A New Heaven and New Earth
Pelham Associate Campus Minister
In this passage, we see how God will complete his redemptive plan and be reunited with his people in the new heaven and new earth. In this new, perfect world, the spiritual and the physical will meet, and all whose names are in the Book of Life will enjoy God’s presence forever.
Study Questions
Application
What have you believed or been taught about heaven that doesn’t align with Revelation 21–22? How has your understanding changed, and how does what you’ve learned give you hope and excitement for the next life in times of difficulty?
In the new Jerusalem, God’s people from every tribe, nation, and tongue will live together in both perfect unity and vast diversity. Are there believers in your life who aren’t like you? If not, how can you move towards Christians of different cultures and backgrounds and learn from them?
In Revelation 21:6, God says he will satisfy all who are thirsty. How are you allowing satisfaction with this world to quench your desire to be in God’s presence?
Key Points
In order to establish the new heaven and new earth, the old earth must disappear, which means God will refine the world we know with fire to purify and make it new.
Heaven is not a faraway place we go to; it is a place that comes down to us, a reversal of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. It is not a means of evacuation but of restoration.
The new world will have continuity with the old one—the unhindered reality of everything we know, love, and experience.
The new world will be a consummation of God’s promise to dwell with his people. Heaven is a perfect place because of God’s presence.
This world is defined by death, but the new world will be defined by life.