The "No More"

Land

Johns eyes had been focused in vision on the churning fires of hell. He saw sinners writhe in flames until they turned to ashes. He saw the last of Satan's angels sink out of sight. Finally, even Satan is consumed and his blaspheming voice stilled. The fire begins to die—slowly at first, then more rapidly until it ceases to burn altogether. How long this process takes, John doesn't tell us. But at last all the rubbish of earth is burned. The water has evaporated; the mountains and even the atmosphere have melted and disappeared (2 Peter 3:10). All sin is gone, for all sinners have died. The revelator sees only a lifeless planet, totally purified by the holocaust.

Looking around, John can see none of the effects of sin—until he sees his Savior. The only scars to survive will be the wounds Jesus received when He paid the penalty for all mankind (Zech. 13:6). The nail prints still mark His hands and feet, and the scar from the spear creases His side. These marks are beautiful in the eyes of the saints, for they are a perpetual reminder that Christ willingly died for them in order to cleanse them of sin and give them eternal life. If anyone in the eternal ages should even fleetingly wonder about the righteousness and justice of God, he will need only to look at the wounds Jesus bears to know that God loves him more than He values His own life. No one can rebel against Someone so loving.

Johns gaze returns to the featureless earth now purified by the fire. Then Jesus speaks and, as His words echo across the sky, John sees instant changes. Graceful, verdant hills rise before his eyes and become green with grass, plants, and trees. Flowers and animals appear, adding beauty and movement to the scene.

The process of this creation differs from the creation of the earth at the beginning. When our world had its beginning it was not made of preexisting matter. "For he spoke and [instantly] it was" (Ps. 33:9, N.E.B.*). But the earth that now takes form is a re-creation from the elements of the old. Jesus uses them to mold a world after His hearts desire—and ours. So everything that had been lost to Jesus and His people because of sin, the Savior will restore.

John notes in particular a difference between the old that has been destroyed and the new. For some time he had been banished to the lonely island of Patmos "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 1:9), separated from his friends and loved ones by the waters of the Aegean Sea. Everywhere he looked he saw water. He was a prisoner of the sea. But on the new world John sees no vast oceans of water such as those that covered three fourths of the old world. Large and small lakes refresh the landscape, because water is necessary for the health of all living things. But there are no more globe-spanning seas.

Now the sound of a mighty voice comes from heaven, making an amazing announcement: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (chap. 21:3). God Himself will live on Planet Earth. God, who has directed His affairs, perhaps from some giant world in the vast reaches of space beyond Orion, will make His headquarters on the new earth. Human minds find it difficult to understand why He would make this move. The earth has been the sore spot in His universe. Our world has caused God a great deal of trouble, and the fact that men rebelled against Him must have created infinite sorrow and pain. So why transplant His capital to this once rebellious planet? Because the site of Gods greatest pain turns out to be the place of His greatest victory. In the Person of Jesus, God stepped into the midst of our rebellion, took upon Himself our nature, vanquished the greatest enemy of all time, drove him back, and utterly destroyed him. While He was doing all this, He gave us the greatest example of love man has ever seen. He volunteered to suffer and die so that every human who accepted His death would have a right to eat of the tree of life and to enter in through the gates into the city (chap. 22:14).

So, because of Christ's great victory, God wants to live on Planet Earth. He desires to live with His people, whom He has purchased at such an infinite price. He will mingle with them and be their God, and they will "dwell in the house of the Lord forever". (Ps. 23:6).

The New Jerusalem will thus become the "No More" land. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (chap. 21:4).

The saved of earth will sing exultant praises to God, thanking Him for His deliverance, and angels will join them, for they have observed His amazing, saving love toward men. The saints will not take credit to themselves; none mention the suffering through which he has passed. All will unite their voices in singing, "Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest" (chap. 15:3). "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb" (chap. 7:10).

"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever" (chap. 22:1-5).

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (verse 17).

Jesus will look upon the ranks of the redeemed and reflect upon His sacrifice for them. Then a smile will come to His lips as He sees their happy faces. "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa. 53:11).

And the saints will sing to Him, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing" (Rev. 5:12).

This is the only story that has ever been told where the teller can truly say, "And they lived happily ever after."

*From The New English Bible. © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970. Reprinted by permission.