Revelation 21:1-8

1. the new heaven and earth – 1
1. "And I saw a new heaven"
1. John wants us to know for sure that he knows what he is talking about
2. he saw it, he was there, he witnessed it
3. the word "heaven" is singular
1. there are three places referred to as heaven
1. the atmospheric heaven
2. the starry heaven
3. the third heaven, which is God's house
2. God's house will not be made new
1. the Heaven of heavens, God's dwelling place, will never undergo any change at all
2. God's house is perfect, unmarred by sin
3. the devil has his kingdom in the heaven just above us where the atmosphere is; the very air is filled with demons
4. both the heaven and the earth will be made new and will be adapted to the new creatures who will inhabit them
5. neither evil nor enemy shall ever invade God's new heaven and new earth
2. "the first heaven and the first earth were passed away"
1. he does not say that they were created anew
2. he does not say that the old heavens and earth were annihilated
3. they had passed away by being changed
4. a renovated universe had taken their place
5. there were such changes that they seemed to be new
6. the passing away will take place through the melting process of fire (II Peter 3:10)
7. when the earth is renovated by fire, such a renovation will give an appearance to the globe as if it were created anew
3. when the new heaven and earth come into being there will be "no more sea"
1. in the eternal ages there will be no need for a sea
2. the removal of the sea will add immense land surface to the earth
3. the whole world will be inhabitable, and no part will be given up to the wastes of the oceans
4. there will be countless hosts of Jews and Gentiles dwelling on the new earth
2. the new Jerusalem – 2
1. John says, "I saw," assuring us that he was there, and he knows for sure what he is writing about
1. the new heaven and the new earth that John saw are not described
2. the Pearly White City (new Jerusalem) is described in minute detail
3. there is no doubt that the earth will be a magnificent place
4. God has no joy in the death of the wicked; and it is not His will that men suffer
1. He has great joy in blessing His people
2. no good thing will He withhold from them who love Him
3. serve Him and walk with Him because God has great things in store for us
2. John saw the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven
1. Jesus told the disciples (John 14:1-3), "I go to prepare a place for you"
2. for 2000 years He has been preparing a home (the new Jerusalem, the Pearly White City) for His Bride
3. it was "Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband"
1. there are not enough adjectives in all the languages of all the world to describe the magnificence of the city
2. those of us who are born again will occupy that city
4. John saw the city "coming down from God out of Heaven"
1. he does not say, nor does he suggest, that it came to rest upon earth's surface
2. it would seem that the Holy City will be suspended between Heaven and earth
3. the new Jerusalem will be a literal city, not mystical or spiritual one
4. we will occupy a literal city
3. the tabernacle of God – 3-4
1. the tabernacle in the wilderness, was a dim foreshadow of the glorious tabernacle which has now come down to man
1. the word tabernacle, as used in the Scriptures, was regarded as the peculiar dwelling-place of God among his people
2. the meaning here is, that God would now dwell with the redeemed, in a tabernacle, or in a house specially prepared for His residence among them
3. God will be with us forever
4. this will be a fixed and permanent relationship between God and His people
5. it does not say that this would be on the earth
2. this is a message of great triumph
1. this is the fulfillment of a promise made to Israel long ago (Leviticus 26:11-12)
2. people from all nations will be there, and they will all be God’s people [they shall be his people]
1. He will acknowledge them in this public way as His own, and will dwell with them as such
2. we will see God, for He will be with us (forever)
3. all people will once again speak the same language (Zephaniah 3:9)
3. things that will be different in this new world order – 4
1. this verse has nothing to do with the Church and the Lamb of God
2. it is not the Lord Jesus, but Jehovah God Himself who wipes the tears from our eyes
3. from the time that Eve sinned, sorrow has been multiplied to her children
1. tears have been for man’s good, but God has promised to someday restore joy and peace to the world
2. this is the removal of the curse that God pronounced when Adam sinned
1. in Eden, God announced that man would experience sorrow, pain, sweat, and death
2. now God announces that these will be no more
4. this deliverance has been purchased at a great cost of infinite sorrow, pain, sweat and death on the part of God Himself
1. Jesus was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grieve" (Isaiah 53:3-4)
2. He not only bore the curse, He was made the curse for us; therefore, God in perfect justice can remove the curse forever
5. not a tear shall ever be shed there, how different that will be from the condition we are now in
6. there shall be no more death
1. in that future world of glory, no one shall ever die; not a single grave will ever be dug
2. how different from the time we now live in, where death is so common; where it spares no one
3. we have here a view of heaven most glorious
7. there will be no more sorrow
1. the word "sorrow" means sorrow or grieve of any king
1. sorrow for the loss of property or friends
