“Our New Heavenly Home”
(Revelation 21:1-8)
Series: Understanding The Book Of Revelation
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
First Baptist Church, Henderson KY
(1-21-07) (AM)
- Please open your Bibles to Revelation, chapter 21.
We’re continuing our series of messages through the book of Revelation. After this morning we have just two more messages and we will have preached through the entire book of Revelation. Let me remind you that all of these messages are available in both audio and written format on our website, fbchenderson.org. I ran into one of our members, Norris Priest, the other day as I was coming out of the building and he was showing me his iPod on which he had been listening to our podcast. You can subscribe for free through iTunes or add the feed to another kind of podcatcher, you can download audio sermons onto your computer on Mp3 format or just click play and listen to them if you like. And then another person in our community recently shared that she was reading these sermons as her father had printed them out for her. So it’s just great to have our website with these free resources for you to have and to share with others.
Now Revelation chapter 21 is a very encouraging chapter because it tells us all about our new heavenly home that every Christian will one day enjoy. Remember the context. We’ve been studying about future events. Chapter 20 details for us the millennium, the 1,000 year reign of Christ upon the earth. After the millennium, Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire where the Beast and False Prophet are. So there’s no more Satan. At the end of chapter 20 we read that all of the unbelievers stand before God at the final judgment and because their names are not written in the Book of Life they, too, are cast into the Lake of Fire. So there’s no more Satan and there are no more sinners. We’re ready now for the next vision that John tells us he saw.
- Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Holy Word.
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.”
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
- Pray.
Introduction:
I was only about 5 years old when our family moved from Pennsylvania back to California, into a suburb of the San Francisco area. As sad as it was to leave behind friends in Pennsylvania, I will never forget the joyous day we arrived at our new home in Walnut Creek, California. What I remember most about that day was entering the front door and almost immediately seeing a sight I could hardly believe: As I stood inside that house I could see into the back yard and I saw the beautiful blue California sky with beautiful California sunshine beaming upon our new home and upon the surface of the beautiful shimmering blue water of our new swimming pool. I was so happy to see that pool that I immediately ran directly towards it. I couldn’t run fast enough to get there, anticipating all I would enjoy outside and then BAM! I hit something with my face and fell backwards and landed on the floor. It only took a moment or two for my 5-year old brain to figure out that I had run smack dab into a sliding glass door. None of you have ever done that, have you? Well, I was set back for only a moment and then I got up and opened the door, and then ran outside, enjoying everything our new home had to offer.
Do you remember the joys of entering into a new home, or arriving at special vacation getaway? You look forward to it for days. You anticipate getting there and what you’re going to do when you arrive. It really gives you something to look forward to.
Well, Christians have so much to look forward to. You see, much of how we deal with this mixed-up world of ours is accomplished by two glances: a backward glance and a forward glance. When things get really bad all we need to do is look in those two directions. The Christian looks back to Calvary. He remembers where he was before he was saved. He remembers what Jesus Christ did for him—dying for His sins and saving His soul from hell. Then, the Christian looks forward. He looks forward to his new heavenly home and contemplates what it will be like to live for eternity in a place where there is no more sickness, sorrow, or death. He looks forward to heaven, a place mentioned more than 500 times in the Bible, 50 times in Revelation alone.
When we read the word heaven in the Bible we read sometimes of three heavens. There’s the first heaven, which is the immediate, earthly atmosphere, the air right above us, the clouds we see during the day. Then there is the second heaven, the further heaven of the moon and the stars, and the planets. Then there is the third heaven, the place where God is. You’ll remember Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:2 about being caught up into the third heaven. Someone said, “We see the first heaven by day, we see the second heaven by night, and we see the third heaven by faith.”
Our passage this morning helps us take that forward glance by faith. Through the reading of this text, we look forward, anticipating the joy of arriving at our new heavenly home. There are some things in these eight verses we should consider about our new home in heaven. First:
I. Consider the Beauty of Heaven [1-2]
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.
