Daniel Pasaribu
March 26, 2011
“THE JOURNEY’S END OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO REIGN FOREVER AND EVER IN THE NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM”, ( Revelation 21 & 22) – PART I
The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation have held the attention of many Christians for decades. Many questions concerning the NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH have been asked. How different from the present ones will they be? What will the New Earth be like? Christians read about the great HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM and want to be a part of it. But many are still wondering what this Holy City is all about. They ask many questions concerning it: “Is it a literal city?” “What sort of mansion will I have in this heavenly city?”
NEW HEAVEN, NEW EARTH, NEW JERUSALEM
“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.”(Revelation 21:5)
After the natural people of the earth have been regenerated by the Word, the Millennium Kingdom Age of New Generation will end with a final testing of the inhabitants (Rev.20:7-8), followed by the Great White Throne Judgment, after which a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH will replace the present ones (2 Pet.3:5-7). (Remember that the Millennial Reign of Christ is an Age of New Generation. Through that one thousand years God will redeem the earth and restore all things to the character of the original creation. God will remove all traces of sins through Christ and His (Bride-)Wife, and mankind will be taught the Ways of God by the Rod of Christ.)
As we approach the end of our journey, it is helpful to look back on the way we have travelled and the different directions we have taken. We are now coming full circle. Let us summarize the changes of direction that have brought to this point.
The first change was to the way of SELF-INDULGENCE. Along this way we sought to be in charge of our own lives, living to please ourselves. Our selfishness led us into sin, and this and the sins of others caused us to suffer. Parallel to this is the way of SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, where we attempt to win our way into God's favor by our own efforts. This is not possible, and these parallel ways have the same destination, that is SELF-DESTRUCTION. We can go this way for a large part of our lives, but it is never too late to change. The remaining changes of direction are the slow but sure way back to God.
The way of THE CROSS is the first of these. It brings us to repentance and the confession of wrong-doing. We acknowledge our sins to ourselves and before Jesus. This is the way of FORGIVENESS, because on the Cross Jesus bore the consequences of sin and released us from the burden of guilt. Next is the way of RELEASE and FREEDOM. Now we can be set free from the power of sin that has become part of us. When we identify with Jesus on the cross, he puts to death all that is within us that is of Satan. That includes false religion, worldly attitudes and the weaknesses of our inherited nature; everything in fact that has bound us and kept us captive.
Next comes the way to THE THRONE. It is the way to recognizing that Jesus is Lord, and coming in submission to him. Freely we surrender our lives to serve him. The next direction is the way to RENEWAL. Here by the work of the Holy Spirit we are being made in the image of Jesus. We are made new to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Then we come together in GOD'S FAMILY, called into fellowship, and equipped to serve one another. We worship and give glory to God, share the truth of his word together and pray for each other. This is the way of Unity in the Body of Christ
Then we came back to the WORLD. Recognizing ourselves as children of God and the Body of Christ, we have to minister in the name of Jesus to the world. We have to take seriously the commission that Jesus gave to his disciples to let their light shine before men, and to take his word to the ends of the earth. We have to persevere. There will be times of testing, difficulties, even persecution, but we must not give up.
THE ETERNAL KINGDOM FOREVER AND EVER
What can we say of our final destination? Perhaps not a great deal, because our imagination, our ability to know and having words to express are all limited. Our destination is one of indescribable beauty, splendor and wonder. In the simplest of terms we can only say that we shall be in the very presence of God. We shall see Jesus face to face, and experience the reality of holiness and perfection.
The word that people commonly use for our destination is heaven. This is the dwelling place of God. Jesus taught his disciples to pray to "Our Father in heaven". It is the dwelling place of Jesus; the pre-existent Jesus, the Word who was with the Father in the beginning; but also Jesus now, risen, ascended, exalted, seated at the right hand of the Father and reigning in majesty and glory. It is also the dwelling place of the angels, some described specifically in Revelation, others referred to as the angelic host who worship God and are his messengers.
Is this our eternal destination? In the Old Testament the resting place for the dead was called Sheol (the Greek word is Hades). Here dwell the conscious spirits of the dead. Within Sheol there seems to have been a clear divide. We understand this from a story that Jesus told about a rich man and a beggar. Their lives are described, and then Jesus tells that both of them died. Of the beggar, whose name was Lazarus, Jesus said that angels took him to be with Abraham. The rich man went to hell, a place of torment. Between the two places was a great divide, so that it was impossible to get from one to the other. The story can be found in Luke chapter 16 :19 - 31.
Jesus also spoke more directly about the future. He made a specific promise to the disciples. He said (John 14 :2), "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." There may be many rooms, but there is not room for everybody. Jesus makes this clear to us as well. Do you remember from your reading of Luke the passage in chapter 13 : 22 - 30? Jesus is talking about the narrow gate into the Kingdom, which many will try to enter and not be able to do so. Those who Jesus does not know will be excluded. 'But he will reply, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers." That division among the dead that is revealed in the parable is confirmed in Jesus' teaching.
