The scripture that I will bring
to your attention this morning is found in that chapter that
we read, Revelation chapter 21 and the first part of verse 5. Revelation 21 verse 5, the first
part of the verse, And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold,
I make all things new. Now we often think of the The
book of the Revelation is a book about the ends, but you know,
it is also a book about the beginning. What we have in the book of the
Revelation, especially in the concluding chapters, is a new
Genesis. Here is a new Genesis. And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed
away, and there was no more sea. And as the first heaven and the
first earth and the sea were formed by the word of God, so
it will be in the formation of the new heaven and the new earth. And he that sat upon the throne
said, Behold, I make all things new. Here then is a new Genesis,
and it is God who is the Creator. He is the creator of the first
heaven and the first earth. Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1. In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth. Well, as He is the creator of
the first heaven and the first earth so he is the creator of
the new heaven and the new earth see who is speaking from the
throne we see it in chapter 20 and I saw a great white throne
verse 11 of chapter 20 and I saw a great white throne and him
that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away and there was found no place for them and I saw the dead small
and great stand before God it is God who sits on this throne
and it is He who says behold I make all things new He is the
creator of all things He says by Isaiah the prophet I am the
Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens
alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself it is written
of Christ all things were made by Him and again for by Him were
all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth
visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers all things were created by Him and
for Him and He is before all things and by Him all things
consist Jeremiah says, for He is the former of all things the
Lord, the triune Jehovah Father, Son and Holy Ghost was the former
of all things in the beginning and so he is the former of all
things in this new beginning and he that sat upon the throne
said behold I make all things new and you know it was not only
to the Apostle John that these things were revealed these things
were also revealed to others of the Apostles And this, of
course, was in accordance with that which the Lord Jesus spoke
to them concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit. Howbeit,
when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into
all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself,
but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak. And He will
show you things to come. These things to come were revealed
to the apostles by the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost. And so Peter declares by the
Holy Spirit in his first epistle that the end of all things is
at hand. In his second epistle He says,
but the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word
are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgment
and perdition of ungodly men. He goes on to say, nevertheless
we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. Paul in Romans speaks of the
creation, as it were, yearning for its great change. In Romans 8 and verse 19 he says,
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made
subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath
subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves
also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body. Oh, we feel the effects of the
entrance of sin in our bodies, do we not? Sickness, disease,
pain, death. So it is in the whole of creation. And the creation is, as it were,
waiting. It's waiting for the manifestation
of the sons of God. It is waiting for the day of
its great change. heaven and earth shall pass away,
Jesus said but my words shall not pass away and again he said
verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the
regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of
his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve
tribes of Israel Now that word regeneration there in Matthew
19 is very interesting, it's a Greek word, in the Greek the
word is palingenesia. Palingenesia. It literally means
again Genesis. It is the renovation, the making
new again of creation. Peter in his preaching at Jerusalem
speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ whom the heaven must receive
until the times of restitution of all things which God had spoken
by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began
yes, the prophets spoke of these things example in Psalm 102 verse 25 we read of old hast
thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the
work of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure
yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt
thou change them and they shall be changed and they shall be
changed Isaiah says, for behold I create
new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered
nor come into mind. Of course in many places in the
New Testament we read of this world or this present world and
we also read of the world to come. Now there has been much conjecture
and no doubt there will continue to be much conjecture about the new and eternal state even until
the last day there will be conjecture I believe about the last about
the eternal state the new heavens and the new earth but after all
the debates and the discussions about the matter we must come
to this I have not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into
the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him Now having said that, there are
things revealed to us regarding the future state Paul goes on
to say there in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 I hath not seen nor
ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things
