What is the new heaven and new earth?
Revelation 21:1-5
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
The new heaven and new earth are God’s promised, perfected creation, established after the present heaven and earth pass away under His judgment. John writes, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away” (Revelation 21:1). This is not merely an inner spiritual experience or simply another name for heaven as it exists now; it is the future home of God’s redeemed people, described together with the New Jerusalem coming down from God (Revelation 21:2).
Its character is unmistakable:
- God dwells with His people. “God’s dwelling is with people,” and “God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3).
- Death and suffering are gone. God will wipe away every tear; death, mourning, crying and pain will be no more (Revelation 21:4).
- Righteousness fills it. God’s people “look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
- God guarantees its coming. The One on the throne declares, “Behold, I am making all things new,” and commands these “faithful and true” words to be written down (Revelation 21:5).
Isaiah had already announced God’s promise: “I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). Revelation reveals its fulfilment. Scripture does not explain every detail of how God will transform the present creation, but it plainly reveals the outcome: a new creation where God lives with His people forever, free from death, sorrow, pain and sin.
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026
Scripture culminates not in an ethereal escape from physical creation, but in the glorious reality of a new heaven and a new earth. From the prophetic vision of Isaiah to the apostle John's revelation on Patmos, God promises a completely renewed cosmos freed forever from sin, decay, and death. This overarching hope anchors the Christian life, showing that God's ultimate plan is to dwell bodily and eternally with His redeemed people.
Prophetic Promise
The Prophets Foretell a Transformed and Enduring Cosmic Order
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
Isaiah 65:17 (NIV)
This passage introduces the foundational promise that God will create entirely new heavens and a new earth where former sorrows are forgotten.
The visionary promise of Isaiah 65:17 establishes the baseline of cosmic hope: God will create new heavens and a new earth, wiping away the former griefs so thoroughly that they will never come to mind. Through Isaiah, the Lord reveals that His ultimate purpose is not merely the remediation of individual hearts, but the total renewal of His world. In Isaiah 65:18, He calls His people to rejoice perpetually in the joy He creates for Jerusalem, a promise that finds its ultimate manifestation when the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven in Revelation 21:2. The persistent sorrow of human history will be broken forever; as Isaiah 65:19 foretells, weeping and crying will cease within her borders, fulfilled in Revelation 21:4 when God personally wipes away every tear.
This prophetic transformation encompasses the entire created order. While Isaiah 51:6 warns that the present skies will vanish like smoke and the earth wear out like a moth-eaten garment, God's enduring salvation stands invulnerable. In Isaiah 65:25, creation itself is portrayed in Edenic harmony: the wolf and the lamb feed together, and nothing hurts or destroys on God's holy mountain. Far from an ephemeral dream, Isaiah 66:22 guarantees that the new heavens and new earth will remain before the Lord, echoed in 2 Peter 3:13 as the sure hope for which the church watches. What the prophets saw in partial shadows, the New Testament confirms as the final physical home of God's people.
| Passage | What it says | Fulfilled |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 65:17 | God promises the creation of new heavens and a new earth that eclipse the memory of the former troubled world. | Revelation 21:1 |
| Isaiah 65:18 | The Lord calls His people to rejoice forever in the joy and gladness He creates for Jerusalem. | Revelation 21:2 |
| Isaiah 65:19 | God promises to rejoice over Jerusalem, removing all weeping and distress from within her borders. | Revelation 21:4 |
| Isaiah 66:22 | The new heavens and new earth will permanently endure before the Lord alongside His faithful people's descendants. | 2 Peter 3:13 |
| Isaiah 51:6 | Declares that the heavens will vanish like smoke and the earth wear out like a garment, but God's salvation will endure forever. | |
| Isaiah 65:25 | Depicts total reconciliation across creation, where the wolf and lamb feed together and nothing harms or destroys. |
Cosmic Dissolution
The Present Broken Order Passes Away Through Purifying Judgment
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
2 Peter 3:10 (NIV)
Peter makes plain that the present heavens and earth will be dissolved with fervent heat to clear the way for God's renewed creation.
