New Heaven and New Earth - Rev 21,22
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· 3 viewsNew Heavens and New Earth and the hope awaiting us and our new bodies.
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Revelation 21 (NASB)
1 And 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 (John 3:29; John 14:1-3). 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them,4 and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away (Isaiah 11:1-9).” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new (2 Cor 5:17).” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done (John 19:30). 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 shall 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.”
9 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb (John 3:29).”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain , and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And the one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. 16 And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. 18 And the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. 25 And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; (NO MORE NIGHT, NO MORE DANGERS) 26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 22 (NASB)
1 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month (the original idea for the fruit of the month club); and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall no longer be any curse (Gen 3:14-19):; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; 4 and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.
6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 And he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. 13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.”
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
The Good News and I have no need for worry, anger or self-pity -- we are so BLESSED with CHRIST’S RICHES and an INHERITANCE is on its way even as I type -- Ephesians. I can begin each day with the deeply encouraging realization that am accepted by God, not on the basis of my personal performance, but on the basis of the infinitely perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Our circumstances are only to lead us to the knowledge of our Savior and God and having our peace multiplied (2 Peter 1:2) -- not in our husband, children, what people think of us and circumstances -- because if they are placed there as our popularity rises and falls -- so does our feelings. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever (Heb 13:8) -- therefore, our feelings are stable for they are in our Savior and Lord. This is not really the end of the book but the beginning of eternity. This is where we are still peaking in at “the door standing open in heaven” (Rev 4:1). To Know Jesus is to know in His Light we see Light (Psalm 36:9) and are Loved beyond anything we can ask or imagine (1 John 3:1).
29 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full.
1 ”Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.
7 Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together; And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.
17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Isaiah 55:1–3 (NASB)
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, And her people for gladness. “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
”Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But 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. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
Revelation (The New Earth / 21:1–8)
The NEW EARTH is the home of God among his people. Those who had never seen the one they loved will see him face-to-face and behold his glory (21:3; 22:4).
• It has no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Anything that caused sadness in life on earth will be gone; this will be a place of eternal and unimaginable joy that nothing will ever cloud (21:4, 26–27).
• It is a place for those who trusted Christ, regardless of what it cost them. Its blessings are an inheritance for them, and they will be called God’s children (21:7).
• It is filled with the glory of God and gleams like a very rare jewel (21:11). This is nothing but the best and finest and most precious—given to God’s people as their inheritance.
• It is in the shape of a perfect cube, symbolizing perfection and completeness (21:15–16).
• It has no temple, for God and the Lamb are its temple (21:22).
• Worship of God will be a foundational aspect of daily life (22:3).
• It has no need of the sun or the moon (21:23). There will never be any darkness (symbolic or otherwise, 21:25; 22:5), for the people will experience God’s glory constantly; there will be no need for the sun to mark the days, for time will cease to be.
• It has the river of life coursing through it with many trees of life growing there, giving constant refreshment and meeting every need (22:1–2).
Revelation (The New Earth / 21:1–8)
The presence of God among his people fulfills all the longing of the entire Bible. The Old Testament prophets had foreseen this great day:
• “I will make you my own special people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7 NLT).
• “I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people” (Leviticus 26:11–12 NLT).
• “For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure” (Deuteronomy 7:6 NLT).
• “I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…. Everyone, from the least to the greatest, will already know me” (Jeremiah 31:33–34 NLT).
• “My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Ezekiel 37:27 NIV).
• “I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God” (Zechariah 8:8 NIV).
This desire to be in the presence of God should be our strongest desire here on earth and the focus of all our worship.
21:4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
The utter joy of living in God’s presence is indescribable; Revelation explains what will not be there. There will be no more tears. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. All that has caused sadness and suffering will be taken away. All sin that has been the source of sorrow will be gone. God himself will wipe away the tears, and they will never return. Isaiah had seen a future day when “the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 35:10 NIV). Believers’ physical bodies will have been transformed (1 Corinthians 15:35–57), and they will have been made perfect. John wrote in another place, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (1 John 3:2 NLT).
There can be no evil in God’s glorious presence; therefore, the old order of things has passed away. The “old order” where Satan ran free and sin ran rampant will be replaced by God’s order.
Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind. C. S. Lewis
NO MORE TEARS
The “Holy City, the new Jerusalem” is described as the place where God will “wipe every tear from their eyes.” Forevermore, there will be no death, pain, sorrow, or crying. What a wonderful truth!
No matter what you are going through, it’s not the last word—God has written the final chapter, and it is about true fulfillment and eternal joy for those who love him. We do not know as much as we would like, but it is enough to know that eternity with God will be more wonderful than we could ever imagine. When you face daily uncertainties, take courage from the promise of eternal life with God.
The PAIN OF THE BATTLEFIELDs
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The poem was written on December 25th, 1863, at a time when the outcome of the war was not yet clear. Furthermore, Longfellow’s son had enlisted without his blessing and was recently injured with the possibility of paralysis, and his wife Fanny had died two years prior due to burns she sustained when her dress caught fire. Longfellow wrote in his journal the Christmas after Fanny’s death “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays” and a year later wrote, “I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace” and “’A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.”
Christmas Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth (the cannons)
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
BY Julia Ward Howe was inspired to write the hymn after visiting Union troops near Washington, D.C. in 1861.
She was caught in a crowd of troops, horses, and battlewagons counterattacking the Southern forces.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on
CHORUS
Glory, Glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on. CHORUS
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel
"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal"
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on CHORUS
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on CHORUS
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
While God is marching on CHORUS