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A Shared Eternity: The New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem

Revelation 21 – 22

Unity, Diversity and Our Identity in Christ Part 14 of 14

Unity, Diversity, and Our Identity in Christ

• The Goals of This series:



1. To gain a better understanding of the Bible’s metanarrative– the big story that takes us from Genesis to Revelation.




2. To see how our individual identities become more meaningful as we find our primary identity in Christ.





3. To accept that our identity in Christ is something shared, and is a basis for unity with diverse others in the church.






4. To appreciate biblical diversity as a spiritual strength that expresses itself in the people and ministries of our church.

Previously in this series


• As we look back on our previous messages, consider how each segment contributes to our identity in Christ.

• This is the story that we all fit into together.

A Shared Origin: The Story of CreationGenesis 1 – 2



A Shared Tragedy: Sin and Its EffectsGenesis 3 – 11



Genesis 12:1-3



A Shared Standard: The Law of LoveLeviticus 19, Deuteronomy 6:4-9



A Shared King: The Covenant with David2 Samuel 7



A Shared Songbook: Christ in the PsalmsPsalms 2, 16, 22, 110 & 118



A Shared Expectation: The Nations in Prophecy

Isaiah – Malachi



A Shared Savior: The Lord Jesus Christ Matthew 1 – 2



A Shared Assignment: The Great CommissionMatthew 28, Luke 24 & Acts 1



A Shared Spirit: Uniting of Jew and GentileActs 2, 10 – 13



A Shared Responsibility:The Use of Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12 – 13



A Shared Citizenship: Reconciling of Jew and Gentile

Ephesians 2:11-22



A Shared High Priest: Melchizedek’s Meaning

Genesis 14, Psalm 110 & Hebrews 5 – 7



A Shared Eternity:The New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem


• We have now walked through some important contents of the entire story of the Bible from beginning to end.

• We looked at creation, the effects of sin and God’s elaborate, wonderful plan to solve the problems caused by sin.


• We have the Holy Spirit within us and a great High Priest who has gone before us into the Holy of Holies in heaven.

• We know what Jesus has saved us from – the corruption of sin and its consequences.

• Now at the end of the Bible we will look at what he has saved us for – a whole new creation.


• Long ago, Isaiah dropped a few hints that something like this was in store for God’s people. See Isaiah 65:17-18 (ESV).

17 “For behold, I create new heavensand a new earth,

and the former things shall not be rememberedor come into mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice foreverin that which I create;

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,and her people to be a gladness.


• He then added Isaiah 66:22-23 (ESV).22 For as the new heavens and the new earth

that I makeshall remain before me, says the LORD,

so shall your offspring and your name remain.23 From new moon to new moon,

and from Sabbath to Sabbath,all flesh shall come to worship before me,declares the LORD.


• Peter then reminds us of this future reality.

• 2 Peter 3:13 (ESV).

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.


• Moving into Revelation, John sees a massive vision of people demonstrating perfect unity in diversity while at worship.

• Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV)9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”


• Toward the end of the book, he sees more clearly what God has planned for us.

• It is no more than a movie-trailer vision of eternity.

• To really know what it is going to be like, we will just have to see the real thing for ourselves.


• God makes all things new in Revelation 21:1-8.


• God makes all things new in Revelation 21:1-8.

• 21:3 God will be with us forever.

• 21:4 Everything that makes life miserable here on earth will be gone.

• 21:7-8 The victorious will reign as God’s children, but only those who submit to God will share this experience.


• God is preparing us a city and it is worth waiting for.

• The first city mentioned in the Bible was built by Cain, a rebel, in Genesis 4:17.

• After this, cities were built by Nimrod, including Babel.

• Abraham had different ambitions.


• Hebrews 11:8-10 (ESV)8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.


• John describes the holy city in Revelation 21:9-27.


• 21:12-14 The 12 tribes are united with the 12 apostles, uniting Israel with the church for eternity.

• 21:16 12,000 stadia = 1,380 miles; one stadion = 607 feet.

• 21:17 The wall is 216 feet high, or maybe wide. The text does not exactly tell us.

• A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters.1


• 21:24-26 Notice that nations and kings will still exist in this eternal world.

• It might be dangerous to speculate here.

• Still, it looks like ethnicity and some kind of human authority will still exist, but certainly according to God’s ideal plan.


• In Revelation 22:1-5, the angel shows John the river of life and the tree of life.

• This tree of life is certainly somehow related to one back in Genesis 2 – 3, from which our first parents did not eat.


• Revelation 22:6-21. give us the Bible’s closing words.

• They are sobering, encouraging and motivating all at the same time.

A Shared Eternity Conclusions


• God created us for community and blessing.

• Sin destroyed our fellowship with God and with one another.

• He then began a long, detailed story, which has played out through all human history.

• Jesus is the main character, and God’s intention is that we join together in fellowship with him.


• God has saved us from our shared tragedy of sin and united us through a shared Savior.

• In so doing he is preparing us for a shared eternity.


• In a way, we come full circle back to Eden – complete with the tree of life.

• It is fascinating to consider that God knowingly created a world that would become fallen and then redeemed.

• This big story, this metanarrative, was his chosen way to most clearly express his love for us in Christ.


• The Goals of This series have been:


• The Goals of This series have been:




4. To appreciate biblical diversity as a spiritual strength that expresses itself in the people and ministries of our church.


• Each episode in this series has been meant to help us better understand Jesus Christ.

• When we are in Christ, Jesus becomes the most important part of our new selves.

• Let’s look once again at all the ways the big story of the Bible shows us all the things that we share in common.

A Shared Origin: The Story of CreationGenesis 1 – 2



A Shared Tragedy: Sin and Its EffectsGenesis 3 – 11



Genesis 12:1-3



A Shared Standard: The Law of LoveLeviticus 19, Deuteronomy 6:4-9



A Shared King: The Covenant with David2 Samuel 7



A Shared Songbook: Christ in the PsalmsPsalms 2, 16, 22, 110 & 118



A Shared Expectation: The Nations in Prophecy

Isaiah – Malachi



A Shared Savior: The Lord Jesus Christ Matthew 1 – 2



A Shared Assignment: The Great CommissionMatthew 28, Luke 24 & Acts 1



A Shared Spirit: Uniting of Jew and GentileActs 2, 10 – 13



A Shared Responsibility:The Use of Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12 – 13



A Shared Citizenship: Reconciling of Jew and Gentile

Ephesians 2:11-22



A Shared High Priest: Melchizedek’s Meaning

Genesis 14, Psalm 110 & Hebrews 5 – 7



A Shared Eternity: The New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem

Revelation 21 – 22



• In closing let’s pray that God would:

1. Help us to see the ways that we fit into the Bible’s big story.

2. Remind us daily that our ultimate identity is in Christ.

3. Unite our hearts in worship of a God that would work out such a wonderful plan to save us.

4. Empower us to be witnesses as Christ’s bride working together with God’s Spirit to invite people to Jesus.

5. Help us to live each day looking forward to a shared eternity with one another and with Him.


• Finally, may the Lord make a church that is

1. Even more unified

2. Even more diverse

3. So fully identified with Christ that God’s nature, love and wisdom will be evident to us and to the outside world.

Reference List

1. Dennis, et al. 2012. ESV Global Study Bible. Crossway. Kindle Edition, Kindle Locations 310660-310662.

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