I make all things New, Revelation 21:1-8, pt. 3

Jeff Stephens

Revelation • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Revelation 21:1–9

Heaven

New Jerusalem

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Introduction

When I was a boy of 8,9 years my brother and I went to stay with my grandparents for a week at their trailer on School Section Lake. I didn’t know being separated from my parents, in particular, my mother, would be so hard. I was hit with a bad case of homesickness, which is better stated as mom-sickness. I loved my grandparents and had lots of fun fishing with my grandfather. Some of my best memories occured during that week, or partial week I should say. While there were times of great fun, it was poisoned by the fact that I couldn’t get over missing my mom. All of those fun things were not as fun, because I couldn’t get passed mom not being there. I can’t speak for my younger brother, but I was having fun miserably. I couldn’t get passed it no matter the words of my Grandpa or Grandma. So one day, I don’t know how many days we made it, a neighbor of theirs was returning home to Lansing and we packed up and went with him. I can still remember the great relief that swept over me when I got home. It was like I could breathe again. Life was filled with what it was meant to be once again. I would face that monster a few more times before I went into the Marines. But there it was grow up time.

Right now Sharon is away on her retreat for several days. I miss her already. I am excited to get her home. Surely you know the feeling when you have been gone on vacation it is good to get home.

Don’t you think this is what the Apostle Paul is referring when he says to the believers in the Philippian Church “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” He longed for getting home to Christ.

So what we have been talking about is, and what this journey from Paradise in Eden in the book of Genesis to this time in our text here in Revelation where Paradise is regained. God’s people are finally home has been this separation from God. There is a homesickness, a desire to be where we belong. We do not belong here. And we recognize this, don’t we? Even in a little way. When a loved one dies we speak of their ‘homegoing.’ Or we will say that ‘went home to be with the Lord.”

When John writes in the end of the (ESV)

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.

and (ESV)

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

In both verses the call for Jesus to ‘come’ is embedded in this desire to be restored to the presence of God and dwell with Him and be absent from all that was involved in the separation. Think of the Lord’s incarnation. All that time separated in some fashion from the father to experience what that means in life: pain, suffering, anguish brought to a heightened crescendo on the cross when the Father separated from the Son for that time. That is what Jesus grieved over. not the physical pain.

I remember reading when Dr. Stephen Olford was in the hospital in Memphis Tn for cancer surgery someone reported that he said to his family, I think this was said by another pastor in Memphis as well, that he was in a ‘win win’ situation. If he survives he has more time with his family and if he dies he is Home with the Lord. Either way it is a good situation for them Oh to live with that mindset. That would be freeing.

Well is that not what we have here in our text.

We have went over the course from Paradise in eden when God dwelt with Adam and Eve, through to Abraham, we skipped along to Moses and Israel, then on to Solomon, To Jesus (God with Us) in the flesh and now we have the Holy spirit in us. Though we have the Holy Spirit and have fellowship with God, we are still not with God. We are separated and longing to be with God. Do you have that longing? Is death gain to you and me?

This is what John is getting at in our text.

So lets take a gander at it.

Notice first of all

This voice is out of the throne. Is it God? This voice appeared earlier in 16:17 and 19:5 In the seventh bowl is poured out and the voice declares that the judgment of God is done. At which time there was a great earthquake and the ‘great city’ Jerusalem (11:8) was split into 3 parts. In the voice calls for Praise to the Lord because of the final judgment. Here the voice calls attention to the new Jerusalem this wasn’t a makeover city. A city redone, remodeled, rebuilt. No that one was completely destroyed Now there is a new Heaven and new earth. So there is a new Jerusalem in which God will dwell with His people forever. In each case this phraswe is used it calls attention to some great Divine work. So it is here. Whether this God or an angel speaking for God, it still calls attention to the authority of God. And this is a fulfillment of prophecy, as we saw last time. It is a prophecy of blessing on God’s people.

