The New Heavens and the New Earth

… Pray

Gospel Review

All year long we have been talking about the gospel. You all know what the word gospel means by now. It means the good news! It is the good news that Christ died for our sins and was raised again three days later. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says,

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

It is hard for us to understand why this is such great news. Christ underwent a gruesome and barbaric death on the cross in our place. The Christian claim is that Christ substituted Himself on the cross in place of sinful humanity. We call this good news and on Good Friday we celebrate this, Why? In order to understand why the gospel is such great news, we have to understand one important thing, the bad news!

If we go all the way back to the beginning of our study, we learned about the holiness of God. We learned that God, being the creator of all things, is supreme ruler of the entire universe. The Bible tells us that God brought all things into existence by the power of His Word. Before God spoke nothing existed but God. I don’t know about you, but I find it extremely hard to imagine what nothing really is. Even when I close my eyes and try to imagine nothing I find myself still imagining something. As soon as I start to think about nothing, I start to imagine a lot of “empty” air. But air is something. It has weight and substance. I know this because of what happens if a nail goes through the tire on my truck.

Jonathan Edwards said, “nothing is what sleeping rocks dream about.” I don’t know about you, but that does not help me understand what nothing means. I think my sons offer me a better definition of what nothing means. Every day when I get home from work I ask them at the dinner table what they did that day. The answer is always the same, “nothin.” So the best explanation I can give of “nothing” is what my sons do everyday.

As humans our understanding of creating involves shaping and forming something out of paint, clay, notes on a paper, or some other substance. We are not able to find a painter who paints without paint or a writer who writes without words, or a composer who composes without notes. Artists must start with something. But God started with absolutely nothing. He didn’t take pre existing things and form them into what we see all around us. He spoke and by the Power of His Word all things came into existence. That is why we call Him holy. He is outside of creation being the creator Himself. He has a certain “otherness” about him that is far above His creation. He is the holy, infinite, and eternal ruler of all creation. Because of this does He not deserve our complete allegiance and worship?

God created Adam and Eve to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. That is the chief end of man. That is what we were created for. That is our purpose. God created man in His image, in true righteousness and holiness, so that he might rightly know God his creator, heartily love Him, and live with Him in eternal blessedness to praise Him and glorify Him. And Adam and Eve did just that… for a time. After a time Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan who deceived them into thinking they could be just like God and rule themselves. Adam and Eve gave into their temptation and ate of the one tree God had not permitted them to eat from, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and with that one act of rebellion, that one sin, they brought into God’s perfect creation death! Spiritual death came into the world and with it came separation from God. Adam and Eve who were once holy and blameless before a holy God, who enjoyed perfect union with God, were now infected with sin and were spiritually dead and cutoff from God. And because each one of us is descended from Adam we each have that same infection, that same disease of sin that permeates our whole being. We are born into this world already separated from God. This is the bad news that made the gospel necessary.

There would be no injustice if God had scrapped the whole plan right then and there. God is not obligated to save anyone of us, because not one of us is righteous. Romans 3:23 says,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

But God is rich in mercy the Bible says. In His sovereign wisdom He determined to save us and make us, who were spiritually dead, alive in Christ by faith. By His divine initiative He raised us from death to life, He called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. He determined to make these dry dead bones alive again! And all of this He accomplished through Christ who He put forth as the propitiation for our sins. Which means Christ is the one who atoned for our sins, who paid that ransom price that was due for our sin. Through Christ we have the forgiveness of our sins and His righteousness is credited to us. Through Christ we have been reconciled to God; the barriers between sinful humanity and a holy God have been torn down because our sin has been dealt with and we have been made holy by faith. Basically, Jesus Christ, who is known as the second Adam has undone the mess that the first Adam made by sinning against God. And all of this is by grace! Again, God didn’t have to save any of us. Grace is undeserved favor. We don’t deserve it, we each sin in many different ways. But God has poured His grace out on us in Christ Jesus and we receive this free gift of God’s grace by faith.

