Revelation #31 Revelation 21

The New Heaven and New Earth

vs. 1 - saw the new heave and new earth.

Old passed away cf. II Peter 3:10-12 “10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?”

Is it totally gone or is it simply purified and remade? Whichever it will be new Roma. 8:22 - there will be no more groaning of the earth.

This will bring the end of time. Creation of the world brought time as we know it. Now with the new creation eternity begins.

New things

We cannot imagine what God has in store for us. I Cor. 2:9 “9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.””

Heaven vs. 1

Earth vs. 1

Jerusalem vs. 2, 10

Temple vs. 22

Light vs. 23; 22:5

Inhabitants vs. 24, 27

No more

These things will not exist or take place in eternity.

No more sea vs. 1 - The sea forms barriers for countries, and ethnicities… The sea currently covers 70% of the earth. Life is not water based?

No more death vs. 4

No more sorrow vs. 4

no more tears vs. 4

No more pain vs. 4

no more temple vs. 22

no more sun vs. 23; 22:5

No more moon vs. 23

No more night vs. 5

No more curse 22:3

New Jerusalem vs. 2

Holy City - this is a change Rev. 11:8 “8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”

Mt. 23:37 “37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Ezekiel 24:6-9 “6 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the bloody city, To the pot whose scum is in it, And whose scum is not gone from it! Bring it out piece by piece, On which no lot has fallen. 7 For her blood is in her midst; She set it on top of a rock; She did not pour it on the ground, To cover it with dust. 8 That it may raise up fury and take vengeance, I have set her blood on top of a rock, That it may not be covered.” 9 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the bloody city! I too will make the pyre great.”

Contrast of this city made by God compared to the manmade city of Jerusalem. This city is “prepared” by God. Cf. John 14:2, 3 “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.”

Galatians 4:25-26 “25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”

Hebrews 11:10, 16 “10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” “16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Heb 12:22 “22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,” Heb 13:12 “12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.”

God will dwell with them. vs. 3

God’s dwelling with man has always been limited in some way.

Tabernacle Ex. 40:34-38 “34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.”

Temple II Chron 7:1 “1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”

Jesus dwelled among man John 1:14 “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Col 1:19 “19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,” Col 2:9 “9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;” I Tim. 3:16 “16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” How long??

God dwells within believers now. John 14:23 “23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” Col 1:27 “27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Eph 3:17 “17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”

Father John 14:23

Son John 14:20, 23

c. Holy Spirit John 14:17, I Cor. 6:19.

5. God dwells in the midst of His churches

I Cor. 3:16 “16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” `

Eph. 2:21, 22 “22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

I Tim 3:15 “15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

6. God will dwell among the nations in the millenium. Ezekiel 38:35 ; Isaiah 9:7 “7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Cummings, pg. 209-210)

All Things new vs. 5

without sin and all the evil that is connected with it all is new. John must have been overwhelmed because the angel had to remind him to “write”.

Words are faithful and true. God’s promises can be trusted.

It is done!

Alpha and Omega - the beginning and the end.

I will give Fountain of the water of life freely to all who thirsts.

cf. Matthew 5:6 “6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Psalm 42:1-2 “1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?”

Overcomes - shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son. I Peter 1:4 “4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

Revelation 12–22: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Residents of the New Heaven and the New Earth

But the most wonderful promise to the one who overcomes, who thirsts for righteousness, is God’s promise I will be his God (cf. Gen. 17:7–8; Ex. 6:7; 29:45; Lev. 26:12; Deut. 29:13; 2 Sam. 7:24; Jer. 7:23; 11:4; 24:7; 30:22; Ezek. 11:20; 34:24; 36:28; 37:23, 27; Zech. 8:8). Equally amazing is God’s promise that the one who overcomes will be My son. Even in this life it is the believer’s privilege to be the adopted son of the God of the universe (John 1:12; Rom. 8:14–17; 2 Cor. 6:18; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5; Heb. 12:5–9; 1 John 3:1). But only in heaven, when believers come into their inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4), will that adoption be fully realized (Rom. 8:23).

Revelation Chapter 21

This promise, first made to David concerning Solomon (2 Sam. 7:14), received its mystical fulfilment in Christ (Heb. 1:5), and is now fulfilled in the members of Christ (Alford).

Those who are overcome… lake of fire vs. 8

1. Cowardly - will not stand for Christ, give up under persecution. Prov. 29:25 “25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” Luke 18:23 “23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.”

2. unbelieving - faithless, not trusting. John 3:18 “18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 16:9 “9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;”

3. abominable - polluted by sin

Prov. 6:16-19 “16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” Prov. 16:5 “5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.”

Idolatry - Deut 7:25 “25 You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Occult - Deut 18:12 “12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.”

Sexual deviance

Homosexuality - Lev. 18:22 “22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” Lev. 20:3 “3 I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from his people, because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name.”

Bestiality - Lev. 18:23 “23 Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.”

