Life in the Eternal City
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
I don’t know if you’ve ever renovated a house. If you are going to do it right you aren’t just going to put new carpet on a rotted floor. No matter how beautiful the carpet is, the rot underneath will eventually reveal itself in one way or another.
During the hurricane I was talking with a gentleman who had done a lot of work in Louisiana after the devasting hurricane there years ago. He said that in many of the homes that were flooded the subfloor of many homes should have been completely removed, but weren’t. Folks thought they could get by and take shortcuts and they covered up the subfloor only to find out a few years later that a wavy floor developed beneath the surface.
Unlike that kind of renovation, there is coming a renovation in this world, and God isn’t going to just throw on a new coat of paint and add some new carpet. He isn’t just going to patch the cracks in society. He’s going to TEAR OUT the foundation of the curse and strip away the rot of sin and death.
He’s going to give us a NEW Heaven and a NEW earth!
When the foundation of the curse is stripped away, there are going to be some things noticeably missing in the New Heaven and the New Earth...
Things Missing (vv. 1-4, 22-27)
Things Missing (vv. 1-4, 22-27)
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
One of the things missing in the New Heaven and the New Earth is...
The Sea (v. 1)
The Sea (v. 1)
You may remember it is from the “sea” that the the Antichrist is said to arise...
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
To say there is no more sea, is to say that the sea, and the chaos, instability, and separation that it provides will no longer be a part of the new city! There will be no more sea.
Not only will the sea be missing but something else that will be missing will be...
Tears & Crying (v. 4)
Tears & Crying (v. 4)
Can you imagine Jesus approaching you in that city and reaching up to your eyes with His nail-scarred hands and wiping away the last tears you will ever shed for eternity?
Tears caused by cancer
Tears caused by death
Tears caused by divorce
Tears caused by abandonment
Tears caused by abuse
Tears caused by pain
Tears caused by regret
Tears caused by harsh words spoken in anger
Tears caused by sin
Tears caused by this broken world will forever be wiped away!
People sometimes ask how can Heaven be a place of no tears if some of our loved ones will be missing. I don’t know that I know the complete answer to that question, but I do know what Isaiah 65:17 says:
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
Daniel Akin says:
...in eternity all the former things associated with the fallen world will pass away and they are never coming back.
We cannot even begin to imagine this!
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.”
Tears won’t be the only thing missing in the New Heaven and the New Earth...
Death (v. 4)
Death (v. 4)
This is a reminder of...
He will swallow up death forever,
And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces;
The rebuke of His people
He will take away from all the earth;
For the Lord has spoken.
You may remember that “death” was cast into the lake of fire at the Great White Throne Judgment: Revelation 20:14
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Paul tells us this in...
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
Death ENTERED history in Genesis 3:19 and death EXITS history in Revelation 21:4!
Can you imagine an eternity where death has died, and everyone in the New Heaven and the New Earth will live in their new glorified, perfect bodies forever and ever!
As a result of no more tears and no more death we also find that SORROW will be eliminated!
Sorrow (v. 4)
Sorrow (v. 4)
The word sorrow literally means, “an outward expression of sorrow: aka grief, lamentation, mourning.” Sadness and grief will be forever gone!
Pain (v. 4)
Pain (v. 4)
The word translated “pain” is a reference to the pain that is caused by “hard, exhaustive work and labor” as well as pain associated with “hard, difficult circumstances.”
Praise God, eternity with Christ in this new place signifies the ultimate cure of human suffering and the curse of sin!
Some of you live in pain of one kind or another EVERY DAY, but there is coming a day when PAIN will not longer be in your vocabulary!
Daniel Akin says this about the removal of tears, death, sorrow and pain:
This sinful, fallen world has left so many people beaten and broken. The pain it inflicts often overwhelms us, almost crushing us. This verse promises us that in eternity all that causes pain and sorrow will forever be taken away!
There will be a few other things missing in the city...Notice Revelation 21:22-27
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 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. 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). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 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.
A Temple (v. 22)
A Temple (v. 22)
We will not need a temple to go and visit the presence of God, because we will be living in God’s DIRECT and IMMEDIATE PRESENCE FOREVER!
A. T. Robertson says:
The whole city is a temple in one sense (verse 16), but it is something more than a temple even with its sanctuary and Shekinah Glory in the Holy of Holies. For the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple thereof...
Gwyn Pugh reminds us that eternity will be a place of...
...pure fellowship, unhindered by sin, face to face with God Himself (22:4). God will dwell in the midst of His people forever; the goal of redemption is thus finally realized.
The intention of Eden will once again be realized! God will dwell with us, and we will dwell with Him forever!
When I think about this I think about the veil in the temple that was torn at Christ’s death. This signified that we could now come into the very holy of holies and have fellowship with God through our Great, High Priest, the Lord Jesus.
Now another veil has been removed. We will be able to have eternal, face to face fellowship with the King of kings and Lord of lords.
There will also be no need for the...
Sun or Moon (v. 23)
Sun or Moon (v. 23)
God’s glory will serve as our ETERNAL LIGHT SOURCE! God made this promise through Isaiah thousands of years ago...
“The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
Since He is the light, something else that will be missing will be the...
Night (v. 25)
Night (v. 25)
No reason to shut the gates because the night will be banished. God’s shekinah glory will forever be present!
Finally we are reminded there will be no more...
Sin (v. 27)
Sin (v. 27)
Nothing will ever contaminate this city! It is pure and will remain pure for eternity.
