Author: Charlie Garrett

Saturday, 7 August 2021

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

The previous verse noted that the people of God will dwell with Him. They will be His people, and He will be with them and be their God. In this precious position of intimacy, it next says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

It is an indication that in the renewed state, there will be no reason to weep. For God to wipe away our tears signifies that He will remove anything that would cause tears to come forth. That is then explained by the next clauses, beginning with, “there shall be no more death.”

This great enemy of man has been cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14). As such, death will no longer be a consideration, nor will it come to mind again. Death resulted from the entry of sin into the world, but it couldn’t hold Jesus. This was impossible because He was born without sin, and He never sinned after His birth. In Romans 6:23, it now explains that we too can have what He accomplished because He offers to be our Substitute –

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

At this point in time, death is defeated in God’s people, but it is allowed to run its course until the time of renewal. But someday, as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 15:54, death will be swallowed up in victory. This is the state that is promised to those who are in Christ. As such, John next says, “nor sorrow.”

The Greek word is penthos. It actually goes beyond sorrow. It is a sorrow that cannot be hidden from sight, thus it is a state of mourning. It is well described by the state of Nehemiah when he stood in the king’s presence. The king could openly see the condition of Nehemiah’s soul –

“Therefore the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.’” Nehemiah 2:2

Such a state as this will never be seen again. It is to be replaced with an eternal joy of the Lord filling the souls of the redeemed. Along with this, John says, “nor crying.”

The word is kraugé. It signifies “clamorous screaming (shrieking) that is extremely boisterous, like a wounded person emitting ‘unearthly’ (non-human) types of sounds” (HELPS Word Studies). This goes beyond the mere crying of joy or sadness, but it extends to the emotions that well up in a person overwhelmed with grief. This will be gone forever, never to be remembered again. Further, John says, “There shall be no more pain.”

This is one of the great enemies of man’s joy, and it is that which can rob us of concentration, sleep, and the ability to perform properly. It can even take away our capacity to utter praises to God. Pain can be so overwhelming that it destroys anything of value in our day, including the ability to simply function normally.

Pain was introduced into the narrative in Genesis 3:16 when the Lord God noted that the woman would bring forth children in pain. From that first mention of it, the idea of pain permeates Scripture, and it permeates the human experience – both in physical and emotional ways. This foe is defeated in Christ, and it will be realized some wonderful day. It is a sure promise from our God who cannot lie.

All of these things will be gone and forgotten because “the former things have passed away.” The idea here is that an entirely new state of existence will be ushered in. That which exists now will come to an end, the way of things will close out, and a new economy that is completely new will be realized.

It should be noted that there were those who were punished with the seven bowls of God’s wrath in Revelation 16, and they faced all of the evils that the redeemed in this verse will never again face. A contrast is made to the judgment of those who fail to come to God, and the joy of those who put their trust in Jesus Christ.

Life application: In a mere brushstroke of the magnificent panorama of what John’s words signify, we can revisit passages from the Bible that show us where we were, where we are, and thus the glory of what lies ahead.

There is coming a time when the eternal joy intended for man will be finally realized. In the psalms, David acknowledges his life of tears, but that God is aware of every one of them –

“You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?” Psalm 56:8

Some beautiful day that bottle will be opened and poured out never to be remembered. The Book of Life will overcome the death and anguish of the soul in God’s redeemed. This will be realized when death is forever removed from the equation.

If we accept Christ’s work, then we move from Adam to Jesus. Our sinful state is crucified along with the Lord, and we are granted His sinless perfection. It is completely just, and it perfectly satisfies God’s righteous standard.

Because of this, sorrow will forever be removed from man’s existence. As noted above, pain entered into the narrative in Genesis 3:16, but that is also where sorrow is first mentioned –

“To the woman He said:
‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.’” Genesis 3:16

The bride of Adam received these woes because of his disobedience. The bride of Christ will forever have them removed because of His obedience. This is the hope that we possess because of God’s goodness to us in Christ.

