Revelation 21 Lesson

Revelation Chapter 21 is one of the most encouraging chapters in the entire Bible!  

It is not a chapter that one should read quickly, without a lot of thought.

These are words to be remembered, shared, and treasured!    

These words will get us through the tough times!  

These words will allow us to find hope in a lost world!  

These are the words of God,and they are full of joy, hope, peace, and inspiration!

THE NEW JERUSALEM

As you read the following verses, take your time, and picture in your head how glorious Heaven will be for those who remain faithful until the end!

• “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,  and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’” – Revelation 21:1-4.

Heaven is not a refreshed version of things that we have already seen or experienced.  

Heaven will be totally new and unlike anything we have ever seen!

It will be more beautiful than anything that we can imagine. In Heaven, we will be in the presence of God Himself! There we will be with Jesus, the Apostles, and all the saints! Imagine how awe-inspiring that will be!

In the “New Jerusalem” (Heaven), there will no longer be:

• Death,
• Mourning,
• Crying,
• Or pain.

Any suffering that we experienced on Earth will be forgotten, and any sacrifices that we have made will be well worth it.

The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans:

• "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." - Romans 8:18.

And all of this will be exactly as it was prophesized thousands of years ago. The prophet Isaiah wrote:

• “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create a Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. - Isaiah 65:17-19.

The book of Isaiah was written almost 3,000 years ago!   Yet, nothing has changed.   God’s word is the same today, as it was yesterday, and will be tomorrow.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

There is one final verse that we will look at, and then the lesson will be yours:

• “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.   But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” – Revelation 21:7-8.

The above scripture speaks for itself!

God’s message is clear.  

It is interesting, however, the words that God uses.   He says, “He who overcomes will inherit these things."   

What exactly do we need to overcome?

The answer is different for each one of us.We all must face adversity and persevere if we want to make it to Heaven.

Suffering is part of God’s plan for us. He allows it for three reasons:

1. To teach us,
2. To discipline us,
3. To shape us (into the people that He created us to be).

CONCLUSION

Revelation 21 is a chapter about hope!  It describes the New Jerusalem and what
Heaven will be like for those that persevere and endure life’s hardships.

It is a beautiful chapter that should be read slowly, reflecting on every word.

As we go about doing the work of the Lord, we will need to overcome whatever hardships come our way. The words that are written in the Book of Revelation are there to give us the hope and anticipation that we will need if we are going to persevere until the end.

We will conclude today’s lesson with the following words of encouragement written by the Apostle Paul to the Romans:

• “And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5.