REVELATION 21 // ONE DAY

LAST WEEK

We looked at the Millennial Reign of Christ

We saw that Satan was bound for 1,000 Years

Then released, only to be thrown into the fire after a season of deceiving the world.

We also saw that there were some books that were opened

According to all of the works written in those books, humanity was judged.

Everything in this book indebted humanity to the repercussions of sin.

But there was another book

But there was another book

The Book of Life

Those found in this book, though they also were guilty, were not thrown into the Lake of Fire.

This is the story of the Bible.

THIS WEEK

We are going to look at the End Result of Faith

We are going to look at the second genesis.

We are going to look at the Redemption of Humanity.

Jesus said in

John 14:1–4 NKJV

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

So What does this look like?

What does Heaven look like?

Let’s check it out:

Revelation 21 NKJV

1 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. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 4 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.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” 9 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.” 10 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, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 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: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 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. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 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, 20 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. 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. 22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 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. 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. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 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.

PRAY THAT GOD WOULD SHOW US WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY TO REFLECT WHAT HAPPENS IN ETERNITY.

PRAY THAT WE WOULD UNDERSTAND THIS TEXT

PRAY THAT WE WOULD BE OPEN TO SEE LIFE WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

Revelation 21:1–4 NKJV

1 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. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 4 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.”

Rev 21:1-

JOHN SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH

This was very different from the old heaven and old earth

For the first Earth and first Heaven had passed away

ALSO, THERE WAS NO MORE SEA

I don’t know why there is no sea

But I do know, that during this time, the sea was seen as evil

It is almost as if John is making it clear to us that there is no remnant of evil in this new creation.

APART FROM THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH

JOHN SAW THE HOLY CITY, THE NEW JERUSALEM

IT WAS DESCENDING FROM HEAVEN AS A GIFT FROM GOD

It was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband

Very different from the harlot that was parading herself in the old earth.

Notice how it is a City

A Br

However, like every city, it is made up of people

A people group prepared for the Marriage of the Bride and Bridegroom

THEN JOHN HEARD A LOUD VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING:

The Tabernacle of God is with men

The Habitation of God

The Tent of God

IS WITH MEN

Now we must remember

God the Father is Spirit

Different from Jesus

Who was fully God and Fully Man

Who has a glorified Body

Who has eyes like fire

Hair like White Wool

Feet like fine brass

Who has a sword that proceeds from his mouth.

Jesus knew the temptation of sin

The Bible says that He was in all points tested, and yet without sin

God the Father, has only known Glory

He has never dwelt amongst anything defiled.

NOW, LET’S GO BACK TO THE TEXT

THE TABERNACLE FO GOD IS AMONG MEN

The other half, is pointing to something.

SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT HERE

SOMETHING HAS CHANGED

When Holiness and Sinfulness were separated

When Light & Dark could not coexist

When Good and Evil could not dwell together in peace

God provided a way

He provided a Savior

Not in the form of a process or a animal sacrifice

But in the form of His own Son.

If you have been reading through the Bible with us

You have just began the Book of Leviticus

Which clearly depicts the process of MERCY in the Old Testament

It involved work

It involved animal sacrifices

It was a picture of how Blood, the life, would pay the price for sin.

But in the OT, it was just a prequel

The Bible says that the Blood of Bulls and Goats was weak in the fact that it could not do what the Blood of Jesus does, Save us from our sins forever.

FOR THE TABERNACLE OF GOD TO BE WITH MEN IS SOMETHING INTRINSICALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE KNOW OF GOD TODAY.

WE KINDA HAVE A GLIMPSE OF THAT TODAY.

TODAY,

BUT IT DOESN’T DO IT JUSTICE.

Because of what Jesus has done,

God Himself can coexist with His creation without a hinderance

It is like we are back at the Garden of Eden

Without fruit to tempt us

Without the desire to sin

Without our past failures encouraging us to continue to fail

Without our proclivities effecting our actions.

God can now dwell with us, because we have been fully transformed

God will tabernacle with us

What will we look like?

