A Sunday school teacher began to explain to his 6-year-old class what someone had to do in order to go to heaven. So he asked a few questions.
“If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church,” he asked, “would that get me to heaven?”
“No!” the children replied, and the teacher was encouraged.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me to heaven?”
Again the answer was, “No!”
“Well then,” he said, “If I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?”
Again they all shouted, “No!”
“Well then,” the teacher asked, looking out over his class, “how can I get to heaven?”
A boy raised his hand and shouted, “You gotta be dead!” (adapted from Andy Stanley, How Good Is Good Enough? Multnomah, 2003, p. 8; www.PreachingToday.com).
I invite you to go to heaven with me. Our study in Revelation 21 is where we see what God has in store for people that believe in His Son Jesus Christ and trust Him for eternal life.
Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we will…
SEE A NEW WORLD.
Notice the Apostle John’s awe as he recorded this view in verse 1.
Verse 1 begins, NOW I SAW…. John is witnessing an incredible sight to behold! “A new heaven and a new earth…”.
As the song states, I can only imagine what it will be like! by Bart Millard. The apostle John is seeing something amazing. Heaven is described using the repeated word “new”. The meaning of the Greek word for “new” (καινὸν kaine) describes a place unlike the old. The difference of what was and now is in regard to a point of time and quality. For instance this Greek word is employed in other places in the Bible to denote newness. Like “new” wine in the sense of freshly-made (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, 38, 39). The “new” garment (Luke 5:36) is contrasted as to the quality of a worn and threadbare one. A particular use is in the description of the “new” heaven in 2 Peter 3:13 which is filled with righteousness.
It is interesting that in this new heaven and new earth there is no sea. The phrase “no more sea” is sometimes used in the Bible to represent unrest. For example, Jesus rebukes the sea as it troubles the disciples (Mark 4:39, Matthew 8:26). However more helpful for our interpretation is the phrase “out of the sea” is symbolized for the political turmoil which “the beast” arose to power in Revelation 13:1. There will be none of those shenanigans in the new heaven and new earth.
Additionally to an awesomely beautiful and peaceful place….
Believers will HAVE NEW RELATIONSHIPS
Revelation 21:2-3 “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”
There will be special and privileged relationships in this new city.
- This new city is described as “the holy city, New Jerusalem.” This wording emphasizes that rather than being built by man, it is a new Jerusalem built by God—(Revelation 3:12). It is a city ABOVE any other city known to mankind.By the way, the name Jerusalem means “heritage of peace.”
- Note also that the city is made up of blessed citizens for this is a “holy city.” As with most great cities, life revolves around great relationships and cooperative activity.
- Yet this new city is called “a bride,” that means God has designed the New Jerusalem for very close relationships and unique cooperative activity.
For instance, the city is not merely a paradise as in the Garden of Eden (though there is a garden, Revelation 2:7).
- The city is described as God’s tabernacle on earth. There are two key phrases that describe this special relationship. Note them in verse 3,“the dwelling place of God, and God is with man.” This means “Emmanuel,” God with us.
- Additionally, the city is also described as “adorned,” meaning it’s a much more glorious place than God has ever created for mankind. The psalmist recorded, “In your presence there is fullness of joy” -Psalm 16:11. What believers will have is 24/7, 365, dot, dot, dot, joyful experiences with each other and with God!
Revelation 21 verse 3 also describes more about Jesus’ promise in John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
And that’s what we will find in this new city – fullness of joy along with the absence of all sorrow, including death, no more separation, because God is there!
Revelation 21:4-6 “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.” 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.” 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.”
It’s true! God has for us a new home, but that home is not for everybody. It wouldn’t work for God to populate His new home with old creatures. We would only mess it up just like Adam did with God’s first creation. No.
There will be no more suffering and death. The Hindu’s miss that! Reincarnation repeats the cycle of suffering. The Hindu idea of heaven is about life returning into another life form that will again suffer. That is so opposite of God’s Word.
