📖 From the Bible
John heard a voice from heaven: God will live with people. They will be His people, and He will be their God. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying or pain. Everything old has passed away.
3I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”
This is how we tell this passage to kids. The exact words of the Bible are under “As it is in the Bible”.
Revelation 21:3-4 · Scripture: World English Bible Updated (public domain)
We made it to the last day. The whole trip through the Bible is behind us. Remember how it started? With a world God called very good. So how does it end? Does this story have a good ending?
At the beginning of the Bible, there’s a garden. It has a river, a tree of life, and God, who is close to people. Then wrong things show up. There are fights, fear and sadness. But God doesn’t leave people. He chooses Abraham, leads His people out of Egypt, and gives them Moses and King David. And in the end, He comes to earth Himself as Jesus.
On the last pages, a man named John sees how this story ends. He sees a new heaven and a new earth. And a great city coming down out of heaven. He hears a loud voice: God will live with people. He won’t be far away anymore. He’ll be right there. And there’s a river and a tree of life again, just like in the garden at the start.
Then John hears what may be one of the most beautiful sentences in the whole Bible. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death, sadness, crying or pain. And the One on the throne says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” This isn’t supposed to be life on a cloud with a harp. It’s a real, brand-new world where you can live, explore and create. Only without pain.
At the very end of the Bible, there’s an invitation. Whoever is thirsty, come and take the water of life, free. Everybody is welcome. The Bible ends with a promise: God is making everything new, and there’s room for you.
Did you know?
The first two chapters of the Bible and the last two show the same picture. It’s a world without pain, where God is close to people. Everything in between is the story of how God comes back to that world. In the new world there’s no sea, either. For the people who wrote the Bible, the sea stood for chaos and fear. So that means there won’t be any more chaos or fear.
Look at Jesus
Jesus is the center of this whole story. At the start, God makes a world and wants to be close to people. At the end, God lives with people again. And in between, Jesus came: God Himself, close enough to touch. He gave His life for us, and He is alive. The very last words of the Bible ask Him to come: “Yes, come, Lord Jesus!” Jesus is the reason this story has a happy ending.
What about you?
You’re finishing something long: a year of reading, a year at school, a season on the team. There’s a little sadness that it’s over, and a little pride. That’s what a good ending feels like. It’s not the last word. It’s the start of something new. Today, think about what you want to take with you from this trip. One story, one sentence or one thought. And decide that tomorrow you’ll open the Bible again, even for a minute.
Let’s talk about it
- Which story from this year did you like best, and why?
- What did God promise at the very end of the Bible?
- What do you not want to forget from this trip? Or can you think of something else?
Today’s challenge
Pick one verse from this year and write it on a piece of paper. Hang it where you’ll see it every day.
Prayer
God, thank You for this whole year with the Bible. Thank You that this story has a good ending, and that I’m part of it. Stay with me every day that is still ahead of me. Amen.
Tap when you have prayed.