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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then I saw “a new Heaven and a new earth,” for the first Heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:1-4
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It’s always amazing to me how God, through His Word, shows us the connectional nature of the Old and New Testament, especially in regard to words He spoke through His prophets. Two such instances from the Book of Isaiah point to future time when things will radically change as our Lord promises to make all things new.
We’ll start today’s message with one of these instances and use it as a lead in to today’s passage. Look at what God had to say in the seventeenth verses of Isaiah, chapter 65:
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
Here, we find God foretelling of a day when the Heaven and earth present at the time of Isaiah would one day be no more. They are the former things that He mentions and in their place, He promises to create a new heaven and earth.
With that vision in mind, let’s now fast forward to the opening verses of Revelation, chapter 21 where we find the vision become a reality. Look again at these verses here as John continues to share what he is witnessing:
Then I saw “a new Heaven and a new earth,” for the first Heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Vv.1-4
Here, we find the emergence of “a new Heaven and earth” that replaced the “first Heaven and the first earth” which had “passed away” (thus becoming the “former things”). Within this new creation, John sees “the Holy City” which was “the new Jerusalem” descending from the new Heaven after being sent “from God”. Trying to describe this spectacular event the best he could, John said the new “Holy City” was “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”.
What purpose would this magnificent city hold on the new earth?
Going to our passage, we find the answer proclaimed by a loud voice from the throne:
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Through Jesus, the separation between God and man was no more. All who placed their belief in Jesus and, in turn had their names written within the Lamb’s Book of Life, were now living with Him for all eternity. He was their God and they were His people, the ones He saved for such a time as this.
And with that, we go to the second place in the Book of Isaiah that leads into this amazing advent of everlasting life between God, His Son Jesus, and all Christian believers. Look at these words from the eighth verse of Isaiah, chapter twenty-five:
“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.”
Here, the God who made all things new will ensure His people leave all that afflicted them in the past. There will be no more need for worry over “death or mourning or crying of pain” because all sources of sorrow will be gone. They will join sin and evil under the category of “the old order of things” which had “passed away.”
Friends, what an incredible future we have after Jesus returns to judge the earth. For through Him, our best life is yet to come, a new life made possible by the God who makes all things new. Until that time comes, let us give thanks and rejoice in this sure hope today and every day the Lord blesses us with.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
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