Revelation 21:1-4. The Dwelling Place of God & Man “I’m not looking for the sunset as the...

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Revelation 21:1-4

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“I’m not looking for the sunset as the swift years come and go; I am looking for the sunrise and the golden morning glow.

“I’m not going down, but upward and the path is never dim, for the day proves ever brighter as I journey on with him.

“So my eyes are on the hilltops, waiting for the sun to rise, Waiting for my invitation to my home beyond the skies.”

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

What a glorious day when we see the eternal sunrise!

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

What a glorious day when we see the eternal sunrise!• In tonight’s text, the Apostle John sees a glimpse

of that eternal sunrise.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

What a glorious day when we see the eternal sunrise!• In tonight’s text, the Apostle John sees a glimpse

of that eternal sunrise.• Revelation 21:1-4.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“Then 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. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (vv 1-2, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The image of a new heaven & a new earth comes from Isaiah.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The image of a new heaven & a new earth comes from Isaiah.• “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Is 65:17, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The image of a new heaven & a new earth comes from Isaiah.• “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Is 65:17, ESV).

• “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I makeshall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain” (Is 66:22, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“New” here likely means a completely new universe.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“New” here likely means a completely new universe.• It is made out of completely new materials.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“New” here likely means a completely new universe.• It is made out of completely new materials.• This new heaven & new earth doesn’t even

resemble the old one.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“New” here likely means a completely new universe.

The new heavens & earth are necessary because the old heavens & earth have been destroyed.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“New” here likely means a completely new universe.

The new heavens & earth are necessary because the old heavens & earth have been destroyed.• When the Lord returns, this universe shall be

destroyed.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“New” here likely means a completely new universe.

The new heavens & earth are necessary because the old heavens & earth have been destroyed.• When the Lord returns, this universe shall be

destroyed.• “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and

then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Pt 3:10, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The sea was no more.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The sea was no more.• Earlier in Revelation, the sea separated God &

man.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The sea was no more.• Earlier in Revelation, the sea separated God &

man. “Before the throne there was as it were a sea of

glass, like crystal” (Rev 4:6, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The sea was no more.• Earlier in Revelation, the sea separated God &

man. “Before the throne there was as it were a sea of

glass, like crystal” (Rev 4:6, ESV). The sea’s being no more could mean that the

barriers between God & man have been removed.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The sea was no more.• Earlier in Revelation, the sea separated God &

man. “Before the throne there was as it were a sea of

glass, like crystal” (Rev 4:6, ESV). The sea’s being no more could mean that the

barriers between God & man have been removed.• In Revelation, the sea also represents evil.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The sea was no more.• Earlier in Revelation, the sea separated God &

man. “Before the throne there was as it were a sea of

glass, like crystal” (Rev 4:6, ESV). The sea’s being no more could mean that the

barriers between God & man have been removed.• In Revelation, the sea also represents evil.

“I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads” (Rev 13:1, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The sea was no more.• Earlier in Revelation, the sea separated God &

man. “Before the throne there was as it were a sea of

glass, like crystal” (Rev 4:6, ESV). The sea’s being no more could mean that the

barriers between God & man have been removed.• In Revelation, the sea also represents evil.

“I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads” (Rev 13:1, ESV).

Thus, this could also mean that evil is no more.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• Again, this image comes from Isaiah.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• Again, this image comes from Isaiah.• “For behold, I create new heavens and a new

earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress” (Is 65:17-19, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• Again, this image comes from Isaiah (Is 65:17-

19).• This must be the “new Jerusalem,” for the old

Jerusalem was destroyed along with the old earth.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• Again, this image comes from Isaiah (Is 65:17-

19).• This must be the “new Jerusalem,” for the old

Jerusalem was destroyed along with the old earth.

• Jerusalem was often referred to as “the holy city.”

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem comes down from God—it is a divine city.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem comes down from God—it is a divine city.• “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (Jn 14:3, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem comes down from God—it is a divine city.• “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (Jn 14:3, ESV).

• Abraham “was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb 11:10, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem comes down from God—it is a divine city.• “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (Jn 14:3, ESV).

• Abraham “was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb 11:10, ESV).

• “As it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Heb 11:16, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• The church is often depicted as the bride of

Christ.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• The church is often depicted as the bride of

Christ. “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who

took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom” (Mt 25:1, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• The church is often depicted as the bride of

Christ. “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who

took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom” (Mt 25:1, ESV).

About the roles of husbands & wives, Paul says, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The new Jerusalem was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.• The church is often depicted as the bride of

Christ. “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who

took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom” (Mt 25:1, ESV).

About the roles of husbands & wives, Paul says, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32, ESV).

