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Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Revelation 21:1-27 The New Heaven and the New Earth = Week 52 - Wednesday

The New Heaven and the New Earth

Revelation 21:1-27




Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying we must ask the following questions:
  • What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations and notice the words that standout)
Biblegateway (NIV) (My choice of all-round site. It is a great app, better on computers or on a smartphone)
StepBible (ESV) (Great on phone or computer with good resources.)
Literal Word  (New American Standard Bible) (Works well on a smartphone or computer + for searching for words like a printed concordance)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer especially if you have a logos account)


Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.

  • Review and retell the story.




Themes
The New Heaven and New Earth
The Holy City, New Jerusalem
God Dwelling Among People
Life Free from Sorrow and Death
Judgment and Reward

Topics
End Times
Divine Judgment
Heaven
The Kingdom of God
The Glory of God



Potential Sermon Titles: ??

Intro Questions to get us thinking:

ESV Text with Highlights
#God =
#People =
  • John
  • God
  • Jesus Christ
  • The Bride, the Wife of the Lamb (the Church)
#Time =
#Place =
  • The Throne of God
  • The New Heaven
  • The New Earth
  • The New Jerusalem
  • The River of Life
#Obedient faith
#Sin
#Key Idea

Revelation 21

The New Heaven and the New Earth

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling placea of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,b and God himself will be with them as their God.c 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.d Its length and width and height are equal. 17He also measured its wall, 144 cubitse by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.






OBSERVATIONS (Reflect on the topic and build the concept the writer is trying to communicate to the original audience)
ebible (NLT) (Best for having Bible sections divided by "pericope" or sections by thought)
Bible Project (NLT) (Helpful videos and instructions for the bigger picture)
Thematic Bible (Books and Chapters Structure)
Bible Hub = Outline, Themes, Topics, People, Locations, and Questions

Revelation 21 describes a vision of a new heaven and a new earth, where God dwells among His people. The chapter begins with the declaration that the old order has passed away, and there will be no more death, sorrow, or pain. The New Jerusalem, a beautifully adorned city, descends from heaven, symbolizing God's eternal presence with humanity.

The city is described in detail, highlighting its glory, precious materials, and the absence of the temple, as God's presence is the ultimate light. The chapter emphasizes the promise of inheritance for those who overcome and warns that those who are wicked will not enter this holy place. Ultimately, it portrays a future of hope, peace, and the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people.




STUDY RESOURCES (This takes some work and here are more resources than you can go through completely)
Rhys N. Thomas @ Thomas Theology Hub has written a Commentary on Revelation.
NETBible (New English Translation) (Great for original text/manuscript information)
BlueLetter  (King James Version) (A variety of resources and good on Phones / better on Computers)
BibleHub (HCSB) (Good on computer or app/phone with lots of well-organized information.)
BibleHub (BSB) (Good on computer or app/phone with lots of well-organized information.)
BibleRef.com (New King James Version) Basic able to compare core translations.
StudyLight (Amplified Bible) (Great site with commentaries by Burton Coffman)
KnowingJesus (Phone / Computer and great for comparing translations)
Bible.com (Lexham English Bible) App is best on a mobile device.
  • God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
  • We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?



APPLICATION (God wants us all to arrive at action, life-changing faith)
ESV (English Standard Version) Good translation with some helpful resources.
Biblegateway (Christian Standard Bible) has some application resources.
The Message (MSG) (An easy-to-read paraphrase that helps some with application)
Heartlight (Great for practical application of scripture)

  • I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
  • What transformative move needs to be made?
  • You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.


Take Away Challenges

  • What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?

  • Whom do you know who needs to hear this?

  • What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?


PRAYER: We praise You, Lord, for Your perfect plan of salvation. Thank You that in Christ we have everything we need for life and godliness. We look forward to the day when we will see You face to face and dwell with You forever. Amen. In the Name of Jesus.




Other Resources:


  • Other YouTube Videos
SearchTV

    • Articles

    • Devotions

    • Links 



      Please let me know if you find any broken links or corrections that need to be made. Thank you for helping to make this useful.

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