Have you all put your faith in Christ and received the grace of God? Have your sins been forgiven and have you been clothed in Christ’s righteousness? Have you been reconciled to a holy God who created you to have a perfect relationship with Him; who desires to have a perfect relationship with you? Put your faith in Jesus Christ who has accomplished all of these things for you. John 1:12 says,

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

If you haven't, believe in His name today and become a child of God. Be reconciled to God! For those who are in Christ by faith we have a great hope; the hope of glory. We know that this world is passing away and everything in it, but that for the believer; the one who has been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, the world to come is our true promised land. This is just the wilderness that we are passing through. The Bible says that we will reign with Christ for eternity in the new heavens and the new earth. Today our text comes from the book of Revelation chapter 21 verses 1-8.

The New Heavens and the New Earth Revelation 21:1-7

The book of Revelation is a book of prophecy in which Jesus revealed to the Apostle John things that are to come in the last days. In our passage today He is specifically dealing with what becomes of our current world and we are given a glimpse into God’s renewed world. We see in John’s revelation the ultimate destination for the believer who has put His faith in Christ and been reconciled to God. We see the ultimate hope for believers: a new heaven and a new earth, where God dwells with His people and brings an end to all pain and suffering.

Guys, the big idea in this passage is that The gospel is not just good news for now, but we have a glorious hope for the future. We are in a peculiar time in History which I like to refer to as the already and not yet where what Christ accomplished on the cross is spiritually real but not yet manifested physically. I’ll explain what I mean…

The Already and Not Yet Revelation 21:1-3

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. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

On the cross, Christ defeated the power sin and death. Christ fulfilled the oldest messianic prophecy in the Bible. Does anybody know where the first prophecy regarding Jesus; the messiah occured in the Old Testament? In Genesis 3:15 God says that He will send a savior to crush the head of the serpent that deceived Adam and Eve. Through Christ our sins are forgiven and we have peace with God. That is the good news we have now. The kingdom of God has already been established because of Christ’s victory on the cross. In a spiritual sense Christ is reigning right now with His church, but not yet have we seen the full consummation of His kingdom on earth. We look forward with hope, knowing that Christ will return someday in glory with all the angels of heaven to gather His people to Himself and judge the world in righteousness. This is when His physical kingdom will be established on earth. This is what John’s vision is pointing to.

All year we have talked about the special relationship that God created man for. If you recall, when God created man in His image He did something different from any other created thing. Genesis 2:17 says,

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

He breathed the breath of life into him. This shows us that God desires an intimate relationship with us unlike the relationship He has with any other created thing. Remember, God created Adam and Eve to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. That is the chief end of man. That is what we were created for. That is our purpose. God created man in His image, perfect in our original state, so that we might rightly know God, love Him, and live with Him in eternal blessedness to praise Him and glorify Him. That special union with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed was damaged by the fall. When they rebelled and sinned against God it brought spiritual death into the world and separated all of us from God. But God does not change! He still desires relationship with us despite our sin. The Bible says that He desires that all should come to Him and be saved. God had to separate Himself from sinners because a holy God cannot even look upon sin. It wasn’t that He no longer loved us, but that our sin makes it impossible for Him to dwell with us and for us to be near Him. In fact, for us to be near God in our sin, it would be like standing next to 10,000 suns because He is so holy. We would immediately be burned up! But God’s desire is not to burn us up in His wrath. The most popular verse in the whole Bible tells us how deeply He loves us despite our sin. John 3:16 says,

16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

The whole reason for God’s redemptive plan can be summed up like this: God desires intimate relationship with His people. Christ makes that possible! Christ came to purify us from our sins and make us holy and blameless before God so that we can have intimate relationship with Him. Our sins separated us from God, but His blood washes us clean so that we are able to stand before a Holy God and have a relationship with Him. The only way we are able to stand before holy God who is as radiant as 10,000 suns is because our sin has been covered by the righteousness of Christ and we are no longer seen as the sinners that we are, but as righteous sons and daughters. Here too there is a sense of the already and not yet. Christ has already purified us. He has already made us holy. Being justified by faith in Christ we already have peace with God. And because of that, when we die, we will be ushered into His presence immediately. Our relationship with God has already been restored because we have union with Christ. In fact, when God looks at us, even now, He doesn’t see our sin, but looking through Christ at us He sees somebody who is holy and set apart. Somebody who is able to dwell with Him in intimate relationship. This is the glory of the gospel! The already and not yet! We already have perfect union with Jesus Christ by faith. Our sins are removed and we are righteous before God. But we don’t always feel that reality. Thus far, that reality is only a spiritual reality. But what John’s vision is pointing toward is when that spiritual reality becomes a physical reality.

