Sunday, July 1st, 2018 - AM - Here Comes the Heavenly Bride! Part One (Rev. 21:1-2)

Revelation 21:1–8 KJV 1900

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21:3–4 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Introduction:

Illustration:

As a pastor, one of the most joyous things I get to do is officiate weddings, and of the wedding service, there's no more beautiful moment than "Here Comes the Bride!"

Main Thought:

Knowing that God will one day live with His people in the new creation helps us face life's trials by faith, overcoming through Christ's all-sufficient grace and power.

Sub-intro: Setting the Context-

The final vision of Revelation () highlights the primary goal and theme of the entire book and all of Scripture: God’s presence among his people in the new creation. From the time sin and death intruded upon God’s good creation, God purposed to defeat his enemies and live among his people in a new garden city. This final vision of Revelation represents the fulfillment of the promises to those who overcome (), the full realization of the throne-room worship (), the answer to the martyrs’ prayer (), the goal of the judgments (), and the outcome of the final conflict with evil (). The present unit () serves as a transition between God’s final victory () and the new creation (). Just as and provide two versions of the final judgment of the wicked, so and offer a double vision of the eternal state. More specifically, encapsulates what will be explained in more glorious detail in : the new creation as the holy city (), the temple (), and the new Garden of Eden (). This transition section includes a vision of the arrival of the new heaven and new earth (), a voice from the throne proclaiming the fulfillment of God’s promised presence (), and God’s sevenfold speech confirming his finished work (). [Duvall]

Revelation 21:1 KJV 1900

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Note - "The first were passed away" = parerchomai - 3 Rabbinical views: renewed, renovation, replacement

Note - From the Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible:

The idea of a renewed or re-created universe is present in substance in many passages: ; ; , ; , ; ; ; . Specific mention of “new heaven(s) and a new earth” is found in ; ; ; . These passages suggests the following points of interest:

God is the source of this new universe....

God will bring the new universe into existence in the end of history. [ZEB, H-L]

Revelation 21:2 KJV 1900

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Note - "prepared" used seven times in Revelation (; , ; ; ; ; )

Note - "This was the city that Abraham sought (), that has the OT saints and the names of the NT saints recorded (cf. ), and that will be named on overcoming saints as their address (cf. )." [Strouse]

Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

The Five-fold Fulfillment:

1. "Tabernacle of God Is With Men"

2. "He Will Dwell With Them"

3. "They Shall Be His People"

4. "God Himself Shall Be With Them"

5. "And Be Their God"

Revelation 21:4 KJV 1900

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

The Fivefold Fulfillment:

1. Tears Wiped Away

Implied is that in the new heaven and new Jerusalem—heaven as we think of it today—there will be tears, for God will wipe them away. It may be that the redeemed of the ages witness the Great White Throne Judgment recently past. In those awesome proceedings, many a loved one and friend will be cast into the lake of fire. That will undoubtedly provoke tears. (See also and .) However, the great and tender mercy of God will, in that day, wipe away all tears. [Sorenson]

2. No More Death

3. No More Sorrow

4. No More Crying

5. No More Pain

Note - Semitic Parallelism, lit.:

"And death shall be no more,

Neither sorrow,

Neither crying,

Neither pain shall be no more."

Application:

1 Corinthians 15:54–56 KJV 1900

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

John 11:25–26 KJV 1900

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Quote: “Is This Life All There Is? Why Heaven Is Worth the Wait,” by Joni Eareckson Tada. Eareckson Tada shares this powerful, personal reflection on the wonder of the new creation:

I still can hardly believe that I—with atrophied muscles, shriveled, bent fingers, and no feeling from the shoulders down—will one day have a new, dazzling body that’s in wonderful working order and clothed in righteousness. Not to mention, I’ll also have a mind that doesn’t want to resign or quit!…

You may not be paralyzed with a broken neck, but you could be paralyzed by other limitations: a broken heart, a broken home, a broken reputation.… The temporal troubles we face may slam the door to sustained satisfaction in this life, but then again, they can throw windows wide open to a vibrant hope of heaven. [Duvall]

Revelation 21:5 KJV 1900

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Note - "all things" = quantity; "new" = quality

2 Samuel 7:28 KJV 1900

And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

Revelation 21:6 KJV 1900

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Note - Judgment - "It is done" (); Recreation - "It is done" ()

