"New Heaven and Earth" 5-23-21

Overview

The New Heaven and the New Earth

None of us get out of here alive—and yet, in another sense, all of us do. Death is not an ending but a transition; the question is where we will spend eternity. Revelation 21:1 opens with John's vision: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." The word heaven in Scripture can mean the sky, outer space, or the dwelling place of God; here it refers especially to the renewed created order that accompanies Christ's second coming.

What is the relationship between this present world and the world to come? Scripture hints at a real connection. 2 Peter 3:10 speaks of the heavens passing away with a loud noise and the elements being dissolved with fire, while Romans 8:21 promises that creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay. The Greek word new used in Revelation refers to newness of quality and nature. As Luther rightly held, God is not merely making all new things but is making all things new—transforming what was, just as our perishable bodies will be raised imperishable 1 Corinthians 15:42. The resurrection body is the pattern: not replacement, but glorious renewal.

Scripture paints heaven with breathtaking pictures, often by telling us what will not be there. The sea—biblical shorthand for chaos and destruction—is no more. Revelation 21:4 declares that God will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more. These are the effects of the curse—God's righteous judgment on sin (Genesis 3; Deuteronomy 27:26)—and Christ has borne them in our place. Positively, heaven is a place where we will dwell with the Lord himself Revelation 21:3, worship alongside saints from every tribe and tongue Revelation 5:9, be like the angels Matthew 22:30, see face to face 1 Corinthians 13:12, and know joy that no one can take away John 16:22.

Heaven stands open because of Christ. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Romans 3:23–24. "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 6:23. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of the whole world 1 John 2:2. We are tempted to shrink heaven down to our own size, but Scripture lifts our eyes to its grandeur. The One seated on the throne says, "See, I am making all things new" Revelation 21:5. Until that day, the church goes forth in the Spirit, proclaiming the sweet gospel wherever the curse is found.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible, please, with me to the very last book of Holy Scripture? 3s

Revelation, the 21st chapter for our study today. 9s

Revelation, chapter 21. 14s

Today is the final sermon in this series, new, in which we have been celebrating that 17s

which God makes new. 25s

We began this series eight weeks ago on Easter Sunday. 26s

We studied about the new name. 32s

In the subsequent weeks, we have studied about new life. 34s

New covenant, new creation, new mercies, new song, new body. 38s

Well, today in this final sermon in this series, I'd like to talk with you about heaven. 45s

It's always preparing this message, a phrase, 57s

kept coming to my mind. 61s

And it's the phrase, none of us get out of here alive. 63s

None of us get out of here alive. 69s

Really? 74s

We all get out of here alive because death is but a transition in living. 77s

The issue is where will we spend an eternity? 84s

Let's study. 93s

Revelation, chapter 21, we'll start with verse one. 94s

Then I saw a new heaven. 100s

Let's pause there. 105s

In Scripture, when we come to the word heaven, it can have three different meanings. 108s

It can mean either sky. 113s

It can mean outer space or it can mean the dwelling place of God. 116s

Sky outer space or the dwelling place of God. 122s

Here, as it's talking about what God will do in the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, 127s

there will be a new heaven. 134s

Certainly, what is being referred to here is the sky. 138s

We go on. 143s

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed 146s

away. 154s

Well, that presents itself for the question, doesn't it? 157s

What is the connection between the old heaven or the old sky 160s

and the old earth that which we are living on? 166s

Obviously now, what's the connection between the old heaven and the old earth and the new heaven 170s

and the new earth is there a connection? 177s

I think of second Peter, the third chapter. 183s

There, we read these words. 190s

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. 192s

And then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise and the elements will be dissolved 197s

with fire and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. 205s

What is revealed here is when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again part of his second coming 214s

is the destruction of the universe. 221s

Remember the scriptural principle. 226s

We let the scripture interpret scripture. 228s

And what we hear in Holy Scripture is these hints of a connection between 233s

the old heaven and the old earth and the new heaven and the new earth. 240s

I think of Romans the 8th chapter. 247s

There it says the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay 252s

and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 258s

You see that hints at a connection, doesn't it? 266s

That there will be a transformation instead of God simply creating out of nothing. 269s

That's how God created what we read in Genesis. 279s

If there was nothing and God created, 283s

but when it comes to the new heaven and the new earth, 286s

there is not God creating out of nothing but God transforming that 290s

which was. That was the perspective by the way that Luther held and rightly so, 298s

because the word new that is used in revelation and also elsewhere in second Peter, 304s

that word new means new in terms of quality, new in terms of nature. 312s

Let me put it this way. 322s

God makes all things new. 324s

That doesn't mean that he makes all new things. 330s

God makes all things new, but it doesn't mean that God makes all new things. 336s

Analogy would be the resurrected body that we will have. 347s

That's what we studied remember last week. 350s

When the Christian dies, his spirit, his soul, those are synonymous terms and scripture, 353s

his spirit and soul immediately goes into the presence of God. 359s

That is a conscious reality. The body, 363s

that which is perishable here, that body, 367s

see their buried, it's cremated, doesn't matter at all. What happens to this body? 373s

When the Lord comes again, our bodies will be reconstitute. 380s

It will be restored, it will be better. 388s

He'll take that which remains, whether dust or ashes, 392s

and we will be given a new body. 398s

The spirit, the soul, then, uniting with the new body to live with God forever. 402s

That is a transformation of the old. 411s

So when we hear that in Revelation 21, about the new heaven and the new earth, 417s

that is God taking that which was destroyed when the Lord Jesus comes again 425s

and bringing forth from the remains, that which is new. 432s

Heaven is a place. It's a place. 441s

Sometimes scripture will refer to it as a house with many dwelling places or eternal homes or a city. 446s

