Revelation 21:1-8 - A New Heaven and Earth

by Katrina

LINK: Revelation 21:1-8

BACKGROUND
God will make a new heaven and earth after the destruction of the old. There will be a new holy city of Jerusalem. The city is compared to a beautiful bride. In this city, God will dwell among men. He will wipe away their tears, remove all death, crying, pain, and mourning. He will make everything new and overflowing with life. The citizens of this beautiful city will be those who have overcome sin. While those who are overcome by sin will experience a second death in the lake of fire.

REFLECTION
What began in Genesis, God brings to completion at the end of Revelation.

• heavens and earth created (Gen 1:1) . . . . new heavens and earth (Rev 21:1)
• sun was created (Gen 1:16) . . . . no sun will be needed (Rev 21:23)
• night established (Gen 1:5) . . . . there will be no night (Rev 22:5)
• seas created (Gen 1:10) . . . . there will be no sea (Rev 21:1)
• man sinned (Gen 3) . . . . man overcomes sin (Rev 21:7)
• curse established (Gen 3:14-17) . . . . curse removed (Rev 22:3)
• sorrow and pain began (Gen 3:17) . . . . no more tears or pain (Rev 21:4)
• death enters (Gen 3:19) . . . . no more death (Rev 21:4)
• man blocked from tree of life (Gen 3:24) . . . . access to the tree of life (Rev 22:14)

APPLICATION
All believers are "overcomers" and will inherit eternal life in the eternal city. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4-5). "And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life" (1 John 5:11-12).

As believers, we have been given a new life, one that is not enslaved to sin. Our old self was crucified so that our body of sin might be done away with and that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For anyone who has died to self is freed from sin (Rom 6:6-7). We ought to consider ourselves dead to sin, no longer being drawn by its attraction. Instead, we ought to live for God in Jesus. Sin should not rule over us anymore (Rom 6:11-13). Once we are saved from sin, we must live out our freedom from sin. Let's live our lives as overcomers!

PRAYER
Praise God today for the ability to overcome sin. If your life is overcome by sin rather than having sin conquered, seek God's help. Spend some time in Romans 6-8 and take an honest look at both your sin and what Jesus has done to free you from your sin. Spend much time in prayer about it, and seek out a godly person who will hold you accountable to growing. Let's become true overcomers who are not ruled by sin.