Revelation 21 A New Heaven, A New Earth

Verse 1.. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. So there will come all things new. The earth is not necessarily destroyed but redesigned. 

Verse 2.. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The new Jerusalem is a physical place. Separate from the earth. Possibly in orbit around the earth. 

Verse 3.. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. God's promise is finally realized. He is dwelling among His people.

Verse 4.. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. The human condition has greatly improved. Death, sorrow, crying, pain all cease to exist.

Verse 5.. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write; for these words are true and faithful. We can take it to the bank. God said it. It will happen.

Verse 6.. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. What has been promised for thousands of years is now accomplished. From progressive sanctification springs forth absolute glorification. 

Verse 7.. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Inherit what things? No more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Co-existence and fellowship with God the Father. 

Verse 8.. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Verse 9.. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. Believers are the Lamb's wife in Revelation 19. Now the Lamb's wife is the New Jerusalem.

Verse 10.. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. In Revelation 16:20 all mountains are removed from the earth. At the time this is revealed to John there are mountains. John was taken away in the spirit to a high mountain. 

Verse 11.. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12.. And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written theron, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel; 13.. On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14.. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Israel is restored. Each tribe has access to the city. The twelve apostles which include Paul will govern the twelve tribes. (Matt 19:27-30) King David will be over the twelve tribes. (Ezekiel 34:23-24, 37:24-25) The apostles also represent the church.

Verse 15.. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall therof. 16.. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth; and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17.. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. Twelve thousand furlongs equal about fifteen hundred miles. Fifteen hundred miles wide, long and high are the dimensions of this city. This could accommodate one billion believers with each able to have a 14,000 square foot apartment and room left over. 

Verse 18.. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19.. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, and emerald; 20.. The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 

Verse 21.. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of on pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. So gold in it's purest form is as transparent glass.

22.. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. God is no longer housed in a temple. The temple is housed in God!

Verse 23.. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. This doesn't necessarily mean that sun and moon don't exist but they are not required to light the city because the glory of God will lighten it.

Verse 24.. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. Ethnic differences will fade away during this period.

25.. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26.. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 

27.. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. This verse leads one to think that the New Jerusalem must come down at the beginning of the millennial kingdom. Why else would you talk about a problem that cannot exist.

After the creation of the new heaven and earth, there will be no more wickedness on earth. During the millennial kingdom, however, people will still have the opportunity to choose between good and evil.