Revelation 21:1
The End of Ends
We have come to the end of ends. We have passed…
A. \\#Revelation 4:2\\-the end of church age.
B. \\#Revelation 19:21\\-the end of the Tribulation.
C. \\#Revelation 20:7\\-the end of the Millennial.
D. \\#Revelation 20:15\\-the end of sin and judgment.
There are no more ends. None. Whatever exists and whoever lives at
this point will continue on with no end. 46 times, the King James
Bible uses the phrase "for ever and ever." 47 times, it uses the word
"eternal." In Revelation 21:1, you are in that period of time, the
"for ever and ever" and the "eternal."
It is interesting that the Bible does not speak much about the
Christian’s eternity. It is promised but seldom described, and most
of what we do know come from Revelation 21 and 22. Why? Perhaps as I
mentioned last week, eternity has just been too far away; but it is
getting closer every minute.
The first eight verses of this chapter introduce us to the eternal
things. Some the things we are introduced to will be described in
greater detail down in the chapter. Some will only be mention in
the introduction.
What are the eternal things?
I. \\#1\\ "a new heaven and earth"
Rev 21:1 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.
A. I know that is actually two things, but they are being
mentioned here as one.
1. That pair is joined together.
2. They fled away together \\#Rev 20:11\\ and so God remakes
them together.
B. But what about the word "new"?
1. There has been debate for centuries about whether this
is a completely new earth or a renovated earth, built
from some part of the old.
2. I have found 4 words in the Greek that can be translated
"new."
3. The one used all seven times in the book of Revelation is
the Greek word "kainos."
a. In its usage, Strong’s defines it as "fresh, recent,
unused, unworn."
b. From the aspect of substance, Strong’s says it means
"of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon."
c. From this, I take it that anything called "new" is
brand new, completely unused and previously unseen.
4. Add that with what the Bible says about the old heavens
and the old earth.
a. \\Rev 20:11\\ The old heaven and earth fled away.
b. \\#Rev 21:1\\ "The first heaven and the first earth
were past away."
5. Mix it with what Peter says.
2Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as
a thief in the night; in the which the heavens
shall PASS AWAY with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth
also and the works that are therein shall be
BURNED UP.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be
DISSOLVED, what manner of persons ought ye to be
in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire
shall be DISSOLVED, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat?
a. "pass away"-The same term used in \\#Rev 21:1\\.
b. "burned up"-Means "to burn utterly."
c. "dissolved"-It means "to destroy, to unloose, to
melt or break down or break up."
6. And the impression I get is that God will create a
completely new heaven and earth after a different and
higher order.
C. But even if God does for this creation what He will do for our
bodies, use the old as a seed for the new, the old will be so
remote and changed that we will not recognize it.
1. Maybe there will be some of the same shapes.
2. Maybe there will be some of the same features.
3. I believe there will be some of the same names.
4. But you will not find a grave, an old bone, a fossilized
or petrified anything, because death will not have ever
touched that new earth.
5. And some of what you see there, you will have never seen
before.
6. For example:
II. \\#2\\ A New Jerusalem.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
A. Most of the description in these two chapters centers on New
Jerusalem.
B. Let’s read some of its description:
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit
to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that
great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out
of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was
like unto a stone most precious, even like a
jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve
gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names
written thereon, which are the names of the
twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three
gates; on the south three gates; and on the west
three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve
foundations, and in them the names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length
is as large as the breadth: and he measured the
city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The
length and the breadth and the height of it are
equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred
and forty and four cubits, according to the
measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of
jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto
clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city
were garnished with all manner of precious
stones. The first foundation was jasper; the
second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the
fourth, an emerald;
1. John was not describing the creating of New Jerusalem, but
the setting of it.
2. I believe that New Jerusalem already exists.
3. I think this is the place that Jesus went to prepare for
us.
C. What a place!
1. \\#10\\ The city itself will hang suspended between heaven
and earth.
2. \\#16\\ It is built in a perfect square having walls that
run around it.
a. The city will be 12,000 furlongs high, wide, and deep.
(1) Converted, that would be 1500 miles.
(2) From Boston, MA to Miami, FL is 1539 miles!
(3) But it is 1500 miles tall, deep, and high.
(4) People wonder if the city is big enough for all
the saved?
(a) According to one website, the earth has
57,491,000 square miles of land.
https://www.answers.com/Q/How_many_acres_of_land_does_Earth_have
(b) New Jerusalem, even with a space of 1500
miles wide and deep, would only consist of
2,250,000 square miles, just 1/25th of land
mass of the earth.
(c) However, if God wanted to—and I am sure He
won’t—He could add 1499 floors to this
city with each floor having a ceiling of
one mile.
(d) Then every floor would have also have
2,250,000 square miles making the entire
size of the new city 3,375,000,000 square
miles, more than 58 times the land mass of
earth.
(e) Now, I AM NOT SAYING GOD WILL DO THAT.
(f) I am saying that the size of New Jerusalem
will never be a problem.
b. \\#17\\ There is a wall that goes around New
Jerusalem, and it is 144 cubics.
(1) Converted that would be 216 feet high.
(2) I don’t know why God has a wall around the city.
(3) A wall 216 feet tall standing in front of a city
that is 1500 miles tall seems to be a very short
wall.
(4) But I know God has a reason, and it will be just
right when we see it.
c. Bu the way, those walls are made of jasper.
3. \\#12\\ There are twelve gates leading into the city,
three on each side.
a. The gates are made of pearls.
b. Each gate will be named after one of the tribes of
Israel.
c. \\#25\\ Those gates will never close.
