Great expectations stir in every believer’s heart, knowing that one day we will be living in a new heaven and new earth promised to us by God. There is no greater expectation than this: to be in our new home, to reign with Jesus Christ forever, and to worship God in this new majestic realm. It is both genuine and beyond our imagination.
Revelation 21:1: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
Revelation 21:2: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
Revelation 21:3: “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
Revelation 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Visualizing Our New World
We have an insatiable curiosity as to what this new heaven and new earth will be like. To the best of our abilities, we imagine ourselves entering pearly gates and walking on streets of gold. It’s best to look to the scriptures in both the Old Testament and the New Testament to give us a picture of accurate details and heavenly glimpses:
2 Peter 3:13: “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
Isaiah 65:17: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
Isaiah 65:18: “But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.”
Isaiah 65:19: “And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”
Isaiah 66:22: “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.”
The most descriptive passage of scripture of the new heaven and new earth is found in Revelation chapter 21. Unlike anything mankind has ever seen or fashioned, the words barely capture the majesty of this new realm and describe to us in the simplest of terms to help us form a clear picture. Here are some highlights of what is in store for us to see:
Revelation 21:10: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,”
Revelation 21:11: “Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;”
Revelation 21:12: “And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:”
Revelation 21:13: “On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.”
Revelation 21:14: “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
Revelation 21:18: “And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.”
Revelation 21:19: “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;”
Revelation 21:20: “The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.”
Revelation 21:21: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”
Exact measurements are recorded in Revelation 21, and we are given detailed descriptions of the foundation, walls, gates, and streets. All in all, the new heaven and new earth descend in spectacular fashion extending 1,500 miles in every direction.
The Lamb is the Light Thereof
Even more amazing than the stunning layout of the land is God’s holiness that permeates throughout this new realm. He is the sole source of energy powering the new heaven and new earth and everything else from within and without.
Revelation 21:22: “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
Revelation 21:23: “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”
Revelation 21:24: “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.”
Revelation 21:25: “And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.”
Revelation 21:26: “And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.”
Revelation 21:27: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Basking in God’s Presence
We stand in awe, surrounded by the beauty of this place; it is a delight of the senses teeming in God’s wondrous light. In its midst is the ever-present radiance of His holy majesty. For now, we cannot fully experience God’s presence in our present state, but all that will change when we meet our Creator face to face. Scriptures give us a taste of what to expect:
1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Even the whole of creation waits in anticipation of what is to come:
Romans 8:19: “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
Romans 8:20: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,”
Romans 8:21: “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
Romans 8:22: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
Romans 8:23: “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
In the Meantime
Yes, that will be a glorious day when we will, at last, see the new heaven and new earth. But in the meantime, we are not to be slack concerning our faith. Instead, edify God in all that we do and say. Love one another as Jesus loves us, and share the Gospel, which is our duty until the day comes, and all will be changed and no longer be beyond our imagination.
2 Peter 3:13: “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
2 Peter 3:14: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”
For an extensive, in-depth look into the new heaven and new earth, be sure to watch or read the sermon “A New Heaven and a New Earth.”
Great Expectations Related Articles
==> Also read “Pray for Persecuted Christians“
==> And read “The Greatest Battle of Our Time“