In 2 Peter 3:10, Scripture makes plain that the day of the Lord will bring cosmic purification, as the heavens pass away with a roar and the heavenly bodies dissolve in fervent heat. This climactic dissolution is not the defeat of God's creation, but its righteous purgation. Long before, Psalms 102:25-26 declared that while the earth and heavens perish like an old garment rolled up and changed, the Creator remains identical, a reality Hebrews 1:10-12 applies directly to the unchanging Son. Jesus Himself reaffirmed this boundary in Matthew 24:35, affirming that heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away.
Paul explains the profound theological necessity of this judgment in Romans 8:19-21: creation was subjected to futility by God's decree, yet it groans with eager longing to be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children. While believers wait alongside creation's labor pains for the redemption of their bodies (Romans 8:22-23), 2 Peter 3:7 reminds us that the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire on the day of judgment. When Revelation 20:11 describes the earth and sky fleeing from the face of the One upon the great white throne, it marks the end of all unrighteousness. As Hebrews 12:26-28 teaches, God will shake created things so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, 2 Peter 3:11-13 urges believers toward lives of holiness as we look forward to the promised new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Romans 8:19 | All creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God to share in their future glory. |
| Romans 8:20 | Creation was subjected to futility not by its own will, but in hope of ultimate divine deliverance. |
| Romans 8:21 | The created order will be liberated from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children. |
| 2 Peter 3:10 | The day of the Lord arrives like a thief, dissolving the heavens and consuming the earth and its works. |
| 2 Peter 3:11 | The certainty of cosmic dissolution demands lives marked by holy conduct and genuine godliness. |
| 2 Peter 3:12 | Believers are instructed to look for and hasten the coming day when heavens melt with intense heat. |
| 2 Peter 3:13 | According to divine promise, believers anticipate new heavens and a new earth where unyielding righteousness permanently dwells. |
| Revelation 20:11 | Earth and heaven flee from the face of the One seated upon the great white throne. |
| Psalms 102:25-26 | Affirms that earth and heavens will perish and be changed like a worn garment, while God remains eternal. |
| Matthew 24:35 | Jesus declares that heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away. |
| Romans 8:22-23 | Describes creation groaning in labor pains while believers await bodily redemption. |
| Hebrews 1:10-12 | Cites Psalm 102 to declare the Son rolls up the changing creation while remaining unchanging. |
| Hebrews 12:26-28 | Speaks of God shaking created things so that what cannot be shaken may remain as an unshakeable kingdom. |
| 2 Peter 3:7 | Explains that the present heavens and earth are reserved by the same word for fire on judgment day. |
The Holy City
The New Jerusalem Descends as the Bride of the Lamb
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Revelation 21:2 (NIV)
John identifies the holy city descending directly from God, prepared and adorned as a bride for her husband.
In Revelation 21:2, the apostle John beholds the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, adorned like a bride prepared for her husband. The vision begins in Revelation 21:1 with the sight of a new heaven and a new earth, after the first heaven and earth had vanished and the sea—the ancient symbol of chaos, division, and rebellion—was no more. This heavenly metropolis is the long-awaited home of the faithful. Abraham journeyed by faith because he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10), a heavenly homeland prepared by God for those who trust Him (Hebrews 11:16). Paul names this reality in Galatians 4:26 as the Jerusalem above that is free, our mother, while Hebrews 12:22 and Hebrews 13:14 remind us that we have already drawn near to this enduring, coming city.
