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Text: Revelation 21:9-22-5
Theme: When eternity begins, God will recreate heaven and earth for Christians who are a new creation in Christ.
Date: 04/27/2019 File name: Revelation44.wpd
ID Number:
This morning we are going to look at the largest swaths of the Book of Revelation since we began our journey through it twenty months ago.
It is not that I’m in a hurry to finish.
This passage encompasses the most detailed account of any single event that occurs in the book.
Whereas the Apostle John takes a mere eight verses in describing the new heaven and new earth, he takes twenty-three verse to describe the New Jerusalem that comes down our of heaven.
The angel of verse 9 describes it to John as “the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
What are we to make of this city?
Do we take John literally?
Do we take it symbolically?
Of all of Christian literature I’ve read, I think the best treatment of this passage is found in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.
At the end of Bunyan’s book, we find two believers — one named Christian and the other called Hopeful — on the final leg of their spiritual journey.
They are about to enter the New Jerusalem, which Bunyan refers to as The Celestial City.
John Bunyan writes: “ ... as they drew near to the city, they had a more perfect view of it.
It was built of pearls and precious stones, and the street was paved with gold; and the natural glory of the city and the reflection of the sunbeams upon it made Christian sick with desire.
Hopeful also had a spell or two of the same disease.
Because of this they lay down for a while, crying out, "If you see my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.”
From the City of Destruction to the gates of the Celestial City, this is the scope of The Pilgrim's Progress, and Christian has made the journey.
If you are in Christ, it’s also your journey.
As John Newton wrote: “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.”
“Christian” and “Hopeful” are ready to enter their eternal home.
The question is, “Are you?”
Let me take a few moment to pose three questions about our eternal home.
What will the Celestial City be like?
How do we get to the Celestial City?
How can I be ready to enter the Celestial City/
I. WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE?
1.
I love how Bunyan describes our Pilgrim’s first close-up glimpse of the Celestial City
ILLUS.
“ ... as they drew near to the city, they had a more perfect view of it.
It was built of pearls and precious stones, and the street was paved with gold; and the natural glory of the city and the reflection of the sunbeams upon it made Christian sick with desire.
2. the passage begins with John being carried away to a great, high mountain and from there the Apostle sees the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God
a. this is the city whose architect and builder is God (Heb.
11:10)
b. how different this city is from the other city described in Revelation — Babylon the Great
1) that first city is described as the mother of all harlots, and she is drunk on the blood of the martyrs
a) the New Jerusalem is the bride, the wife of the Lamb, and is home to the martyrs made by the first city
2) the first city is the home of sinners
a) the New Jerusalem is the home of saints
3) the first city is full of wickedness and immorality
a) the New Jerusalem is full of holiness and righteousness
c. the contrasts couldn’t be greater
3. the beginning of human history begins in a garden, and will end in city that is like a garden ... let’s look what the passage tells us about this city
A. THE “CELESTIAL CITY” WILL BE AN IMMENSE PLACE
1. it will be unlike any city you or I have ever seen
“The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width.
And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.
Its length and width and height are equal.”
(Revelation 21:16, ESV)
ILLUS.
Nothing in this life can prepare us for the site of this city.
(New York City experience).
b. according to this verse the New Jerusalem is 1,500 miles long, wide, and high
1) that’s the distance from Maine to Florida
c. at those dimension, the New Jerusalem contains 2.25 billion square miles
1) that’s amazing when you consider that New York City — the world’s largest metropolitan area — is only 3,352 square miles
2) the dimensions describe a perfect cube
d. we’re also told that the entire city is like made of pure gold and the walls around the city are of jasper
“The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.”
(Revelation 21:18, ESV)
2. it is a place of incredible symmetry, majesty, and beauty
a. some of you may be asking yourselves, “Pastor, do you really believe all that?”
b. yep
3. verse 22 gives us the explanation for these dimensions
“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”
(Revelation 21:22, NIV84)
a. to the ancient Jews, these dimensions would have been a direct reference to the holiest room in their temple: a room called the Holy of Holies
“He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.
20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high.
He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.”
(1 Kings 6:19–20, NIV84)
b. do you see it?
... the Holy of Holies was a perfect room ... a perfect room overlaid with pure gold
4. this is where the ark of the covenant rested, and where the high priest of Israel would atone for the sins of Israel once per year
a. it was a place that represented the presence of God on earth
b. it’s a graphic way a confirming God’ repeated promise to His people — the dwelling place of God is with man.
He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God
B. THE “CELESTIAL CITY” WILL BE A RADIANT PLACE
1. John describes it as a resplendent place
“having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
(Revelation 21:11, ESV)
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
(Revelation 21:23, ESV)
ILLUS.
Dwight Lyman Moody was an evangelist and the “Billy Graham” of the late 19th century.
A few hours before his death at age 62, Dwight L. Moody caught a glimpse of the glory awaiting him.
Awakening from sleep, but never opening his eyes, Moody said, "Earth recedes.
Heaven opens before me.
If this is death, it is sweet!
There is no valley here.
God is calling me, and I must go!"
Moody's son was standing at his bedside and said, "No, no father.
You are dreaming."
Dr. Moody replied, "No, I am not dreaming.
I have been within the gates: I have seen the children's faces."
He then faded off to sleep again.
A short time later, Dr. Moody spoke once more, "This is my triumph; this is my coronation day!
It is glorious!”
And with that he died.
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