Bible Study No 33 of Revelation

Well, good evening, brethren. Welcome to our next Book of Revelation study.

And today we're going to look at the Kingdom of God beyond the millennium.

The Kingdom of God is much more than just a new world government, but it's also God's family, a royal family, comprised, of course, of God the Father himself and also all of his children.

Revelation 21, verse 1 through 7 is a section that we started in the last study, and in that section, very briefly, it describes how God makes all things new in the first verse, and also describes in New Jerusalem how it descends from heaven, and in verse 7 describes that the overcomers will be the children of God. In the last lesson, we concluded with verse 8, 21, verse 8, which reads, But the cowardly, the unbelieving, abominable, murderous, sexually moral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Today, we will analyze in a lot greater detail this verse, in the words, those who will not be in the kingdom of God, and then we'll get a brief glimpse into the New Jerusalem as we look at the rest of chapter 21. So, those who will not be in the kingdom of God, as we saw in verse 8, are the fearful, or the cowardly, depending which version you read, that refers obviously to those with lack of courage to stand firm according to God's law and principle. It's people that are fearful of man, fearful of what temporary consequences could occur, and therefore, because of those fears, they are afraid of taking the right steps in their Christian life. In Hebrews 10, verse 35 through 39, Hebrews 10, verse 35 through 39, we read, Therefore do not cost away your confidence, which has great reward, for you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he who is coming will come and will not tarry, now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to tradition, but of those who believe in the saving of the soul. So, what we see here is those that draw back, we must not cast out the confidence, we must be confident, and we must trust God in going forwards. So, are we bold for God? Obviously, in a kind and loving manner, but are we bold for God? Look also at verse 26 through verse 31, for if we willingly abeigh our party, if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for service. So, this is clearly talking about going back as well.

But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which should avow the bursaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses, Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you suppose will he be for Tworvy who has trampled the Son of God and the fruit, counted the blood of the covenant by which you are sanctified a common thing and insulted the spirit of grace? For we know him who said, vengeance is mine, I'll repay, says the Lord. And again, the Lord, we judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So, God indeed is very patient with us and very loving. Yes, we all are sinners. We all walk in the light, but if we say we have no sin, we are liars. So, we all have our little faults, our little areas we struggle, but we must not go back. We need to have a deeper respect for God and strive to keep going forwards. So, that's one of the group of the people there in Revelation 21 verse 8 that says it's the cowardly. The next group is the unbelieving. So, in unbelieving, we see that in, let's just read briefly, Hebrews 11 verse 6. Hebrews 11 verse 6. Hebrews 11 verse 6, it says, but without faith it is impossible to please him.

For he who comes to God must believe that he is, he must believe that God exists, and that and believe that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Now, a rewarder of those that seek is somebody that passes a judgment, and it's top-looking in a positive light. In a negative light is the one that is gonna give judgment when it is positive or negative. So, we gotta believe that God is the judge and is a fair, loving, and caring judge.

Now, what demonstrates our belief? It's easy to say I believe, but what demonstrates our belief? Look at Hebrews chapter 3 verse 18 and 19. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 18 and 19 says, and to whom do these swear that they would not enter his rest but to those who do not obey. So, it's actually in context talking about these relights as they leave Egypt, and they were going into the promised land, and a number of them did not enter the promised land. And so, he says, they would not enter his rest. In other words, they would not enter the promised land. In other words, they would die in the wilderness. And it says, those who did not obey. So, those that did not obey are clearly the ones that not entered into the promised land. But look at verse 19.

It says, so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. You see, in the previous verse says they do not obey. In this verse, he sang, they did not believe. You see, when we believe, we obey. Look also at chapter 4 verse 6. Since therefore it reminds that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter. In other words, they did not enter the promised land because of disobedience, because of unbelief. So, what demonstrates belief, obedience?

If I tell you, like I was saying to somebody the other day, there's a million dollars under the street. Just go and pick it up. If you believe, you're going to go and pick it up. You see, there's going to be an action. There's going to be doing that. Look also at Titus chapter 1 verse 15. In Titus chapter 1 verse 15, Titus chapter 1 verse 15, to the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.