John is carried away in the Spirit to a high mountain where an angel shows him the bride, the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9-10). The city descends radiant with God's glory, gleaming like a rare jewel, clear as crystal (Revelation 21:11). In Revelation 21:12-21, John measures its colossal dimensions, twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, twelve foundations bearing the names of the Lamb's twelve apostles, and streets of pure gold transparent as glass. It stands as the consummate, eternal sanctuary.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Revelation 21:1 | John sees a new heaven and new earth, observing that the first earth passed away and sea vanished. |
| Revelation 21:2 | The holy city, New Jerusalem, descends from heaven beautifully adorned as a bride for her bridegroom. |
| Revelation 21:9 | An angel invites John to view the bride, the wife of the Lamb, revealed in glory. |
| Revelation 21:10 | John is carried away in the Spirit to see the great holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven. |
| Revelation 21:11 | The city shines with the brilliant glory of God, radiating like a rare jasper stone clear as crystal. |
| Galatians 4:26 | Identifies the Jerusalem above as free and the mother of all believers. |
| Hebrews 11:10 | Commends Abraham for looking forward to the city with foundations whose designer and builder is God. |
| Hebrews 11:16 | Declares that the patriarchs desired a heavenly country, and God prepared a city for them. |
| Hebrews 12:22 | States believers have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. |
| Hebrews 13:14 | Reminds believers that here we have no lasting city, but seek the city that is to come. |
| Revelation 21:12-21 | Gives the architectural dimensions, twelve gates, foundations, and pure gold construction of the New Jerusalem. |
God With Us
The Sovereign Lord Dwells Directly Among His Redeemed People
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
Revelation 21:3 (NIV)
A loud heavenly voice declares the climactic reality that God's eternal dwelling place is now directly among men.
The heartbeat of the renewed creation is announced in Revelation 21:3: the dwelling place of God is with man, fulfilling the great covenant promise that He will live among them, and they will be His people. Paradise is not merely the absence of suffering; it is the unveiled presence of God. In Revelation 21:4, the Father tenderly wipes every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. The curse of Eden is utterly abolished by the presence of the King.
From the throne, the Lord announces with supreme authority, 'Behold, I am making all things new,' confirming that these words are trustworthy and true (Revelation 21:5). He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who gives freely to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life (Revelation 21:6). In Revelation 21:7, the promise is personalized: the one who conquers will inherit these things, enjoying the intimate status of a beloved son in God's household. Yet alongside this boundless grace, Scripture maintains absolute moral clarity: Revelation 21:8 warns that the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, and all unrepentant sinners will have their portion in the lake of fire, which is the second death. Eternal life in the new creation belongs solely to those washed by the Lamb.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Revelation 21:3 | God's dwelling place is established with people, making them His people while He remains their God. |
| Revelation 21:4 | God wipes away every tear, permanently abolishing death, mourning, crying, and all former pain. |
| Revelation 21:5 | The One on the throne announces He makes all things new, declaring the words faithful and true. |
| Revelation 21:6 | The Lord declares His work finished, offering the spring of living water without cost to the thirsty. |
| Revelation 21:7 | He who overcomes will inherit these blessings, enjoying a filial relationship as God's beloved child. |
| Revelation 21:8 | The unrepentant and wicked are cast into the lake of fire, enduring the finality of the second death. |
Eden Restored
Paradise Regained in the Light and Life of the Lamb
No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
Revelation 22:3 (NIV)
The ultimate curse that entered at Genesis 3 is formally reversed and eliminated from the new creation.
The storyline of redemption reaches its triumphant conclusion where human tragedy began, turning sorrow into unending joy: no longer will there be anything accursed (Revelation 22:3). In Genesis 3:22-24, humanity was driven from the garden of Eden, cut off from the tree of life by a flaming sword because of treason against the Creator. Yet in the new Jerusalem, paradise is not merely recovered; it is consummated, heightened, and secured forever. John sees no physical temple in the holy city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its living temple (Revelation 21:22). Neither sun nor moon is required, for the radiance of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its burning lamp (Revelation 21:23).
Flowing directly from the throne of God and of the Lamb is the river of the water of life, bright as crystal (Revelation 22:1). This river fulfills the vision of Ezekiel 47:1-12, where living waters pour forth from the sanctuary to bring life to everything in their path. On either side of the river stands the tree of life, yielding its twelve kinds of fruit each month, its very leaves serving the healing and health of the redeemed nations (Revelation 22:2). To the one who conquers, Christ grants the right to eat from this long-forbidden tree in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).
