This is the Fifty-second in a series of verse-by-verse expositions of the book of Revelation. This message was delivered at Hillcrest Baptist Church on July 24, 2016. This message looks at the emergence of the Holy City. This post contains an audio recording of my message, along with my sermon notes. Please note that the sermon notes are not necessarily a full transcript.
SERMON AUDIO:
SERMON NOTES:
V.1:
As this chapter opens, Satan and his followers are forever banished to the lake of fire. With that, will be the creation of a whole new universe. This comes to pass with the conclusion of the Day of the Lord. Peter gives some insight into this.
- 2 Peter 3:10-13
The day of the Lord is comprised of the whole series of events, beginning with the rapture and ending with the destruction of the current creation. This all happens after the millennial reign and the final war with Satan. Then comes the great white throne judgment, and finally the ushering in of the new heaven and new earth.
The destruction that Peter mentions will be just prior the the new heaven and earth. The heavens are simply all of the great expanse, including the sky and space. The elements will be broken down to their basic building blocks, the very atoms that make them up. This will come by intense heat with a great noise (the big bang). imagine the crackling of a campfire large enough to consume the entire universe.
Make no mistake, this will not be the work of man (nuclear war), nor will it be an explosion of the sun. Notice that even the heavens are destroyed. That means all matter in space, all planets all stars, etc. This destruction is definitely the supernatural work of God!
Isaiah speaks of this.
- Isaiah 51:6
- Isaiah 65:17
Psalm 97:5 and Micah 1:4 tell us how the mountains melt in the presence of God.
Obviously, the destruction of the universe will take with it all of man’s “great” accomplishments. Everything that we are so proud of is at the mercy of God. Nothing that we create holds any eternal value. We build from the elements that God has created. And by stripping those elements to their core atoms, God will expose the universe (lay it bare) and recreate something brand new from it.
- Psalm 102:25-28
- Hebrews 1:10-12
This will be the conclusion of the Day of the Lord. And with it comes the new Jerusalem.
V.2:
This New Jerusalem, the Holy City is a fitting addition to the New Earth.
On the night of the last supper, Jesus made a promise to His disciples:
- John 14:2-3
Of course, this promise applies to all His disciples (not just those eleven in the upper room). He makes this clear in His prayer, which occurred right after that conversation:
- John 17:20, 24
That place that He is preparing for us, is the Holy City, new Jerusalem.
The old Jerusalem was also called the holy city.
- Isaiah 52:1
This will not change in the new creation. It is there that He will dwell with us and be our God (v.3)
These last two chapters of the Bible give us some some detail of that beautiful city, that city where our mansions will be.
This city is not heaven, John saw it coming down out of heaven. Right now it is in heaven, where Jesus is.
The Holy City will be a magnificent place where “the throne of God and of the Lamb” will be.
VV.3-4:
Just as the tabernacle of the Old Testament, This city will be God’s dwelling place among men. Only this city is far more perfect than the earthly tabernacle.
This will be the ultimate fulfillment of Leviticus 26:11-13. They shall be His people and He will be their God. This paints a picture of perfect fellowship and communion with God. No wonder there will be no sorrow, pain or death. Death has been defeated, and how can you have sorrow or pain if you are in perfect communion with God?
Some have wondered if grief and sorrow will exist for a while in heaven and then be done away with here at the establishing of the new creation. It is better to understand this passage as saying that heaven will have none of the features that characterize this present earth. All former things have passed away.
V.5:
That God says “I make all things new”, emphasizes the radical and dramatic change of the universe. And like every other part of the Word of God, we should accept this as absolute truth.
VV.6-7:
The fact that He is the Almighty, eternal God, means that He can and will freely give living water to all who dwell with Him. The children of God will at last obtain the fullness of the inheritance. The full benefits of being a child of the King will finally be realized.
V.8:
The opposite of this is a reiteration of the fate of non-believers. The beautiful thing is that once you profess your faith in Jesus Christ, your past life is forgotten. God makes all things new. Therefore, you will no longer be known as cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderer, sexually immoral, sorcerer, idolaters, liar, or any other sinful designation. At the point of salvation, you will always be a child of God.
- 1 Timothy 2:1
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Posted on July 26, 2016
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