When We all Get to Heaven

Revelation 21:1 - 8

 

INTRODUCTION

 

·                    Series Introduction: This is the seventh of the Seven Last Things, The Seven Last          Things of Human History.  It begins with the Return of Christ; then Christ’s Defeat        of the Anti-Christ; then Apprehension and Arrest of the Person behind the Antichrist,    Satan himself; then the Millennium; we witnessed Satan’s Revolt and Man’s Rebellion         and the awfulness of the Great White Throne Judgment; now we move into the New       Heaven and New Earth.  So, we have seen that . . .

                                                                           Heaven will Rejoice, 19:1 – 10

                                                                           Christ will Return, 19:11 – 21:3

                                                                                    Saints will Reign, 20:4 – 6

                                                                                    Satan will Revolt, 20:7 – 10

                                                                                    Sinners are Recompensed, 20:11 – 15

                                                                                    Saints will Reside with God, 21:1 – 8

 

·                    Sermon Introduction

 

                                                No More Night

            “The timeless theme, earth and heaven will pass away

            It’s not a dream God will make all things new that day

            Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell

            Evil is banished to eternal hell.

 

            See all around, now the nations bow down to sing

            The only sound is the praises to Christ our King

            Slowly the names from the book are read

            I know the king there’s no need to dread

 

                CHORUS

            No more night, no more pain

            No more tears never crying again

            Praises to the great I am

            We will live in the light of the risen Lamb” (Walt Harrah, 1984 Word Music)

 

            “From the smoke and pain and heat [of the preceding scenes] it is a relief to pass into the clear, clean atmosphere of the eternal morning where the breath of heaven is sweet and the vast city of God sparkles like a diamond in the radiance of his presence” (Moffat in Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 12).

 

I.                   The Creation of the New Heaven and New Earth, Revelation 21:1 – 4

A.     What is new? Heaven and earth are new in character and quality.

1.      Heaven is new for there is not sun or moon, v. 23.

2.      Earth is new for there is no more curse of sin, Revelation 22:3, Romans 8:22.

3.      The holy city, New Jerusalem is the final dwelling of all the saints with the freshness and beauty of a bride.

 

 

B.     What is no more?

1.      Sea - is associated with evil, Revelation 13:1, with disorder, Isaiah 57:20.

2.      Tear (The word is singular in the Greek.)

a.      tear of misfortune that Job wept

b.      tear of misery that the widow of Nain wept for her son

c.      tear of mercy that Jesus & Jeremiah wept for Jerusalem

3.      Death

a.      every church has a graveyard

b.      every city has a cemetery

c.      every newspaper has an obituary

4.      Sorrow

a.      some lives have a burden

b.      some lives have a bitterness

c.      some lives have a battle constantly

5.      Crying (a wailing, a cry of sorrow)

a.      no more crying for want

b.      no more crying for weariness

c.      no more crying for wrong and injustices done

6.      Pain

a.      no more diseases

b.      no more dysfunction of body

c.      no more dysfunction of spirit

C.    What is there that is not here now?  God’s presence , the Shekinah, Revelation 21:3c

 

II.                The Certainty of the New Heaven and New Earth, Revelation 21:5 – 6

A.     The Promise of God is given by God on the throne, v. 5a.

B.     The Guarantee of this Promise is based on the faithfulness (“these words are true and faithful”) and the character of God, (“I am Alpha and Omega”).

 

III.             The Citizens of the New Heaven and New Earth, Revelation 21:7 – 8

A.     They are God’s people, v. 3.

B.     They are a satisfied people, v 6b.  They are not thirsty.

C.    They are an overcoming people, v. 7, 1 John 5:4 – 5.

D.    Those who are not in the New Heaven and New Earth, v. 8.

1.      Fearful – are those who never became Christians because they were afraid of the persecution.

2.      Unbelieving – are those who will not have Christ to rule over them.

3.      Abominable – are those who sin against nature.

4.      Murderers – are those who have taken a life.

5.      Whoremongers – are those who are sexually immoral.

6.      Sorcerers – are any who involved in black magic.

7.      Idolaters – are any who have worshiped false gods both inward and outward.

8.      Liars – are those who have denied the truth of the Gospel, 1 John 1:10, 2:4, 2:22, 5:10 and “let God be true and every man a liar, “Romans 3:4.

9.      Those who are not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, 21:27.

  

CONCLUSION

1. God is sovereign and will fulfill his purposes in creation.
2. People hold in their hands, under the sovereignty of God, the power to determine their eternal future.  They are responsible to confess Christ as Savior.

Which way are you going?  Will you be in the New Heaven and New Earth prepared for God and His people or in the old Hell prepared for the devil and his angels?