Beginning with the End in Mind- Revelation 21:1-8

With the business of Christmas behind us and the anticipation of a new year in front of us, I could not help but be reminded of the fact that the people of God exist in between two different experiences. Those who have a saving relationship with Jesus are no longer what they once were, but they are not yet what they will be. We live in the anticipation of a glorious and very real heaven and yet here we are stuck in this fallen world, at least for the present. In this tension, I’m afraid that our anticipation for what is coming is not as eager as it should be. The concerns, pressures, and distractions that abound around us can dwarf our appreciation for what has been promised by God in the end. This can leave many of God’s people uninspired, disinterested, or even indifferent to the things of the Lord and the lives he has placed around us. Though some would have you think that believers can be too heavenly minded that they are no earthly good, I’m increasingly of the same opinion that C.S. Lewis shares in Mere Christianity. He writes ”If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next… It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.” Thankfully, God does not leave us without a remedy for a disproportionate preoccupation with things down below. In fact, he has provided a compelling preview of what is to come so that we might be both personally inspired and useful to those around us in the gospel mission. Much of this preview is recorded in the Book of Revelation and today I’d like to take just one passage and provide us with two lists of reminders that I believe God wants us to embrace so that we might begin this upcoming year, and every year thereafter, with the end in mind. It is my prayer that by enlarging our appreciation for what is to come we can be of better use in the hands of God here and now.

1. REMINDER #1: What The People of God Can Expect in the End-21:1-4

a. Freedom from Chaos-21:1

The first thing that the people of God can expect in the end is what John sees in verse 1—“then I saw a new heaven and a new earth” (21:1). This vision is a sight for sore eyes given that the existing earth and heavens (here probably a reference to the skies above) have fallen under the curse of sin, leaving all people suffering under evil’s oppressive regime of difficulty, disease, disillusionment, deception, destruction, and death (all the Ds 😊). John’s forecast of a new heaven and new earth in Revelation builds off an earlier prophecy found in Isaiah 65. There the prophet looks forward to a time in which the broken world of sin and decay would be replaced with a new one. Paul picks up this same theme in Romans 8:21 when he says, “creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” In both Isaiah, Romans, and here in Revelation 21, an attitude of joy and newness abound as this fresh domain (the new heaven and the new earth) allow for the alleviation of all chaos.

In order for this chaos-free environment to exist, “the first heaven and the first earth” must “pass away” (i.e. go out of existence). The verb used here suggests the consummation of a process/program that yields a new state of affairs. Everything leading up to this passage in the Book of Revelation has been contributing to this new reality—the judging of the world (4-18), the victory of Christ over evil (19), the expulsion of all God’s enemies from the scene (19-20), etc. These events have succeeded in ushering "a new kind of existence in which all the negatives of the ‘first’ (Gen. 1) world will be removed, all the discolorations by sin will be gone” (Osborne, Revelation, 729-30). As mere mortals it is difficult to imagine what this might be like given that the residual effects of the fall impact nearly all aspects of our lives. The “new heaven and the new earth” is not going to be “new” in the sense of a new model of a car, the latest version of an Iphone, or the newest season of your favorite binge-worthy show, it will be a radically and fundamentally different kind of new.

