2-9-2019 The Very Beginning of The Very End Revelation 21:1-8
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
What do We really Know About Heaven?
The Holy Spirit has decided to NOT tell us too much about heaven. I don't claim to know the mind of God but I do have an opinion on the subject. I suggest that He wants us to eagerly anticipate going there, having many mysteries revealed, seeing friends and loved ones, and best of all I will see Jesus.
Last week, the sermon was about hell. We saw that hell is a real place, created by God for a specific purpose; we saw what hell was like, and we saw how we can escape going there. I know that none of us want to go there; we want to go to heaven, so let’s see what the Bible has to say about what heaven will be like.
Transition:
The final vision in the last two chapters 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 represents the fulfillment of the entire book of Revelation— fulfillment of the promises to those who overcome (chaps. 2–3), the full realization of the throne-room worship (chaps. 4–5), the answer to the martyrs’ prayer (in chapter 6), the goal of the judgments (chaps. 6–16), and the outcome of the final conflict with evil (chaps. 17–19). Our passage this morning serves as a transition between God’s final victory in the last two chapters and the new creation to finish off the book.
This passage encapsulates what will be explained in more glorious detail in 21:9–22:5: the new creation as the holy city (21:9–21), the temple (21:22–27), and the new Garden of Eden (22:1–5).
Scripture Reading:
Revelation 21:1–8
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea did not exist any longer.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with humanity, and he will take up residence with them, and they will be his people and God himself will be with them.
4 And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any longer, and mourning or wailing or pain will not exist any longer. The former things have passed away.”
5 And the one seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” And he said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water from the spring of the water of life freely.
7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
8 But as for the cowards and unbelievers and detestable persons and murderers and sexually immoral people and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their share is in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.
John uses words here from the garden image of Genesis 1–2, the vision of the new heaven and new earth of Isaiah chaps. 60 & 65, and the new-temple vision of Ezekiel (chaps. 40–48) to describe the new creation. The Old Testament promises find their fulfillment in these next two chapters. Many Christians typically think of the eternal state in nonliteral, nonphysical categories and impressions, this passage and the broader biblical witness stress a transformed physical universe having some continuity with the present creation. It’s not just “going to heaven when you die”; rather, it’s having a resurrection body fit for physical life in a new heaven and new earth. Theologically, the resurrection body of Jesus and the promised resurrection body for the believer serve as the primary pattern for the “resurrection” of creation (Rom. 8:18–23). It is a new (kainos) creation in the sense of a new kind or quality, not that it must bear no resemblance whatever to the present creation. Our best guess as to what the new creation will be like is to imagine the present creation in all its beauty, glory, and power without evil of any sort. That image will fall short, but it remains the best way to picture what is simply too wonderful for us to grasp now.
Transition:
This transition section includes a vision of the arrival of the new heaven and new earth (21:1–2), a voice from the throne proclaiming the fulfillment of God’s promised presence (21:3–4), and YHWH’s speech confirming his finished work (21:5–8). Let’s go through what John reveals is being fulfilled in this passage :
I. The fulfillment of the new creation (21:1–2)
I. The fulfillment of the new creation (21:1–2)
This final “and I saw” passage (cf. 19:11, 17, 19; 20:1, 4, 11, 12; 21:1) serves as “the high point of the whole letter.”
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea did not exist any longer.
“new heaven and a new earth”
You might recall from last week, how in 20:11, The Earth & Heaven both fled from YHWH. Now it is replaced
Here is the beginning language from Isaiah John uses to describe the new creation [[Isa. 65:17; 66:22]].
For look! I am about to create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered, and they shall not come to mind.
“For just as the new heavens and earth that I am about to make shall stand before me,” declares Yahweh, “so shall your descendants and your name stand.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea did not exist any longer.
“the first heaven and the first earth “
The “first” (prōtos) heaven and earth with its suffering and decay pales in comparison to the qualitatively “new” (kainos) creation, which will remain forever (cf. Rom. 8:19–22). Judaism contained both the idea of a total replacement of the old with the new, as well as the renovation of the old into the new. Here in Revelation, it suggests a radically new creation, but implies a transformation that fulfills the original creation. There is both continuity and discontinuity, similar to the pattern established with Jesus’s resurrection body.