Unisex - Trans.. Deut 22:5 “5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Prostitution Deut 23:17-18 “17 “There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. 18 You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the Lord your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Adultery Deut 24:4 “4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.”

False Balances Deut 25:15-16 “15 You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord your God.” Prov. 11:1 “1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight.”

Apostasy - Titus 1:16 “16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

4. Murderers Gen. 4:8; Mt. 5:21-2 “21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”

5. Sexually immoral

6. sorcerers - occult and drugs involved.

7. idolators - those who place items before God.

8. Lying - John 8:44 “44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

cf. I Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21;

vs. 9 “Come, I’ll show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

vs. 10 “showed me the great city the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God.”

Jerusalem - means “city of peace”. How long has it longed for peace?

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible John’s guide to the city 21:9–10

It is quite clear that the “bride,” the wife of the Lamb, is the New Jerusalem (v. 10; cf. v. 2). From the description that follows it also seems clear that the New Jerusalem is a city. It is not just a person or a group of people, such as Christians.737 This is the first of seven references to the Lamb in this section (vv. 9, 14, 22, 23, 27; 22:1, 3). He becomes increasingly prominent as the book draws to a close. “The Lamb is all the glory in Immanuel’s land.”

The fact that Jerusalem is coming down from heaven reveals that the new eternal state is something that is by the grace of God and not something attained by man himself.

vs. 11 - glory of God

light waslike most precious stone. like jasper , clear as crystal - “diamond?” “John compared the glory of the city to that of a beautiful gem. Jasper stones were very beautiful but not always clear. As mentioned earlier (cf. 4:3), this is probably a crystal clear gem with many facets of brilliance, probably what we call a diamond. This stone described God Himself earlier (4:3), so it’s brilliance is a further reflection of God’s presence in the city.” ( Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Re 21:11.)

vs. 12 high wall with twelve gates - names of the twelve tribes - three on each side

vs. 13 Twelve foundations - names of the twelve apostles.

angel with measuring reed - twelve thousand furlongs. 1380 miles cubed ...

vs. 14 “Since there are foundations to the city (cf. Heb 11:10, 13–16), it will be a permanent abode for the righteous in contrast to temporary dwellings that lacked foundations. The foundations may be one on top of each other in layers, but probably each section of the wall, between the gate-towers, has its own foundation. As the walls and gates represent protection, so the foundations speak of permanence.” (Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Re 21:14.)

“Evidently the church, represented by the apostles (cf. Eph. 2:20), will be in the New Jerusalem as will Israel (v. 12). However assigning the name of each apostle to a particular foundation stone is as impossible as matching the names of Israel’s tribes with the gates. Note the distinction between Israel and the church even in the eternal state (cf. Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30). God had a role for each group and an identity separate from the other in the past and as He does in the present.” Quoting Walvoord (Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Re 21:14.)

vs. 15 Imagine a city whose value is high enough the measuring sticks are made of gold… Originally the OT tabernacle and temple had all gold utensils.

vs. 16 square but then with length, breadth, and height , it is a cube 12,000 stadia, 1380-1500 miles...

Some think this could be a pyramid, but a pyramid would be more in line with the false worshippers whereas a cube was used in the tabernacle and temple for the holy of holies.

vs. 17 wall 144 cubits (216 feet) thick??

clear jasper wall - pure gold like clear glass - allow the glory of God to light the entire city.

precious stones “No one can be dogmatic about the colors of these gems, and it really does not matter. Jasper, as we have seen, is a clear crystal. Sapphire is a blue stone, and chalcedony is probably greenish-blue. The emerald, of course, is green; and the sardonyx is like our onyx, a white stone streaked with brown, though some scholars describe it as red and white.

“Sardius is a red stone (sometimes described as “blood red”), and chrysolite a yellow quartz like our modern topaz. Beryl is green and topaz a yellow-green. We are not sure about the chrysoprasus; some think it is a golden-tinted stone, others, an apple-green color. The jacinth is probably blue, though some claim it was yellow; and the amethyst is a rich purple, or blue-red. (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 623.)

pearls

streets of transparent glass

vs. 22 no temple - Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the temple.

vs. 23 God illuminated so there is no need for sun or moon.

vs. 24 nations who walk in the light… “The mention of nations in Revelation 21:24 and 26 suggests that there will be peoples (plural) on the new earth. Since in the eternal state there will be only glorified beings, we must not think that the earth will be populated with various nations such as exist today. Instead, these verses reflect the ancient practice of kings and nations bringing their wealth and glory to the city of the greatest king. In the heavenly city, everyone will honor the “King of kings” (see Pss. 68:29; 72:10–11; Isa. 60).” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 623–624.)

vs. 25 Gates will not be shut all day - no night.

vs. 26 bring the glory of the nations into it.

No sin

vs. 27 nothing enter that defiles or causes abomination or a lie. only those written in the lambs book of life.

This is hared to imagine. People can try to make a place there is no sin but it is useless. Sin dwells within man. Only in this state will there be no sin..

What will be different as you try to imagine the lack of affects of sin?