WHEN GOD MAKES ALL THINGS NEW

Revelation 21:1-8

Intro: In our last study of the Revelation, we witnessed the Great White Throne judgment of lost sinners. We read about how everyone who refuses to come to Jesus for salvation will one day face Him as their Judge. He will order them to be cast in the Lake of Fire, where they will suffer eternally for their sins.

I praise the Lord that the book of Revelation does not end there! After that terrible time of judgment our attention is drawn toward Heaven. We are allowed to get a glimpse of the world that is waiting on us when time is finished and eternity begins.

When we begin to speak of eternal matters, we have entered a realm where we begin to have problems. Our mortal minds cannot begin to comprehend an existence that is eternal and perfect. We are so tied to time and so used to the problems of this life that we cannot really even imagine what Heaven will be like.

All we can do is read our Bibles, believe the words they contain and rejoice in what awaits us, even though we cannot possibly grasp it all now.

In our text, the veil between time and eternity is pulled back just a little. We are allowed to look into our future in a place called Heaven.

The different states of Heaven from the Bible.

Book Recommendation: Heaven by Randy Alcorn

1. Paradise is where the saints of God dwelt until the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 4:8 KJV 1900

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

2. Intermediate Heaven-this is where the saints of God go to today and will remain there until the Second Coming, and then all Christians will dwell on Earth for the Millennial Kingdom.

The Temporary Nature of the Present Heaven When a Christian dies, he or she enters into what is referred to in theology as the intermediate state, a transitional period between our past lives on Earth and our future resurrection to life on the New Earth.

Usually, when we refer to "Heaven," we mean the place that Christians go when they die. This is what I am calling the present or intermediate Heaven. When we tell our children "Grandma's now in Heaven," we're referring to the present Heaven.

By definition, an intermediate state or location is temporary. Life in the Heaven we go to when we die, where we'll dwell prior to our bodily resurrection, is "better by far" than living here on Earth under the Curse, away from the direct presence of God (Philippians 1:23).

Still, the intermediate or present Heaven is not our final destination. Though it will be a wonderful place, the present Heaven is not the place we are made for—the place God promises to refashion for us to live in forever. God's children are destined for life as resurrected beings on a resurrected Earth. We must not lose sight of our true destination. If we do, we'll be confused and disoriented in our thinking about where, and in what form, our future home in Heaven will be like.

Alcorn, Randy (2011-12-08). Heaven (Alcorn, Randy) (Kindle Locations 1001-1011). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Thank God, there is a blessed home waiting on the children of God that is far better than anything we have down here.

I would like for us to join John as he records the sights and sounds of that blessed place we call Heaven. I would like to share some of what the Bible teaches about this place where all of those who are saved by the blood of Jesus will spend eternity.

3. The Future Heaven, God's dwelling place, will one day be on the New Earth. Notice that the New Jerusalem, which was in Heaven, will come down out of Heaven from God. See Revelation 21:10.

Where does it go? To the New Earth. From that time on, "the dwelling of God" will be with redeemed mankind on Earth. Some would argue that the New Earth shouldn't be called Heaven. But it seems clear to me that if God's special dwelling place is by definition Heaven, and we're told that "the dwelling of God" will be with mankind on Earth, then Heaven and the New Earth will be essentially the same place.

We're told that "the throne of God and of the Lamb" is in the New Jerusalem, which is brought down to the New Earth (Revelation 22:1). Again, it seems clear that wherever God dwells with his people and sits on his throne would be called Heaven.

Author Randy Alcorn:

I concur with theologian Anthony Hoekema, who writes, "The 'new Jerusalem'. . . does not remain in a 'heaven' far off in space, but it comes down to the renewed Earth; there the redeemed will spend eternity in resurrection bodies. So Heaven and Earth, now separated, will then be merged: the new Earth will also be Heaven, since God will dwell there with his people.

“Glorified believers, in other words, will continue to be in Heaven while they are inhabiting the new Earth."

