Do you see the contrast between God's way and man's way? Revelation 18-22

Revelation 21:18-21 (NASBStr)

The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Contrast the above description of the New Heaven and the New Earth with the description of the Old Earth John previously was speaking about and was destroyed in the war called Armageddon:

Revelation 18:2-3 (NASBStr)

And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”

This is the story of God's redemption.   The passage in chapter eighteen is our life before Christ or without Christ and the passage in chapter twenty-one is our life with Christ and in Christ.   When man rules the earth and his own life this is the certain life that will be produced, absent God.   Man will create a place of sensuality and evil and indulgence to meet the desires of an evil heart.    But, when Christ reigns in the heart and is the Ruler of the life, we see something built that lasts and that reflects the glory of God.   God brings to our lives wholeness and beauty.  Without Him we have destruction and wickedness.