In His teaching Jesus does speak of two distinct places. One is heaven, the other he calls Gehennah (as distinct from Sheol) which is hell, the place of eternal damnation and the ultimate destination of the wicked. To those who suffer because of himself, Jesus says, "Great is your reward in heaven." (Matthew 5 :12). Jesus also tells a rich young man what to do to have treasure in heaven (Matthew 19 : 21). Heaven would seem to be a temporary dwelling place for the redeemed people of God. The end of Revelation describes the ultimate and eternal destination of the saints, which is called the New Earth. This is the Holy City where God will dwell with his people.
The final destination of every individual is declared on the Day of Judgment. This is the culmination, and all people will be judged together. This is described in another parable of Jesus. It is the story of the Sheep and the Goats, found in Matthew 25 : 31 - 46. This tells of the classification of people into the righteous and the wicked. It also gives the reasons for that division. It is interesting that many are taken by surprise by the judgment. Do pay particular attention to verse 46.
The best scriptural depiction of the end times and of eternity is to be found in the book of Revelation. Much of the book tells of terrible events, of tribulation and disaster. There are however passages of great hope and encouragement. We will take two or three of these passages for study and meditation. The book of Revelation is very pictorial and stimulates the imagination. We have to understand that the pictures are symbolic. Like the stories of Jesus they represent spiritual truths, so we have to search beneath the surface to find the deeper meaning. Heaven and eternity are beyond our understanding and our ability to visualize. John could only use earthly objects and ideas to point us in the direction of the heavenly and the incomprehensible. As you prepare for these final meditations ask prayerfully for Holy Spirit guidance.
WORDS OF MEDITATION FOR ETERNITY PART I
This meditation is based on chapters 4 and 5 of the book of Revelation. Read the chapters carefully, using your imagination to visualize the scene, and to hear the sounds and the words spoken Then see the meaning of what the pictures are saying and what is being implied by each aspect of the scene. For example, the throne and what it says of 'the one who sat there' conveys for us the sense of God's wonder, beauty, majesty and power. The four living creatures are angelic beings who represent God's creation, and their praise is symbolic of the worship that all living creatures owe to their Creator. Likewise the twenty-four elders are angels who somehow represent the body of believers on earth, and whose worship is our own worship made perfect.
"You are worthy, our Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
This is the picture of heaven as it was at the moment that John had his vision. In chapter 5 Jesus becomes part of the picture. He is introduced as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. What John sees however is a lamb that has been slain. This double image speaks of the majesty and humility of Jesus. He alone in heaven and earth is worthy to open the seals. The great multitude of angels join in praising Jesus and the one who sits on the throne.
WORDS OF MEDITATION FOR ETERNITY PART II
This meditation is based on Revelation Chapter 7 : 9 - 17. This gives us another view into heaven, but this time as well as the throne, the Lamb, the four living creatures, the elders and all the angels, there is a great multitude of saints. These are the people from every nation who have been redeemed. They are all those who have believed in Jesus and trusted in his sacrificial death for the cleansing of their sins. For this reason they are clothed in white robes, and their voices join with the angels as they worship God.
Whether this is a picture of heaven now or sometime in the future when all the redeemed people of God of every place and age are gathered together is unclear. What is certain is that all those who believe, who are the children of God, will share in this experience. They will see God and worship in His presence. Reading on in Revelation, we see that this is not the culmination. There is still something new which will come about. Let us now explore that.
WORDS OF MEDITATION PART III
This is based on Revelation Chapters 21 and 22. This is the final and most glorious scene. It is the Eternal Kingdom Forever and Ever and it is yet to come. In the future there is going to be a new heaven and a new earth. The earth that we know and the heaven that we have glimpsed are going to be no more. God is going to make a new creation. He will create a new heaven from which will come the Holy City named in Revelation, the New Jerusalem. This will be our new home. Here God will live too, and we shall be with him for ever. These two chapters deserve to be studied verse by verse. They will repay long periods of meditation. The picture is of a place of splendor. It has to be described in earthly terms because we cannot understand anything else. There are streets of gold, foundations and walls of precious stones, and gates of pearl. What is materially beautiful is everywhere. This is symbolism for all that is spiritually beautiful.
The Holy City is in some ways described in negatives. That is to say that we are told what is not there. For example, there is no sea. This might be a disappointment for some. However it is the implications of this that are important. The sea lacks stability and you cannot make it your dwelling place. It is always changing, and it is dangerous. The sea separates and it also entices. It arouses curiosity about what is beyond the horizon, so men have the desire to go out and explore. In contrast the Holy City is of clearly defined size and limits. It is a place of permanence, of safety and of unity, so its citizens have no desire to seek for anything else.
There is no sin there. Nothing impure can enter, and all who are sinful will be excluded. See Revelation 21:8 ;27. Only the righteous, those acknowledged by Jesus, those whose name is written in his book of Life, will enter in. Also there will be no curse, for this will have been removed. To understand about the curse you will need to read again Genesis chapter 3. The curse belongs to the old order which will have now passed away, so there will be no more death, no more mourning or crying or pain. Sadness and suffering will have no place in the new earth.
We are told too that there will be no sun, and also no night. There will be no need for the sun. God will dwell there with his people, and his presence and his glory will provide all the light that is necessary. Because of God's constant and unchanging presence there will be no darkness. Finally there will be no temple no building or inner sanctuary in which God will dwell. God will no longer be hidden from his people. His throne, his presence will be openly there for all to see.