Note - The Deity of Christ and how that separates us from the occults (i.e. Christian Science, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness) and Islam:

In it is “the Lord God” who asserts, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” and the speaker is further described as the One “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” In and , on the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ is the speaker who calls himself “the Alpha and the Omega.” These two verses taken with constitute a strong assertion of the true and eternal deity of Christ. Similarly, the use of language in and concerning Jesus Christ is equivalent to that used concerning Yahweh in and and involves a strong implication Jesus’ divine nature. [ZEB, A-C, Alpha and Omega]

Note - Contrast with the harlot’s cup ()

Revelation 21:7 KJV 1900

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Note - The Overcomer - Believer

Note - cf. —all glories about to be unfolded

1 Corinthians 3:21 KJV 1900

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

To overcome. The summons to overcome () remains relevant regardless of how close or distant our trials seem analogous to those of John’s first audience. Even those with the most comfortable situations eventually face sickness, death, or bereavement. Each of the seven churches in Revelation had different trials, yet each was called to overcome (, , , ; , , ); each of us today has different trials, but all are called to overcome (). [NIVAC, Re]

Revelation 21:8 KJV 1900

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Note - The Underachiever - Sinner (miss the mark)

The [“fearful”] may be those who fear persecution () more than they revere God (; ; ; ).25

The “unbelieving” are those who prove faithless, unwilling to maintain their faith in the midst of testing (, ; ; ).

The Greek word translated as [“abominable”] (ebdelygmenos) is related to ... (17:4–5; 21:27), that which is disgusting before God (; ; , ). Most often in the lxx this word applies to two sins: sexual immorality (; ; ; ; ; ; ) and—by far most frequently—idolatry (over forty times).26 Those who compromise with the cult of the emperor or other forms of paganism and worldliness fall into the “abominable” or “vile” category.

“Murderers” (cf. ; ) is a broad designation but includes those who kill God’s saints (; ; , ); this may include those who betrayed Christians to the government (; ), who to save oneself refused to love sufficiently to withhold betraying others (cf. ), or who would not meet a fellow Christian’s needs (). Such murderers will justly suffer the second death ().

The [“whoremongers”] (cf. ) in Revelation often point to spiritual immorality (, ; , , ; , ; ), but unless readers have this in mind, they would suppose it most naturally refers to the notorious literal physical immorality of paganism. In either case, the sexual unfaithfulness of the world’s citizens contrasts sharply with the sexual purity of the bride, the holy city, and her inhabitants (; ; ).

[“Sorcerers”] (cf. ) translates a word in Revelation that includes the world’s seductive signs () and perhaps even its seductive power (); in the broader sense, it includes any deceptive tools of demons (; ).27

“Idolaters” include all who have succumbed to the demands of the imperial cult or who worshiped the idols of the world system (, ; cf. ); they worship the image of the beast ().

“[All] Liars” includes not only false prophets (2:2; cf. ) like Balaam and Jezebel (, ) but also those who falsely claim to follow the truth (3:9; cf. ; ), in contrast to the saints (). [NIVAC, Re. Revisions to reflect the AV in brackets]

"And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time."

Revelation 21:1–8 KJV 1900

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21:1–8 KJV 1900

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21:1 KJV 1900

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

ἀπῆλθαν aor. ind. act. ἀπέρχομαι (G599) to go away, to depart, to pass away. In rabbinical literature some taught that the world would be renovated and made new so that it would return to its original state after creation, cleansed from sin and evil. Others taught that the earth would return to the original chaos and would then be recreated w. a new existence. Others taught that the earth would be completely destroyed and the new heaven and new earth would be a totally new creation (SB, 3:842–47; Moore, Judaism, 2:338ff). At this time the purpose and plan of God’s creating mankind will be fulfilled through redemption. Created in the image of God, mankind is to have unbroken fellowship w. God, to rule the earth, and to be God’s representative on earth. Sin, however, did not allow these purposes to be completely realized; but the Messiah came as the Redeemer (גָּאַל־1, H1457, go’el, s. TDOT; NIDOTTE), and paid the price for the release from the slavery of sin to restore the broken fellowship. Now He has defeated the enemies of God and restored the earth to God’s complete possession and provided for mankind to be the true representative of God on the new earth.

