The New Heavens and the New Earth (Revelation 20 and 21)

Chapter 15

And now, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the time in history for which all saints have waited for at least 60,000 years. If you will please look to the sky, you will see the new heavens and new earth descending from its eternally prepared place to its eternally prepared new place which is to replace the old heavens and earth. As a high school teacher in the public school system, I often have a student or two who is intrigued with the thought of aliens invading planet earth. And, of course, there are countless fools on this planet who call themselves scientists who refuse to believe the earth is, in fact, the center of God’s universe and the only planet upon which there is life. The prophets of ancient history recorded times when angels visited this planet on numerous occasions. These have indeed been extra-terrestrial visitations. Angels are certainly extra-terrestrial. They are not of the earth. That’s what extra-terrestrial means. Unfortunately there are countless stories made up by nut cases who say they have been abducted by aliens which only serve to make some reject the biblical stories of angelic visitations.

It is nothing new. There are always those who fabricate a host of lies sprinkled with just enough truth to attract a few of the fringe of society’s lunatics. But, my beloved, this account as described in Revelation 21, is no concoction of lunatics. At the end of the millennial reign of Christ, the bible declares the old heavens and earth will be burned up and a new one will come down from the third heaven (the abode of God) and replace the heavens and earth that have now been cremated. All one has to do is think about this for a moment to be sufficiently awed at the power of God. It is clear that it is easier for God to create a new heavens and earth than to purge the old one of its sin and degradation. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the implications of this information.

They are twofold: 1. sin is powerful; 2. God is more powerful.

Sin has so permeated the original heavens and earth that God has chosen to burn them up and replace them. My wife and I have built one house from the ground up. We have also done some extensive remodeling in at least two others. We have learned one principle that I think is apropos; it is easier to build a new home than to remodel and old one. One can never remodel something as well as he can build something anew. When rebuilding, there is always the chance something ugly is hiding under the surface he has failed to find when remodeling.

There will be a new Jerusalem on this new earth which has been prepared as a bride is prepared for her husband. God the Father and His Son will dwell among us on this new earth. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes (which indicates there will be some that will need to be wiped away). There will no longer be any death, crying, mourning, or pain. The springs of the water of life will be amply supplied to all in this kingdom. Verse 7 reiterates that he who overcomes will inherit this new earth and he will be God’s son in a new sense of the word. In verse 8 John also reiterates that the punishment for all the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murders, immoral people, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will spend eternity in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Only overcomers will inherit this kingdom. And only those who have chosen to accept God’s provision in His Son for their sin will be overcomers.

I suggest we all need to think seriously about the first noun in this list of nouns, the cowards. There are great multitudes today who profess to be followers of Jesus who are, plain and simply, cowards. They are ashamed of the gospel. They encounter numerous opportunities daily to proclaim Jesus as Lord, but they fail to do so for any number of reasons. They know they might lose their job if they say anything that can be vaguely interpreted as “religious.” They believe (probably rightly so) others will label them “weird” if they talk about how their own life was transformed when they got saved. They think they will lose a friend if tell him he will spend eternity in hell if he dies without confessing Jesus as Lord. They think, think, and think. Beloved, one thing will most assuredly assure you will not ever witness to the glorious transforming grace of Jesus. When one take time to think about the possible consequences of witnessing to the glorious transforming power of Jesus Christ, he will nearly always conjure up a good reason for not doing so. The reason first century Christians transformed the known world with the gospel was that they knew something most of us have forgotten. Jesus saved us so we can be His instruments for saving others.

The fact is that most bosses will not fire an employee for sharing his faith with fellow employees as long as it isn’t done during the time when he is supposed to be producing a product or service for the company. Usually break times and lunch times are the employee’s time to talk about whatever they wish with one another. Certainly going out with a fellow employee for lunch or sitting, eating a sack lunch are great opportunities for developing relationships which can later lead to an opportunity to share one’s personal testimony.

It’s abundantly clear that one thing characterized all New Testament believers of whom we have the testimony of scripture. They believed their number one priority in life was to share the gospel of Jesus with any who would listen. When asked what unbelievers had to do to be saved, they simply said, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and you will be saved.”

Peter, James, and John were arrested twice by the Sanhedrin and told not to preach this message any more. Their response, “Whether it is right to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20). And then in Acts 5:29 after their second arrest, Peter says, “We must obey God rather than men.”

They didn’t bother making excuses; they simply testified about the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ to transform lives. I suggest that if we would just return to that simple message, we will see great multitudes of lives transformed. Maybe, if we ever grasp the simple truth that it is more important to obey God rather than men, God will be able to use us to transform our known world, to turn it right side up. Maybe, just maybe such knowledge will make us yearn to be like the apostle Paul who actually believed, “to live is Christ.” I’m not sure what it will take to awaken us in America; but I am sure, whatever it is, it will be coming soon. I only pray I will be able to get this book published soon, so I will not be accused of making such a statement after the fact.

