College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Revelation 21:1-8
Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 69
Text Revelation 21:1-27
And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: 4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. 5 And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true. 6 And he said unto me, they are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my Song of Song of Solomon 8 But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorveres, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
9 And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, and were laden with the seven last plagues; and he spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee 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 having the glory of God her light was like unto a stone most precious as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal: 12 having a wall great and high; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 on the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the several gates was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof. 23 And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb. 24 And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof: and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. 25 And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut by day (for there shall be no night there): 26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it: 27 and there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Initial Questions Revelation 21:1-27
1.
What did John see - Revelation 21:1?
2.
What is the source of the new Jerusalem according to Revelation 21:2?
3.
What does Revelation 21:3 tell us about God's ultimate relationship to man?
4.
Discuss the things that God will take away - Revelation 21:4? Is this a vital part of the Christian's hope?
5.
What is the source of newness in the universe - God or man - Revelation 21:5?
6.
Read John 7:37 f, and then discuss the last part of Revelation 21:6.
7.
To whom does God promise Eternal Life according to Revelation 21:7?
8.
Does Revelation 21:8 imply that there are going to be people that are lost?
9.
What did the angel show John according to Revelation 21:10?
10.
Why is there no Temple in the City of God - Revelation 21:22?
The Vision of the New Heaven and a New Earth
Chapter Revelation 21:1-8
After the overthrow of the last enemy of righteousness, Satan, we are provided with a vision of the heavenly city of God. Here we have vouched safe to us the eternal and glorified state of God's elect. The language comes from the glorified imagery of Isaiah 65:17, etc. John's basic source throughout The Revelation is the O.T. He uses the prophetic concepts of restoration as a new creation, a new Palestine, a new Jerusalem, a new Temple, and a new earth. But John is never describing a materialistic kingdom; he always has in view the Jerusalem above, our mother (Galatians 4:26). The persecuted Church is now the glorified bride of Christ! John has already received three basic visions: (1) The Seven Churches (Revelation 1:9 to Revelation 3:22); (2) Process of world judgment (Revelation 4:1 to Revelation 16:21). (3) Climax of Judgment Revelation 17:1-18. and now the last one (4) The Eternal City (Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5). The obstinately sinful have all been cast into hell. Jerusalem the city of the great King is the symbol of the translated Church. The kingdom of God is complete.
I saw a new heaven and a new earth. All old things are gone. In the new earth dwell only new men in Christ. Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold they are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul and John are in agreement about new creatures and the passing away of the old order.
The holy city, new Jerusalem was descending from its heavenly origin. Men did not design nor build this city whose foundations were not laid by human hands. We have heard the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:9. The new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having been prepared as (hôs - like - a bride) a bride having been adorned for her husband. Jerusalem is compared to the bride of Christ in this verse (see Ephesians 5:32; Isaiah 54:1).
John had previously stated that the Word tabernacled among us (John 1:14) now, the tabernacle of God is with men. In the city where God dwells, there are the redeemed inhabitants, fellowship with God and man, security, peace, safety, and the beauty of paradise. Sin, death, and tears of pain are forever barred from the new Jerusalem.
God will wipe off every tear out of their eyes. Why? Because death, (penthos - means outwardly expressed grief) grief and pain are no longer threats to man. He and all creation has been redeemed and the first things are passed away.
God alone can make things new! The united nations, human legislation, disarmament conferences, International law, one-world government will all fail to bring about the desired end of a new world wherein dwelleth righteousness. This message is a hard blow to proud, humanistic, naturalistic man who believes that he is capable of building a better tomorrow through research, applied technology and subliminal research, etc.
God created the church of Jesus Christ to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation by proclaiming the word of reconciliation as ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). (The unwanted wallsthe present author is presently preparing a volume, with this title, dealing with the problem of the nature of the Church and its implications for contemporary Ecumenical and Roman Catholic discussions about the unity of the Church). Paul's Ephesian Epistle speaks of the constituency of the church, the construction of the Church, the purpose of the Church, the unity of the Church, and the practical implications of its God given unity. Mankind is divided as never before! The purpose of the Church is to unify mankind through the word and ministry of reconciliation. How effective have we been?
The great heavenly voice said to John It has occurred. What has occurred? The purpose of God has been fulfilled! The true and faithful words mentioned in Revelation 21:5 have now come to pass. Our Lord said he that hungereth and thirsteth after righteousness - shall be filled. In the city where there is no night, either physical or spiritual, the fountain of the water of life has been opened. God invited all inhabitants to partake.
Here we learn of God's demand for victorious Christian living. Can a man once saved ever be lost? The exhortation found in this verse would have no relevance whatsoever if it is impossible for a Christian pilgrim to become lost in his journey to new Jerusalem. Who shall inherit all things according to John? The overcoming one (the one who continually overcomes) shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.
What are some of the characteristics of those who shall not inherit sonship and citizenship in the heavenly city?The cowardly and unbelieving and having become foul, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall be cast into hell. Paul tells the Churches of Galatians the same thing in Galatians 5:16-26. Paul says, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Revelation 21:21). These practices are in diametrical opposition to the spiritual conditions of the dwellers in the new Eden.
Discussion Questions
See Revelation 21:9-27.