Interestingly, the newness of this new heaven and new earth is described by means of what will NOT be seen upon its emergence—“and there is no longer any sea” (21:1). This statement might seem odd given that for many of us in today’s world, the sea is a source of beauty and where many of us like to vacation and enjoy the more pleasing side of God’s creation. However, “the sea” in the ancient world suffered very different connotations. In Revelation alone the sea is referred to as the origin of evil from which the beast (Antichrist) emerges (see 13:1), the sight of persecution of the saints (in 17:1-6), the place of death (20:13), and the locos of the world’s idolatrous trade activity (18:10-19)…YIKES!. These figurative connotations played upon the superstitions of many ancients who believed that the sea was where monsters dwelled and where great mystery and danger existed. It was a source of chaos. After all, many who travelled by sea didn’t make it to their destination or return home. Paul himself was shipwrecked on multiple occasions while on the Mediterranean Sea and Jesus calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee. And yet, perhaps the most compelling parallel that can be made with Revelation 21:1’s late description of the new earth and new heaven is found all the way back at the beginning in Genesis 1. There, the chaos and void of the nothingness that existed prior to the creation of the world was described as a watery deep—“the earth was formless and void and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters” (Gen. 1:2). Seas are nearly always used in the Bible to suggest a void, chaos, danger, evil, and/or wickedness. Rivers….good; Seas….bad. The fact that there is no sea in the new heaven and the new earth means these existential threats are totally gone. What a relief God promises for his people in the end. What a difference this will be from the frustrating world around us here and now.

b. Perfect Communion with God-21:2-3

The new heavens and the new earth will afford God the opportunity to relocate in a most dramatic and fascinating way—“and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (21:2). Because sin and brokenness has so infected the present world, God was required to reside among his people in fairly specific and limited ways. Though in the Old Testament God dwelt with his people in a temple built in Jerusalem, he was hidden behind a veil and the temple was eventually destroyed by foreign powers when God’s people proved idolatrous and unrepentant. Though in the New Testament era God is said to dwell in the hearts of his people (as our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit), this too is veiled and in some ways hidden from the outside world. However, there is coming a day when the presence of God will be conspicuous, obvious, and gloriously visible for all to see. Sin had severed the close proximity God and man shared in the garden of Eden. But when God brings about the new heaven and the new earth, He will be able to move back in with his people and enjoy perfect communion with them in both a spiritual AND physical way. Something of the excitement and joy this will bring God is witnessed in the added description “as a bride adorned for her husband.”

John continues by saying “and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people and God Himself will be among them.” All these images demonstrate the alleviation of those many barriers that at present give the people of God the perception that he is, in some ways, far-removed or distant. Though the people of God are encouraged to pray and though many know that God is omnipresent (in all places at all times), because our present world is what it is, even the mature among us can in times of weakness and difficultly feel as though God is a long-ways off. This will no longer be the case in the end. He will, again in a very literal way, be “among men” (this very phrase is repeated three times in verse 3 alone). Also, “the tabernacle” has always symbolized God’s dwelling among his people.

c. Relief from All Sorrow-21:4

With the domain set (“new heaven and new earth”) and God brought close (“among men”), the saints can also expect relief from all sorrow. This will come as God himself provides the comfort for which so many desperately long –“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (21:4a). Something of the intimacy and care associated with the comfort God will provide is witnessed in the mention of “every tear” which indicates God’s great compassion for his people, even to the point of noticing what is distressing, though infinitely miniscule (Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 445). The idea is that every single sorrow will be erased.

The lack of sorrow and removal of every tear is made possible because the many carcinogens that cause dismay will be gone forever—“and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (21:4b). Though many of us have heard this verse before or know from previous sermons/lessons/devotionals that this is true, consider afresh what this means as I read this again—“there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (21:4b). Death is the greatest existential threat facing us all. It motivates some to live it up while they can while for others it brings nothing but anxiety and depression. However, this is not limited to physical death. Consider also the death of trust or of a relationship or of a good opportunity. Death as a concept will be forgotten. Expiration will itself die and no longer be a motivating factor on the earth. Later this is confirmed when Revelation reveals that there is no longer any curse from sin (Rev. 22:3). As it was sin that introduced death through the curse into all the world, no such thing will exist in the new heaven and the new earth for God’s people.

This is made possible because “the first things have passed away” (21:4c). In other words, because there is no longer any chaos or threats (as witnessed in the absence of the sea), there is no longer any sin (which is why God can move in) which means there no longer any curse of sin (death) which means no longer any mourning or crying or pain. All these things that God’s people can expect in the end are housed within the bookends created by the phrase “have passed away.” In 21:1 the old earth and heavens were said to have “passed away” and here in verse 4 the “first things” are said to have passed away. Because the world as we know it will pass away, God’s people can trust that heaven for them will be free of chaos, include uninhibited communion with God, and will result in relief from all sorrow.

