New Heavens and a New Earth

²² “As the new heavens and the new earth^(A) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.^{(B) 23} From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath^(C) to another, all mankind will come and bow down^(D) before me,” says the Lord.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a](A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,^(B) and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City,^(C) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,^(D) prepared as a bride^(E) beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.^(F) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.^{(G) 4} ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.^(H) There will be no more death’^[b](I) or mourning or crying or pain,^(J) for the old order of things has passed away.”^(K)

⁵ He who was seated on the throne^(L) said, “I am making everything new!”^(M) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”^(N)

⁶ He said to me: “It is done.^(O) I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(P) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost^(Q) from the spring of the water of life.^{(R) 7} Those who are victorious^(S) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.^{(T) 8} But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars^(U)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.^(V) This is the second death.”^(W)

Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river^(A) of the water of life,^(B) as clear as crystal,^(C) flowing^(D) from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,^(E) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.^{(F) 3} No longer will there be any curse.^(G) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.^{(H) 4} They will see his face,^(I) and his name will be on their foreheads.^{(J) 5} There will be no more night.^(K) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.^(L) And they will reign for ever and ever.^(M)

⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:^(A)

2 ¹ So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.^{(A) 2} For if I grieve you,^(B) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? ³ I wrote as I did,^(C) so that when I came I would not be distressed^(D) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence^(E) in all of you, that you would all share my joy. ⁴ For I wrote you^(F) out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we live by faith, not by sight.^{(A) 8} We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.^(B)

¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(A)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(B) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(C)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.^{(D) 19} For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God^(E) to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,^(F) in hope ²¹ that^[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay^(G) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.^(H)

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning^(I) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,^(J) groan^(K) inwardly as we wait eagerly^(L) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.^{(M) 24} For in this hope we were saved.^(N) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.^(O) Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.^(P)