The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Revelation 20–21: The Final Victory, the New Creation, and God Dwelling with His People
Last Saturday we watched Babylon fall, heaven rejoice, and the King of kings ride forth in triumph.
Revelation 18–19 brought us to the great climax of Christ's victory over the kingdoms of this world.
But John is not finished.
The King has come.
Now John sees what follows.
Revelation 20 takes us to the final defeat of Satan and the great white throne of judgment. Revelation 21 then opens before us something almost beyond imagination: a new heaven and a new earth, and the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God.
The story that began in Genesis is moving toward its final destination.
Satan's Final Defeat
John begins:
"And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." Revelation 20:1
The dragon—"that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan"—is seized and bound.
The great deceiver who has opposed God throughout human history is finally restrained.
There is something important here.
Satan is not God's equal.
Revelation never presents a cosmic struggle between two powers of comparable strength. The dragon is a creature. Christ is Lord.
And when the appointed time comes, Satan's rebellion ends.
After the thousand years, Satan is released for a short time. He goes out to deceive the nations once more and gathers them for one final assault against God's people.
But the rebellion ends almost as quickly as it begins.
"But fire came down from heaven and devoured them."
Revelation 20:9
Then comes the final sentence:
"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur."
Revelation 20:10
The deceiver is defeated.
The accuser is silenced.
The enemy is finished.
There will be no second rebellion.
No return of evil.
No final battle in which Satan might somehow prevail.
Jesus Christ wins.
The Great White Throne
Then John sees another throne.
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it."
Revelation 20:11
The earth and heaven flee from His presence.
The dead stand before the throne.
Books are opened.
And another book is opened:
"the book of life."
Revelation 20:12
Every person stands before God.
Nothing is hidden.
Every life is finally seen in the light of God's perfect justice.
John writes:
"The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."
Revelation 20:12
And then comes one of the most solemn statements in the entire Bible:
"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20:14
Think about that.
Death itself is defeated.
The enemy that entered the human story in Genesis will not remain forever.
The grave will not have the last word.
Death does not win.
Jesus does.
Then John Sees Something New
And suddenly the vision changes.
After judgment, John sees creation itself transformed.
"Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth,' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away."
Revelation 21:1
This is not merely an escape from creation.
John does not say that God's people abandon the earth forever.
He sees a new heaven and a new earth.
The biblical story that began with creation now moves toward new creation.
And then John sees the city.
"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."
Revelation 21:2
The city comes down.
God is not simply taking His people away from the world.
He is making all things new.
"God's Dwelling Place Is Now Among the People"
Then John hears a loud voice from the throne:
"Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them."
Revelation 21:3
This may be the central announcement of the entire vision.
God dwells with His people.
Think back to Genesis.
Humanity was created to live in fellowship with God.
Sin broke that fellowship.
The rest of Scripture tells the story of God's work to restore it.
The tabernacle.
The temple.
The coming of Christ.
The indwelling Spirit.
And now, at the end of history:
God dwells with His people forever.
The separation is over.
The pilgrimage is over.
The waiting is over.
"There Will Be No More Death"
And then comes one of the most beloved promises in Scripture:
"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."
Revelation 21:4
Notice the progression.
No more death.
No more mourning.
No more crying.
No more pain.
John does not merely tell us that suffering will be reduced.
He tells us that the old order will be gone.
And then the One seated on the throne speaks:
"I am making everything new!"
Revelation 21:5
Everything.
Not merely a few things.
Not merely our circumstances.
Everything.
The One who once said, "It is finished" from the cross now declares the completion of God's purposes for creation.
"It Is Done"
The voice continues:
"It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End."
Revelation 21:6
There is a remarkable echo here.
At the cross, Jesus announced the completion of His redemptive work.
Here, at the end of Revelation, God announces the completion of His purposes for all creation.
From beginning to end, God has been at work.
And the thirsty are invited:
"To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life."
Revelation 21:6
Grace remains at the center.
The final kingdom is not something humanity builds for itself.
It is God's gift.
The Holy City
John is then carried away to a great and high mountain.
He sees Jerusalem coming down from heaven.
The city shines with the glory of God.
It has a great wall.
Twelve gates.
Twelve foundations.
The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on the gates.
The names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are written on the foundations.
The whole history of God's people is gathered into the city.
And then John notices something extraordinary:
"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."
Revelation 21:22
There is no temple because there is no longer any distance between God and His people.
God Himself is there.
And the Lamb is there.
Jesus is not merely the One who brought His people into the city.
Jesus is at the center of the city.
No Sun. No Moon.
John continues:
"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."
Revelation 21:23
The Lamb is its lamp.
The One who was slain now illuminates the eternal city.
The One who entered the darkness of Calvary is the light of the world forever.
And John says:
"The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it."
Revelation 21:24
The old kingdoms have fallen.
Babylon is gone.
The Beast is gone.
The false prophet is gone.
Satan is gone.
Death is gone.
But Christ's kingdom remains.
And the glory belongs to Him.
The Story Comes Full Circle
There is something beautiful about reading Revelation 20–21 beside Genesis 1–3.
Genesis begins with creation.
Revelation ends with new creation.
Genesis introduces the garden.
Revelation gives us the Holy City.
Genesis tells us that sin brings death.
Revelation tells us that death is no more.
Genesis records humanity hiding from God.
Revelation tells us:
"God's dwelling place is now among the people."
Revelation 21:3
Genesis begins with humanity separated from the presence of God.
Revelation ends with God's people living forever in His presence.
The Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories.
It is one great story.
And at its center stands Jesus Christ.
The Lamb Has Won
We began this journey through Revelation looking at the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
We have seen Him as the faithful witness.
The risen Lord.
The Son of Man.
The Lamb.
The Lion.
The Judge.
The King of kings.
And now we see where His victory leads.
Satan is defeated.
Death is defeated.
Judgment is complete.
Creation is renewed.
God dwells with His people.
And the Lamb is at the center.
The world once rejected Him.
Babylon once appeared invincible.
The Beast once appeared powerful.
Death once appeared final.
But none of them had the last word.
Jesus does.
The One who came as the suffering Lamb is the King who reigns forever.
The One who died is alive.
The One who was rejected is glorified.
The One who promised to return has come.
And the final word is not death.
It is not Babylon.
It is not Satan.
It is not judgment.
It is life with God.
Next Saturday, we will come to the final chapter of the Bible: Revelation 22—the river of the water of life, the tree of life, the return of Jesus, and the Bible's final words:
"Yes, I am coming soon."
Revelation 22:20
And the response of the Church through the centuries remains the same:
"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"
Revelation 22:20
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He’s coming soon.
He’s coming soon;
With joy we welcome His returning;
It may be morn, it may be night or noon,
We know He’s coming soon.
--Old Sunday school song
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And once again the scene was changed;
New earth there seemed to be;
I saw the Holy City
Beside the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets,
The gates were open wide,
And all who would might enter,
And no one was denied.
No need of moon or stars by night,
Or sun to shine by day;
It was the new Jerusalem
That would not pass away.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Sing for the night is o'er!
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna for evermore!
-Lyrics by F. E. Weatherly.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. – Revelation 21:2
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