Think of what Revelation 21:3 tells us—God will relocate His people and come down from Heaven to the New Earth to live with them: "God himself will be with them."

Rather than our going up to live in God's home forever, God will come down to live in our home forever. Simply put, though the present Heaven is "up there," the future, eternal Heaven will be "down here."

If we fail to see that distinction, we fail to understand God's plan and are unable to envision what our eternal lives will look like.

Scripture speaks of a New Jerusalem made of precious stones. Some of the jewels listed in Revelation 21:19-21 are among the hardest substances known. They indicate the material solidity of the New Earth. The problem is not that the Bible doesn't tell us much about Heaven. It's that we don't pay attention to what it tells us.

Some of the best portrayals I've seen of the eternal Heaven are in children's books. Why? Because they depict earthly scenes, with animals and people playing, and joyful activities.

The books for adults, on the other hand, often try to be philosophical, profound, ethereal(consisting of only spirit), and otherworldly. But that kind of Heaven is precisely what the Bible doesn't portray as the place where we'll live forever.

Heaven will be Relocated to Earth. Not only will God come to dwell with us on Earth, but He will also bring with him the New Jerusalem, an entire city of people, structures, streets, walls, rivers, and trees that is now in the present, intermediate Heaven.

If you've ever seen a house being relocated, you appreciate what a massive undertaking it is. God will relocate an entire city—Heaven's capital city, the New Jerusalem—from Heaven to Earth. It's a vast complex containing, perhaps, hundreds of millions of residences. He will bring with it Heaven's human inhabitants and angels as well.

It appears that God has already fashioned the New Jerusalem: "He has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:16).

Hebrews 11:16 KJV 1900

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

It doesn't say that God will prepare a city or even that he is preparing it, but that he has prepared it.

This suggests that the New Jerusalem, complete or nearly complete, is already there in the present Heaven. When God fashions the New Earth, he will relocate the city from Heaven to the New Earth.

It's possible that those in the present Heaven are already living in it. Or it may be set aside, awaiting simultaneous habitation by all its occupants when transferred to the New Earth.

Imagine the thrill of beholding and exploring God's city together!

The preceding was taken from the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn.

There is a word in our text that is used four times. It is the word “new”. This word means “recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn”. This passage speaks of that time When God Makes All Things New. That is the thought I want to magnify today as I share of the elements that God will make new in eternity.

I. v. 1 THERE WILL BE A NEW CREATION

A. A Wrecked Creation Is Destroyed

– This verse speaks of the day when this world and the atmosphere around it will be done away with. This world has been stained by the blight of sin and the day is coming when the Lord will do away with this world, Heb. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 3:7-13.

(Ill. This world is filled with explosive substances: nitrogen, hydrogen, sodium, etc.) (Ill. 2 Pet. 3:10 – “elements” = “the basic building blocks of all matter; the building blocks of the universe”. The smallest of those building blocks is the “atom”. Everything in the universe is made of “atoms”. The word “atom” comes to us from the Greek language. It is a compound word. “tomos” which means “to cut” and “a” which means “not”. In other words, and atom is something that “cannot be cut” meaning that is the smallest piece of matter there is. We now know that atoms can be cut, and when they are, tremendous energy is released.

Ill. The devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – over 200,000 people died because man learned how to cut a few atoms. Imagine what will happen to this world when God splits many atoms.

The atmosphere around this world has been claimed as the habitation of Satan and his demons, Eph. 2:2

Ephesians 2:2 KJV 1900

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

God will root out the devil and his army. He will cleanse the earth and the atmosphere surrounding it.

B. A Wonderful Creation Is Displayed

– The old heaven and earth will be replaced with a new edition. It will be remade as it was in the beginning, before sin invaded the world and tainted and ruined creation. In that new world, there will be no more curse. It will be a perfect world created to be enjoyed by a perfected people.

