Many people believe the "new heaven and earth" mentioned in Revelation refers only to a future, eternal state that will follow the end of the world. But that's not the full picture. It's both about what's to come and what's true right now.
The Bible doesn't give us many details about heaven, just enough to assure us it's real. Its main focus is on our lives today. While the blessings described in the final chapters of Revelation certainly point to heaven, they also represent current realities for believers.
Think of heaven as a continuation and perfection of the good things God is doing through the Church in this life. We shouldn't just wait to experience these blessings in eternity; we should enjoy and rejoice in them right here, right now. John, when writing Revelation, was actually telling the early Church about present blessings that were already active and would grow as the gospel spread and transformed the world.
"Behold, I Am Making All Things New"
John's vision in Revelation 21:1: "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." connects to a core idea about salvation: it's a re-creation.
This is why the Bible uses creation language and imagery whenever God talks about saving His people. Think of major events like the Flood, the Exodus, and even Jesus's first coming; they're all described as God bringing about a new world.
It's in this same way that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, foretelling the blessings that would come with His Kingdom on Earth. He said:
“For I will create new heavens and a new earth; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind. Then be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. The sound of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her. In her, a nursing infant will no longer live only a few days, or an old man not live out his days. Indeed, the one who dies at a hundred years old will be mourned as a young man, and the one who misses a hundred years will be considered cursed. People will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and others live in them; they will not plant and others eat. For my people’s lives will be like the lifetime of a tree. My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor without success or bear children destined for disaster, for they will be a people blessed by the LORD along with their descendants. Even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle, but the serpent’s food will be dust! They will not do what is evil or destroy on my entire holy mountain,” says the LORD." Isaiah 65:17-25 (CSB)
"A New Heaven and Earth": It's Happening Now
When the Bible talks about a "new heaven and earth," especially in passages like Isaiah, it's not always referring to heaven or a time after the world ends. How do we know? Because in this "new heaven and earth," people are still dying (though at a very old age, "the lifetime of a tree"), building, planting, working, and having children.
While we could dive deep into all the implications of this Isaiah passage, the key takeaway is clear: it describes what we can expect in this current age, before the world ends. It shows how future generations will benefit as the gospel spreads, restoring the earth to a more ideal state and bringing God's Kingdom goals to fruition. Isaiah is portraying the amazing earthly fulfillment of the blessings mentioned in Deuteronomy 28.
So, when John sees "a new heaven and earth," its main meaning is symbolic, pointing to the incredible blessings that come with salvation.
The New Jerusalem: The Church Here and Now
Next, John sees "I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband." Revelation 21:2 (CSB). This isn't some futuristic space station; it's something much more exciting: it's the Church! The Church isn't just in the City; the Church is the City (as seen in Revelation 21:9-10).
We are actually in the New Jerusalem right now. The Bible makes this clear: "Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven ..."
Hebrews 12:22-23 (CSB). Other verses like Galatians 4:26 and Revelation 3:12 also support this.
The New Jerusalem is a present reality. It's described as "coming down from heaven" because the Church's origin is heavenly. We've been "born from above" (John 3:3) and are now considered citizens of this Heavenly City (Ephesians 2:19; Philippians 3:20).
This idea is further explained by John's next statement. He heard a loud voice from the throne, saying:
"Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and will be their God." Revelation 21:3 (CSB).
Like Paul, John connects these two concepts: we are citizens of heaven, and we are God's dwelling place, His holy Temple (Eph. 2:19-22). One of the Edenic blessings God promised in Leviticus was, "I will place my residence among you, and I will not reject you." Leviticus 26:11(CSB); this is fulfilled in the New Testament Church (2 Cor 6:16). The voice John heard continued:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
"Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life." Revelation 21:4-6 (CSB)
While these promises will ultimately be completely fulfilled in heaven, we need to understand that they are already true for us now.
Think about it: God has already wiped away our tears. You can see this difference when comparing Christian and non-Christian funerals. We still grieve, but we do so with hope, unlike those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). God has removed death's power to sting us (1 Corinthians 15:55-58).
Most strikingly, the phrase "The first things have passed away... Behold, I am making all things new" might sound familiar. That's because it echoes 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!" Is this true now? Absolutely! The only real difference between these two passages is that Paul is talking about individuals who are made new in Christ, while John is talking about the community of believers being made new. But both individuals and the community are brought back to a state of Paradise through salvation, and this restoration has already begun.
The "water of life" freely nourishes us now, giving life to individuals and flowing out to give life to the entire world (John 4:14; 7:37-39). God says, "The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son." Revelation 21:7 (CSB). Being a child of God means being characterized by victory over opposition (1 John 5:4). The phrase "I will be his God" is a foundational promise of God's covenant with His people, a promise of salvation (Genesis 17:7-8; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18).
So, while the ultimate and perfect fulfillment will happen in heaven for eternity, these truths are definitively and increasingly true for us right now. We are currently living in the "new heaven and the new earth"; we are citizens of the New Jerusalem. The old ways are gone, and everything has become new!
