“Making Everything New” – Revelation 21:5-8

It’s that time of year when we are reminded of all the events that happened in 2022 and we have predictions of what to expect in 2023. It seems an inevitable part of life that we are reminded of what was and what may be.

The problem with what may be is that even the most educated, most knowledgeable individuals cannot tell us precisely what the future will hold. Some of the things that have been predicted have yet to come. For instance, “Back to the Future 2” took us into the future of 2015. We know that most of what was predicted hasn’t come true. The year mentioned in George Orwell’s “1984” has come and gone and while there are hints at his dire world view present today, it’s still a far cry from what he predicted.

Like almost all aspects of life, how you and I enter a new year depends to a large part on our attitude. We can look on 2023 with dread and fear, or we can look forward to what possibilities can be in this coming year.

To a large degree, our relationship with God has to play a large part in how we see the future, as well as how we address the past. In today’s passage, we are reminded that the eternal Creator God is and will always be in control, and that He is making all things new.

Background

The book of Revelation begins with the apostle John in exile on the island of Patmos in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It is a Sunday when John is given a vision from God that is intended to tell the new, small church in that region that the temporary hardships they may be experiencing will turn to joy and victory because God is in charge of all things.

In the vision that John is given, he sees hardship, persecution and pain, but he also sees the Church triumphant, with the returning Christ bringing final victory over Satan, sin and death. In this vision, as it is in Jesus’ teachings of the end times, the call is for the believer to remain faithful throughout the persecution and trying times. Chapter 20 ends with the final judgment of Satan and all who denied Christ being cast into a lake of fire, which is the second death.

Chapter 21 opens with what those whose names are written in the book of life can expect to see. In this chapter, John sees a new heaven and a new earth. Verse 3 states, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people,and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” The promise of eternal fellowship in the very real presence of God will come into being at that time.

In today’s text, God promises new things. In the context of a new year, it is important that we remember that the God who lives today promises new things by His hand to us.

Central Truth: God’s promise of a new world is a comfort to those who believe and warning to those who do not.

God’s promise to make all things new:

1. Is trustworthy (5-6a)

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.” He said, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”

I love old trucks and cars. I would love to rebuild one, but I’d want to change the interior and other elements of the old car with the newer conveniences of our modern cars, from air conditioning and radios to air bags, padded dashes and collapsible driving shaft. I thoroughly enjoy the designs of some of these vehicles, but I don’t want the baggage that would come with them. I guess the ideal would be a brand new car made with modern materials that looks just like the old truck or car I would enjoy.

John’s description of the new heavens and new earth is exactly that. When that day comes, God will take the old earth and heavens and transform them to the way creation was before Adam and Eve introduced sin into our world.

After describing this new earth and heaven and the new Jerusalem coming down, John recorded the words of a voice proclaiming what the new creation will be about. In the verses we look at today, John quoted the words that God Himself spoke to the apostle. John never described God only describe the things relating to the throne upon which God sits, his reverence being so great that he dared not speak about God directly. So when the apostle quoted God, he stated that the words came from the One seated on the throne. And what words they are!

First, God makes a declaration: “I am making everything new!” This new heaven and earth and Jerusalem are not just rejuvenated and cleaned up, but a replacement of the old creation by the Creator Himself. The idea of making everything new is an on-going process, much as God has made us a new creation in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). The words are a reminder that God is in control, that God has the final say and that God is still working in our world. They are words of comfort for John’s original readers and for us today.

God told John, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” It is quite possible the apostle was so in awe of what he was hearing that he stopped writing. God prompted John to faithfully record God’s next words, because they are “trustworthy and true.” These words come from the One who is Truth, whose promises are all fulfilled in Christ. God, who is faithful to Himself and His word, has restated for emphasis that His message is always reliable and can be counted on throughout the ages.

“It is done.” The words are the same that Jesus said as He laid down His life at Calvary. There, Jesus had completed His ministry and was ready to return to the Father. Here, God stated that His plans for all time have come to an end. The war with sin and Satan is over, and the taint of sin in our world and in our lives has been removed for all eternity.

