THE NEW CREATION

1. All Things Made New (Revelation 21:1-8) 

2. The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9-27) 

3. Invitation to New Life (Revelation 22:1-21) 

Central Truth: God will make a new Heaven and a new earth where there will be no sin or sorrow. 

Focus: Consider how God can and will make all things new, and accept His invitation to become a new creation in Christ. 

Evangelism Emphasis: Christ invites all people to be part of the new creation. 

Text: “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” (Revelation 21:3). 

INTRODUCTION 

From the portal of chapters 21 and 22 of the Book of Revelation, we stand on the threshold of the appearance of “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). We step into the eternal day where there is no night and God and the Lamb are the Light. We are introduced to a new city, the New Jerusalem, where God comes to dwell with His people. In his Exposition of the Whole Bible, G. Campbell Morgan wrote: “There is a new order of things, characterized by laughter without tears, life without death, singing without mourning, content without crying, pleasure without pain.” 

The redeemed inhabitants are called the servants of God. We will never grow weary in serving Him. We will never experience exhaustion, or pressure, or pain. Our heavenly service will be natural and easy. What joy it will bring! 

The redeemed will see as never before. John wrote, “They shall see his face” (Rev. 22:4). Can you imagine standing face-to-face with Jesus? We will see Him more clearly than the two men on the Emmaus road, who saw Him but did not know who He was. We will see Him like never before, and He will never vanish from us. 

The Book of Revelation closes with an assurance from the Lord that He will come again, and come quickly. The Apostle John responds to His words by urging Him to come. And then, the book closes with a benediction of grace. 

1. ALL THINGS MADE NEW 

A.  Former Things Gone Forever (Revelation 21:1-4) 

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. 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. 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. 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. 

Revelation 20 ends on a dark and dreary note. People “small and great” are called before the Great White Throne Judgment and are judged “according to their works” (v. 12). Anyone whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life will be “cast into the lake of fire” (v. 15). This will mark the end of the godless, rebellious world. Peter describes what happens to the old world: “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” (2 Peter 3:10). This will be followed by a bright morning of eternal bliss ushering in a glorious state fit for the eternal home of the saints. 

In the vision given to John, he saw “the first heaven and the first earth” replaced by “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1). Throughout these chapters we are studying, we are given glimpses of this new order. This first verse says there will be “no more sea” in the new earth. Three-quarters of the earth is covered by water; all life on earth depends on water for survival; and the human body is made up of 60 percent water. Our resurrection bodies will survive on a different life principle than our present biological principles. 

Also, for John, the sea represented separation. On the isle of Patmos, he was surrounded by water that separated him from his loved ones and all that was dear to him. On the new earth, there will be no death—no separation. We will stand in the presence of the Lord and our loved ones forever. 

In his vision, John also saw “the holy city, New Jerusalem” (v. 2). This city is divine in its origins, coming down from God; a city fit for the eternal occupancy of the redeemed. In his commentary on Revelation, R. Hollis Gause wrote: “This is a bridal scene: the city is prepared in all her beauty ‘as a bride adorned for her husband’ (21:2). . . . The Lord of hosts is the bride’s Creator, Redeemer, and Husband (Isa. 54:5). . . . Christ pledges Himself to prepare the Bride for Her presentation to Himself (Eph. 5:23-27).” 

A voice from Heaven announces God’s home is with His people (Rev. 21:3). All the results of sin will have been finished off. All tears are wiped away—death, sadness, and pain are gone forever (v. 4). Eternal blessedness is the new order. 

• What makes verse 3 one of the Bible’s greatest promises? 

B. Living With the Father Forever (Revelation 21:5-8) 

5 And 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. 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. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 

God is a God of new things. He demonstrated that in Creation when He made something out of nothing and brought into existence a new universe. God spoke through the prophets of old to remind the Israelites not to fear what they would encounter in their return to the homeland. They needed to remember how He delivered them from Egyptian bondage. He encouraged them, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; . . . I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isa. 43:18-19). The Apostle Paul reminds us that God desires to do a new thing in our lives. He wrote: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). 

