SEVEN FINAL VISIONS (7-1) | THE NEW HEAVENS & NEW EARTH (REVELATION 21:1-8)

1. Revelation  

a) John wrote Revelation while a prisoner on the Island of Patmos, approximately 85-95 A.D. Its purpose is to give encouragement and hope for all Christians to continue watching for the return and triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also is to warn of the Final Judgment that nonbelievers will endure on that Last Day.

b) John wrote that Revelation is special because,“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).

c) A brief view of the Book of Revelation. It gives you some basic understanding of the book of Revelation. 

2. The New Heaven And Earth 

Revelation 21:1-8 
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for 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 give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

3. Making All Things New

a) New heavens and new earth 

i) John sees "a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth passed away" (Revelation 21:1). The heaven and earth which John saw pass away is that which God created in the beginning (Genesis 1:1-31). Peter reminds us of how that world was destroyed by flood and will, at Christ's coming, be utterly destroyed by fire. "The day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." He goes on to say, "According to his promise we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:3-13).

b) New Jerusalem 

i) John saw a beautiful city descend upon the new heaven and earth. He calls it "the holy city, the new Jerusalem" (Revelation 21:2). The vision of this city is described in detail further on in the chapter (Revelation 21:10). Jesus anticipated this vision in his message to Philadelphia (Revelation 3:12).

c) A bride adorned 

i) John likens the glorious city to "a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). This metaphor of the bride is repeated (Revelation 21:9, 22:17). Paul says, "The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother" (Galatians 4:26). Paul uses the wife metaphor for the church of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32). Such highly figurative language may not sit well in the analytical mind, but it does touch the heart. When Jesus pictures his church as his holy bride and the mother of us all, he chooses an analogy soaked in joyous love.

d) Tabernacle of God 

i) John hears an announcement from the throne, "Behold the tabernacle of God is among men and he will dwell among them..." (Revelation 21:3) This is a parallelism, a common poetic form in the word of God. The metaphor of the tabernacle of God among men is followed with its literal meaning that God will dwell among them. The tabernacle in the time of Moses, was the tent of worship in which God dwelt. Later it was replaced by the temple in Jerusalem. It served to connect the people with God in a special way. God is of course present with us today and we have fellowship with him (1 John 1:3). However in the new Jerusalem God himself will be the temple (Revelation 21:22), and the presence of God will be utterly unveiled to us.

e) Wipe every tear from their eyes 

i) When the saved go to heaven, they will take many sorrows with them. But God "shall wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4). He will take away every sorrow, every pain. There will be no more place found for them in heaven —no more than there was for the old heaven and earth where those sufferings were endured. They will all pass away forever. Instead we will be given a new world where all things are as they ought to be. There will be gladness never spoiled. "The first things have passed away... behold I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:4-5).

f) Alpha and Omega 

i) Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet. The full declaration is, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Revelation 21:6, 22:13). Jesus is claiming that "In him dwells all the fullness of the deity bodily" (Colossians 2:9). See Alpha and Omega, Jesus is God.

g) Water of life 

i) The water of life promised by Jesus (Revelation 21:6, John 4:14) is seen in a later vision as a river coming from the throne of God. Eternal life is the greatest promise and gift ever offered to human beings. Yet it is freely available to anyone who thirsts for it.

h) Inherit ... be my son 

i) There's an inheritance for all the sons of God (Ephesians 1:11). Any man or woman can become a son of God (Romans 8:15-17). This inheritance is imparted by the will of God through the covenant he mediated to humankind through his Son (Hebrews 8:6). It is an inheritance reserved in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:3-5).


i) Second death 

#i) In contrast to the promises above, there is the second death seen in the visions as a lake of fire (Revelation 21:8, 20:10,14). This sounds terrible, and indeed it is. However for those who do not practice evil, and who overcome through Jesus, it is good news —it assures them that nothing will spoil heaven, because everything that could will be cast into hell.