Chapters 1-3 Deal with God’s Assessment of the Church of Earth
Chapters 4-19 Deal with God’s Judgment on the world preceding Jesus’ return
Chapters 20-22 Deal with God’s Restoration of the Earth and His followers
1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
The book of Luke talks about this too (Luke 21:33). Luke’s description is mainly about God’s everlasting word, but John’s description is about the earth itself.
First Heaven - refers to earth’s atmosphere (sky) Second Heaven - refers to space, or the night sky Third Heaven - Refers to the place where God dwells.
So by these descriptions, we can ascertain that John is talking about the actual sky going away.
First Earth - There is a fundamental change to the earth. First, there is no more sea. The removal of the sea is both literal and figurative. The sea was a place of chaos and fear for the Jewish people (Isaiah 57:20). It is also from where the beast emerged Opponents of God are sometimes referred to as the sea (Psalm 89:9). So God is not only physically removing the sea in this new landscape, but also the chaos and underlying fear of the sea.
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
The new Jerusalem descends. Jerusalem is referred to as hope (Hebrews 12:22), as a city above (Galatians 4:26) and where our citizenship resides (Philippians 3:20). This is holy and new city, unlike any previous city on earth. It is a perfect community for the people of God. It is sinless, pure, righteous and holy. It is also referred to as a bride. A bride is associated with beauty. This also reveals that God wants to live in close fellowship with man. And man is to be of God (holy).
The former things have passed away. The holy city is distinguished by what isn’t present. There are no tears or sorrow, no pain or death. There is no temple or sacrifices, no sun or moon or darkness or sin or abomination.
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He has made all things new. But sin and destruction were necessary in order to achieve this. This is God’s plan.
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
It is done. It has been accomplished through Jesus (Ephesians 1:6-10).
To the thirsty I will give water: This is the basis of our faith. We can come to Jesus lackadaisically or with passion. Which do you think has value? Which one do you think Jesus prefers? If we yearn for the water, thirst for it, what we thirst for will be given to us.
Those who are victorious will inherit all this: This is aimed at those who persevered, those who followed and scraped and clawed for their faith. They enjoy a special relationship with Christ (1John 5:5). Cowardly, Unbelieving, vile, murderers, sexually immoral: Those who choose self and safety over Christ, those who are afraid to step outside their comfort zone, those who know Christ but refute him, those who succumb to evil and flaunt it, all have a destination. It is not to the Judgment Seat, is is not through the refinement of Christ where they will share in the kingdom, but to the fiery lake, the ultimate place where sin and selfishness are destined.
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb 9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The New Jerusalem is where God’s people live. The stone is precious, there is radiant light. There is safety, as evidence by its walls. The gates show us heritage and unity. The apostles are the permanent foundation (Ephesians2:20). Notice the number of gates, angels and foundations. 12 is the biblically symbolic number for perfect governmental order. So the entranceways to the city, the angels who guard the gates, ad the apostles of which the foundations are built upon are revealed as perfectly sound. We also have the number 3 come up here. 3 represents holiness, perfection and completeness. So the position of the gates create a complete and holy system that is built into the new Jerusalem.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.
The city is laid out like a cube. The tabernacle’s holy place was also a cube, so the New Jerusalem is a holy place in its entirety. The exact size is given: 12,000 stadia. That is approximately 1500 miles (roughly the length of Maine to Florida).
18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. This passage refers to the beauty of the structure. It is given in precious stones, which do not imply luxury, but glory. The 12 gates (12 the number of governmental perfection) were pearls (this is also where we get the “pearly gates” idea. The streets are made of gold.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
The temple is not removed, but embodied in God and Christ. The object of worship is present. The lamb is the light, there is no need for a sun or a moon.
24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Not all of the nations are destroyed in the post-post-millennial fight. There will be nations existing outside the place of God.