In all the negative things this is the one positive thing that stands out, the presence of God. "Now the dwelling place of God is with man, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God". Of this one thing we can be certain, that is we shall be in the very presence of God.
Many people in their imagination have pictures of eternity. Some may picture their surroundings with images of natural beauty, hills, grass, trees, flowers and gardens. Others may dwell on relationships, the reunion with loved ones, family and friends, or meeting and talking with the great saints of old. These may or may not be true, for eternity is the great unknowable. This is probably because the reality is more wonderful and more beautiful than anything we can think of or imagine. The essence of eternity is perfection, and if we can begin to imagine perfection we shall begin to grasp the nature of God and his Kingdom. We can only see the Kingdom through the eyes of God. We can only experience what is perfect through identification with him. All our being, all our attention, all our thoughts, feelings, desires and will must be fixed on God. Only if God is central, only if God is total to our existence, can his Kingdom and eternity have any meaning for us.
There is only the slightest distinction between two attitudes. One is to desire the Eternal Kingdom, and then to seek God as a means to that end. The other is to desire God and be in his presence, and to know that everything else, his Kingdom, glory and eternity is a consequence of that. The two may seem to be the same thing, but the latter attitude is to be preferred. We should desire, seek, know and love God for himself, and not as a means to anything else. God himself is all-embracing and includes everything that we need or desire. Therefore we should desire and love God for who he is, for his nature and character, and know that if he is our King and our Shepherd we shall lack nothing.
THE JOURNEY’S END OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO REIGN FOREVER AND EVER IN THE NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM”, ( Revelation 21 & 22) – PART II
There is only the slightest distinction between two attitudes. One is to desire the Eternal Kingdom, and then to seek God as a means to that end. The other is to desire God and be in His presence, and to know that everything else, His Kingdom, Glory and Eternity is a consequence of that. The two may seem to be the same thing, but the latter attitude is to be preferred. We should desire, seek, know and love God for Himself, and not as a means to anything else. God Himself is all-embracing and includes everything that we need or desire. Therefore we should desire and love God for who He is, for His nature and character, and know that if he is our King and our Shepherd we shall lack nothing.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have come to understand to know what is the Journey’s End of the Way to Eternity that God has revealed Himself to us through the Scriptures, through Jesus Christ and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We have seen that the nature of God is holiness, and we have to ask ourselves is this what we want. God is good, righteous, pure and perfect in all his ways. Are these the qualities that we respect, admire and desire, and with which we want to identify? Do we want to be one with Him who is all that is right and good and just and true?
1.GOD IS PERFECT IN EVERYTHING. He is perfect in truth. He knows all things. Everything that exists in time, past, present and future, God knows all about it. Every part of creation and every living creature is in God's knowledge. Every human being, and every action, word and thought of every human being is known to God. Any situation and every incident is known and understood by God, its causes and its consequences. Events may grieve God, but nothing takes him by surprise. God may or may not intervene in any specific situation, but He understands the situation better than we do, and His response is guided by His perfect wisdom.
2.GOD IS PERFECT IN LOVE. He has designed and made us. We are his creation, and He loves what He has made, even though it has become soiled and broken. He loves us in our pain, suffering and sadness. He feels our hurting, and reaches out to us in tenderness and compassion. He loves us in our waywardness and wrong-doing. Even though our sinfulness separates us from Him, we are not abandoned. God is willing to forgive, that we might be reconciled and restored to a deep personal relationship with Him. God is merciful in forgiveness, and He is gracious in the giving of His gifts. He will give to all who serve Him, and who use His blessings, not for self-glorification, but for His glory.
3.GOD IS PERFECT IN JUSTICE. Everyone will face judgment, and that judgment will be just and fair. No-one tainted with sin can live in the presence of God. All that is sinful will stand condemned. Fortunately sins can be blotted out, and sinfulness be cleansed. That is a sovereign work of God brought about by the "Lamb who was slain". It requires no contribution from ourselves except confession and faith. That faith is not words on our lips but submission in our hearts.
4.GOD IS PERFECT IN FAITHFULNESS . He is unchanging from generation to generation, and always true to His word. His nature is constant for all times, towards all people and in all situations. We can be sure that what God says, He will do, and every one of His promises will be kept.
5.GOD IS PERFECT IN POWER AND MIGHT. He is the sovereign Lord. He is the Almighty God. He created the Universe, and sustains all that He has made. He makes provision for his creatures, and protects his people. If He wills he can intervene in any situation. He can use any circumstance for his own purpose. In His own time He will bring all things to a culmination. Then His eternal designs and promises will be realized. Nothing can stand against the power and purposes of God.
For the future our eyes should be fixed on a person, not on a place. Our desire should be for a quality of being, not for details of surroundings. We would be advised to seek, know and love God for who He is, His nature, His being, His attributes, and to desire these for ourselves. Life in eternity is beyond our total comprehension. Remember, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him". We just get fleeting glimpses from time to time, Spirit revelations which confirm our faith and spur us on.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The End Closing of this sermon is that after the Millenium Kingdom of 1000 years has passed away, then the Bride of Christ- the Glorious Church will rule and reign in the New City of Jerusalem FOREVER AND EVER.
