Rev.21:1-27 The New heaven & the New Earth

 

Intro: Have you ever wondered why the Bible doesn’t talk that much about Heaven / the Millennial reign or New Heaven & earth

A)    Perhaps you have Wondered as we have gone through this study of the book of Rev. – why does the Lord give so much attention to the Trib Ch.6-18

 

B)    And the Lord spends only 3 Chapters talking about the Millennium and what comes after that the New Heaven & the New Earth

1)                 Or perhaps you have wondered why Jesus Himself spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven

 

A)    I am sure like myself – many of you have pondered those same things before .  ( I don’t think any of us can Know all the reasons for sure )

1)                 But I think we are given some insights from the scriptures concerning why the Lord has chosen to do that : Consider a Few

 

1ST TO WARN US !!!!  

A)   Jesus spoke more about Hell than Heaven / and more space is given to the events involving the trib. –

1)                 because Jesus knew that Real people would go through the Trib. And real people would end up in Hell – He doesn’t want that

 

A)   Jesus is the good Shepherd & as the Good Shepherd – He has to Warn the Sheep – He wouldn’t be the good Shepherd it He didn’t

1)                 Out of His Love & Care – HE WARNS Those who reject me will face this   So 1st to Warn US

 

2ND TO WAKE US UP !!!!

A)   Because our Job / our Role is to be His Ambassadors / His Witnesses / to be Light houses shinning brightly in the Darkness –

 

B)   Pointing those who are in troubled waters to the shore of safety that is found in the Lord .

1)                 Because that is our Role – He wants us to have a Burden

A)   What Better way to burden our hearts than to give us a Picture of what is awaiting everyone who doesn’t know Christ

1)                 So 1st – WARN US / 2ND TO WAKE US UP

 

 

3rd Reason very Practical – ( Only my Opinion )

A)    I think it is possible that the Lord doesn’t tell us a whole lot about Heaven & what happens after the end –

1)                  because  HE KNOWS we couldn’t handle it

 

A)    I think that heaven & Eternity in the New heaven and the New earth is going to be so AMAZING / so radical / so Mind Incredibly Boggling

1)                 That if we knew exactly what it was going to be like we couldn’t think of anything else !!! ( All Consumed) – Worthless

 

A)    Almost like – if you know what is for Dessert – You really don’t want to eat dinner

1)                 Restaurants – don’t show you the dessert Tray before dinner – a lot of us wouldn’t order the main course ( 2 of those / 3 of these )

 

A)    Thanksgiving and Christmas – Main course is just the Formality -  Before we get to the good stuff

 

B)    So  Because what we do here is going to determine & play a part in our involvement & enjoyment of eternity

1)                 The Lord doesn’t want us to see this life as merely a formality – something we just have to get through so we can get to the Good stuff

 

A)    This life is Preparation / this life is our Training Ground /

 

 

Now there is a Fourth reason why I think the Lord keeps us a little in the dark – about Heaven & Eternity – talk about at the end of our study

A)   But As we come to Ch.21 we have a snapshot of the New Heaven & the New Earth    Read v.1-8 

Now We cannot make out everything in the picture but there are some key components that should excite our Hearts

A) New Heaven & a New Earth – note several things about this

 

B) 1st – NEW IN TYPE –

1)                The Bible begins with the words: In the beginning God created the

     heavens and the earth

 

C)The word CREATE is the Hebrew word Barah It means to create

     something out of nothing Only God has that capacity

 

A)   When man creates he is assembling existing materials / The Hebrew word  

      Assah speaks of such creation

1)           But This NEW heaven and earth are NOT a REMODELLING job on 

     the old ones   ( BRAND NEW THING )

 

Isa. 65:17- 19 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;

And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create  Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem,  And joy in My people;

The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying.

