Revelation Sermon - 54
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Revelation: All Things New!
Revelation 21:1-4
1. Introduction – This morning we come to the final vision of Revelation. For the final time in this letter John says, “Then I saw…”
a. In this visionary sequence, John goes on to describe for us some of the most stunning and breathtaking images we’ll ever read.
i. These verses that we just read, and the verses that follow…the describe for us the climax of all things.
1. This is the climax of the future. As God’s people, we long to see creation restored, we long to see Jesus face to face…we long to have our faith become sight.
a. Well in these verses, we have a foretaste of it.
b. This is also the climax of the book of Revelation. Jesus has pulled back the curtain, he has revealed to John and to us…that there is a war between good and evil…
i. He has revealed that God’s people face pressure to compromise…Jesus has revealed that evil will be fully and finally punished…
1. And here, Jesus reveals to John the renewal and restoration of all things.
a. And this is the climax of the Bible. If we start at the beginning in Genesis, we see a perfect creation.
b. In the Garden of Eden, God dwelt among his people; he walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.
i. But because of human sin, that closeness ended. Adam and Eve were booted out of the Garden, no longer walking with God in that way.
1. Can we ever get back there? Well, if we don’t read and study Revelation, we miss the conclusion of the story.
c. While we can have a relationship and closeness with God through the atoning death of Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit…
i. It pales in comparison to what Adam and Eve experienced in Eden…can we ever get back there?
ii. Well, in the future, at the coming of Jesus, at the restoration of all things, God will live with his people.
1. The OT prophets, the Apostle Paul, the book of Revelation, all speak about a time when creation will be freed from the bondage of sin…
a. We’ve read about that freedom…the dragon, the beast, the false prophet…those who reject God, even death and the grave…all of those things are gone.
i. And after the renewal of creation God once again lives among his people.
1. Spoiler alert…we can get back the paradise that was lost.
c. There’s a popular saying…I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future….
i. And while that is kinda sorta true… after reading Rev. 21:1-4 not only do we know WHO holds the future, but we actually know WHAT it holds as well.
1. Because in 96 AD, the One who holds the future pulled back the curtain on future events.
a. In 96 AD, on the prison island of Patmos, the holder of the future revealed to the Apostle John what was going to transpire in the future…
i. And John faithful and accurately wrote down what he saw.
1. So, what does the future hold…I’ll ask it in a more familiar way…
a. What did John see?
2. New heaven and earth – Well, first up, john saw a new heaven and a new earth.
a. So, what we need to figure out is this…does this mean at the end of time God is going to blow the whole thing up and start again?
i. Or does this refer more to a restoration and renewal of the created order.
1. I think the key is to answer this is in verse 5…I am making, and notice the word order.
a. He doesn’t say “I am making all new things…” God says, “I am making all things news.’
b. I believe the Bible teaches that for God will restore and renew the creation he has already made.
i. At the end of Isaiah, God makes a promise about a new heaven and earth.
1. And when that phrase is used, it is referring to the both the physical universe and the spiritual world order…it will all be cleansed and renewed.
c. Jesus, in Matthew 19, spoke of the new world after his return.
i. And Jesus uses a very specific word. He uses the word palingenesia.
1. Do you see the word ‘genesis’ in there? It means beginning or birth.
a. The prefix “palin” is the Greek word for ‘again.” It’s where we get our word “palindrome” which is a word or phrase that is the spelt the same both backwards and forwards.
ii. The Greek word palingenesia means born again, rebirth, or regeneration.
1. At the coming of Jesus, the created order will not be blown up in order to start again…no, it will be regenerated.
a. Just as believers are reborn, regenerated when Jesus comes into our lives as our Saviour.
d. In Romans 8, Paul talks about creation longing to be freed from the shackles of sin…it longs for restoration.
i. Well, here in this vision of Rev. 21, prophetic word meets its fulfillment as heaven and earth are renewed. With sin and evil and all its affects finally done away with, God renovates his creation and dwells among his people.
3. A Holy City – What else does John see?
a. John sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down from God. What does this mean?
i. Well, I don’t want to focus so much on whether or not this is a literal reconstruction of the actual city of Jerusalem.
1. Instead, I want to focus on the characteristics what John describes for us.
b. John says it’s a holy city.
i. It is holy because it is completely and totally void of sin. It is holy because it is the dwelling place of God. God’s glory and majesty radiate through this city.
1. But a city is a dwelling place of people. It’s is the dwelling place of God’s saints.
a. The chief characteristic of the future city is holiness.
c. And if the chief characteristic of the future city is holiness, that character trait must shape us even now as God’s people.
i. As God’s people, as the church, we called to be an entertaining people or a culturally progressive people, but a holy people… set part for God’s use.
d. John then describes this future city as a bride beautifully adorned for her husband.
i. Men, remember when you saw your bride walking down the aisle? I do. I’ve yet to see something as stunning.
1. This is how John describes the holy city coming to earth.
e. The last time we talked about a city, it was Babylon, and it was described as a great harlot.
i. The city Babylon stands for anything and everything that stands opposed to God.
1. And in stark contrast, here, we have another city, a holy city, and John says it is pure and beautiful and adorned like a bride on her wedding day.
4. Look! – And then John doesn’t so much see this next image as he hears about it.
a. John hears a voice from the throne, maybe God’s voice, but most likely an angel’s voice…we hear God’s voice next week.
i. The voice calls John’s attention to a magnificent concept. God’s home is now among his people.
