Chapter
21 1-14
The final two chapters of the Book
of Revelation present the glorious future which awaits every believer of all
dispensations and ages. The eternal state of both the saved and lost is
described in the first eight verses of this chapter. In addition, verses 9
through 27 present a glowing description of the New Jerusalem. The view is
absolutely breathtaking. Let's begin our study.
Verse 1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for
the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more
sea.
The passing away of the first heaven
and earth occurred at the conclusion of the Great White Throne Judgment. This
was part of the renovation of the world which Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:35
when He said, Heaven and earth shall pass away. The time and method are
described in 2 Peter 3:7, 10-13. Listen carefully to these solemn words: The
heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word
are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition
of ungodly men. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and
godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein
the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
In the new world, the sea is
eliminated, possibly because of its connotation with wickedness: The wicked
are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and
dirt (Isaiah 57:20). Another reason may be that oceanic vegetation is no
longer necessary.
Verse 2: And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband.
Two Jerusalems
are mentioned in Scripture (see Galatians 4:25, 26 and Hebrews 12:22). One is
earthly and the home of the believers during the millennial period. The other
is heavenly-as the New Jerusalem, or celestial city, hovers over the earth
during the thousand-year (millennial) reign of Christ and then becomes situated
eternally upon earth at the end of the thousand-year period. Revelation 21:1-8
actually follows 21:9-22:15. This is one time the chronological outline of the
book of Revelation is different. The New Jerusalem is undoubtedly the one
Christ has been preparing for over 2,000 years, for the Saviour
said in John 14:2, I go to prepare a place for you. This magnificent
masterpiece descending toward earth reminds one of the elegant beauty of a bride on her wedding day.
Verse 3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven
saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God.
To this point in time, God's
Tabernacle has been located in heaven. Now we discover a change of address. The
Almighty descends to earth with His heavenly entourage, settling in the New
Jerusalem to begin global operations from this satellite city. The redeemed-in
their glorified bodies-live in the New Jerusalem. Those with bodies of
flesh-those who were born and saved during the millennial hour-enter the
eternal state with their natural bodies. They live on earth, in and under the
light of the Holy City (see chapter 21, verse 24). The true beauty of the
entire scene is that God dwells in the midst of His people, for a voice cries, Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall
be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Another exciting fact is that
believers, with their glorified bodies, will be able to travel as fast as the
speed of light, yea, as fast as their thoughts. Thus, they will traverse back
and forth to earth from their city in space-the New Jerusalem-in a moment of
time. Presently the world's scientists predict that men will certainly be
living in space cities within our century. They don't know the half of it!
Amen!
Verse 4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
This verse should be a favorite
among God's people. Think of it! Pain, sorrow, crying, and death are forever
eliminated in this land of eternal life. This, as mentioned in verse 2, is only
true after the Millennium when Christ's Kingdom is recommissioned
and eternally established on earth. No wonder the redeemed are able to
triumphantly shout, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory? (I Corinthians 15:55). Never again will a funeral procession take
place, for death, the last enemy, will have been destroyed (see I Corinthians
15:26). In addition, everything associated with death is also eliminated for
time and eternity. Glory! No more disease, heart attacks, automobile accidents,
wars or rumors of wars. "It is finished" is truly the national anthem
of eternity.
Although these truths are wonderful
in themselves, the greatest fact is that the Lord's people see His face
(see chapter 22, verse 4). In addition, sin has ceased to exist because Satan
is eternally incarcerated in Gehenna, the lake
of fire (see chapter 20, verse 10). A new day in a new heaven suspended
above a new earth has arrived because...
Verse 5: He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I
make all things new And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful.
Verse 6: And he said unto me, It
is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
God speaks to John, saying, It is done. As Christ completed His redemptive
work for sinners on the cross, He cried, It
is finished. Now God, who has made all things new, again announces, It is finished, or done. His will has been
accomplished in Jesus Christ-namely, that the earth should be free from the
curse of sin and that its inhabitants should be conformed to His very likeness.
This has happened. It is done. God adds, I am
[the] Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Alpha and Omega are
the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. Hence,
the explanation, the beginning and the end. But what does it mean? In
Christ, all creation began without sin (see Colossians 1:15-19). Now, in
Christ, it has ended without sin.
In this glorious city-New
Jerusalem-the spiritual thirst of God's people is also satisfied forever. While
on earth, Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, Whosoever drinketh
of this water [in the well] shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life (John 4:13,14). That time has come, and
God states: "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of
the water of life freely." It is yours to possess throughout the ages.
Enjoy yourselves!
However, make no mistake about it.
The eternal prize of being in the presence of God in the New Jerusalem, where
there is no more death, sorrow, crying, pain, or thirst, is only for those who
trust in the merits of the shed blood of Christ.
Verse 7: He that overcometh shall
inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Who is the overcomer?
The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (see 1 John
5:4). Oh, be sure of your salvation, because the next verse mentions a
motley group of sinners who miss the eternal paradise upon earth.
Verse 8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
This text plainly states that those
who were condemned at the judgment of chapter 20, verses 11-15, have been cast
into the lake of fire, or Gehenna. They
were not given a reprieve, a commuted sentence, or a second chance, as some
sentimentalists teach. Revelation 21 is the eternal state.
No more changes are possible. Those
who stood before God's Great White Throne did not make it. Who were they?
Verse 9: And there came unto me one of the seven angels
which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me,
saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the
Lamb's wife.
Here one member of the angelic host
which administered the final seven judgments now speaks to John, saying,
"Come here. I want to show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife, the one who
made herself ready [in] fine linen, clean and white (chapter 19, verses 7 and
8) and who returns with Him for the 1,000-year honeymoon (chapter 19, verses 11
through 16)." At this point the Bride is envisioned in her final resting
place.
Verse 10: And he carried me away in the spirit to a
great and high mountain, and shewed me that great
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
The Bride is pictured as the city of
the New Jerusalem because a city is composed of people. Buildings, streets, and
light are but aids to the residents. For example, one refers to a city as
"clean" or "wicked." Why? Because of its
people. Now, as John views God's heavenly creation, he is impressed by
(1) the brilliance of the city (verses 9-14), (2) the size of the city (verses
15-17), and (3) the beauty of the city (verses 18-21). He describes the city
as...
Verse 11: Having the glory of God and her light was like
unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Verse 12: And had a wall great and high, and had twelve
gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the
names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Verse 13: On the east three gates; on the north three
gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Verse 14: And the wall of the city had twelve
foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
In Bible times walls were erected
for protection. However, since war is forever finished, one may question the
presence of this wall in the New Jerusalem. The answer?
It serves as a reminder that the God of love protected His people while on
earth. This wall is an eternal memorial to the fact that our lives have been
hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
The city also has twelve gates, each
inscribed with one of the names of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel.
The gates are staffed with angels
who welcome those possessing the right and privilege of entering the city
(chapter 22, verse 14). The twelve angels standing at these entrances are
possibly those who worked jointly with each tribe during the earthly sojourn of
the people of Israel. We also note that, just as the gates are inscribed with
the names of the twelve tribes, the foundations of the wall itself contain the
names of Christ's twelve apostles. Next week we will consider the size of the
city.