From the first moments of life apart from God, sorrow entered humanity and it has been carried by each subsequent generation. Mourning and sadness have overwhelmed life and have sent many even to the point of suicide. This, in turn, only produces more grief. Such a life is an endless pit that overcomes the hearts of sorrow-laden humanity. But through Jesus’ work, the pit is to be completely covered over by the endless love of God.

This work of Jesus wasn’t just a trial of physical pain. Rather, it was a walk filled with sorrows and griefs as well. An example of this is found in John 11 where we see that Christ Jesus was intimately involved in the state and condition of those around Him. In order to demonstrate to us His full understanding of our situation, God took on flesh and lived a life like any of us – experiencing pain, trials, separation, and weeping –

“Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. ³⁴ And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’
They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’
³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’” John 11:33-36

Though the multitudes rage and strive against God, searching for fault in Him, none can truthfully say that He isn’t intimately aware of our needs, emotions, and desires. The loving Creator has demonstrated His compassion for His creatures in every possible way.

Instead of directing our anger at Him for what we now experience, we should be praising Him for what He has done in Christ, and for what that means in the ages ahead. Not only will we be freed from the emotional woes that we now experience, but we shall be free from any sort of pain – be it emotional, mental, or physical. There will be a new order of existence for God’s people. It will be as He intended for us all along.

What Adam had was a taste of what we will possess, but it will be even better. You see, without the fall, without the tears, without the death, the sorrow, and the crying, we couldn’t appreciate the joy. It would be like a person who had never gotten sick. Without sickness, health can’t be fully appreciated. But coming out of our fall and all of the evils that resulted from it, there sprang a hope and an anticipation of something better.

That which is better, even infinitely greater, came in the form of a Baby, lived in the form of a Man, and died in the form of a Savior. By the power of the work of Jesus Christ, and through the glory of His resurrection which destroyed death, we now have the hope of eternal and unending joy. Thanks be to God for the glorious work He has worked for the sons of men. Thanks be to God for Jesus!

“So the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness;
Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 51:11

Yes, indeed! Thank God for JESUS!

Jesus, thanks be to You for the marvelous work You accomplished for Your redeemed. Yes, even for me. Amen.

Friday, 6 August 2021

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3

The New Jerusalem was seen to be descending from heaven. With this, John now says, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven.” This is the voice of the Lord making the jubilant proclamation. It is to be understood this way, and some manuscripts say it explicitly –

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying.” ESV

Instead of “from heaven,” it says, “from the throne.” Either way, it is the Lord who is calling out the words. As such, He is “saying, ‘Behold the tabernacle of God is with men.’”

This is the last use of the word skéné, or “tabernacle,” in Scripture. It signifies a tent, booth, dwelling, and so on. At times, it refers to the tabernacle constructed in Exodus. That was given as a type, or representation, of the coming Christ. That is made perfectly evident in Hebrews 9. There the tabernacle was described by the author, and then he states that it was only a representation of Christ Himself –

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.” Hebrews 9:11

For example, a part of the tabernacle of Exodus was the veil. The author of Hebrews explicitly states that the veil was a picture of Christ’s body in Hebrews 10:20. A cognate noun, skénos, is used to describe the body of the believer in 2 Corinthians 5:1 and 5:4. And the verb form, skénoó, is used when referring to the action of Christ “tabernacling” or “dwelling” among us in John 1:14. That verb form will also be used in this verse of Revelation now.

In fact, every single detail of the tabernacle, from the ark to the menorah and from the table of showbread to the brazen altar, points to the Person and work of Jesus Christ. It exudes with pictures of the grace of God in Christ to be revealed in His coming and in the giving of the New Covenant for the people of the world.

The words of Revelation now tell us that this “tabernacle of God” is speaking of Jesus, not the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is where man will dwell with Jesus. He is the tabernacle, or dwelling, of God. He is Emmanuel, or God with us.