But even their mind and conscience are defiled. And you see, it connects unbelieving with having a defiled mind, an infected mind, a contaminated mind with sin, with disobedience. So again, pausing obedience with belief and unbelieving with disobedience, disobedience to God's law. Now, going back to Revelation 21 verse 8, talking about those that will not be in the Kingdom of God, the next group is those that are abominable. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, abominable, abominable, meaning those that are bored, those that you turn away because of a stench of a smell that's detestable. What is that? A bored, abominable, horrible smell detestable to God. It's clearly a conduct, a behavior that is offensive to God because it's breaking God's laws. Look at Revelation 17 verse 4. Revelation 17 verse 4. In Revelation 17 verse 4, it's talking about this false church and its harlots, its daughters, but it says, the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the fullfiness of a fornication.

You see, the abominations of the false church is this obedience to God's law.

And the fornication is basically following other gods. And so we're talking about the people that drank of this cup of disobedience to God and false teachings of this false church fornication. So that's what that abominable is.

In other words, people abominable that are breaking God's laws, they are polluted with whatever form of sin and disobedience and particularly lust, lust of the flesh.

So going back to Revelation 21 verse 8, the next group is murderers. Now turn with me to look at Acts 7 verse 51 and 53. And now we have Stephen's reason argument to defend the fife. That's what we call apology or apologetics. Apologetics means a reason argument to defend the fife. So in Acts 7, towards the concluding of his reason argument, in Acts 7 he tells these people. He addresses them directly. Again we see somebody that has no fear, that is courageous, and says, you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and years. You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the just to just one, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. So yeah, Stephen, in this discussion, he is direct. He is very courageous.

And so he says, you people have murdered Christ. Now a lot of those people were not direct murderers, but their actions of hatred, of dislike of hatred, gets accumulative to the point of murder. And you can see that then they stunned him, stunned Stephen. So Christ addresses this very point of magnifying God's law and specifically about murder in the sermon on the Mount. So let's go there to the sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5, and we're going to start just read verse 21 and verse 22. And it says, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment. But I say unto you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment. And whoever says to his brother, Raka, shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says you fool shall be in danger of hell fire. So yeah, we have so yeah, we have Christ magnifying the law of murder to three stages. First stage is anger without a cause. Now the word without a cause, as a matter of interest, is in the majority of the manuscripts. The majority of the manuscripts are the ones that we believe in the United Church of God that we should follow. But the word without a cause is not in the NU manuscripts. Those are the Mesle, type of manuscripts, or the what they call the critical text. And those are just a few, like maybe two or three, maybe maximum five of Greek texts. And those are also called the Alexandrian texts. But we follow the majority of manuscripts, and we could say that the received text is, forms part of that because it follows very closely with the majority of the manuscripts. But yeah, we have somebody that is angry without a cause, that is inconsiderately, in a way, without a purpose, without a just cause. The word is odizo, which is a type of lack of upsetness, a certain degree of being enraged with our cause.

Look at Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26.

And let's look at Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26, because this is an interesting verse that we read and say, be angry, but do not sin. Let's look at Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26.

Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. So it does not say that necessarily it's wrong to have a certain amount of frustration, upsetness, but it's not against the person. In other words, it's not against the sinner, but it's against the sun. And it has the cause, because there is a sun. But yeah, it says, and if you have a situation where you upset, you're frustrated with something, don't let it bother you that it's going to build up to something against somebody, against the person. And that section, as you can see in some of the Bibles, it shows that it is a quote from Psalm 4 verse 4 and 5. So let's look at Psalm 4 verse 4 and 5 to get a little bit of a better understanding of Ephesians 4 verse 26. So Psalm 4 verse 4 and 5. Psalm 4 verse 4 and 5. Be angry and do not sin. Meditate with your heart on your bed and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the old. And so the Hebrew word for angry is ragas, which stands, which means, is translated in the Old King James, as standing up. So basically, it is be angry, standing up, tremble, quake, being raised, be disturbed, but do not sin. You know, something upset you, yes, but don't allow it to become a sin. So that is the first level that we read in Matthew 5 verse 21 and 22. Let's go back to Matthew 5 verse 21 and 22. So whoever is angry with his brother without a cause, there he says, shall be in danger of judgment. So it's kind of level one. Then we get to level two, a higher degree, which is whoever says raka shall be in danger of the council. So there's like, there's a judgment, but then there is like a higher court, which is the council, the higher court, for instance, the very Sanhedrin, if we are looking at the Jewish way they were organized. So raka is a term of disrespect.

