Our Eternal Home

OUR ETERNAL HOME! Spring Valley Mennonite; May 5, 2019; Revelation 21-22; 2 Peter 3:10-13 This morning we will complete a journey we began last September, our study of the Book of Revelation. God completes His Revelation with a description of our eternal home, the incredible Eternal City of New Jerusalem. God spoke to the Apostle John, exiled on the Isle of Patmos, through a vision of the end of the age, the great Day of the Lord. In this vision, John was transported to heaven where he saw the Lord Jesus receive a scroll out of the hand of God the Father, for only the Lamb of God was worthy to break the 7- sealed scroll. The scroll was the title deed to the future eternal Kingdom of Christ, His inheritance on earth where He would rule and reign forever. The seals were judgments which must take place before the inheritance could be realized. Seven seal judgments, which contained both seven trumpet judgments and seven bowl judgments, fall upon the earth’s inhabitants during the seven-year Tribulation Period. Although many will come to believe in Christ, Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet try to establish a Satanic false Kingdom over the whole world. Their efforts fail as the Lord Jesus returns to earth at the end of the seven years and defeats the world’s assembled armies at the battle of Armageddon. Following a judgment of those remaining people, both wicked and righteous, the righteous will populate Christ’s earthly kingdom for 1000 years. The Lord Jesus rules from Jerusalem, and all the promises made to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament are fulfilled. During the Millennium, Satan will be bound and removed from having any influence on earth. This will be a time of great prosperity and peace as the Lord Jesus rules with complete authority. The earth will be repopulated, and although Satan will be bound, and the world system will be led by Jesus, man’s sin nature remains in each person. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be loosed for a short time and leads those who have given only pretend obedience to Christ in a final desperate losing rebellion against the Lord, a final battle called “Gog and Magog”. Then comes the final judgment of all ungodly people from all time as they are resurrected to appear before the God’s Great White Throne of Judgment and given their eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. Then comes the creation of a new heaven and new earth, necessary because of the taint of sin remaining on all creation. Understand that the “heaven” spoken of is the celestial heaven, what we see when we look up, the heaven of the stars. The effects of sin which cause the natural disasters on earth—floods, earthquakes, violent storms, etc.—this sinful effect extends into space with stars exploding producing supernovas, black holes, and other violent events. Job 15:15 states that the heavens are not pure in His sight. There needs to be a cleansing from the taint of sin in all creation. God creates a new heaven and a new earth. READ REVELATION 21:1 AND 2 Peter 3:19-13. I. THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH John MacArthur introduces the topic of the New Heaven and Earth with these words: “Just as a person preparing to travel to a foreign country desires information about that country, so believers long for a glimpse of that glorious place where they will live eternally. Knowing their eager sense of anticipation, God has provided believers with a description of heaven. Though only a select few details are given, they are staggering, mind-boggling, and overwhelming.1” In North American culture, it is unfortunate that the church has largely gotten away from an emphasis on heaven. We have bought into the worldly pursuit of instant gratification, material comforts and have become self-indulgent. We have become like the church at Laodicea, lukewarm and thinking we are rich and in need of nothing. Heaven holds little appeal to many in modern Christianity. Contrary to this lukewarm attitude, Scripture repeatedly tells us to focus on heaven: Philippians 3:20 tells us that we are aliens in this world, and our citizenship is in heaven. Colossians 3:1-2: “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Heaven should fill our thoughts. Paul had this heavenly perspective as he said that “…it was very much better” to depart and be with the Lord. One of the surest indications of a sincere faith and genuine salvation is a longing for heaven! A longing for heaven comes from a clear understanding of what heaven is like. The last two chapters of Revelation give us a tantalizing picture of where we will spend eternity. First off, the new earth will be vastly different than the old earth. It will be much more than a refashioned, reconditioned earth. Our first hint is that statement that there will be “no more sea”. Presently approximately 70 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered with water. In the new earth, the land mass will be vastly expanded. There will no longer be the large oceans. This will also mean the climate will be vastly altered. I would imagine a uniform climate with no extremes in temperature. In addition to a recreated earth, the new capital city of the earth will be called the New Jerusalem. (Read verse 2). This is the third Jerusalem to exist, the first being the present city which has existed for millennia; the second Jerusalem will be the restored Millennial city from which Christ will rule the earth during the 1000 years. Thirdly, we have this new Holy City, the New Jerusalem which is said to “come down out of heaven” to become the dwelling place of both the church and of saints of all ages. This Holy City is the “heaven” of which Jesus spoke in John 14, where He promised that He was preparing a place for believers: “I go to prepare a place for you; in My Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” Several of us were at a memorial service yesterday for Lawrence Brenneman. His testimony was of knowing Jesus as His Savior, so Lawrence now resides in the Holy City. It is the place where Leroy Bitikofer, and all the other believers we have known now live. God has made us to live in community: the Holy city means deep and everlasting relationships, socialization, and communication. It means unity, mutually beneficial activity, cooperation, and responsibility. Read verse 3: The most glorious feature of this city will be the magnificent presence of God! God will dwell among us! The One who perfectly loves us is there, made possible because we will have absolutely nothing of sin in us. We will have been made perfect, flawless before the Holy One. We will have perfect fellowship, perfect vision as we will see God in all His beauty and glory. II. WHAT WILL NOT BE IN THE NEW JERUSALEM Read verse 4. Our experience in heaven will be so beyond our present