Free Bible lesson for kids · Revelation
A New Heaven and a New Earth
John saw a new heaven and a new earth and the holy city coming down from God. God will live with His people and wipe away all tears.
- Bible passage
- Revelation 21:1–7
- Big idea
- God is making all things new.
- Memory verse
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)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
John saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first ones had passed away (Revelation 21:1). He saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God, as lovely as a bride dressed for her husband (Revelation 21:2). A great voice from heaven said that God Himself will live with His people, and He will be their God (Revelation 21:3).
God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be “no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,” and no more pain (Revelation 21:4). The One on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). His words are true and faithful (Revelation 21:5). God is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” He will freely give the water of life to the thirsty (Revelation 21:6). Whoever overcomes will inherit all things and be God’s child (Revelation 21:7).
Read it in the Bible: Revelation 21:1–7 (KJV)
1And 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. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And 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. 4And 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. 5And 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. 6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Questions to ask
What did John see coming down from God?
The holy city, new Jerusalem.
What will God wipe away?
All tears from their eyes.
Name things that will be no more.
Death, sorrow, crying and pain.
What this story teaches
- God will make a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1).
- God Himself will live with His people (Revelation 21:3).
- God’s new world will have no death, sorrow or pain (Revelation 21:4).
- Everything God says is true and faithful (Revelation 21:5).
- God freely gives the water of life to the thirsty (Revelation 21:6).
Jesus Makes All Things New
Jesus begins God’s new world in us right now. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creature; old things are passed away.
2 Corinthians 5:17
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God for the home He is preparing. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God is making all things new.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Revelation 21:4 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · activity · indoors · about 15 minutes
Build the Holy City
You need: Blocks or boxes, yellow paper for streets of gold, white beads or cotton balls for gates of pearl
- Read a few details from Revelation 21 together: walls, gates of pearl, streets of gold.
- Build the city as a group.
- Finish by naming what won’t be there: no tears, no sickness, no night.
God will live with His people and wipe away all tears from their eyes.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 25 minutes
Heaven’s Design Brief
You need: Bibles, big paper, markers
- Teams read Revelation 21:1–7 and 22:1–5 and list every detail.
- Sketch the city from the description alone.
- Talk: of all of it, what matters most? (Revelation 21:3: God with us.)
The best part of heaven is not the gold. It is that God Himself will be with us.
Pray
Thank God for the home He is preparing.