This is in Aramaic, it's translated as empty-headed. So it's like a word, a way of disrespect. And it says that is a greater degree of going towards the spiritual breaking of the law of murder. So there's angry without a cause. That's not good. Then you have a disrespect for that person. That's even worse when we start showing a disrespect.

And maybe we start throwing away words or synonyms or words or meanings or informisms or you raka or you this or you empty-headed or whatever it is. Be careful. That stands in danger of the council. And then you get a further higher degree of this spiritual expansion or magnification of the law of murder, that's the third one, and that is you fool. You fool. Morals, useless fool, you idiot. You, where is he? It's a complete contempt and disdain. So yeah, we have, it says, but whoever says you fool shall be in danger of hellfire. So when we get to that third degree of level of disdain and contempt, then that's very dangerous.

All right, let's move on back to Revelation 21 verse 8. We're talking about those who will not be in the kingdom. And the next one that it says is sexually immoral.

Sexually immoral. All unclean people who indulge in all form of uncleanliness, such as fornication, adultery, and all type of lewdness, obscenity, or sanctuity, or sensuality, all type of uncleanliness related to that. Sexual immorality. The Greek word is pornos, where we get words today like pornography, which is any illegal sexual activity outside of marriage.

And again, if we look at Matthew 5, where Christ magnifies the law, then in Matthew 5 verse 27 and 28, it reads, you have heard that it was said to those of all, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

And so it basically is looking at the intent. So we go back to those who will not be in the kingdom of God. And the eye lists a number of characteristics. And the next one is sorcerers. We can see that in verse 8, sorcerers. It's those who consult the devil or demons or deal with familiar spirits, deal with, that means negotiate and ask for things and whatever, or deal or work or deal with necromancers. Those are wizards or witches or diviners or deal with the occult or spirits or mediums. And those we use magical art. So it's a very wide term. Now look at, for instance, in Deltronomy 13, 13, Deltronomy 13, verse 1 through 4. And the eye is very interesting because yeah, we are talking about people. It says, if there arise among you a prophet or a dream of dreams and gives you a sign or a wonder, and we got the sign or wonder.

So, but today he's got the sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you saying, let's go after other gods, which you have not known and let them serve them. For instance, follow me, follow me, follow my ideas, follow, hey, following a person is following another god because we only follow god.

So, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or of that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you. God allows these things, even some of the things could come to pass.

He's testing to know whether you put God first, whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and he shall walk after the Lord with God and fearing, and was respecting, and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. So, that's a very, very powerful statement. But, battle now with that, let's keep in mind Isaiah 8. Isaiah 8 verse 19 through 20. Isaiah 8 verse 19 through 20.

And now we read. And when they say to you, Seek those who are mediums and wizards who whisper and matter, should not a people seek their God, should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

In other words, what should you do? Because people say, oh well, call upon the dead and whatever. You see, there's lying spirits. There's lying spirits. There may even in some of those things, as we see in visions, they appear like that person, but they were lying spirits.

