December 27, 2024 - Revelation 21

The “new heaven and earth” text!  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  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.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’  And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’ (21:1-5).  There’s an interesting reference here, which I don’t think I have ever noticed.  John tells us, “The dwelling place of God is with man.”  This is both God-centered and man-centered.  All that God does he does for his own glory but, also, all he does is for the good of his people.  He cares about us.  He redeems us.  He will bring us to himself, and until he does, he is “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).

Soon and very soon we are goin’ to see the King,

Soon and very soon we are goin’ to see the King,

Soon and very soon we are goin’ to see the King,

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

we are goin’ to see the King!

No more cryin’ there we are goin’ to see the King . . .

No more dyin’ there we are goin to see the King . . .

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

we’re are goin’ to see the King!   -- Andraé Crouch (1976)