CHRIST SHALL MAKE ALL THINGS NEWLesson #45
Revelation 21:1-8
It is impossible for us to grasp the fullness, splendor, and glory of the vision John had before him when he wrote Revelation 21. The things described in this chapter are truly glorious. By the time we get to the things described here, the Lord Jesus Christ has already come in power and great glory. At his coming, our Savior purged the old creation with fire. The final, great white throne judgment is over. Then, John writes, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth."
Our Lord Jesus Christ shall make all things new. When he comes the second time, in the glory of his second advent, the universe in which we now live shall be dissolved with fire, and thus purged of all the consequences of sin. The slime of the serpent shall be erased from God’s creation. The heaven shall depart as a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island shall be removed out of their places (Rev. 6:14). Peter wrote, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (II Pet. 3:10). Every trace of sin upon the handiwork of God shall be removed. Then, the Lord Jesus Christ will create a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; II Pet. 3:11-13). He will redeem the earth itself from the bondage of corruption by his transforming power and make this earth a suitable habitation for his glorified saints (Rom. 8:20-23). In these eight verses John describes five things revealed to him by the Spirit of God.
1. THE NEW CREATION (v. 1)
The old world, with all its sorrows and troubles, this world of care, will pass away to make room for an entirely new world. "I saw a new heaven and a new earth!" The word that is used here implies that John saw a new creation but not another creation. What the apostle saw was heaven and earth completely purged of sin and regenerated, renewed, and rejuvenated by the power of God. In this new creation, all the potentialities of nature, so long held in bondage by sin, shall be fully realized. All the curse of sin shall be removed from the earth. Weeds, thorns, and thistles shall be no more. The old order of the world shall vanish away. All rebellion against the throne of God shall be ended! "And there was no more sea." The sea is a constant emblem of trouble. The raging, roaring, tempest tossed waves of the sea represent the agitation and unrest of the world in opposition to Christ. The beast, symbolically, arose out of the sea. The great harlot (the religion of antichrist) and all the nations of the world are found in the sea (Rev. 13:1; 17:15).
In Christ’s new creation, everything will be peace. When this earth is restored to its pristine beauty, it will be a glorious habitation for the glorified sons of God. As Eden was the garden of the Lord, perfect and glorious, a home well suited for our sinless parents, the whole world will then be a home well suited for God’s sinless people when it is delivered from the bondage of corruption. This new creation will be the eternal home of all who have been made new creatures in Christ (II Cor. 5:17). "We, according to the promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II Pet. 3:13). This will be the ultimate consequence of Christ’s redemptive work and God’s transforming grace. Christ gave us a new standing in redemption, a new nature in regeneration, and shall give us a new creation in eternity.
2. THE NEW JERUSALEM (v. 2)
"The holy city, new Jerusalem," is not a literal walled city. It is the church of the living God in its complete, perfect state. John describes the new Jerusalem (God’s glorified church) more fully later. For now he simply tells us three things about it.
First, the church of God is "the holy city, new Jerusalem." It is called "new" to distinguish it from the earthly Jerusalem, the symbolical Old Testament center of worship. It is "holy" because it has been purged and cleansed of all sin by the blood of Christ and the power of his grace. It is evident from the Scriptures that "the holy city, new Jerusalem" is the whole church of God’s elect (Psa. 48:1-2; Isa. 26:1-2; 40:9; Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22-24). It is called a "city" because a city is a place of permanent residence, made up of a great number of people, and a place of security and safety. This "holy city" shall be our home, the place of our family and of our most intimate fellowship (Heb. 11:16). Second, John saw the church of God, this "holy city," coming down from God out of heaven. When Christ comes again to the earth all the saints of God will come with him into his new creation (Dan. 7:13-14, 18; Jude 14). Third, this "holy city," the church of God, is "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." This describes the church in her eternal, glorified state, beautified with all the perfection of holiness, in perfect conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the object of God the Father in election (Eph. 1:4; Rom. 8:29-30), the goal of God the Son in redemption (Eph. 5:25-27), and the end of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration (Eph. 1:13-14). This great, glorious event will be the final, climatic result of Christ’s work as our Savior and Surety (Heb. 2:13).
3. THE DIVINE PRESENCE (v. 3)
This shall be the glory of heaven, the joy of the saints, and the delight of the new creation. The Lord our God, in the Person of Jesus Christ his Son, shall be immediately and eternally present with his people. God shall eternally tabernacle among men. The spiritual presence of Christ with his church is her glory in this world (John 14:23). In the midst of all our troubles, the Lord is with us (Isa. 43:1-5; Heb. 13:5). He graciously visits his saints in our assemblies in the sweet manifestations of his presence through the ordinances of divine worship (Matt. 18:20). But, blessed as our fellowship is now, it cannot begin to compare with the presence of God we shall enjoy in the new creation. God himself shall be with us forever. His presence with us and our communion with him will never be interrupted. This is the heaven of heaven. In that blessed state, we shall enjoy perfect communion with Christ, perfect commitment to Christ, and perfect conformity to Christ forever. In that state, our covenant interest in and relationship to the triune God shall be perfectly revealed, realized, and enjoyed. We shall find eternal delight and satisfaction with God. And God shall find eternal delight and satisfaction with us!
4. THE BLISS OF ETERNITY (v. 4)
In that day, trouble shall be no more. God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. We have many tears to shed here. Our sins, our afflictions, our heartaches, the struggles of our souls, the troubles of God’s church in this world, and the perishing souls of lost friends and relatives all cause our cheeks to burn with tears. But God will dry our tears with the knowledge of complete forgiveness, acquiescence in his perfect will, and the accomplishment of his glory in all things. All possible causes of future sorrow shall also be removed. In the new creation there shall be no possibility of pain, sorrow, crying, or death, because there shall be no more sin. In that state, as we have seen, the very consequences of sin shall be gone. There shall be absolutely no sorrow of any kind, "for the former things are passed away" (Isa. 25:8; 35:10; 51:11). That one statement destroys the teachings of purgatory, degrees of reward in heaven, mourning in heaven over the lost, and even weeping in heaven over past sins. There will be nothing for God’s saints in eternity but an everlasting fullness of glory and joy.
5. THE DIVINE ASSURANCE (v. 5)
These blessed promises of glory to come are here assured to us by the oath of him who is "faithful and true." Our Savior says, "Behold, I make all things new!" The language is present tense. He is now making all things new by his providence and grace (Rom. 8:28; 11:36; II Cor. 5:17). Soon, his work will be done. When that great day comes, he will declare, "It is done!" All that was purposed and planned by God the Father before the world began, all that Christ agreed to as our Surety in the everlasting covenant, all that he came into this world to accomplish, shall be done when time is no more. God’s works shall be finished exactly as he purposed. Everything that has been, is now, or shall hereafter be shall serve his glorious purpose and ultimately glorify him. Everything, in the end, shall prove to have been the work of God for the salvation of his people. It is written, "All things are of God" (II Cor. 5:18). And when our dear Savior has made all things new, when the triune God has finished his work we shall see that it has been so (Rom. 8:28-30).