Revelation 21, 22 The New Heaven And The New Earth

Revelation 21, 22  The New Heaven And The New Earth

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.  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." 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. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

The New Jerusalem

 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.  Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits  by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

 

Revelation 22

1 Then the angel  showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYOmBe_4m2Q

 

1. How can a city also be a bride? Who or what do you think this city-bride is?
2. What does it mean to be God's people? How important is that concept in the Old Testament? The New? What is the difference between the Old Testament people and the New Testament people of God, if any? Why do the city's gates have different names than the city's foundations?
3. Explain in a sentence why the city has no temple.
4. Why are the nations and the kings mentioned living in the eternal state?

 

 

 

 

 

"God is the King of all the earth." Psalm 47:7. He is a King upon his throne. "God sits upon the throne of his holiness." Psalm 47:8. He is "the high and lofty One."

Remember these words from Rev 20 : 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

He is great in His power. He "made heaven and earth," and can unmake it. Psalm 124:8. With a breath he can crumble us to dust; with a word he can unpin the world, and break it in pieces.  He is Lord who does whatever he wills. Psalm 115:3. He weighs "the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance." Psalm 40:12. "The Lord reigns, he is clothed with majesty." Psalm 93:1. "He has on his vesture a name written, KING OF KINGS." Rev 19:16. 

"His kingdom rules over all;"Psalm 103:19. "He puts down one and sets up another." Psalm 75:7.

What will heaven be like?

There are many aspects of the description of heaven that are laid before our eyes.

After the rapture of the church, after the thousand year, millennial, reign of Christ on earth centred on Jerusalem, after the great white Judgment throne of Christ, when Satan and all who have not received Christ in this life are sentenced forever to the Lake of fire, God will bring in a new heaven and a new earth.

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.

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels.

It will be like a city.

16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.  Its length and width and height are equal.

It will be beautiful and glorious within.

18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald

The river of life will be there. 

22: 1 Then the angel  showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.

But what will heaven be like for you and I?

It implies a freedom from all the struggles of nature. We need food to nourish us, clothes to cover us, sleep to refresh us. But in the kingdom of heaven there will be no need of these things.  Rev 22:5. The saints shall be freed, in the heavenly kingdom, from these necessities of nature to which they are now exposed.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from the imperfections of nature. Since the fall, our natural knowledge is imperfect; it is chequered with ignorance.  Socrates said on his death-bed, that there were many things he had yet to learn. Our ignorance is more than our knowledge. Our divine knowledge is imperfect. "We know but in part," 1 Cor 13:9, 12 "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."  We have but dark conceptions of God. "Can you by searching find out God?" Job 11:7. Our narrow capacities would no more contain God, than a little glass cup would hold all the water in the sea. We cannot unriddle the mystery of the incarnation, the human nature assumed into the person of the Son of God; the human nature not God—yet united with God. We see now in a glass darkly, dimly; but in the kingdom of heaven the veil shall be taken off—all imperfection of nature shall be done away. We shall have a full knowledge of God, though we shall not know him fully.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from the labors of this life. God enacted a law in paradise, "in the sweat of your face shall you eat bread." Gen 3:19. "All things are full of labor" (Eccl 1:8); but in the kingdom of heaven we shall be freed from our labors. "They rest from their labors." Rev 14:13. As when God had finished the work of creation, he rested from his labors; so, when his saints have finished the work of sanctification, they rest from theirs.

(4) In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from original sin, which is the root of all actual sin. Sins will be gone because the iniquity of our very nature will be gone. Our inward bias towards sin will be gone.  Won't it be a blessing, never to grieve God's Spirit any more! Nothing enters there, which defiles. Rev 21:27. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

 

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all sorrows. "There shall be no more sorrow." Rev 21:4. Our life here is interwoven with trouble. Psalm 31:10.  Losses grieve us,  unkindness breaks the heart.

 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.  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."

 

Augustine said "What is long life—but long torment?"