This idea is expressed in Ezekiel 37 to some extent. During the millennium, Israel was promised that the Lord would place his sanctuary among them. The sanctuary was the entire complex of the tabernacle. The tabernacle is what was in the midst of the sanctuary. As such, Ezekiel says –

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:28

The idea is similar here. New Jerusalem will come down and be the place where the Lord will reside with man. As John next says, “and He will dwell with them.”

Here, the verb form is skénoó, which was introduced in John 1:14, is now used for the last time in Scripture. Christ came and “tabernacled” with his people in His first advent. He will dwell among Israel during the millennium, and now we see that He will dwell with man in the New Jerusalem. He is the full expression of God, and thus in His dwelling among His people, we will have the fulness of the Godhead in bodily form – endlessly and ceaselessly revealing God to us. This continues to be revealed in John’s words, saying, “and they shall be His people.”

The redeemed of the Lord, from all ages and dispensations, will be brought forward to dwell with God forever. Jesus – the incarnate Word of God – will forever reveal the unsearchable riches of God to His people. Again, this is perfectly expressed as the verse finishes with, “God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

God is omnipresent, and so there is no time that we are not in the presence of God. What John is referring to is the fullest expression of God in a single spot. This was once said to be in the tabernacle –

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. ²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. ²¹ You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. ²² And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.” Exodus 25:17:22

That spot, between the cherubim, was the focal point of God’s meeting with Man. A study of the ark of the covenant clearly reveals that every detail points to Christ Jesus. With this in mind, that which only anticipated Him is seen in its fulness in Him. This is what these earthly types and shadows only anticipated. It is Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of them, and it is He who is being referred to in John’s words here in Revelation.

Life application: The message of this verse is one of absolute wonder, and it has been the true heart’s desire of the people of God since the moment we were sent out of the Garden of Eden.

Before that dismissal, the Lord walked with man (Genesis 3:8) and there was face-to-face fellowship. However, that was destroyed through sin. Now the restoration of that loss is finally being fully realized.

Israel was given an anticipatory taste of restoration with the giving of the tabernacle. That is seen in Leviticus 26:11, 12 –

“I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.
¹² I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.”

This was the foreshadowing that God was providing at that time. He was hinting to us that this edifice was to be His dwelling place as a picture of the true Tabernacle, Jesus. He is the embodiment of God in human flesh. God has progressively brought man back to the point of full fellowship through these various stages of Him revealing Himself.

First was full access in the Garden. That was lost. Then came the various developments of restoration through the tabernacle, the Incarnation, the Transfiguration, the millennial reign, and then the final restoration of full and unfettered access to Him once again.

In these incremental steps, we are seeing how God is working in and through history, continuously and clearly unveiling His progressive plan of both redemption and restoration.

When the New Jerusalem comes, we will be there in His presence forever. The unveiled Tabernacle of God will be with men. The time of restoration anticipated by Adam and Eve and every person desirous of an intimate relationship with God since then will be realized in full measure.

As the writer and theologian C.S. Lewis stated, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” And this is true. There is a desire in the hearts of humanity that will only be fully realized when we see the face of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. When we do, and when we dwell with Him, we will receive the fullness of what He has always intended for His people.

There will be the beauty of what the psalms anticipate; there will be the majestic fulfillment of what the prophets proclaimed; and there will be the ending of the yearning of the anxious human soul. At that time, we will behold God’s Messiah forever and ever.

Hold fast to this true and sure promise. Know now and understand that the temporary trials and sadness of this world will be utterly forgotten when we stand in the presence of Jesus and behold the beauty of the Lord.

Until that day, God has sealed us with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of this wonder to come. We are asked to “be filled” with the Holy Spirit and that can only come by allowing Him to take over and be our Light, Guide, and Helper in this earthly walk, waiting upon the realizations of our hope. And that Hope will never disappoint. He is JESUS!

