to Genesis. Well, actually, we'll read Revelation 21 first. So if you've got your Bibles there,
Revelation 21. It's the very, very end of the Bible. As we come to the end of the story,
God's big story, the last two chapters give us a wonderful vision of what lies ahead.
So let us read Revelation chapter 21 verses 1 to 5.
This is John. He writes the vision that he has been given from the risen Lord Jesus.
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. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. And I
heard a loud voice from the throne saying, now the dwelling of God is with men and women,
and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God.
And he will wipe every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
For the old order of things has passed away. And 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.
Well, keep your finger there in Revelation and turn back to Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1.
Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1.
Thank you, Sarah. Yeah, there's pens and sheets there. I forgot about that. Thank you.
If you'd like to take notes, please put your hand up.
Well, let's pray together.
Father, we thank you for your word, the Bible.
We thank you for your word, the Bible.
We thank you that it is your story of the world from creation to new creation.
It is trustworthy and it is true.
And so we pray, Father God, that you would take these words,
these words spoken by the written Lord Jesus,
that they would be words that speak to us afresh today,
lifting us from looking down at the darkness of this world
and looking up to the light of a new world to come.
may this vision change us and transform us.
And may it fill us with hope.
And may it cause us to wonder
and fill our hearts with worship
of an awesome and amazing God.
Please help us, we pray.
Amen.
Well, the story that we began,
it all began so well.
Look at Genesis 1 and verse 1.
In the beginning,
God created the heavens and the earth.
It was a good and beautiful world
and everything was as God intended.
And into this world,
God created and placed the first man and woman
and in his love,
he provided them with all that they needed.
Look at chapter 2, verse 8.
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east,
in Eden,
and there he put the man he had formed.
And the Lord God made all kinds of trees
grow out of the ground,
trees that were pleasing to the eye
and good for food.
Eden is a beautiful, pleasing,
and plentiful garden.
No wonder it means delight.
Everything is there for them to enjoy.
Nothing going wrong.
No sadness or hurt.
No pains or struggles.
And above all,
there is no death.
In fact, it's in this garden
that the first man and woman,
Adam and Eve,
enjoy a perfect and intimate relationship
with God, their Creator.
There is nothing to hide.
There is nothing to fear.
Without shame,
living with their loving Creator
in perfect relationship,
this is pure delight.
It's the kind of world
we all long for.
But in one act of rebellion,
Adam and Eve turned against God.
They rejected him,
pushed him out of the centre,
and placed themselves at the centre,
acting as if they were God.
That first sin
was like the very first tremor
that would start a tsunami of destruction
that would sweep through the course
of human history,
a wave of chaos and disorder
that has left untold suffering.
And what Adam and Eve started,
the human race has continued
by our persistent rebellion.
The once good world that God had made
is now broken.
Paradise has been lost.
where once life flourished,
there is now the stench of death.
But despite
our ongoing rebellion,
let us never forget
that this is still God's world.
He made it.
He owns it.
He rules over it.
And in His immense
love,
God has promised
to renew
and restore
this disordered world.
Have a look at Isaiah
chapter 65.
Isaiah chapter 65
verse 17.
Here the prophet Isaiah
reminds us
of what God
will do.
Isaiah chapter 65
verse 17.
It's a wonderful chapter
to read
as it looks forward.
The language
is just grasping for words
to try and picture
what it will be like.
Verse 17.
Behold,
I will create
new heavens
and a new earth,
the former things
will not be remembered
nor will they come to mind
but be glad
and rejoice
forever
in what
I will create.
All those
painful memories
that we relive
over and over again,
all our regrets
and struggles
caused by our
selfish desires,
all the physical
suffering
and the mental
torment
will not
be remembered.
All the violence,
the greed,
the wars,
the terrorism,
the earthquakes,
the hurricanes
that break and destroy,
never
to be experienced
again.
God's plan
and promise
to take
what has been
broken
and to make it
gloriously new
and to help us
grasp
even more
than the promise
of Isaiah.
We are given
this wonderful vision
if you turn
to Revelation
chapter 21.
Revelation
chapter 21.
These last
two chapters
of the Bible
are a fitting
conclusion.
They open
up a door
to this
beautiful picture
of what we
as God's
children
can look
forward to.
In a way,
what is
pictured before
us is like
an eternal
celebration
of God's
victory
over sin
and Satan?
Look at
Revelation
chapter 21
verse 1.
Then
I saw
a new
heaven
and a new
earth.
For the
first heaven
and the
first earth
had passed
away.
Just as
God
in the
beginning
created
the heavens
and the
earth,
so God
will create
new
heavens
and a
new
earth.
It's not
that God
is going
to be
doing up
this world
like we
get out
our tin
of paint
and repaint
and redo
our sitting
room.
No,
God is
going to
make this
world that
we live
in
absolutely
new.
It's like
God is
going to
take this
world in
his hands
like you
or I
would take
a ball
of Play-Doh
and he's
going to
shape it
and he's
going to
form it
into a
world that
is radically
new.
In some
ways it's
going to
be the
same world.