And obviously, because the demons, they knew what that person had done, and therefore they could say, yeah, he did this, he did that, and the other. So, they're lying spirits. But Yahweh says in verse 20, to the law and to the testimony. In other words, basically, put in very simply to what the Bible says in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In other words, to what God says in the basic principles, the law and the prophets, and also to the testimony obviously of Christ and of the apostles, to witness the example that they gave to us. Now, it's very interesting to analyze the word that is used for sorcerers. I don't know if you knew that, but the word for sorcerers, Yah, in Revelation 21 verse 8, is the Greek word, pharmachios, where we get today the word pharmacy. In this context, it's one who prepares or uses magic medicines or potions, a magician. So, you've got to watch out. I came across a certain area in Africa and people in Africa, but also in Brazil, but particularly in Africa, where there were so-called witch doctors. And these witch doctors put potions and some of those potions and some of those things, they are based on demons and demonism and some of this works. You've got to be very careful. You've got to avoid the stuff. You've got to really be close to God and avoid the stuff. So, I know some situations, people in Angola, they were poisoned by these so-called magic potions and there was no cure, no man-made medicine to work against them. So, we've got to be very careful. Also, we read in Acts 8, verses 9 and 13, we're talking about Simon Magus, that he had all these magical acts, but Magus, as you may or may not know, means basically a magician. Simon the magician. And there we have another case where this individual, which we speculate in the church, that could have been the founder in the early days, who led to the formation of the Catholic Church and therefore being misinterpreted as Simon Peter, but it was not Simon Peter, it was Simon Magus. And so, it's just a little side point there. But anyway, continuing in Revelation 21, verse 8, talking about those who will not be in the kingdom, the next one that we find is idolaters.

And there is those who offer any kind of worship or religious reverence to anything or anyone except to God. For instance, worshiping of demons, of angels, of images, of Virgin Mary, of saints, like the day of all saints, which is basically Halloween and others. So, all these is worship of demons. And so, this is idolatry. Any physical representation of God or of Christ such as statues or pictures of supposedly being pictures of Christ or statues of Christ, like you find in Brazil, there's a huge statue in Rio and you also find it in Lisbon.

That is idolatry, pure and simply. And also worship of holy days or holidays, as people call it, or any of those things related to those pagan days. So, there is that example of idolatry. But idolatry goes a lot deeper than just that. It's the value of anything or anyone more than God. Look 14, that usually is referred to before baptism, where it says, count the cost. And there it says in Luke 14 verse 26 that you've got to put God first above everything else. Let's turn to look 14 verse 26 and 27. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his mother, it was loveless, his father and his mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life. And his own life. So, yeah, we have that you've got to have the right priorities.

You've got to have the right priorities. So, and then it continues, cannot be my disciple.

And whoever does not bear his cross, his storage, his stake, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. And then look also at verse 33. So, likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has, cannot be my disciple. So, yeah, we have. We've got to put God first. Nothing can be before God. Now, as we can see, yeah, it says you've got to love less your father and your mother, basically, even your own family. You've got to put God first. Family is extremely important, but if he tees before God, he tees idolatry. You see, one of the big problems today is me, myself first, my will, my desire. That is idolatry. Why? Because you're making a God of yourself, of myself. If me, myself, and I, it's more important than God, then that is idolatry because you're making yourself a God. And this is probably the most prominent example of idolatry in today's society. And then there are other things, like in Colossians chapter 3 verse 5, where it says, coveredness, which is idolatry.

So greed, materialism, or even being very miser because you don't want to share and give things, being very miser, that is idolatry. And speaking about materialism, if you're thinking your thoughts are continuously about, for instance, the latest computer, the latest iPhone, the latest gadget, and if you continuously have to have any desire and you put that in front of God, or about your personal appearance and you're putting that in front of God, that is idolatry. I'm not saying that you can't have new things. I'm not saying that you can't have the latest technological invention. I'm not saying that you should not dress yourself properly and appear properly, but if that becomes or is in front of God, then it's idolatry. And that's why in Matthew 6, verse 33, he says, you know, you worry about all these things, but seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness. Everything else must be in second place. So continuing again in Revelation 21, verse 8, the next one, the next one in that list is all liars. In Greek, is seldor, like seldo, something. In other words, false, liar, deceitful, untrue, or wicked.

