“1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth
2 I saw the holy city, the 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, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”

— Revelation 21:1-3

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

— Isaiah 44:22

“In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

— Ephesians 1:7

“who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”

— Galatians 1:4

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Bountiful grace and mercy to you from Christ.

John the Apostle wrote at the end of the Bible, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth and I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, 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.”

This is God‘s ultimate purpose to recreate this fallen world and to bring about a new heaven a new earth. He is redeeming a people for Himself with whom He will dwell, and with whom He will share His own glory. God‘s purpose in the present world, that has been devastated by sin, suffering and death, between His original good creation and God‘s new and glorious creation is to carry out His redemptive work through His Son Jesus.