And what He says is of utmost importance. Especially, since he uses the word behold! to draw attention to his statement. Now his statement as reference to the New Jerusalem as the dwelling of God. As John sees the New Jerusalem descending the speaker points to the city and identifies it as the tent of God. In other words, John hears the interpretation of what He saw when he saw the new Jerusalem. This is the consummation of the wedding Supper of the lamb . This is the part of the wedding where the Groom brings his bride to his home to live forever. It is what the tabernacle and temple previewed.

Most importantly it is the dwelling place of God with His people. This restores what was begun in the garden. The ideal place of God dwelling with His people. It is the return of God’s people to the place of God’s dwelling.

After General MacArthur left the Philippines during WWII he pledged to return. And Return he did on October 20, 1944. US General Douglas MacArthur kept the promise he had made 2.5 years earlier to the people of the Philippines: he returned to the islands with an enormous invasion force and the largest assemblage of naval vessels in the history of mankind.

God pledged to dwell with His people once again and restore what was lost when Adam and Eve rebelled and were expelled from the garden. This is that return.

This is the focus or aim of the book to give hope to those who were left stranded in a way in this life, to suffer separation from God of which all the anguish of human separations are but a picture. But now that is all set right. That is the promise. That is the hope we all look toward.

As he gazes at the New Jerusalem, the voice says, ‘BEHOLD! The tent of God with men.” What a sight.

Little kids ask their parents, ‘Where does God live?’ We can say to them then, they won’t need to ask because they will know it themselves, “in the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven.

I am going to want to look at for a better understanding of this. see also

Most importantly

it is the dwelling place of God with His people.

THis restores what was begun in the garden.

I want propose for your consideration four aspects of our dwelling with God:

The first one I want you to consider is the Place, second, His personal presence, third the people who are the citizens of this place and then the Peace that permeates this place.

The first aspect to consider is

I. The Place,

It is the Tent of God, the skene. We won’t spend much time here because John gives more information later in his letter. But it does behoove us to consider this place. The idea of tenting or tabernacling refers back to when God dwelt with Israel in the wilderness, then in the temple. Then it refers to Jesus . Then He lives in believers, His people, 1 cor. 6:19-20.

The idea of tenting or tabernacling refers back to when God dwelt with Israel in the wilderness, then in the temple. Then it refers to Jesus . Then He lives in believers, His people, 1 cor. 6:19-20. Then it will be fellowship with God like we have never known it. We looked at that last time so we won’t spend any time there. . Skene obviously calls to mind the Tabernacle in the wilderness that had a certain specific form and decoration and purpose. It is first emphasizing the holy of holies, the place where the Ark of the covenant, the mercy seat of God. It is in a sense where the throne is. It the place where the seat of God, where the blood of atonement is sprinkled. It is the place where fellowship with God was ratified by the blood of the sacrifice. Only the High Priest could enter once a year making atonement for the people. But when Christ, the Sacred Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the people was sacrificed on the Cross, the veil separating the Holiest of Holies was rent. Now only through Christ who is the door can we enter into the presence, the dwelling of God.

Skene obviously calls to mind the Tabernacle in the wilderness that had a certain specific form and decoration and purpose. It is first emphasizing the holy of holies, the place where the Ark of the covenant, the mercy seat of God. It is in a sense where the throne is. It the place where the seat of God, where the blood of atonement is sprinkled. It is the place where fellowship with God was ratified by the blood of the sacrifice. Only the High Priest could enter once a year making atonement for the people. But when Christ, the Sacred Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the people was sacrificed on the Cross, the veil separating the Holiest of Holies was rent. Now only through Christ who is the door can we enter into the presence, the dwelling of God.

Now though this is also Emmanuel, God with them in its full significance. and fulfillment of the promises of ; ; and ; ;

This is that place that Jesus speaks of in

John 14:1–3 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

This is that place that Jesus speaks of in John

John 14:1-

In this time all who know Christ will be in God's holiest of holies always. This is the new Jerusalem the new city of God. The new dwelling of God. What a marvelous blessing and fantastic hope we have. Who could not or would not rejoice in that.