“the sea did not exist any longer”
What is this about??
In the new creation, there will be no more sea, a common symbol of evil
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Significantly, the new creation is both a place and a people. The holy city, or new Jerusalem, comes down out of heaven as a gift of God (Isa. 52:1; 61:10; 62:5; Gal. 4:26; Heb. 11:10; 12:22; 13:14). Rather than God’s people “going up to heaven,” the new heaven and new earth descend to them. Since the new creation is the temple city where God lives among his people, the new Jerusalem is also depicted as a bride beautifully adorned for her husband (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:23; Isa. 61:10; 62:5). The wedding imagery reflects God’s relational presence among his people as one of faithful love and intimacy.
Illustration:
The new creation is a new heaven and new earth
Heaven, by Randy Alcorn. In this book, Alcorn pushes back against some of the terrible misconceptions people have about our eternal state. For instance:
A pastor once confessed to me, “Whenever I think about Heaven, it makes me depressed. I’d rather just cease to exist when I die.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I can’t stand the thought of all that endless tedium. To float around in the clouds with nothing to do but strum a harp … it’s all so terribly boring. Heaven doesn’t sound much better than Hell. I’d rather be annihilated than spend eternity in a place like that.”
Transition:
With the new creation fulfilled before us, John now moves to the fulfillment of a promise from God:
II. The fulfillment of God’s promised presence (21:3–4)
II. The fulfillment of God’s promised presence (21:3–4)
God now makes good on his long-standing promise to live among his people (e.g., Lev. 26:11–12; Ezek. 37:26–28; Zech. 2:10–11; 2 Cor. 6:16).
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with humanity, and he will take up residence with them, and they will be his people and God himself will be with them.
“the dwelling of God is with humanity, and he will take up residence with them, and they will be his people and God himself will be with them.”
We will become his permanent “dwelling place” or tabernacle (skēnē), a term also used (in its verbal form) to describe Jesus’s incarnation (John 1:14). Three times God himself is said to live “with them/the people,” and the well-attested textual variant “peoples” emphasizes once again God’s multicultural people.
When we come face-to-face with his glorious presence (22:4), rather than cowering in fear, God’s people will experience tender comfort and perfect protection.
And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any longer, and mourning or wailing or pain will not exist any longer. The former things have passed away.”
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death.”
Like a compassionate parent caring for a suffering child, God will wipe away our tears. Furthermore, God’s presence means the absence of all that is evil and disruptive to shalom: tears, death, mourning, crying, and pain just as Isaiah predicted it would be: [[Isa. 25:8]]
He will destroy death forever, and the Lord Yahweh will wipe off the tears from all faces, and he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken.
Illustration:
The new creation will be unimaginably beautiful
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.
Transition:
With these things fulfilled, YHWH Himself dictates John’s next recorded words with seven distinct points:
III. YHWH’s sevenfold speech (21:5–8)
III. YHWH’s sevenfold speech (21:5–8)
For the first time since 1:8, God now speaks directly (cf. the heavenly voice in 10:4; 14:13; 16:1, 17; 18:4). In this sevenfold speech, God reaffirms his eternal character and his sovereign plan for his creation.
And the one seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” And he said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
“I am making everything new!”
First, he is making everything new, fulfilling the new creation prophecies of Isaiah (e.g., 43:18–19; 65:17; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). The present active indicative here (i.e., “I am making”) points to a future time when God will make all things new.
And the one seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” And he said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
“Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true”
Second, the message (probably referring to the entire book; cf. 1:11, 19) must be recorded and believed because God’s words are “trustworthy and true” (cf. 19:9; 22:6). God’s actions and words—past, present, and future—flow out of his faithful and true character.
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water from the spring of the water of life freely.
“It is done!”
Third, with the new creation, the book’s prophecies (or “words” of v. 5) now stand complete or finished (“they are done”; cf. NIV: “it is done”).
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water from the spring of the water of life freely.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”
Fourth, God identifies himself as the sovereign ruler of the universe with the titles “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (cf. 1:8, 17; 22:13; Isa. 44:6; 48:12). The one who controls both ends of history also stands sovereign over everything in between.