O Lord, there is no greater hope in our souls than to see You and to dwell with You in complete fellowship and peace. Until that time, fill us with Your Holy Spirit and keep us from sins that only hinder our fellowship. We long for the day of eternal joy in Your presence! Amen.

Thursday, 5 August 2021

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2

In the previous verse, the new heaven and new earth were seen by John. The verse now says, “Then I, John.” As a note on these words, some manuscripts do not have John’s name in this verse. Rather, it simply says, “And I saw…”  Either way, the source is still clear. John is the one having the vision which is that he “saw the holy city.”

The idea of the holy city is one that is unique and set apart. It is the ideal that has been set forth throughout Scripture. It is that which the author of Hebrews says the faithful of the ages have anticipated –

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16

This city is then said by John to be “New Jerusalem.” Earthly Jerusalem has been set forth as the ideal of where God dwells with man. It is the location where access to Him is found acceptable. This was seen in Genesis 14 with the introduction of Melchizedek who was “priest of God Most High.” From there, the earthly Jerusalem was slowly developed as the place of this access and fellowship with God. However, it is merely an ideal set forth of a greater hope that Paul refers to in Galatians 4 –

“For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Galatians 4:24-26

So important is this concept of New Jerusalem, that the author of Hebrews completely contrasts access to it with Mt Sinai, meaning the Law of Moses. The access is not through the law, but through Jesus –

“For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, ¹⁹ and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. ²⁰ (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” ²¹ And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.’)
²² But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, ²³ to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:18-24

Understanding these few key points, John now says that New Jerusalem is “coming down out of heaven from God.” This city will be described as a bride in verse 9. As such, there is an intimate connection of the city to the Lord that is being conveyed. A city represents the people in the city, and thus, those people who reside there are ultimately what is being referred to. The city bride is for the people of God who are united to the Lord.

As it is coming down out of heaven, it signifies that it is something that is not man derived. In other words, Babel started on the earth and was built up toward the heavens. God rejected that approach, demonstrating that man’s works are insufficient to reach Him. On the other hand, New Jerusalem has a heavenly source. Charles Ellicott rightly states, “The world will never evolve a golden age or ideal state. The new Jerusalem must descend from God.”

Access to God in the heavenly city is not man originated. Rather, it is by faith in what God has initiated and provided. Of this city, John next says that it is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” This terminology is brought forth from the book of Isaiah –

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10

“For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5

What John’s eyes are beholding is the anticipation of man since his fall. It is free, full, and unfettered access into the presence of God once again. It is “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10) where man can forever delight in what God has provided through the giving of His Son.

Of note is that the author of Hebrews refers to this city as being for everyone whose hope was in Messiah. This includes the entire list of those from the Old Testament noted in Hebrews 11, and it includes those of the church today. It will include the tribulation saints, and it will include the redeemed of the Lord during the millennium.

The hope of the New Jerusalem is the hope of man’s return to what was lost. God is doing one overall thing for all of the people of the world, even if it occurs during different dispensations. The book of Revelation is detailing this hope for those in the church from the early establishment of the church, through the church age, into the tribulation period, and then into the millennium. To say otherwise makes the book of Revelation a curious oddity that has no true relevance or application concerning the eternal hopes and desires of those of the church who have set their eyes, hearts, and affections on Jesus.

Life application: Throughout the Bible there are two contrasting cities which God has used to lead us to understand who He is, what is right, what is wrong, and what the blessings of following Him properly – or the curses of failing to follow Him in a right manner – are. These two cities are Babylon and Jerusalem.

Babylon is a picture of chaos, false religion, disorder, and fighting against God. It is the location where God’s people were sent when they were disobedient. It is also the location where His people mourned as they waited to return to their city of peace, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is a picture of the idea – of harmony, right religion, order, and peace with God. It is the hope and the aspiration of the people of God – to live in her, to walk in her, to exult in her because of her direct connection with the Creator. It was considered an honor to have been born there –

“The Lord will record,
When He registers the peoples:
‘This one was born there.’ Selah” Psalm 87:6.