Here it's represented by a new heaven and a new earth. 457s

Back now to verse 1 of chapter 21. 465s

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away 469s

and the sea was no more. 476s

Now why wouldn't there be sea in heaven? 483s

So often in holy scripture, sea is used to represent chaos and destruction. 488s

So the picture here for us is that in heaven, 497s

there's not going to be chaos and there will not be destruction. 501s

Oh, the beauty of the pictures that scripture gives us regarding heaven. 508s

I think of Revelation 5th chapter, verse 9. 517s

It's the picture that in heaven we will be with fellow believers, 523s

saints from every tribe and language and people and nation. 529s

How beautiful and glorious. It's the picture that we get 535s

that in heaven we will be with the angels. 541s

Matthew 22. For in the resurrection they neither Mary nor our given in marriage but our like angels in heaven. 546s

In in heaven we won't be married. There won't be marriages. 555s

We'll be like the angels. Notice that we're like there. So often you'll see heaven portrayed as if 560s

when you when you die you become an angel in heaven. No, we'll be like angels. We won't become angels. 568s

Bible tells us that in heaven we will have full knowledge that great passage in first Corinthians 13. 578s

Part of it reads, for now we see in a mirror dimly but then we will see face to face. 587s

In heaven we'll have the new body. First Corinthians 15 again this perishable body must put on 598s

imperishability. In heaven there is just an ending joy. Jesus said, 605s

no one will take your joy from you. Found in John 16. 616s

It is glorious pictures of heaven that we receive that when we are in heaven we'll be with fellow 624s

believers that we'll be with the angels that we will have full knowledge that we'll have a new body 630s

that will have just this unending joy that cannot be taken away. 638s

And in heaven we will be with the Lord. Revelation 21 again picking up 646s

in verse 2. And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God 660s

prepared as a bride but dawned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 670s

see the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them. They will be his peoples and 678s

God himself will be with them. Oh this beautiful picture that we get that in heaven will be with God. 686s

This is glorious revelation that was given to John. Remember at this point John is on the island of 698s

Patmos. He's there because he wouldn't compromise the gospel. It's about 85. 708s

So it's roughly about 60 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. 714s

He receives this glorious, glorious vision. This apocalyptic vision. 721s

There are apocalyptic literature, is that literature that focuses on in times and also uses with 729s

richness symbols. Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament. And Revelation 21 738s

what a glorious, glorious picture of promises to be fulfilled. All the beauty of heaven that we see here 748s

and the beauty of heaven that we see in other places. And interestingly what I want you to note 758s

is that the negative is used in part to describe what heaven will be like. The negative is used 766s

where the revelation that John receives is a revelation that mentions what will not be in heaven. 778s

The negative used. You know seven months from now we will be gathered and celebrating on Christmas Eve. 790s

Celebrating the incarnation, the inflectionment of the second member of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. 806s

It will be a wonderful time of worship, won't we? One of the most favorite times of worship 815s

I think for all of us, each and every year. And we'll sing just just great, great hymns. 821s

And one of the great hymns that we'll sing. Joy to the world. Joy to the world. 832s

I think of some phrases that are in that hymn. He comes to make his blessings flow. 842s

Far as the curses found, far as the curses found, far as far as the curse is found. 854s

He ever wondered about that phrase? What's the curse? The curse is God's righteous judgment upon 865s

sin. God's righteous judgment upon sin. You can read about that in Genesis 3rd chapter. 877s

Far as the curses found, God's righteous judgment upon sin, that extends then everywhere. 887s

Deuteronomy 27th chapter said, curses would be anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by observing them. 897s

God and His grace sends His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. And on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ 911s

becomes a curse for us. God's righteous judgment for sin is placed upon the Son. 923s

He dies in our place and the world is reconciled unto Him. We are redeemed. It is the beautiful, gracious action of God. 935s

The effects of sin. The effects of sin are death. It's grief. It's pain and mourning. 954s

Those will not be in heaven. The description of heaven also utilizing the picture of what will not be there. 967s

Look with me, please. At verse 4, He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. 985s

Morning and crying and pain will be no more. For the first things have passed away 1000s

and then verse 5. And the one who was seated on the throne said, see, I am making all things new, 1011s

new. Heaven is opened because of Christ. Here, beloved, these words have comforted. Romans 3. 1030s

Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by His grace as a gift 1045s

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 6. For the wages of sin is death, 1054s

but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. First John 2, 1065s

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Romans 6. 1075s

Therefore we have been buried with Him by baptism into death. So that, 1091s

just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in 1096s

the darkness of life. Oh, the sweet, sweet gospel. Born of the cross and the resurrection of the Lord, 1105s

Jesus Christ. No, I think that often we are tempted to think about heaven and 1119s

imagine it in such a small way. I think of that movie Field of Dreams. Remember the farmer, 1134s

the farmer builds the baseball field there out in the cornfield and the ghosts of former players 1144s

come and they play on the field. One of the former players turned to the farmer and asked, 1153s

is this heaven to which the farmer replied, no, it's Iowa. The player then said, 1160s

Iowa, I could have sworn this was heaven. Sometimes we can think of heaven in such small ways, 1171s

trying to bring heaven more down to our size. Oh, the beauty and the grandeur of 1186s

heaven, such pictures. Such pictures that the scriptures give to us to lift our eyes to the grandeur 1200s

of heaven. We all make it out of here alive. It's a matter of where we will spend 1214s

eternity and the church in life and by the spirit goes forth to proclaim that sweet gospel 1230s

to proclaim it wherever the curse is found. 1246s