Now, at the end of the age, God is seen making “all things new” (Rev. 21:5). He will create a new universe for the benefit of those who have been made new through the blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord tells John to write down what he has heard. What the Lord has spoken is founded in truth, and is worthy to be believed. Christ identifies Himself, as He did in Revelation 1, as the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (21:6), meaning He is the glorious and triumphant King. We are assured the promise of a new world is trustworthy and true. And so is every word and every promise that comes out of His mouth. 

Jesus speaks of giving the “water of life” to those who believe (v. 6)—the same promise He gave to the Samaritan woman in John 4. There He asserted those who drink of the water He offers will never thirst again. Those who drink from the springs of the water of life will live a victorious, overcoming life and inherit the blessings promised by Christ (Rev. 21:7). 

However, verse 8 sounds a dark and somber note. Not everyone will inherit these blessings. Those who have chosen a sinful lifestyle will not find a place in the abode prepared for the followers of Christ. Among those who are excluded from the eternal bliss believers will know are “the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, . . . murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars” (ESV). Their fate will be to burn in the lake of fire forever. They will enter “the second death,” from which there is no recovery and no resurrection, exclusion from Heaven and punishment forever. 

Thinking Ahead 

If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.—C. S. Lewis 

2. THE NEW JERUSALEM 

A. A Holy City (Revelation 21:9-21) 

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. 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, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 

One of the angels who had pronounced the coming wrath of God now calls upon John to behold the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. This same angel who admonished John to witness the judgment of the “great harlot” (Rev. 17:1 NKJV), now commands him to observe the bride of the Lamb (the holy city of Jerusalem). In the one scene he saw the ultimate display of evil and, in the other, something of unspeakable beauty and purity. In his commentary on Revelation, William Barclay observed: “It may be that John wishes us to see that the servant of God does not choose his task but must do whatever God sends him to do, and must speak whatever word God gives him to speak.” 

In another contrast, the harlot is described as a wicked city, “Mystery, Babylon the Great” (17:5, 18), while the Bride is shown to be a great city also, the “holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven” (21:10). The splendor of this city is beyond human imagination. The divine presence, literally “the glory of God,” makes the city bright (v. 11). The walls are of jasper, the gates of pearl, the foundations of precious stones, and the streets paved with gold. The city is shaped like a cube; it is just as high as it is wide (v. 16). Its gates stand open day and night, and each gate is guarded by an angel (v. 12). 

• What did the Lord reveal to John, and why? 

B. An Illuminated City (Revelation 21:22-24) 

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 

The Temple was the central spot in the city of Jerusalem. Pilgrims traveled for many miles and many hours to the Temple to engage the Lord in worship. But as John saw the New Jerusalem, he could find no temple (v. 22). Do you know why? Because there was no need for a temple in this city that came down from Heaven. The reason is that God and the Lamb are in it everywhere. An atmosphere of praise will be felt throughout the city. There will be elevated praise unlike anything we have ever experienced before. 

There will be no need for the sun and moon because the city will shine with the splendor of the eternal light that radiates from the Father and the Son (v. 23). In Scripture, light signifies knowledge and comfort. Believers will draw from the endless fountain of divine knowledge. In doing so, we will understand fully what Peter meant when he spoke of “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). 

Commenting on those who move in and out of the New Jerusalem, R. Hollis Gause wrote, “The glory of God and the glory of the redeeming Lamb are not only spread through the city and its environment, but it is also shared with . . . those who come into and go out of its gates.” Gause references verse 24 and shows how it fulfilled a prophecy found in Isaiah 60:3, 5. He then adds, “The Holy City is central to all things. All existence moves in and out of this city. They are drawn there and guided by the Light of the divine presence in the city.” 

New Jerusalem 

The Old Testament prophecies concerning the glorification of Jerusalem are fulfilled in the eternal kingdom (Isa. 60). Created light is unnecessary, for the everlasting uncreated Light will illumine all (Ps. 36:9) with clear and true vision to see things as they really are.—Orthodox Study Bible 

C. A Secure City (Revelation 21:25-27) 

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 

There will be no night in the New Jerusalem. Since it will always be day, the gates to the city will never be closed. One reason for closing the gates of a city is to keep enemies out, but there will be no enemies to fear, and those who are in this city will have no need or desire to leave. Redeemed kings and peoples “will bring the glory (splendor, majesty) and the honor of the nations” into the city (v. 26 Amp.). They will contribute to the riches and glory of the city by the gifts they bring. 