Revelation 22: 3 says, "And there will no longer be a curse." Thank God, Genesis 3 will completely pass away and there will no longer be a curse. Everything introduced in Genesis 3 can be summed up in the word curse. Even death is a kind of curse. However, in the new heaven and new earth there will be no more curse, nor will there be any death. All of the history of sin will be over; man will glorify God well.
Revelation 22: 3 continues, "And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it." The situation here is unlike Genesis 3, where God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. Here God is reigning; His very throne is located here. Now the garden has become the city, the place where God is enthroned. "And His slaves will serve Him." What will the slaves of God do in eternity? They will serve Him. We should never think that in eternity we will have nothing to do. No, we will forever be His slaves, serving Him.
Revelation 22: 4 says, "And they will see His face, and His name will be on their forehead." All of our work for the Lord Jesus must be led by our intimate relationship with Him. Serving alone is not enough; there must be the fellowship. They will serve Him, and they will see His face. Oh, how many times when we see God we have already done His work. But I must say that we can do His work only after we see God. We should not be doing the work and constantly regretting this is not fellowship. May God deliver us from any service which is not in fellowship, and may He save us from ever accomplishing any work without being able to fellowship with Him after we have finished.
We should never feel proud, self-content, or self-sufficient upon finishing the work. May God save us and deliver us from any kind of service to enable us to remain in communion with Him even after we have finished the work. God's servants will not only have deep relationship with Him, but "His name will be on their forehead." This is their testimony; this is what others who behold them will see. Everyone will know that these people are the people of God.
Revelation 22: 5 says, "And night will be no more; and they have no need of the light of a lamp and of the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine upon them." In this city night is over. The lamp is the man-made light, and the sun is the natural light. All of man's work and all natural means will no longer be of any use because everything will be visible. Today we may be confused and not see clearly. Even after we have accomplished some service, we may not know where we are, but it will not be so in that day.
The last clause of Revelation 22:5 is the most important thing to believe, "AND THEY WILL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER”. This was the purpose of God in creation. In Genesis God's purpose was that man should rule, and now he has obtained that purpose—man is ruling. This is not something in the Millennium Kingdom. This passage of Scripture, Revelation 21 and 22, is not a description of the Millennium, but of eternity. “THEY WILL REIGN UNTO ETERNITY, AND THEY SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER. GOD ‘S ORIGINAL GOAL IS REACHED”.
God wanted man to have dominion over the earth and to destroy Satan. Now man is reigning, and Satan has been cast into the lake of fire. God's purpose for the man He created has been attained. On the one hand, God wanted man to be like Himself, and on the other hand, God's appointed work for man was that he should rule. Now we have seen a bride who is glorious and beautiful with all kinds of treasure within her. She lacks nothing and is without spot, wrinkle, or any such things.
Furthermore, the Bride of Christ is holy and without blemish. She is truly clothed with glory. The glorious church spoken of in Ephesians 5 has been fulfilled in this way. What kind of work will those in the church do? The Holy Bride of Christ will reign forever and ever.
We may say that God's plan can be frustrated, but His plan can never be stopped. Since creation God's work has suffered much frustration. In fact, it seemed as if His work was being destroyed and that His plan would never succeed. But in Revelation God has reached His goal. There is a group of people full of pure gold, which is something of God. They are full of pearl, which is the work of Christ. And they are filled with precious stones, the work of the Holy Spirit. They will reign forever and ever.
Now that we have seen God's purpose and how He is working, what should we do? Should we hold a revival? Should we open a seminary? Or should we go back to our housework as usual? What are we doing here? God is doing a great thing. When we compare our work with His, how short we feel! May God be gracious to us, that having seen such a vision from God then we will pay the full price. Once a man sees a glorious vision like this then he will be changed. May God give us a glorious vision of what He is doing and what He is after.
May He show us the kind of people He desires to obtain and how precious is that which He has set His heart upon. If we see these things, we will cry out and say, "Oh, how small I am! How much attention I have paid to myself!" And we will say, "If God does not work in me, I will never be able to do His work. Only when God Himself moves in me with His mighty power can I go on well.
This God’s vision must overthrow us. It must cause us to see that our condition today can never satisfy God's heart. Our hope is that God would give us this vision. Once we have seen it, we will give our whole being to it and every part of us will be totally changed. Today we are standing between these two alternatives being an overcomer or being a failure. How can any of us afford to be slack in prayer? If we neglect to pray, we will never be God's overcomer until the end.
May the Lord Jesus, who has risen from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, sustain us and lead us by His own mighty power that we may henceforth and forever belong to Him, forever consecrate to Him, forever serve Him, and forever go His way. May the Lord be gracious to us now and to eternity, for we shall reign forever and ever according to His glorious hope in Revelation 22:5.
My beloved brethren, since we are the true believers, the Holy Bride of Christ, and we have much to look forward to. In the meantime we can take to heart of the Words of Revelation 22:20. Jesus says, "Yes I am coming soon," and we can say with John, the Apostle : "AMEN.COME, LORD JESUS”.
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY AND HONOR FROM NOW ON AND FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN.