The new world the Lord will make will be so glorious that this old world will never even be remembered, Isa. 65:17

Isaiah 65:17 KJV 1900

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: And the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Think for a moment about the beauty of this world. Consider the fall of the year when the trees are painted in colors of yellow, orange, red and rust. People travel for hours to see those leaves. They won’t even be remembered when we get a glimpse of that new world.

When I first saw the Grand Canyon I was in awe. In fact, I envy any person’s first glimpse of that amazing place. Yet, when God makes a new world, no one will even think about the Grand Canyon. It’s beauty and grandeur will pale in comparison to what the Lord will do in that future day.

I praise the Lord that I will be there to see it.

John closes this verse by telling us that “there will be no more sea”. When John penned these words, he was a prisoner on the island of Patmos. He was separated from his congregation in Ephesus by the vast expanse of the Mediterranean Ocean. John is telling us that there will be no separations in that world. The sea, as we know them, will cease to exist. The world will be delivered from the grip of the oceans that cover over three-fourths our planet. Instead of being a world where people are separated by natural boundaries, it will be a world in which men will be brought together as one.

I. There Will Be A New Creation

II. v. 2 THERE WILL BE A NEW CITY

(Ill. Not only does John see a new creation, he also sees a new city. He sees a place called the “New Jerusalem”. I believe it is the city where the redeemed of God will spend their eternity. This verse gives us a little information about that glorious place.)

The total area of our current Earth is 120 million square miles of water surface and 60 million square miles of land surface.

The New Jerusalem will be approx. 2 Billion 700 million square miles or about 15 times the total area of the current planet Earth.

Imagine if this city is divided into stories of 1 mile each. It would be 1500 stories tall!!

At the present population density approximately 40 billion people could live on a single story.

A. It Is A Perfect City

– Ever since man began to populate the earth, he has been in the business of building cities, Gen. 4:17

Genesis 4:17 KJV 1900

And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Every city built by man, regardless of how small or large it may be, has one thing in common. They are all centers of sin and depravity. Of course, the larger the city, the larger its population, and the more people there are, the more sin and wickedness they devise. God is building a “holy” city!

Every city is a reflection of its inhabitants. We talk about a city being a place of sin, and the reason it is a place of sin is because it is filled with sinners. This new city reflects the character of its Creator. God is holy, separate from sin and sinners, and He is building a city that will be free from the taint and presence of sin. Sounds like it’s the kind of place I would like to spend eternity.

B. It Is A Prepared City

– “Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” – When a bride prepares herself for her wedding day, the day she will give herself unconditionally to her husband, she doesn’t smear her face with grease and put on a tow sack. She pulls out all the stops! Her make-up is perfect. Her hair is perfect. She is resplendent in her white dress. She is the absolute image of female beauty.

Well, the Lord Jesus is preparing this city for His bride, the church, John 14:1-3

John 14:1–3 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

He isn’t building a few cabins on the hills of glory. He isn’t preparing a place that is common and run of the mill. Jesus is preparing a city that is the epitome of perfection and beauty. He is preparing a place that is worthy of God. We will talk more about that city next week, Lord willing.

Right now, you and I live in tents of flesh, 2 Cor. 5:1

2 Corinthians 5:1 KJV 1900

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

One day, we will fold up these tents and move into a mansion! That has been the hope of the believer since the days of Abraham, Heb. 11:9-10

Hebrews 11:9–10 KJV 1900

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Lot moved to Sodom and Abraham continued in his tent. Abraham would not have been happy with a city here, because faith has already revealed a holy, heavenly city that he would occupy some wonderful day. I know just how he feels!

