a study by Rev. Paul A. Bartz

Revelation chapter 21 is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible, describing where and under what conditions the resurrected saints shall spend eternity in perfect fellowship with God. Here we see elements of Jerusalem, the Temple and the Garden of Eden.

21:1 makes only a brief reference to the destruction of the old creation which has already taken place at this point in John's vision of the future. This is very much in keeping with the theme of peace, beauty, and perfect fellowship with God which is the theme here.

What happened to the old heavens and the old earth -- quite literally, the entire old creation? 2 Peter 3:10-13 describes the details of what will happen to the earth -- the whole creation -- which we now know. The old creation (ours) will be destroyed with a great noise and heat at the Lord's return. This is no ordinary fire, for, according to Peter, the "elements (stoicheion) will melt with fervent heat (v.10)." The Greek word here, used only two other places in the New Testament, indicates about the same thing we mean when we talk about the elements in a scientific sense: the most basic building blocks of matter. This is no ordinary fire!

Peter adds in verse 12, "the heavens will dissolve, being on fire, and the elements will melt (luo) with a fervent heat..." indicating that the very forces holding the heavens together shall cease to exist. What an incredible description! As matter itself is being consumed, the heavenly bodies shall, in consuming heat, be cut loose from all of the forces which hold them together and in their places. (We might add that this description rules out those millenialistic descriptions which depict only the believers as knowing that Christ has returned. It seems that the events described here would be hard to miss!)

To conclude Peter's point: with this end of the creation in mind, "What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness . . . ?" (verse 11b).

So in verse 1 we are clearly dealing with a brand new creation in a much more literal sense than Noah could say that the world in which the Ark landed after the Flood was a new world. The most striking thing about this new creation where the believers will spend eternity is that it is a material place, and yet it is perfect. That will be a new experience for every human being except Adam and Eve, both of whom knew a perfect material creation.

In a very real sense, then, believers will finally know the perfect life in a material world and live in perfect fellowship with God just as we were originally created to live.

21:2-3 indicate to us that the spiritual will be an essential part of life in this new creation, for God will live with His people.

21:4 gives us but a cloudy idea of life in perfection by listing but a few of the things which we know now because of sin and assuring us that in this new creation these will be gone. One important point worth noting is that man today talks about doing away with death and with the causes of human suffering, and he even pretends that he will be able to do it. It is very clear that these things will never be done away with until God Himself does away with them for the saved.

21:5-8 are a message from God for people living before the new heavens and the new earth come to pass. This is a message intended directly for us today!

Verses 5 through 6a introduces this message by identifying the Speaker: Jesus Christ (compare with Rev. 1:8 and 22:13). The Bridegroom now gives John a message for the whole Church -- a message with our name on it! That message further confirms Who the Speaker is, for Christ is the One Who is the Source of living water. That the source is not ourselves, our own faith, good works, or good intentions (which, despite our ability to even realize our good intentions, are also as filthy rags compared to God's will), but Christ Himself and His work for us, is especially important for us to realize as we look at verse 7.

Verse 7 speaks of our overcoming. It would be easy for us to imagine, then, that our overcoming makes salvation our work. But this is not the case. Our failure to overcome is on our own heads. If we overcome, it is because of what God has given us for living, through the faith He gave us, by means of His baptism and His word and sacrament. As Paul says, there is no room for boasting; we are but beggars, to add Luther's last words to Paul's.

Verse 8 offers the other side of the coin, since those of us receiving this message are still in the world and still must live with the sinful flesh. Even in the believer the sinful flesh must be placed under subjection by means of the law. Notice, too, that unbelief is only one of the fruits of the flesh which rules where Christ does not. The cowardly, too, will be eternally condemned (when was the last time you heard a sermon on boldness versus cowardice?) Also among this list we find "sorcerers" (NKJV and NASB) or "those who practice magic arts" (NIV). The Greek here is pharmakois, which is a direct reference, not to witches, but to abortionists. (Review the explanation in our notes on Revelation 9, page 69 of these notes.)

Notice also that "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." On the second death see our comments on Revelation 20:6 (page 116). This language also confirms the imagery used elsewhere in Scripture, including our Lord's own words, which describe hell in these same terrible terms.

21:9-27 describe the New Jerusalem in the new creation of God in which the believers shall live! Some of this language is clearly figurative, but we must be careful to stay with the point of comparison so that we do not get lost or mislead ourselves.

The twelve gates in verse 12 are clearly indicating the basis of the Church in believing Old Testament Israel, since they have the names of the twelve tribes written on them. The twelve foundations in verse 14 clearly indicate the foundation of the Church's faith in the Apostles' teaching of Christ. This is made clear by the fact that they actually have the names of the 12 Apostles written on them. Incidentally, this should make clear that those who claim to be Apostles today are false teachers.

The measurements of the city can be taken as literal, lacking any indication of symbolism. The dimensions indicate that the New Jerusalem is 1,400 miles long, 1,400 miles wide and 1,500 miles high! It is described as a perfect cube. 144 cubits in verse 17, if taken as literal, translate into 216 feet. Since neither height nor width nor length is indicated, and because of the significance of 144 (12 times 12), this may be figurative.

21:18-21 impress us with the incredible beauty of the New Jerusalem. Some of the more obscure minerals named here are difficult to identify with certainty from the Greek.

21:22-27 highlight the Holy perfection of the New Jerusalem. There is no need for a Temple for the One Who is worshiped is among His people. He is their light and their life. The fact that all the faithful of all times are here is indicated in verses 24 and 26. In verse 25 we learn, in addition to the fact that the new earth has no sea, that it also has no night. The gates of cities used to be closed at night, when an open gate could provide an enemy easy access to the city under the cover of darkness. That the gates of this New Jerusalem, are never closed tells us not only that there is no more night, there are no more enemies to challenge God or His people.

Verse 27 is reassuring in that it rules out, forever, any further contact for us with sin, either from within ourselves or from temptation. The most difficult and continuous struggle of this life will be forever over!

1. Peter presents us with a description of the final end of the present creation in 2 Peter 3:10-13. With that description he asks us an important question for every Christ. In 2 Peter 3:11b, he asks, "What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness . . . ?" How does Peter's description help you to put your earthly concerns in perspective?

   Provide some concrete examples.

   1. What special comfort does Revelation 21:4 give to you?

   2. What might be the cause for these tears?