Revelation chapter 21. We will read verses 1-8. Revelation 21. And 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. And I, John, 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 heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, There shall be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and 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 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 to the fountain of water the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 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." Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, again we bow before you, thankful that you have blessed us with your Word, and we come before you asking that you give us understanding of your truth so that we might rightly apply your truth to our life and be obedient in that which you have commanded us to do. We pray, Father, for your Spirit to move in our midst this evening and do that work that only He can do to bring honor and glory to His name. In this we pray in Christ's name and for His sake. Amen. It's been said that the Bible is a storybook with one story to tell, and that story is about Jesus Christ and His great salvation. It is presented again and again throughout the Bible. with innumerable variations on the same basic thing. And how true that is from Genesis all the way to Revelation, we know that the Bible is all about Jesus Himself and His great salvation. One of the important aspects of the stories we have in the Bible that are given to us is to present that God is a warrior king who raises His people from death. He defeats His enemies. takes for himself the spoils of war and builds his house. And we see that beginning, of course, in the very beginning of the Bible there in Exodus. We have the story of God's people brought into captivity and how God delivered His people from captivity. And Moses said to the people after they had crossed the Red Sea and the enemies had been defeated, or were about to be defeated, he said, Do not fear. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for us today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today will never see again. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. And of course, we know what transpired. God did His fighting on their behalf and God was the victor. And after that amazing event, Moses proclaimed, the Lord is a warrior. This pattern, of course, not only started there, but it continued through the Old Testament. We see that God also raised up David to be God's warrior. who fought the battles for the Lord, and we know that Solomon built the temple for the God which he filled. And the Old Testament victories anticipated something, and that was the definite victory that Jesus Christ Himself would bring about, that Christ would be victorious. And we have it announced throughout the Old Testament. Ezekiel announced the coming of the warrior king in chapter 11 as Ezekiel preached to those bones. An intercession was made, and the Lord performed a great and marvelous miracle in recreation, and He raised up a mighty army. And after this resurrection we know that there was the war of God there in Magod, and He destroyed them by fire and brimstone from heaven. And God took their spoils, and His army divided by their birds and the beast. And following what Ezekiel wrote there, In chapter 37 and verses 40 through 48, he describes the idea of the temple city, a new Jerusalem in which God dwells, sending out blessings from that city to all of the earth. And Ezekiel wrote, And therefore this was conveyed not only by Ezekiel but also had to be clearly on the mind of John when he wrote this passage here in Revelation. That the saints share not only in the first resurrection but they also reign with Christ in His kingdom. that their greater David, Jesus Christ, is their warrior, and He will destroy His enemy by fire. Now you may wonder how in the world Someone like I could believe that things will get better as we look around and we see such wickedness in our day when we're battling issues such as we've looked at so often, same-sex marriage. And you begin to wonder, our families are being destroyed, our churches are being destroyed, our nation is being destroyed. How in the world can anyone think that things are going to get better? Well I believe what John writes here in Revelations 20 and 21 answers that question. That Jesus Christ reigns in and throughout history. In other words, the end has not been brought about. And we see in chapters 21 and 22 John's vision of this final temple. the city of God where God dwells with the saints. Now of course we know that Adam's original task was to fulfill or fill the earth and to serve God and worship God. And we see here in Revelation that it speaks of that accomplishment and the cultural implications must be realized as the nations will bring their treasures to God's house and the river of life flows out to healing the world. Now many have called Revelations 21 the most beautiful chapter in the Bible because it describes for us the glory of Christ's bride, His glorious church. Of course those that hold to dispensationalism believe that this is speaking of actual Jerusalem, that Jerusalem will be restored to her former glory and this is where the saints shall live after they have come back with Christ. But we see the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 12 that it is the heavenly Jerusalem. So the New Jerusalem is in present reality as well as a future realization. As one commentator said, the New Jerusalem then is an apocryphic portrayal of the New Testament church, the King of God. Its symbolism exhibits the heavenly nature of the communion and fellowship of God and His people which is entered into by faith, but which opens into unspeakable fullness of glory throughout the age of ages. So we