God’s description of Himself as Alpha and Omega, as Beginning and End is to remind us that He is eternal and is above time. God was there from before the beginning and He will still be there at the end of our time and our world. God, the eternal Creator, will transform our world and His creation just as He transforms those who believe in Him.

When God tells us something, we know we can rely on it because of who said it. God makes all things new and His work will one day be done, to His glory and praise.

2. Is a comfort to those who believe (6b-7)

“To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

We’ve all known what it is to be thirsty. Whether if it’s from working hard under a Texas sun or some other excursion, we have all had that yearning to find something liquid—a sweet iced tea or water—to quench our thirst. Fewer of us have had a thirst that derives from being deprived of water. I would imagine such a thirst would be far more intense and potentially life threatening. To find water after such an event must be one of the most gratifying moments.

The theme of thirst and refreshing water is present throughout the Gospels. Perhaps it grows out of living in a desert area, where water is scarce and precious. To have a constant source of water is a great asset in a desert. Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied (cf. Matthew 5:6).

When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, He told her that if she knew to whom she was speaking, she would ask of Him and He would give her living water (cf. John 4:1-15). On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus called out to His audience, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37b-38).

Having declared that everything has been made knew, God extends the blessing to those who remained faithful through the trying times described in Revelation. Those who have a thirst for God and a desire to find refreshment from Him alone will be rewarded.

The faithful will not only be given living water—living water is a stream or river, a constant source of fresh, clean water—but that God Himself is the source of this water. It is a water that will be constant and providing us all the spiritual nourishment we need.

Not only are the faithful promised this eternal water, but the new world and new city will be given to those who overcome the tests of faith that are an inevitable part of life, particularly for those who endure the tribulation of Revelation.

But there’s more. Not only are we to be given eternal water from God Himself, and not only are we to be given a new earth and a new city, but God Himself reaffirms the relationship He gave us when we first believed in Jesus—we will be His children and He will be our Father. More precisely, God promises to be our God and we His children.

When we remain faithful to God in all things, the promise is to never thirst again, to have a new home and a new world, and to be eternally in a family relationship with God. The reward of faithfulness is beyond measure, and it is all a gift from God to us.

3. Is a warning to those who do not believe (8-9)

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderer, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolators and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Tests can be frustrating. In school, if we fail a test, we either have to take the test again or, even worse, repeat the class. In life, we are tested to various degrees, and how we do in those tests determines a lot about our lives.

There is no greater test than that which God allows in regard to our faith. God allowed Job to be tested, and Job remained true to his faith. Joseph was tested and remained true to his faith. The people of Israel were tested throughout the Old Testament, and too many of them failed, turning their backs on God and His laws. The result was exile and destruction.

There will be no greater test of faith than that which is described in Revelation. The persecution of God’s people will come from all sides—social relationships, economic well-being, even life itself. For those who endure and remain faithful, the reward described in vs. 6-7 are given.

Those who fail are the ones described in v.8. The cowardly are those who shrank in fear from the onslaught of persecution and yielded to those who opposed God. The unbelieving are those whose faith was superficial, akin to the seed in shallow soil or that choked by weeds. The vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral are people who turn from God and embrace the world’s ways. It is possible these refer to those who persecuted the Church in the Revelation, even going so far as to murder those who refused to renounce Christ. The practice of magic arts, idolators and liars are those who sought comfort in means alien to God.

While we understand that God is love and that God’s loving desire is for all to be saved, this verse lets us know in no uncertain terms that the loving God is also the Righteous and Holy Judge. For those who refuse His free gift of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus, for those who toss their faith away in hopes of saving themselves, the end is tragic—a fiery lake of burning sulfur, the second death that awaits Satan and his followers.

Think of the contrast. For those who remain faithful, they will be given a new world and a new home, knowing eternal fellowship with God who will be with us for all eternity. For those who turn away from God, they await a world that was not created for them, but a world created as a means of eternal punishment for the devil and demons. This will be the eternity for those who deny God.

Conclusion

We are now in a new year. How we respond to God’s leadership and promises will give us blessings or tribulations. God is making everything new. We can chose to join Him in His new world or we can refuse to follow Him faithfully.

How will you choose?