Only those whose names are found “written in the Lamb’s book of life” (v. 27) can enter the city; that is, those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Nothing unholy or sinful will ever enter those gates. Peter wrote: “We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). “Nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into [this glorious city]” (Rev. 21:27 NASB). 

• What will remain outside the New Jerusalem? 

3. INVITATION TO NEW LIFE 

A. No More Curse (Revelation 22:1-5) 

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 

John is now shown the “pure river of water of life” (v. 1). The river does not spring up from the ground as it did in the Garden of Eden; instead, it flows from “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The water is pure and crystal clear, signifying the unmixed joys of Heaven. The river flows down the middle of the great street, and on each side of the river stands “the tree of life” watered by the river (v. 2). This tree produces twelve kinds of fruit and yields its fruit each month of the year. It is always fruitful, not limited to certain seasons of the year, so the supply never fails. The river and the tree are symbols of the life bestowed by the grace of God. Everything about the tree speaks of health, including the leaves that are for “the healing of the nations.” The Book of Life, the River of Life, and the Tree of Life all refer to Christ; He is the source of life. 

There will not be any room for any curse or accursed thing in the New Jerusalem (v. 3). All of that will be removed, and the presence of God and the rule of God will prevail. The Lord will reign supreme, and His followers will rejoice in the freedom they have in Him. His servants will serve Him without hindrance or opposition. “They will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads” (v. 4 Amp.). The name of God represents holiness and righteousness, purity and love. The redeemed will understand the words of Psalm 17:15: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (17:15). 

• According to verse 5, what will the people of God do in the New Jerusalem? 

B. The Water of Life (Revelation 22:6-17) 

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

The angel who has been guiding this tour affirms that the picture he has been painting is trustworthy and true (v. 6). He has come as a spokesperson for God. Next, the words of Christ himself are heard (perhaps spoken by the angel) to confirm His glorious coming again (vv. 7, 12). By restating the titles of Christ which were declared earlier, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (1:8; 22:13), John is acknowledging that the Lord is capable of easily bringing about all the events predicted in the Revelation. 

Then comes the great invitation. Those whose sins are forgiven and who are walking in obedience to Christ “may enter in through the gates into the city” (v. 14). “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ . . . Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (v. 17 NKJV). 

• Explain the titles Jesus ascribes to Himself in verse 16. 

C. Words of Hope (Revelation 22:18-21) 

20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  

Here are the words of the true and faithful Witness, the Lord himself, responding to the cry of the ages: “Come.” He says, “Surely I am coming quickly” (v. 20 NKJV). This may be said to every person in every era; Jesus is at the door! Every believer should be able to echo the words of John in response to Jesus’ declaration: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” 

In verse 21, John concludes this book with a gracious benediction. It is a call for the favor of Jesus Christ to be with all believers throughout the whole world and through all periods of time. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (v. 21). 

Warnings of Revelation 22:18-19 

It is very dangerous and sinful to tamper with the Word of God. It is as wrong to try to explain away the glorious truths of the Revelation as it is to deny its inspiration. 

AN OPEN INVITATION 

Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3). Jesus described Heaven as a prepared place for a prepared people. Revelation 21 and 22 give us a picture of this place Jesus has gone to prepare for His people. Its beauty defies imagination. 

There is an invitation from the Lord himself to join Him in this unbelievably lovely place. All He asks of you is to repent of your sins, give up your sinning ways, and invite Him to come and live in your heart, thus committing your life to Him. That is the key that will get you through the gates of pearl and into His holy presence, eternally. 

Daily Devotions 

M.  Promised Messiah Renews Creation (Isaiah 11:1-10) 

T.  New Heavens and Earth Promised (Isaiah 65:17-25) 

W.  God Will Restore Creation (Hosea 2:14-20) 

T.  Creation Awaits Redemption (Romans 8:18-25) 

F.  New Creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) 

S.  Reconciled Through Christ (Colossians 1:20-23) 

Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2021-2022.