The Book of Revelation: Chapter 21
Scripture References:
Introduction: The Reset Button
We closed out Chapter 20 with a lot to process. Satan was finally cast into the lake of fire. The thousand-year millennial reign of Christ came and went, and even in that perfect environment, some born during that reign still rejected Him as Lord (a reminder of just how deep our need for a Savior runs). Then came the Great White Throne Judgment, where every person who ever rejected Christ stood before God and heard the most tragic word in all of Scripture: depart.
Before God could usher in the new heavens and the new earth, He had to deal with sin once and for all, and He did exactly that at the Great White Throne Judgment. Sometimes something is so far gone that there's nothing left to do but hit reset. That is exactly what happens as we turn the page into Chapter 21. The earth has been ruined by sin. Paul tells us all creation groans under the weight of it. It didn't start out that way, but ever since Adam and Eve rebelled in the garden, sin has corrupted everything it touches. So, God does what only God can do. He starts over.
Friends, heaven is so much more than you and I can fathom. Whatever your mind can conceive as the very best that's coming, it isn't even a fraction of the glory awaiting us. It's more than John could put into words in this chapter, and certainly more than we can unpack in one blog post. So, let's walk through it together and see what John shows us about our future home.
1. Heaven Is a Permanent Place (v. 1)
John writes, "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." This world we live in right now is not permanent. It is passing away. But there is a place coming that will never pass away: the new heaven and the new earth.
Why does John see it as "new"? Because 2 Peter 3:10-13 tells us this present earth and its atmosphere will one day be dissolved with fire, the elements melting with fervent heat, so that new heavens and a new earth can take their place, a place where righteousness dwells. In both 2 Peter and here in Revelation, the Greek word behind "new" is kainos. It's the same word Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things pass away, and all things become new." Just as we are made new creations the moment we trust Christ, this world will one day be made new by that same power. Every stain of sin and every trace of evil will be gone forever.
2. Heaven Is a Prepared Place (v. 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." Anyone who has helped plan a wedding knows that a bride does not simply show up unprepared. It takes time, effort, and resources to get ready for that day. Friends, God is not sparing any expense preparing the New Jerusalem for His people. He will use every ounce of His limitless power to make it more beautiful than anything we have ever seen. Think of the most breathtaking places you have ever visited, the kind that leave you speechless, and remember that those places were made in six days. God has had all of eternity to prepare our home. As one preacher put it, the same God who painted the butterfly, sculpted the rose, and designed the sunset is now preparing a new heaven and a new earth as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. Heaven Is a Peaceful Place (vv. 3-4)
"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." The word "tabernacle" literally means the dwelling place of God. One day God will dwell with us forever. In a world constantly searching for peace in all the wrong places, can you imagine the peace of standing in the very presence of the Prince of Peace?
Verse 4 continues: "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." In heaven, death will be a thing of the past. No more hospitals. No more funeral homes. No more broken homes or broken hearts. No more crying, no more dying. One day, God will wipe away every tear from our eyes with His own hand. Paul says it this way in Romans 8:18, that whatever we suffer now cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. Every tear we shed down here will only make heaven all the sweeter.
4. Heaven Is a Pleasant Place (vv. 5-7)
"And He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' ... 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." Have you ever been so thirsty on a hot day that a cold glass of water felt like the best thing you've ever tasted? That's the picture Jesus uses for heaven. Every thirst you have ever had will finally be satisfied. Not a thirst for a cold drink, but the deeper longings of the human heart: for friendship, acceptance, appreciation, joy, and love. All of it will be met in heaven. We will be eternally, completely fulfilled, with nothing left to long for except to know Christ more and more, forever.
5. Heaven Is a Purified Place (v. 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." One of the things that will make heaven so glorious is the total absence of sin. No more temptation. No more addiction. No more violence. Verse 8 makes it painfully clear that the sin which has ruined this world will never be permitted to touch the world to come. The new heaven and new earth will be pure, and its people will be pure.
