REVELATION 21:1-8
LESSON 3
The Honeymoon of Jesus
Part A
Revelation 21:1-8
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;
and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of 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 shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for
these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which is the second death.
As you turn to Revelation 21
let me read a letter Dr. Harry Rimmer wrote in
1953, just a week before his death. He wrote to the great radio Bible teacher, Dr.
Charles Fuller who was just starting a series on Heaven, just as we are doing.
Listen and carefully ask yourself if your confidence is as firm as his. If not may I
urge you to make preparation for Heaven before its too late?
We are to talk about Heaven. I am interested in that land, because
I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for more than forty-three years, I
did not buy it. It was given to me “without money and without price.” But the
donor purchased it for me at a tremendous sacrifice. I am not holding it for
speculation, since the title is not transferable. It is not a vacant lot.
For more than half a century I have been sending materials, out of which the
Great Architect and Builder of the Universe has been building a home for me, a
home which will never be remodeled nor repaired, because it will suit me
perfectly, individually and will never grow old. Termites can never undermine its
foundations, for they rest upon the Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods
cannot wash it away. No locks nor bolts will ever be placed on its doors, for no
vicious person can ever enter that Land where my dwelling stands, now almost
completed and almost ready for me to enter in and abide in peace eternally,
without fear of being ejected.
There is a valley of deep shadows between the place where I live in South Carolina
and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I cannot reach my home in
From Heaven, by J. Oswald Sanders, p. 148-49.
that City of Gold without passing through this dark valley of shadows; but I am
not afraid, because the best Friend I ever had went through the same valley long,
long, ago and drove away all its gloom. He has stuck by me through thick and
thin since we first became acquainted forty-three years ago, and I hold His promise
in printed form that He will never forsake me nor leave me alone. He will be with
me as I walk through the valley of shadows, and I shall not lose my way when He
is with me.
In Revelation 21 we find Jesus taking His Bride home to a world that is perfect. It
is just as God wants it to be.
What will Heaven be like? Certainly not sitting on
clouds with harps.
Here is the guided tour God has laid down in His Word.
Please read Revelation 21:1-8. So what will Heaven be like?
The Scriptures describe it as NEW. Let’s look at the new aspects:
1. THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH ARE MADE OF NEW MATERIALS (21:1)
– Remember 2 Peter 3:10-13 says the very atoms are affected with change
for Satan, evil and his rebellion infect the Universe. 2 Peter 3:10-13 But 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. 11 Therefore,
since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to
be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of
the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire,
and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to
His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells. Heaven is including a NEW EARTH (21:1b) – Not a failure
corrected, but triumph – the place where God intersected with time and won
the victory and paid the price. NO SEAS – to the ancients they were
dangerous, unpredictable, causing separation…no more.
2. HEAVEN IS INCLUDING A NEW JERUSALEM (21:2)–The one crucified in
old Jerusalem is now crowned in the new because:
* The message is that the Lamb is the foundation. Ephesians 2:20 having
been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
Himself being the Chief Cornerstone,
* At last The City – with foundations
Hebrews 11:10
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.
Hebrews 11:13-16
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they
came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them
afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such
things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.15 And truly if they had
called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would
have had opportunity to return.16 But now they desire a better, that is, a
heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for He has prepared a city for them.
* It’s holy (Rev. 21:27)
* It’s prepared (John 14:1-6)
* It’s gorgeous – Now we will note the wonders of its foundation.
3. HEAVEN IS INHABITED BY NEW PEOPLE (21:3-8) – At last John 17 is
fulfilled, as we all are one from Eden’s first redeemed to the last of every
kindred nation, and tribe. Murderers/addicts are proud – all repentant sinners
are transformed by grace.
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father,
the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest
me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I
had with thee before the world was.
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world:
thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received
them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that
thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me;
for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they
may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest
me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture
might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have
my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep
them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be
one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know
that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may
behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast
loved me may be in them, and I in them.
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
REVELATION 21:1-8 LESSON 3 The Honeymoon of Jesus Part A