The Word This Week
Revelation 21:1...
The Bible doesn’t have a lot to say about heaven.
This is probably because our mortal brains cannot fully comprehend heaven except in the simplest terms. It is far too complex for us to completely appreciate.
We remember when Paul was caught up to the third heaven, that when he returned, he said he heard inexpressible words which it would not be lawful for any man to utter. (2 Cor 12:4) In other words, what he saw and heard was so far beyond his ability to describe it would be unlawful for him to even make the attempt. His thought is he can only harm our perception of heaven by seeking to describe it.
John here makes the attempt. But remember, he has been specifically told to do so by Jesus. (Rev 1:19) John is assisted by one of the angels who poured out the seven bowl judgments…
And so, in these final two chapters which close the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we see more of heaven revealed than any other place in God’s Word.
What John reports is glorious beyond words, so we are still left to fill in with our imagination all John is attempting to describe. One thing we do know for certain: only those who desire to be there will be.
The cowardly, unbelieving, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars have been cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.
And everything is new. Eternally new. As in, newly new forever. It never gets old. Beyond the place itself, which seems constructed of more dimensions than the three dimensions we perceive here on earth, we are told of the perpetual newness of our bodies. Very exciting! No more death. No more pain. No more sorrow. And once those tears are wiped away, there shall be no more!
There is an attempt made to describe the heavenly city, the glorious bride, the Lamb’s wife. It will be a massive cube, 1500 miles by 1500 miles by 1500 miles. Its construction is of 12 foundations and 12 light-emitting stone for its walls. Its gates are single pearls, and its streets are pure gold - so pure it is transparent as glass.
But there is no temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb ARE its temple. The light is so glorious and so eternal there is no night. Never again will darkness inhibit us.
Pastor Bill
The Bible doesn’t have a lot to say about heaven.
This is probably because our mortal brains cannot fully comprehend heaven except in the simplest terms. It is far too complex for us to completely appreciate.
We remember when Paul was caught up to the third heaven, that when he returned, he said he heard inexpressible words which it would not be lawful for any man to utter. (2 Cor 12:4) In other words, what he saw and heard was so far beyond his ability to describe it would be unlawful for him to even make the attempt. His thought is he can only harm our perception of heaven by seeking to describe it.
John here makes the attempt. But remember, he has been specifically told to do so by Jesus. (Rev 1:19) John is assisted by one of the angels who poured out the seven bowl judgments…
And so, in these final two chapters which close the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we see more of heaven revealed than any other place in God’s Word.
What John reports is glorious beyond words, so we are still left to fill in with our imagination all John is attempting to describe. One thing we do know for certain: only those who desire to be there will be.
The cowardly, unbelieving, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars have been cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.
And everything is new. Eternally new. As in, newly new forever. It never gets old. Beyond the place itself, which seems constructed of more dimensions than the three dimensions we perceive here on earth, we are told of the perpetual newness of our bodies. Very exciting! No more death. No more pain. No more sorrow. And once those tears are wiped away, there shall be no more!
There is an attempt made to describe the heavenly city, the glorious bride, the Lamb’s wife. It will be a massive cube, 1500 miles by 1500 miles by 1500 miles. Its construction is of 12 foundations and 12 light-emitting stone for its walls. Its gates are single pearls, and its streets are pure gold - so pure it is transparent as glass.
But there is no temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb ARE its temple. The light is so glorious and so eternal there is no night. Never again will darkness inhibit us.
Pastor Bill