Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Introduction:

Illustration:

As a pastor, one of the most joyous things I get to do is officiate weddings, and of the wedding service, there's no more beautiful moment than "Here Comes the Bride!"

Main Thought:

Knowing that God will one day live with His people in the new creation helps us face life's trials by faith, overcoming through Christ's all-sufficient grace and power.

Sub-intro: Setting the Context-

The final vision of Revelation () highlights the primary goal and theme of the entire book and all of Scripture: God’s presence among his people in the new creation.

From the time sin and death intruded upon God’s good creation, God purposed to defeat his enemies and live among his people in a new garden city.

This final vision of Revelation represents the fulfillment of the promises to those who overcome (), the full realization of the throne-room worship (), the answer to the martyrs’ prayer (), the goal of the judgments (), and the outcome of the final conflict with evil ().

The present unit () serves as a transition between God’s final victory () and the new creation ().

Just as and provide two versions of the final judgment of the wicked, so and offer a double vision of the eternal state.

More specifically, encapsulates what will be explained in more glorious detail in : the new creation as the holy city (), the temple (), and the new Garden of Eden ().

This transition section includes a vision of the arrival of the new heaven and new earth (), a voice from the throne proclaiming the fulfillment of God’s promised presence (), and God’s sevenfold speech confirming his finished work ().

[Duvall]

I. John Sees the New Creation ()

A. The New Heaven & Earth ()

Note - "The first were passed away" = parerchomai - 3 Rabbinical views: renewed, renovation, replacement

Note - From the Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible:

The idea of a renewed or re-created universe is present in substance in many passages: ; ; , ; , ; ; ; .

Specific mention of “new heaven(s) and a new earth” is found in ; ; ; .

These passages suggests the following points of interest:

God is the source of this new universe....

God will bring the new universe into existence in the end of history.

[ZEB, H-L]

B. The New Jerusalem ()

Note - "prepared" used seven times in Revelation (; , ; ; ; ; )

Note - "This was the city that Abraham sought (), that has the OT saints and the names of the NT saints recorded (cf.

), and that will be named on overcoming saints as their address (cf.

)." [Strouse]

II.

The Angel Declares the Fulfillment of the Promise of God's Presence ()

A. What Heaven Includes ()

The Five-fold Fulfillment:

1. "Tabernacle of God Is With Men"

2. "He Will Dwell With Them"

3. "They Shall Be His People"

4. "God Himself Shall Be With Them"

5. "And Be Their God"

B. What Heaven Excludes ()

The Fivefold Fulfillment:

1. Tears Wiped Away

Implied is that in the new heaven and new Jerusalem—heaven as we think of it today—there will be tears, for God will wipe them away.

It may be that the redeemed of the ages witness the Great White Throne Judgment recently past.

In those awesome proceedings, many a loved one and friend will be cast into the lake of fire.

That will undoubtedly provoke tears.

(See also and .)

However, the great and tender mercy of God will, in that day, wipe away all tears.

[Sorenson]

2. No More Death

3. No More Sorrow

4. No More Crying

5.

No More Pain

Note - Semitic Parallelism, lit.:

"And death shall be no more,

Neither sorrow,

Neither crying,

Neither pain shall be no more."

Application:

Quote: “Is This Life All There Is?

Why Heaven Is Worth the Wait,” by Joni Eareckson Tada.

Eareckson Tada shares this powerful, personal reflection on the wonder of the new creation:

I still can hardly believe that I—with atrophied muscles, shriveled, bent fingers, and no feeling from the shoulders down—will one day have a new, dazzling body that’s in wonderful working order and clothed in righteousness.

Not to mention, I’ll also have a mind that doesn’t want to resign or quit!…

You may not be paralyzed with a broken neck, but you could be paralyzed by other limitations: a broken heart, a broken home, a broken reputation.…

The temporal troubles we face may slam the door to sustained satisfaction in this life, but then again, they can throw windows wide open to a vibrant hope of heaven.

[Duvall]

III.

The Sevenfold Sayings of God ()

A. "I Make" ()

Note - "all things" = quantity; "new" = quality

B. "Write" ()

C. "It Is Done" ()

Note - Judgment - "It is done" (); Recreation - "It is done" ()

D. "Alpha and Omega" (:b)

Note - The Deity of Christ and how that separates us from the occults (i.e.

Christian Science, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness) and Islam:

In it is “the Lord God” who asserts, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” and the speaker is further described as the One “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

In and , on the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ is the speaker who calls himself “the Alpha and the Omega.”

These two verses taken with constitute a strong assertion of the true and eternal deity of Christ.

Similarly, the use of language in and concerning Jesus Christ is equivalent to that used concerning Yahweh in and and involves a strong implication Jesus’ divine nature.

[ZEB, A-C, Alpha and Omega]

E. Full Satisfaction - "Water of Life" ()

Note - Contrast with the harlot’s cup ()

F. Full Inheritance - "Inherit All Things" () & Full Fellowship - "He shall be my son" ()

Full Fellowship - "He shall be my son" ()

Note - The Overcomer - Believer

Note - cf. —all glories about to be unfolded

To overcome.

The summons to overcome () remains relevant regardless of how close or distant our trials seem analogous to those of John’s first audience.

Even those with the most comfortable situations eventually face sickness, death, or bereavement.

Each of the seven churches in Revelation had different trials, yet each was called to overcome (, , , ; , , ); each of us today has different trials, but all are called to overcome ().

[NIVAC, Re]

G.

They "Shall Have Their Part" ()

Note - The Underachiever - Sinner (miss the mark)

The [“fearful”] may be those who fear persecution () more than they revere God (; ; ; ).25

The “unbelieving” are those who prove faithless, unwilling to maintain their faith in the midst of testing (, ; ; ).

The Greek word translated as [“abominable”] (ebdelygmenos) is related to ... (17:4–5; 21:27), that which is disgusting before God (; ; , ).

Most often in the lxx this word applies to two sins: sexual immorality (; ; ; ; ; ; ) and—by far most frequently—idolatry (over forty times).26