Some listening today would do well to expand their understanding of what is to come in the end so that your opinion of what this world has to offer now will shrink. Some hearing this today could benefit from focusing on the glory described here so that what troubles you now may pale in comparison. To be heavenly minded means to find rest in what has been promised and what is coming. It does God’s people well to remember and meditate on the awesome glory awaiting them in a new world. Jesus encouraged as much when he comforted his disciples before heading to the cross saying, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1ff). Here, in Revelation, God goes a long way in describing what this dwelling place will look and feel like in an effort to draw our attention upward and ahead in a world that seeks to limit our focus to those distractions that abound around us. Part of the agenda of this passage and the entire Book of Revelation involves inspiring God’s people in every place and in every time with the white-hot glory of what is to come. However, what does this mean for now? How does being heavenly minded translate today?

2. REMINDER #2: What the World Needs to Know in the Meantime-21:5-8

a. God is on the Move-21:5-“…And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’…”

Answers to these questions are provided in the second set of reminders which include “what the world needs to know in the meantime” found in verses 5-8. First, in light of the hope God’s people have, the world needs to remember that God is on the move—“And he who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And he said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true’” (21:5). Everything described in the first set of reminders of verses 1-4 is in the process of coming to pass—a process that will ultimately yield what has already been celebrated. This reminder is important for those who are prone to doubt that God could possibly use this or that to further his plan or purposes. Though the process may confound us for the time being, God’s people are those who trust that it is perfect and will result in God’s greatest good. Here, once again, Romans offers a helpful parallel—“and we know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). According to this, for believers, nothing in your life, no experience, good or bad, is wasted by God as he sees his purpose and process fulfilled.

Don’t you know that you are in process, I’m in process, this church, my church, is in process, and this world is in process. The only thing that isn’t “in process” is the “One who sits on the throne” who is working it all out in his always glorious and yet sometimes mysterious ways. Remembering this ought to go a long way in how we view God and our fellow man. As God is not in process, he is the only one we can ultimate depend on and trust in. As all others (including ourselves) are in process, we as God’s people, in view of the end, ought to depend less on these personalities for our ultimate security and satisfaction. After all, none of us are finished yet (no one is).  God has been finished from the beginning. Beginning this year and every year thereafter with the end in mind starts with remembering who sits on the throne and recognizing how much work all others still need—including you and me.

b. God is in Control-21:6a-“…And He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end…”

The idea of God’s complete sovereignty, total independence, and perfection is reiterated in the next reminder—that God is in control—“and he said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (21:6a). As only the supreme commander, highest ranking official, or most powerful in any organization, system, or group is the one who decides when something is finished, this verse suggests that God is the one who, as sovereign Lord of the universe, decides when things are complete (not you, not me, nor your circumstances, etc.). It is only over when he says it is over and even then, something far better waits for God’s people. “It is done” (gegonen) is even more emphatic than what Jesus exclaimed on the cross—“it is finished” (tetelesqai). “It is finished” suggested that God’s program of redemption was complete—essentially and spiritually—when Jesus gave his life for sinners and provided a way to God. “It is done” here suggests that what was essentially and spiritually true then is now experientially the case—visible, total, perfected. God is able to determine this because he is “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (21:6a). As God has always existed, even prior to Genesis, and will forever exist beyond the terminus of measured history, the buck ultimately stops with him. He is Lord over the beginning and the end and God’s people would do well to live their lives with that reminder ever before them.