An example, yeah, liar, is people that use their tongues to speak lies, saying what they know to be false. We see this today quite evidently in the news, where people say lies, and they say, well, it's not that. Maybe they change definitions of something, or whatever it is, but they're speaking untruth. So, and also, practical liars, that people are practically all the way lying, lying in their practice. In other words, hypocrisy, hypocrisy, hypocrites, appearing to be what they are not. And you know what? In John 8, verse 44, let's turn and read John 8, verse 44. John 8, verse 44, Christ said, you are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. You see, there's the desires behind all this. You see, there's certain desires that make you, what, lie. Because he says, he was a murderer from the beginning. And because, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. And when he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own resources, for he's the liar and the father of it. He's the father of lies. Why is he the father of lies?

Well, he lies. Why? To deceive, right? Read in Revelation 12, verse 9. He is the deceiver of the whole world. And why does he deceive? Because, as we read here in verse 44, John 8, because of his own desires. Of his own, he wants to be number one. He wants to be first.

He wants, he wants, Satan wanted to be above God, and he wanted to be in charge of everything. So, he was a liar, and he lied. And there's those biases, because we know, lack of humility.

Now, in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, we see that this is prevalent at the time of the end. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, he talks about the man of sin. And in verse 3, he says, Let no man, no one deceive you. Reception, again, he's lying, right? Deception is lying. And he says, Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first. I believe that the falling away has happened already. And 2, the man of sin is to be revealed, the lawless one. And it says, the son of perdition. Look at verse 9 through 12. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all perdition. With all power, signs, and lying wonders. You see, so there'll be miracles. Miracles that will be unbelievable. But it'll be there to deceive people. And with all unrighteous deception, deception, lying, in other words, avoiding the truth among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth. That they not be saved. For this reason, God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie. Whatever lie could be that. I kind of sometimes think the lie is all this that we having today, that a man doesn't even know if he's a man or a woman. All these things and abortion and all these lies that are going around. That's what it is. Basic lies that are in the world today. And then continuing in Revelation 21 verse 8, and it says, "...they shall have their part in the lake, which is the final outcome, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. The final outcome is the second death." In Revelation 20 verse 14 and 15, it says, "...then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death, and anyone not found in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." The second death. Contrast that with Revelation 21 verse 6. Revelation 21 verse 6 says, "...I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts." You see, there's a water of life and there's a lake of fire, so-called trusting water, with a lake, in this case, but of fire. So, God is going to give us living waters.

Turn to Isaiah 55 verse 1, please. Isaiah 55 verse 1. Isaiah 55 verse 1.

"...Oh, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.

And you have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk with our money and with our price.

Why do you spend money in water? It's not fulfilling, it's not bread, and so on. What are these living waters? What are these waters that we come to? What is this fountain of the water of life?

Look at John chapter 4 verse 9 and 10. John chapter 4 verse 9 and 10.

Then the woman of Samaritan said to him, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Then Jews also then said to her, If you knew the gift of God, what is the gift of God? God's only Spirit, right?

And who it is that says to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

He would have given you living water. Look at verse 13 through 14. 13 and 14. Then Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water, will first, will first again. You know, who drinks of this water in the fountain there. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him, because God gives us a v-spirit through Christ. So he says, Whoever drinks of the water that I give him, will never first, but the water that I shall give him, will become in him a fountain of water springing into everlasting life.

It is beautiful how Christ describes this. And then a little bit further, in John chapter 7 verse 37 through 39, he says, On the last day, that great day of the feast, it's interesting that the word great, translated great, it's translated great, yeah, but in John 19.31, the same word, which is in Greek is megas, mega, meaning great, mega, very big, it's translated as high.

So a megaday, which is a high day, or a great day, which is basically we understand to be annual Sabbath. So on that last day, that great day, that's the eighth day, the time which symbolizes the time of the second resurrection, and granted that was right at the beginning of the day, which is at sunset at the beginning of the day, because you can see in verse 53 that then after that they went home.

So at the end of that evening, then they went home. So, and that obviously was the beginning of the eighth day, but it says here, reading, Christ says in Jesus, Jesus stood and cried saying, if anyone first let him come to me and drink. Now, you know that no one can come to God unless he's called, but at this time in the second resurrection, anyone that first let him come to Christ and drink, because in the second resurrection, everyone will have the availability to receive outside the Spirit.

