Revelation 21:1-8: God Dwells with His People

Introduction

Outline

Revelation 1 - Introduction

Revelation 1:1-3 - Prologue & Benediction

Revelation 1:4-8 - Epistolary Introduction

Revelation 1:9-20 - A Vision of the Son of Man

Revelation 2-3 - The Seven Churches

Revelation 2:1-7 - The Letter to Ephesus

Revelation 2:8-11 - The Letter to Smyrna

Revelation 2:12-17 - The Letter to Pergamum

Revelation 2:18-29 - The Letter to Thyatira

Revelation 3:1-6 - The Letter to Sardis

Revelation 3:7-13 - The Letter to Philadelphia

Revelation 3:14-22 - The Letter to Laodicea

Revelation 4-5 - The Throne Room

Revelation 4:1-11 - A Vision of the Throne Room

Revelation 5:1-14 - The Lamb is Worthy

Revelation 6-8:5 - The Seven Seals

Revelation 6:1-8 - The First Four Seals

Revelation 6:9-17 - The Fifth and Sixth Seals

Revelation 7:1-17 - Who can Stand on the Day of the Lord?

Revelation 8:1-5 - Anticipation of Further Judgment

Revelation 8:6-11:19 - The Seven Trumpets

Revelation 8:6-13 - The First Four Trumpets

Revelation 9:1-21 - The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets

Revelation 10:1-11 - The End is Near

Revelation 11:1-14 - The Two Witnesses

Revelation 11:15-19 - The Seventh Trumpet

Revelation 12:1-15:4 - The Seven Visions

Revelation 12:1-17 - The Woman, Child, and Heavenly Hosts Versus the Great Dragon

Revelation 13:1-10 - The Beast out of the Sea

Revelation 13:11-18 - The Beast from the Earth

Revelation 14:1-5 - The 144,000

Revelation 14:6-13 - The Proclamations of the Three Angels

Revelation 14:14-20 - The Harvest and Judgment

Revelation 15:1-4 - The Glory of God fills the Heavenly Sanctuary

Revelation 15:1-4 - The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb

Revelation 15:5-16:21 - The Seven Bowls

Revelation 15:5-8 - The Glory of God fills the Heavenly Sanctuary

Revelation 15:5-8 - The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

Revelation 16:1-21 - Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

Revelation 17-19 - Judgment

Revelation 17:1-18 - The Great Prostitute is Judged

Revelation 18:1-24 - Babylon Falls

Revelation 19:1-10 - The Marriage Feast

Revelation 19:11-21 - Christ Returns!

Revelation 20 - Millennial Reign

Revelation 20:1-15 - The Millennial Kingdom

Revelation 21-22:5 - New Creation

Revelation 21:1-8 - God Dwells with His People

Revelation 21:1-4 - Retelling of the Parousia

Revelation 21:5-8 - Destination of Humanity

Purpose of Book

The purpose of Revelation is to challenge/encourage believers, who are expectantly awaiting the reign of Christ, to live faithfully for Him despite worldly circumstances, persecution, and the cosmic battle between God and Satan.

Main Point

The Day of the Lord vision concludes with God dwelling with His people forever on a renewed earth

Revelation 21:1-4 - Retelling of the Parousia

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth

New here speaks of a renewed earth - the old has been purified and transformed

Isaiah 65:17 ESV

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

Romans 8:18–25 ESV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away

And the sea was no more.

Evil, chaos, rebellion have been defeated and will not taint new creation

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God

Isaiah 65:17–20 ESV

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 19:7–8 ESV

7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Retelling of the second coming of Christ as the New Jerusalem here refers to the bride of Christ

Again, the bride is prepared by God Himself

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying

The Father speaks from His throne

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

The tabernacling of God will be with glorified humanity

The presence and glory of God will be with His people

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Leviticus 26:11–12 ESV

11 I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Genesis 12:3 ESV

3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Heart of God

Creation

Fall

Tabernacle

Exodus 40:34–38 ESV

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

Temple

2 Chronicles 7:1–4 ESV

1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord.

Jesus

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus’ Death

Matthew 27:50–51 ESV

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Jesus-followers

Pentecost (Acts 2)

All Jesus-followers

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

Eternally - God will physically dwell with His people

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore

The pain, sorrow, trouble, and pain that affected humanity is forever gone!

For the former things have passed away.”

The curse from Genesis 3 has finally been reversed!

The Serpent and all of his followers have been thrown into the lake of fire

The painful effects of sin are forever gone

Revelation 21:5-8 - Destination of Humanity

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

The Father speaking once more

Again, new means restored and God will do it

Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The words of God are promised and authentic

6 And he said to me, “It is done!

The end of history comes to a close

Everything that God sought to accomplish has occurred

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

God has forever sovereignly ruled over all of creation

Nothing escaped His control as history comes to a close

He is the great eternal king and lord of all

To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Recall John 4 and the woman at the well

Isaiah 55:1 ESV

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

The 7 churches and those who conquer - salvation is free an those who have received it freely also conquer

Ephesus

Revelation 2:7 ESV

7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

Smyrna

Revelation 2:11 ESV

11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

Pergamum

Revelation 2:17 ESV

17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Thyatira

Revelation 2:26–28 ESV

26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.

Sardis

Revelation 3:5 ESV

5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

Philadelphia

Revelation 3:12 ESV

12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

Laodicea

Revelation 3:21 ESV

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

2 Samuel 7:14 ESV

14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

This is the eternal dwelling place for those who have rebelled against the Lord

Revelation 20:15 ESV

15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Main Point

The Day of the Lord vision concludes with God dwelling with His people forever on a renewed earth

How Should we Live in Light of Revelation 21:1-8?

Conquer!

Find our satisfaction in the glory of God and rejoice because one day we will dwell with Him for eternity