All Things New (Rev. 21:1-8)
All Things New
(Rev. 21:1-8)
Call to Hear
What if I told you that you could say good riddance to your old life and exchange it for a brand new one?
What if you could get rid of your past mistakes, poor choices, and bad experiences. And start fresh. Would you sign up for that?
Well, this week I learned about a celebration which I had no idea existed. It’s called Good Riddance Day and it is observed by New Yorkers every year on Dec. 28th.
“Good Riddance Day, which has been celebrated for almost 20 years, is inspired by a Latin American tradition in which New Year’s revelers stuffed dolls with objects representing bad memories before setting them on fire.”
Here are some of the things folks said good riddance to in previous years.
Ex-boyfriends
Ex-girlfriends
Negativity
Toxic people
Procrastination
Financial worries
A thirteen-year-old kid from Alabama said he wants to get rid of arguing with his mom, which happens "every day." Mom…agrees, it's gotta go in 2025.
I’m sure that these New Yorkers aren’t the only ones wanting to rid themselves of their old lives. To be done with destructive habits and start fresh and experience life to the fullest. Here’s the sad reality though, too often, the things that we want to rid ourselves of today, somehow find a way back into our life at some point in the future.
This yearning for a new start and a brand new beginning speaks to a much deeper desire within the human heart. A desire to be rid of things that wear out and break down. Things that disappoint and frustrate. A desire for permanence and reliability. But, the more we look to fulfill those yearnings outside of a relationship with God the more dissatisfied we will become. However, if we yearn for the new things of God and His kingdom, we will find true contentment and fulfillment, because we will find God Himself, and God specializes in making things new.
Let me explain what I’m talking about.
Revelation 21:1-8
Revelation 21:1–8 NKJV
1 Now 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.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 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. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
8 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.”
Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was feeling bad about taking so long to get us through Revelation. That is, until I heard Ryan say that he’s been on the Beatitudes for the past 4 years.
New Heaven & Earth (Rev. 21:1)
Let’s take a look at verse one again.
Revelation 21:1 NKJV
1 Now 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.
John tells us that the first thing he noticed is a new heaven and a new earth with no more sea. He tells his readers that the first heaven, earth and sea are gone. This we know because in Rev. 20:11 John told us that the first heaven and earth vanished from the face of God.
Revelation 20:11 NKJV
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
What John describes in this first verse of chapter 21 has already been stated by the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 65:17 NKJV
17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
Isaiah 66:22 NKJV
22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain.
J. Scott Duvall says that,
Our best guess as to what the new creation will be like is to imagine the present creation in all its beauty, glory, and power without evil of any sort. That image, he says, will fall short, but it remains the best way to conceive of what is simply too wonderful to grasp.
Not only are we looking forward to this new heaven and earth, but the current heavens and earth are looking forward to this as well.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:19-22,
Romans 8:19–22 NKJV
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Our salvation will also mean the salvation of the entire created order.
All that we know of this life will be redeemed once the Lord gathers all of those who have been faithful to the Lamb.
According to the Apostle Peter, the new heaven and earth will be a place where righteousness dwells (2 Pt. 3:13).
I love the way that Chuck Swindoll puts it in his commentary.
The new heaven and new earth will be new not merely in a chronological sense, as we might talk about a ‘new day’, for example. Rather, John describes qualitative newness (21:1). To use a film metaphor, this isn’t a sequel - it’s a completely new and different production. It isn’t simply a reedited version, enhanced with clearer sound, brighter colors, and a smattering of digitally enhanced special effects. This is no reedit - it’s a remake!
God specializes in making all new things!
New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2)
Revelation 21:2 NKJV
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Later, beginning with verse 9, John describes this bride in great detail. For now though, he just wants us to know that she’s coming.
In Rev. 3:12, Jesus made a promise to the faithful church in Philadelphia, that He would write the name of the New Jerusalem on whoever overcomes.
Revelation 3:12 NKJV
12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
There are but a few moments in my life that are etched into my memory never to be erased. The day that my kids were born is a core memory for me as is the day that I graduated from college, the day I was released from prison, the day my criminal record was expunged, and the day I surrendered to the love and grace of God demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
But, another unforgettable memory is the day that I married my wife Alicia, 17 years ago. I can still picture how awe-inspiring she was on our wedding day. We decided to break tradition and have a moment together before she walked down the aisle. When I walked into the room where she was waiting for me, and took that first glance at her standing in her wedding gown, the sight of her left me speechless. I have never seen anything nor anyone as beautiful as she was on the day we got married.
It is no surprise to me that the Bible begins and ends God’s story with a wedding ceremony. In Genesis 2:18, 20-23 we find the divinely arranged marriage of Adam and Eve, man and wo-man.
Genesis 2:18 NKJV
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Genesis 2:20–23 NKJV
20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”
And then, in Revelation 21 we see a picture of the divinely arranged marriage of the Perfect and those who are perfected. As with every wedding ceremony, there are witnesses to the union. John tells us that he was witness to this celestial ceremony.
The late preacher, J. Vernon McGee said,
I have never seen an ugly bride - they are always lovely. At the wedding ceremony, after the solos have been sung, the preacher walks in followed by the bridegroom and the best man. Nobody pays any attention to the bridegroom except his mama. She smiles at him and thinks he’s wonderful, but nobody else looks at him. In a minute here comes the bride-to-be and, I tell you, everybody stands up and looks at her. I have never yet seen and ugly bride.
This is so very true, but one adjustment must be made to brother McGee’s story. As it relates to those who have faithfully followed the Lamb, everyone will take notice of the Bridegroom because it is He who has granted the bride to be adorned in such splendor.