What John’s vision in Revelation 21 points to is the not yet. Not yet is God’s dwelling place with man. Not yet has the holy city; the new Jerusalem; the bride adorned for her husband come down from heaven. Not yet have we received our new glorified bodies that are perfect and without sin. Not yet has our faith become sight, but we look forward with hope to that day. 1 John 3:2 says,

2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

The revelation of John invites us to anchor our hope not in our current circumstances, but in the promised future where God’s presence is fully realized. Where there is no more grief, or suffering, or pain. Where there is no more sin! How many of you long for a day when you will no longer struggle with sin? That will be a glorious day. I praise God everyday for redeeming me! I know that I am in right standing with God because I have been justified by faith; the punishment for my sin has been removed and I have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ, but man do I long for the day when I am stripped of my sinful flesh and receive my new glorified body.

To further understand this idea of the already and not yet, take a look at the chart…

Sin—Already Forgiven, no longer condemned (Rom. 8:1)—Not yet Completely removed forever

Relationship with God—Already Restored through Christ—Not yet Perfect and visible

Spiritual Life—Already Born again, alive in Christ—Not yet Fully perfected

Body—Already Weak and dying—Not yet Glorified, resurrected, immortal

Suffering—Already Still present—Not yet Completely eliminated

Death—Already Defeated Spiritually—Not yet Destroyed physically

So what is the point of all of this? The reality for the Christian is that we will continue to struggle with sin in this life as we await the return of Christ who promises to make all things new. For the Christian, sin is never something we delight in. Often times it brings shame and a feeling of guilt. It brings a sense of sorrow and defeat. In those moments we need to repent and turn to Christ and by faith remember that He has already dealt with all of our sins. Psalms 103:12 says that He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west! Romans 8:1 says,

2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Should we be OK with our sin? NO! We should hate the things God hates and love the things He loves. We should be broken over our sin, but that brokenness should lead us to the gospel; the good news that Christ has dealt with out sin and we are justified by faith and in right standing with God despite our sin. In doing that, even now, while we await the not yet, can our sorrow be turned to joy.

Sorrow Turned to Joy Revelation 21:4-5

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.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

God is our ultimate comfort in life and death. I love the first question and answer in the Catechism, it asks,

What is your only comfort in life and death?

The answer is…

That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and Has set me free from all the power of the devil…

Guys, we can take great comfort even now because we have all that is necessary in Christ. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. We have justification (we have been declared right with God), adoption (we have been made a part of the family of God), sanctification (we are made holy and are being transformed into the image of Christ), and so many other blessings that flow from our union with Christ. We may lack many things here on earth, we may suffer many afflictions, but we have Christ. This is the already reality, but not yet have we been physically delivered from the pains and sufferings of this life. Physical death is still a reality for the Christian, but our spiritual death has been overcome. This passage in the Revelation of John points to a time where even the physical death is overcome. In the new heavens and the new earth there will be no more death, no mourning, no crying, no pain. Those things will all pass away and there will only be sweet joy. What John is describing is the eternal rest that every Christian will experience, but this is a reality not yet realized.