Daniel Pasaribu
End of Sermon
“THE JOURNEY’S END OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO REIGN FOREVER AND EVER IN THE NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM”, ( Revelation 21 & 22) – PART I
The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation have held the attention of many Christians for decades. Many questions concerning the NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH have been asked. How different from the present ones will they be? What will the New Earth be like? Christians read about the great HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM and want to be a part of it. But many are still wondering what this Holy City is all about. They ask many questions concerning it: “Is it a literal city?” “What sort of mansion will I have in this heavenly city?”
NEW HEAVEN, NEW EARTH, NEW JERUSALEM
“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.”(Revelation 21:5)
After the natural people of the earth have been regenerated by the Word, the Millennium Kingdom Age of New Generation will end with a final testing of the inhabitants (Rev.20:7-8), followed by the Great White Throne Judgment, after which a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH will replace the present ones (2 Pet.3:5-7). (Remember that the Millennial Reign of Christ is an Age of New Generation. Through that one thousand years God will redeem the earth and restore all things to the character of the original creation. God will remove all traces of sins through Christ and His (Bride-)Wife, and mankind will be taught the Ways of God by the Rod of Christ.)
As we approach the end of our journey, it is helpful to look back on the way we have travelled and the different directions we have taken. We are now coming full circle. Let us summarize the changes of direction that have brought to this point.
The first change was to the way of SELF-INDULGENCE. Along this way we sought to be in charge of our own lives, living to please ourselves. Our selfishness led us into sin, and this and the sins of others caused us to suffer. Parallel to this is the way of SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, where we attempt to win our way into God's favor by our own efforts. This is not possible, and these parallel ways have the same destination, that is SELF-DESTRUCTION. We can go this way for a large part of our lives, but it is never too late to change. The remaining changes of direction are the slow but sure way back to God.
The way of THE CROSS is the first of these. It brings us to repentance and the confession of wrong-doing. We acknowledge our sins to ourselves and before Jesus. This is the way of FORGIVENESS, because on the Cross Jesus bore the consequences of sin and released us from the burden of guilt. Next is the way of RELEASE and FREEDOM. Now we can be set free from the power of sin that has become part of us. When we identify with Jesus on the cross, he puts to death all that is within us that is of Satan. That includes false religion, worldly attitudes and the weaknesses of our inherited nature; everything in fact that has bound us and kept us captive.
Next comes the way to THE THRONE. It is the way to recognizing that Jesus is Lord, and coming in submission to him. Freely we surrender our lives to serve him. The next direction is the way to RENEWAL. Here by the work of the Holy Spirit we are being made in the image of Jesus. We are made new to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Then we come together in GOD'S FAMILY, called into fellowship, and equipped to serve one another. We worship and give glory to God, share the truth of his word together and pray for each other. This is the way of Unity in the Body of Christ
Then we came back to the WORLD. Recognizing ourselves as children of God and the Body of Christ, we have to minister in the name of Jesus to the world. We have to take seriously the commission that Jesus gave to his disciples to let their light shine before men, and to take his word to the ends of the earth. We have to persevere. There will be times of testing, difficulties, even persecution, but we must not give up.
THE ETERNAL KINGDOM FOREVER AND EVER
What can we say of our final destination? Perhaps not a great deal, because our imagination, our ability to know and having words to express are all limited. Our destination is one of indescribable beauty, splendor and wonder. In the simplest of terms we can only say that we shall be in the very presence of God. We shall see Jesus face to face, and experience the reality of holiness and perfection.
The word that people commonly use for our destination is heaven. This is the dwelling place of God. Jesus taught his disciples to pray to "Our Father in heaven". It is the dwelling place of Jesus; the pre-existent Jesus, the Word who was with the Father in the beginning; but also Jesus now, risen, ascended, exalted, seated at the right hand of the Father and reigning in majesty and glory. It is also the dwelling place of the angels, some described specifically in Revelation, others referred to as the angelic host who worship God and are his messengers.
Is this our eternal destination? In the Old Testament the resting place for the dead was called Sheol (the Greek word is Hades). Here dwell the conscious spirits of the dead. Within Sheol there seems to have been a clear divide. We understand this from a story that Jesus told about a rich man and a beggar. Their lives are described, and then Jesus tells that both of them died. Of the beggar, whose name was Lazarus, Jesus said that angels took him to be with Abraham. The rich man went to hell, a place of torment. Between the two places was a great divide, so that it was impossible to get from one to the other. The story can be found in Luke chapter 16 :19 - 31.
Jesus also spoke more directly about the future. He made a specific promise to the disciples. He said (John 14 :2), "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." There may be many rooms, but there is not room for everybody. Jesus makes this clear to us as well. Do you remember from your reading of Luke the passage in chapter 13 : 22 - 30? Jesus is talking about the narrow gate into the Kingdom, which many will try to enter and not be able to do so. Those who Jesus does not know will be excluded. 'But he will reply, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers." That division among the dead that is revealed in the parable is confirmed in Jesus' teaching.
