1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
“The creation of Genesis 1 is no more, except in the sense that it has been the prototype of the new creation. The idea is that just as God created the old world and then created man to people it, so now, having created the new unpopulated earth He sends down from Heaven the city of His people (cp. Hebrews 12:22), to the prepared place (compare John 14:3). And the people descend together as a city (for they were previously in Heaven - Revelation 14:1-3) and are one together and form the bride. The holy city has put on her beautiful garments (Isaiah 52:1) and is as a bride adorned for her husband." (Peter Pett)
“And there was no more sea."-"The sea is of itself restless, and often tossed with storms and tempests, Isaiah 57:20. As for the element of water, it shall remain, probably, as earth, air, and fire do.” (John Trapp)
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
"That Jerusalem is the bride parallels Revelation 19:7 and the wording is very similar, demonstrating that the new Jerusalem is to be seen as representing the people of God. The bride was a composite figure, for she consisted of the whole people of God, and the new Jerusalem is the same, for in the end a city is its people. Compare how in Matthew 8:34 ‘all the city came out to meet Jesus’ (a city ‘coming out’ is similar to a city ‘coming down’. See also Matthew 11:20; Matthew 12:25; Matthew 21:10; Mark 1:33; Mark 6:11; Luke 4:43; Acts 13:44; Acts 14:21; Acts 17:5; Acts 17:16). Thus it is now ‘the holy city’.” (Peter Pett)
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. .”
“The tent, or tabernacle [in the wilderness], is in the seer’s mind. There is a difference in the prepositions used here and in Revelation 7: in the former, God was spoken of as tabernacling over them; here He tabernacles with them [in the Person of the Messiah of Israel]. He not only stretches His cloud-shelter over them, but He is with them. They shall be His people, and He shall be God with them, their God…. They are God’s people, and He is their Emmanuel—God with them, their God. The prophet Ezekiel supplies parallel thoughts (Ezekiel 37:27-28; comp. also Leviticus 26:11-12).” (Ellicott's Commentary)
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
“The former troubles are forgotten (Isaiah 65:16). Compare also Isaiah 25:7-8 where death is swallowed up for ever and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from all faces, and remove the veil of mourning. ‘Neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain’” (Peter Pett) They too are destroyed. “There shall be no more death” because we have heard told of a resurrection of the unjust, as well as their Judgment. And in the execution of that Judgment, the wicked will have already paid the penalty for sin— death.
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful
Behold I make all things new! “Many Christians have a very vague conception of the eternal state of the earth and the abode of the redeemed. They think of it as a spiritual state destitute of any locality.” (Arno Gaebelein) Their creeds /sentiments make them think that this world is without end. But what says the Scriptures?“The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. (1 Cor 15: 42-44), as well as the new, eternal earth. “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” Though few men will believe them; for if they did, what would they not do or forego to get heaven?” (John Trapp)
"Heavens and earth created (Genesis 1:1) New heavens and earth (Revelation 21:1)
Sun created (Genesis 1:16) No need of the sun ( Revelation 21:23)
The night established (Genesis 1:5) No night there (Revelation 21:25; Revelation 22:5)
The seas created (Genesis 1:10) No more seas (Revelation 21:1)
The curse announced (Genesis 3:14-17) No more curse (Revelation 22:3)
Death enters history (Genesis 3:19) No more death (Revelation 21:4)
Man driven from the tree (Genesis 3:24) Man restored to paradise (Revelation 22:14)
Sorrow and pain begin (Genesis 3:17) No more mourning, crying or pain (Revelation 21:4)
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'John now saw a new scene that expounded the passing away of the present earth and heaven (this planet and the heavens above it, not the dwelling place of God) to which he had just referred briefly (Revelation 20:11). The new earth and heaven will come into existence after the Millennium and the great white throne judgment… Throughout the entire Bible, the ultimate destiny of God’s people is an earthly destiny. [In stark contrast] In typical dualistic Greek thought, the universe was divided into two realms: the earthly or transitory, and the eternal spiritual world. Salvation consisted of the flight of the soul from the sphere of the transitory and ephemeral to the realm of eternal reality. However, biblical thought always places man on a redeemed earth, not in a heavenly realm removed from earthly existence.' [Ladd]
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Is the new heaven and earth that John saw the same new heaven and earth that Isaiah predicted (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; cf. Psalm 102:25-26; Isaiah 51:6)? We would normally assume that the entities are the same since the terms that describe them are almost identical. However the descriptions of these places vary. Isaiah wrote that people will die in the new earth (Isaiah 65:17-20), but John said there will be no more death there (Revelation 21:4). Isaiah predicted that the moon will shine in the new heavens (Isaiah 66:22-23), but John implied that there will be no moon there (Revelation 21:23). Apparently Isaiah spoke of both the Millennium and the eternal state generally as new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17 to Isaiah 66:24), which is accurate since even in the Millennium the world will experience renovation. John, in the progress of Revelation , distinguished these two aspects of the eschaton and applied the name 'new heaven and earth' only to the eternal state, which is appropriate since God will eventually destroy the present world and create a new world (cf. 2 Peter 3:10). Isaiah's view of the future was more general while John’s was more specific. Similarly the Old Testament prophets spoke of Messiah’s coming but did not distinguish the first coming from the second coming. Later revelation clarified that there would be two comings. This is in harmony with how God has revealed many things in His Word: first generally, then more specifically (e.g, the biblical covenant promises).” (Dr. Thomas B. Constable)