We shall be His People

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 NKJV

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

God himself will be with them and be their God

That may seem safe

But the Greek translation is more like this

God will come after them

God will go with them

Very symbolic to the story of the Prodigal Son

God Himself will also do a couple of things for the inhabitants of this new city:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes

There shall be no more death

No more sorrow

No more crying

No more pain

For the former things have passed away

God is making it clear to us

That one day, the brokenness of earth will be no more

One day, there will be no wrongs to repent of

One day, there will be nothing to feel sorry for

One day, God will wipe the tears off our faces forever

One day, our physical and emotional pain will be extinct

That hope should fuel your actions today

That truth should cause us to be optimistic and hopeful

Whatever we are going through, we have to realize, it isn’t forever

One day everything will be made right

Revelation 21:5–8 NKJV

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Rev 21:

JOHN THEN HEARD THE ONE WHO SAT ON THE THRONE SAY:

“Behold, I make all things new”

Church there is something to be said about the God that we serve

There are things that are yet to be experienced with Him

Right now, we can walk in His Spirit

Right now, we can be led by Him

But as we found out in Exodus last week

Moses, could only see His shadow.

One day, our vision will be renewed

Our ability to see Him as He is is, will be made a reality

1 John 3:2 NKJV

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

One day we will embrace what life should have been without regret of what we made it to be.

One day, God will say, “It is Done!”

Only He can say this:

Only the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Only He can give us of the fountain of the water of life.

Only He can quench our thirst

Remember the woman at the well?

John 4:13-

John 4:13–15 NKJV

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 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.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

Before Jesus could give her what she desired

She had to recognize her spiritual state

She needed to realize who she was, and who Jesus was

She a Sinner. He a Savior.

Church, we stay thirsty because we fail to admit there is something wrong.

We stay unforgiven because we fail to recognize our sinful nature

We get further and further away from the Lord, because we allow our pride to build a spiritual callous between us and him.

We must overcome, by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of His Testimony

We must overcome our sinful tendencies.

There is a reward for those who fight against the flesh.

IT SAYS:

He who overcomes shall inherit all things

And He will be our God

And we shall be His child.

However, there are some who will not participate in this promise

There are some who will not get to see the promises of Heaven.

You want to know what they look like?

They are cowardly

They are unbelieving

They are abominable

They are murderers

They are Sexually Immoral

They are Sorcerers

They are Idolaters

They are liars

They will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone

They will participate in the second death

BLESSED IS HE

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

Revelation 2:11 NKJV

11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’

NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN

WHAT DOES HEAVEN LOOK LIKE?

Revelation 21:9–21 NKJV

9 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.” 10 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, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 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: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 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. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 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, 20 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. 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.

REV 21:9-

JOHN HEARD ONE OF THE 7 ANGELS SUMMON HIM UP TO SEE THE DETAILS OF THE CITY

REMEMBER HOW I SAID THAT IT WAS NOT ONLY A CITY BUT A PEOPLE.

HERE IS WHERE THAT COMES FROM

THE ANGEL SAYS

Come I will show you The Bride, the Lamb’s Wife, the Church

JOHN WAS CARRIED AWAY IN THE SPIRIT

John then saw a great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending from God the Father.

This city had the glory of God

The Light that came from her was like a precious stone.

The City had a Great high Wall,

12 gates

3 On each Side

Each with an Angel, who represented each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

This Wall had 12 foundations which represented the 12 Apostles.

THIS CITY WAS LIKE A CUBE OF GOLD

IN VERSE 19, WE SEE THE SAME STONES USED ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE WALL, WERE THE SAME AS THOSE ON THE BREASTPLATE OF THE HIGH PRIEST IN

SUCH A RADICAL DESCRIPTION OF THIS CITY.

BUT WHAT IS MISSING?

Revelation 21:22–27 NKJV

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 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. 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. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 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.

REV 21:22-

THERE WAS NO TEMPLE IN IT

NO STREET LIGHTS

NO SUN

NO MOON

NO NIGHT

VERY DIFFERENT FROM THIS EARTH AND THIS HEAVEN.

GOD IS THE LIGHT

WE ARE THE CHURCH

HE IS THE TEMPLE

HIS GLORY IS WHAT WE WILL WALK IN

THE GATES ARE ALWAYS OPEN

ITS ONLY LIMITATION IS THIS

Nothing that defiles the city can enter it

Nothing that causes it to be desecrated

No lies can be found in this city

In fact, the only people allowed in this temple are those found in the Book of Life.