yea the deep things of God for what man knoweth the things of
a man save the spirit of man which is in him even so the things
of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God now we have received
not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of
God. Now, what are the things that
are freely given to us of God? Well, they are the all things
of our text. Behold, I make all things new. This, you see, is the saint's
inheritance. In verse 7, he that overcometh
shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall
be my son. God has given His only begotten
Son for us all, who by grace are brought to believe on His
name. And Paul says in Romans, He that
spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall
He not with Him also freely give us all things? This is the saint's inheritance,
all things. the all things which are made
new. We should consider, I trust with the Lord's help this morning,
that first of all that God's word is true and faithful, and
secondly that God is sovereign, that He is able to perform that
which He has promised, and thirdly we shall consider something more
of the inheritance, and then fourthly we shall consider the
heirs. First of all let us consider
this, that God's word is true and it is faithful. And he that
sat upon the throne said, Behold! Our attention is drawn to this
Behold! Though this promise is so wonderful
and so marvellous impossible to believe for those
who are carnal and unbelieving yet the promise is sure and it
is certain Isaiah uses the word in the same way in chapter 43 where he says there in verse
18 remember ye not the former things neither consider the things
of old behold I will do a new thing now it shall spring forth
shall ye not know it I will even make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert this is speaking of the conversion
of the Gentiles it seems to the Jews an impossible thing but
Isaiah says behold I will do a new thing Now it shall spring
forth, shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the
wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field
shall honour me, the dragons and the owls, because I give
waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give
drink to my people, my chosen. For so it is here, there is a
beholder. here is something to be wondered at here is something
to be marveled at and yet it is absolutely true and he that
sat upon the throne said behold I make all things new and he
said unto me write for these words are true and faithful these
words are true for they are the words of him who sits upon the
throne these are the words of God that cannot lie He is, as
Moses says, a God of truth and without iniquity Our Lord Jesus
in prayer to His Father said, Thy word is truth and He that sat upon the throne
said what He says is absolute truth these words are true and
these words are faithful they are faithful for they shall infallibly
be fulfilled these words can be relied upon
you can trust these words so sure and so certain is the promise
that it is spoken of as having already been performed and he
said unto me it is done it is done and this is a great comfort
and consolation to the saints of the Most Holy God. That the
Word of God is true and faithful. The Bible can be relied on. In Revelation 19 we read, And
he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. You can't
rely on the word of a politician, you know. And you can't rely
on the word of the evolutionist, certainly not. And you cannot
rely on the word of Buddha or Mohammed these are the true sayings
of God and this truth cheers the heart
of the believer it causes us to rejoice does the word of God
cause you to rejoice? I rejoice at thy word as one
that findeth great spoils Oh, but it ought to strike terror
into the hearts of the Lord's enemies. And he that sat upon
the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto
me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. In the second place, consider
this, that God is sovereign, that He is able to perform His
promise. these are the words of one sat upon the throne this
speaks of the absolute sovereignty of almighty God he has kept his
word in the past and he will keep his word again and he is
able to keep that which he has promised the Lord by the mouth
of the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of King Cyrus who
would command the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem in
Isaiah 46 verse 9 remember the former things of old for I am
God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me
declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I
will do all my pleasure calling a ravenous bird from the east
that's Cyrus the man that executed my counsel from a far country
yea I have spoken it I will also bring it to pass I have purposed
it I will also do it so it is with this promise of
Revelation 21 the Lord has purposed it he has promised it and he
will bring it to pass as we said just now the promise
is so sure and so certain that it is spoken of as if it had
already been performed and he said unto me it is done and faith
believes the promise of God and the power of God those who believe
the gospel are the true spiritual sons of Abraham as Paul says
in Galatians know ye not that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham now
in Romans Paul speaks of the faith of Abraham in Romans chapter
4 verse 20 he says he staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being
fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also
to perform and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness
this is justifying faith you see and this is an intrinsic
part of true justifying faith being fully persuaded that what
God has promised he is able also to perform he will most certainly
and most assuredly perform his promise and he said unto me write
for these words are true and faithful, he tells me, it is
done it is done and we see the power of God,
we see the ability of God to perform what he has promised
and what he has purposed in the old creation through faith we
understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so
that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear
In other words, that all things were made out of nothing. In Genesis chapter 1 there is
that recurring refrain, And God said, and it was so. And God
said, and it was so. And God said, and it was so. It's written in the Psalms for
He spake and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. God's eternal power is to be
discerned in the creation as Paul says, for the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen
being understood by the things that are made even his eternal
power and Godhead that's why the evolutionist is so intent
on trying to stamp out this testimony to the power of God the sovereignty of God in creation
shows us that he is able to perform what he has purposed and what
he has promised he is of infinite power and likewise his sovereignty
in providence in Ephesians we read of the purpose of him who
worketh all things after the counsel of his own will In Psalm
33, again, which we've just quoted, the Lord bringeth the counsel
of the heathen to naught. He maketh the devices of the
people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth
forever. The thoughts of His heart to
all generations. You see, He brings to pass in
time throughout all the generations what He has purposed in eternity. That is what providence is. we see it earlier on in the book
of Revelation in chapter 17 verse 16 and the ten horns which thou
sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore and shall make
her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with
fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and
to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast until the words
of God shall be fulfilled. These kings, you see, they give
their power, they give their kingdom to the beast, they voluntarily
hand over their power, their authority to govern, and they
voluntarily hand over their strength or the wealth of their nations
to this final manifestation of the Roman Empire, the eighth
head of the beast. These have one mind and shall
give their power and strength unto the beast. These kings or kingdoms surrender
their national sovereignty to the great empire here called
the beast and it is all done by negotiations and treaties
and agreements for we read that they agree to do this. For God
hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree but we also see that it is God
who is working out the counsel of his own will for God has put
in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and to give
their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall
be fulfilled. So when we see in providence
the fulfillment of that which God has promised on the pages
of Holy Scripture We have an assurance that God will most
certainly perform and that he is able also to perform all that
he has purposed and promised. And we see it also in the matter
of salvation. God has from the beginning purposed
the eternal salvation of a people of his choice. As Paul writes
to the Thessalonians, but we are bound to give thanks always
to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord. because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth whereunto He called you
by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Oh God is sovereign! He is sovereign
in all things! He is sovereign in the matter
of salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. and as the Father has purposed
the salvation of His people so the Son has procured it and thou
shalt call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from
their sins He has saved His people and He has saved them from their
sins and He has saved them from their sins by dying for them
by dying in their room and in their stead He has made atonement
for their sins He has put away their sins forever by the death
that He died by the blood that He shed as the Father has purposed and
as the Son has procured the salvation of all God's elect so the Holy
Spirit seals or applies that salvation and this He does in
regeneration in the new birth except a man be born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God and it
is the Holy Spirit who convinces the elect of their sin and it
is the Holy Spirit who applies the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
to their guilty consciences it is the Holy Spirit who works
true faith in the heart of the elect sinner so that that sinner
is brought to look to Jesus only to save him or her from his or
her sins this work of God in the soul of man is called a new
creation therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature
old things are passed away Behold, all things are become new and
all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus
Christ. For if we know that God has so
saved us by His grace, having purposed our salvation from before
the foundation of the world, having promised that salvation
in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, then surely we know
that He is able also to perform this promise that we read of
here in Revelation 21 and He that sat upon the throne said
behold I make all things new well let us go on to consider
then the inheritance and it is an inheritance, it's not a reward for these are the things that
are freely given to us of God and the Holy Spirit in our hearts
and His work within us is itself an earnest of that future inheritance
as Paul says in Ephesians ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit
of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory now I would only say a few things
about the inheritance there is much more that could be said
but I can find myself to what we have here in Revelation 21
and a few other related scriptures. Now, the inheritance is, in the words of our text,
all things new. All things new. Now, this intimates
the removal of all things old or all the former things. Indeed,
this is plainly said in the previous verse. And God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.