But, in the kingdom of heaven, sorrow and sighing shall fly away. Here the saints sit by the rivers weeping—but one smile from Christ's face will make them forget all their sufferings.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be beyond the reach of temptation. Satan walks about tempting . It is a great grief to a believer to be followed with temptations to sin.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all worrying cares. The Greek word for care comes from a word which signifies to cut the heart in pieces. Care tortures the mind, wastes the spirits, and eats out the comfort of life.. but in the kingdom of heaven we shall shake off care. There is the tree of life, bearing all sorts of fruit.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all doubts. In this life, the best saint has his doubts.

Perhaps as believers we can lose our sense of assurance. But, when the saints shall come into the kingdom of heaven, there shall be no more doubting. Now I know that I am passed from death to life, now I am in my Savior's embraces forever!

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from the wicked. "The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil." Matthew 13:41.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all signs of God's displeasure. Here He may discipline His children in anger. But in the kingdom of heaven, there shall be no spiritual eclipses.

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.  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."

 

We shall have an immediate COMMUNION with God himself, who is the inexhaustible sea of all happiness. This divines call "the beatific vision." The psalmist triumphed in the enjoyment he had of God in this life. "Whom have I in heaven but you?" Psalm 73:25. In the kingdom of heaven we shall see him "face to face." 1 Cor 13:12. We shall have an intellectual sight of him; we shall see him with the eyes of our mind; we shall know him as much as the angels in heaven do. Matthew 18:10; we shall know as we are known. 1 Cor 13:12. We shall have a full knowledge of God, though not know him fully; as a cup in the sea is full of the sea, though it holds not all the sea.  To see and enjoy God will be our greatest delight and satisfaction; to see and enjoy him, therefore, will ravish the soul with delight. We shall see God so as to love him, and be made deeply aware of his love.

In the kingdom of heaven we shall see the glorified body of JESUS CHRIST.

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb

The Lord Jesus in His prayer before His crucifixion prayed "That they may behold my glory." John 17:24. When Christ was transfigured upon earth, it is said, that "his face did shine as the sun, and his clothing was white as the light." Matthew 17:2. If the glory of his transfiguration was so great, what will the glory of his exaltation be!  "In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Col 2:9. "We shall be like him for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:1-3.

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

In the kingdom of heaven we shall enjoy the society of "an innumerable company of ANGELS." Heb 12:22. 

In the kingdom of heaven, we shall enjoy the communion of the glorified SAINTS. Oh! what a blessed time will it be when those who have prayed, wept, and suffered together—shall rejoice together! Some have asked whether we shall know one another in heaven? Surely, our knowledge will not be diminished—but increased! The judgment of Luther and Anselm, and many others is, that we shall know one another; yes, the saints of all ages, whose faces we never saw! And, when we shall see the saints in glory without their problems of pride and passion—it will be a glorious sight.

In the kingdom of heaven there shall be incomprehensible JOY.  What joy having passed from death to life, when we are as holy as we ever would wish to be, and as God would have us be! What joy to hear the music of angels; to see the golden banner of Christ's love displayed over the soul; to be drinking that water of life! What joy, when the saints shall see Christ clothed in their flesh, sitting in glory above the angels! We "shall enter into the joy of our Lord." Matthew 25:21. Here on earth, joy enters into the saints; in heaven "they enter into joy."

In heaven you will have a royal crown. Rev 2:10. "I will give you a crown of life." 

 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

' Set your affections upon things above,' Col. iii. 2.

Think often of heaven.

"Write this down, for these words are trustworthy 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 thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Perhaps you do not have your part in heaven.  The Lord Jesus invites you to take of the water of life freely. Without Payment.   That means there is nothing you can do to earn heaven. It has already been purchased for you with the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for you to have heaven. Each of the glories of heaven has been purchased for you through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He invites you to take of the water of life freely. Without Payment. The Lord Jesus said "Come unto Me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." He invites you. Come to Him. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved!

 

Thomas Watson: A Body Of Divinity

Easley: Holman New Testament Commentary on Revelation