“And the one seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” – Revelation 21:5
A Vision Worth Seeing
The book of Revelation invites us to see—truly see—what God is doing in the world. In chapter 21, the voice from the throne says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” This isn’t just poetic language. It’s an imperative: Look. See. Pay attention.
The Greek word here—ἰδού (idoú)—carries that sense of urgency. It’s as if God is waving us down, saying, “Look here! I need you to see this.” This call to see echoes throughout the New Testament, where Jesus invites people to look beyond the surface and behold the Kingdom of God breaking in.
But many of us struggle to see. Our culture, influenced by centuries of philosophical turns, especially since Descartes, has trained us to start with ourselves: “I think, therefore I am.” But what if Descartes got it backward? What if it’s not “I think, therefore I am,” but “I am, therefore I think”?
In Exodus, when Moses meets God at the burning bush and asks for His name, God replies: “I AM WHO I AM.” This divine self-revelation is the true foundation for knowledge, identity, and meaning. Rather than beginning with our thoughts, Scripture calls us to begin with God’s revelation. It’s a totally different way of seeing ourselves and the world.
Seeing Through God’s Eyes
In Revelation 21, John describes what he saw: a new heaven and a new earth, a holy city descending like a bride prepared for her husband. God promises to dwell among His people, wipe away every tear, and abolish death and mourning. It’s a breathtaking vision of hope and renewal.
But here’s the key: we’re not meant to merely admire this vision. We’re meant to live into it. To begin embodying it now.
Christian author Henry Blackaby put it this way:
“Watch and see where God is working, and join Him in His work.”
He reminds us that experiencing God isn’t about mustering up an encounter through self-effort. It’s about aligning ourselves with what God is already doing. And what is God doing? Making all things new.
Master Planning and Future Hope
At our church, we’ve been doing some literal master planning. We hired an architect named Sam, who walks around with a sketchbook. As we talk, he listens, dreams, and suddenly—with a few swift strokes of his pencil—draws out a vision of what could be. A beautiful new building. A transformed space.
That’s vision. That’s what God is offering us: not just a plan for bricks and mortar, but a picture of the new heavens, the new earth, and the new people He is forming. Jesus gives us a glimpse of that future and says, “Live into it. Let it take root in the present.”
Reimagining People
The Apostle Paul offers a strikingly practical application of this vision in 2 Corinthians 5. He writes,
From now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view… If anyone is in Christ, new creation! The old has gone, the new has come.
What would it look like to see others—not as they are, but as God sees them? Not defined by their past, but by their potential in Christ?
This challenges us. We often define ourselves—and others—by our wounds, failures, and limitations. But the gospel calls us to a new way of seeing. You are not just your brokenness. You are beloved. You are being remade. And so is your neighbor.
In a world quick to label, dismiss, and divide, Christ gives us a ministry of reconciliation. Why? Because the old has passed away. The new has come. The risen Lord is building a new humanity.
The Eternal Perspective
Ortega is a beautiful place. Sometimes it feels like paradise. But even the most beautiful homes here are subject to rot. Even our historic buildings will one day pass away.
But you—the people of God—will not pass away. You are the beloved of Christ, the bride of the Lamb, the citizens of the new Jerusalem. Heaven and earth may pass away, but God’s people endure. And so we must shift our gaze—from fading structures to eternal souls. From what is passing to what will endure.
Living the Vision
Jesus left His disciples with a “new commandment”: “Love one another as I have loved you.” That is the seed of the new creation. When we live out that love, we begin to manifest the Kingdom now.
So let us no longer look at ourselves or others from a worldly point of view. Instead, let’s adopt the eyes of faith. Eyes that behold. Eyes that see. Eyes that recognize God’s vision and join Him in making it a reality.
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
May we see it. May we believe it. May we live it.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of new life, for our children, and for the promises you give us in your Word. You are inviting us to catch a vision—a vision of a new community grounded in your new commandment to love as you have loved us. You are the one who declares, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Speak to us now through your Word. May the preaching of your Word be your Word—for the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen.