Project 119: Revelation 21:1-4
| Project 119
The Dwelling Place of God
What a promise to cling to! This first creation in which we live, one broken and corrupted by sin, will one day be replaced with a new reality. This new Heaven and earth will be as God intended our world to be: perfect and devoid of evil. In Genesis 3, the first creation becomes subject to death because of sin. However, there is hope for the future. No longer will the believers suffer under the effects of the Fall, but will live forever with God as He dwells among them once again.
The first time we see God make His dwelling with man is through the birth of Christ, of course: “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God loves sinners enough to humble Himself by becoming a man and coming down to the very earth He created. He loves sinners enough to die a horrendous death in their place. He loves sinners enough to prepare a place for them and spend eternity with them as their God. Let us joyfully anticipate that day when we will see God in His glory in that holy city.
When life leaves us hopeless, let us find hope in the promise of the New Jerusalem. Look forward to the absence of tears, mourning, and pain. Let us remember, though, that God has already come to dwell with us in Christ. We already have access to His presence through His Son, Immanuel, which means “God with us.” He is not a distant God. Rest in the fact that God is with you now even in the darkest times, and never forget that the City of God isn’t too far away. We will experience His presence in the most physical way. What a city it will be, a city whose name is literally “The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35).
Note: Allison McSwain serves as a Student Ministry Intern. She is also a student at Beeson Divinity School.
Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV):
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. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And 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. 4 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, for the former things have passed away.”