In His teaching Jesus does speak of two distinct places. One is heaven, the other he calls Gehennah (as distinct from Sheol) which is hell, the place of eternal damnation and the ultimate destination of the wicked. To those who suffer because of himself, Jesus says, "Great is your reward in heaven." (Matthew 5 :12). Jesus also tells a rich young man what to do to have treasure in heaven (Matthew 19 : 21). Heaven would seem to be a temporary dwelling place for the redeemed people of God. The end of Revelation describes the ultimate and eternal destination of the saints, which is called the New Earth. This is the Holy City where God will dwell with his people.
The final destination of every individual is declared on the Day of Judgment. This is the culmination, and all people will be judged together. This is described in another parable of Jesus. It is the story of the Sheep and the Goats, found in Matthew 25 : 31 - 46. This tells of the classification of people into the righteous and the wicked. It also gives the reasons for that division. It is interesting that many are taken by surprise by the judgment. Do pay particular attention to verse 46.
The best scriptural depiction of the end times and of eternity is to be found in the book of Revelation. Much of the book tells of terrible events, of tribulation and disaster. There are however passages of great hope and encouragement. We will take two or three of these passages for study and meditation. The book of Revelation is very pictorial and stimulates the imagination. We have to understand that the pictures are symbolic. Like the stories of Jesus they represent spiritual truths, so we have to search beneath the surface to find the deeper meaning. Heaven and eternity are beyond our understanding and our ability to visualize. John could only use earthly objects and ideas to point us in the direction of the heavenly and the incomprehensible. As you prepare for these final meditations ask prayerfully for Holy Spirit guidance.
WORDS OF MEDITATION FOR ETERNITY PART I
This meditation is based on chapters 4 and 5 of the book of Revelation. Read the chapters carefully, using your imagination to visualize the scene, and to hear the sounds and the words spoken Then see the meaning of what the pictures are saying and what is being implied by each aspect of the scene. For example, the throne and what it says of 'the one who sat there' conveys for us the sense of God's wonder, beauty, majesty and power. The four living creatures are angelic beings who represent God's creation, and their praise is symbolic of the worship that all living creatures owe to their Creator. Likewise the twenty-four elders are angels who somehow represent the body of believers on earth, and whose worship is our own worship made perfect.
"You are worthy, our Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
This is the picture of heaven as it was at the moment that John had his vision. In chapter 5 Jesus becomes part of the picture. He is introduced as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. What John sees however is a lamb that has been slain. This double image speaks of the majesty and humility of Jesus. He alone in heaven and earth is worthy to open the seals. The great multitude of angels join in praising Jesus and the one who sits on the throne.
WORDS OF MEDITATION FOR ETERNITY PART II
This meditation is based on Revelation Chapter 7 : 9 - 17. This gives us another view into heaven, but this time as well as the throne, the Lamb, the four living creatures, the elders and all the angels, there is a great multitude of saints. These are the people from every nation who have been redeemed. They are all those who have believed in Jesus and trusted in his sacrificial death for the cleansing of their sins. For this reason they are clothed in white robes, and their voices join with the angels as they worship God.
Whether this is a picture of heaven now or sometime in the future when all the redeemed people of God of every place and age are gathered together is unclear. What is certain is that all those who believe, who are the children of God, will share in this experience. They will see God and worship in His presence. Reading on in Revelation, we see that this is not the culmination. There is still something new which will come about. Let us now explore that.
WORDS OF MEDITATION PART III
This is based on Revelation Chapters 21 and 22. This is the final and most glorious scene. It is the Eternal Kingdom Forever and Ever and it is yet to come. In the future there is going to be a new heaven and a new earth. The earth that we know and the heaven that we have glimpsed are going to be no more. God is going to make a new creation. He will create a new heaven from which will come the Holy City named in Revelation, the New Jerusalem. This will be our new home. Here God will live too, and we shall be with him for ever. These two chapters deserve to be studied verse by verse. They will repay long periods of meditation. The picture is of a place of splendor. It has to be described in earthly terms because we cannot understand anything else. There are streets of gold, foundations and walls of precious stones, and gates of pearl. What is materially beautiful is everywhere. This is symbolism for all that is spiritually beautiful.
The Holy City is in some ways described in negatives. That is to say that we are told what is not there. For example, there is no sea. This might be a disappointment for some. However it is the implications of this that are important. The sea lacks stability and you cannot make it your dwelling place. It is always changing, and it is dangerous. The sea separates and it also entices. It arouses curiosity about what is beyond the horizon, so men have the desire to go out and explore. In contrast the Holy City is of clearly defined size and limits. It is a place of permanence, of safety and of unity, so its citizens have no desire to seek for anything else.
There is no sin there. Nothing impure can enter, and all who are sinful will be excluded. See Revelation 21:8 ;27. Only the righteous, those acknowledged by Jesus, those whose name is written in his book of Life, will enter in. Also there will be no curse, for this will have been removed. To understand about the curse you will need to read again Genesis chapter 3. The curse belongs to the old order which will have now passed away, so there will be no more death, no more mourning or crying or pain. Sadness and suffering will have no place in the new earth.
We are told too that there will be no sun, and also no night. There will be no need for the sun. God will dwell there with his people, and his presence and his glory will provide all the light that is necessary. Because of God's constant and unchanging presence there will be no darkness. Finally there will be no temple no building or inner sanctuary in which God will dwell. God will no longer be hidden from his people. His throne, his presence will be openly there for all to see.
