Revelation 21:1-5 -1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, 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 heaven saying, ”Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, ”Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, ”Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
There are many wonderful promises in Revelation; too many to consider this morning. However Revelation 21 is a special chapter. Here we find a promise of something new.
We all like new things. No one looks for an old car – unless it’s worth a lot of money. No one considers buying an old house. Most people want a new one and then put old, antique furniture in it. No one buys old clothes. Sometimes they look like it though. No, we like new things.
In Revelation 21 God promises His people three new things. This just might be the year when these ancient promises begin to come true.
A NEW CREATION
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
If the first creation was so great why do we need a new one? Mostly it has to do with us. The stink and taint of our sin makes a new creation necessary. We’ve found a way to ruin most everything we’ve touched. Remember Noah? When the minds of men began to think only on evil God started over. He’s going to do it again.
When? Just as in Noah’s day it will be when the time is right. Only God gets to decide. When the last person hears the gospel that is meant to hear it and the last sin is committed and mankind’s account is full then the end will come and God’s people will inherit a new creation.
A NEW PLACE
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
God is going to give us a new place to live. This place is in the process of being prepared by the Lord Himself.
John 14:1-3
1 ”Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 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.
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.
He is preparing this place for all those who put their trust in Him for eternal life. The Lord gives us all equal access but not equal outcome. God will not make a way for us to this new place apart from a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus.
A NEW LIFE
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ”Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Look at all the things that are peculiar to this life that will not be present in our new place:
GRIEF will not be there. There will be no heartache in our new home. We’ve all had those days when our hearts were so heavy we didn’t want to get out of bed. Not in our new home.
TEARS will not be there. In this place we shed tears over ourselves, our loved ones, our friends and just about anything and everything we can think about. Sometimes over nothing. Nothing to cry about in heaven.
PAIN will not be there. Neither emotional nor physical pain will be allowed in our new home. No more groaning. Won’t it be wonderful when we get those resurrection bodies that will never grow old or breakdown?
DEATH will not be there. Nothing, including death, will ever separate God’s people from each other ever again. We all owe God one physical death in this life. After that God will put paid to our account and eternity will swallow up death.
A NEW PROMISE
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, ”Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, ”Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
Today even saved people have to live in the same old world with all of its problems and temptations. But for believers there is coming a better day and a better place. How do we know this? Because of this unique promise. All that we have awaiting us, all that has been promised to us is based on the integrity of God’s Word.
God is either trustworthy or He is not. If He isn’t then we don’t have much to go on. If He is, and He is, then we have something new awaiting us that a new year can hardly compare with.
Hebrews 6:17-18
17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.