Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new! ”Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

1) What is the greater context of this passage?
Revelation can be a little confusing sometimes. It is the last book of the Bible and brings all things to close in scripture. It is full of prophecy of things that will “soon take place” and hope for Christ’s return that will make all things right. One main purpose of Revelation is to give a glimpse into the rest of the story. This passage specifically gives a picture of what the “new” redeemed existence will look like when creation will no longer “groan” for the day of redemption because it will be here (Romans 8:22)! The time when what was “supposed to be” will be as it was meant to be once and for all.

2) How is the new heaven and new earth described in this passage?
John, the write of Revelation, spends a great deal of time in a state of having “visions” within the book of Revelation. He sees things and records them as he sees them. In this passage, he sees what he calls the “new heaven and new earth. There is no sea in the new earth and all the things of the old earth have passed away. He sees a “new Jerusalem” coming down. This is thought to be symbolic of the Christian church, the Holy dwelling of the righteous and redeemed. It isn’t a literal city but rather a picture of an eternal state of dwelling for those who follow Christ. God is dwelling there with His people and the perfect state found in Genesis 1-2 has been recreated.

3) What is the biggest difference between the new existence that John writes about and this present one?
The biggest difference between this present age and the one to come is that God dwells with His people and there is no sin in the new heaven and new earth. God wipes away all of the old broken and tattered world and makes all things new. The redemption of all of creation, including humanity is complete. The days of longing for something more are fulfilled in the new heaven and new earth.

1) What is the greater context of this passage?
Some of my favorite passages of scripture are found right here in Revelation 21 and 22. It gives me as a believer a glimpse of what I have been waiting and hoping for since meeting Jesus. Revelation is like looking at a trailer of coming attractions. It reveals just enough to make you want more, yet not enough to always fully understand what the whole movie is about from beginning to end. I don’t have all the answers, but I can read clearly here that God will return, He will set all things to the way they were meant to be, and He will dwell with His people for all eternity.

2) How is the new heaven and new earth described in this passage?
This passage gives a joyful and hope-filled eternal lens from which to view life in this present age. Romans 8:18-25 gives a vivid picture of the pain and suffering of this world and the “eager expectation” that comes with the belief that Christ will return and make all things right. The new heaven and the new earth described in Revelation 21 gives us the answer to the longing. The answer to the day-to-day struggle of this life is to have HOPE, for there is coming a day of redemption! There is coming a time when God will wipe away every tear, death will sting no more, and O, HAPPY DAY- the old has passed away and the new has come!

3) What is the biggest difference between the new existence that John writes about and this present one?
There are so many passages within scripture that give us insight into what eternity will look like. Read Genesis 1-2, read Revelation 21-22. The first book of the Bible and the last reveal what God intended and intends, what did happen and what will happen, the past that only the blood of Christ erases and the future He holds secure! We long for something more because we are knitted together and woven in His image, for His purpose and for His glory. This present age seeks to kill, steal, and destroy that but we know how it ends! God will once again be with His people, dwelling as He did in the Garden! Eden restored, just as it was meant to be!

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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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