New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21)

Introduction

This is the last sermon of the year, and the preacher opens the Bible to Isaiah 65:17: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind." For four weeks, the Christmas series has been reminding us that the Lord keeps his promises. Immanuel was given through a virgin. The Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace, was born in a manger. The Savior pierced for our sins came about two thousand years ago. But the Bible doesn't stop at past promises. It also overflows with promises still to come. And if God reveals them to us, it isn't to feed a specialist's curiosity: it's so that you don't lose hope in a world weighed down by sorrow and pain.

Moses chose to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, because "he was looking to the reward" (Hebrews 11:24-26). Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "We do not lose heart… because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). C.S. Lewis put it another way: the Christians who left the biggest mark on this world are the ones who thought most seriously about the world to come. Today, you're invited to do the same by opening Revelation 21:1-4, where three hopes are promised to you for eternity.

Article Outline

1. New heavens and a new earth no one has ever seen

John writes: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more" (Revelation 21:1). The word "new" used here doesn't just refer to newness in time. It points to a newness of nature. This isn't a simple update of the old world, the way a new iPhone model replaces the old one every year. This is a radically different world, entirely new, that no one has ever laid eyes on.

Remember Genesis 1 and 2: God created by his word, and at every stage he declared his creation "good," then "very good." But from Genesis 3 onward, with the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered and the entire creation was subjected to the curse. Paul confirms it: "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now" (Romans 8:22). That groaning is going to end. The old world will pass away to make room for something complete, perfect, something that will never again need an update.

One striking detail: "the sea was no more." For first-century listeners, the sea evoked danger, evil, chaos. Isaiah compares the wicked to "the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet" (Isaiah 57:20). In Revelation 13:1, the beast rises out of the sea. In Revelation 20:13, the sea gives up its dead. To say that "the sea was no more" is to say that no evil, no threat, no trace of death will remain. There will be nothing left to fear. This world is not your final destination; it's only a place you're passing through. Are you not becoming too attached to this simple stopover? Are you storing up your treasure here below, or in heaven?

2. An eternal dwelling with God

"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them'" (Revelation 21:2-3). The new Jerusalem comes down from God, holy, pure, without stain, like a bride adorned for her husband.

In Revelation 3:12, it's promised to the one who conquers that the name of God, the name of the holy city, and the new name of Christ will be written on him. When a name is written on something, it's a sign of belonging. Those who have been justified in Christ are marked as belonging to him: they will be citizens of that city and will dwell there forever.

But the greatest wonder of all isn't first the absence of stain, nor even fellowship with believers of every age. It's the presence of God himself: "the dwelling place of God is with man… God himself will be with them." The sin that once separated is entirely removed, and nothing will ever be able to break that relationship again. The author of Psalm 73 confesses: "But for me it is good to be near God" (Psalm 73:28). And Paul writes: "We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Ask yourself honestly: why do you want to go to heaven? Is it because God is there, because you want to see Jesus face to face? Or because you're expecting something else that would satisfy you even without him? Those who know that day is coming live differently today: they reject what God hates, they pursue holiness. Peter writes: "But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace" (2 Peter 3:13-14).

3. A complete consolation

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). The verb translated "wipe away" evokes the idea of completely erasing, the way you wash away and carry off every trace. In the Septuagint, the same verb is used to describe Noah's flood: "Every living thing that was on the face of the earth was blotted out" (Genesis 7:23). Just as God erased evil through the flood, one day he will wipe away all your tears, not half of them, not some of them, but all of them.

Here on earth, everyone faces wounds. Physically: bodies grow tired, sicknesses pile up, death waits. Relationally: loved ones who were meant to be a blessing sometimes become a source of suffering; words, attitudes, broken relationships wound deeply. Spiritually: even saved, you fight sin, you fall, you carry guilt, you may be misunderstood or mocked because of your faith. All of that is real. But all of that will come to an end. "The former things have passed away." Your wound will be healed, your sorrow comforted, your groaning turned into joy.

Key Takeaways

God's future promises are not an extra for specialists; they are the hope that keeps you standing today.
The new world won't be a simple update of the current one: it will be radically new, perfect, and final.
"The sea was no more" means that no evil, no chaos, no death will remain there.
The heart of heaven is not first a perfect setting, it's God himself dwelling with his people.
This hope produces holiness, perseverance, and joy right now, even in hardship.

Personal Application

What is your heart truly set on this week: what is passing, or what is eternal?
Are you storing up your treasures "in the hotel" you're only passing through, or in your true home to come?
When you think of heaven, do you desire God himself first, or something else?
What present suffering do you want to entrust today to the one who will wipe away all your tears?
How could this hope transform the way you love, forgive, serve, and share the gospel this week?

Verses Cited

FAQ

What does "the sea was no more" mean in Revelation 21:1?

In the Bible, the sea often symbolizes chaos, evil, and death (Isaiah 57:20; Revelation 13:1; 20:13). To say it disappears is to announce that no evil, no threat, no trace of death will remain in the new heavens and the new earth.

Why does God tell us so much about the future in the Bible?

So that you don't lose hope in a world marked by suffering. Future promises aren't secondary information: they are the anchor that helps you persevere, just as they carried Moses (Hebrews 11:26) and Paul (2 Corinthians 4:18).

How do I live concretely while waiting for the new heavens and the new earth?

By not becoming too attached to a world that is only a place you're passing through, by storing up your treasures in heaven, by pursuing holiness (2 Peter 3:13-14), and by telling others about this hope that changes everything, even hardship.

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