Revelation 19:7–8 NKJV
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
The apostle Paul encourages
Ephesians 5:25–27 NKJV
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
You married men need to remember that this morning. As beautiful as your wife is today, your willingness to put her needs above your own sometimes, will only enhance her beauty. The sacrifices you make on her behalf will increase her splendor. What is made new in the first and second verses of chapter 21 is a direct result of all that Jesus has paid to bring it about. The splendor of the Bride is a direct result of the sacrifice of the Bridegroom.
Again, Duvall encourages us with these words.
If God has gone to this much trouble to live with us in this new creation, then we should know in our deepest being that he wants to live in intimate fellowship with us now.
Today is the day of your salvation! God specializes in making new things and if you will allow Him, He’ll make you new as well.
Emmanuel (Rev. 21:3-8)
Now, what will these new things mean for the people of God? Let’s look at the remaining verses of this section.
1. It means that we will never lose connection with our God.
Revelation 21:3 NKJV
3 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. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
The entire story of the Bible is about God wanting to dwell with His people. Of course, at every turn, sin made this virtually impossible to achieve. However, in His redeeming love, God does something new in order to make the possibility of our union with Him more likely.
Isaiah 43:18–21 NKJV
18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.
J. Daniel Hays writes about the many ways God sought out opportunities to dwell with us. In his book, The Temple and the Tabernacle , he says this,
God was present with His people in the Garden; then after their expulsion he came to dwell with them in the tabernacle and then in the temple. God’s presence came again to dwell with people on earth through the life of Jesus Christ...When Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit descended into his followers, providing them with God’s indwelling presence, uniting them together into the new ‘temple’ of God, the place where he dwells on earth. That final culmination is described in Revelation 21-22, where the Father, the Lamb, and God’s people dwell together in close relationship in the new heavens and the new earth, where everything has been restored and made perfect.
In the pages of the Revelation we see the Emmanuel, proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 7:14) and the Apostle Matthew (Mt. 1:23), perfect and fulfilled. God is with His people and what God has brought together, nothing will ever separate in the new heaven and earth.
2. It means that we will be rid of the painful experiences of this fallen world.
Revelation 21:4 NKJV
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
I love this passage. I love how it strengthens the hearts of those going through a difficult time in this world. I love how it gives hope to anyone who has lost a loved one. This evidence of a fallen world that John describes here belongs to what he calls the first heaven and the first earth. The former things. The things which are passing away with its lust (1 Jn. 2:17).
Now, as wonderful as all of this is, I want to caution us to avoid making an idol out of a pain-free world. I want to caution us not to misalign what John is saying here. Don’t let your longing for a new heaven and earth rest upon living in a place free from pain and tears and sorrow and death. That may seem odd to say. I definitely think that we can and should look forward to those things, but the strength of these verses is found in the assurance of God’s presence, not in the absence of pain and death, etc. God’s presence is what we should be focused on when we read these words. The promise of no more tears, sorrow, death, mourning or pain is preceded by the guarantee of God’s abiding presence.
Revelation 21:3 NKJV
3 ...“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
It is because of God’s presence that we will live in a space freed from loss and hopelessness. Freed from scarcity and grief.
You can’t have your tears wiped away if you don’t know the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-5).
You can’t truly know a life without pain, if you don’t know Jehovah Rapha. The LORD who heals you (Ex. 15:26).
You can’t be freed from death unless you know the God who swallowed up death forever (Isa. 25:8). The God who gives life abundantly! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6)! He is Emmanuel! We call Him Jesus!
Going back to Chuck Swindoll’s film analogy, he says that,
...because of the abiding presence of God, it will not even be possible for death, mourning, crying, or pain to make so much as a cameo appearance. Those former villains in the drama of human history will have been cut from the remake. They will be gone forever. To which we reply, Good riddance!
God is making all things new!
3. It means that we will be satisfied with what God provides.
Revelation 21:5–6 NKJV
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
For the longest time God has been promising to quench the spiritual thirst of those who trust in Him.
The prophet Isaiah says,
Isaiah 12:3 NKJV
3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
In Isa. 55:1 the invitation is sent out to any thirsty soul.
Isaiah 55:1 NKJV
1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
The prophet Jeremiah records the words of God against the sins of His people who have forsaken Jehovah,
Jeremiah 2:13 NKJV
13 “...the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
But again, the promise of satisfaction is guaranteed for those who trust in Emmanuel!
John 7:38 NKJV
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
And if you drink from the well of Emmanuel, you will never thirst again!
John 4:13–14 NKJV
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
This is what the Lord is offering you today! Complete satisfaction in Him. Especially those of you who are not Christians.
Call to Respond
Let me close with this.
In order to experience the joys of the new heaven and earth. In order to be a part of the New Jerusalem, you have to become new yourself.
In Rev. 21:8 we are told that
Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 ...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.”
But, in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth we discover that
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
17 ...if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The only question is this, “Will you trust Him to do it for you?”
If you are not a Christian, I want to invite you to say “good riddance” to your life of sin. Say “good riddance” to a life of rebellion against a God who loves you and say yes to new life in Jesus.
Tre Clark
Exported from Logos Bible Study,
5:00 PM May 14, 2025.
Works Cited
[1] Good Riddance Day in Times Square invites people to start 2025 with a clean slate - CBS New York
[2] J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, 297
[3] Chuck Swindoll, Revelation, 298
[4] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible: Revelation, 1064
[5] J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, 297-98
[6] J. Daniel Hays, The Temple and the Tabernacle, 184
[7] Chuck Swindoll, Revelation, 300
