2003-11-14
Good Morning Cherished Readers,
The Holy Spirit leads me to continue writing about the description of heaven found in REV 21:1-22:5. Last week, we ended at REV 21: 21, so I will pick up with REV 21: 22-25. “I did not see a temple in the city because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God shines on it, and the Lamb is its Lamp. The peoples of the world will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their wealth into it. The gates of the city will stand open all day; they will never be closed, because there will be no night there.” This is a description that will certainly take us out of the earthly limitations as Newton and Einstein calculated them. And yet, isn’t that what true faith actually does? It is as HE 11: 1 says, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.” God is never limited as earth’s physics is.
I have written many times before about God’s light. No matter what I might say about this subject, it is not possible for me to say all there is to know about it. From my own experience, I know that it is so brilliant that it can take selfish, thoughtless, sinful people and convert them to unselfish, caring, and righteously serving ones. For whatever reason, God enables believers to see the light of Christ reflected in the eyes of those who have it. I’m grateful for that, because it is these believers who teach me to be a better believer. You already know that I feel the supernatural bond that exists between a believer, the Lord, and another believer is real and constant. I have often written about that very special Covenant of Grace that God forged with all believers. From what has happened to me, especially in the last year, I can personally testify that God protects those who endure in faith and that He keeps His promises. The only problem in this covenant relationship is always when the human partner doesn’t keep his promises.
If one were to ask what this description of the new Jerusalem should mean to him, the answer is in recognition of God’s righteous and sovereign power. God’s “city on the hill” is a very special place. With my limited human perception, the question came up: if it is light all the time, when do people sleep there? It was a silly question to ask. Since the fruits from the trees of life nourish the residents and the leaves heal them, there can be no sickness [REV 22: 2]. REV 22: 1-2a tells us any thirst we have will be slacked with “the water of life, sparkling like crystal.” Since we have resurrection bodies which are immortal, we no longer tire or need to sleep, as we do on earth [1 COR 15: 42-44]. God’s light is the ultimate light; there is none brighter, more glorious, or more righteous.
When temptation to steal is put in front of a non-believer or even a believer without strong faith, he will often commit this sin. However, those with strong faith can refuse to do it. Why is this? It is because our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, gave His life on the cross, so that salvation is made possible. Before being saved, a person has no choice but to sin. With salvation comes the ability to discern from the word of God what the right choice is. I mention this because the gates to the new Jerusalem are left open, despite the fact that all the wealth of the earth’s kings will have been brought there. There is no night and as REV 21: 26-27 tell us, “But nothing that is impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of the living will enter the city.” There is no need for lock and key anymore in heaven. No one would think of committing the sin of theft. As for those who would steal, they will be in eternal and conscious torment in the lake of fire. There is no way they will enter the new Jerusalem or even need what they might have thought about stealing from it.
What a beautiful picture this paints for us! If we believe we will one day enter those gates of pearl, then what better impetus do we have to get our spiritual houses in order immediately? Imagine what life in heaven would be like. There would be no sickness, crying, pain, fatigue, temptation to sin, disappointments, financial stress, or other concern, such as we have on earth. Instead, we can look forward to eternal fellowship with all other believers and more importantly, with our Creator. We would be completely fulfilled by our most important objective, worshipping God. As for the potential for getting bored, I don’t think God will let that happen. Remember He gave each of us a set of talents that He wants us to use for His purposes [RO 12: 4-6a]. I believe these talents are eternal and that we will use them in heaven. God knows how this will be accomplished, and He will reveal that to us in His own perfect time. In the meanwhile, we can enjoy what His light reflected in our lives can do right here on earth, until it is time for us to live in joy and sweet fellowship with it shining on each of us forever. Remember that our awesome God loves each of us with all His mighty heart. PS 34: 8-9, “See for yourself the way His mercies shower down on all who trust in Him. If you belong to the Lord, have reverence for Him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs.” PS 63: 7, “Because Thou hast been my Help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.” Think of what it will be like when we are right there able to enjoy being face to face with Him. I can hardly wait! How about you?
PRAYER: O Lord, all the while that we face the challenges of earthly life, things like illness, financial stress, marital and/or parenting problems, the impact of crime, corporate lack of ethics, and the like, You keep Your eyes on us. Your eyes are not the eyes of One ready to criticize, but of a loving Abba Who wants to guide His children away from sin. You give us a view, through John, of a city with gates of pearl thrown open forever, lighted amply by Your glory. You have promised we can live there eternally with You, enjoying the rich blessings of our close fellowship with all other believers and You in bliss. This picture is no fairy tale, nor does it conform to the limitations of Newtonian physics or Einsteinian mathematics. Instead, it is a picture of a goal worth totally changing our lives to accomplish. You provide the goal, and we must conform to the Biblical principles You give us. RO 12: 1-2, “So then, my brothers, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by the renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect.” Because of the limits on our human perception, we must stretch to imagine the time when we won’t feel fatigue, sadness, pain, or torment. We can’t imagine a place where light bulbs or even the sun won’t be necessary. Long ago, You protected Moses by telling him in EX 33: 19-23 that if he would stand on a rock and when You pass by he would put himself in a cleft in that rock, You would protect him from gazing directly on Your face-something that would cause his death. You have put us in a cleft in that Rock [Jesus Christ] on earth and have promised us we would see You face to face in heaven without fear of death. Dearest Abba, we confess our sins, pledge You our loyalty, obedience and faithfulness, and look forward in eagerness to the day when we might gaze upon Your glorious countenance. We honor, praise, and thank You. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
Next week, we will examine the conclusion of this description of heaven found in REV 22: 1-5. In messages to come we will look at some of the warnings to heed and then begin a new segment on the coming glory. I’m exited about this True Faith series even though the Holy Spirit fleshes out these messages as I go along. When He is in control, things come out of my efforts that quite surprise me even as I write them. That is the way the Holy Spirit works when I allow Him to do it. It’s the way He works in all our lives, not just mine. So, Dearest Readers, we must submit to him and yield over control of our lives to Him, so as to best serve God. This kind of submission leads to blessings which can’t be calculated or even foreseen. Daniel never knew until it happened that God would consider him so esteemed [DN 10: 11] as to be worthy of being given a view of the world’s future. Yet, in DN 9: 24-27 that is exactly what happened. Daniel was told that evil would eventually end, that “the one who put the Abomination of Desolation on the highest point of the temple would meet the end which God had prepared for him.” That tells us that God is in control and that He keeps His promises. He has promised in REV 22: 4 that we will be allowed to finally be allowed to see His face and that He will write His name on our foreheads. It is my greatest hope that I will get to share this blessing with you.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn