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 is the final book of the Bible, written by a man named John while he was exiled on a small Greek island called Patmos, likely during a period of intense Roman persecution of Christians. The entire book is a series of dramatic, symbolic visions about the end of history and God's ultimate victory over evil. By chapter 21, John sees the final reality: a new heaven and a new earth, with God himself dwelling directly with humanity. It is in this moment that the one seated on the throne — understood as God — speaks directly: 'I am making everything new.' The command to 'write this down' is significant — it means this promise is meant to be recorded, returned to, and trusted during dark times. The phrase 'trustworthy and true' functions almost like an oath: this is not poetry or wishful thinking.
God, the world feels old and worn in ways that are hard to name. Thank you for not just promising to patch it, but to make it genuinely new. Help me hold onto that on the days when everything around me only seems to be getting worse. I want to trust that you are already at work. Amen.
The word 'new' gets weaponized so often — new and improved, new year new you, new menu, new season — that it loses all its edge. But this 'new' is different. It is spoken from a throne at the end of the entire story, after every grief has been witnessed, every injustice catalogued, every body that gave out and every dream that didn't make it. This isn't a fresh coat of paint on a condemned house. God surveys all of it — really all of it — and says: I am making everything new. Present tense. Active. Personal. Notice it doesn't say 'everything will be forgotten' or 'everything will finally make sense.' It says *new*. There's a world of difference. Whatever you are carrying that feels permanent — a diagnosis, a relationship that shattered, a version of yourself you can't seem to escape — this verse doesn't minimize it. It promises transformation. And then, almost tenderly, God tells John to write it down. Because humans forget. Because we need to find a promise again on an ordinary Tuesday when the new feels impossibly far away. Write it somewhere you'll find it when you need it most.
Revelation uses highly symbolic, dramatic imagery throughout — what helps you navigate what is meant literally versus symbolically when reading a book like this?
When you hear 'I am making everything new,' what is the first thing that surfaces in you that you wish God would make new?
Why do you think God specifically tells John to 'write this down'? What does that instruction reveal about how God understands human doubt and memory?
How does the promise of renewal affect how you sit with people around you who are suffering — does it make it easier or harder to be present with them in pain?
Is there a promise, a truth, or a hope you need to literally write down somewhere so you don't lose sight of it — what would that be, and where would you put it?
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Habakkuk 2:2
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Revelation 19:9
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 65:17
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
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Isaiah 42:9
And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true [they are accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy]."
AMP
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
ESV
And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.'
NASB
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
NIV
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.”
NKJV
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
NLT
The Enthroned continued, "Look! I'm making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate."
MSG