Day 31 - Revelation 21:1-22:5,17 - New Heaven

Connecting to the Larger Story

Even as the church continued to grow and faced persecution at the hands of both the Jewish authorities and the Roman government, it remembered the promises about the day of Jesus' return. Despite the troubles they faced, they held out hope that Jesus would return to finish the work of bringing God's kingdom to earth. John, one of Jesus' disciples, saw a vision of Jesus' final victory that he wrote about in a letter to the churches in Asia Minor. While we often focus on the mysterious, gruesome imagery he uses to report his vision, the message he had to share was one of hope for how glorious the world will be when Jesus returns. His vision draws to a close with the beautiful description of the new heaven and new earth that God will create and the new Jerusalem in which God's people will live.

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Important to Note

1) God's new world is a place with no more crying, mourning, or death, because God will dwell amongst the people and wipe away their tears. The world God intends is one of bliss filled with the good things of life.
2) The book - indeed the Bible and God's story - ends with the invitation to join God's people in receiving the free gift of the water of life and praying for Jesus to come back. 

Thoughts for Reflection

1) What is the one thing you most desire for the new heaven and new earth?
2) Is God's story over?