In this pristine cosmos, the nations walk by the city’s light and kings bring their splendor into it, while nothing defiled or detestable will ever enter (Revelation 21:24-27). There, the deepest longing of every believer is answered: His servants will worship Him, and they will see His face (Revelation 22:4). Bearing His name on their foreheads, they dwell where night is abolished, reigning alongside their King forever and ever (Revelation 22:5).
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Revelation 21:22 | No temple stands in the city because the Almighty Lord and the Lamb serve as its temple. |
| Revelation 21:23 | The city requires no sun or moon, for God's glory and the Lamb illuminate it fully. |
| Revelation 22:1 | The angel shows a crystal-clear river of the water of life flowing straight from God's throne. |
| Revelation 22:2 | The tree of life bears perpetual fruit while its leaves bring healing to all the nations. |
| Revelation 22:3 | No curse will ever exist again, and the throne of God and the Lamb stands in the city. |
| Revelation 22:4 | The redeemed shall look upon God's face, bearing His holy name upon their foreheads. |
| Revelation 22:5 | Night ceases forever under the Lord's continuous light, and His servants reign for eternal ages. |
| Genesis 3:22-24 | Narrates the expulsion of man from the garden and the tree of life, which is restored in the new earth. |
| Ezekiel 47:1-12 | Foreshadows the river of living water flowing from the temple, flanked by trees whose leaves heal. |
| Revelation 2:7 | Promises to the conqueror the right to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God. |
| Revelation 21:24-27 | Describes nations walking by the city's light, kings bringing glory, and the perpetual exclusion of uncleanness. |
Cosmic Renewal
Christ Reconciles and Renews All Things in Heaven and Earth
Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
Acts 3:21 (NIV)
It defines the new cosmic order not as an afterthought, but as the universal restoration promised by the prophets.
The biblical hope of the new creation is neither a spiritualized escape from the physical realm nor an afterthought in redemptive history; it is the restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets (Acts 3:21). When Peter preached at Solomon’s portico, he directed the crowd's gaze toward the cosmic consummation, anchoring the coming of the new heaven and new earth in the ancient promises of God. The physical world, which was subjected to futility through human rebellion, is destined for sweeping, comprehensive renewal through the triumphant work of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord Himself announced this universal transformation in Matthew 19:28, calling it the regeneration or 'renewal of all things.' In this glorious epoch, the Son of Man will take His seat upon His glorious throne to reign over an aligned, healed creation. The scope of this redemption is cosmic in breadth. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:9-10 that the eternal mystery of God's sovereign will is to unite all things in Christ—things in heaven and things on earth—under His singular, undisputed headship.
This cosmic reconciliation was purchased not by a simple declaration, but at infinite cost. Through the Lord Jesus, God was pleased to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace by the blood of His cross, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:19-20). The cross does not abandon the material world; it purchases its liberation. The new heaven and new earth will display the full, unhindered glory of the Redeemer, ordering the entire universe in perfect harmony under His rule.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 19:28 | Jesus speaks of the 'renewal of all things' when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne. |
| Acts 3:21 | Peter proclaims the period of restoration of all things spoken by God's holy prophets. |
| Ephesians 1:9-10 | Unfolds God's purpose to unite all things in heaven and earth under the headship of Christ. |
| Colossians 1:19-20 | Declares God's pleasure to reconcile all things to Himself through the blood of Christ's cross. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 · Genesis 3:22-24 |
| Psalms | 1 · Psalms 102:25-26 |
| Isaiah | 6 · Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 65:18, Isaiah 65:19, Isaiah 66:22, Isaiah 51:6, Isaiah 65:25 |
| Ezekiel | 1 · Ezekiel 47:1-12 |
| Matthew | 2 · Matthew 24:35, Matthew 19:28 |
| Acts | 1 · Acts 3:21 |
| Romans | 4 · Romans 8:19, Romans 8:20, Romans 8:21, Romans 8:22-23 |
| Galatians | 1 · Galatians 4:26 |
| Ephesians | 1 · Ephesians 1:9-10 |
| Colossians | 1 · Colossians 1:19-20 |
| Hebrews | 6 · Hebrews 1:10-12, Hebrews 12:26-28, Hebrews 11:10, Hebrews 11:16, Hebrews 12:22, Hebrews 13:14 |
| 2 Peter | 5 · 2 Peter 3:10, 2 Peter 3:11, 2 Peter 3:12, 2 Peter 3:13, 2 Peter 3:7 |
| Revelation | 22 · Revelation 20:11, Revelation 21:1, Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:9, Revelation 21:10, Revelation 21:11, Revelation 21:12-21, Revelation 21:3, Revelation 21:4, Revelation 21:5, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 21:7, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 21:22, Revelation 21:23, Revelation 22:1, Revelation 22:2, Revelation 22:3, Revelation 22:4, Revelation 22:5, Revelation 2:7, Revelation 21:24-27 |
The story in order
- Creation and Fall (c. 4000 BC) · Genesis 3:22-24 · Expulsion from Eden foreshadows the need for restoration.