This book is a proclamation of God’s word, straight forward and without any attempt to decorate the truth with fancy isms. I strongly suspect the antichrist and the false church will soon openly declare their identify. When that happens brethren, look up for your redemption draweth nigh! (Luke 21:28) Only those who have not been ashamed of the gospel will be presented to God the Father shamelessly by God the Son as His disciples (Mk. 8:38; Luke 9:26). Think about that the next time you have the opportunity to stand up for truth, righteousness, and the biblical way.

In verse 10 we read that an angel took John away to a great and high mountain (remember the only mountain on this earth will be the one upon which Jerusalem sits). John sees the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. He describes her brilliance as like a very costly stone (may be a diamond), having a great high wall (1500 miles to be exact (see verse 16), with twelve gates (each one having the name of one of the tribes of Israel written on it), each side of the holy city had three gates (each made of a single pearl, verse 21), the city is actually a cubical (1500 miles wide X 1500 miles long X 1500 miles high, verse 16). The walls of the city are built upon twelve foundation stones which have the names of the twelve apostles written on them. The walls are 216 feet thick (verse 17). The walls are made of pure Jasper, and the city itself is pure gold. This gold is so pure—I’m sure we have never seen such gold—John describes it as clear like glass. Each foundation stone is a different kind of stone. The first is jasper, the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl, the ninth, topaz, the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the streets were of pure gold, also like transparent glass.

Obviously, this city is like none that has ever been built in all the history of mankind. Man’s most magnificent buildings are as filthy rags when compared to what will be the eternal holy city. If you have ever been awed by some edifice built by man, be prepared to see a city that will make such buildings appear insignificant. Verse 21 tells us there will be no temple in this new city because God the Father and God the Son will be its temple. There will be no need for the sun or moon in this city because the very presence of God will mean there will be no night in it. His brilliance will illumine it for all of eternity.

Verse 26 makes it clear there will be nations all over this new earth whose citizens will bring their nation’s glory and honor into the holy city. Once again John informs us that only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be allowed to enter this city. I think we often miss how effective the Revelation is as an evangelistic prophecy. One day I’ll count how many times the promise is made that those who waste their lives indulging their flesh will spend eternity in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. My dear wife often chides me for placing so much emphasis on the issue. Of course, there’s the possibility she’s right. My only excuse is that I am weary of hearing the health, wealth, and happiness gospel preached throughout America by so many today. I run across countless people almost daily who think they are going to heaven because they prayed the sinners prayer at some point in life (they usually can’t say for sure when it was indicating it wasn’t very significant), who have never turned away from sin, and they haven’t ever shared the life transforming power of Jesus Christ with another.

In other words, they have no fruit. God’s word makes three things clear that most of these professing believers have apparently never heard. First, the true believer lives what he professes (Matt. 7:21). The antithesis of this verse make it clear that any who do not do the will of God (follow the teachings of scripture) will spend eternity in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Second, God’s word makes it clear that true believers will bear fruit (John 15:8; Matt. 13:23; Galations 5:22, 23). Third, God’s word makes it clear that one must live a sacrificial life if he wishes to follow Jesus (Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). I seldom, if ever, hear these three things mentioned when so-called apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers preach or teach. It is clear that is why Christianity in America today is so impotent. People in this country think getting saved will end their lives of misery and help them make good business contacts. Sometimes that actually happens, which only serves to perpetuate the gospel of health, wealth, and happiness.

Granted, when Jesus makes us new creatures, we have a glorious time to anticipate in eternity. Until that time however, it is our responsibility to be powerful witnesses of His majesty to a world of lost souls who are wandering in darkness doomed to spend eternity in hell if someone doesn’t care enough to risk ridicule or the loss of a job. Getting saved involves reordering our lives. It involves realizing we have a new set of imperatives, an entirely new set of priorities. The most challenging part of discipling new believers is helping them understand they do not need to have better self-esteem when they get saved; instead they need to begin putting the esteem of others ahead of their own (Philippians 2:3). This is an entirely foreign concept to Christianity in America. We are a feel good society. Even our national government has swallowed the age old doctrine of demons that self-esteem is at the core of all success.

The Revelation, read with the illumination of the Holy Spirit is one of the best evangelistic tools one can have. It provides a detailed description of what is coming on this planet. Believers who warn others of these events will have countless opportunities, when they begin happening, to lead great multitudes to the saving knowledge of our Lord because the lost will finally realize that our God not only knows what is coming, He also brings it to pass.