The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapter 21
I. Things Which Thou Hast Seen – Rev 1
II. Things Which Are – The Church Age – Rev 2-3
III. Things Which Are To Come – Rev 4-22
A. The Throne Of God – Rev 4
B. The Seven Seals Book – Rev 5
C. The First Six Seals Are Opened – Rev 6
D. The Sealing Of The Saved – Rev 7
E. The Lamb Opens The Seventh Seal – The First Four Trumpets Sound – Rev 8
F. Sounding of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets – Rev 9
G. The Little Book – Rev 10
H. The Measuring Rod – The Two Witnesses – The Seventh Trumpet Sounds – Rev 11
I. The Woman and the Dragon – Rev 12
J. The Beasts – The Unholy Trinity – Rev 13
K. The Lamb on Mount Zion – Rev 14
L. The 7 Vials Of God’s Wrath – Rev 15-16
M. God’s Judgment On The Great Harlot – Rev 17
N. God’s Judgment On Babylon – Rev 18
O. The Marriage Of Christ And His Bride – Rev 19
P. The Millennial Reign of Christ – Rev 20
Q. The Old Things Are Passed Away - Rev 21
Revelation 20 ended with the Great white throne Judgment. We saw preceding the judgment in verse 11 the removal of the earth and heaven. We saw in verses 13 and 14 the removal of all the unsaved citizenry of death and hell. Revelation 21 is the beginning of the Revelation of something new.
Chapter 21 is the beginning of what we might call eternity future. The title of our message speaks of the making of all things new.
In verse 1 we read of a new heaven and a new earth.
In verse 2 we read of a new Jerusalem.
In verse 3 we read of a new dwelling place for God.
There are several other new things revealed in our text.
Rev 21:1 (NASB) “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.”
1. John saw – v. 1
A. new heaven
B. new earth
(1) for the first heaven and first earth passed away
a. there was no longer any sea
The first thing John saw in eternity future was a new heaven and a new earth. John does not see a purged heaven and purified earth but rather an all together new heaven and an all together new earth.
We see in the new earth that there was no more sea. Many think that the word sea here means that there will be no more oceans on the new earth in eternity future.
Rev 21:2 (NASB) “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”
2. John saw – v. 2
A. the holy city
(1) new Jerusalem
(2) coming down out of heaven
a. from God
(3) made ready as a bride
a. adorned for her husband
Rev 21:3-8 (NASB) “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He *said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
3. John hears – v. 3-8
A. a loud voice
(1) from the throne saying – v. 3-8
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
This voice is the voice of God announcing that God is with men and will from hence forth dwell with men. The word “tabernacle” is a word we associate with the Old Testament. They had the tabernacle in the wilderness. This is not to be a temporary situation – but an eternal fact.
B. the One who sits on the throne saying – v. 5-8
"Behold, I am making all things new." – v. 5
"Write, for these words are faithful and true." - 5
A new life with no tears.
A new life with no death.
A new life with no sorrow.
A new life with no crying.
A new life with no pain.
A new life with former things passed away.
This might come as a shock to some of you here but much of this life could be without tears, sorrow, crying, and such like if we lived like we ought before God. Many of the sorrows of life are attached to our propensity to sin, yet even if we lived perfect before the Lord … we still would have tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain, and such like. That all changes in eternity future.
"It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." – v. 6-8
Rev 21:9-18 (NASB) “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.”
4. Then – v. 9-11
A. one of the seven angels
(1) who had the seven bowls
a. of the full of the seven last plagues
(2) came and spoke to me saying – v. 9
"Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
(3) carried me in the Spirit – v. 10
a. to a great and high mountain
(4) showed me
a. the holy city
- Jerusalem
- coming down out of heaven from God
- having the glory of God – v. 11
*her brilliance was like a very costly stone
As a stone of crystal-clear jasper
- having a great and high wall – v. 12
*with twelve foundation stones – v. 14
And on them were twelve names
Of the twelve apostles of the Lamb
- having twelve gates
*with an angel at each gate
And names were written on them
Names of the twelve tribes of Israel
*three gates on the east – v. 13
*three gates on the north
*three gates on the south
*three gates on the west
(5) (The angel) had – v. 15
a. a gold measuring rod
- to measure the city
- to measure the gates
- to measure the wall
*The City – v. 16
Is laid out square
Its length is as great as its width
Its length, width and height are equal
It is fifteen hundred miles square
Is pure gold – v. 18
Like clear glass
*The Wall – v. 17
It is seventy-two yards
According to human measure
According to angelic measure
Was jasper – v. 18
Description of the City
Rev 21:19-27 (NASB) “The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
*The Foundation Stones – v. 19-20
Of the wall were adorned with precious stones
First – Jasper
Second – Sapphire
Third – Chalcedony
Fourth – Emerald
Fifth – Sardonyx – v. 20
Sixth – Sardius
Seventh – Chrysolite
Eight – Beryl
Ninth – Topaz
Tenth – Chrysoprase
Eleventh – Jacinth
Twelfth – Amethyst
*The Twelve Gates – v. 21
Were twelve pearls
Each gate was a single pearl
*The City Street
Was pure gold
Like transparent glass
*There was no temple – v. 22
For the Lord God Almighty was the temple
For the Lamb was the temple
*There was no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it
For the glory of God has illumined it – v. 23
For the lamp of the city is the Lamb
*The nations will walk by the city’s light – v. 24
*The kings of the earth will bring glory into the city
*In the daytime (there is no night) – v. 25
The city gates will never be closed
*They will bring – v. 26
Glory
Honor
Of the nations into the city
*Nothing Unclean – v. 27
*No one who practices abomination
*No one who lies
Shall enter the city
*But only those whose names are written
In the Lamb’s book of life
Shall enter the city