This is the place of God’s dwelling.

Then we move on to the second aspect,

II. The personal presence of God is there,

Note that this is the “tent of God with men and He shall tent with them and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be with them and He shall wipe away all tears . . ..”

Do you see the focus on the presence of God? Tent of God, He, His, God Himself, He. God will not be aloof as some feel He is now. Moses wanted desperately to see God, but couldn’t. He had to be protected else he would die. No man could see God and live. Even when in Philip asked Jesus “Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us.” The disciples didn’t even know who they were looking at. Jesus said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” They are one. But even then it was missed by the disciples.

We long to experience the presence of God in times of tragedy, hardship, trial. We say things in response to those hard things of life, like, “If God were here . . ..” He has never left us as believers or forsaken us. But at times it might feel like He is not near.

That will not happen at that time. Everywhere you look you will see God. No temple? Ok, God is the temple. No need for a lamp or the sun to light the day? Ok, God,Jesus is the sun, the light, the lamp. As Adam and Eve knew the presence of God in the garden so we will know the presence of God in the New Jerusalem. We shall see Him. Everything in the new Jerusalem is made to reflect the glory of God just as everything in the Tabernacle, Holiest of Holies was made to reflect God. You will not be able to go anywhere without being keenly aware of the personal presence of God. Every eye will see Him.

Revelation 22:3–4 ESV

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. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

We won’t have to ask ‘where is God?’ because we will know He is Here all the time.

The third aspect

III. The People who are the citizens

These citizens are described as God’s people v.3,

We go back to the garden where God walked with man. . and take a peak how this is said in our text:

‘with men, with them, they hall be His people (or people of Him), with them’ It is not that everybody goes to heaven. The word men here is not generic. It is though representative for all who Know Him. Remember, everyone that is not a true believer is dead and has been judged and cast into the lake of fire. The only humans here are believers. That is what he means by men. If you look at verse 8 there are none of those characters in the Tent of God. They are forever separated from God. And as we shall see in a moment that is why the pain, mourning, wailing, gnashing of teeth and so on.

We go back to the garden where God walked with man.

We could go to numerous scriptures but just two or three will do :

Romans 8:30 ESV

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

We could go to numerous scriptures but Just one will do: This is that.

then the fall and that was separated. That is why the pain, mourning, wailing, but all that will be gone because the cause of it will be gone.Fellowship with God will be restored.

1 Thess. 4: 13

many people think they are walking with God. They are spiritual they believe that God will allow them into heaven, though they reject Jesus or don’t believe in Him ‘all the way.’ As One man told me years ago, there are a thousand ways to heaven. But there is only one. Only those who are ‘in Christ’ will be citizens of heaven.

Finally, the final aspect for you to consider is v.4

Iv. The Peace, v.4

This really is the result of being reunited, of dwelling with God, of being returned home. It is the absence of separation.

All the tears, death, mourning, wailing, and pain are gone. Why? Because we are with God. That is why.

The question goes back to why there would be tears, pain, mourning, crying in the first place.

It has to go back to the curses of . all the hardships and trials of rejecting God. All of them caused by God’s lack of dwelling with them and He is removed from them because of their rejection of Him. So the prophets speak of that time when God will return to them and they will once again enjoy the blessings of that flow out of God dwelling with them and they obeying Him and seeking and wanting His dwelling with them.

Think of the tears and pain etc. that was experienced by Adam and Eve because of sin and because they were separated from God. Clearly this has reference to ; ; ;

THe word cry/krauge - not the kind of weeping we associate with crying, but rather an out cry or clamor, though it can refer to weeping, the emphasis of this word is on the noise that it made, the raucous noise,

examples are: Elisabeth greeting mary in ; after Paul’s defense, the people cried out. Or Jesus prayer as he was about to suffer. So the word in our text is more the cry of anxiousness, not weeping.

coupled with mourning and pain it is more the idea of anguish of soul rather than emotion of sorrow. I wonder if he is speaking more of the idea of regret over events of lack of faith and trust in God rather than pain of death and that maybe a loved one is not there or that we are no longer suffering. That in and of itself wouldn’t have to be banished. It will already be gone. The mother does think any longer of the pain of childbirth after the baby is born.

