The New Heaven and the New Earth
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
6And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. 8“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:1-8
I called this Gem “Out of the Darkness Into the Light” because that it what it feels like. Many of you, my readers, have complained that Revelation is a dark book. Ian, can’t you stop gemming Revelation and move on to a nicer book? Revelation is all about death and dying, judgement and fire. I am aware that Revelation has been heavy going for many of you. I have said many times, essentially I write the Gems for me. I want to work my way through Bible books systematically in order to understand each book better. None more so than John’s letter to the churches. I told readers in Gem 2185 the reaction of one of cell group leaders in JPCC when I was putting Deeper Bible together. I had gathered a group of leaders together to find out what they needed to know in order to go deeper into the Bible. Having given them an overview of what I would handle at the entry level (DB 101) I suggested they come back with more input or suggestions at the end of the month with the comment. “Go and apply what I have taught you in DB 101 and give me your input.”
One of them said in the subsequent gathering, “What you have taught us doesn’t work!”
I said, “How so? In what way doesn’t it work?”
He said, “I took a book of the Bible as you told us and tried to apply the DB approach to the book in the cell group but it didn’t work. We had the same confusion as before.”
I asked what book they had chosen.
He said “Revelation.”
I said, “Why did you start with the hardest book of the Bible?”
I began gemming Revelation June 1st 2023 and since then have written 190 Gems over 33 months at an average rate of 5 to 6 Gems per month. The initial Gem rate has slowed from 7 gems per week to 1 per week or longer. I have encountered difficulties at paragraph level, phrase, sentence or verse level and even word level. The simple reason for the delay is I have needed time to examine each verse thoroughly before daring to interpret. As you well know if you have been following the Revelation Gems for a while, I have consulted the commentaries I have at my disposal to see what the experts think on the really knotty problems. Often times, the commentators go off in different directions and it’s hard to find consensus.
As I quoted in Gem 2185 (link above):
It’s a pity it ever got into the New Testament . . . everyone thinks of the book whatever his spirit suggests . . . there are many nobler books to be retained.
Martin Luther
The only masterpiece of pure art in the New Testament . . . infinitely worthwhile to wrestle with until it gives its blessings and opens its riches. It’s beautiful beyond description.
William Barclay
John Calvin omitted Revelation from his New Testament commentary. Brian Simmons omitted the last clause from Revelation 19:10 altogether from The Passion Translation. Perhaps it was just too hard to translate or interpret. [See Gem 2363]
There have been some disruptions for weeks with strange computer problems. I had a period of several weeks when I was hit by a computer hack or virus. I had 2 to 3 weeks out with internet connection problems when we moved into a retirement villa. However, at this point in Revelation we have come back out into the light. Why do I say that? Because that is the way John has written his letter to the “seven” churches (Revelation). The transition from darkness to light happens between chapters 20 and 21. Many of you will be elated by the fact that we have left the fire and brimstone behind, the death and the dying, and blood running high as a horse’s bridle. From this point on the tone of John’s letter changes. I am convinced the change is deliberate. It would not surprise me at all if the members of churches in the Roman Province of Asia said the same thing as many of you: why is your letter so dark and foreboding? Why do you continually warn us about persecution and death?
Well dear readers, from now on there’s no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. It’s all light, life, joy and rejoicing; the old has gone, from this point on it’s all new and newness. Again I say, death dies before the New Heavens and Earth appear. I believe that is both figuratively speaking as well as reality. If you gain nothing else from this section, rest assured that it is true. The LOUD shout from throne informs you of that:
“Write this down, what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:5 [Brought to your attention in Gem 2368]
I have repeated both readings for you below:
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”
Revelation 19:9
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:5
What is it that is trustworthy and true do you think? I think in the first instance it’s the certainty of the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In the second instance I think it is the certainty of the coming new heaven and new earth, where death, dying, crying or pain will be gone forever; death having died once and for all. These two certainties have been written down so that we, the Redeemed of the LORD can be sure of the fact. I find it highly significant that God himself, or Christ as the One on the Throne, [being One and the same] makes it clear that both of these events: the Marriage Supper of the Lamb & the New Earth without death is a trustworthy fact that you can count on.
I sense you can count on both of these events as already established history despite the fact that they have not happened yet. Take note of what is written in the first line of the passage before us today.
The old heaven and the old earth had disappeared, and the sea was also gone.
Revelation 21:1
I am sure that leaves you with questions as it does me. We will deal with such questions in the Gems ahead. Feel free to ask what you like in the light of the passages “we have covered already”. For the moment let the surety of these two statements made by God / Jesus Himself sink into your spirit with a deep reassurance that brings peace to your soul. If you still have questions about anything ask the One who knows all things and share with us what He said.
I have zero confidence in myself but unlimited confidence when obeying what God has clearly commanded us all to do.
Rick Warren
Faith is not the absence of doubt. It’s the confidence in God’s Word which gives me the reassurance to help me forget the reasons I ever doubted Him.
Ian
My Father runs His universe with confidence and calm. He has no rivals. No dilemmas. No shortages. There is no one like Him!
Louie Giglio
God said it and that settles it.
Ian
, ‘and the sea was also gone’ that is a big one Ian and there has to be a reason why?
You are the first to query this Ross. I wondered how long it would take for someone to ask that question. You win the prize and will be the first to visit the beach on the New Earth. As a geographer I don’t want to even think of an earth without seas; it’s too inconceivable. An answer will come on this one Ross in the next Gem.