see that the new creation of the new heaven and the new earth began with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the first fruit of all new humanity. He is the new creation. And the new creation also involves the shaking and the recreation of the old world. The first shaking was when? What was on Mount Sinai? When God brought His law about, the earth was shaken. The second shaking came about when? Well, the second shaking came about when Jesus Christ was resurrected from the grave. As Hebrews 12, 26 says, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And we know that God did shake heaven and earth at the resurrection of Christ. Now what we have to understand in the Greek, there's two words for new. There's one that means chronological newness and the other one means a newness of kind, a superior quality. And this is the one that is used when it speaks of the new heaven and the new earth, that it is one of a new kind, a superior quality. So the old earth and the old heaven is made new, and this work was begun by Christ Himself. Listen to what Paul says in Colossians chapter 1, a very familiar passage that we know of. In Colossians chapter 1 verses 19 and 20, Paul writes, For it pleased the Father, that in him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on earth, or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. So we see that Christ Himself came to bring about a recreation, a newness. Listen to what Roderick Campbell says in his book, Israel and the New Covenant. The making of all things new has reference to moral and spiritual regeneration, to redemption in time, to the resurrection of all things, to the time of reformation, to the formation of the new creation, to the making and the completion of the new heaven and the new earth, In other words, the re-institution rendered necessary by the entrance of sin and the fall of man, the transformation of all things related to external facts rather than subjective experience. And then John Calvin in his commentary on Hebrew says, to make the thing clearer, Let us suppose two worlds, the first the old, corrupted by Adam's sin, the latter, in time, as renewed by Christ Himself. It hence now appears that here the world to come is not that which we hope for after the resurrection, but that which began at the beginning of Christ's kingdom, but it will no doubt have its full accomplishment in our final redemption. So to make this perfectly clear, what he is pointing out is that God's kingdom is now and those that are born again are brought into His kingdom by being created anew. As 2 Corinthians 5 17 says, If anyone in Christ, and in our Bibles there's the words, add it, there is, and it's in italics, in other words saying it's not in the original, but to be able to make it flow, in Christ a new creation. In other words, in Christ there is a new creation. As in the Reformation Study Bible it says, the one in whom humanity is recreated or who inaugurates the new age of the messianic blessing, the believer's union with Christ is nothing less than participation in the new creation. So we are brought into the new creation, that which Christ has created. So again I say that the kingdom is now, but it is also to come. And likewise we can say that the new earth and the new heaven is now but it is also to come because Christ is the one that is redeeming the earth and bringing us into the new earth and new heaven. So the fullness is at the end. But yet, in reality, we are already in the Kingdom. We're already in the New Earth. We're already in the New Heaven. It's kind of like going into a place like Los Angeles. I don't know if you've ever driven to Los Angeles. I can remember way back in 1979, I believe it was, somewhere around there, when we made our first trip out to Los Angeles to see my brother, who was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base. When you get to a sign that says Los Angeles County, well, you know, I thought we was almost there. Well, I was wrong. I mean, we drove for miles and miles and miles, and then we came to a sign that said the city of Los Angeles. I said, well, we've got to already be here now. No, then you drive for miles and miles till you get to finally Los Angeles. But were we in Los Angeles when we crossed that line? Yes. But we still had a long ways to go till we actually got to what we would say Los Angeles. It was the same way with the Kingdom of God and same way with the New Earth and New Heaven. We're there, but we have a long ways to go. And many Christians are neglecting their inheritance because they fail to realize that we're in the Kingdom and that the power that we possess as a result of Jesus Christ, they live in the terms that victory is tomorrow instead of victory is today. So how in the world can we enjoy heaven? How can we enjoy the new earth and the new heaven if we cannot enjoy what God has given to us today? How can we enjoy the eternal order beyond time when we cannot enjoy the new creation that has been brought about today? Now I remind you that Revelation was written to Christians who were suffering, Christians who were in trouble, Christians whose lives had been threatened. And therefore, he was wanting to press upon them the reality of the kingdom of God. So John makes it clear that the kingdom is now. And by assuming it, Christians are able to gain the inheritance that is promised to them. That the inheritance is available to them now. But we compromise with the world and we flee from our duty. And it gives the idea that the church is weak. It gives the idea that the kingdom of God is something that's in the future and it has no power on earth today. And that is a false representation of God's kingdom. See the good news is announced there in verse 1 of chapter 21 when He says, No more seed. Now I hope you remember what that means, no more sea. We