There is an old gospel song that includes this lyric: “Everybody talkin’ ‘bout heaven ain’t goin’ there.” That might be poor grammar, but it is correct theology. Jesus Christ Himself once said, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

But here is something else to consider: not even everyone who is going to heaven has a good understanding of what heaven is really like. It is a place up there somewhere, and we will get a new body, never be sad again, and probably do a lot of singing.

Well, to a certain extent all that is true, but there is so much more. As you sail with me into the opening verses of Revelation 21, you might be surprised to learn that your future in heaven is going to involve life on Planet Earth.

The apostle John begins in verse 1:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

The apostle Peter explains in 2 Peter 3:10 that the heavens above, along with the earth—the entire universe—will be burned up at the end of human history. Isaiah the prophet predicted in Isaiah 65:17 that God will one day create new heavens and a brand-new earth.

John sees the appearance of that new heaven and new earth here in Revelation 21; and this word “new” that he uses refers to a new kind of heaven and earth. In other words, the new creation will have continuity with the old creation as we know it now, but it will be uniquely new. 

This is like your future glorified body. You will still be you, with your personality and gifts and physical features, but you will be perfected and made immortal. So also, the earth is not going to look like the moon; it will look like the earth. It will be recognizable but different—perfected and made to last forever.

This is part of God’s gifts to us, and we will be able to explore and enjoy this magnificently beautiful, recreated earth and universe. While John says here that there will be no more sea, that is a reference to the ocean. It does not mean there will not be rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water.[1] But the ocean is a great separator, separating nations and people today. But that will not be the case in the new earth. We who dwell on the new earth will be united spiritually and geographically; nothing will separate us.

Next, John sees the appearance of the new Jerusalem, “the holy city . . . coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (verse 2).

The heavenly city, referred to here as the “new Jerusalem,” is also called the Father’s house in John 14:2. It will descend and rest on a brand-new earth. Heaven, the Father’s house of gold and glory, literally comes down to earth and becomes the new Jerusalem.

As a believer, you have been promised a dwelling place in this golden city of glory. You will have a home there forever. I imagine you will be sent out by the Lord on some exciting adventure or expedition as you explore the new heavens and new earth.

Throughout the Bible, the redeemed are referred to as a bride. Israel is called the bride of Jehovah; the church is called the bride of Christ.[2] Here, this new Jerusalem is called the bride, and that is because it contains all the people who belong to God. You might say this city descends like a golden carriage, bringing within it the bridal party of God. And John’s saying, “Look, here comes the bride.” She is beautifully adorned for her beloved Groom, the King of Kings.

With the descent of the Holy City, John hears an announcement from heaven:

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (verse 3)

Yes, God dwells with every believer today in the person of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but we do not see the God we worship. That is going to change. We will have face-to-face fellowship with the physical embodiment of the triune God—Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom. John wrote in 1 John 3:2, “We shall see him as he is.” Our feeble faith is going to turn into perfected sight.

In verse 4, John is told some things that will not be there:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.”

You need to understand that this promise of no more tears is related to these events that are now gone—death, mourning, and pain. You will never again shed a tear over those things. But that does not mean you will never weep for joy, or be moved to tears at the music of heaven, or weep tears of gratitude when you see your Savior. Some people seem to think that emotional tears will not exist in heaven. They will, but they will never be tears of sadness.

Next, John records an announcement from God, who begins to affirm what John has seen. He says, “I am making all things new” (verse 5). Then God announces, “It is done!” (verse 6). God’s new creation for the redeemed to enjoy is finished. And I personally believe we are going to watch the Lord follow the pattern of Genesis 1 in this new creation, as He says, “Let there be light,” and then He recreates light and then the planets and the stars and the animal kingdom and more. We will get to see it happen this time.

God continues in verse 6, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” That means, “Nothing was before Me, and nothing is beyond Me.” This same expression is used to describe both God the Father and God the Son (Revelation 1:8; 22:13). Both are without origin and without ending. This, of course, speaks of the equal essence of their deity.

Finally, John hears God make a promise to believers in verse 6: “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” I like to think of this spring of water as the fountain of youth—perpetual youth and eternal life. And God paid for it in full and now gives it, as a wedding gift, so to speak, at no cost to us.

There is another promise given in verse 7: “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” “One who conquers,” or overcomes, is not some special class of Christian. This refers to every Christian—everyone who has faith in Christ (1 John 5:4-5).

Verse 8 reminds us of those who will not inherit the blessings of heaven:

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Now we are all guilty of crimes and sins like these. The difference is that we have asked Christ for forgiveness, and the people John mentions here wanted nothing to do with Christ. We wanted the Savior; they wanted only their sin.

Those who have rejected Christ will be rejected by Christ. They will experience the “second death.” Remember, death in Scripture never means annihilation, but separation. They will forever be separated from the Lord.

If you are among those described here, without forgiveness through Christ, please listen to the Lord’s invitation today. It is an invitation the bride of Christ accepted: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).