Even the stones and the dust of Jerusalem are considered precious to God’s people –

“For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.” Psalm 102:14.

In the book of Revelation, we have seen God’s triumph over Babylon. Her destruction is complete, and she will never rise again. In Revelation 20:9, we saw a final attack against earthly Jerusalem that was thwarted by God, and after that came the great white throne judgment.

When this occurred, heaven and earth fled from the presence of the Lord. Then, in the first verse of chapter 21, we saw “a new heaven and a new earth.” This implies that the Jerusalem that exists now will be gone in the renewal of creation, but it is not the end of the ideal set forth by earthly Jerusalem.

There is the true Jerusalem awaiting the saints of God. It is a place that is only pictured by the Jerusalem that now exists. It is the hope and the anticipation of all who anticipated Christ’s coming, or who have called on Him since He came. Being a resident of the city implies citizenship in that city. Paul speaks of that in Philippian 3 –

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20, 21

This city is the spot where God will dwell with men. A marvelous description of it will be given in the verses ahead. It is a city for the people of God, and it is built of the people of God. Peter speaks of us as “living stones” in a spiritual house, and Jesus says that those who overcome will be made “a pillar in the temple of My God.”

What God has prepared for His people will be astonishingly glorious. He is the Architect of this building, and He has been preparing it since the beginning of time. When we behold its marvel and glory, there will be no thought of what exists now. It will be a city of such marvelous wonder that we will never tire of it, even throughout eternal ages.

Until we arrive in the New Jerusalem, we look to the earthly Jerusalem, knowing that Jesus will return there to fulfill His plan for the ages. Only when that plan is fulfilled will the true city of peace be realized. And so, let us follow the admonition of the psalmist and pray for the city of peace. When peace returns to Jerusalem, it will be because the King has returned to dwell in her midst.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you. Psalm 122:6

This is the wonder and delight that lies ahead for the redeemed of the Lord. But in order for there to be the redeemed of the Lord, there must be the Lord who redeems. Thank God for our Redeemer, JESUS!

Lord, when we think of the glory that is coming and the heavenly city which You have prepared for Your people, we stand in awe and in anticipation of that wondrous day. Until it comes, help us to shine forth Your light to this world and let others see the great hope is in us, leading many to desire the same – to Your glory we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, 4 August 2021

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1

With the great white throne judgment recorded at the closing of the previous chapter, Chapter 21 now opens with the words, “Now I saw.” This is John’s normal way of introducing a new subject. It is as if his eyes have been watching a screen display the future and a new vision is presented on it. And what he beholds is “a new heaven and a new earth.”

The idea of a new heavens and a new earth was presented by Isaiah millennia ago –

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.” Isaiah 65:17-19

Peter speaks of this as well –

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:10-13

The main question that consistently arises with these words is whether this means a literal new creation, or something that has a newness of appearance. Charles Ellicott notes –

“There are two words which are translated new in our English version: one of these (neos) relates to time; the other (kainos) relates to quality. The one would be applied to what had recently come into existence; the other to what showed fresh features. … Now, it is this latter word which is used throughout this chapter, and, indeed, throughout the book of Revelation. The newness which is pictured is the newness of freshness: the old, decaying, enfeebling, and corrupting elements are swept away.”

The same word, kainos, is used by Peter in his words cited above. As this is so, it would then tend to refer to the same creation that has been made over in newness. This would correspond to the word “regeneration” used by Jesus about this matter –

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’” Matthew 19:28

This would also correspond to the words of Paul in Romans 8 where he speaks of the creation being delivered from bondage. The idea, then, of a new heavens and new earth leans toward the thought of a renewal. Despite this, being dogmatic about what lies ahead is futile. Whatever the Lord has planned will be revealed in due time. For now, John continues with the words, “for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

These words do not provide any further clarity concerning the matter of a regeneration or a completely new heavens and earth. John simply notes that what exists right now will no longer be what is. If a renewal is being referred to, there will be such a marked change in what is seen that it will be completely new to the beholder. In this great change, John notes explicitly as the first major difference, “Also there was no more sea.”