In all the negative things this is the one positive thing that stands out, the presence of God. "Now the dwelling place of God is with man, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God". Of this one thing we can be certain, that is we shall be in the very presence of God.
Many people in their imagination have pictures of eternity. Some may picture their surroundings with images of natural beauty, hills, grass, trees, flowers and gardens. Others may dwell on relationships, the reunion with loved ones, family and friends, or meeting and talking with the great saints of old. These may or may not be true, for eternity is the great unknowable. This is probably because the reality is more wonderful and more beautiful than anything we can think of or imagine. The essence of eternity is perfection, and if we can begin to imagine perfection we shall begin to grasp the nature of God and his Kingdom. We can only see the Kingdom through the eyes of God. We can only experience what is perfect through identification with him. All our being, all our attention, all our thoughts, feelings, desires and will must be fixed on God. Only if God is central, only if God is total to our existence, can his Kingdom and eternity have any meaning for us.
There is only the slightest distinction between two attitudes. One is to desire the Eternal Kingdom, and then to seek God as a means to that end. The other is to desire God and be in his presence, and to know that everything else, his Kingdom, glory and eternity is a consequence of that. The two may seem to be the same thing, but the latter attitude is to be preferred. We should desire, seek, know and love God for himself, and not as a means to anything else. God himself is all-embracing and includes everything that we need or desire. Therefore we should desire and love God for who he is, for his nature and character, and know that if he is our King and our Shepherd we shall lack nothing.
THE JOURNEY’S END OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO REIGN FOREVER AND EVER IN THE NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM”, ( Revelation 21 & 22) – PART II
There is only the slightest distinction between two attitudes. One is to desire the Eternal Kingdom, and then to seek God as a means to that end. The other is to desire God and be in His presence, and to know that everything else, His Kingdom, Glory and Eternity is a consequence of that. The two may seem to be the same thing, but the latter attitude is to be preferred. We should desire, seek, know and love God for Himself, and not as a means to anything else. God Himself is all-embracing and includes everything that we need or desire. Therefore we should desire and love God for who He is, for His nature and character, and know that if he is our King and our Shepherd we shall lack nothing.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have come to understand to know what is the Journey’s End of the Way to Eternity that God has revealed Himself to us through the Scriptures, through Jesus Christ and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We have seen that the nature of God is holiness, and we have to ask ourselves is this what we want. God is good, righteous, pure and perfect in all his ways. Are these the qualities that we respect, admire and desire, and with which we want to identify? Do we want to be one with Him who is all that is right and good and just and true?
1.GOD IS PERFECT IN EVERYTHING. He is perfect in truth. He knows all things. Everything that exists in time, past, present and future, God knows all about it. Every part of creation and every living creature is in God's knowledge. Every human being, and every action, word and thought of every human being is known to God. Any situation and every incident is known and understood by God, its causes and its consequences. Events may grieve God, but nothing takes him by surprise. God may or may not intervene in any specific situation, but He understands the situation better than we do, and His response is guided by His perfect wisdom.
2.GOD IS PERFECT IN LOVE. He has designed and made us. We are his creation, and He loves what He has made, even though it has become soiled and broken. He loves us in our pain, suffering and sadness. He feels our hurting, and reaches out to us in tenderness and compassion. He loves us in our waywardness and wrong-doing. Even though our sinfulness separates us from Him, we are not abandoned. God is willing to forgive, that we might be reconciled and restored to a deep personal relationship with Him. God is merciful in forgiveness, and He is gracious in the giving of His gifts. He will give to all who serve Him, and who use His blessings, not for self-glorification, but for His glory.
3.GOD IS PERFECT IN JUSTICE. Everyone will face judgment, and that judgment will be just and fair. No-one tainted with sin can live in the presence of God. All that is sinful will stand condemned. Fortunately sins can be blotted out, and sinfulness be cleansed. That is a sovereign work of God brought about by the "Lamb who was slain". It requires no contribution from ourselves except confession and faith. That faith is not words on our lips but submission in our hearts.
4.GOD IS PERFECT IN FAITHFULNESS . He is unchanging from generation to generation, and always true to His word. His nature is constant for all times, towards all people and in all situations. We can be sure that what God says, He will do, and every one of His promises will be kept.
5.GOD IS PERFECT IN POWER AND MIGHT. He is the sovereign Lord. He is the Almighty God. He created the Universe, and sustains all that He has made. He makes provision for his creatures, and protects his people. If He wills he can intervene in any situation. He can use any circumstance for his own purpose. In His own time He will bring all things to a culmination. Then His eternal designs and promises will be realized. Nothing can stand against the power and purposes of God.
For the future our eyes should be fixed on a person, not on a place. Our desire should be for a quality of being, not for details of surroundings. We would be advised to seek, know and love God for who He is, His nature, His being, His attributes, and to desire these for ourselves. Life in eternity is beyond our total comprehension. Remember, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him". We just get fleeting glimpses from time to time, Spirit revelations which confirm our faith and spur us on.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The End Closing of this sermon is that after the Millenium Kingdom of 1000 years has passed away, then the Bride of Christ- the Glorious Church will rule and reign in the New City of Jerusalem FOREVER AND EVER.
