Transcript The Eternal State Revelation 21:1 – 22:5 NIV Revelation 21:1 – 22:5 1.

The Eternal State
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
NIV
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and earth had passed away and there was no
longer any 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, “Now
the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live 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.”
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
5. He who is seated on the throne said, “I am making
everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for
these words are trustworthy and true.”
6. He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is
thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of
the water of life.
7. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his
God and he will be my son.
8. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the
murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice
magic arts, the idolaters and all liars– their place will be
in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second
death.”
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
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 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.
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
14. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them
were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
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 it to be
12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it was
long.
17. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man’s
measurement, which the angel was using.
18. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as
pure as glass.
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
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 chalcedony, the
fourth emerald,
20. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh
chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth
chrysoprase, 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 pure gold,
like transparent glass.
22. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God
Almighty and the lamb are its temple.
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
23. The city does not need the sun or a moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its
lamp.
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 it 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.
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
1. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as
clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of
the Lamb
2. down the middle of the great street of the city. On each
side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve
crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the
leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and
the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve
him.
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
4. They will see his face, and his name will be on their
foreheads.
5. There will be no more night. They will not need the light
of a lamp or the light of the sun for the Lord God will
give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Outline
Putting the Passage (Revelation 21:1 – 22:5) in
context
What is the subject of this passage?
New heaven and earth
New Jerusalem
What will Christians do for eternity?
The invitation and results of rejection
The Lamb’s book of Life
Putting the Passage in Context:
Events Before Revelation
-The eternally preexistent triune God
-Holy sinless creation to include man and woman with
perfect communion between God and man
-Fall; separation of a holy God from man
-Noah, Abraham, Jacob and the nation of Israel
-Birth, ministry of Christ, Jews reject the kingdom
-Christ’s death and resurrection
-Salvation extended to Gentiles
-Church age
Putting the Passage in Context:
Chart of Revelation
-
What is the Subject of this Passage?
-Some debate; millennium, eternal state or both
-There are scripture passages that mix topics
Isa 61:1-2 – first/second coming of Christ
Dan 12:2 – resurrection of righteous/sinners
-Leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of
nations
Rev 22:2
My opinion: Rev 21 - 22:5 describes the eternal state
What is the Subject of this Passage (Cont)?
-Eternal state
--The old is passed away, new heaven and earth
--No seas Rev 21:1. But many refernces to millennial
seas Ps 72:8, Isa 11:9, Ezek 47:8-20
--Leaves of tree; healing (therapeian) can be
understood as health giving (therapeutic). They
contribute to the well being of those in the eternal
state rather than heal (a concept arising from sin)
--No sin, curse eliminated, fellowship with God fully
restored (God to live with us Rev 21:3)
-Read as a whole, Rev 21 – 22:5 is very consistent with
the attributes of the eternal state
New Heaven and Earth
Rev 21:1
-Existing heavens/earth destroyed, not renovated
Mat 24:35, Mk 13:31, 2 Pet 3:10-13
-Purpose of the old creation complete
-Totally new heaven and earth
Only one descriptor –no seas (oceans)
New Jerusalem
Rev 21:2-6
-Eternal dwelling place of God, the saints and angels
Heb 12:22-24
-The place Christ has been preparing for us. John 14:2
-Beautiful bride of Christ (v. 2)
-God will live with His people (v. 3)
-Effects of sin gone; no tears, death, mourning, crying,
pain…old order of things passed away…I am
making all things new (v. 4)
New Jerusalem (Cont)
-Rev 21:9-21
-Shone with the glory of God, with brilliance like a
precious jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal (v. 11)
-12 single pearl gates, named for 12 tribes, 12 angel
guards (v. 12,13, 21) Mat 13:44-46
-12 jewel studded foundations, named for 12 apostles
of the Lamb (v. 14, 19, 20)
Brilliant array of colors: Blue, green, red, white,
gold, yellow-green, violet, purple
The New Jerusalem (Cont)
-12,000 stadia (1,400) mile square and high (v. 16)
-Jasper wall 144 cubits (216 ft) thick (v. 17)
-City made of pure as glass gold (v.18)
-Main street of city made of gold transparent as glass
(v. 21)
The New Jerusalem (Cont)
-Crystal clear river of the water of life flowing from
the throne of God and the Lamb down main street
(22:1)
-Tree of life on each side of main street with leaves to
heal the nations (improve the well being of those in
New Jerusalem) (22:2)
The New Jerusalem:
What it is Not There
-No temple (v. 21)
-No sun or moon (v. 22)
-No shut gates (v.25)
-No night (v. 25)
-Nothing impure/unholy (v. 27)
-No curse (22:3)
What will Christians do for Eternity?
-Status:
--Son of God (Gal 4:7, Rev 22:6)
--Heir of God and coheirs with Christ (Rom 8:17)
--As part of the Church, Bride of Christ (Eph 5:32)
-Not married or given in marriage (Mat 22:30)
We will enjoy being married to the perfect spouse
(Eph 5:32, Rev 19:7-9)
-Worship, praise and adore God and the Lamb
-Serve God (Rev 22:3)
-Reign with Christ forever and ever (Rev 22:5)
The Invitation and Results of Rejection
-Rev 21:6-8, 27
-I am the Alpha/Omega, the Beginning/End (v. 6)
-Free drink from the water of life (salvation) to those
who seek it (v. 6)
-Salvation leads to name being written in the Lamb’s
Book of Life (v 27)
-Overcomers will inherit the glories of the new
Jerusalem as a son (v. 7)
-Those who persist in wickedness will be sent to the
fiery lake of burning sulfur, the second death (v. 8)
The Lamb’s Book of Life
-The only people who will be able to enjoy the eternal
state described in Rev 21 and 22 are those whose
names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life
-Those whose names are not recorded in the Lamb’s
Book of Life are destined for eternity in the Lake
of Fire. Rev 20:14
-How does one get their name in the Lamb’s Book of
Life?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Jn 3:16
Acknowledge sinfulness, ask for forgiveness
Accept Christ as Savior and Lord
The Eternal State
Revelation 21:1 – 22:5
NIV
Biblical Bookends
God in eternal glory
First creation – good, day/night, 7th day holy,
tree/river of life, God visited Adam/Eve in the
garden
Fall – Satan, sin, death, curse; good marred by evil
Redemption – Christ’s death/resurrection
Final judgment – evil, death, Satan into lake of fire
New Creation – perfect, new heaven/earth, no
darkness, all holy, tree/river of life
God present with His people in eternal glory
God’s purpose – create a people to dwell in his
presence, glorifying and enjoying Him forever
What is the Subject of this Passage?
-Some debate; millennium, eternal state or both
-There are scripture passages that mix topics
Isa 61:1-2 – first/second coming of Christ
Dan 12:2 – resurrection of righteous/sinners
-Leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of nations
Rev 22:2
My opinion: Rev 21 - 22:5 describes the eternal state
-During the millennium:
--Sin is subdued but not not eradicated
--First heaven and earth “fixed” but not new
--There are seas Ps 72:8, Isa 11:9, Ezek 47:8-20