And then he says, you believe in me, and again, as I mentioned earlier on, believe is means trust, but means action, means doing. And as the scripture said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water. But thus he spoke concerning the Spirit, who those believing in him should receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus had not been glorified. So Yah is the final outcome, as we can see in Revelation 21 verse 8. So we spent quite a bit of time just expounding clearly those that will not be in the kingdom of God beyond the millennium, very clearly. And it shows that those that will not be, they will be in the lake of fire, the lake that burns with fire and burns stuff.

All right, so now we move on to verse 9. And we're going to read verse 9 through 11. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven balls filled with the seven lost blades came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I'll show you the bride and the lamb's wife. And then he cried, 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, having the glory of God.

Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. So yeah, we have an explanation, a description of New Jerusalem. And first, at the beginning, talks about, I'll show you the bride, the lamb's wife. So could possibly be that would be our abode. You know, in John 14 verse 2 says, I'll go and prepare in my father's house, and I'm in the mansions, and we're going to prepare a place for you.

And could that be that our abode? And therefore, the New Jerusalem will become where we live. I think it's probably quite correct. And that's why it says it's the lamb's wife, those that are with Christ. Then continuing a little ahead. Okay, so it's talking about that great city, Holy Jerusalem. And then it says, having the glory of God, and her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. A jasper can be in various colors.

I just took here one specific example, but just to help us to see it a bit more. But a jasper is a beautiful stone, and clear as crystal in this example, and a regent like a red jewel as it is in the English standard version.

And then if you compare that to verse 23, so we jump a little bit, and in verse 23 says, 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.

So the glory of God illuminated it. The lamb is its light. So Christ is the light in that city. And related to that is good to understand that we, as Christians, we don't generate light. We are to reflect Christ's light. In John 8 verse 12, John 8 verse 12, sure we are to be a light to the world, but that's God's spirit in us, and that's we are reflecting Christ's way of life in us.

John 8 verse 12, John 8 verse 12, read, that Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. You, you follows me, shall not walk in darkness, but after the light of life. Christ is the light. Look at also chapter 9 verse 15, I mean verse 5, 9 verse 5, as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. And look at 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4.

It says, it was mine, the God of this world, as blinded, who do not believe, lest, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. You see, so, Satan doesn't want us to understand the beautiful light of the good news of the glory of Christ.

And, and that we need to understand, and as we imitate Christ, as we become like him, we reflect that light. We have to reflect Christ's light. Right now, in Revelation 21 verses 12 onwards, and a few verses after, it's talking about the walls, the gates, and the foundations of New Jerusalem. So, let's read in verse 12. And also saw a great and high wall with twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates, and the names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

So, yeah, we have a great and high wall. We're going to look at that in a moment, when it's going to give the dimensions of that high wall, but it is symbolic of the exclusion of everything and everyone that is unworthy of entering the city. So, and then continuing in verse 15, three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, three gates on the west, so Yah'see with twelve gates.

All right, so with twelve gates. And now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. So, we basically have twelve tribes, each tribe as a gate named after it, and we have three tribes to the north, going towards the north, three tribes towards the south, three tribes towards the east, and three tribes towards the west. So, a possible speculation is that Gentiles will have access through the tribes assigned to them.

So, different Gentile nations could have an Israelite nation to be like their door into the new Jerusalem. Now, the twelve apostles, they had a possible speculation could be that they represent the foundational teachings of the church, and that could well be symbolic of ours as coming through the church under the direction of the apostles, being the teachers and instructors into eternity. It's not just God's law, but it will be a lot of things that God will be teaching and expanding of further knowledge well into eternity.

So, we'll just keep growing. Clearly, there will be a lot of things that we'll be doing and growing and learning well into eternity, never cease to grow. Now, the next verse, verses 15 through 17, is talking about the size of the city, which is the huge size of the city. Verse 15 through 17, it says, and he would talk with me, had a goal, read, to measure the city, its gates, and its wall, and the city is laid out as a square, its length is as great as its breadth, and he measures the city with the read, 12,000 furlongs, its length, its breadth, and height are equal, then he measured its wall, 144 cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

So, a furlong, some versions translate it as stadia, is about 600 feet, or about 0.11 of a mile. So, 12,000 furlongs, times 0.11 of a mile per furlong, is about 1380 miles in width, and in length, and breadth, and height. Now, what is 1380 miles? You see, we need to sometimes relate it to something to actually get a picture of it in our mind.

