Blessed Are Those: A Journey through Revelation – Part 20

All Things New – Rev. 21 – 22

Crosspoint – Dave Spooner – May 25th, 2025

Intro:

• Today is our last installment of our series through the book of Revelation. Congratulations to us! I hope this series has been beneficial to you; it has been so to me. I do hope you feel “blessed” because we have taken the time to go through this book. I hope you have treasured these promises and knowledge in your heart and that your awe and affection for God and Christ have grown. I hope you have greater peace and confidence knowing you can trust the one who is faithful and true, who has and will always keep His promises and will make all things new.
• This morning, we will be reading and hearing the last two glorious chapters of this book. The images and the promises almost seem too good to be true. The place that these chapters describe is a place that our hearts yearn for, where all things will be made new, all wounds will be healed, and we will dwell with God and each other in perfect harmony for all eternity. A place that our minds cannot yet comprehend, with wonders forevermore.
• Let’s turn together to Revelation chapter 21 (page 1075) as we read what these chapters reveal about God, His plan, and our place in it. After John sees the great white throne judgment, he sees something more.

God will dwell with His people

Revelation 21:1-5 NIV

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.”

 Can you just imagine this? A place where God Himself dwells permanently and continually with His people? We will be wearing our wedding best, and God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes . . . all the pains and the sorrows and all the sufferings from this life. And death will be no more. There will be no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain . . . for this old order will be done, and everything will be made new.

• And can you hear God’s heart in this? “And John, make sure you write this down. I especially want them to read this; these words are trustworthy and true.” Let this promised reality soak into your sun-scorched soul like a waterfall of cascading rain.
• In Christ, this is your destiny and destination; this is the place that you were made for and for which your soul longs. It will come true, for the one who reveals it and promises it is trustworthy and true.

  Revelation 21:6-8 NIV

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 water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

 The one who started all things is the one who will end all things. The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the one who holds all things together and all things are for (Col 1:14). He has declared these things, and they will be so.

• If you are thirsty for God, thirsty for these things, He will give you this water at no cost. He is the one who freely supplies and gives to us.
• Those who are victorious, those who “fight the good fight” finish their “race” on this earth, keeping the faith and persevering to the end, will inherit all this and receive their reward (2 Tim 4:7).
• However, if you persist in unbelief, if you treasure this world over the things of God, if you persist in being vile, or take part in murder, sexual immorality, witchcraft, worshiping other things than the one true God, if you insist in following the liar, and being a liar and forsaking truth, your place will not be in this place, but you will be consigned to the lake of fire, which is the second death.
• Turn now, believe now, repent now, while there is still time and God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness and promise of life forevermore are extended to you. Just as the promise is true of the one place, it is true of the other. Trust in Christ today, this very moment.
• Now we are shown the great city of God.

 The City of God

 Revelation 21:9-12 NIV

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 What a glorious city this is! There has never been, nor can there be, any city like this. It is interesting to note that the foundation is built on the testimony of the twelve apostles, which means that this city is built upon the gospel, and that you enter this city by being grafted into the family of God, into one of the twelve tribes. What a beautiful depiction of the bride of Christ, the church.

  Revelation 21:15-17 NIV

The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 

• These numbers are intentional, and most theologians take them as symbolic, with their numbers being multiples of 12 signifying completeness and wholeness (but they can be wrong).
• For perspective on its length, 12,000 stadia are approximately 1,400 miles. The United States is approximately 2,800 miles wide when measured from the easternmost point to the westernmost point, so its length is half of the length of the US.
• To give you some perspective on its height, Mount Everest is only about 5.5 miles tall, and the International Space Station orbits about 250 miles above the earth. So this city would be about six times higher than the space station. This city is massive, bigger than anything the first readers would have known, and if this were literal, it would be problematic if this city were attached to Earth, also pointing to its symbolic nature.
• Most theologians note that it is a square, like the holy of holies in the temple, so they see this as the holy of holies being overlayed on the earth, meaning the very presence of God is with His people on the earth.
• The wall, being “144 cubits thick,” is 216 feet, which is about twice the length of our sanctuary and café. Most think this is communicating that this city is permanent and impenetrable.
• We can safely conclude that it is huge, and glorious, beyond imagination. John goes on to describe this city further.

 Revelation 21:18-21 NIV

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. 

• Again, imaging the beauty and spender and majesty of this place. It has value beyond all measure.

 Revelation 21:22-27 NIV

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 

• This city will shine with an eternal and internal form of the purest and most brilliant light. It will always be open to you, honored among all people, and nothing impure will enter it, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life—those who have been made pure through Christ.
• This is your glorious city, the place where you truly belong.

 The throne of God

 Revelation 22:1-5 NIV

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 

• This is Eden made new! We will drink from the water of life, we will eat from the tree of life, and we will all be healed. The curse that we brought on ourselves and this world will be lifted. We will again see the face of God and serve Him with gladness and joy. We are His and He is ours. There will be no darkness, for God Himself will be our light and we will reign forever and ever. 

Revelation 22:6 NIV

The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” 

• God wants us to know these things, take joy in them, and be blessed to know them. They will indeed happen, because the one who told us of these things is trustworthy and true. And in the light of eternity, they must soon take place.
• Until they are fulfilled once and for all, let us gain the blessings and heed the warnings from this book. 

The blessings and warnings

 Revelation 22:7 NIV

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” 

• We are blessed when we keep the words of this book. Knowing and believing also need to be coupled with doing and acting. John then lists things for us to focus on. 

Revelation 22:8-9 NIV

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” 

• Number one is to worship God–this is a continual action and activity. Do not turn to other things or fail to give Him glory and praise. 

Revelation 22:10-11 NIV

Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” 

• Let those who do wrong and are vile continue on their way, but we are to focus on continuing to do right and be holy. Pursue at all times and under all circumstances. Continue to do and be this way regardless of those around you and their choices. You and I can choose to live this way. 

Revelation 22:12-13 NIV

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 

• Know that in our “right doing,” we will be rewarded for what we do by the one who knows all. Don’t grow weary in well doing, for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up. (Gal 6:9). 

Revelation 22:14-15 NIV

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 

• “Wash their robes” is a metaphor for repenting of sin that happens during our daily living. So this is keeping a short account of your sin and the process of confession and repentance. In this way, we show that we believe in and belong to the kingdom of God. 

Revelation 22:16-17 NIV

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. 

• We are to invite people into a relationship with Jesus; we have the right and the responsibility to do so. 

Revelation 22:18-19 NIV

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. 

• We are to be careful not to say less or to say more than what Scripture says. This is a good reminder to us all to verify what we think and say from the Word of God.

Revelation 22:20-21 NIV

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. 

• Let us live in a way that speeds the Lord’s return, and let us do so in and with the grace of Christ. Let us say “Amen and Amen.” 

Conclusion

• As we come to the close of our journey through Revelation, let us anchor our hearts deeply in these remarkable promises. The picture we’ve seen is both glorious and comforting: God will dwell eternally among His people, all pain and sorrow will vanish, and everything will be made new.
• Let us live faithfully, pursuing holiness, keeping short accounts through repentance, continually worshiping God, and eagerly sharing this hope with others. Hold tightly to these trustworthy and true promises, for indeed, Christ is coming soon. May this hope sustain you, encourage you, and propel you forward in grace until the glorious day when we see Him face to face. Amen and Amen. 

Revelation 1:3 NIV

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. 

Our prayer team is available to pray with you after the service near the “Prayer” sign at the front of the sanctuary and also in the prayer room, next to the offices. 

Questions for Growth Groups

1. How has studying the book of Revelation impacted your view of eternity and your daily life?
2. In Revelation 21:4, God promises to wipe away every tear. What specific comfort or hope does this promise bring to your life today?
3. Reflecting on Revelation 21:6-8, how does the promise of both reward and judgment affect your approach to personal holiness and evangelism?
4. What aspects of the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21:9-27 resonate most deeply with you, and why?
5. How does the imagery of Eden restored in Revelation 22:1-5 encourage or challenge you in your faith journey?
6. Revelation 22:7 says, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of this prophecy.” Practically speaking, how can you better keep these words in your daily life?
7. How might the call in Revelation 22:17 to invite others to “Come!” shape your interactions with friends, family, and coworkers who don’t yet follow Christ?