Revelation 22: 3 says, "And there will no longer be a curse." Thank God, Genesis 3 will completely pass away and there will no longer be a curse. Everything introduced in Genesis 3 can be summed up in the word curse. Even death is a kind of curse. However, in the new heaven and new earth there will be no more curse, nor will there be any death. All of the history of sin will be over; man will glorify God well.
Revelation 22: 3 continues, "And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it." The situation here is unlike Genesis 3, where God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. Here God is reigning; His very throne is located here. Now the garden has become the city, the place where God is enthroned. "And His slaves will serve Him." What will the slaves of God do in eternity? They will serve Him. We should never think that in eternity we will have nothing to do. No, we will forever be His slaves, serving Him.
Revelation 22: 4 says, "And they will see His face, and His name will be on their forehead." All of our work for the Lord Jesus must be led by our intimate relationship with Him. Serving alone is not enough; there must be the fellowship. They will serve Him, and they will see His face. Oh, how many times when we see God we have already done His work. But I must say that we can do His work only after we see God. We should not be doing the work and constantly regretting this is not fellowship. May God deliver us from any service which is not in fellowship, and may He save us from ever accomplishing any work without being able to fellowship with Him after we have finished.
We should never feel proud, self-content, or self-sufficient upon finishing the work. May God save us and deliver us from any kind of service to enable us to remain in communion with Him even after we have finished the work. God's servants will not only have deep relationship with Him, but "His name will be on their forehead." This is their testimony; this is what others who behold them will see. Everyone will know that these people are the people of God.
Revelation 22: 5 says, "And night will be no more; and they have no need of the light of a lamp and of the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine upon them." In this city night is over. The lamp is the man-made light, and the sun is the natural light. All of man's work and all natural means will no longer be of any use because everything will be visible. Today we may be confused and not see clearly. Even after we have accomplished some service, we may not know where we are, but it will not be so in that day.
The last clause of Revelation 22:5 is the most important thing to believe, "AND THEY WILL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER”. This was the purpose of God in creation. In Genesis God's purpose was that man should rule, and now he has obtained that purpose—man is ruling. This is not something in the Millennium Kingdom. This passage of Scripture, Revelation 21 and 22, is not a description of the Millennium, but of eternity. “THEY WILL REIGN UNTO ETERNITY, AND THEY SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER. GOD ‘S ORIGINAL GOAL IS REACHED”.
God wanted man to have dominion over the earth and to destroy Satan. Now man is reigning, and Satan has been cast into the lake of fire. God's purpose for the man He created has been attained. On the one hand, God wanted man to be like Himself, and on the other hand, God's appointed work for man was that he should rule. Now we have seen a bride who is glorious and beautiful with all kinds of treasure within her. She lacks nothing and is without spot, wrinkle, or any such things.
Furthermore, the Bride of Christ is holy and without blemish. She is truly clothed with glory. The glorious church spoken of in Ephesians 5 has been fulfilled in this way. What kind of work will those in the church do? The Holy Bride of Christ will reign forever and ever.
We may say that God's plan can be frustrated, but His plan can never be stopped. Since creation God's work has suffered much frustration. In fact, it seemed as if His work was being destroyed and that His plan would never succeed. But in Revelation God has reached His goal. There is a group of people full of pure gold, which is something of God. They are full of pearl, which is the work of Christ. And they are filled with precious stones, the work of the Holy Spirit. They will reign forever and ever.
Now that we have seen God's purpose and how He is working, what should we do? Should we hold a revival? Should we open a seminary? Or should we go back to our housework as usual? What are we doing here? God is doing a great thing. When we compare our work with His, how short we feel! May God be gracious to us, that having seen such a vision from God then we will pay the full price. Once a man sees a glorious vision like this then he will be changed. May God give us a glorious vision of what He is doing and what He is after.
May He show us the kind of people He desires to obtain and how precious is that which He has set His heart upon. If we see these things, we will cry out and say, "Oh, how small I am! How much attention I have paid to myself!" And we will say, "If God does not work in me, I will never be able to do His work. Only when God Himself moves in me with His mighty power can I go on well.
This God’s vision must overthrow us. It must cause us to see that our condition today can never satisfy God's heart. Our hope is that God would give us this vision. Once we have seen it, we will give our whole being to it and every part of us will be totally changed. Today we are standing between these two alternatives being an overcomer or being a failure. How can any of us afford to be slack in prayer? If we neglect to pray, we will never be God's overcomer until the end.
May the Lord Jesus, who has risen from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, sustain us and lead us by His own mighty power that we may henceforth and forever belong to Him, forever consecrate to Him, forever serve Him, and forever go His way. May the Lord be gracious to us now and to eternity, for we shall reign forever and ever according to His glorious hope in Revelation 22:5.
My beloved brethren, since we are the true believers, the Holy Bride of Christ, and we have much to look forward to. In the meantime we can take to heart of the Words of Revelation 22:20. Jesus says, "Yes I am coming soon," and we can say with John, the Apostle : "AMEN.COME, LORD JESUS”.
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY AND HONOR FROM NOW ON AND FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN.
Daniel Pasaribu
End of Sermon
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