6. Heaven Is a Phenomenal Place (vv. 9-27)
The Source of the City (vv. 9-10)
One of the seven angels carries John away in the spirit to a great and high mountain to show him "the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." Since the city descends out of heaven, that means it is already in heaven right now, being prepared. It may well be the place where the first fruits of the resurrected dead are already present, waiting. Jesus promised in John 14:2 that when He returned to the Father, He would go and prepare a place for us. That place is ready now, and one day it will come down.
The Sights of the City (vv. 11-21)
John describes New Jerusalem as having the glory of God, its light like a most precious jasper stone, clear as crystal. It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, three on each side, guarded by twelve angels and inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The wall has twelve foundations, and on them are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Verse 12 raises a fair question: why does a perfect, eternal city need walls and gates at all? It isn't to keep us in, because verse 25 tells us the gates are never shut. It isn't to keep the wicked out, because they have already been cast into the lake of fire. Instead, these walls are symbolic of security and stability. The names of the twelve apostles on the foundations echo Ephesians 2:20, where Paul describes the church as built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. New Jerusalem will be the eternal dwelling place of the united people of God, Old and New Testament believers alike, whose salvation rests entirely on the finished work of Jesus Christ.
The city itself is made of pure gold, clear as glass, and its foundations are adorned with every kind of precious stone. The very things people fight, scheme, and split families apart over today (gold and jewels) will simply be the pavement and building material of eternity, a reminder of how little material wealth will matter in light of what's coming.
The Size and Shape of the City (vv. 15-17)
An angel measures the city with a golden reed: 12,000 furlongs in length, width, and height, all equal, forming a perfect cube. That works out to roughly 1,380 miles on each side. This city is not merely large. It is continent-sized, comparable in land area to the entire country of India. And remember, the height is also 1,380 miles, meaning New Jerusalem extends far beyond the earth's atmosphere and out into space. Even by more conservative estimates of the measurement, the city would still cover roughly 140,625 square miles, some 90 million acres. However you calculate it, one thing is certain: there is more than enough room prepared for every one of God's children.
The Sanctuary of the City (v. 22)
"But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." In the Old Testament, the temple was a prophetic picture pointing forward to Christ. It had a gate, and Jesus is the door. It had an altar, and Jesus shed His blood for us. It had a laver for washing, and we are now cleansed by His Word. It had a table of showbread, and Jesus is the Bread of Life. It had a golden lampstand, and Jesus is the Light of the World. Incense was burned there, and Jesus is now our great High Priest. In the new Jerusalem, there is no need for a temple building at all, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple. This entire book, remember, is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and it all comes back to Him.
The Splendor of the City (vv. 23-27)
John closes the chapter with a final, stunning detail: the city has no need of the sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its light. This fulfills the ancient promise of Isaiah 60:19-20, that the Lord Himself would be our everlasting light. The nations of the redeemed will walk in that light, and the gates of the city will never be shut, for there will be no night there. The kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. Nothing that defiles will ever enter, nor anyone who practices abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
What a promise to close on. Entry into this eternal, glorious, perfectly secure city is not earned by human effort or good works. It belongs only to those whose names are found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, which means it belongs to everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ.
A Closing Thought
What is the first thing we will do the moment we arrive in our eternal home? Think about a soldier or a spouse returning home after a long trip. They don't stop to admire the furniture. They go find the one they love. One day, when you and I breathe our last breath here, the first thing we will do is see Jesus face to face. All the questions we've carried, all the midnight hours we didn't understand, all the faithfulness that went unnoticed by everyone else, will finally make sense in His presence. We will be gathered with those who went before us, and it will be a reunion unlike anything we have ever experienced. Streets of gold and gates of pearl will be wonderful, but Jesus is the reason we long for heaven at all. It will be worth it all when we see Him face to face.
All for Him,
Pastor Dustin
**Posted in** Revelation
**Tags:** Heaven, New Jerusalem, Hope, Judgment, Promise, Symbolism, Eternity
- Revelation 21 — John's vision of the new heaven, the new earth, and the holy city, New Jerusalem, descending from God.
- 2 Peter 3:10-13 — Peter's description of the present heavens and earth being dissolved by fire, giving way to new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 — Paul's declaration that anyone in Christ is a new creation, using the same Greek word, kainos, that John uses for the new heaven and new earth.