Of this, the Greek more literally reads, “And the sea is no more.” This again brings in a great deal of dispute about the nature of John’s words. In Scripture, there is the literal sea. However, there is also that which the sea represents – chaos, the nations of the world, and so on. As the land is fixed and firm, the sea is fluid and changing – just like the fluidity of the nations of the world as opposed to God’s government which is fixed and firm.

With this in mind, the argument is, “Is this referring to the literal sea, or is it referring to the chaotic and changing form of nations and government?” Two different views can be considered –

“Some explain the sea as the ungodly world. I cannot help thinking this interpretation forced. According to this explanation, the passage is in the highest degree tautological.” Vincent’s Word Studies.

“Among the more detailed features of the new earth, this obliteration of the sea stands first. It is strange that so many commentators should vacillate between literal and figurative interpretations of the chapter; the ornaments and decorations of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10-21) are treated as symbolical; the annihilation of the sea is considered as literal. It is wiser to leave the literal meaning to the future, and to grasp the spiritual teachings, which are of infinite and present interest.” Charles Ellicott

Vincent leans to the literal meaning in order to avoid an obvious tautology. Ellicott doesn’t deny a literal meaning, but does note that the spiritual meaning is more likely what John would be referring to at present.

Ellicott’s analysis displays a particular wisdom in regard to the nature of Revelation. When John sees God “sitting on a throne,” he is not actually seeing God sitting on a throne. Rather, he is seeing a meaning that is being conveyed for us to understand a truth. When John sees a new heavens and a new earth that has no more sea, he is being presented with a truth about what lies ahead.

Whether there will be actual seas or not is not the point of what is being conveyed. The truth that God’s government is the only government that will exist is the presentation we are to consider. There will be nothing vacillating or changing about this eternal rule. It is in this chapter that the New Jerusalem will be described. That is the seat of government, and it is the focus of what the nations will be guided by. Hence, what John is seeing may have a literal aspect to it, but it is the truth behind the words he states that should be considered first and foremost.

What was lost in Eden – a state of perfection and of communion between God and man, with God as the rightful Head – will again be realized.

A point to consider is that there was a literal sea in Genesis 1, and it was declared “good” by God. As such, then there is no reason to think that a literal sea couldn’t be found in what God will be doing in the new heavens and the new earth. If there is, then “sea” is only referring to the chaos that the nations of the people generate. Again, this is all speculation. In due time, the redeemed of the Lord will know and appreciate exactly what the Lord is conveying to John in his vision.

Life application: As time has not yet reached the point where the debate concerning the events of Revelation fully come to pass, it would be presumptuous to be adamant about something we really cannot know. Different verses in both testaments can be used to come to different conclusions. Ecclesiastes, along with other books of the Bible, says the earth will abide forever. Isaiah 65:17 speaks of a “new heaven and a new earth,” but then it goes on to say in verse 20 that people will die when that comes about. Therefore, what Isaiah is speaking of is a new economy existing in the old creation.

Psalm 102:25, 26 (which is quoted in Hebrews 1) speaks of the heavens and the earth being changed like a garment; one wearing out and being replaced by another. This seems to indicate a complete change with nothing of the old left.

Hence, different verses lead to different conclusions, and we simply cannot be adamant either way. God is God and He will accomplish everything in His word exactly as it should be, whether we fully understand it now or not.

In the end, whatever the fulfillment is, it will be glorious. As we move through the final two chapters of Revelation, we will see the wonderful majesty of what God will be doing for His people in this new heaven and new earth. Stay tuned, marvelous things lie ahead because of what God has done for us through His Son, our Lord JESUS!

