The end of the journey for those who have accepted God’s gracious gift of salvation and eternal life; i.e. the bride of Christ, will live in New Jerusalem forever.
The apostle John was given a glimpse of the heavenly city.
“And he (angel) showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1
The river is not hydrological, but again represents the refreshing, comforting, presence of the Holy Spirit. ‘Water’ in this context is synonymous with ‘Spirit’ and ‘life.’
Recall Jesus’ teaching relative to asking a Samaritan woman for a drink. The woman questioned Jesus about a Jew dealing with a Samaritan. Jesus told the woman that if she knew Him who asked for a drink she would have asked him for a drink and He would have given her the gift of ‘living water.’
“…but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become to him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14
Shortly thereafter at the end of celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus clearly explained the ‘living water’ that He would give.
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive…” John 7:37-39
Thus the Godhead is complete in the heavenly city, i.e. the throne of God the Father; the Lamb of God the Son; and a pure river of water of life, God the Spirit.
The servants of God will see His face and reign with Him in the city throughout eternity.
Perhaps the grandest feature of the new heaven and new earth is the removal of the curse pronounced in the Garden.
“And there shall be no more curse.” Revelation 22:3a
The curse pronounced by God in the garden due to sin has been defined with several descriptive terms such as ‘rendering powerless’ and ‘hemming in with obstacles.’
Under the curse man could never attain the purpose for which he was created.
Paul wrote of the removal of the curse in his letter to the Christians in Rome.
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21
‘Futility’ does in fact mean ‘vanity, worthlessness, and/or empty.’
The residents of the new earth will include a remnant from each nation. They have perpetual access to the city through open gates to partake of the tree of life which is ‘for the healing of the nations.’
“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).” Revelation 21:24-25
However, once again, the very next verse must be examined. And the first word of the succeeding verse is ‘but…’
“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:27
Several synonyms for ‘defiles’ include a person that is ‘unclean, unholy, or profane.’
A person that causes an abomination in the present context is one who does something that is detestable to God and has rejected His gift of mercy and grace.
There is quite a difference between ‘the river of water of life’ and ‘the lake of fire’ where the anti-Christ, false prophet, and Satan himself will spend eternity.
Recall what Jesus said about those who rejected Him:
“Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…” Matthew 25:41
The world had best prepare for reality.