- Romans 8:18 — Paul's reminder that our present sufferings cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed in us.
- John 14:2 — Jesus' promise to His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them, the same place now described descending from heaven in Revelation 21.
- Ephesians 2:20 — Paul's picture of the church built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.
- Isaiah 60:19-20 — Isaiah's prophecy that the Lord Himself will be an everlasting light, no longer needing the sun or moon, a promise fulfilled in the eternal city.
Introduction: The Reset Button
We closed out Chapter 20 with a lot to process. Satan was finally cast into the lake of fire. The thousand-year millennial reign of Christ came and went, and even in that perfect environment, some born during that reign still rejected Him as Lord (a reminder of just how deep our need for a Savior runs). Then came the Great White Throne Judgment, where every person who ever rejected Christ stood before God and heard the most tragic word in all of Scripture: depart.
Before God could usher in the new heavens and the new earth, He had to deal with sin once and for all, and He did exactly that at the Great White Throne Judgment. Sometimes something is so far gone that there's nothing left to do but hit reset. That is exactly what happens as we turn the page into Chapter 21. The earth has been ruined by sin. Paul tells us all creation groans under the weight of it. It didn't start out that way, but ever since Adam and Eve rebelled in the garden, sin has corrupted everything it touches. So, God does what only God can do. He starts over.
Friends, heaven is so much more than you and I can fathom. Whatever your mind can conceive as the very best that's coming, it isn't even a fraction of the glory awaiting us. It's more than John could put into words in this chapter, and certainly more than we can unpack in one blog post. So, let's walk through it together and see what John shows us about our future home.
1. Heaven Is a Permanent Place (v. 1)
John writes, "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." This world we live in right now is not permanent. It is passing away. But there is a place coming that will never pass away: the new heaven and the new earth.
Why does John see it as "new"? Because 2 Peter 3:10-13 tells us this present earth and its atmosphere will one day be dissolved with fire, the elements melting with fervent heat, so that new heavens and a new earth can take their place, a place where righteousness dwells. In both 2 Peter and here in Revelation, the Greek word behind "new" is kainos. It's the same word Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things pass away, and all things become new." Just as we are made new creations the moment we trust Christ, this world will one day be made new by that same power. Every stain of sin and every trace of evil will be gone forever.
2. Heaven Is a Prepared Place (v. 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." Anyone who has helped plan a wedding knows that a bride does not simply show up unprepared. It takes time, effort, and resources to get ready for that day. Friends, God is not sparing any expense preparing the New Jerusalem for His people. He will use every ounce of His limitless power to make it more beautiful than anything we have ever seen. Think of the most breathtaking places you have ever visited, the kind that leave you speechless, and remember that those places were made in six days. God has had all of eternity to prepare our home. As one preacher put it, the same God who painted the butterfly, sculpted the rose, and designed the sunset is now preparing a new heaven and a new earth as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. Heaven Is a Peaceful Place (vv. 3-4)
"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." The word "tabernacle" literally means the dwelling place of God. One day God will dwell with us forever. In a world constantly searching for peace in all the wrong places, can you imagine the peace of standing in the very presence of the Prince of Peace?
Verse 4 continues: "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." In heaven, death will be a thing of the past. No more hospitals. No more funeral homes. No more broken homes or broken hearts. No more crying, no more dying. One day, God will wipe away every tear from our eyes with His own hand. Paul says it this way in Romans 8:18, that whatever we suffer now cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. Every tear we shed down here will only make heaven all the sweeter.
4. Heaven Is a Pleasant Place (vv. 5-7)
"And He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' ... 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." Have you ever been so thirsty on a hot day that a cold glass of water felt like the best thing you've ever tasted? That's the picture Jesus uses for heaven. Every thirst you have ever had will finally be satisfied. Not a thirst for a cold drink, but the deeper longings of the human heart: for friendship, acceptance, appreciation, joy, and love. All of it will be met in heaven. We will be eternally, completely fulfilled, with nothing left to long for except to know Christ more and more, forever.