Lord God, though we can only look ahead and speculate about many things Your word reveals, whatever the outcome is, we know that it will be wonderful. There will be a place for Your redeemed that will be without any corruption, any defilement, or anything wicked or impure. How wonderful that will be and how we long for that glorious time! Thank You for the promises Your word holds for us. Amen.

Tuesday, 3 August 2021

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

With the judgment noted since verse 11 complete, John finishes the chapter with words of finality, saying, “And anyone.” The Greek reads, “And if any.” It is conditional, but it is also all-inclusive for those who are found in such a category, which is that they are “not found written in the Book of Life.”

As noted, it is all-inclusive and there will be no exceptions. To not be written in the Book of Life means that such a person will be “cast into the lake of fire.”

No categories are stated. Thus rank, title, ethnicity, age, status, amount of wealth, number of good deeds accomplished, and so on, are not considered. One is either registered in the Book of Life, or he remains dead in sin. He is “condemned already” according to Jesus’ words of John 3:18.

The words are to be taken literally, just as the thousand-year period that began the chapter is to be taken literally. There is eternal life for those who are saved, and there is the lake of fire for those who are not. This is what the word declares.

Life application: In the end, all humans have eternity to look forward to. Some will receive eternal life, and some will receive eternal death. Death is what separates. It separates souls from bodies, it separates loved ones physically, it separates people in a spatial sense, and it separates us through time – only a memory is left, but nothing tangible.

However, the second death isn’t the end of those who are cast into the lake of fire. Rather it is an eternal separation from God – the Source of life. Because there is no life, there is only eternal death. And during this time of eternal death, there is only suffering and corruption. Because God is the source of goodness, there can only be an eternal movement away from goodness and to corruption and terror.

Jesus used the term Gehenna to describe this place of eternal destruction. Gehenna is the Greek translation of ge-hinnom. Ge is a valley and Hinnom is the name of the valley. This valley, which is a deep ravine running along the side of Jerusalem, was where the most wicked and idolatrous practices were conducted, including that of child sacrifice to the pagan god Molech.

Some have identified this type of sacrifice to Molech as a giant bronze statue that was heated from the inside. When it was fully heated, babies were placed on the hands of Molech and burnt to death as an offering. This and other wicked practices were conducted in the land that God had chosen to be for His people, just outside of His dwelling. But they rejected Him and went their own way, committing what is violent and deserving of destruction.

After the return of the people from the Babylonian exile, the Valley of Hinnom became the garbage dump of Jerusalem. People would carry out all the filth of the city and dump it into fires that burned day and night, consuming the refuse. This is the picture that Jesus portrayed concerning the lake of fire and its eternal destruction. It is a place outside of where God dwells, it is a place of putridity and corruption, it is a place of absolute evil (evil being the absence of that which is good), and it is a place where the fire never dies.

The Bible proclaims that hell is real, and hell will be the final destination of any who die apart from the Person of Jesus Christ. There is a Book of Life and there is a way to be included in this book. The choice is clear, and the choice is ours. God doesn’t force hell upon His people, nor does He, as reformed theology teaches, force heaven upon them. He leaves the choice up to each person who hears the gospel message.

God has granted man free will, and He has given us the ability to perceive what is good and right and what is evil and wrong. In the end, hell will be a self-inflicted punishment for those who reject the gospel. It will be a choice that the offender will eternally regret.

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19

Be wise. Call out to God through His offer of peace. Call out to Him through JESUS.

Oh God, the horror of considering an eternal separation from You is more than we can imagine. We shudder at the thought of being forever in a place of horror and corruption, never again sharing in Your glory even in the slightest way. We call out to Jesus and accept His gospel of peace. We receive all of His goodness and all of His promises now. We know that it is only through Him that we can avoid the second death, and so we choose Jesus. Amen.