I. There Will Be A New Creation

II. There Will Be A New City

III. v. 3-4 THERE WILL BE A NEW COMMUNION

A. v. 3 It Will Be A Time Of Personal Communion

– This incredible verse lets us know that when we arrive in Heaven, our days of separation from God are over. I realize that god dwells in the tabernacles of our hearts, 1 Cor. 6:19

1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV 1900

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

I also realize that the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us, Heb. 13:5-6

Hebrews 13:5–6 KJV 1900

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Matt. 28:20

Matthew 28:20 KJV 1900

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

However, I also know that we are separated from God by our sins and by this flesh, Ex. 33:20

Exodus 33:20 KJV 1900

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

But, there is coming a day when the barriers of sin, the flesh and distance will be removed and we will see God face to face, Job 19:26

Job 19:26 KJV 1900

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Matthew 5:8 KJV 1900

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

This world is a place of evil. Everywhere you look it seems like all you can see is the work of the devil. In Heaven, all we will see is the presence of the Lord!

Praise God, we will see the One Who loved enough to send His Son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross. We will see Him and that will be Heaven!

B. v. 4 It Will Be A Time Of Pleasant Communion

– When we leave this world and step into that Heavenly realm we will see the Lord God. He will minister to us in a personal, profound way that will change the way we live our lives for eternity. In fact, while Heaven will give us more than we can imagine, it will also take away some things that we will be glad to see go forever.

1. No More Sadness

– “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” – The word “wipe” means “to obliterate, erase, wipe out, blot out”. In other words, God will once for all erase tears from our existence! Tears are a part of our walk here, Psa. 84:6

Psalm 84:6 KJV 1900

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; The rain also filleth the pools.

This is a “valley of weeping”. We all carry our tears within us a sometimes, they burst forth.

Ill. Once a man who was getting his shoes shined and the shoeshine boy was stumbling a little and wasn't doing a real good job and the man was in a hurry and he was all irritated and ill and hateful that day and he said, “What's the matter with you, can't you do any better than that shining shoes?”

And when he did, tears began to run down the face of that poor shoeshine boy.

The man saw him crying and said, “I’m sorry son. I didn't mean to make you cry.”

And he said, “Oh, no sir, you didn't make me cry. My mama died this morning and I'm just shining a few shoes to get up a little money to buy some flowers to put on her grave. No sir, you didn't put the tears in my eyes, you just brought them out.”

There are times when this life can cause the tears to flow. But, I would remind you that God sees your tears and He cares about them all, Psa. 56:8; 1 Pet. 5:7. God cares and one day, He will wipe them away from your eyes forever! No more tears over sickness, sin, separation, sorrow or suffering. Tears will be banned from Heaven!

2. No More Separation– “no more death”

– This is a word of death. It is all around us and it stalks us all. Nearly every person in this room had been touched by death. Nearly every person here has lost someone they love to that monster called death. And even if you haven’t, every person in this room has a date with death, Heb. 9:27.

In Heaven, there will be no death! According to 1 Cor. 15:26 death will be destroyed one day. We saw that destruction take place in Rev. 20:14. Because Jesus conquered death, those who believe in Him are going to land where there will be no dying; no mortuaries; no wreaths on the door; and no sad families gathered around a lonely grave. Never again will loved ones watch those they love slip out of time and into eternity. There will be no death in Heaven!

3. No More Sorrow

– This word mean “mourning”. It refers to a broken heart. Have you had any sorrow in your life? Have you ever experienced a broken heart down here? Have you ever walked through the deep waters of affliction and heartache? There will be no more of that were we are going! No more broken hearts over sin and all the trouble it brings! Praise the Lord, we are headed to a land that will never be blighted by the problems of this world.

4. No More Sighing– “nor crying”

– The word “crying” means “an outcry”. Never again will the anguish of the heart spill out through the eyes. There will be no arguments, no hurt feelings, no wayward children, no problems, and no heartaches. There will be nothing in Heaven that will spoil the serenity and peace of your heart.

5. No More Suffering

– The word “pain” refers to “great trouble; labor to the point of exhaustion”. No calamities, no valleys, no trials, no burdens, no fatigue, no sickness, no disease, and no broken lives or shattered minds. There will be nothing to cause us to become weary and worn. There will be no loads to carry ever again! All that will be banned from the shores of glory!

