Sermon Tone Analysis

Revelation Series #30

*the New Jerusalem -part 2 *

*Revelation 22:1-6*

 

 

Think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven:

Think of grasping a hand and finding it God's;

Think of breathing new air and finding it celestial;

Think of feeling transformed, and finding it immortality;

Think of waking up and finding it home.

[Robert E. Selle]

 

Alright Saints, we are Marching to Zion, we are pressing toward the upward way, John was shown the City of God, the New Heaven, and New Earth, last week.

He was shown the City of the People of God, the New Jerusalem descending out of Heaven like a Bride making her grand entrance.

I closed last week making some observations about this City, this New Earth, New Heaven, that I'd like to repeat

It is …

*Permanent* - no longer in tents, no longer in bodies of clay, no longer wood hay, and stubble.

This is the permanent dwelling of God and his people together.

There will be no death, no destruction, no eviction, no bills due

*Precious* - the building materials are the finest metals and stones.

But being that life never ends and we can't put a price tag on being eternal this is a precious, priceless place.

*Protected* - walls, no fear, no need to close the gates because no invaders will be coming

*Provided* for - living water, nourishment (we will come to this in a minute

*Powerful* - no need for heat, light

*Prepared* - Jesus said, I go and prepare a place for you, when this city comes down out of Heaven, the preparation is complete.

She comes as a Bride prepared for her groom

*Presence* - Eternally with God - dwells with us eternally, and we are in HIS presence eternally

*Perfect* and *Pure* - Cubed, unified in law and grace - it will be as God is, perfect and pure, Holy and Righteous

 

*Peace *- God is* *Lord, tears are wiped away, literally means to anoint or wash in every part wiped OUT of the eyes … or emptied of our tears … Death is no more, as mourning, crying, pain!

YES  …

 

This is a New Ordering of things, New Laws of nature, physics, etc will govern the world

 

John has viewed this beautiful City coming out of heaven.

It gleams like the sun with Walls Made of 12 foundations made of 12 precious stones, Walls made of Jasper or Diamond, that are clear and sparkling, in those walls are 4 sets of 3 gates on each side.

Each Gate is made of one solid Pearl

 

We know that the pearl is a stone made from the suffering of the oyster, the irritation.

We have all known suffering but will not know it again as we pass through the gates

Because of the suffering of Christ, by one man, Adam, all sinned by one man Christ, all come to Grace.

Because of HIS suffering we enter these gates reminded but Eternal.

As we begin to move in, we find that the City itself is made of pure gold, and the main street is pure gold, so pure that it is clear

 

Now we continue inside and John has a few more things he takes note of

 

*Read with me Chapter 22:1-6*

 

*1.

The River *

    - this isn't a dirty muddy river like our city knows

    - this is a crystal clear river

    - this river doesn't start in some spring in the mountains, it begins and flows from the Throne of God and of the Lamb

    - It IS not a contaminated water, it's not even clean mountain spring water … it is literally the water of life.

It is the water that has within it the properties that sustain life

 

Jesus said in John 7 - "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink"

In John 4 he told the woman from Samaria - "whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst"

 

There are many that would make these just symbolic waters; waters of grace or love, or peace, but there is no reason to believe that this is not a literal, heavenly river, made from God, by God, for his people for their pleasure in the city in which he will dwell eternally with his people.

This river, is a river of promise, a river of provision, and a river of pleasure

 

Psalm 46:4 - /"there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells"/

Psalm 36:7-9 /"How priceless is your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8  They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

9  For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light"/

 

Remember that James wrote that "Every good and perfect gift comes from above from the Father of light, the Lord of love"

 

There is no want for refreshment in heaven it is all there.

Be sure that we have a taste of Heaven within us now.

Do you know that we have a bit of the River of the City of God within us?

Can you taste it?

If God's Spirit is within you, then the River Flows within you

 

John 7:37-39 - ?/37? //On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

?38? Whoever believes in me, as?b? the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

?39?

By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive./

*2.

The Tree *

    - one each side of the River

    - some would say that it is one large tree … I would tend to agree with the simplicity of the text.

If it is on either side of the river, flowing down the center, that gives me a picture of multiple trees, but of a singular species.

Like you would say that the Apple Tree grows there.

That can mean AN apple tree or that the Apple tree as a type of tree grows there.

Even so this Tree grows and lines the river the splits the main street.

Coming from the Throne of God.

One writer imagines this MAIN street to mean all of the MAIN streets in heaven, which if in this perfect cube of existence, if there were 1 main street spaced a mile a part beside and above, in a 1500 mile cubed city could hold 8 million main streets, … could they all be lined with the river and the trees?

Perhaps but the beauty of ONE main street split by the River of Life lined with the Tree of Life is almost too awesome for my simple mind.

-2  produces 12 types of fruit on a monthly rotation

-3  leaves provide health

This matches the vision of Ezekiel in 47:12 by the way.

However, I believe that Ezekiel is talking about the Millennial earth and John in seeing the Holy City, in the Eternal time.

Ezekiel's river comes from the Temple, and This one from the Throne as there is no more temple.

It doesn't flow to the sea but throughout the city.

Can you see the view outside your mansion, the Beautiful Blvd.

with a Tree lined river flowing down the middle.

- "will we eat in heaven" - YES … for pleasure and for celebration but NOT to sustain life in the caloric sense - Angels ate with Abraham, Jesus ate after his resurrection in his body which ours will be like.

Jesus told his disciples he would eat with them again.

We will eat at the marriage supper of the lamb.

The Temple had showbread always on the Table from which the priests ate, it was a picture that we too would one day eat freely of the Tree of Life.

-  leaves are for healing for the nations --- what this means exactly we don't know because it doesn't tell us.  - of this you can be sure it is for the sustenance of health not the restoration of health because there is no more sickness and death

 

*3.

The Curse is Dead*

 

What curse?

SIN and DEATH

 

We often say in frustration … "I am sick and tired" … Bill Cosby said his Mother always said that, he said "tired always follows sick" … he says the worse spanking he ever got was when his Mother said "I am sick" to which he replied "and tired"

 

Well sin and death are a doubled edged curse.

Wherever sin goes, death follows, wherever death is, sin has been.

Now, I am NOT saying that every person that dies does so because of an immediately preceding sin, BUT I AM saying that every death is the result of SIN.

And Eternal Death will be the result of the worst of sin and that is the arrogance that rejects Christ.

Adam and Eve sinned, when they ate of the Tree of Knowledge, that sin caused them to lose access to the tree of life.

Disobedience is sin and sin leads to death.

Death of promise, death in relationship, death.

Adam and Eve were "kicked out of the pool" shut out of Eden, the ground no longer produced fruit easily, they had to work hard at it.

Childbearing became a burdensome thing for women.

Death entered the world.

Then with the Flood, sin brought a change again in the world, changing climates, and lifespan, death again the result and lingering result of sin.