Hence, I am inclined to think this has to do with ruing past failures on our part. All of that will be done away with. More than that I think it has to do with the fact that we are separated from God.

THis restoration, this return to God’s dwelling, that is what we see here. so once again we can deduce that the tears, pain, mourning, crying etc. are caused by God’s absence due to man’s rejection of God. However, our text reminds us that at His return all cause for the weeping is now gone. t

It seems to me also that when Jesus was crying out in the garden or even on the cross it wasn’t for physical pain, but clearly the forsaking of God the Father, it was the separation from God that caused His anguished cry. No more of that here, because we will not be separated ever again.

Conclusion:

So since the fall there was God walking with Abraham, then the tabernacle in the wilderness that demanded a sacrifice in order for there to be fellowship, then the temple where the sacrifices continued. Then Christ Immanuel God with us in the flesh then His death and crucifixion and ascension. then the Holy spirit indwelling believers then this New Jerusalem toward which all the others before pointed. To that time when God will dwell with His people. No more need of sacrifice or temple because Christ is that sacrifice. So all is restored to what God intended we fellowship with Him forever. We have the purpose of the Holy Spirit fulfilled who leads in us to conviction of sin, no more need of that Christ is that. pointing us to Christ, all will know Him, showing us, empowering us to live for Him in righteousness, no more need of that we will do that in the kingdom. All will be perfect then. That is why all tears will be wiped away. Those are the tears of Jesus in the garden, not for the physical suffering but for the separation from the father. Since there will be no more separation from the father their will be no more tears. Since the it is the separation that causes the pain and mourning, those too will be gone, because we will no longer be separated from the Father. The tears and pain an mourning he is talking about is not for the loved ones who may not be there, but because of our great sin that caused our separation from God. This is the mourning and pain and groaning of . That will be gone because we will no longer be separated from God. This is why sin is so heinous, because it separates us from God. That is why we need salvation, not so that we might have better life now, but so that we can be restored to God.

So since the fall there was God walking with Abraham, then the tabernacle in the wilderness that demanded a sacrifice in order for there to be fellowship, then the temple where the sacrifices continued. Then Christ Immanuel God with us in the flesh then His death and crucifixion and ascension. then the Holy spirit indwelling believers then this New Jerusalem toward which all the others before pointed. To that time when God will dwell with His people. No more need of sacrifice or temple because Christ is that sacrifice. So all is restored to what God intended we fellowship with Him forever. We have the purpose of the Holy Spirit fulfilled who leads in us to conviction of sin, no more need of that because Christ is that. pointing us to Christ, all will know Him, showing us, empowering us to live for Him in righteousness, no more need of that. we will do that in the kingdom. All will be perfect then. That is why all tears will be wiped away. Those are the tears of Jesus in the garden, not for the physical suffering but for the separation from the father. Since there will be no more separation from the father their will be no more tears. Since the it is the separation that causes the pain and mourning, those too will be gone, because we will no longer be separated from the Father. The tears and pain an mourning he is talking about is not for the loved ones who may not be there, but because of our great sin that caused our separation from God. This is the mourning and pain and groaning of . That will be gone because we will no longer be separated from God. This is why sin is so heinous, because it separates us from God. That is why we need salvation, not so that we might have better life now, but so that we can be restored to God.

And that is why this passage is so full of hope for all who believe in Jesus. All who are in Christ have this hope. This is a tremendous hope to keep you going when life gets rough. This is the meaning behind, ‘to die is gain.’

And so the Lord announces,

Behold I make all things new!

John uses ‘men’ here to stand for believers without explicitly mentioning believers because only those men/women alive will be believers. All others will be separated from God and thus suffering the severest of the pain, weeping (anguished gnashing of teeth) and mourning in the lake of fire.

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