Today, we will explore one of the most glorious visions in all of Scripture — the new heaven, the new earth, and the holy city, New Jerusalem.
What if this vision is about the New Covenant kingdom of God, established in the first century and still unfolding in our midst today?
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.
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 21:1–2
Creation as Covenant Language
To understand Revelation 21, we must go back to Genesis 1.
In the Bible, creation language is often covenantal — a way God describes His ordered relationship with His people.
In Genesis, the heavens and the earth were made in six days, and on the seventh day, God rested. This was more than a physical event; it was the inauguration of a covenant world — God dwelling with man, man ruling under God’s authority, and creation functioning in harmony.
Isaiah 51:15–16 confirms this covenantal use of creation terms:
But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.
Here, “planting the heavens” and “laying the earth’s foundations” clearly refer to establishing Israel as God’s covenant people, not the creation of planets and stars.
The Passing Away of the Old Heaven and Earth
Revelation 21:1 says the “first heaven and the first earth were passed away.”
In covenant language, this refers to the Old Covenant world — the temple system, the Levitical priesthood, and the sacrifices — all of which were about to vanish with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Hebrews 8:13 (KJV) says:
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Peter uses the same imagery in 2 Peter 3:10 (KJV):
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat…
The “elements” — στοιχεῖον stoicheíon Greek — are the principles and ordinances of the Mosaic law (Galatians 4:3, 9; Colossians 2:20). Peter was not describing the destruction of the physical universe, but the dissolution of the Old Covenant order.
The Sea Was No More
John adds, “there was no more sea.” In Scripture, the sea often represents chaos, separation, and the nations. In the Old Covenant temple, the “sea” — the great bronze laver — stood between God and His people as a reminder of cleansing needed before entering His presence.
In the New Covenant, that separation is removed (Ephes. 2:14&15).
The “sea” of division is gone; Jew and Gentile are one in Christ.
The New Jerusalem as the Bride
John sees the holy city, New Jerusalem, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Who is this bride? Scripture identifies her as the Church (Ekklesia).
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:2:
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Ephesians 5:27 describes Christ’s purpose:
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Hebrews 12:22–23 tells believers of the first century:
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven.
Notice — they had already come to the New Jerusalem.
Old Testament Promises Fulfilled
The New Jerusalem vision is rooted in the prophets. Isaiah 65:17 (KJV) says:
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
But Isaiah then describes people building houses and planting vineyards — a picture of covenant restoration, not the destruction of the material world.
Ezekiel 37:27 prophesies:
My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
This is fulfilled in the living temple of Christ’s body — the Church (1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:19–22).
God Dwelling with His People
Revelation 21:3 declares:
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.
This echoes Leviticus 26:11–12:
And I will set my tabernacle among you… and I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
Under the New Covenant, God’s dwelling is not in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48; 17:24). His people are His temple.
No Temple in the City
Revelation 21:22 says:
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Worship is no longer tied to a location. As Jesus said in John 4:23:
The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
The New Covenant Kingdom
The new heaven and new earth represent the New Covenant order — a redeemed creation where God’s dwelling and man’s fellowship are restored through Christ.
The prophet Daniel foresaw it :
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom- Daniel 7:27
This kingdom was inaugurated at Christ’s resurrection and enthronement, and fully revealed when the Old Covenant System passed away in AD 70.
Closing Challenge
When you read Revelation 21:1&2, see the covenant story from Eden to Zion — from the first Adam to the last Adam — God bringing His people into perfect fellowship with Himself.
The new heaven and new earth are here. The New Jerusalem is here. God dwells with His people. Let us walk in the reality of His everlasting kingdom.
Thank you for reading, God bless as you study to show yourself approved.
No comments:
Post a Comment