(1) The stories you have heard about Peter or an
angel standing at the gates to checks off
people’s names are false.
(2) If you make it to the walls of this city, you
will not be turned away.
4. \\#12\\ There is an angel standing at each gate.
a. Why an angel?
b. I don’t know, but I figure they are like Wal Mart
greeters. They are welcoming you home.
5. \\#21\\ Once you step through the gate, you will be
standing on streets made of the purest gold.
6. \\#22:1-2\\ Speak of a river flowing out of the throne of
God which is so pure that it looks like crystal.
a. I have never known for certain whether John was still
describing the city or whether the river flows out-
side the city.
b. My uncertainty is caused by the fact that this river
starts at the throne of God which seemed to be in
heavenly temple before but would have to have been
moved into the new city if that is where the river
runs.
c. Since John does not tell us any different, I assume
God’s throne has been moved and the river flows
through the city, maybe becoming a beautiful
waterfall falling to the earth below when it reaches
the end of the city.
d. The river has trees growing on its banks which
produce 12 different types of fruit, a different
fruit for each of the twelve months.
7. \\#Rev 21:23, 25, 22:5\\ tell us there will be no sun
there for the glory of the S-O-N will be the light of
this glorious place.
D. There is certainly more that COULD be said.
1. \\#Rev 21:18\\ describe the city. It is made up of gold
so pure that it reflects light like glass.
2. \\#21:19-20\\ speak of the beautiful stones that will make
up the cities foundation. No matter whether you look at
this city straight on, from above, or from below, it will
be a beautiful sight.
3. \\#Rev 21:22\\ tell us that there will be no temples there
because the Lamb will be there.
4. \\#Rev 21:24\\ The nations of the earth will come up New
Jerusalem to worship God.
5. \\#Rev 21:25\\ The gates will never be shut because there
is no night there.
6. \\#Rev 21:27\\ Neither sin nor anything that might defile
that place will ever enter.
E. But let’s take note of the other new things.
III. \\#4\\ A new nature
Rev 21:4 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.
A. Five things will never be there: sorrow, tears, crying, death,
and pain.
B. Having a glorified body and living in a new and eternal
place will remove death and pain, but what will remove the
tears, sorrow, and crying?
C. Some have made some suggestions, but I am not sure what most
are thinking would work very well.
1. For example, some have speculated that God may just remove
our tear ducts.
a. That might stop our tears and our crying but not the
sorrow that produces the tears and crying.
b. Sorrow has to go too and that won’t happen if God just
removes our tear ducts.
c. However, if you get rid of the sorrow, you can leave
the tear ducts, and there still won’t be any crying.
2. Some have speculated God will remove our memory, at least
of our sins and those who refused Christ.
a. They say that as long as they can remember their loved
ones that went to heaven, they would always be
sorrowful.
b. I understand that thought, but I do not believe God
will remove our memories.
(1) Our memories are what makes us who we are.
(2) God has gone through a lot of trouble to get a
people who chose to love Him.
(3) If He removes our memories of who we were and of
those we knew, it would change the core of who
we are, of the person that chose to love Him.
(4) I don’t think God will do that.
3. So what MIGHT God do?
a. God might leave us our tear ducts and our memories and
just change our nature.
b. God might just change the way we think, change our
thinking nature if you please.
(1) God could give us the ability to understand sin
and judgment, choice and consequences,
forgiveness and pardon in the same manner as He
understands it.
(2) We might could understand them so well, that we
will be able to say with God, "I love them, but
they made their choice;" and we might then be
able to do that without regretting our past or
sorrowing over their choice to reject Jesus.
(3) If so, whatever God feels about our past and
those who rejected Him, we would feel.
(4) Remember, God never quits loving anyone.
(a) If you are here lost and die that way, God
will love you forever.
(b) He won’t help you. He won’t be kind to you.
He won’t comfort you. He won’t forgive
you.
(c) You will have missed your opportunity for
all of that, but God will love you.
(d) And I think if you die lost, I will forever
remember you too; but I will be content that
you did what you wanted to do.
(e) But, sadly, I don’t think you will be content
with your choice made.
i. Not ever.
ii. For all eternity, you will regret it.
IV. \\#5\\ A new everything
Rev 21:5 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.
A. God mentioned making a new heaven and earth, a new city (New
Jerusalem), and hints at making a new nature for these things
to exist within; but this verse tells us that everything will
be made new, everything.
1. That includes us.
2. 1Cor 15 tells us that we will have new bodies.
3. Our bodies might seem a little old to us by then for we
will have had them for 1007 years!
4. But by this time, every saved person (including the Old
Testament saints, the Tribulational saints, and the
Millennial saints) will all have their new bodies as
well.
B. Ever the lost will receive their new by that time.
1. The old hell and death will have been emptied, closed, and
boarded up by that times.
2. The lost will be in their new Lake of Fire and Brimstone
to spend eternity.
3. I suspect that they will also get some kind of new body to
live in, one that can burn forever without ever being burnt
up.
a. I don’t think they will enjoy it.
b. Not one bit, but they will get in on the new too.
Oh, don’t you want to be a part of the good new instead of the bad new?
The words of this Book are not a possibility of the future. They are
the future. Remember when you were really young and the older brother
and sisters got to go to school and you thought you never would, but you
did. And when they stayed up later and you thought you would never be
able to, but you did. And when they started driving, and dating, and
working, and you thought you never would, but you did.
Right now you are probably thinking the things in that Book will never
happen, but they will—and it will be here faster than you can imagine.
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