John's style of writing noticeably relaxes as he moves from the plagues and battles and judgements, to the Lord's unopposed sovereign reign. These last two chapters of Revelation are full of joy as he sees God's people enraptured by the glory of God. After the previous prediction of so much suffering for the world and the church in earlier chapters, everything John sees and hears about believers living with their Lord excites and encourages him. Hebrew 12:22-24 is a prelude to this vision: "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

John first sees that there will be a new heaven and new earth. 'Heaven' means the created sky and the space above the earth containing the moon, stars and planets. The earth is the world as we know it. The first creation in some way also shares in the corruption due to sin (Genesis 3:17-18) and is commanded to go away (Revelation 20:11) or be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). The sea is a Bible metaphor for separation, confusion or changeableness – none of that will characterise God's eternity with His people. They will be eternally safe with the Lord (John 10:28-29).

The Holy City is the new Jerusalem: not a place for people, but people who have found their place with the Lord for ever. As John watches, the people are amalgamated into a bride ready for the great marriage of eternity (John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27). The bridegroom is the Lord Jesus Christ and the bride is all who have trusted in Him for salvation. Note that the believers are now not oppressed, persecuted or martyred any more. They are beautiful and utterly desirable to Jesus (Ephesians 5:27). The scene is accompanied by a loud voice from God's throne declaring that there will be no more separation between God and His people. They will live together forever in the new earth, and share in the new heaven, where there is no sin of any kind (Revelation 21:27).

Everybody who is in trouble of any kind, from personal illness to major persecution, longs to be assured that all will be well in the end. These last two chapters of Revelation give that affirmation to every believer who has suffered for the sake of Christ; and to those who have often had to go back to the throne of grace, in repentance and faith, for divine help in a sinful world (Hebrews 4:16). The truth is that Jesus honours all the promises He makes to His people, and will not fail to bring them to His eternal joy. Be thrilled by these chapters; may they encourage us to live faithfully to the end and be victorious over temptation (Revelation 21:6-8).