Revelation 21 - What Will the New Heaven and New Earth Be Like and Who Will Be There in the End?

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A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first 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, “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’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 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.”

In the Lord's Prayer we pray, "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus came to inaugurate God's kingdom when he came down from heaven to earth. In the gospel of Mark Jesus' first public words were, 

 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

But we know that even as we have seen God's kingdom come in different ways over the past 2,000 years, it is not yet fully consummated. How do we know this? If God's kingdom is characterized by his rule or reign, we see that much of the world today is still ruled by the devil and evil men. 

This is why we try to live in a way which brings in God's kingdom down to earth as it is in heaven. This can even be in small ways like being kind or feeding the homeless. I saw a couple from my old church to at Ralph's buying a huge load of groceries to feed the homeless in Irvine. God's kingdom comes when no one goes hungry. 

In chapter 21 of Revelation, John receives a vision of what it will look like when God's kingdom comes fully onto the earth. Note when this happens not only will there be a new heaven but also a new earth. The old heaven and old earth will be gone. This reminds us that a better rendering of the word "ouranos', the Greek word where we get the term "heaven" is "heavens". This why Paul talked about a third heaven.  

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 2 Corinthians 12:2

One of the exciting things is that God will now dwell with us. There will be no separation between God and humankind. There will be no more death or mourning. Death was defeated on the cross when Jesus triumphed over Satan and then rose from the dead, but we will not realize this victory over sin, death, and the devil until Jesus returns. 

This section concludes with the one "seated on the throne" (Jesus) saying, "Behold I am making all things new!  We often hear the words "new and improved" but these improvements are only temporary. They are only new until they get old like everything else on this earth. But the newness Jesus will bring will be like never we have seen before and it will never get old. 

It’s worth remembering that the new heaven referred to doesn’t mean the heaven where God is enthroned. The Bible uses the word heaven in three senses. The first heaven is the earth’s atmosphere, the “blue sky.” The second heaven is outer space, the “night sky.” The third heaven is the place where God lives in glory. When the Scriptures speak of a new heaven, they mean a new “blue sky” and a new “night sky,” not a new heaven where God dwells. (Guzik)

Is this the millennial kingdom new earth or the permanent one? 

Is this new heaven and new earth the Millennial earth shown in Revelation 20, or is it something beyond? It definitely seems to be past the Millennial earth. This is what we think of as “heaven” and “eternity.”

“In this chapter we see that the history of time is finished; the history of eternity is about to begin.” (Barnhouse)

“The eternal state is clearly indicated in the absence of sea, for frequent mention of bodies of water occur in millennial passages (cf. Psalm 72:8; Isaiah 11:9, 11; Ezekiel 47:10, 15, 17, 18, 20; 48:28; Zechariah 9:10; 14:8). The evidence of Revelation 21:1 is so specific that most commentators do not question that the eternal state is in view.” (Walvoord)

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.”

We see the contrast to the believers who are raised from the dead to drink from the water of life to those who led sinful lives and rejected Jesus' offer of eternal life. Instead of drinking the living water they are consigned to a fiery lake where there is no quenching of thirst. This might represent what in other places is called "gnashing of teeth", which comes from a realization of a unbeliever when they realize the opportunity they passed up when the rejected during their lifetime. I prefer this to the literal rendering, just as the living water represents the quenching of our thirst one and for all. 

“What does a thirsty man do to get rid of his thirst? He drinks. Perhaps there is no better representation of faith in all the Word of God than that. To drink is to receive-to take in the refreshing draught-and that is all. A man’s face may be unwashed, but yet he can drink; he may be a very unworthy character, but yet a draught of water will remove his thirst. Drinking is such a remarkably easy thing, it is even more simple than eating.” (Spurgeon) 

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 old Jerusalem was where the temple was built. It was the place where sacrifices for the sins of the Jewish people happened every year at Passover. The old Jerusalem was where Jesus died on the cross. The old Jerusalem was where the "abomination that caused desolation" happened during the end times. 

The New Jerusalem by contrast came down of our heaven, which John identifies as the "wife of the Lamb". We also know the church is called "the bride of Christ". Therefore, we might infer that the Church is the New Jerusalem and replaces the Temple. 

You can see the new Jerusalem's brilliance is too awesome for our limited minds to understand. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, which represent the full number of people who have been saved and now inhabit the New Jerusalem. This also represented the names of the 12 apostles showing that it was not just the Old Testament tribes of Israel, but the New Testament church. 

This heavenly city is literal, but it is called the bride, the Lamb’s wife because it is the place where all God’s people are gathered. In this sense the New Jerusalem is certainly like the bride; but this association doesn’t diminish the reality behind the image. The city is associated with the bride to awe us with a sense of its beauty. (Guzik)

The names of the tribes on the gates communicate the unity and heritage that the people of God have with Israel. God will never forget the tribes of Israel, even unto eternity. (Guzik)

The foundations are an eternal testimony to the apostles, and their permanent place in God’s plan. If it isn’t built on the foundation of the apostles, it’s isn’t the right place for God’s people. As the scriptures foretold in Ephesians 2:20, the New Jerusalem and the church are founded upon the apostles 

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[c] 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[d] thick.[e] 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.[f] 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.

Is this a literal or figurative place? By the detail description including the dimensions of the city it would seem to be a literal rendering of heaven. Even if it was metaphorical it is beautiful beyond description. I.e. Some things are meant to be experienced rather than explained. I think once again as Paul said, 

What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

If the dimensions and descriptions seem confusing or impossible, there are two main principles to keep in mind. First, we must understand the ideas communicated in the details (glory, beauty, splendor, and so forth). Second, we must understand that this is the city whose architect and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). We should expect it to be beyond our comprehension. (Guzik)

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. 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.

There was no need for the "old temple" as the sacrificial system was now obsolete.  The Lamb of God and the Lord God Almighty (the first two persons of the Trinity)'s presence gave light to the temple night and day. The glory of the Lord was on full display. Note the inclusion of the nations and the kings of the earth. The assumption would be their names were written in the Lamb's book of life.

This fulfills the promise made Abraham when the  Lord said to him Genesis 12:1-2, 

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Jesus' last words to his disciples were, "Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS!"

And in Acts 2:38-39 Peter says in his first sermon, 

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 

So we can see that God's plan all along was for all people to be saved. He chose the Jewish people out of the nations to reveal His plan of salvation, which was fulfilled in sending His Son for all people. As John 3:16, "And whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

This would make it almost impossible that the 144,000 is not a literal number of those who are in heaven. Even if you were to say it represents Jewish Christians, the number is far too little. Why?  Because we know there are millions of Christians who grew up in Jewish homes living today. 

According to the data from the Pew Research Center, most of the Jews who identify themselves as some sort of Christian (1.6 million) were either raised as Jews or are Jews by ancestry.

And these are just those who live on the earth now. Once again this is the danger of a view of the bible which goes by the assumption that everything the bible says has to be taken literally, or you don't really believe in it if don't hold this view! 

We have one more chapter left as we finish the New Testament. See you tomorrow!