“My brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God” (Rom 7:4, NKJV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

There is a sense in which this is a picture of the church glorified.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

There is a sense in which this is a picture of the church glorified.

But, this is also a mixing of the church glorified & the place she shall inhabit.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

There is a sense in which this is a picture of the church glorified.

But, this is also a mixing of the church glorified & the place she shall inhabit.• “Charleston” can refer both to the place & the

inhabitants.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

There is a sense in which this is a picture of the church glorified.

But, this is also a mixing of the church glorified & the place she shall inhabit.• “Charleston” can refer both to the place & the

inhabitants. “Charleston is 15 minutes away” refers to the

place.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

There is a sense in which this is a picture of the church glorified.

But, this is also a mixing of the church glorified & the place she shall inhabit.• “Charleston” can refer both to the place & the

inhabitants. “Charleston is 15 minutes away” refers to the

place. “Charleston just elected a new mayor” refers to the

inhabitants.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

There is a sense in which this is a picture of the church glorified.

But, this is also a mixing of the church glorified & the place she shall inhabit.• “Charleston” can refer both to the place & the

inhabitants.• Thus, “the new Jerusalem” refers both to the

church & the place she shall inhabit.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

“I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He 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’ ” (vv 3-4, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

This is the only time in Revelation that God speaks.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

This is the only time in Revelation that God speaks.

That is significant, for what we hear is important.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The dwelling of God is with man.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The dwelling of God is with man. This is the fulfillment of an Old Testament

promise.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The dwelling of God is with man. This is the fulfillment of an Old Testament

promise: “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Lev 26:11-12, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The dwelling of God is with man. This is the fulfillment of an Old Testament

promise: (Lev 26:11-12). The Greek word “dwell” here is closely related

to the term “tabernacle.”

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The dwelling of God is with man. This is the fulfillment of an Old Testament

promise: (Lev 26:11-12). The Greek word “dwell” here is closely related

to the term “tabernacle.”• The idea behind the tabernacle was that God

dwelt with his people.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The dwelling of God is with man. This is the fulfillment of an Old Testament

promise: (Lev 26:11-12). The Greek word “dwell” here is closely related

to the term “tabernacle.”• The idea behind the tabernacle was that God

dwelt with his people.• After the consummation of the ages, God will

dwell with his people.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• This is a passage to which we often turn when we

need comfort.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• This is a passage to which we often turn when we

need comfort. We should!

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• This is a passage to which we often turn when we

need comfort. We should! These words were inspired to give us great

comfort!

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

This must be tears of sorrow, for we have been told that mourning shall be no more.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

This must be tears of sorrow, for we have been told that mourning shall be no more.

Not only will God do away with sorrow, but he will personally wipe every tear from our eyes.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

This must be tears of sorrow, for we have been told that mourning shall be no more.

Not only will God do away with sorrow, but he will personally wipe every tear from our eyes.• Wiping the tears from someone’s eyes is an

expression of love.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

This must be tears of sorrow, for we have been told that mourning shall be no more.

Not only will God do away with sorrow, but he will personally wipe every tear from our eyes.• Wiping the tears from someone’s eyes is an

expression of love.• God demonstrates his love to us by wiping away our

tears.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.

It only stands to reason that death shall be no more.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.

It only stands to reason that death shall be no more.• Death & Hades were thrown into the lake of fire

after the final judgment (Rev 20:14).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.

It only stands to reason that death shall be no more.• Death & Hades were thrown into the lake of fire

after the final judgment (Rev 20:14).• John also saw “on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month” (Rev 22:2, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.

It only stands to reason that death shall be no more.

This must have been a great comfort to the Christians who first read these words.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.

It only stands to reason that death shall be no more.

This must have been a great comfort to the Christians who first read these words.• They might be forced—in this life—to die for their

faith, but they would never die in the next life.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.

It only stands to reason that death shall be no more.

This must have been a great comfort to the Christians who first read these words.• They might be forced—in this life—to die for their

faith, but they would never die in the next life.• Their friends & loved ones would never have to give

up their lives.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.• Pain shall be no more.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.• Pain shall be no more.

No more would there be the threat of being torn apart by wild animals or of being burned alive or of being crucified.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

The voice from the throne enumerates the blessings of the coming age.• God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.• Death shall be no more.• Pain shall be no more.

No more would there be the threat of being torn apart by wild animals or of being burned alive or of being crucified.

No more shall there be cancer or broken bones or car accidents.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John tells us how these things shall be.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John tells us how these things shall be.• “The former things have passed away” (v 4, ESV).

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

John tells us how these things shall be.• “The former things have passed away” (v 4, ESV).• The old world order with its pain & sorrow will

have vanished.

The Dwelling Place ofGod & Man

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