Main Thought
From the very beginning, God’s desire was to be with His people. In the Garden of Eden, He walked with Adam and Eve in perfect relationship. No sin, no separation, no shame. That closeness was broken when sin entered the world. Yet the heart of God never changed. The story of Scripture - from Genesis to Revelation - is God’s pursuit to restore relationship with humanity. What began in the garden will eventually end in glory. God will once again dwell with His people in a renewed heaven and earth. The promise of Revelation 21 reminds us that God doesn’t discard what’s broken; He redeems and transforms it. His Kingdom is breaking out now through the advancement of the gospel. God is making all things new, and He is starting with us. We should commit ourselves to experiencing and extending God’s transformative work in and through our lives. One day, we’ll see that the end of the story is really a new beginning. We will walk in an eternal relationship with God that will never be interrupted again.
Main Passages
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
- Revelation 21:1-4, NLT
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
- Revelation 21:5-7
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. 18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. 20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
- Revelation 22:17-20
Main Passages
Think about God’s desire to dwell with people. What does that reveal about His character and His heart?
Revelation 21:5 says, “I am making everything new.” What area of your life do you sense God wants to renew or transform right now?
In Revelation 22, we see that the “Bride of Christ” - the Church - joins in God’s invitation to say, “Come.” What can you do to extend God’s invitation to people you know? How can you be a part of extending God’s invitation to a larger segment of people like a workplace, a community, or the city of Las Vegas as a whole?