"Behold, I make all things new." — Revelation 21:5 (KJV)
The short answer
The Bible closes with a promise of renewal: God will make "a new heaven and a new earth," come to dwell with His people, and wipe away every tear, so that death, sorrow, and pain are no more. The hope is not escape from the world but the healing of it — anchored in Revelation 21:1-5 and Revelation 22:1-5.
The last two chapters of the Bible do not read like an ending. They read like a beginning — creation itself made new, the curse undone, and God moving in to live with His people forever. This is the destination the whole story has been aiming at all along. Below are eight passages, quoted exactly from the King James Version, describing the world that God has promised to make.
What is the new heaven and new earth?
The Bible's final vision is not humanity leaving a doomed planet but God renewing His whole creation. What is broken is not thrown away; it is made new.
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." — Revelation 21:1 (KJV)
To the ancient world the "sea" spoke of chaos, danger, and separation. Its absence is a way of saying that everything which once divided and threatened is gone. The new creation is a place of peace, without the old sources of dread.
"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." — Isaiah 65:17 (KJV)
Long before John's vision, Isaiah heard the same promise. The old sorrows will not haunt the new world — not because they are forbidden to be spoken of, but because the joy of what God makes will be so complete that former griefs simply lose their grip.
What will life there be like?
The heart of the new creation is not golden streets but a restored relationship: God Himself living among His people, near enough to wipe the tears from their faces.
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." — Revelation 21:3-4 (KJV)
Every grief that marks this life is named and then abolished — death, sorrow, crying, pain. And notice how tenderly it is done: God does not send someone to comfort us; He wipes away the tears Himself. Nearness is the whole promise.
"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." — Revelation 22:1-2 (KJV)
The imagery reaches all the way back to Eden. The tree of life, lost in Genesis, stands again — and now its leaves are "for the healing of the nations." Paradise is not merely restored; it is opened wide to the whole world.
"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." — Revelation 22:5 (KJV)
No night, no darkness, no fading — because the light is God Himself. The redeemed do not merely survive there; they "reign for ever and ever," sharing in the very life of the One who made them.
Can we trust that this is coming?
A promise this large invites the question: is it wishful thinking? Scripture answers by pointing to the character of the One who speaks it.
"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." — Revelation 21:5 (KJV)
"I make all things new" — not all new things, but all things made new. The One on the throne calls His own words "true and faithful," and commands that they be written down so the weary can hold on to them. The promise rests on His faithfulness, not our optimism.
"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." — 2 Peter 3:13 (KJV)
Peter roots the hope in "his promise," and adds the detail we most long for: a world "wherein dwelleth righteousness." Not just a place without pain, but a home where everything is finally, permanently right.
Will it last forever?
Every good thing in this life is shadowed by its ending. The new creation is different: it is made to endure, and so are those who belong to it.
"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain." — Isaiah 66:22 (KJV)
The permanence of the new world guarantees the permanence of God's people within it. What He makes new, He makes to last — and your name is written into that lasting.
"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." — Romans 8:21 (KJV)
Even creation is waiting to be set free. The decay and futility that groan through the world now are not the final word. The whole of it — and everyone in Christ — is bound for "the glorious liberty of the children of God."
Frequently asked questions
Is the new earth a real, physical place?
Scripture describes a renewed creation, not an escape into vapor. John sees "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1, KJV), Peter says we "look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13, KJV), and Paul says the creation itself "shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21, KJV). The Christian hope is not that we float away from the world forever, but that God restores and renews all things, and comes to dwell with His people there.
Will there be no more death or pain?
Yes. This is one of the clearest promises in all of Scripture: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4, KJV). In the new heaven and new earth, the griefs that mark this life are not merely soothed but abolished, because the source of them is gone. God Himself does the comforting, wiping away every tear with His own hand.
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." — Revelation 21:4 (KJV)
Take it deeper
These verses are a beginning, not the whole of what God says about the world He is making. FlickerFaith is a Scripture-first study companion — open it to read Revelation 21 and 22 in full, trace the promise of renewal from Isaiah to John, search related verses, and pray your way into this hope. It keeps you close to the Word, not away from it.
Keep reading
The new creation is where the whole story lands. Read what the Bible says about heaven and the second coming, then explore the rapture, the judgment, and prophecy. You can also browse all Bible topics or return home.