We might ask why God would want to create new heavens and a new earth and the answer seems to be directly related to the fact that this present creation continues to wind down as a result of man’s sin in the Garden of Eden many years ago. Because of sin in the world, not only is man in bondage to sin, but all of creation, too. Paul writes in Romans 8:21-22 that “creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God, for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”
So Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:10 that “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
After the heavens and earth pass away, God creates a new heaven and earth, what John Piper describes as “a global rehab project.” And this new work of God fulfills what God promises through the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah. God says in Isaiah 65:17, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”
So God is creating a new heaven, a heaven that is the final home of all Christians. You will recall from chapter 20 that the unbeliever dies and goes directly to hell. But that hell is something of a temporary place until his final judgment. Later the unbeliever is raised later to stand before God and is then cast into the lake of fire, which is the final place of hell. Similarly, the believer who dies goes directly to heaven. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” But the Christian, too, will later occupy the final place of rest, which is the new heaven that John sees here in his vision. And it is a beautiful 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.
John refers to this new heaven as “a bride adorned for her husband.”
Now we’ll read more about the beauty of heaven next time, Lord willing, in verses 9 and following. You can read a little about it right now as you jump down to verses 9-11:
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
The beauty of heaven! Heaven is described as “a bride adorned for her husband.” Heaven is both a place and a people. You remember from Revelation 19:8 that the church is described as the bride of the Lamb, “arrayed in fine linen.” And John says here that the city coming down out of heaven is that bride, a bride “having the glory of God.”
We ministers often joke about conducting marriages and never seeing an ugly bride. “We’ve seen a few who came close,” you know, you’ve heard it. But brides are beautiful. I will conduct a marriage and when the bride enters the room someone will invariably say, “Isn’t she beautiful?!” I can be up here ready to do my part in the ceremony, but I never hear them say that about me! You know, “Wow, Look at Brother Todd! He looks gorgeous! How handsome!” No, all the attention is directed at the beauty of the bride. Heaven is a beautiful place. God’s people are there, arrayed in fine linen.
Consider the beauty of heaven. Secondly:
II. Consider the Blessings in Heaven [3-7]
In verses 3-7 we read some of the blessings the Christian enjoys in heaven. First, we enjoy:
1. God’s Presence with us (3)
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.
Now it is true, of course, that we presently enjoy God’s presence with us. He is spiritually with us now. But it’s not the same thing as being in the physical presence of God. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that “we walk by faith, not by sight.” One day we’ll walk by sight. Remember in John 1:14 where it says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us?” That verse describes the time when God made Himself physically present with mankind by “dwelling” among them in the Person of Christ. Well the word “dwelt” in John 1:14 is the same word John uses here in verse 3 where he says “the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.” And it means the same thing: Christians will be in the very physical presence of God Himself We’ll no longer need to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven,” because we’ll be right there with our Father in heaven!
Will we be able to actually see God Himself? This verse suggests that we will. We have further proof in the next chapter, Revelation 22:4 says that Christians “will see His face.” What an awesome thing to consider, being in the very physical presence of God Himself! The blessings in heaven include God’s presence with us and, secondly,
2. God’s Peace for us (4)
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.”
What a wonderful verse! Listen, Christian: God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. No more crying. How many tears have you shed? Some of you cried just this past week. You cried for a lost loved one who needs Jesus. Some of shed tears for the loving family member sick in the hospital, tears for a loved one stricken with terminal illness. You’ve shed tears for the sorrow of broken relationships, tears of sorrow for personal tragedy and suffering. You have cried because of the hurt you experienced for being wronged. And, no doubt, in the week ahead there will be a tear or two to shed. Look up, Christian, and look ahead. The day will come when God will wipe away every tear from your eye, a time of blessing, a time of peace.
You see here four things that are no more. No more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain. Imagine such a time of blessed peace. No more death. No more funerals. No more aging bodies that finally wear out. No more sorrow, nor crying. And no more pain. We will occupy the final state of our new heavenly home in glorified bodies that never wear out. We will live, Christians, for eternity—for eternity!
