Revelation 21:1–8

Fifth Sunday of Easter

¹Then 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. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He 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." ⁵He 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." ⁶He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars— their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

One of the most heartrending scenes after Hurricane Katrina brought devastation to thousands of families was an interview with a tearful man who described how his house just split apart and how he tried to hold on to his wife’s hand to keep her from being dragged away by the powerful waves. “Where is your wife now?” asked the interviewer. “She’s gone. I couldn’t hold her. She told me, ‘You can’t hold me. Take care of the children and the grandchildren.’”

In this world, the first earth, there are heartrending tears. But in the new heaven and the new earth, there will be no more death and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

John, in his vision of heaven, was allowed to see the end of times. He saw when the heavens and earth came to an end, and he saw the last day when God judged all peoples. “Then I saw,” he said, “a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.”

The first heaven and the first earth had passed away! With it all the sin and misery of this world passed away! Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. Satan and his angels were locked up forever in eternal doom. All sin was gone. All the suffering, sorrow and death that sin brings were gone! Forever!

Then John saw a new heaven and a new earth. God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth are the hope and joy of all who trust in Jesus Christ. Because of the promise of a new heaven and a new earth we rejoice in the salvation of our Lord.

We rejoice because all sin and misery and sorrow and death will be wiped away; the old order will pass and a new order will come. A new heaven and a new earth and a new life are on the way. This fills us with great joy!

Rejoice, because your names are written in the Book of Life! John says the books were opened and the people were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Then another book was opened and the names were read from it. It was the Book of Life. The names of all the saved are written in the Book of Life. Only the names of the saved are written in this book. If anyone’s name is not written in the Book of Life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire along with death and Hades. This book contains the names of all who believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Jesus says, “Rejoice that your names are written in the Book of Life.”

Our names were written in the Book of Life at our baptism. This gives us great comfort and joy. When we experience doubt or fear, we look back at our baptism and find our comfort there, for at our baptism our names were written in the Book of Life. We shall not be thrown into the lake of fire, but shall live in the new heaven and the new earth where sin and death shall exist no longer.

Rejoice, you whose names are in the Book of Life, because in the new heaven and earth there will be no sin and hence none of the effects of sin. All the suffering and misery of this world is the result of sin. The tears and sorrows of this world are the result of sin. Death itself is the result of sin. But the first heaven and the first earth will pass away, sin and death will be gone. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will pass away. John describes for us the blessings of the new heaven and earth by telling of all the things in this present world that will no longer be. No more sin; death; sorrow; mourning; crying or pain.

Rejoice, you whose names are written in the Book of Life, because the Church is prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. We are the church. We are made up of sinners who do not deserve to be admitted to the new heaven and new earth. We deserve to be cast into the lake of fire and destroyed. We have done nothing pleasing to God. We are enemies of God and utterly loathsome creatures, but we have been purified by the blood of Christ. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

John saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. It is not just a refurbished city; it is a completely rebuilt new city. That is the church. It is we who are adorned as a bride for Christ. At the wedding celebration the bride is dressed and adorned in beautiful clothing, and flowers, and necklaces and bracelets to be presented to her husband. Such is the church seen by John.

And the voice from the throne said: “Now the dwelling of God is with men and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is the city of God where God dwells forever; here among us, his church is the dwelling place of God. We will dwell with them and he with us eternally.

Rejoice, you whose names are written in the Book of Life, because your salvation is guaranteed. “I am making everything new,” God said to John, “It is finished.” God has cast out the old order and has made everything new. “It is finished.” With these words the new heaven and the new earth are tied to the death of Jesus on the cross, where Jesus said, “It is finished.” Our salvation has been accomplished. The task is done. Salvation is for sure!

When God speaks it is accomplished. Luther used to say, “God does not speak words. He speaks things.” God speaks things into existence. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” all the promised blessings belonging to the new heaven and the new earth come into being. They are based on payment Christ paid on the cross; on his very own blood poured out for our redemption.

So God says to John, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Why without cost? Because it has already been paid for. Jesus Christ paid for it on the cross with his holy, innocent blood.

Rejoice, you whose names are written in the Book of Life, because you already partake in some of the blessings of the new heaven and new earth. The blessings begin in worship. Even while still living in this first earth, God gives drink to those who thirst. Even here in this old order, God is with us and abides with us. In worship he binds himself to us. In baptism he binds himself to us and we become his dwelling place. In the Lord’s Supper he feeds us with his body and gives us to drink of his blood. In worship he binds himself to us, his church, his holy bride, washed spotless by the blood of the Lamb who was slain, and whom he purchased to be a royal priesthood unto God.

Because of the promise of a new heaven and a new earth, we are moved to call unbelievers to repentance and faith. The Holy Spirit moves us out of love for our neighbor because God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. It is the desire of God’s heart that caused him to send his Only Begotten Son into the world. It is the love of Christ that caused him to pour out his blood for all people. It is the love of the Holy Spirit which moves us to seek out unbelievers and call them to repentance and faith.

Here God says that “the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” For all who do not repent and have faith in the Lord, there is nothing but eternal death and suffering ahead. They will be cast away with the old earth and the old heaven. They will be cast into the lake of fire along with death and Hades. They will be in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

John here calls them “vile”. Their very nature is polluted and defiled. It is saturated with the very abominations they practice in their lifetime.

But God desires not the death of even a single sinner. He desires that all sinners repent and turn to him in faith. He therefore calls us, whose names are written in the Book of Life to do all we can to bring the saving message of Christ to all people everywhere. It is the message of salvation through which the Holy Spirit creates faith in the hearer. It is by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that faith is created. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. It is through the word we proclaim and the sacraments we administer that men, women and children are called out of their life of sin and death and to faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin, salvation and eternal life.

The new heaven and the new earth will be pure, sinless, and joyful. All sin and all the heartache that sin has brought into the world will be gone forever. “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes…for the former things have passed away.” God himself will dwell among us. This is cause for great rejoicing for believers, but it is also a motivation for us believers to continue our efforts at spreading the Good News of the Savior, because, “If anyone’s name is not found written in the Book of Life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire.”

Rejoice that your names are in the Book of Life and spread this Good News to everyone!

Amen.