talked about it earlier in Revelation. It doesn't mean sea as far as an ocean or water. It's not talking about that. Remember it's symbolic. It's referring to unbelieving apostate world. Even though the nations established their self as the true kingdom, God declares otherwise, that they will be no more. Isaiah 40, 15 says, Behold, the nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scale. Look, he lifts up the isles as a very little thing. In other words, as God looks upon the nations, how does He see them? He sees them as nothing, as a speck of dust on the scale. I mean, how much does a speck of dust move a scale? It doesn't. I mean, you put a speck of dust, it ain't going to move a bit. And that's how God sees the nations as nothing. And because of the new creation, which has been established by Christ's atoning work, He will move forward. He will accomplish that which He has promised to accomplish. God will make the nations His kingdom. He will be victorious. Christ's kingdom will rule and the apostate nations shall be broken. God will crush the nations. They will either bow before God and surrender before God or He will crush them. Christ will be victorious in extending His kingdom over all nations we are told in Scripture. And the church of Jesus Christ will see better days in the future. even though that's not politically correct to believe today. But yet the Bible teaches that, that God will conquer all nations. He will be victorious. Now here in verses 1 through 8, we have the new heaven and the new earth portrayed in its eternal splendor and presented in reality in contrast with the eternal death of the world of Babylon which we have talked about earlier. Now here we are allowed to see from God's perspective that victory is His. So therefore as Christians we must remember that we are not to be overwhelmed by the raging sea. We're not to be overwhelmed by this wicked world, especially in our day. As I said earlier, as we look around and we see all the things that are happening and we begin to think about that, sometimes it will cause us to have a defeatist attitude and just want to throw up our hands and give up. It causes us to have the mindset, I wouldn't want to bring any children into this world. I don't want to have a family in this world because there seems to be no hope. But notice what he says. He says, There is no more sea. And that's the message that the Lord delivers to John and He gives to those who are under suffering, those who are being persecuted. He's telling them, don't get worried, don't get upset. It's like what is said in Psalms chapter 2, the heathen rage. But all their plotting against the Lord is crushed by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who proceeds to break them with a rod of iron, as spoken of there in Psalms 2.9. So what are we to do? Well, we're to look to Christ. We're to continue to be His witnesses and realize that God will, in His timing, crush the nations. And therefore, as He says in verse 11 of Psalms 2, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Now Jesus Christ provides for us the strength to be able to overcome, to go through suffering, whatever comes our way. And those saints that were suffering there in John's day were able to look to Christ. Just as Psalms 2.12 says, Kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way. When his wrath is kindled but a little, blessed are all those who put their trust in the Lord. So John was reminding them to continue to put their trust in the Lord. Don't grow discouraged. Don't be overwhelmed by the raging sea because the raging sea is as nothing to the Lord, that the Lord is able to destroy the raging sea with just one breath out of His mouth. So we have to put our trust in the Lord. and not have fear. What did Jesus tell us? Jesus says, Do not fear those who kill the body and cannot kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both the body or soul and body in hell. So therefore, our greatest problem is resolved. if we know Christ and if trusted in Christ, and therefore we should not fear those who can destroy our body. Because if they destroy our body, all they do in reality is a favor for us, do they not? They usher us into the presence of the Lord. So we must keep our eyes upon Jesus even when the raging sea is all around us. Remember Peter? When Peter walked on water, have you all had that story in Sunday School Boys and Girls? Remember when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and he wanted to go out there to Peter and he jumped out of the boat and he started and he walked on water too, didn't he? Isn't that amazing? Have you ever tried to walk on water? I've tried and you know what happened every time? Something right to the bottom. I was determined to walk on it but I couldn't. But Peter, he actually walked on water. Now why could he walk on water? Well, Jesus gave him that power to be able to do that. And as long as he kept his eyes upon Jesus, what happened? He was walking on water. And then what did he do? You remember the story? He began to look around, and he saw the waves crushing in on him, and he took his eyes off of Jesus. And when he took his eyes off of Jesus, what happened? He began to sink and he cried out to the Lord. But as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. See, it's when we take our eyes off of Jesus and look at all the circumstances, all the problems around us, all the wickedness, all the enemies around us, that's when we begin to lose heart and lose faith. But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, then we are strong and able to go through the difficulties that surround us and are victorious. And John is telling the early church of present realities and of blessings that exist already and would be on the increase as the gospel went forth. and as it renewed the earth, that there were great and wonderful things that were going to take place, and it was more or less saying to them, sit back and watch what God is going to do. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the blessings that Christ's kingdom would enjoy. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 65, these wonderful blessings that he speaks of that we would enjoy as the church. Beginning there in verse 17 of 65, he says, For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall be remembered, or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days. For the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them, they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit, they shall not build, and another inhabit, they shall not plant, and another eat. For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people. And my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble. For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offsprings with them. It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy, and all my holy mountain," says the Lord. Now that particular passage by most believe that this is speaking of heaven. But if you see in that passage it speaks of those that are being born and those that are dying. And in heaven there is no death, there is no giving birth, there is no building, planting. working or having children. See, Isaiah is clearly making a statement about the age that is to come before the end of the world. He's describing the blessings that are spoken of in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and their fulfillment here on earth. Listen to what John Owen says. What is that promised? Where may we find it? Why, we have it in the very word and letter of Isaiah 65, 17. Now, when shall this be, that God will create the new heaven and the new earth, wherein dwells righteousness, says Peter? It shall be after the coming of the Lord, after the judgment and destruction of the ungodly men, who obey not the gospel, that I foretell. But now, is it evident from this place in Isaiah with chapter 66, 21 through 22, that this is a prophecy of the gospel times only, and that the planning of this new heavens is nothing but the creation of the gospel ordinance to endure forever, The same thing is expressed in Hebrews 12 verses 26 through 28. So we see that Owens points out that God's promise to bring the new heaven and the new earth there in Isaiah 65 and 66 speaks of the gospel period. brought in by the work of Christ so that it is not the eternal state, but looking forward to the eternal state. It is a promise to the church. Now I cannot stand here and tell you that I understand everything that's in that particular passage. But I know one thing, I look forward to that if it was to happen in my lifetime. I don't know whether it will or not. But the wonderful blessings that are promised upon the church and the gospel triumph as it goes forth. Now of course it is true that righteousness does not dwell in earth in an absolute sense. Nor will it ever. We know that righteousness will not dwell in an absolute sense until the second coming of Christ. But we know also that the progress of the gospel will bring about change for the good. And we see that the bride is adorned for her husband, and the bride is the city, the city of God. And who is the bride? Who is the city of God? Present and future reality. Who is the new Jerusalem? Well, we know who the new Jerusalem is. We know who the bride is. We know who the city of God is. It is the people of God. Those whom Christ has come to save. Those who are perfected by Christ. And Paul declares in Ephesians 2, 19 and 20 this wonderful truth when He says, Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and the members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for the inhabitation of God in the Spirit. So we or the house of God, we are the temple of God, we are the bride of Christ. So therefore, in one sense, heaven dwells within Him, Christ Himself, and He Himself has come to tabernacle with us. And we are the living temple of God, as Paul points out in 2 Corinthians 6, 16. So therefore, this is the fulfillment of many Old Testament passages. One of them, is Leviticus 26 beginning in verse 11 when he says, I will set my tabernacle among you, and my soul shall not ahore you. I will walk among you, and be your God, and you shall be my people. And then in Ezekiel, the prophet Ezekiel says in chapter 37, verses 26 through 28. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My tabernacle also shall be with them. Indeed, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I the Lord sanctified Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forever." So we have the fulfillment mentioned of these verses here in Revelations chapter 21. Now notice in verse 4, which is one of the most well-quoted verses from Revelation, when he says, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, and no more sorrow, no more crying, and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Now we look forward to this absolute and perfect fulfillment of this promise in the last day, when the last enemy is destroyed. But in principle, is this not true already? Jesus Christ said, I am the resurrection, the life. He who believes in Me lives, even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Has God not already wiped away our tears? Are we not partakers of the first resurrection? Has God not blessed us in such a way to where we cry no more? Because we know that our sins have been forgiven. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4, 3, We grieve, but not for those who have no hope. We have hope. Why? Because the sting of death has been taken away. Of course, Paul in that wonderful passage there in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 says, beginning there in verse 55, O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. All these things have come because first things have passed away. He who sits on the thrones says, behold, I am making all things new. So here is another connection to what we looked at earlier, 2 Corinthians 5.17, and this is now as well as true on the last day of the Lord. The only difference between 1 Corinthians 5.17 and Revelations 21 is that Paul in 2 Corinthians 5.17 is talking to individual redemption while John is speaking of redemption of the community. both a recreation, a renewal, and a restoration. Listen to what the church historian Philip Chaff said, The Lord and this kingdom belongs to the whole world, with all that lives and moves in it. All is yours," said the prophet in 1 Corinthians 3, 22. Religion is not a single, separate sphere of life, but the divine principle by which the entire man is to be pervaded, refined, and made complete. It takes hold of him in his undivided totality, in the center of his personal being, to carry light into his understanding, holiness into his will, and heaven into his heart, and to shed thus the sacred concentration of the new birth, and the glorious liberty of the children of God, over His whole inward and outward being. No form of existence can withstand the renovating power of God's Spirit. There is no rational element that may not be sanctified, no sphere of natural life that may not be glorified. The creature, in the widest sense of the word, is earnestly waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, and the slightest after the same glorious deliverance. The whole creation aims toward redemption, and Christ is the second Adam, the new universal man, not simply in a religious but also in an absolute sense. The view entertained by the Romish monasterism and Protestant paeism, by which Christianity is made to consist in an abstract opposition to the natural life, or in flight from the world is quite contrary to the spirit and the power of the gospel, as well as a false to its design. Christianity is the redemption and the renovation of the world. It must make all things new. And he's clearly pointing out that when Christianity affects our life, we as Christians have an impact upon society. That we have a calling to be light in this dark world. And if we are light in this dark world, God will use us to make a difference. Not to merely be religious, but to make an impact upon of all that God has created, that we as Christians are to be involved in every aspect of life, in redeeming every aspect of life for God's glory, and that God will use us to bring this about. And we see clearly from this passage here in Revelations 21, that God is bringing about the new earth and the new heaven for His glory, and that all nations will be conquered for His glory, and that He will bring about honor and glory to His name in how He accomplishes this. Now do we know everything that will take place? No. All we do is simply wait to see what God chooses to do. But the encouraging thing is that if God can use His prophet Isaiah to wake up dead bones and to make a great army to bring about a great victory, God can wake up a dead church today to bring about a great victory. Because when that happens, all the glory goes to God. And I think when things get worse, we as Christians ought to get more excited about what God's going to do. Because God always uses the little things to accomplish great things. And we see that throughout Scripture. We see that in the story of Gideon, how he dwindled down that army to just a few men to bring about a great victory. And I think God's doing the same thing today with the church, that He's dwindling it down to those who are true believers to bring about a great thing for His honor and glory. So therefore, we should have great hope. We should not be like the dispensationalists, thinking that all is defeated, all hope is given, all we need to do is to ride the ship down as it sinks. No, that's not going to happen. God will. bring about His purpose. God will bring about glory and honor to His name. And we, as a result, will just stand in awe, just as Moses told the Israelites as they stood in awe, as they watched God accomplish the victory and bring about success as they saw the nation of Israel or Egypt destroyed. Likewise, we will just stand back and watch God in awe do a great and mighty work. And I pray that it would be in our day and time, but we don't know. God has the day and time. He's the only one that knows. Christ Himself pointed that out to His disciples, that that is with the Father and in the Father's hand. All we are to do is to be obedient. to what His Word says. And His Word tells us that we are to be salt, that we are to be light, that we are to be faithful, that we are to be obedient to His Word and leave all the other in His hands. Let us do that. Let us be faithful. Let's pray. Father, we thank You that You have given us Your Word, and that Your Word speaks of Your greatness, how victorious You are, and how You will humble all the nations, and how Jesus Christ's name will be worshipped, how every knee will bow and how every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And Father, we look forward to that day when all nations are conquered. We look forward when Jesus Christ's name is upon every tongue and every man bows before Him to worship Him. We thank You, Father, that You are such a great God, that You are to do great and mighty things in the future to bring glory and honor to Your name. Do not allow us, Father, to be discouraged by the raging sea, but Father, cause us to stand firm upon Your truth, to keep our eyes upon Christ, especially during the difficult times, because we know that He is our Lord, that He is our King, that He is our Warrior, and that He will be victorious. All this we pray in Christ's name and for His sake. Amen.