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Psalms
119:90-99 Your
faithfulness endures to all
generations; You established the earth, and it abides. They continue this day
according to Your ordinances, For all are
Your servants. Unless Your law had
been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will
never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life. I am Yours, save me; For I have sought
Your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me, But I will consider Your testimonies. I have seen the
consummation of all perfection, But
Your commandment is exceedingly
broad. Oh, how I love Your law! It is
my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than
my enemies; For they are ever
with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.
Father God, help us to control our
tongues. James 1:26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue,
you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. In Jesus name we
pray, Amen!
Revelation 21:21-27;
22:1-2 NKJV
Last week we studied about the size of the New
Jerusalem, the composition of the foundation, names on the gates, the light
coming from within, etc. This week we will step inside the New Jerusalem and
see what the inside looks like. I would venture to say it would take our breath
away if we could see the inside personally right now. So let your imagination
go with this lesson.
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Though
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Art used; by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
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21 The
twelve gates were twelve
pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent
glass.
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual
gate was of one pearl; Okay, now I’m wondering how large
those oysters were? Maybe God just made those pearls so big to remind us of all
the wounds, pain, and suffering Jesus endured for us sinners? Pearls are white
and pure like Jesus, and Jesus Christ is the one and only door we have to enter
through, to reside in God’s paradise, Heaven. John 14:6 Jesus said
to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.
W. A. Criswell
has pointed out that pearls are formed in oysters as a result of a wound, and
that we'll be reminded as we go in and out of the gates of pearl that we are
there only because of the wounds of Christ."
W. A. Criswell, Exposiiorv Sermons on Revelation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), 130.
And the street of the city was pure gold, like
transparent glass; Heaven's
streets of gold are also part of folklore to many. Gold is very fitting to make
streets out of in God’s kingdom. Gold has been around forever and is a precious
metal that holds its value; read Exodus Chapters
25 & 26. It is something that will not perish, just like Jesus.
When we put our trust and faith in Jesus we can always count on him being there
for us, so it is only fitting to have streets of gold in heaven. It will be
solid streets to walk on just like Jesus is our solid rock to anchor to. Gold
as we know it is not transparent, but in John’s description “pure gold, like
transparent glass” would be very fitting for Heaven. Heaven will be holy, pure,
and spotless. What John saw was streets of transparent gold. Will they look
that same way to us when we see them?
22 But I saw
no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
In
the OT the temple held the Holy of Holies in the center where God would reside.
This was the center where God's presence was among his people, and was the
primary place of worship. In the New Jerusalem Jesus is the temple and will be
in the center. We will have a personal relationship with Him, and no need of a
temple in the new city because God's presence will be everywhere.
23 The city
had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God
illuminated it. The Lamb is its
light.
This
verse is speaking of the city not the new heaven and earth. Within the city
there will be no need of the sun or moon to illuminate it. The purity of God
will shine forth in all its glory. God will be the light in the New Jerusalem.
Light represents what is good, pure, true, holy, and reliable. Darkness
represents what is sinful and evil. God's glory illuminates the city meaning the
city will be enveloped by him, who is perfectly holy and true. Light is also
related to truth in that it exposes whatever exists. Just as darkness cannot
exist in the presence of light, so sin cannot exist in the presence of a holy
God. The city will be completely without sin and evil. We will be able to
worship God throughout the city; nothing will hinder us from being with him.
Imagine approaching the city from a distance, a city of gold, a twelve-layer foundation of precious stones, gates of pearl, streets of gold, fully illuminated from within by the glory of God. What an
awesome sight it would be. No wonder Paul wrote, 1
Corinthians 2:9 But as it
is written: "EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE
HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." I believe we should all be more heavenly minded, not less. God has prepared an unbelievable place in which we will live for eternity, yet we rarely talk about it; and most Christians know little about it at all. Did you
know about what the new Heaven will be like? Have you ever talked to your
spouse about how grand it will be? Have you ever read and explained the
description to your children? What a grand topic it would be at the supper
table!
24 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.
And the nations of those who are saved shall walk
in its light; This phrase should have been translated, “and
the nations shall walk by means of its light”. God will be ruling so they
will be walking according to His Kingship. All will be saved at this point in
time.
The
kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it; This
phrase tells us there will be nations on earth outside the City. What this
consists of we do not know, except that they will give God glory and honor
because He will be their King.
