The Book of Revelation | Making All Things New

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:5-8 (NRSVUE)

"See! I am making all things new." This declaration from the one seated on the throne is one of the most hope-filled statements in the entire Bible. But it's important to notice what it doesn't say.

It doesn't say "I am making all new things." The promise isn't that God will scrap everything and start over with completely different materials. The promise is that he will take the things that exist—including us—and make them new.

This distinction matters because it affects how we think about continuity between this life and the next. The New Jerusalem isn't a completely different reality disconnected from our current existence. It's this reality transformed, renewed, and perfected.

The Greek word used here for "new" (kainos) doesn't mean new in time or sequence, but new in quality. It's the same word used to describe the new covenant, the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples, and the new creation that believers become in Jesus.

This renovation rather than replacement gives hope for everything we care about in this life. Our relationships, our work, our creativity, our love for beauty and truth—none of these are discarded in God's eternal kingdom. They are purified, perfected, and fulfilled in ways we can't fully imagine.

The promise continues with God declaring himself "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." This isn't just about God's eternal existence; it's about his involvement in every part of the story. The same God who spoke creation into being is the one who will bring it to its intended conclusion.

To "the thirsty," God promises to "give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life." This echoes Jesus's conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, where he offered "living water" that would permanently satisfy spiritual thirst.

Those who "conquer" will inherit these things. But the word conquer isn't referring to winning a military battle—it means perseverance. It means continuing to trust God even when circumstances make it difficult.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the promise that you're making all things new, including me. Help me to see glimpses of that renewal even now and to live in hope of its completion.