What a retirement plan God offers to us! Believers will OBTAIN THE BEST BENEFITS…
There are four awesome statements in verses 4 and 5,
- death shall be no more.
- neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.
- for the former things have passed away.
- “Behold, I am making ALL things new.
There is so much awe about this place that the apostle John had to be wide eyed. However, the main idea in verse 5 tells us that God unveiled this for people to know the truth about the end. “So God told John to write this down for us.”
The critical question is: Why is it so important that people need to know this?
God is communicating that there is an end to this earth, but people do not need to worry because God will take care of every believer!
Notice how God said this…the phrase is in past tense in verse 6 “It is done.” This is a similar phrase Jesus announced on the cross when He paid our sin debt. John 19:30
Notice that God describes Himself as the “Alpha and Omega” The first and last letter of the Greek alphabet. This simply means that God owns the beginning and the end! This is the important message God is communicating; He created the beginning of the world, and there will be a re-creation at the end!
But if you want to go into God’s new home, you must be a new creature. You must trust Christ.
God is love and He is gracious. These words in Revelation are recorded as a motivation for every person to trust Jesus. In the next verses there are three special gifts that God will give every believer while we enjoy our awesome life in Heaven.
- In verse 6, He will freely give waters of Life. Meaning He will provide eternal life.
God gives life to those who are thirsty. God gives life to those who long for something better. God gives life to those who are tired of their sin and long for a better way to live. Does that describe you? Then you are a prime candidate for heaven. All you need to do is ask. It’s yours as a free gift!
The people in heaven are conquerors…
Revelation 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Verse 7 lists the second and third gifts that God offers in heaven..
- He grants us to inherit all things; anything and everything the universe has mine and yours to possess. He’ll provide eternal prosperity.
- I will be their God and they will be My Children. He’ll be an eternal Father, Founder, and Provider of the new eternity.
Isn’t that awesome? The thirsty will become overcomers and sons of God – i.e., Heirs of His Kingdom! (cf. 2 Samuel 7:14).
So who is heaven for exactly? It’s for anyone who triumphs through faith in Christ. Please, if you haven’t already, put your trust in Christ, Let Him freely give you the water of life.
To put it frankly, if you don’t trust Christ you will miss out, because heaven is ONLY for those who have received new life in Christ. On top of that, God calls those that don’t trust Him, cowards…
As we have seen in these verses, the future is great for those who trust Jesus, but it’s grim for the rest. Notice how verse 8 starts…
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Now, I don’t know too many people that enjoy being called a coward. Do you think it’s interesting that God calls people cowards who don’t believe His Word?
So what is a coward? A good simple definition is one who fears. We are challenged by God to have faith not fear (Matthew 6:34, John 14:27, 1 John 4:18, 2 Timothy 1:6-7. )
The world is so caught up in fear in their efforts of preservation, from global warming and space aliens or whatever, because they don’t know the Scriptures and they reject Jesus Christ. Notice in verse 3, But He who sits on the throne said, “Behold.”
John Macarthur wrote in His commentary: “What’s ahead is not a nuclear or ecological destruction. Those ideas and many other ideas are lies, and deceive many from the truth.” The truth is that God has already set judgment or heaven before every person. The world is in God’s control it always has been and always will be. He controlled the beginning and He’ll control the end. God had John write this for us to know and accept this truth!
In case you missed the emphasis in this passage, it is about the truth. This passage clearly presents the fact that deviation from God’s Word results in people being led away from the truth about God, heaven and eternity.
God is saying this is the truth. That means we will never change our future except by trusting in God’s WORD. What does that kind of faith look like for believers?
- “Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7
and saving faith looks like…
- “Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Jesus explained to Nicodemus about being born again in John chapter 3, you’ll have to read John chapter 3 for yourself. But for now that spiritual truth can be explained this way.
Those who are born once, die twice. But those who are born twice, die only once. Those who have new life in Christ may die physically. But they never have to face the second death of the lake of fire.
The question is… What’s in your future?