Chuck Swindoll summarizes the 12 things missing in eternity:
1. No more sea—because chaos and calamity will be eradicated (21:1).
2. No more tears—because hurtful memories will be replaced (21:4).
3. No more death—because mortality will be swallowed up by life (21:4).
4. No more mourning—because sorrow will be completely comforted (21:4).
5. No more crying—because the sounds of weeping will be soothed (21:4).
6. No more pain—because all human suffering will be cured (21:4).
7. No more thirst—because God will graciously quench all desires (21:6).
8. No more wickedness—because all evil will be banished (21:8, 27).
9. No more temple—because the Father and Son are personally present (21:22).
10. No more night—because God’s glory will give eternal light (21:23–25; 22:5).
11. No more closed gates—because God’s doors will always be open (21:25).
12. No more curse—because Christ’s blood has forever lifted that curse (22:3)
That’s something to sing and praise the Lord for today!
While there will be a lot of things missing in the New Jerusalem, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE MADE NEW!
All Things New
All Things New
Notice again Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
New Experience of God Tabernacling Among Us (v. 3)
New Experience of God Tabernacling Among Us (v. 3)
Daniel Akin describes it this way:
God will permanently and forever pitch His tent among His redeemed people.
Just as God the Son dwelt among His people for 33 years, God the Father is going to dwell among His redeemed people for all eternity! Just as God walked among the Garden before sin entered the world, He will once again be in the very midst of His people forever! There will never again be any more separation.
There will also be...
The Beauty of a New City (vv. 9-21)
The Beauty of a New City (vv. 9-21)
Notice Revelation 21:9-21
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation 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, and the twelfth amethyst. 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.
Verse 9: The beauty of the city is described like a “bride” (v. 9). This city will be an eternally gorgeous bride that WE will be able to enjoy and dwell in.
Verses 10-11: This city will descend from Heaven (v. 10) and will be shining with the glory of God (v. 11). John describes this glorious light as a light that is being reflected through a precious stone that is clear as crystal.
Verses 12-14: The wall surrounding the city had twelve gates (3 on each side), with an angel at each gate, and on the gates were written the 12 tribes of Israel. There were 12 foundations beneath the wall, and on each foundation was the name of one of the 12 apostles. The walls, gates, and foundations serve as a reminder of God’s eternal protection, the city’s eternal permanence, and unimaginable beauty!
Verses 15-17: The city is unimaginably massive. It is a perfect cube. We are told in the NKJV it is 12,000 furlongs long, wide, and high. 12,000 furlongs is equivalent to approximately 1500 miles...
Did you get that? On the screen I have a map of the United States and the shaded part represents this size of this city. KEEP IN MIND, NOT ONLY IS IT GOING TO BE 1500 MILES LONG AND 1500 MILES WIDE, BUT IT’S ALSO GOING TO BE 1500 MILES HIGH!
That’s over 3 BILLION CUBIT miles.
This massive city and along with the New Heavens and the New Earth will have...
Reliance Upon a New Light Source (vv. 23-25, 22:5)
Reliance Upon a New Light Source (vv. 23-25, 22:5)
Notice again Revelation 21:23-25
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. 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).
Also note Revelation 22:5
There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
We’ve mentioned before that the source of light is most likely the Shekinah Glory of God radiating from the throne and the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world!
We will also enjoy...
A New Water Source (22:1-2)
A New Water Source (22:1-2)
This water source will be unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Notice the description in
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 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.
You may remember in Eden there were multiple rivers. After sin entered the world we assume those rivers, and the rest of the water sources on earth became polluted due to the Fall. These water sources will not only be as pure as possible, and as clear as crystal, but will also serve as a reminder of the LIFE GIVING WATER that the Spirit gave to all of us at salvation and we will enjoy this water for eternity!
Alongside this river grows THE TREE OF LIFE
A New Experience with the Tree of Life (22:2)
A New Experience with the Tree of Life (22:2)
Notice again Revelation 22:2
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.
The Tree of Life was separated from Adam and Eve at the Fall. Now humanity will be reintroduced to this tree and will enjoy its fruits for eternity. While we don’t know exactly what fruit it produces Scripture indicates that it will produce 12 different fruits throughout the year. It will never be void of fruit reminding us of God’s eternal provision.
Even the leaves of the tree will be significant. The leaves serve as a reminder that the curse of sin has been broken and all the division that has been a reality because of the Fall will be just a memory. The division between nations and ethnicities will forever be broken!
Finally, we see...
One Last Invitation (22:17)
One Last Invitation (22:17)
As we close out our Revelation series I want to draw your attention to one last verse in Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
Here’s the invitation folks. One more time Christ is reaching out to YOU inviting YOU to come.
We began this message talking about all the things that would be missing in the New Reality of eternity. The question is WILL YOU BE MISSING? As we mentioned last week, “IS YOUR NAME WRITTEN IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE?”
Notice what the invitation is in VERSE 17...LET HIM WHO THIRSTS COME...
He invites the socially outcast and morally broken to COME
He invited the woman at the well (the woman who had been married 5 times and was living in adultery) to COME so she could have LIVING WATER and never thirst again! He invited her to come to Him in the MIDDLE OF HER MESS!
He invited the woman caught in adultery to come to Him. She was on the verge of dying and He invited her into His life!
He invited Zacchaeus, a corrupt and deceitful traitor to come
He invited another tax collector named Levi (Matthew) to come
He invited Nicodemus to COME and be BORN again
He invited Saul of Tarsus who was literally on his way to imprison believers TO COME
He said this in Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Peter, who failed Him miserably and even denied knowing Him three times, to come back in right fellowship with Him
He even invited the Thief on the Cross to come as he is dying with no ability to get baptized or do anything for Him.
TODAY HE IS INVITING YOU to COME!
Will YOU come to Him today?
He died for YOU publicly. I’m asking YOU to respond publicly!
Salvation
Baptism