understanding that to appreciate it, the description is contrasted with our present experience. It is proclaimed that “God eliminates all that causes sorrow: no sadness, no disappointment, no pain. There will be no tears: tears over misfortune, tears over lost love, tears of remorse, tears of regret, tears over the death of loved ones, or tears for any other reason.2” Also absent will be any reason to mourn, for no one will ever die. There will be no sadness or crying about the death of loved ones. And pain will never be experienced! These are all a result of sin, which is completely gone. Read verses 5-7. God’s words, which are always true, say, “I am making all things new!” And as if John has gotten so blown away by this possibility, God tells him to pick up his pen and write the words down. These words are faithful and true. As amazing as it may seem, heaven will be everything we ever have longed for, but have never fully experienced. Who will be able to experience this? Those who have believed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, who alone can give us the water of life—free to all who believe. It costs us nothing, but it cost God His life. It is freely given to those who overcome sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Who is excluded from this heaven-on-earth? Verse 8: (read). The unrighteous ones, whose deeds prove their fate in the Lake of Fire was deserved. III. WHAT WILL OUR NEW HOME LOOK LIKE? Read vv. 9-14. The New Jerusalem will be different in appearance than anything we’ve ever experienced. The description is so fantastic as to be unbelievable. But remember, God is the divine architect, capable of anything. The Holy City shines with the brilliance of God’s glory. Verse 23 tells us that the city has no need of sun or moon, as the glory of God illuminates it. The material of the city is said to reflect God’s glory like crystal. The city is solid, surrounded by a wall, great and high with twelve gates manned by twelve angels. The twelve gates, three on each side, are made from a single pearl, and each has the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. There are twelve foundation stones for the walls, and on these are the names of the twelve apostles. The demonstrates that saints of both the church and Israel will inhabit this holy city. A valid question might be: IV. HOW BIG IS THIS CITY? READ VV. 15-18. The angel with the gold measuring rod gives the dimensions: The city is laid out like a cube, about 1500 miles long and wide—but also its height is 1500 miles! There has never been a city like this! It would be impossible to build! This demonstrates that the geography of the earth will be different than what we know today. The city will not be crowded, for someone has estimated that for the projected population, each person would have about 75 acres of room! Verses 19-20 tell of the beauty of the foundation stones, those having the name of the twelve apostles; the foundation is adorned with the most beautiful and colorful of precious gems. Making a comment on the gates of pearl, John Philips, in his book Exploring Revelation has noted: How appropriate! All other precious gems are metals or stones, but a pearl is a gem formed within the oyster—the only one formed by living flesh. The humble oyster receives an irritation or a wound, and around the offending article that has penetrated and hurt it, the oyster builds a pearl. The pearl, we might say, is the answer of the oyster to that which injured it. The glory land is God’s answer, in Christ, to wicked men who crucified heaven’s beloved and put Him to open shame. How like God it is to make the gates of the new Jerusalem of pearl. The saints as they come and go will be forever reminded, as they pass the gates of glory, that access to God’s home is only because of Calvary. Think of the size of those gates! Think of the supernatural pearls from which they are made! What gigantic suffering is symbolized by those gates of pearl! Throughout the endless ages we shall be reminded by those pearly gates of the immensity of the sufferings of Christ. Those pearls, hung eternally at the access routes to glory, will remind us forever of One who hung upon a tree and whose answer to those who injured Him was to invite them to share His home. 3 Read vv. 22-27. The reference to the nations in these verses tell us that this Holy City will exist during the Millennium, but not on the earth. It apparently will be suspended above the earth, as it will give illumination to the nations (v. 24). In chapter 22, we read of: V. THE DELIGHTS OF NEW JERUSALEM READ 22:1-5. These verses describe the fullness of life and blessing which we will experience in our eternal home. The Thrones of God and Jesus will be present, and we will have access to them. From their base flows a river, much like the river flowing from under the throne in the Millennial Jerusalem. The water is crystal clear, able to reflect the glory of God. It is a reminder that eternal life flows from and is maintained by God. The tree of life, the one guarded in Eden from Adam and Eve after they sinned, stands on either side of the river, bearing fruit. John makes the observation that the leaves are “for the healing of the nations”. Since the curse of sin has be removed, there is no illness to be healed. Why is there a need for healing? The solution comes from the meaning of the word translated “healing”. It is the same word from which we get the word “therapeutic”, meaning health-giving. “The leaves of the tree can be likened to supernatural vitamins, since vitamins are taken not to treat illness, but to promote general health. Life in heaven will be fully energized, rich, and exciting.4” Our lives will be full, and we will serve God through our activities, talents, and creativity. One reason we will be able to more fully serve Him to the upmost of our abilities is that we will never grow weary, and as there is no night, apparently we won’t have the need to sleep! Throughout time, no one was able to observe the face of God and live. Even Moses, when he wished to see God, only saw God’s back as He passed by the cleft in the rock in which he placed Moses. But in our eternal home, we will see His face, and His name will be on our foreheads. Eternally we will be secure as His children, basking in His presence. Read vv. 6-9. Great words of comfort are given John as he was about to return to ordinary life in the first century. A special blessing is attached to those who heed the word of this prophecy. When Daniel was given his prophesy, he was told to seal up the words: “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time…” But John is specifically told NOT to seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, “for the time is near.” The Lord Jesus leaves John with the final words of verses 10-21 (Finish by reading vv. 10-21). Even so, Come Lord Jesus!