CENTRAL VERSE: "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." Revelation 22:5
INTRODUCTION:As children of God, we are anxiously waiting for the day to dwell together with Him. He will relate to His people in an intimate manner, going in and out among them. The church will be filled with His presence. Everything we do together will be saturated with God and His holiness.
God's People (Revelation 21:9-10)
The angel who had the power to destroy the earth with the seven plagues spoke to John in his vision. He was eager to show John where the saints of God would reside. Notice that he called the church the bride of the Lamb. This is important as we see the intimacy of God with His people. The bride had been in preparation for many years, and now it was time to celebrate.
John described the New Jerusalem that God has prepared for us, the church. Paul was right when he said that we cannot conceive what God has prepared for those who love Him. (I Corinthians 2:9)
God in our presence (Revelation 21:22)
In the days of the height of the Jewish religion, the Temple at Jerusalem was the center of activity. It was where all the sacrifices were made. In the New Jerusalem there will be no temple, for there will be no need for sacrifice. The Lord God and the Lamb (Jesus) had replaced these as the center. There will be no sun and moon, for the Lord will be the light that will light up the city. His glory will be brighter than anything anyone had previously known.
Those who give their allegiance to Jesus will walk there in the brightness of His glory and the kings and the nations of the world will add their honor there as well. Since there is no night, there will be no need to close any city gates as in the Old Jerusalem. There will be no evil there and no dishonesty or idolatry will have a place in the new city of holiness. Only those who have their names written in the Lamb's book of life will be allowed to enter there.
God's face (Revelation 22:1-5)
Have you ever thought about what God looks like? We know in part because we can see Jesus through the pages of the Bible. He shows us what God is like. In New Jerusalem, we will stand by the pure river of the crystal clear water of life. This flows from the throne of God and from the Lamb. Its source is purity and holiness. The tree of life will be there bearing a new crop of fruit each month. This is hard for us to understand on this side of Heaven.
The curse of sin will be gone for curses have no effect when the Lamb is present. The people of God will worship the Lamb with His name on their foreheads. God will be king forever in perpetual daylight, for where the Lamb is there will always be light.
ESSENTIAL THOUGHT: "The awesome wonders of this world cannot compare with the wonders of Heaven."
QUESTIONS:
2. Why will the gates of the New Jerusalem remain open all times?
3. What is the "Lamb's Book of Life" (verse 27) What happens if one's name is not written in the book?
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