 

A)   It is interesting that the word CREATE in Isaiah 65 is the same word as

      CREATE in Genesis 1- Barrah

 

The NEW heavens and earth will be created from NOTHING     

A)    Why from nothing ?  - The First heaven & earth passed away

 

2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

 

B)   Some have suggested Jesus who is the Creator & Sustainer of this earth is at this time is going to split the Atom -  just going to be gone - 

Also –new in type -  there will be NO MORE SEA

A)   “No more sea” does not mean “no more water.” It simply indicates that

the new earth will have a different arrangement as far as water is concerned.

 

B)   Today Three fourths of our globe consists of water, but this won’t be the case in the eternal state. Different type of arrangement

 

 

V2 NEW CAPITAL –

A)    The eternal city of God is compared to a beautiful bride because it is the eternal home for God’s beloved people.

 

B) Now understand the City is not  the Church as some have suggested -

1)                           The city is more like the Dress that covers or houses the Bride the Church

 

 

V.3,4  NEW IN RELATIONSHIP

A)    The most important thing about the city is that God dwells there with His

      people.

 

B) Now As John beheld the NEW Heavens and earth and the beautiful New Jerusalem, he heard a great voice

 

C)This is the LAST of the 21 times that the term great voice  is

     mentioned

1)                           The GREATNESS of the voice tells us that what is to be revealed is

    of           GREAT IMPORTANCE and is AUTHORITATIVE

 

The voice declares: Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men

he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God

 

D)The word for dwell is the verb form of the word tabernacle...

      which means TENT

John 1:14   And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us

dwelt  = Tabernacled... Pitched his tent among us

A)    The work of Salvation is now COMPLETE/ God Himself is to DWELL

      with His people

 

B)    Man was created for the purpose of fellowship with God / But sin

     destroyed that intimacy between man and his Maker

1) Adam, where ARE YOU ?

 

C) Now God has RESTORED man to that which He had intended for Him           from the beginning

V 22But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 

 

D) The purpose of the Temple and the priesthood was to provide man a PLACE where man could meet with God

1)             In the New Jerusalem There is no need for such a place because God is  

     present with His people

 

E)There is no need for a Sun or Moon because His Glory illuminates the city

 

Now there is  a direct relationship between Genesis and Revelation

A) Genesis answers the question: "How did it all begin?"

      Revelation answers the question: "How does it all end?"

 

B) Genesis gives us the beginning of sorrow and death/ Revelation shows us

     the end of sorrow and death

 

C) Genesis tells us about paradise lost/ Rev. shows us paradise  restored

1)                Genesis saw fellowship with God broken/ Revelation shows us God

     dwelling with man

 

D) The inhabitants of the New heaven and earth will adore, honor, serve and           worship Him alone

1) Perfect harmony will again exist in the universe

 

 

So this is entirely New thing : New City

A)    The eternal city is so wonderful that the best way John found to describe it was by contrast—“no more.” Death / sorrow / tears or pain

 

B) The believers who first read this inspired book must have rejoiced to know that, in heaven, there would be no more pain, tears, sorrow, or death;  

1)             for many of their number had been tortured and slain.

 

C)The EMPHASIS here is on the comfort of God, NOT on the remorse of

       the saints

     1) These tears  refer to those tears shed by the people of God           who experienced suffering and grief while upon this present earth

 

D) No More tears / No more pain / no more sickness

 

 

It is a SPLENDID PLACE AND It is a SATISFYING PLACE :V.6   It is DONE

A)    It is done is the Statement of a Carpenter who has completed His work

 

B)    And 2,000 yrs ago the master Carpenter said I go to prepare a place for you

1)                 And here in v.6 He doesn’t say I prepared a fixer upper or it is a good starter home – He says it is DONE 

 

A)    How many of us have bought our dream house only to say a little while later  If we knock out a wall here or add a another bathroom there or take out this counter or reshape this patio  this place will be a lot better

 

D) First home in Oregon – 1 bath – big groups -

That will NOT be the case in the new city  

A)    Not one person is going to say This was designed perfectly for me but it could use a skylight or two /

 

B)     Instead we will say this was designed perfectly for me it is EXACLTY WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CRAVING BUT COULD NEVER ARTICULATE !!!!