This is important given that it is so easy in our world to live as though something or someone else is the beginning and end of all things. Be it a president, the majority in a specific house of congress, a particular judge on the supreme court piece of legislation; or a spouse, child, or other family member/friend; or a job, opportunity, house, status, etc., none of these things are the beginning and end and therefore they should be look upon or treated as such. I see so many believers get all hot and bothered/overwhelmed by so little in the grand scheme of things. Friends, the beginning and end for God’s people cannot be voted out of office, die, be lost, burn down, or lose

sway. God’s people are to live and think in terms of the next thousand years and beyond, not merely the next election cycle, school year, season, or decade. After all, our God will remain when all this that you see around you is gone. Remember that today as you begin this next year.

c. God Offers an Invitation-21:6b-“…I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost…”

Because God is the ultimate sovereign he alone can provide what others promise but fail to give. In the next reminder God offers an invitation and says, “I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost” (21:6b). This is a personal invitation to those who are far from God to come to him for what only he can offer—salvation. The image here is of a desperate soul wandering in a wilderness, parched, exhausted, in need of refreshment and nourishment. To these who are in need, God offers access to the spring of the water of life, free of charge. This is a powerful symbol of what Jesus Christ offers.

To a thirsty and embarrassed woman approaching a well Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (Jn. 4:13-14). Later in John 7:38 Jesus would say, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”  These passages reveal that not only does Jesus provide much-needed life-giving nourishment to the tired and famished soul, he supplies those who come to him with an ongoing reservoir to draw from throughout their lives. This he offers as the water of life. The heavenly minded believer ought to live his or her life as one who has been refreshed and is being perpetually refreshed by this living water—drawing regularly from the spring that is Christ for their spiritual nourishment.

d. God has made a Promise-21:7-8

Finally, God’s people need to be reminded to live here and now in light of the promise God has made. In verses 7-8 a two-fold promise is given that ought to motivate God’s people to be on mission with urgency as they await the blessed hope of what they can expect in the end. To be sure, one cannot be about this mission well unless they first remember what has already been mentioned: that God is on the move, that he is in control, and the he has extended an invitation. This invitation comes with a promise: “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son” (21:7). Of all the themes associated with God’s people in the Book of Revelation “overcomer” is the most striking and nearly the most prevalent. Overcome what? Overcome this world (the present broken world) in and through the victory that Christ has brought in his death and resurrection and will one day bring in the end when he annihilates all God’s enemies and sin and death. The verb nikaw mean to win a victory and is the inspiration behind the brand name Nike. God shares here that those who are found in Christ will receive a victory and all the blessings appertaining thereunto—the greatest being a close relationship with God—“and I will be his God and he will be My son.”

However, for those left in their sins, those who do not take freely from the water of life that God offers, separation from God awaits. The text goes on to say, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (21:8). This series of iniquities ought not be understood as an exhaustive list of sins, but a sample compendium of those kinds of things that separate us from God in our lostness. Friends, the fate of the hell described here for those who are left in their sin is just as real as the fate of heaven described earlier for believers. It is up to those who are heavenly minded to live like there is something more than this world and share the opportunity God has made available for those around us to take of the living water that is Christ without cost in order to experience it. After all, if the heavenly-minded aren’t about this mission, who will be? Beginning with the end in mind means being on mission to share the end with those who are still far from God.

So What?

I don’t know where your mind is at today, but of this I’m certain, there are those in attendance who are believers who would do well to remember that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). “in this (we can) greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary (we) are distressed by various trials” (1 Pet. 1:6). In case you forgot dear brother or sister in Christ, what is waiting for you in the end is freedom from all this chaos around you, perfect, uninhibited communion with your God, and relief from all sorrow. Meditate on this and realize that even the most acute distress you may go through is but a particle in the vapor of your life that is here and then gone compared to what we will experienced in eternity with the Lord. The church and this world needs more heavenly-minded believers who live with the realization that God is on the move, the confidence that comes from knowing that God is in control, the energy that comes from having accepted the invitation of the water of life, and the urgency of sharing the hope of Jesus with those who are still far from him. Let’s be a people who aim at Heaven this year and every year thereafter, and in so doing let us be used effectively of God in this world because we are so impressed by what is coming in the next.