For the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the
throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Those former things,
tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain, they all came into the
world with sin. they all came into the world
as a result of Adam's transgression oh but in this new creation,
in this new created order there is no sin sin cannot enter here
and those who are yet in their sins who are not washed from
their sins who have not repented of their sins they cannot enter
here either and they shall in no wise enter into it anything
that defile it, neither whatsoever work it, abomination, or make
it a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of
Life. All the former trials and tribulations
of the people of God are now at an end. They are the former
things and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There
is a new heaven and a new earth and I saw a new heaven and a
new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed
away and there was no more sea three times we are told in psalm
37 we sang that psalm just now three times in that psalm that
it is written that the people of God shall inherit the earth
now I believe that that is the renewed creation from which the
wicked have been removed Psalm 37 verse 9 for evildoers shall
be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit
the earth for yet a little while and the wicked shall not be thou
shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be but
the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves
in the abundance of peace. In verse 22 of that psalm, for
such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth and they that
be cursed of him shall be cut off. This is the new heaven and
the new earth and there is a new Jerusalem And I, John, saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them. And they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. This is the church in its perfection. of which the Old Jerusalem was
but a type God is in the midst of her Psalm 46 this is the glory
of the glorified church and I saw no temple therein for
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it and
the city hath no need of the sun neither of the moon to shine
in it for the glory of God did light in it and the Lamb is the
light thereof the psalmist says out of Zion the perfection of
beauty God hath shined this is that glorious church
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing This is the inheritance, a place
and a name amongst the people of God, in the church of the
living God. Earlier on in Revelation 3 verse
12 we read, Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple
of my God and he shall go no more out and I will rise upon
him the name of my God and the name of the city of my which
is new Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God
and I will write upon him my new name this is the inheritance
a place and a name amongst the people of God for all eternity
now what of the heirs? well we're told in verse 7 who
the heirs are and in the previous verse also,
I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the
water of life freely these are the heirs the thirsty those who
hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled we read
in verse 7 of the heirs he that overcometh shall inherit all
things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son He that
overcometh shall inherit all things. Now this intimates that
there is a spiritual conflict. There is yet a war to be won. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things. Though the inheritance is entirely
of grace through faith, yet there is such a thing as the fight
of faith. But thou, O man of God, flee these things. That
is the former thing. For the love of money is the
root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows. But thou, man of God, O man of God, flee these things,
and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness. Fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses. Eternal life
is the gift of God, but there is such a thing as persevering
in that life of faith. Know ye not that they which run
in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may
obtain and every man that striveth for
the mastery is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain
a corruptible crown but we are incorruptible true faith fights
true faith runs true faith strives and true faith overcomes it overcomes by virtue of the
object to which it looks John says in his first epistle
for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this
is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith who
is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God these are the heirs he that believeth
that Jesus is the Son of God now in order for the heir to
inherit a new heaven and a new earth he will need a new body
if he is to inherit incorruption then he must finally be redeemed
from corruption that is from bodily corruption and this will
be done at the last day when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again
if we are alive on that day we shall be changed If we sleep
before that day, we shall be raised and so we shall be changed. Paul goes into these things under
the inspiration of the Spirit of God. In 1 Corinthians chapter
15 verse 50 he says, Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment
in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet
shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we
shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption and
this mortal must put on immortality And Paul writes to the Ephesians,
For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according
to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things
unto Himself. It's not just that our souls
go to heaven, If we are the Lord's when we die our bodies too shall
be changed and made meat for that heavenly place. Article
14 of the Gospel Standard Articles puts it very well I think when
it says we believe in the resurrection of the body both of the just
and the unjust, that the just, the elect, shall be raised up
in glory and honour, and be openly acknowledged and fully acquitted
in the day, in the judgment day, before angels, devils and sinners,
and made fully and eternally blessed, both in body and soul. And that the wicked shall be
raised up to be condemned, body and soul, to the unspeakable
torments of hell. forever and ever it's interesting that in 1 Corinthians
chapter 1 verse 30 Paul puts the word redemption last but
of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption there is to be
that final redemption even of our bodies if we are those who,
by God's grace, are in Christ Jesus. And this is our hope,
and for this we yearn. And not only they, but ourselves
also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit. Even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our bodies. Paul again says in 2 Corinthians,
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God and house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly
desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven.
If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not
for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality
might be swallowed up of life. Or we groan because of indwelling
sin, and so we earnestly desire that new body which is not subject
to sin, which is not corrupted by sin, and which shall be unable
to sin and not liable to sin oh what a heaven that will be well God grant them that each
one of us might as Paul says be found in Him that is in the
Lord Jesus Christ just as Noah was found in the ark and all
that were with him on the day that God sent the flood upon
the world of the ungodly. Grant, God, grant that we might
be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of
the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God, by faith that I may know Him, and the power
of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering,
being made conformable unto His death, if by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead. May the Lord bless
His word to each of our souls for His great namesake. And He
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. Amen.