There's
going to
be rivers
and mountains
and seas
and forests
but it's
all going
to be
new.
And what
makes it
so new,
look at the
rest of
verse 1.
Do you
see what it
says there
at the end
of verse 1?
and there
was no
longer
any sea.
Sea in
the Bible
is often
used as
a metaphor
for chaos
and disorder.
So in
Isaiah 17
we read
this,
Oh the
raging of
many nations,
they rage
like the
raging sea.
Oh the
uproar of
the peoples,
they roar
like the
roaring of
great waters.
So in
this vision,
in this
new world,
it's not
that we
will have
no sea
to play
in or
that there
will be
no dolphins
to swim
with.
It means
that this
new world
is going
to be
new because
there's
going to
be no
more
destruction,
no more
chaos,
no more
raging.
Verse 5,
He who
was seated
on the
throne said,
I am
making
everything
new.
The
creator
God
who
has
existed
from
eternity
past,
who
spoke
this
universe
into
existence,
who
rules
with
absolute
power
and
supreme
authority,
will
one day
take
this
old,
decaying,
broken
world
and make
it new.
So what
will it be
like?
Well,
we are
given two
further
metaphors
to explain
what God's
people can
look forward
to.
First,
it will
be like
a new
city.
Look at
verse 2.
I saw
the holy
city,
the new
Jerusalem,
coming down
out of
heaven from
God.
you see
the city,
Jerusalem,
as we've
been reading
through the
story,
is the
place where
God's
people would
be gathered
and where
God's
people would
live.
And with
its huge
walls,
the city
provided a
place of
peace and
security and
provision.
Of course,
the story of
the Bible has
told us that
Jerusalem
enjoyed very
little peace.
a bit like
the great
cities of
the world
today.
Cities are
not a
safe place
to live
in.
They are
racially
divided,
socially
broken,
with the
constant
threat of
terror.
But here,
in this
vision,
is the
new city,
a holy
city,
a place
of purity,
peace,
prosperity,
the absence
of evil,
no one
lonely,
no one
afraid.
But then,
this city,
the image
changes into
this marriage
celebration.
This city
becomes a
great celebration
of a wedding
feast.
Let's read
verse 2
again.
I saw
the holy
city,
the new
Jerusalem,
coming down
out of heaven
from God,
prepared as
a bride,
beautifully
dressed for
her husband,
and I
heard a loud
voice from
the throne
saying,
now the
dwelling of
God is
with men,
and he
will live
with them,
and they
will be
his people,
and God
himself will
be with
them,
and be
their God.
you see,
the separation
from God
that has
cursed humanity
will finally
be over.
Just as a
wedding marks
the moving
in together
of husband
and wife,
so God
is going
to move
into the
city with
his people.
The joy
and the
intimacy
that Adam
and Eve
had at the
very beginning
will be
ours.
And when
we see
him,
we will
not hide
or run,
but we
will talk,
for all
our guilt
and shame
will be
completely
gone.
Nothing
and no
one will
be able
to separate
us from
our eternal
marriage
with God.
And as
we move
from this
great city
to a
marriage
celebration,
the
newness
of this
city
is going
to be
marked
by laughter
and no
more
tears.
Look at
verse 4.
He
that is
God
will wipe
every tear
from their
eyes
and there
will be
no more
death
or mourning
or crying
or pain
for the
old order
of things
has passed
away.
Can you
picture that
city?
In this
city there
will be no
more hospitals
for the
blind will
see
and the
deaf
will hear.
No need
of wheelchairs
for the
lame will
run and the
sick will
dance with
joy.
in this
city there
will be no
more goodbyes,
no more
funerals,
no memorials
to attend,
no more
sad memories,
no more
heartache for
loved ones.
In this
city where
minds have
been broken,
suffering,
inexpressible
torture,
their minds
will be set
free to
write and
dream and
paint and
play.
can you
see that
city?
How can
we be so
sure?
Look at
the end of
verse 4.
For the
old order
of things
has passed
away.
The
sufferings
of this
life,
the tears
of pain
that we
face,
the agonies,
the internal
struggles
will all
be gone,
never to
be remembered
forever.
So we
are given
a picture
of a new
city.
The second
great picture
we are given
is it's
going to be
like a new
garden.
Have a look
at Revelation
chapter 22.
Revelation
chapter 22
chapter 22.
And verse
1.
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
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
his fruits
every
month,
and the
leaves of
the tree
are for
the healing
of the
nations.
Do you
see that
picture?
It's an
echo of
the Garden
of Eden.
Do you
remember how
God made
a garden
for Adam
and Eve,
right back
at the
beginning?
Let me
remind us
of that
garden again
and listen
out for the
similarities.
Now the
Lord God
had planted
a garden
in the
east in
Eden,
and there
he put
the man
he had
formed,
and the
Lord God
made all
kinds of
trees to
grow out
to the
ground,
trees that
were pleasing
to the eye
and good
for food.
And in
the middle
of the
garden
were the
tree of
life,
and the
tree of
knowledge
of good
and evil,
and a
river watering
the garden
flowed
from Eden.