2. sorrow for disappointment, persecution, or care
3. sorrow over our sins, or sorrow that we love God so little, and serve him so unfaithfully
2. since the fall of man there has not been a day, a hour, a moment, in which this has not been a world full of sorrow
3. there has not been a nation, a city or a village, nor a family where there has not been grief
4. there has been no individual who has been always perfectly happy
8. there will be no crying
1. the word "crying" denotes a cry of sorrow, or wailing
2. it refers to all the outbursts of grief arising from affliction, from oppression, or from violence
3. none of these causes of wailing will be known in the future state, therefore all such wailing will cease
4. this will make the future state vastly different from our condition now
9. there will not be any more pain
1. there will be no sickness, and no calamity
2. there will be no mental sorrow arising from remorse, disappointment, or the evil conduct of friends
3. what a change this will be, for how full of pain is the world now
10. that new world will be completely different from what we know and experience now [the former things are passed away]
4. a message from Him that sat on the throne – 5-8
1. "behold" means to look at this, give special attention to this - 5
2. all things will be made new – 5
1. not only will everything be made new, but everything will stay new
2. nothing will wear out or decay; no one will grow old
3. all things will remain eternally fresh and new
3. the authority for this wonderful promise is the Almighty God [he that sat upon the throne said] - 5
1. God is sitting on His throne, the throne of omnipotence, the throne of absolute sovereignty
2. the whole creation, the entire eternal state, whether people, things, or whatsoever, will be made new
1. we will be in our new bodies, but we will still be us
2. this world will be new, but it will still be this same world
3. fire will destroy it and make it new, much like the flood did
4. God says "amen" to His statement about making all things new [these words are true and faithful] - 5
1. God is demanding our attention in this verse
2. this is not just a promise, but a divine declaration by the sovereign God who cannot lie
3. there will not be one trace of the old order left, every minute detail of all things will be new
5. "it is done" – 6
1. just as the work of creation was finished, and the work of redemption was finished
2. now the work of perfection and restoration has been finished
1. in Genesis, after God created all things, He said that they were very good
2. now everything is perfect, and this is how it will remain for all eternity
6. the greatness of the speaker is pointed out [I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end] - 6
1. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet
2. "the beginning and the end" tells us that all things begin with God, and that He will see all things end as He has planned
3. all creation, all promises, all prophecy, all love, all grace, mercy and salvation have their source in God, and in Him is their fulfillment
4. when God has anything to do with it, it cannot fail
5. to man it may seem a failure, but God will be victorious in the end
7. anyone who is thirsty can be satisfied at the fountain of life - 6
1. the fountain is God, and the water is promised to all who are thirsty
1. we will be drinking at this fountain throughout all eternity
2. time of refreshing will be experienced regularly throughout eternity
3. we will recognize our dependence on God like we never have before
4. it will be a joyful and happy dependence (just like it should be now)
2. the water of life is God's gift freely given; it cannot be bought
1. money does not talk at the throne of God
2. all good gifts come from God and are free
8. a tremendous promise – 7
1. the overcomer will become both son and heir of the Almighty God
2. a relationship as son
1. the relationship between the overcomer and God is very close; the relationship of a son to the Father
2. to the overcomer God will be God, but the overcomer will be God's son
3. God loves as no mind of ours can comprehend
4. we will never know the fullness of God's love until we have a glorified body
3. as heir of all things
1. the believers future is not restricted by time or space
2. the infinite resources of space and endless time, will be ours in the ages to come
9. those who did not make it to this eternal state of bliss – 8
1. the fearful
1. those who are afraid to confess Christ
2. afraid to identify themselves with Jesus, the Gospel, and Christian people
3. afraid of what others might say if they became a Christian
2. the unbeliever
1. the most numerous people on earth today are the millions of unbelievers
2. they will all open their eyes in hell
3. the abominable - this denotes the filthy, despicable dopers, sex maniacs, and alcoholics from the gutter
4. the murderers – those who willfully take the life of another
5. the whoremongers – refers to any who practice or promote sexual activity outside of marriage
6. the sorcerers – one who used drugs to induce false religious fantasies and occult experiences
7. the idolater – one whose religious worship is directed toward a material object
8. all liars
1. those who practice deception and falsehood
2. a liar is one of the most detestable people on earth
3. for a thief, we can put locks on our doors and put our valuables in a strongbox
4. a liar can destroy the reputation of a person
5. a liar can cause more heartache and heartbreak in sixty seconds than a lifetime can erase