The Heavenly City: A Symbol of God's People
John is taken in a vision to a "great and high mountain" (Revelation 21:10) where he sees a beautiful, perfect paradise glowing with God's glory. This city has twelve gates, each inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and its twelve foundation stones bear the names of the twelve Apostles (Revelation 21:12-14). What does this mean? It clearly symbolizes that the City of God includes the entire Church, all of God's people, encompassing believers from both the Old and New Testaments. As Paul wrote, this city is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20).
Some people try to interpret the Bible very strictly, and their approach falls apart when they try to make sense of the measurements John gives for the City (Revelation 21:15-17). John says the City is a pyramid or cube, 12,000 "furlongs" (a unit of distance) on each side, with a wall 144 "cubits" (a unit of length) high. These numbers are clearly symbolic, with the multiples of twelve representing the Church's majesty, vastness, and perfection.
However, those who insist on a strictly literal interpretation feel they must convert these numbers into modern measurements. This leads to absurd results, like a wall 1,500 miles long and 216 feet high. This approach completely misses John's clear symbolism and leaves the reader with confusing, meaningless numbers. In their attempt to be literal, they actually erase the symbolic meaning of God's Word and replace it with something nonsensical.
John continues by describing the City in terms of precious jewels: its foundation stones are adorned with various gems, each gate is a "single pearl," the wall is made of jasper, and the City itself, including its street, is "pure gold, like transparent glass" (Revelation 21:18-21). Based on what we know about the Garden of Eden, this is another example of symbolic language. It speaks to the restoration and fulfillment of Paradise through salvation. Eight hundred years earlier, the prophet Isaiah also described the salvation to come as a City adorned with jewels, saying:
“Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted, I will set your stones in black mortar, and lay your foundations in lapis lazuli. I will make your fortifications out of rubies, your gates out of sparkling stones, and all your walls out of precious stones." Isaiah 54:11-12 (CSB)
It's interesting that the Hebrew word used for "black mortar" in this passage actually means "eyeshadow". This might sound strange, right? Walls are usually for protection, but this one is described as purely decorative. Who would build a wall out of jewels, using what sounds like makeup as "black mortar"?
Imagine someone incredibly rich and so sure of their safety that they'd build a wall purely for beauty, perhaps even using cosmetics as mortar. That's the picture Isaiah paints for the future of the Church, the City of God. It will be prosperous and utterly secure from all its enemies, as the rest of this passage details.
"Then all your children will be taught by the LORD, their prosperity will be great, and you will be established on a foundation of righteousness. You will be far from oppression, you will certainly not be afraid; you will be far from terror, it will certainly not come near you. If anyone attacks you, it is not from me; whoever attacks you will fall before you. Look, I have created the craftsman who blows on the charcoal fire and produces a weapon suitable for its task, and I have created the destroyer to cause havoc. No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute any accusation raised against you in court. This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their vindication is from me.” Isaiah 54:13-17 (CSB)
In this new, divine City, John observed a striking detail: there's no physical Temple (Revelation 21:22-23). This is because God the Almighty and Jesus, the Lamb, are its Temple – meaning God's presence is direct and all-encompassing.
Similarly, the City doesn't need the sun or moon for light, as "the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb." This imagery comes from Isaiah (Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-20) and highlights that the Church is filled with God's radiant glory, a dwelling place for His presence, shining with His pure, original light.
This is exactly what Jesus referred to as the "City on a Hill" (Matthew 5:14-16) – the Church, acting as the world's light, is meant to shine brightly for all to see, leading them to praise God the Father.
Expanding on this theme from Isaiah (Isaiah 60:4-18), John then describes how this City will impact and spread its influence among all the nations globally:
"The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never close during the day because it will never be night there. They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life." (Rev. 21:24-27; cf. Ps. 22:27; 66:4; 86:9; Isa. 27:6; 42:4; 45:22-23; 49:5-13; Hag. 2:7-8)
This passage describes a future where nations still exist, but they are all converted and drawn to the City of God, bringing their riches with them. It means that as the light of the gospel shines from the Church into the world, the world will be transformed, nations will become followers of Christ, and the wealth that once belonged to sinners will be inherited by the righteous.
This isn't just a hopeful idea; it's a fundamental teaching throughout the entire Bible. It's the way history is designed to unfold, the direction the world is headed. This is our future, a legacy for generations to come.
The River of Life: A Blessing for All
We eagerly anticipate the reversal of the Curse in every aspect of life, both now and in the future, as the gospel spreads throughout the entire world.
We've previously explored how the image of the Eden River is consistently used in the Bible to symbolize the blessings of Paradise returning to Earth through the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Church (think of Ezekiel 47:1-12 and Zechariah 14:8). John appropriately concludes his vision of the New Creation with this powerful image, drawn from Ezekiel's vision of the Church:
"Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, and there will be no longer any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever." Revelation 22:1-5 (CSB)
The River of Life is already flowing (John 4:14; 7:37-39). It will continue to grow, bringing increasing blessings to the earth, healing nations, and ending lawlessness and conflict as biblical principles are applied (Micah 4:1-3).
This vision of the Church's amazing future, both on Earth and in heaven, repairs what was broken in Genesis. In Revelation, we see humanity redeemed, brought back to God's presence, sustained by the River and the Tree of Life, and regaining the lost authority to rule as priest-kings over the earth.
This is our privilege and inheritance now, definitively and progressively, in this current age. And it will be ours completely in the age to come. Paradise is being restored.
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