Rev 21:1-2 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Rev 21:1-22:9: 21:1–22:9 The final scenes of the new heaven and earth are striking pictures of a new community and home for God’s people that is fashioned and given by God. These scenes help to lift the spirits of persecuted Christians. John lays out his basic vision (21:1-8 ) and follows it with two expansions: (1) In 21:9-27 , he presents the new Jerusalem as the site of holy perfection; (2) in 22:1-5 , he describes the new Jerusalem as the ultimate Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve could have experienced had they not sinned. 21:1 The vision involves God’s creation of the new heaven and earth (cp. Gen 1:1 with Isa 65:17 ; 66:22 ). The old creation has disappeared —it was subject to decay (see Rom 8:20-21 ; 2 Pet 3:7 , 10 ). • the sea was also gone: The sea was associated with chaos or the abyss (see study note on Rev 9:1-12) and was sometimes portrayed as a roaring monster (see Pss 46:3 ; 74:14 ; see also Job 3:8 ; 41:1-34 ; Luke 21:25 ). The new creation will be free from all such evil.

Summary for Rev 21:1-22:9: 21:1–22:9 ^a The final scenes of the new heaven and earth are striking pictures of a new community and home for God’s people that is fashioned and given by God. These scenes help to lift the spirits of persecuted Christians. John lays out his basic vision (21:1-8 ^b) and follows it with two expansions: (1) In 21:9-27 ^c, he presents the new Jerusalem as the site of holy perfection; (2) in 22:1-5 ^d, he describes the new Jerusalem as the ultimate Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve could have experienced had they not sinned. 21:1 ^e The vision involves God’s creation of the new heaven and earth (cp. Gen 1:1 ^f with Isa 65:17 ^g; 66:22 ^h). The old creation has disappeared—it was subject to decay (see Rom 8:20-21 ⁱ; 2 Pet 3:7 ^j, 10 ^k).

• the sea was also gone: The sea was associated with chaos or the abyss (see study note on Rev 9:1-12) and was sometimes portrayed as a roaring monster (see Pss 46:3 ^l; 74:14 ^m; see also Job 3:8 ⁿ; 41:1-34 ^o; Luke 21:25 ^p). The new creation will be free from all such evil.
21:2 ^q coming down from God: The new creation is a gift from God. In the beginning, God created everything good, and in the end, God will create a new, unbroken world.

• This picture of Jerusalem as a beautiful bride (see Isa 61:10 ^r) contrasts starkly with the vision of Babylon (or Rome) as the prostitute (Rev 17:4-5 ^s; 18:2-3 ^t; see study note on 21:9–22:9).