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, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
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.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.
– Revelation 21:1-6
Our Story
Today is the day! The countdown is over. This is the moment we’ve been anticipating for the past 25 days.
But this was a moment that Israel had been anticipating for 400 years.
They’d lived through exile, famines, wars, oppression, and all kinds of brokenness from a world infected with sin, waiting for this promise to finally come true…and it did. Why is that significant? Because a second Advent is coming. That’s what Revelation 21 is talking about. Just like Israel waited 400 years for their Savior to come, the people of God today (the church) have been waiting 2000+ years for our Savior to return.
Just like Israel during those 400 years, the people of God today have lived through famines, wars, oppression, and all the brokenness of a world infected with sin.
Revelation 21 is our promise that another day is coming when our Savior, Jesus, will return, not to initiate His kingdom on earth (that was done in the first Advent), but to consummate it.
The first Advent gives us faith that God delivers on His promises. Just as He said in verse 5, His words are “trustworthy and true.” So even now as we live in a broken world infected with sin, we can have faith that just like God delivered on His promise to send a Savior, He will deliver on His promise to return again.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus!
Reflect
Much of our lives are lived between what God has promised and when God delivers on His promises. Because of that, there is a real temptation to lose faith in the middle when it doesn’t look like God is being faithful. Is there anywhere in your life that you’ve lost faith or feel yourself losing faith in God to deliver on His promises? How can seeing God deliver on past promises grow your faith in Him to deliver on promises that you don’t see yet?
Pray
Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus. A gift that wasn’t just promised, but a gift that was delivered right on time. As I celebrate that today, would You grow my faith as I live in anticipation of His second coming? Give me faith for the middle. I trust You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.