And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
The events of this chapter are a continuation of the series of prophecy considered in the preceding one, only describing an entirely different phase—the final reward and eternal home of God's people. We have traced many series of prophecies through the long weary pathway of centuries, only to find the termination of the powers of wickedness in the lake of fire at the end of time or their overthrow otherwise set forth under appropriate symbols; but in no instance has the final reward of God's people after the judgment been fully described. That glorious event of the future was referred to in [chap. 7] as the final in-gathering of the redeemed "of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues." The description however, was incomplete. Since the eternal abode of the wicked is referred to often, the subject would seem incomplete without a description of the final glories and triumphs of the redeemed in their future and eternal home. Though their earthly pilgrimage is fraught with sorrow, death, pain, wretchedness, and misery, by the hands of their violent oppressors, yet they shall witness the complete overthrow of all their enemies in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, and they themselves shall be rewarded eternally; for "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." It is fitting that such a sublime theme should be reserved as the grand climax of the book of Revelation.
With the dissolution of the earth on which we live, which event has just been described, it is evident that the many lines of prophecy leading up to that great event are no longer under special consideration, but that a new theme subsequent to the judgment scene is introduced with the words of the Revelator immediately following—"I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." The heaven, earth, and sea that passed away certainly refers to the earth that now is and to the aerial heaven surrounding it; therefore the new heaven and the new earth brought to view must signify the future and eternal home that Jesus went to prepare. We could not consistently make the one literal and the other symbolical. This accords perfectly with the teaching of the apostle Peter where he says: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.... Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Pet. 3:10-13.
The holy city of God, the New Jerusalem, is next introduced. Since this meets its fulfilment in the new order of things subsequent to the judgment scene, it must have special reference to the future abode of the saints in the new earth. Many of the symbols here describing the New Jerusalem, and even New Jerusalem itself, are often used to set forth the church of God in the New Testament dispensation. The church on earth and the church of God in heaven are in one important sense the same thing, as they constitute but one family (Eph. 3:15); yet in another sense there is a difference, and the proper distinction must be observed even when the same symbols or titles are used to describe or designate both phases. A similar two-foldness is seen in many lines of truth. In Heb. 12:22, 23, we are represented as dwelling in the city of God in this dispensation; yet verse 27 of this chapter and the fourteenth of the following chapter plainly show our entrance into the city at the end. The Scriptures represent God as dwelling on earth in his church, which, of course, is considered in a spiritual sense; but his actual throne and place of abode is in heaven. A new creation brought about by Christ in his first advent is set forth by various texts; still, it remains a fact that a new creation will actually be brought to view after the present world is no more and that the same will be our eternal home. We obtain spiritual life through Christ now, hence have right to the tree of life; yet in another sense our access to the tree of life is at the end and we then enter in through the gates into the city. Chap. [22:14]. Hence it is proper to speak of the city of God as both present and future, by observing the proper distinction, just as the Scriptures speak of the church in a twofold sense as being both on earth and in heaven, or of the spiritual kingdom in the present and the eternal kingdom in the end. It is Scriptural to speak of God's throne as being on earth in the midst of his saints in a spiritual sense and also of its being located in heaven. The tree of life is a present realization spiritually and also a future reality. We dwell in the city of God now—in the suburbs, as it were—but we shall "have a right" to it in the future state when we are ushered into the very heart of the great metropolis and stand before the actual throne of the Deity, in the presence of his August Majesty.
In the New Testament dispensation the heavenly elements of the New Jerusalem have descended to earth in the form of the new covenant, and God's people obtain a foretaste of heaven's glory and are made pure even as Christ is pure, and are therefore represented as having "come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22, 23); and God dwells with them in a very important sense. 2 Cor. 6:16. They are one with the redeemed above, and together they constitute one "family in heaven and earth," all loving the same Father, adoring the same King, drinking from the same fountain of life eternal, and all basking in the same divine light that beams from the throne of God. In another sense, however, there is a difference between them; for they are separated by the line of mortality, one phase being located on earth and the other in heaven. But when at the last day the redeemed of earth have access to the tree of life in its perfect sense, there will be henceforth only one phase to the New Jerusalem, or church of God, which will be in its relation to the new earth, as specially described in the prophecy under consideration, when "all things" are made new and "the former things are passed away."
5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The declarations contained in these verses proceed from God himself and announce the fact that he hath now fulfilled all that he designed. His promises to his faithful children are brought to pass, as well as his threatening to his foes. All things are made new and the former things are passed away. Not only has the strife, the commotion, and the sin in the old order of things passed away, but the new creation, wherein dwelleth righteousness, has been introduced, the grand long-looked-for era of eternal blessedness to the saints. Oh, halleluiah! "And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."
"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." When the seventh angel of chap. [16:17] poured out his vial, the voice of God from the throne said, "It is done," signifying that the last judgments were complete. Here again the same voice is heard as before, referring to the same thing—the accomplishment of God's great purposes. The enemies of the church have been overthrown, her long period of warfare has ended, and the eternal day of Zion's glory has come. Then follow his blessed promises held out to the faithful, and also the reward to the wicked. These are to be understood as referring to these classes, not at the day of judgment, but when the Revelation was given to John and therefore to us. "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things [in the margin, these things]: and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." "This is the reward in reserve for those who endure through this period of trial and overcome at last. They shall drink of living waters, which will be sweet and refreshing indeed to those who have toiled through this fight; and they shall inherit these things—these new heavens and earth. God shall be their God, and they his sons. Oh, what an honor! what a destiny in reserve for the faithful! with what glorious anticipations may the believer look forward to the revelations of that day, and with Paul say, 'If by any means I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.'