Revelation 21:5
Behold, I make all things new (Idou kaina poiw panta). The first time since Revelation 1:8 that God has been represented as speaking directly, though voices have come out of the throne before (Revelation 21:3) and out of the sanctuary (Revelation 16:1, Revelation 16:17), which may be from God himself, though more likely from one of the angels of the Presence. This message is not addressed to John (Revelation 7:14; Revelation 17:7; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:6), but to the entire world of the blessed. See Isaiah 43:18 f. for the words (Idou egw poiw kaina). The idea of a new heaven and a new earth is in Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; Psalms 102:25 f. For the locative here with epi (epi tw qronw) see Revelation 7:10; Revelation 19:4 (genitive more usual, Revelation 4:9 f.; Revelation 5:1, Revelation 5:7, Revelation 5:13, etc.). See Revelation 20:11 for the picture.
And he saith (kai legei). Probably this means a change of speakers, made plain by moi (to me) in many MSS. An angel apparently (as in Revelation 14:13; Revelation 19:9 f.) assures John and urges him to write (grayon as in Revelation 1:11; Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:18; Revelation 3:1, Revelation 3:7, Revelation 3:14; Revelation 14:3). The reason given (oti, for) is precisely the saying in Revelation 22:6 and he uses the two adjectives (pistoi kai alhqinoi) employed in Revelation 19:11 about God himself, and Revelation 3:14 about Christ. In Revelation 19:9 alhqinoi occurs also about "the words of God" as here. They are reliable and genuine.