- Abraham's Hope (c. 2000 BC) · Hebrews 11:10 · Abraham looked for a city with divine foundations.
- Psalmist's Lament (c. 1000 BC) · Psalms 102:25-26 · The heavens and earth will perish and be changed.
- Isaiah's Vision (c. 700 BC) · Isaiah 65:17 · Promise of new heavens and a new earth.
- Ezekiel's Vision (c. 570 BC) · Ezekiel 47:1-12 · Foreshadowing of a river of life from the temple.
- Jesus' Teaching (c. AD 30) · Matthew 19:28 · Jesus speaks of the renewal of all things.
- Apostolic Proclamation (c. AD 33) · Acts 3:21 · Restoration of all things spoken by prophets.
- Paul's Theology (c. AD 55) · Romans 8:19 · Creation eagerly awaits its future glory.
- Peter's Warning (c. AD 67) · 2 Peter 3:10 · The day of the Lord brings cosmic dissolution.
- John's Revelation (c. AD 95) · Revelation 21:1 · John sees a new heaven and new earth.
Creation's Groaning and Redemption
| Creation's State | Believers' Hope | Ultimate Outcome | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjected to futility | Eagerly awaits revelation | Liberated into freedom | Romans 8:19-21 |
| Groaning in labor pains | Awaiting bodily redemption | Freedom from corruption | Romans 8:22-23 |
| Present heavens and earth | Reserved for fire | New heavens and new earth |
Eden Lost and Regained
| Eden Lost | Eden Regained | Passage |
|---|---|---|
| Expulsion from the garden | Restoration in the new earth | Genesis 3:22-24 |
| Tree of life guarded | Tree of life bears perpetual fruit | |
| Curse upon the ground | No curse will exist again | |
| Separation from God's presence | God's face seen by His servants | |
| Death enters the world | Death abolished forever |
Key words
- New Heavens and New Earth (kainous ouranous kai kainēn gēn (καινοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ…)
- The renewed cosmic order where God dwells with His redeemed people, free from sin and death.
- Renewal of all things (paliggenesia (παλιγγενεσία))
- The comprehensive restoration and re-creation of the entire cosmos under Christ's headship.
- Restoration (apokatastasis (ἀποκατάστασις))
- The bringing back of all things to their intended state, fulfilling God's original purpose. · Acts 3:21
- New Jerusalem (hē kainē Ierousalem (ἡ καινὴ Ἱερουσαλήμ))
- The holy city descending from heaven, representing God's dwelling with His people. · Revelation 21:2
- Tree of Life (xylon tēs zōēs (ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς))
- Symbol of eternal life and God's provision, lost in Eden but restored in the new creation.
The promise of the new heaven and new earth reminds believers that their present trials and groaning are neither permanent nor purposeless. Our ultimate home is a tangible, incorruptible realm where righteousness reigns, tears are banished, and God Himself dwells in our midst. Living in light of this glorious future calls every follower of Christ to eager hope, holy living, and unwavering faith in the One who makes all things new.
52 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Revelation 21:1-5
- Isaiah 65:17-19
- 2 Peter 3:13
- Revelation 21:5