5. Heaven Is a Purified Place (v. 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." One of the things that will make heaven so glorious is the total absence of sin. No more temptation. No more addiction. No more violence. Verse 8 makes it painfully clear that the sin which has ruined this world will never be permitted to touch the world to come. The new heaven and new earth will be pure, and its people will be pure.
6. Heaven Is a Phenomenal Place (vv. 9-27)
The Source of the City (vv. 9-10)
One of the seven angels carries John away in the spirit to a great and high mountain to show him "the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." Since the city descends out of heaven, that means it is already in heaven right now, being prepared. It may well be the place where the first fruits of the resurrected dead are already present, waiting. Jesus promised in John 14:2 that when He returned to the Father, He would go and prepare a place for us. That place is ready now, and one day it will come down.
The Sights of the City (vv. 11-21)
John describes New Jerusalem as having the glory of God, its light like a most precious jasper stone, clear as crystal. It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, three on each side, guarded by twelve angels and inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The wall has twelve foundations, and on them are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Verse 12 raises a fair question: why does a perfect, eternal city need walls and gates at all? It isn't to keep us in, because verse 25 tells us the gates are never shut. It isn't to keep the wicked out, because they have already been cast into the lake of fire. Instead, these walls are symbolic of security and stability. The names of the twelve apostles on the foundations echo Ephesians 2:20, where Paul describes the church as built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. New Jerusalem will be the eternal dwelling place of the united people of God, Old and New Testament believers alike, whose salvation rests entirely on the finished work of Jesus Christ.
The city itself is made of pure gold, clear as glass, and its foundations are adorned with every kind of precious stone. The very things people fight, scheme, and split families apart over today (gold and jewels) will simply be the pavement and building material of eternity, a reminder of how little material wealth will matter in light of what's coming.
The Size and Shape of the City (vv. 15-17)
An angel measures the city with a golden reed: 12,000 furlongs in length, width, and height, all equal, forming a perfect cube. That works out to roughly 1,380 miles on each side. This city is not merely large. It is continent-sized, comparable in land area to the entire country of India. And remember, the height is also 1,380 miles, meaning New Jerusalem extends far beyond the earth's atmosphere and out into space. Even by more conservative estimates of the measurement, the city would still cover roughly 140,625 square miles, some 90 million acres. However you calculate it, one thing is certain: there is more than enough room prepared for every one of God's children.
The Sanctuary of the City (v. 22)
"But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." In the Old Testament, the temple was a prophetic picture pointing forward to Christ. It had a gate, and Jesus is the door. It had an altar, and Jesus shed His blood for us. It had a laver for washing, and we are now cleansed by His Word. It had a table of showbread, and Jesus is the Bread of Life. It had a golden lampstand, and Jesus is the Light of the World. Incense was burned there, and Jesus is now our great High Priest. In the new Jerusalem, there is no need for a temple building at all, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple. This entire book, remember, is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and it all comes back to Him.
The Splendor of the City (vv. 23-27)
John closes the chapter with a final, stunning detail: the city has no need of the sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its light. This fulfills the ancient promise of Isaiah 60:19-20, that the Lord Himself would be our everlasting light. The nations of the redeemed will walk in that light, and the gates of the city will never be shut, for there will be no night there. The kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. Nothing that defiles will ever enter, nor anyone who practices abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
What a promise to close on. Entry into this eternal, glorious, perfectly secure city is not earned by human effort or good works. It belongs only to those whose names are found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, which means it belongs to everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ.
A Closing Thought
What is the first thing we will do the moment we arrive in our eternal home? Think about a soldier or a spouse returning home after a long trip. They don't stop to admire the furniture. They go find the one they love. One day, when you and I breathe our last breath here, the first thing we will do is see Jesus face to face. All the questions we've carried, all the midnight hours we didn't understand, all the faithfulness that went unnoticed by everyone else, will finally make sense in His presence. We will be gathered with those who went before us, and it will be a reunion unlike anything we have ever experienced. Streets of gold and gates of pearl will be wonderful, but Jesus is the reason we long for heaven at all. It will be worth it all when we see Him face to face.
All for Him,
Pastor Dustin
**Posted in** Revelation
**Tags:** Heaven, New Jerusalem, Hope, Judgment, Promise, Symbolism, Eternity
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