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In a note for this passage, the NLT Study Bible says: "The final scenes of the new heaven and earth are striking pictures of the 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." As you study Revelation 21:1-22:5, think about how these verses would have impacted suffering believers in the early church. Also consider why this passage should be encouraging to contemporary believers who aren't facing extreme persecution.

Revelation 21:1-22:5

1. Why is a new heaven and earth so important? (See Romans 8:18-23.)
   
2. The arrival of the new Jerusalem is compared to a "bride beautifully dressed for her husband" (21:2). Why is this such a powerful image for those longing for heaven?
   
3. What will be the best part about heaven? (See 21:3.)
   
4. Why do you think the Bible uses precious gems (21:11) to describe the holy city?
   
5. Why is the mention of the tree of life (22:2) so significant? (See Gen. 3:22-24.)
   
6. Why is our hope of heaven worth living for in the here and now?
   

Ask God to help you pour your life into things that "moths and rust cannot destroy" (Matt. 6:20); thank God that you will one day not only see Jesus but also be like him (1 John 3:2).

Revelation 21:1-22:5

The New Jerusalem

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." 6 And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 "But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

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Prayer for the Week

Dear heavenly Father, help me to not only reflect on heaven and the afterlife but to also consider what eternity has to do with how I live in the here and now.

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