 

C) It is done & our Thirst is quenched !!!!!

 

A)    Splendid place / Satisfying Place   

 

SAFE PLACE : V.8- Absence of Evil  - we are given a list of those who are shut out !!!! – Those who will no longer be a part of our world

the cowardly, £unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars

 

A)    There are those who say that ALL roads lead to God and that ALL people

       will eventually get to heaven

1) The BIBLE certainly does NOT say that

 

B)    Here is a list of those SHUT OUT from eternal life in the presence of God  in a new heaven and earth

1)                 Cowardly= Fearful  Those who WOULD NOT make a stand for

      Jesus

 

C) unbelieving = Those who would NOT put their trust in Jesus

     1) Those who put their confidence concerning eternal life someplace else             other than God

 

D) Abominable = those who practiced what God called abominations

Lev. 18:22   Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is           abomination.

 

Murderers

SEXUAL IMMORRAL  = Traffickers in sex

A) Pornographers/Musicians/TV and movie producers/

 

B) Sorcerers  - Pharmakeia = Traffickers in drugs

= Traffickers in Occult activity

 

C) Idolators = Worshippers of idols

1)                Including Someone who doesn't come to Christ because they value

      something more     than Jesus

 

D) Liars -Those who habitually lie

1)                   Lying is much more than untruth/  Lying can mean not living what

      you profess

 

1John 1:6   If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in                darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

 

THESE shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 

A)    Such people have an inheritance to look forward to

1)                 So it is a Brand New World in every way – Splendid place / Totally Satisfying Place / Safe Place – evil is removed

 

 Next John gives us a Radical description of this city v.9-27

A)   Now there are several Key things that mark this City :

 

B)   City of TRANSPARENCYthe constant mention of the transparency indicates that the city is designed to transmit the Glory of God throughout

1)                 Some Have even suggested that the city is Transparent so that the Glory of God could be seen from any Place

 

A)   CITY FULL OF BRIGHT BRILLIANT COLORS –

1)                 the Purpose of the Colors would be to reflect the glory of God in a spectrum of Brilliant color

D) Colors Speaks of the Brilliance & the majesty of God  -Stedman

Let your imagination picture that marvelous city -- gleaming transparent gold, w/  foundations sparkling w/ light in cascading colors, pouring forth from great jewels embedded in the sides a kaleidoscope of light & glory!

 

E)The Streets are made of Gold & diamonds -  what a combination – that

      which is so valuable here is common place there

 

The gates are made of single pearls.

A)   Pearls speak of beauty out of pain. Beauty comes from pain in an oyster-

 

B)    because a pearl is formed when a tiny grain of sand gets inside an oyster's shell and the oyster becomes very uncomfortable.

1)                 To relieve its pain it covers the irritant with a soft lustrous nacre that hardens into a beautiful, glowing pearl.

 

A)    It describes beautifully how the redeemed come from the pain of Jesus. He was the man who came looking for a pearl of great price.

1)                He found one, a beautiful pearl which came out of the pain that he suffered as he went through the terrible anguish of the cross.

 

A)   Out of that pain came the church of Jesus Christ, the pearl of great price. He sold all that he had to buy it.

1)                He took us who were irritants & covered us in His Righteousness to make us a Pearl in His sight

 

A)    We there by become trophies – that all of creation might be reminded throughout eternity of His MATCHLESS GRACE

1)                Reminded every time they pass through one of those pearly gates !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now in Closing I want us to consider 3 final things about this city

1st it is the DESTINY OF ALL TRUE BELIEVERS

John 3:3   Verily, verily, I say    unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

A) Only a person born again can SEE these things

1)                This is our Destination

 

B)2nd it is our INSPIRATION – IT IS OUR HOPE –

1)                           Biblical definition of Hope is an Absolute expectation of coming good – that affects your life in the Present

 

C)That hope grows & becomes more Tangible – the Longer we walk w/ the

   Lord & the More we learn about Him

1)                           Causes the Absoluteness of that Hope – to become more & more of a Reality in our lives – so that it shapes the very way that we live !!

