surface they were quick to abandon their love for Jesus.

Cowards: “lacking courage” When confronted with the mark they caved. Timid.

Faithless: “unbelieving” Soon as the going got tough they shipwrecked in faith.

Detestable: “abhorrent” Becomes as filthy as the thing you’ve given yourself to.

Murderers: “killer” either by active participation or willful negligence.

Sexually Immoral: “pornos” unholy sexual activity outside of God’s design.

Sorcerers: “pharmakos” magician who deceives by pretense and show

Idolaters: “false worship” worship the creation instead of the creator.

All Liars: “deliberately deceptive” lives by lies instead of in and for the truth.

While you might not identify with every word on this list I think most of us can probably admit there’s at least one or two of these that find us guilty.

It reminds me of a similar list in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (CSB)

9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The antidote to cowardice is not finding more courage within yourself.

It’s giving yourself to a person who became what you could not be and paid the penalty for what you’ve become.

That person is Jesus. He will wash you. He will sanctify you. He will justify you so that you stand complete in him and loved by your heavenly Father.

The transformation that we will all experience on “that day” can begin in your life “today” if you’ll repent of your sins and put your faith and trust in him.