Now,
in Revelation,
we have this
picture of
this new
garden,
if you like,
the new
Eden,
from the
throne of
God,
who is the
source of
all life,
a river,
the water
of life,
flows down
from the
garden and
through into
the city,
nourishing and
sustaining and
providing.
But what
else do we
see in this
garden?
It's not
just the
water of
life,
but we
see on
each side
of the
river stood
the tree
of life.
Do you
remember when
Adam and
Eve rebelled
against God?
Remember what
happened?
They were
removed from
the garden
and they
were not
allowed access
to the
tree of
life.
Listen again
to what God
said to
Adam and
Eve when
they rebelled.
And the
Lord God
said,
the man
has now
become like
one of us,
knowing good
and evil.
He must
not be
allowed to
reach out
his hand
and take
also from
the tree
of life
and eat
and live
forever.
So the
Lord God
banished him
from the
garden of
Eden.
And after
he drove
the man
out,
he placed
on the
east side
of the
garden of
Eden
cherubim
and a
flaming sword
flashing back
and forth
to guard
the way
to the
tree
of life.
But now
in this
new vision,
in this
new garden,
we have
access to
the tree
of life.
A tree
of endless
provision,
a tree
of healing
for the
nations.
And what
makes this
garden so
utterly new?
Look at
verse 3.
No longer
will there
be any
curse.
The
history of
this world
is one
long story
of disorder,
disease and
decay and
ultimately
death.
It's a
story of
conflict and
evil as we
too have
rejected God
and listened
to the lies
of Satan.
But in the
new garden,
the curse
is gone.
No more
temptations.
No more
sin.
failure.
Satan
banished.
Where once
death reigned,
there is
now life
in all
its fullness.
But even
greater,
even greater
than a new
garden and
no more
curse,
what makes
this garden
so spectacular
spectacular is
the one who
is walking
in the
garden.
Look at
verse 4.
They,
the people
of God,
will see
his face
and his
name will
be on their
foreheads.
The children
of God
will see
God.
time and
time again
through the
story of
the Bible,
we've been
reminded of
the seriousness
of our
sin.
Because of
our sin,
we cannot
see God.
The unholy
cannot be
with the
holy.
What is
unclean
cannot be
with that
which is
pure.
Yes,
of course,
through our
faith in
Christ,
we can be
forgiven
today and
we can
talk with
God as
our Father,
but we
cannot see
him in
person.
We cannot
be with
him.
But in
the new
garden,
we will
see our
creator God
face to
face.
Every trace
of sin
gone.
Every sinful
desire
banished.
We will
see God.
we will
be with
God in
person.
For we
too will
be utterly
pure and
holy.
This is
the new
garden.
The
garden of
pure
delight for
all
eternity.
can you
grasp this
vision?
The new
city and
the new
garden and
all that is
to come.
But how
can we be
sure this
is ours?
How do
you,
how do
I get
into this
garden city?
how can
we make
sure this
is going
to be
our
experience?
Well,
the risen
Jesus goes
on to
tell us,
look at
chapter 22
verse 14.
Blessed
are those
who wash
their robes
that they
may have
the rights
to the
tree of
life
and may
go through
the gates
into the
city.
Can you
see?
Access
is given
to those
who have
washed
their robes.
Again,
it's this
picture language
describing
all those
who have
come to
Jesus,
repented
of their
sin,
and are
trusting in
him for
the forgiveness
of all
of their
sin,
submitting
to him.
You see,
it's sin
that makes
us unclean.
It's our
rebellion
against God
that makes
us unacceptable.
It separates
us from God
and from his
new heaven
and his
new earth.
If
unrepentant,
rebellious
sinners were
allowed into
this garden
city,
then we
would only
do what
Adam and
Eve did,
and it
would just
go into
chaos once
again.
But God
will not
allow that.
Look at
verse 15.
Outside,
outside
of this
garden
city
are the
dogs.
Those
who have
been
intent
on
turning
against
God,
rejecting
him,
refusing
him.
Those
who
practice
magic
arts,
who look
to other
things and
other people.
The sexually
immoral,
those who
live purely
for their
fulfillment of
their own
desires.
The murderers,
those who
are intent
of doing
whatever they
like,
no matter
the cost.
The
idolaters,
those who
place themselves
love,
those who
love,
and
everyone who
loves and
practices
falsehood.
These are the
unrepentant,
those who do
not love
Jesus and do
not submit to
his authority.
There is no
place in the
garden city
for those who
reject Jesus.
they are
outside.
They are
separated from
God and all
that is good
for all
eternity.
They are in
hell,
a place where
evil and
suffering reign
and from
which there
is no
escape.
This is not
make-believe.
This is the
true story of
God.
His
incredible plan
for the world
from creation
to new
creation.
And if we
are God's
people who
have come
admitting who
we are and
have been
washed by
Jesus and
made clean,
then as
God's
children,
we can look
forward to
that day when
we will stand
before him
and in his
love and
in his grace
he will
welcome his
children in
to that
garden city
for all
eternity.
What a
conclusion.
Except for
it's not
the end.
It's just
the beginning.
Let's pray.
God with
God.