 

Analogy of the Biblical meaning of the word Hope is reflected in the way a young girl responds after she has been to her first wedding

A)    My guess is that it occurs to her that she would like to have a wedding some day herself

 

B)    She is not so much thinking about having a Husband – but she is mesmerized by the Event itself

1)                 She imagines her dress & the flowers the bridesmaids & the Church

 

A)    she is caught up in the whole ambience that surrounds the wedding

1)                 All of this hope is not based on a Future certainty but is simply a dream in her heart

 

A)    As the yrs go by – not much changes in her life / it is simply Business as usual – occasionally she will think about her wedding

1) But she is certainly not preoccupied w/ it  - Until One day she meets her Knight in shinning Armor – Pops the Big Question/ Coke or Pepsi?

 

The day is set – suddenly everything is Dramatically Changed –

A)So all consuming is the certain prospect of marriage that it radically

     alters everything in her life

 

B)She views every dress store & Bridal Magazine through a new lens – a lens

     that is formed by the future reality of that day !!!

1)                           Her friends are now objects of her invitation list & potential candidates for her wedding party

 

A)   Listen the Certainty & the Reality of the Promise – creates w/ in her a hope that not only occupies her attention

1)                 but radically ALTERS EVERYTHING IN HER LIFE

 

A)   That is what happens when we have a Biblical Hope for Heaven – It becomes not just our Destination but our Inspiration

1)                 All that is done is done w/ that in mind

 

 

One More thing -  Not just Destination & Inspiration / but it is also our MOTIVATION  - TURN HEB. 11

A)   Chapter on the great hall of faith – 4th reason why the Lord doesn’t give us more insight about heaven

 

B)    OURS IS A WALK OF FAITH -  Lord says – TRUST ME

1)                 There is a certain bit of Mystery to our walk –

 

A)   Classic example is Abe –

 

8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 

A)   Abe kept moving because he was looking for this City

1)                 He did not find the city of his dreams in Egypt or at Jericho / Jacob didn’t find it in Syria or Isaac in Canaan

 

A)    Everywhere they went here they were left w/ an Emptiness – a sense that where they ended up – was not what they hoped it would be –

1)                  always disappointments here

 

A)    Denise & I have never been to Hawaii – it is one of the things that we want to do someday - 

1)                 We have certain expectations – but I know that – in the end – there is going to be a certain sense of  SO THIS IS HAWAII? 

 

A)    They had a desire for a heavenly city that made them feel very uncomfortable with this present world

1)                 They desired the city that manifested the glory of God

 

A)    That desire made them very willing to turn their backs on a world that

       was so void of the glory of God

1) They saw that the New Jerusalem is BETTER than this place

 

13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

 

A)    They saw them by faith / they were assured of them by faith and they EMBRACED THEM BY FAITH = Grabbed a hold of them

 

B)    All of which caused them to Confess – that they were Strangers & Pilgrims here – they don’t belong in this world

 

V.14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country

declare plainly  = make manifest...... Their lives tell the story

 

 

v.15 if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they           might have had opportunity to have returned

 

A) This is the ONE reason for GOING BACK into the world

       If they were REMEMBERING that country 

 

B) That is why Jesus said Luke 17:32   Remember Lot's wife.

      She was MINDFUL of the city she was being drug out of

 

Luke 9:62   And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

 

V.16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly

 

A) This is the PURSUIT of all true believers

 

B) This truth revealed to the heart of the believer makes a real IMPACT              upon the way that they live

 

C) He intends that we one day dwell with Him in this New Jerusalem

1)                   But at the present we are to be AMBASSADORS for Him in this

     strange land