Revelation 21-22-The Creation Of The New Heavens And New Earth (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday April 16, 2025

The Day of the Lord Series: Revelation 21-22-The Creation Of The New Heavens And New Earth

Lesson # 67

Following the Great White Throne Judgment of every unbeliever in history (Revelation 20:11-15), the Lord will destroy the present heavens and earth and a new heavens and a new earth as well as a New Jerusalem will be created by Him (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1).

Hebrews 1:10-11 quoting Psalm 102:25-27 states that the present heaven and earth “will perish...will become old as a garment” and “as a mantle” the Lord Jesus Christ “will roll them up...as a garment they (the present heavens and earth) will be changed.”

The present heaven and earth have been contaminated by sin and rebellion and therefore, a new heaven and earth must be created so that there will be no more remembrance of sin and rebellion and its results.

The new heavens and new earth will be created for the eternal state.

Inhabitants of the new heavens and new earth and new Jerusalem will be the following: (1) The Trinity (2) The Church (3) Regenerate Israel from the theocentric and eschatological dispensations. (4) Regenerate Gentile believers from the theocentric and eschatological dispensations. (5) Elect Angels.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 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.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” 9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man’s measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (NIV84)

The statement that “there was no longer any sea” is striking since the sea occupies most of the earth’s surface today and in fact, approximately ¾ of the total surface of the earth is water but apparently in the new earth there will be no bodies of water except for the one river mentioned in 22:1 2.

The word “new” here is kainos (καινός), which means fresh, new in quality and character and in the Greek text, the words ouranos (οὐρανός), “heaven” and gē (γῆ), “earth” are without the article stressing the aspect of quality rather than identity.

From this passage we read that there will be in the New Jerusalem the following: (1) Twelve gates and twelve angels (verse 12). (2) Twelve tribes of Israel (verse 12). (3) Twelve foundations (verse 14). (4) twelve apostles (verse 14). (5) Twelve pearls (verse 21). (6) Twelve kinds of fruit (22:2). (7) Wall 144 cubits- twelve times twelve (21:17). (8) Height, width and length 12,000 stadia and about 1,400 miles (verse 16). (9) Walls north, south, east and west with three gates on each side and with angel standing guard at each gate (verse 12).

Revelation 21:2-20 reveals that the structure of the new Jerusalem will be composed of: (1) Great and High Wall (Rev. 21:12). (2) Twelve Gates with twelve angels on guard at each of the twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on them (Rev. 21:12). (3) Three Gates will be located on the north, south, east and west (Rev. 21:13). (4) Twelve Foundation Stones with the names of each of the twelve apostles inscribed on them (Rev. 21:14). (5) The city will be laid out like a square and measures 1500 miles in length on all four sides (Rev. 21:16). (6) The length, width and height of the city are all equal in measure (Rev. 21:16). (7) The wall measures 72 yards (Rev. 21:17). (8) The walls are made of jasper (Rev. 21:18a). (9) The city is made of pure gold like glass (Rev. 21:18). (10) The foundation stones with the names of the twelve apostles on them will be adorned with every precious stone.

Revelation also teaches us that the twelve gates are twelve pearls and each one of the gates was a single pearl (Rev. 21:21).

There was no temple in the city because “the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev. 21:22) and the city will have no need of the sun or the moon for “the glory of God” will illuminate it and its lamp is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Lamb (Rev. 21:23; 22:5).

The nations of the new earth will walk by its light since it will be permanently suspended above the new earth (Rev. 21:24) and there will be no day or nighttime and its gates will never be closed because there will no longer be any war (Rev. 21:25).

The glory and honor of the nations shall be brought into it (Rev. 21:26) and the only individuals who will be allowed into the city will be the elect angels and regenerate humanity (Rev. 21:27).

Those who rejected Christ as Savior will be suffering in the Lake of Fire forever and ever and will therefore not be found in this city or trying to enter its gates (Rev. 20:11-15).

The Lord has built a city for His heavenly people (John 14:1-3; Heb. 11:16) and is its architect and builder (Heb. 11:10) and this city is called the New Jerusalem, the city of the living God (Heb. 12:22) and is a literal city and the believer is to diligently desire for the time when they will live in the New Jerusalem (Heb. 13:14).

Church age believers who are winners in time will have their names recorded in its permanent historical record section and will have their names permanently inscribed upon the pillars of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 3:12a).

The New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven from God (Rev. 3:12b; 21:2, 10) and is called the “holy city” because no unrighteousness or evil will be allowed in it for all eternity (Rev. 21:2a, 8, 27) and it will be a city of integrity and virtue.

Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” 7 “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” 10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone 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 go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. (NIV84)

As we can see from Revelation 21, the number twelve is prominent in the New Jerusalem since it is a perfect number signifying perfection of government or of governmental perfection.

Revelation 22:1-9 teaches that there will be a river in the middle of its only street called the “water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1-2).

The tree of life will be on either side of the river bearing twelve kinds of different fruit which it will yield every month (Rev. 22:2).

Regenerate humanity and elect angels will serve the Lord in this city throughout the eternal state and there will no longer be any curse (Rev. 22:3).

We shall see the Lord’s face and His title shall be on our foreheads (Rev. 22:4).

Revelation 21-22 teaches that life in the new Jerusalem will be characterized by the following: (1) Fellowship with the Lord (John 14:3; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4). (2) Rest (Rev. 14:13). (3) Knowledge (1 Cor. 13:12). (4) Integrity (absence of sin) (Rev. 21:27). (5) Joy (Rev. 21:4). (6) Service (Rev. 22:3). (7) Prosperity (Rev. 21:6). (8) Glory (2 Cor. 4:17; Col. 3:4). (9) Worship (Rev. 7:9-12; 19:1). (10) Peace (Rev. 21:24-26).