Randy and I are slowly but surely remodeling our home to keep it in good shape for our future. It is a long process because we are paying as we go so there is no debt when we are finished…(if there is a “finish” in caring for your current home and yard!) We are replacing things that are worn out with brand new materials that will hold up longer than the old would have. AND it looks much better! However, this is small potatoes when it comes to what our NEXT eternal home will be…take a look!
Revelation 21, The Message
I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea.
2 I saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband.
3-5 I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.”
6-8 Then he said, “It’s happened. I’m A to Z. I’m the Beginning, I’m the Conclusion. From Water-of-Life Well I give freely to the thirsty. Conquerors inherit all this. I’ll be God to them, they’ll be sons and daughters to me. But for the rest—the feckless and faithless, degenerates and murderers, sex peddlers and sorcerers, idolaters and all liars—for them it’s Lake Fire and Brimstone. Second death!”
9-12 One of the Seven Angels who had carried the bowls filled with the seven final disasters spoke to me: “Come here. I’ll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” He took me away in the Spirit to an enormous, high mountain and showed me Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God, resplendent in the bright glory of God.
12-14 The City shimmered like a precious gem, light-filled, pulsing light. She had a wall majestic and high with twelve gates. At each gate stood an Angel, and on the gates were inscribed the names of the Twelve Tribes of the sons of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, three gates on the west. The wall was set on twelve foundations, the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb inscribed on them.
15-21 The Angel speaking with me had a gold measuring stick to measure the City, its gates, and its wall. The City was laid out in a perfect square. He measured the City with the measuring stick: twelve thousand stadia, its length, width, and height all equal. Using the standard measure, the Angel measured the thickness of its wall: 144 cubits. The wall was jasper, the color of Glory, and the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. The foundations of the City walls were garnished with every precious gem imaginable: the first foundation jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate a single pearl.
21-27 The main street of the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. But there was no sign of a Temple, for the Lord God—the Sovereign-Strong—and the Lamb are the Temple. The City doesn’t need sun or moon for light. God’s Glory is its light, the Lamb its lamp! The nations will walk in its light and earth’s kings bring in their splendor. Its gates will never be shut by day, and there won’t be any night. They’ll bring the glory and honor of the nations into the City. Nothing dirty or defiled will get into the City, and no one who defiles or deceives. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will get in.
Wow, just wow! Why would we not want our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life, our ticket into forever with our King?!
–The Temple for God IS God!
–God’s glory will be Light for all–no more darkenss!
–No more crying and mourning – God will wipe away every tear from our eyes!
–The gates will never shut!
–NOTHING dirty or defiled will get into the City of God!
–No more deceivers and liars to worry about…no more worries period!
–Perfect holiness and happiness of God’s “church”, His people, will be the eternal peaceful experience.
–The beauty is really beyond words and it’s all more than we can imagine. My thoughts go beyond the beauty to what peace, joy and rest we will have with no more evil to contend with as we do in this world.
–Brand new, never before experienced or used. EVERYTHING NEW!
–God’s new Jerusalem is the church of God in its new and perfect state, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, beautified with all perfection of wisdom and holiness, meet for the full fruition of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. (Matthew Henry)
–The blessed presence of God with his people is here proclaimed and admired: I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, etc., Rev. 21:3.
–The presence of God with his church is the glory of the church.
–It is matter of wonder that a holy God should ever dwell with any of the children of men. (Because He loves us!)
–The presence of God with his people in heaven will not be interrupted as it is on earth, but He will dwell with them continually.
–All the causes of future sorrow shall be for ever removed: There shall be neither death nor pain; and therefore no sorrow nor crying; these are things incident to that state in which they were before, but now all former things have passed away.
–The unholy will die a second death worse than the first. “The misery of the damned will illustrate the blessedness of those that are saved, and the blessedness of the saved will aggravate the misery of those that are damned.” –Matthew Henry
–DON’T FORGET! says God in the vision of revelation of the Lamb…The truth and certainty of this blessed state are ratified by the word and promise of God, and ordered to be committed to writing, as matter of perpetual record, Rev. 21:5, 6. The subject-matter of this vision is so great, and of such great importance to the church and people of God, that they have need of the fullest assurances of it; and God therefore from heaven repeats and ratifies the truth.
So, have you chosen well? Life or Death? Only two choices.
Dear Heavenly Father, You chose me. You have me right where You want me…loving You back because You first loved me. You have ALL of me. Guide me to be and do all that pleases You this day. And the next. In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.
And I’m singing…Soon and very soon
“No more crying there, I am going to see the KIng…”