Cleon L. Rogers Jr. and Cleon L. Rogers III, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), paragraph 44839.

https://accordance.bible/link/read/GNT_Key#44839

BRIDE, BRIDECHAMBER, BRIDEGROOM

numphe (νύμφη, ) (Eng. “nymph”) “a bride, or young wife,” ; ; , ; , is probably connected with the Latin nubo, “to veil”; the “bride” was often adorned with embroidery and jewels (see ), and was led veiled from her home to the “bridegroom.” Hence the secondary meaning of “daughter-in-law,” ; . See daughter-in-law.¶ For the relationship between Christ and a local church, under this figure, see ; regarding the whole church, ; .

numphios (νυμφίος, ), “a bridegroom,” occurs fourteen times in the gospels, and in . “The friend of the bridegroom,” , is distinct from “the sons of the bridechamber” who were numerous. When John the Baptist speaks of “the friend of the Bridegroom,” he uses language according to the customs of the Jews.

numphon (νυμφών, ), signifies (a) “the room or dining hall in which the marriage ceremonies were held,” ; some mss. have gamos, “a wedding,” here; (b) “the chamber containing the bridal bed,” “the sons of the bridechamber” being the friends of the bridegroom, who had the charge of providing what was necessary for the nuptials, ; ; .¶

W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 79.

EBC

Revelation 21:2 KJV 1900

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

By the time we come to , all believers, Jew and Gentile alike, throughout the ages are united as the "called out assembly" and bride. It must be implied that when the earth and heaven fled away and there was no more place for them that God's people along with Jesus appeared at the GWTJ in the heaven or dwelling of God, and upon the final sentencing of the doomed in the lake of fire, the new heaven and earth were created and the bride (the church) was brought down to Jesus to enter into the eternal state of paradise.

Revelation 21:2 KJV 1900

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2 KJV 1900

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

κεκοσμημένην perf. pass. part. κοσμέω (G3175) to make orderly, to put in order, to adorn, to decorate, to make beautiful or attractive (BAGD). In preparation for the marriage and the arrival of the groom the bride was bathed and oiled, perfumed, her hair was fixed, and she was adorned w. her wedding garment. For marriage preparations s. JPF, 2:752–60; SB, 1:500–517; 2:373–99.

- Citation: T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding” [Craig Brian Larson and Brian Lowery, 1001 Quotations That Connect: Timeless Wisdom for Preaching, Teaching, and Writing (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2009), 125.]

Cleon L. Rogers Jr. and Cleon L. Rogers III, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), paragraph 44846.

https://accordance.bible/link/read/GNT_Key#44846

Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Revelation 21:4 KJV 1900

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

ἀπῆλθαν aor. ind. act. ἀπέρχομαι (G599) to go away, to pass away. Aor. w. prep. in compound is perfective, “completely gone.”

Cleon L. Rogers Jr. and Cleon L. Rogers III, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), paragraph 44862.

https://accordance.bible/link/read/GNT_Key#44862

Revelation 21:6 KJV 1900

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Revelation 21:6 KJV 1900

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Revelation 21:7 KJV 1900

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Here's a story about an adopted boy who grew up in the inner-city to one day commit murder, only to be used by God to be arguably one of the greatest leaders His people ever had.

Not in light of the principle of Scripture that a day is as a thousand years and vice versa with the Lord.

UK

ZEB M–P

Sunday, July 1st, 2018 - AM - Here Comes the Heavenly Bride! Part One (Rev. 21:1-2)

Introduction:

I. John Sees the New Creation ()

A. The New Heaven & Earth ()

B. The New Jerusalem ()

II. The Angel Declares the Fulfillment of the Promise of God's Presence ()

A. What Heaven Includes ()

B. What Heaven Excludes ()

III. The Sevenfold Sayings of God ()

A. "I Make" ()

B. "Write" ()

C. "It Is Done" ()

D. "Alpha and Omega" (:b)

E. Full Satisfaction - "Water of Life" ()

F. Full Inheritance - "Inherit All Things" () & Full Fellowship - "He shall be my son" ()

Full Fellowship - "He shall be my son" ()

G. They "Shall Have Their Part" ()

Conclusion:

Word Study - Bride

Who is this "bride adorned"?