1. And this image points us to a very important fact about eternity.
a. The Bible doesn’t present eternity as some wispy, spirit-like existence where we sit on clouds and play harps all day.
i. That’s not the Bible, that’s as Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercial.
ii. The idea if a spirit-like existence for eternity is actually a Greek, a pagan thought.
1. That the soul is whisked away after death to some spiritual world for all eternity is not a biblical thought.
a. The Bible always places the eternal experience of God’s people on earth – on a new earth.
i. The ultimate destiny of God’s is not out there somewhere – disembodied spirits out there above the clouds…
1. No, for God’s people, eternity is an earthly existence…a bodily existence.
iii. And eternity is a godly reality, because the story of God comes full circle as he once again dwells physically with his people.
1. This is our future, not out there floating around on clouds. But here, on an earth that has been completely renovated.
a. It stretches the limits of our thoughts and even our vocabulary, but it will be our eternal reality.
b. A popular question to ask when taking about eternity is this…what will it be like? If it stretches our thoughts and vocabular, how can we hope and rejoice in it?
i. Well, it’s a good thing that John details this beautiful vision for us. It’s a good thing the voice form the throne describes what’s going on here.
1. What will it be like? We’ll answer this question in 2 different ways.
a. First, we’ll look at what isn’t on the new heaven and new earth.
i. Then we’ll look at what will be present on the new heaven and new earth.
5. Isn’t – So what’s NOT in the new heaven and new earth?
a. First, John mentions the sea. There is no more sea. In the ancient world the sea was the place of chaos and disorder.
i. The ancients thought that the sea was attempting to suck the rest of creation back into the void and chaos of pre-creation existence.
1. In chapters 12-13 the great red dragon stood on the seashore and called the beast who rose up out of the sea.
a. But in the restored creation…John isn’t saying that there won’t be any literal bodies of water, but that there won’t be any chaos or disorder.
i. All that stood opposed to God will be gone.
b. Next, the voice from the throne states the negation of death and all the emotions that accompany it.
i. No more death, sorrow, crying or pain. This seems so completely foreign to us.
1. Who has gone through life pain free? Who here hasn’t been affected by death or pain or sorrow? Who hasn’t cried before?
a. Sometimes it seems like life is simply the experience of one painful event after another.
c. But what this passage is telling us is that we will no longer live under the curse and misery of sin and death – and the pain and sorrow and tears that go along with it.
i. I know it might be painful, but reflect on the painful experiences of your life.
1. Illnesses, trials, losses, sorrow, grief, pain…the tears you have shed. Now can you image a life without those things?
a. It’s actually quite hard, but this is what the Bible says eternal life in God’s presence will be like.
d. It’s a far cry from the other eternal reality present in this letter.
i. For unbelievers, eternal conscious torment, but for God’s people eternal bliss, joy, and peace, forever freed from the debilitating effects of sin and death.
6. IS – So what’s not in the new heaven and new earth? Evil, sin, chaos, disorder, death and all its side effects.
a. So, what is there? Well, we’ve seen that a city is there, God’s people are there. And in vv.3-4 we are told the most glorious truth of all…God is there!
i. Think of the gloriousness of this truth…and then focus on the 2 actions that God is described as doing.
1. There are 2 future active verbs used in this passage. Hear the first.
b. God will be with them…
i. What we have in this sentence is the fulfillment of a promise. It is a promise that is woven into the very fabric of Scripture.
1. God made a promise to Abraham that he will be God to Abraham and his offspring.
a. When the nation of Israel was founded God promised, “I will take you as my people. And I will be your God.”
c. When God told Moses to build the Tabernacle in the desert, God said, “I will make my dwelling among you – I will walk among you and will be your God and you shall be my people.”
i. When Solomon dedicated the Temple…God’s glory filled it.
1. In the incarnation, Jesus fulfilled this promise in part. John writes in his Gospel that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…and we have seen his glory.
a. In a spiritual sense this promise is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit, who takes up residence inside of those who are saved by Jesus’ atoning death.
d. This is the complete fulfillment of a promise that is woven throughout the entire Canon of Scripture.
i. Think about it…the words of the benediction will be fully and finally completed, as God’s lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people…and we live in peace forever and ever.
7. Will Wipe – In the new heaven and the new earth, God will live with his people…but look at the second action word that is used.
a. God will wipe ever tear form their eyes. Can you think of a more beautiful image? I can’t.
i. It’s such a loving and intimate act.
1. I wiped some tears this week…some great big tears. But it brings comfort and solace to the one crying.
b. And think of this…the hand of God reaching out and wiping away the tears that roll down your cheek.
i. Here’s the implication, the pain, the sorrows, the grief, the tears that accompany them, come with us into eternity.
1. The wounds and scars and hurts of this life come with us into the next.
a. But well on this as we close…the hand of God, our God, God who dwells us among us…
i. Our loving heavenly Father welcomes us into our eternal home…and in a loving act of intimacy…he wipes away the final tears you will ever shed.
1. How beautiful is that?
c. And for us today – if we know that that’s how God will comfort us then, we must find strength and peace and joy and comfort in it now.
8. Conclusion – What a glorious final vision…and we’re just getting started in it. A new heaven and a new earth.
a. A holy city, a beautiful bride, God dwelling among his people.
i. The banes of life completely removed…the hymn writer is correct.
1. What a day…maybe a correction…what an eternity of rejoicing that will be!