25 Its gates
shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
As
mentioned before there is no night in the New Jerusalem, but outside the city
there will be. Why do you suppose the pearly gates will be left open day and
night? It is because there will be no sin on earth at that time. Satan and all
of his followers along with all individuals that did not accept Jesus as their
Saviour will be in the Lake of Fire for eternity. There will be no need of a
sentry at the gate to keep out the evil. Everything will be restored as God
originally intended.
26 And they
shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
What
is this glory and honor? It is the righteousness of God. It will be the way life
will be according to God’s precepts. All will be in perfect harmony according
to God’s plan and not man. The curse that God placed on this earth at the fall
of Adam and Eve will be gone. Genesis
3:14-19 So the LORD God said to the
serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of
the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of
your life. 15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her
Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." 16 To the
woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over
you." 17
Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and
have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat
of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil
you shall eat of it All the
days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for
you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall
eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust
you are, And to dust you shall
return."
27 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.
This
verse refers to anything common, meaning that nothing will be found in that
blessed abode which is unholy or sinful. It will be a pure world. Acts 10:14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have
never eaten anything common or unclean."
2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according
to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells.
What
Peter is referring to here is “common or unclean”, was his Jewish religious
beliefs and all the laws they tried to abide by that they devised. The majority
of their cultural rules were devise by man and not God and they placed their
faith in laws and not in Jesus and His death and resurrection.
Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of
life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
This also calls to mind
the "living water" Jesus said would flow from the heart of those who
believe in Him. John 7:38 NKJV He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his
heart will flow rivers of living water." Anyone that believes will have a river of living water flowing from
their heart, in essence the Holy Spirit. The inside of the New Jerusalem will
be something impossible to comprehend in its glory while we are on earth. But
it will be the future home of every person who is and has been a Born Again
believer, children who have died without the chance to believe, and those not
mentally capable of believing the Gospel will reside there. The cube-city will be large enough to sustain all those millions
of people at a level of glory and satisfaction far beyond anything ever experienced on earth. It will be beautiful, radiant, and words fail us to describe its glory.
Jesus states in John 4:14 NKJV but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will
never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain
of water springing up into everlasting life."
This river of water/life is God’s “grace,” his “spirit,” and what
every soul yearns for. The soul by nature is like a desert, or like a traveler
wandering through a desert. It is thirsting for happiness, and seeking it
everywhere, and cannot find it. It looks in all directions and tries all
objects, but in vain. Nothing meets its desires. Although a sinner seeks joy in
wealth and pleasures, yet he is not satisfied. He still thirsts for more, and continues
to seek happiness in some new enjoyment. The love and grace of Jesus is like cold
water is to a thirsty traveler. An unfailing fountain pours out from God when
they believe. They will never thirst again by accepting Jesus into their heart
to rule and reign.
2 In the middle of its street, and on either
side of the river, was the tree
of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree
yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
There is a river flowing through the street in
the middle of the New Jerusalem from the throne of God. On both sides of this
river are trees of life growing. There are twelve trees of life which will bear
twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit twelve months of every year. Did
you notice “12” God’s ordinance of government? These have to be the same or
similar as the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis
2:9), and we will eat from them freely, which raises the issue of
eating in heaven. I believe we will eat freely, as much as we want, without
any of the negative ramifications of our earthly appetites. Our appetites in
heaven will be redeemed along with the rest of us, so our perspective on food
will be much different.
The leaves of the trees are for "the
healing of the nations." "Healing" is the Greek word for
therapy; so this healing is not the healing of diseases and the like, because Revelation 21:4
states diseases will be a thing of the past, but healing in a therapeutic
sense: growing in our sense of fulfillment, pleasure, and joy at being in the
presence of God.
Mathew Henry puts it this way: “The trees of
life are fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God.
The presence of God in heaven, is the health and happiness of the saints. This
tree was an emblem of Christ, and of all the blessings of his salvation; and
the leaves for the healing of the nations, mean that his favour and presence
supply all good to the inhabitants of that blessed world.”
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him
and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Bill
Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe
it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus
I know I am a sinner. I confess my sins
to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a
sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all
of my sins. I believe that only you can
forgive sin. I commit my life to you and
ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” (John 3:16,17;
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
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