Who is on this earth that does not know sorrow? The Bible tells us that with Adam’s fall it came into this world with thorns and thistles. It is the bitter cup that all must drink, it is before us and behind us, it is on the right and on the left. It is mingled with the very air we breath. There is no escaping it. It is the awful result of sin in this world. We feel it in our bodies. We feel it when the things we value are taken from us. We feel it when we encounter difficulties and challenges. We feel it when our friends turn on us. We feel it when our loved ones are taken from us—when those on whom our deepest affections are set pass away and leave us. And then, too, we find our own hearts to be weak and full of corruption and sin, and that brings sorrow. Many Christian’s are persecuted and killed for the gospel’s sake, and that brings sorrow. We all have friends and family members that refuse to walk with God, and that brings sorrow, too. This world is filled with sorrow, but praise be to God! There will be no sorrow in Heaven!

A day is still to come when sadness will be a foreign thought and God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no sadness in Heaven, because there will be no sin! The days of our sorrows will be gone! We will be at last able to love God without coldness, to give Him the reverence that He deserves without without a hint of selfishness. A day when we will be able to trust Him without despair, to serve Him without weariness, interruption, or distraction. The days of weakness and corruption will be gone, and we will be like our Lord in holiness as well as happiness, in purity as well as immortality. We will be just as God created us to be! In Heaven there will be no more disease or weakness or decay. There will be no more coffin or funeral or grave. Our faces will no longer be saddened with the sorrows of this world. No more will those we love be taken from us. There will be no more sad goodbyes. There will be no more anxious thoughts about tomorrow to spoil our happiness. Our needs will have come to an end and all around us will be the love of Christ!

Guys, this is the hope we have in Jesus! This is the glorious result of the gospel! This is the reward laid up for all those who hope and trust in Christ! No more tears, no more sorrow, only joy! Glorious joy and happiness for eternity! This can be yours. The gift of life is for all who will come to Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28,

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The Water of Life Revelation21:6-7

6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

God says, it is done! He says He is the Alpha and the Omega which means He is the beginning and the end. He is sovereign over all creation because He is the one who was, who is, and who is to come. From eternity to eternity, He is God! All things were created by Him, and through Him, and for Him. He is the holy one! He is God and we are not! As I said earlier, God is not obligated to save anyone. Each and every one of us is a sinner by nature and by choice. We are born with the seeds of corruption throughout our entire being and every day we choose to act upon that corrupt nature. God would be perfectly just in giving us what we deserve. He would be perfectly just in punishing us for our sins. But praise be to God! He is not an angry God. He is not some far off deity like the gods we make up in our minds who like to see humanity squirm. God is a loving God. He is a gracious and merciful God. He longs for intimate relationship with us who He created in His image. He desires for us to come to Him and be saved. And He has made a perfect way in Christ for us to do just that. He has given us Jesus as a free gift of grace. He says, to all who are thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who hopes and trusts in Jesus conquers and has this already and not yet reality as His reward; he is a child of God

So guys, be encouraged! No matter what struggles or challenges we face right now, or what temporary sufferings we have to endure, we know that because Christ has redeemed us, we have eternal glory as our heritage; our reward. This is the promise of the gospel! We need not be despaired right now, we can live with hope and purpose. God has not abandoned His creation but is actively fulfilling His redemptive plan through Christ, who brings many sons to glory. We know that Jesus right now is preparing a place for us in Heaven. A place where all godly people go when they die. A place of joy and happiness where there is no sadness; no sorrow, pain, sickness, or death. No crying because there is nothing in Heaven that can cause grief. No work because we will no longer need to labor for our food; the manna of heaven will be there; the bread of life. Jesus Himself will be there in the midst of Heaven. His people will see Him face-to-face and never leave His presence! He will gather His lambs to Himself and wipe away every tear. He holds the keys to Heaven and if you want to go there you have to ask Him to let you in.

I hope and pray that the thought of Heaven would motivate each one of us to evaluate our relationship with Jesus. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? He is the only one who is able to save and He is powerful enough to save to the utmost even the worst of sinners. If you haven't trusted in Jesus for the salvation of your soul the Bible says why wait? Today is the day of salvation! Tomorrow is not promised to any of us and the Bible says that it is appointed for each person to die once and then comes the judgement. When you close your eyes on this earth for the last time will you wake up in the glorious presence of God, or will you wake up separated from God for eternity. A place Jesus describes as outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? Again, He says,

… To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

… Let’s pray