Previous Lesson -- Next Lesson
5. God Guarantees That the New World Will Come Into Existence (Revelation 21:5)
REVELATION 21:5
5 He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.”
The Throne-Speech of the Almighty: The father of Jesus Christ is speaking seldom in person in the New Testament. However, if He does speak, His words announce a far reaching, epochal turning point. In this and the following verses God vouches for the faultless completion of the new world (Revelation 21:5-8; see also 1:8)
These powerful words which confirm the purpose of the completion of the salvation, read four times “I” as a witness of God associated with the following verbs:
- I make
I am
I give
I will be
These four statements are like signatures of the Almighty under His program for the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. To His saints, His angels, and to all men He is confirming His promise which is overarching the universe. His word and His name constitute the fundament of the future of the new existence.
Behold: The call of the angel, Behold!, can be read in the Book of Revelation 26 times (1:7.18; 2:10; 3:8.9.11.20; 4:1.2; 5:5; 6:2.5.8; 7:9; 9:12; 11:14; 12:3; 14:1.14; 16:15; 19:11; 21:3.5; 22:7.12). At each time when the word “behold” rings out, then something very serious is happening. We are to become wide awake and ask for open eyes of the heart so that we may know and understand what the Lord wants to tell and show us in His revelations.
I MYSELF: The first what John and we are to know is the Lord himself. He is introducing himself as speaking “I” and testifies therewith that He is a person who is expressing His will by means of words.
What an honor! The Holy Exalted deems us worthy of speaking a word to mortal sinners by which He is revealing himself. The “I” of God, of God the Father and God the Son, is one of the most important words in the Bible. It appears more than 350 times in the 66 books of the Old and New Testament; for the Almighty is not a shapeless spirit without any identity, but He is a living person. While He is speaking as “I” to us with understandable words, we become His “you". God's “I” includes all his abilities, power, characteristic traits as well as His will.
That, who is speaking as “I", is everlasting. He has been existing before the time, and He is going to create and uphold the new universe by His word. In the burning bush He called himself before Moses, “I AM WHO I AM; I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.” (Exodus 3:14).
God sent the meek Christ in fashion as a man as His decisive word, as His response to the rebellion of men. Whole nations rebelled against their creator and His Anointed, but He spoke to Jesus, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” (Psalm 2:7). When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and carried the sin of all sinners, His Father testified himself, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased!” (Matthew 3:17). This testimony the father repeated on the mountain of transfiguration, when Jesus prepared himself for the atoning death on the cross, and added, “Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5).
With his “I” The All Knowing authorized the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John already in the introductory words, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8). Our Lord is guaranteeing by His self-revelation not only the truth and genuineness of the visions concerning the sequence of events of the end time, but also their precise implementation.
PRAYER: Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we worship You because You address us personally and love us indeed. Help me so that I may not agree to any form of revolution against You, or partake of any opposition against Your will or Your Son's purposes, but serve You joyfully and lovingly. Guide me to invite many of those who are going astray to surrender themselves to You, loving Merciful One. Amen.
QUESTION:
- What does God, speaking as “I” to us, mean to you personally?