Revelation 21:1-3

Chapter 20 ended with the devil, death, and Hades cast into the lake of fire, and the great white throne judgment — reserved for those who never believed. That will be an incredible moment in eternity: when everything that caused pain and sorrow is no more. It is almost impossible to comprehend, because we and the whole world have never known a time when the devil, death, and sin did not have power and influence. We have only ever known corruption. After the great white throne judgment, everything will be different — as it should be.¶

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

Revelation 20:11 (ESV)¶

The first earth and heaven fled from his presence; now a new heaven and new earth are being made. God made all things in Genesis 1 and 2, and now we see him making all things new. This is what happens to every person who believes the gospel: he is reborn to a new life — born once of natural means, then born again of spiritual means.¶

Creation has been longing for this¶

It is strange to think of the earth as having thoughts and feelings, but it is what the word says: creation as a whole longs for its renewal. "The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God... the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God... the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now" (Romans 8:18-24). The new heaven and new earth will be a renewed creation — rebuilt, repaired, set free.¶

A people, not only a city¶

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And 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."

Revelation 21:2-3 (ESV)¶

Before the cross, Jesus told his disciples, "In my Father's house are many rooms... I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:1-3). Now we see what has been prepared. I love that John describes this city as a bride adorned for her husband — because the bride the Bible speaks of is the church. This makes me think that what Jesus went to prepare is not necessarily a city but a people. A family. When Peter confessed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus answered, "on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:16-18). He is building his church — bringing adopted sons and daughters to his Father to make a family that will last forever and rule with him. We are "living stones... being built up as a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:4-7). So this city is the bride of Christ; it is the church of God. Our home is with God, with his Son, and with his people.¶

Learning to be the city now¶

This is a truth we must not take for granted: it is the people of God, the true believers, whom God will dwell with forever — and whom we will dwell with forever. It is why so much of the Bible teaches us how to love and live with one another. Six of the ten commandments concern how we relate to each other; only four concern how we relate to God. That should tell us something. So much of our flesh wants to draw us away from each other, to make us feel justified in our frustrations, to tempt us to enmity and strife — because we are short-sighted and forget that these brothers and sisters are our eternal family. Jesus said, "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:46-50). We are family by blood — the blood of Christ.¶

Our faith requires brotherly affection and love (2 Peter 1:3-11); whoever lacks these "is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins." John warns us strongly: "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness... whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness... because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (1 John 2:7-11). Just as our children fight and quarrel and must be reminded that they are brothers and sisters who love each other, so must we — fighting against the enemy's temptation to be divided. The truth is, we are not waiting to enter the new Jerusalem; we are learning to be it now. We are the church of Christ, and we are going to live forever together with him. Let us not let our flesh or worldly influences get in the way of what Christ is building us into.¶