A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

Passage: Revelation 21:1-8

Key verse: 2

NIV

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a](A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,(B) and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City,(C) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(D) prepared as a bride(E) 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.(F) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.(G) 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.(H) There will be no more death’[b](I) or mourning or crying or pain,(J) for the old order of things has passed away.”(K)

5 He who was seated on the throne(L) said, “I am making everything new!”(M) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”(N)

6 He said to me: “It is done.(O) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(P) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost(Q) from the spring of the water of life.(R) 7 Those who are victorious(S) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.(T) 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars(U)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.(V) This is the second death.”(W)

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 21:1 Isaiah 65:17
  2. Revelation 21:4 Isaiah 25:8
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw (A)a new heaven and a new earth, for (B)the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw (C)the holy city, (D)new Jerusalem, (E)coming down out of heaven from God, (F)prepared (G)as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, (H)the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will (I)dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 (J)He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and (K)death shall be no more, (L)neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And (M)he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I (N)am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for (O)these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, (P)“It is done! (Q)I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (R)To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 (S)The one who conquers will have this heritage, and (T)I will be his God and (U)he will be my son. 8 (V)But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, (W)their portion will be in (X)the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is (Y)the second death.”

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 21:3 Or tabernacle
  2. Revelation 21:3 Some manuscripts peoples
  3. Revelation 21:3 Some manuscripts omit as their God
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

After God’s victory over Satan and his minions, he will reveal a new heaven and a new earth. The old will pass away and the new will come! And there will be the new Jerusalem, the Holy City, which will come down out of heaven. What will the new Jerusalem be like? It will be beautiful, like a new bride on her wedding day. It will be the place where God will dwell with his people. They will be his people, and he will be their God. Death, sadness, mourning, pain and tears will not be seen here, for all these things have passed away. At this point, God will be all in all. He is the Alpha, and he is the Omega, the beginning and the end. To all of God’s people, access to the water of life will be granted. And they will live in eternal life with him!

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, liars, the sexually immoral, murders, etc., will be judged, condemned and tossed into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. They will die a second death. Their fate will be just like Satan’s.

Prayer: Father, thank you that you are making everything new. Thank you for your victory over sin and death. And thank you for your salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

One Word: Jesus is the Alpha and Omega