Sometimes I am asked whether Christians in heaven will remember lost loved ones who have died. Will they be struck with sorrow that their loved one is not in heaven, but in hell for refusing to follow Christ? Well, the Bible says in verse 4 that there shall be no more death, “nor sorrow, nor crying . . . for the former things have passed away.” Heaven is a blessed place of peace. We can reasonably conclude from this verse that God will remove the sorrow we presently have for those who have died without Christ. The former things have passed away. The blessings in heaven include God’s presence with us and God’s peace for us. Thirdly, the blessings in heaven include:
3. God’s Promises to us (5-7)
In verses 5-7 God Himself speaks. The last time we heard directly from God in the book of Revelation was back in chapter 16:17. Listen again to His promises to us in verses 5-7:
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.”
He says, “I make all things new.” He is sovereign. He can do anything. And then John writes in the latter part of verse 5, “And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” The word “write” there is in the imperative mood. It’s almost as if John is just sort of dazed by all that he’s been hearing about heaven and God has to wake him up again! Hey, write! Put this down. These words are true and faithful. You can bank on heaven being exactly as it is now being described!
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
Again, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” The Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so God says, I am everything. I am the beginning and I am the end. I am in control of everything. Then another promise at the end of verse 6, “I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely (to whom?)—to him who thirsts.”
God promises salvation to all who thirst. Jesus says in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” We cannot be saved until we hunger and thirst for righteousness. Conviction of sin creates a thirsting for righteousness. If you’re here this morning and your soul is thirsting for forgiveness, thirsting for righteousness, thirsting for peace with God, know that God promises a fountain of water to quench the thirsting of your soul.
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
Throughout the book of Revelation, the phrase, “He who overcomes” refers to the Christian, to the true believer who perseveres to the end. What does God promise to the Christian in the end? He “shall inherit all things.” That is a reference to the Christian’s final reward in heaven. Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:4 that we will one day receive “an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven.” God promises an inheritance: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things.” Furthermore, God adds, “and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” That speaks of the promise of adoption. God will forever be our God, our Father, and we will forever be His children. God promises these things as blessings in heaven.
So as we glance forward and look ahead to the certain hope of heaven, we consider two things: the beauty of heaven and we consider the blessings in heaven. Thirdly:
III. Consider the Banished from Heaven [8]
In verse 8 we have a reminder that God allows no sin in heaven. Heaven is a place of holiness and purity, and perfection. There is no sin in heaven. So there are no sinners in heaven. Sinners are banished from heaven. We read that before back in the last verse of chapter 20, Revelation 20:15, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” So in verse 8 you have a list of eight sins, or eight sinners. This is not an exhaustive list. The Bible could have recorded many, many more. But look at this representative list:
8 “But the cowardly (that is, the ashamed of Christ. Jesus said in Luke 9:26, “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes”), unbelieving (must I believe in Christ? Yes!), abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part (where?) in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Now this verse doesn’t mean that if you’re a Christian and you’ve ever committed any of these sins that you cannot enter heaven. If that were true who of us could ever hope to enter? No, these are people whose lives are characterized by these sins. It is the habitual pattern of their lives and they have not turned to Christ for forgiveness. In fact, we ought to look at this list with gratitude that God has saved us from these sins. We should praise God for snatching us from the throes of hell.
Interestingly, what you really have in verse 8 is a reversal of the blessings of verse 4. Verse 4 speaks of heaven. Verse 8 speaks of hell. Verse 4 says there will be no more crying in heaven. But in hell Jesus says there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Verse 4 says there will be “no more death.” But in hell every unbeliever experiences “the second death.” Verse 4 promises no more pain, but in hell the Bible speaks of “the smoke of (eternal) torment” that “ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night (Revelation 14:11).”
Conclusion:
This passage doesn’t answer all of our questions about heaven. I don’t believe we can even begin to fully comprehend all the blessings of this beautiful place. But of all the questions we may have about heaven, the most important question will always be, “Who is going there?” We ask that question in our FAITH ministry. It’s called the “Key Question.” The question is: “In your personal opinion, what do you understand that it takes for a person to go to heaven?” The Bible is clear: FAITH—F.A.I.T.H.—forsaking all, I trust Him. Trust Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and you will join Christians all over the globe who glance forward, looking ahead, looking forward to what Abraham looked forward in Hebrews 11:10: “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
- Stand for prayer.
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