Judgement and salvation are like the two sides of a coin. The same God who gives salvation to those who trust in Jesus, is also the God who judges the wicked. The angel in these verses had previously poured out plagues onto a rebellious and unrepentant world (Revelation 16:1-21) and announced the punishment of the blasphemous world super-power (Revelation 17:1-5). He now shows John what the future will be like for believers in Jesus.

In a similar way in which the angel in John's vision had earlier carried him away into a desert (Revelation 17:3), now John is carried in the Spirit to a high mountain. This episode reminds us of Jesus taking Peter, James and John up a high mountain to reveal His glory to them (Matthew 17:1-2). However, it is not the glory of Jesus which John first sees, but the glory of the church (all the people who have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation and obeyed Him as their Lord). All those people, are collectively called the Bride of the Lamb (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 21:1-3), the wife of the Lamb.

This is not a sexual union in any way (Matthew 22:30), but a deep mutual bond of unending love. The bride is prepared by the Lord (Ephesians 1:3) and reserved for Him in heaven - until the time when she is presented to Him, when He has made everything new (Revelation 21:5). She is described as a city, like Peter's description of the church being a temple (1 Peter 2:4-5), a new Jerusalem … the place where God will live in the new earth among His people. The description of the city will unveil the glorious character of the church (Revelation 21:11-21).

It is difficult for us to imagine a new earth in which there is nothing wrong, where God and His people are in a constant relationship of love, joy and peace … a place with nothing shameful (Revelation 21:27), and where there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5; Revelation 21:23; 22:5). Because the Lord knows we need to have hope, He has told us enough about the future with Him to encourage us to keep on trusting Him through the hard times. The promises of the new heaven and new earth are not bribes of what we will get, to keep our loyalty, but a revelation of being made into His character and that eternity is all centred around Him. Like all brides who are preparing for their wedding, we also need to get ready. 2 Peter 3:11-14 says, "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." Get ready by repenting and obeying, desiring Him and loving others for His sake.