6. No More Source – “for the former things are passed away”

– All the causes of our pain, our sorrow, our suffering, and our crying will be done away with. All the evils we face are the result of the work of sin in and around us. Sin will be banished forever in that wonderful land. Satan will not be there, Rev. 20:10. The flesh will not be there, 1 Cor. 15:49-54. Sin will not be there, Rev. 21:27. While Heaven will be glorious for all that will be there; one of its crowning glories is the things that will be absent!

I. There Will Be A New Creation

II. There Will Be A New City

III. There Will Be A New Communion

IV. v. 5-8 THERE WILL BE A NEW CONDITION

A. v. 5-6a A Heavenly Declaration – God issues a promise. He says, “You can count on this! I am going to make everything new again!” This old world is going to vanish away, Isa. 51:6. On the other side of that, we have the Lord’s promise that He will make a new world that is far better than this one ever could be.

B. v. 6b-7 A Heavenly Dispensation – God has some precious gifts to give to those who dwell in that new world with Him.

1. v. 6b He Dispenses Life – The inhabitants of that city need never fear death. They are partakers of everlasting life. They were given this life free of charge when they received Jesus as their Savior. They were given a drink of living water and they will never thirst again. This is just a reminder to the saints that our heavenly existence is an eternal existence.

(Ill. This is also a call to all those who do not know the Lord to come to Him. If you have never trusted Jesus you are not headed to Heaven, but to Hell. You can be saved, if you will come to the Lord Jesus by faith, He will save your soul. It is simple, Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9; Rom. 10:13. It is eternal, John 6:47. It is foolproof, John 6:37. If you will come when He calls, you will be saved!)

2. v. 7 He Dispenses Legacies – “Shall inherit all things” – When you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you became a child of God, Rom. 8:15; 1 John 3:1-3. You also became a legal heir of all the things that belong to the Lord God, Rom. 8:17.

In Heaven, you will receive your inheritance, 1 Pet. 1:3-5. You will also have intimate fellowship with the God Who redeemed you. In heaven, we will not be servants, we will be sons. We will enjoy tremendous intimacy with God the Father. I cannot imagine all that will be involved in that, but I can say that I am looking forward to it with great anticipation!

C. v. 8 A Heavenly Determination – This passage closes on a tragic note. After reminding us about Heaven, who will be there and what we will enjoy, we are reminded that not everyone will go to Heaven. Some will not enter that city, but they will be forced to spend their eternity in the Lake of Fire. Let’s examine this list of those who will be banned from Heaven for a moment.

· The Fearful – Those who allowed fear of the Lord or the fear of man to keep them from coming to Jesus.

· Unbelievers– Those who refused to believe and receive the Gospel, John 8:24.

· The Abominable – Those who gave themselves up to vile, wicked lifestyles.

· Murderers– Those who willing took the lives of others.

· Whoremongers– Those who gave themselves over to live lives of sexual perversion.

· Sorcerers– Those who practiced the magical arts. The word “sorcerers” comes from the word “pharmakeus”. It gives us our word “pharmacy”. It refers to those who create and use chemical concoctions. In other words, it speaks of those who are addicted to the use of drugs and alcohol.

· Idolaters– Those who give themselves to the worship of false gods and false systems of belief.

· All Liars– Those who do not know the truth, but live a lie.

If you saw yourself in that list, I invite you to come to Jesus today. He will forgive your sins and prepare you for a home in Heaven. If you refuse Him and reject His offer, there is nothing for you, but the flames of Hell forever.

Conc: I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to that day when the Lord makes all things new! I know that I am saved! I know that my sins have been forgiven and that I am headed to Heaven when I leave this world.

Do you have the blessed hope today? If you do, then you ought to get down before the Lord and praise Him for His grace in your life. And, if there are problems in your walk with Him, you need to come get those things right today.

If you do not have the blessed hope and you know that you are headed to Hell and not Heaven, I invite you to come meet Jesus today. He will save you and we will be glad to show how you can meet Him. If there are needs, this altar is open!