The greatest north to south distance of the 48 contiguous states of the United States is 1,650 miles. So, from the north to the south, where it is at the furthest point is 1,650 miles. So, 1380 miles, about 1,400 miles, it's about the size of the United States from north to south, maybe just a little bit less. And from the west coast to the east coast of the United States is approximately 3,000 miles.

So, if you divide that in half of the United States, if you do it in the United States and you kind of imagine to be a rectangle, if you look half of that rectangle, that's a square, that is the size of this new Jerusalem. That's the footprint of this new Jerusalem. That is huge! It's a huge size of the city. Now, what about the height? Because it's the same height, right? 1380 miles. How can we relate that height? Well, the space station, the space station, is traveling around the earth, right?

When astronauts go, there's a space station, it's 254 miles above the earth. So, this city is about 12 times higher than the height of the space station. Now, I think this boggles your mind. So, is it a cube? Is it a pyramid? I kind of tend to think it's more like a pyramid because it's the same length, width, and height.

A pyramid is also applicable. But now, think about the earth and this huge city sticking out. I mean, it's huge! So, we're talking about new laws of gravity and things like that. That's why it says a new heaven and a new earth. There's some new things that God will make into eternity that we just don't understand.

Certain new physical laws. And I touched that as well at the end of the previous lesson. But now, look at the wall. The wall has got a height of 144 cubits. Now, a cubit is about 17 and a half inches, approximately. So, 144 means it's 210 feet high, which is about 70 yards high. It's like about three quarters, three quarters of a football field in its length. That is the height of that wall. So, Reverend, we're talking about a huge city and a huge wall. Really, something huge.

Right. Then, the last few verses of Revelation 21, as we come to a conclusion now, it talks about the beauty of the city. In verses 18 through 21, it says, the construction of its wall was of Jasper, and the city was pure gold like clear glass.

The foundations of the wall of the city were drawn with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper, the second Sapphire, the third Calcedon, the fourth Emerald, the first Sartan, the sixth Sartan, the seventh Crystalite, the eighth Beryl, the ninth Topaz, the tenth Crystal Parade, the eleventh Jaffa, and the twelfth Amethyst.

I must admit that which I find difficult to picture this, the beauty of the city, with these colors and these beautiful layers of precious stones. I saw a person that ordered a little box with different stones, with 12 stones, which represent these 12 stones. So maybe it's a thing that if you would like, maybe something you can order from one of the suppliers on the internet, you can order a box with these different stones, just to give you an idea of this beauty. But it really is amazing. So that's what we have there. And then the 12 gates were 12 pearls, 12 huge pearls. Each individual gate was one pearl. The gate was just one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. So it just is amazing, amazing beauty. And then in verse 22, But I saw no temple in it, and the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are His temple. So it just shows God is present, and that's what it is. The presence of God makes it the temple. Now, understand that in the Millennium, the temple was built. You read Ezekiel 40 through 42. So I've had some people say, oh well, this description is during the Millennium. No, it's not, because there's no temple there. And Ezekiel 40, 42, which is the description of building the temple during the Millennium. So clearly, this description is well after the Millennium.

Right, then we've got verse 23. And in verse 23 is one we read a little while ago, that the city's light is a land, which is basically God's glory that is illuminating it.

And then verse 24 says, And the nations, probably referring to the Gentiles, of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. And then to conclude, in verse 25 through 27, says, Its gate shall not be shut at all by day. There shall be no night there, and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. But they shall be, they shall by no means enter into it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. So access to the city will only be to those who have eternal life, and their name is written in the Book of Life. Its inhabitants have eternal life and complete moral purity. So we're looking at a new world, a new earth with people with complete moral purity. Well, brethren, that is the end of today's study. In the next study, we will conclude this session, this group of studies on the Book of Revelation by studying Revelation chapter 22.