A Return to Eden
12/25/25 Bible Thought (Revelation 21)
The end of the story for the believer is filled with joy as it is filled with God.
After seeing the destinies of the unholy trinity and those whose names weren’t found in the book of life, the believer’s destiny is shown in Revelation 21.
A Look at Revelation 21
What we see in simple terms is a return to Eden.
God made humankind in His image not only to be His representatives on the earth but to be able to relate to Him. Animals don’t have the capacity to worship as humans do, although I truly believe that the song on a bird’s lips is a song of praise. Nevertheless, the animal kingdom doesn’t understand worship as human beings do.
People, on the other hand, were made with the distinct capacity of reason and the ability to relate to the divine.
We see a picture in the original creation of God walking in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve (see Gen. 3:8). Presumably, that was characteristic of their existence until they were banished because of their disobedience.
When sin separated man from God, the relationship was broken and has been hindered ever since.
Yet, God has worked in redemption. God came down and dwelt in a tent in the days of Moses and in a temple in the days of Solomon. Ultimately, He pitched His tent amongst us in Jesus Christ, making His dwelling here (see Jn. 1:14). However, these were but a partial reinstatement of that original dwelling in Eden.
The plan for the end was always for that initial Edenic fellowship between God and human beings to be restored.
In Revelation 21, we see this in no uncertain terms:
“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’” (Rev. 21:3).
Truly, it is the presence of the living God who loved us that makes heaven heaven. Is He not all that our soul ultimately desires and the supreme fount of goodness?
Bringing it Home
We should take heart today knowing that the “very good” of the original creation (Gen. 1:31) will be remade in a new creation wherein righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13).
All the terrors of this life will be a matter of history. There will be no more tears, death, crying, pain, or even night.
What a hope that we have! Moreover, it is a hope that should inspire us to persevere.
As we’ve seen throughout Revelation, this disclosure of things to come was given to strengthen the people of God in their faith. To encourage them to endure. To undergird their hope in God.
No matter how bad things get down here, no matter what beast comes, no matter how wrathful the dragon might be, and no matter how much sinners rebel against God, the end of the story is overflowing with hope for the blood-bought saints of the Most High.
If we keep our eyes fixed on the end, we’ll be able to endure through any trial down here as we await that final day.
Challenge for Today:
On a normal day, do I fix my eyes on the seeming hopelessness of the present, or the sure hope that is to come?