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water from the spring of the water of life freely.
“To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.”
Fifth in God’s sevenfold speech, God will satisfy the thirsty with the water of life, a symbol of eternal life in the presence of God (also 7:17; 22:1, 17; see also John 4:10; 7:37–38; Isa. 55:1). This life comes “freely” or “as a gift” (dōrean) of God’s grace.
The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
“Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”
Sixth, God assures “those who overcome” or conquer (ho nikōn) that they will inherit the blessings of the new creation and, most importantly, live as God’s children in his presence forever. Their inheritance includes the blessings promised to the overcomers in the seven letters (e.g., 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21).
But as for the cowards and unbelievers and detestable persons and murderers and sexually immoral people and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their share is in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.
“But the cowardly, … and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Seventh, those who have compromised with the idolatrous and immoral system of this world will be excluded from God’s presence (cf. the three vice lists in Rev. 9:21; 21:8; 22:15).7 The purpose of this list is to clarify the inheritance of the wicked as the lake of fire or second death, and to warn professing believers to persevere in faithfulness.
In our Christian life, we must remain balanced. Two key messages in Revelation—assurance and warning—serve to keep us walking true, resting in grace, and striving for holiness. The message of assurance will bring comfort when we struggle with soul-crushing condemnation. The message of warning will spur us on when we have become complacent.
So What?
So What?
This passage displays a beautiful future for us believers and calls us to stay faithful here and now.
1. God really wants to live among His people.
1. God really wants to live among His people.
One could easily argue that God’s primary goal, and hence the goal of the entire Bible, is to live among his people in the new creation. God’s heart is relational to the core. He doesn’t just want people who will only worship Him (a right he uniquely and totally deserves); He also wants people who will love (and worship) Him in response to His perfect love. Perhaps we have under-emphasized the last part of the first answer of the Westminster shorter catechism, which says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Perhaps there is more to the “enjoy him forever” part than we realize. If God has gone to this much trouble to live with us in the new creation, then we should know in our deepest being that He wants to live in intimate fellowship with us right now. This passage is an expression of God’s great love for us.
2. We cannot imagine what it will be like to live in God’s presence as His children.
2. We cannot imagine what it will be like to live in God’s presence as His children.
Human language cannot describe life in God’s presence. Perhaps that explains why negative language dominates: “no more” death, “no more” mourning, crying, or pain. When positive images appear, they are relational: God is the faithful husband (v. 2), God’s tender hand wiping away tears from our face (v. 4), God giving a refreshing drink of water (v. 6), God, the King, giving the kingdom inheritance not just to His subjects but to His children (v. 7), we’re family. Spiritually speaking, when we see God as our very life now, we are still looking through a dirty window [[1 Cor. 13:12]].
For now we see through a mirror indirectly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know completely, just as I have also been completely known.
It’s like seeing a fuzzy, black-and-white photo of a friend compared to seeing that friend in person, face-to-face, in living color. The comfort and love we experience now from God’s Spirit who indwells us is only a faint preview of the indescribable life we will encounter when we dwell in his very presence.
3. We are called to be conquerors rather than cowards.
3. We are called to be conquerors rather than cowards.
Our passage concludes with a challenge to the readers to recognize the difference between those who are faithful and those who are not, that is, to decide whether to be a “conqueror” (21:7) or a “coward” (21:8). The inclusion of verse 8 is not meant to suggest a literal picture of unbelievers living outside the new Jerusalem—that is, living somewhere in the new creation. Rather, the fate of the wicked is mentioned again here to challenge believers to persevere in faithfulness. Readers are confronted once again with the two choices we have in life:
follow God and face rejection from the world, or
conform to this world and face judgment from God
As long as we live in this fallen world, we will always need both assurance and warning.
In Conclusion:
The present creation will be totally transformed into a new heaven and new earth.
God will one day live in intimate communion with his people.
The glorious new creation will exclude sin and all of its painful consequences.
Only those who overcome will inherit the new creation.
Are you an conqueror? Have you received the life that is offered in Jesus? This life is promised to all who receive the Risen Saviour as Master over life. I urge you to believe this message even today.