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Seven links. Thousands of years. Hundreds of people who waited and wondered whether God would really come through. All term you've followed God's promises from the garden of Eden to the Last Supper. In this final lesson, you see how the story ends.
The answer is in one short verse, the same one from the start of the term: every promise God has ever made is "Yes" in Jesus.
What you'll learn
- What it means that all God's promises are "Yes" in Jesus
- How the end of the Bible, in Revelation 21, finishes the promise chain
- What "already and not yet" means
The promise chain so far
| Link | Who | The promise |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor | God himself | God keeps his word (Numbers 23:19). |
| 1 | Adam and Eve | A child of the woman will crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15). |
| 2 | Noah | Never again a flood to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:11). |
| 3 | Abraham | A people, a land and a blessing for the world (Genesis 12:1–3). |
| 4 | Moses and Israel | I will be your God; you will be my people (Exodus 19:5–6). |
| 5 | David | A king from your family will reign forever (2 Samuel 7:16). |
| 6 | Jeremiah, then Jesus | A new covenant: new hearts and forgiveness (Jeremiah 31:31–34). |
God's great "Yes"
"For all the promises of God are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him, our ‘Amen’ is spoken to the glory of God." (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Look carefully at what Paul says:
- "All the promises": not most of them, not just the easy ones. Every link in the chain.
- "Yes" in Christ: Jesus is God's answer to every promise. He is the serpent crusher, the one who takes the judgment, the blessing for the nations, the one who kept God's law perfectly, the forever King, and the one whose blood begins the new covenant.
- "Amen": our response. When Christians say "Amen", they are saying, "Yes, God, that's true. I trust it."
It matters that all the promises meet in one person. It means the Bible isn't a random collection of stories. It's one story, with one hero.
The end of the story
Revelation is the last book of the Bible. In it, John sees a vision of what happens when Jesus returns. If you studied the Bible's big story in Year 7, you'll know this part as New Creation.
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.’" (Revelation 21:3–4)
"And the One seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.’" (Revelation 21:5)
Listen for the echoes of promises you've already met:
- God living with his people: "They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them." That is the heart of the covenant at Sinai and of Jeremiah's new covenant.
- No more death: the serpent's work is finally undone.
- A new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1): the world God promised to keep going in Noah's day isn't thrown away. It is made new.
- "Faithful and true": the God who keeps his word has the last word.
Remember the "spoiler" in Genesis 3? Knowing the ending can help you get through the hard middle of a story. That is what Revelation 21 does for Christians when life is painful.
Already and not yet
Some of God's promises have already come true through Jesus' first coming. Others will be complete when he returns. Christians call this "already and not yet".
| Promise | Already fulfilled in Jesus | Not yet: still to come |
|---|---|---|
| Serpent crusher (Genesis 3:15) | The cross and resurrection broke the devil's power. | The devil finally defeated; no more death (Revelation 20:10; 21:4). |
| Noah (Genesis 9) | God holds back judgment, giving people time to turn to him. | A new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). |
| Abraham (Genesis 12) | People from every nation join Abraham's family through faith. | A great crowd from every nation before God's throne (Revelation 7:9). |
| Sinai (Exodus 19) | Through Jesus, people become God's own people (1 Peter 2:9). | God lives with his people face to face (Revelation 21:3). |
| David (2 Samuel 7) | Jesus is risen and reigning as King. | Every knee bows to King Jesus (Philippians 2:10–11). |
| New covenant (Jeremiah 31) | Forgiveness now; the Spirit gives new hearts. | No more tears, pain or sin; everything made new (Revelation 21:4–5). |
So the final link in the chain looks like this:
| Final link | |
|---|---|
| Promise | Every promise is "Yes" in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). |
| Still to come | God with his people, and all things made new (Revelation 21:3–5). |
And it joins right back to the anchor: God keeps his word. The chain makes a full circle.
Key words
- Fulfil: to make a promise come true.
- Amen: "it is true" or "so be it".
- New creation: God's promise to make a new heaven and a new earth when Jesus returns.
- Already and not yet: some of God's promises are already true through Jesus; others are still to come.
How this points to Jesus
From the garden to the new creation, every promise leads to Jesus. He has already crushed the serpent, opened Abraham's family to every nation, taken the throne of David and begun the new covenant. When he returns, he will finish the job and make everything new.
Think about it
Which link in the promise chain do you think is the most surprising way Jesus fulfils God's promise?Show answer
Answers will vary. For example, many people find it surprising that the forever King is the one who died, and that his death is exactly how he won.
What does "already and not yet" mean? Give an example.Show answer
Some promises are already true because of what Jesus did, and some will be complete when he returns. For example, Jesus has already broken the devil's power, but death will only be gone for good in the new creation.
Why do you think God told John to write down his promise in Revelation 21:5?Show answer
So that people in every age could read it and trust it. A written promise can be kept, checked and remembered.
Take it further
Finish this sentence for yourself: "Because God keeps his promises, I can trust him with..." If you're not sure about faith yet, you could think about which of God's promises you would most want to be true, and why. Your worksheet helps you review the whole chain and sort the promises into "already" and "not yet".
If you'd like to, you could pray:
God, thank you that every one of your promises is "Yes" in Jesus. Thank you that you have kept your word all through history, and that one day you will wipe away every tear and make everything new. Help me to say "Amen" and trust you. Amen.