Revelation

Tuesday, 31 August 2021

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

John has been describing New Jerusalem and the glory that will be beheld there. With the start of the final chapter, that continues, beginning with, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life.” Some manuscripts leave out the word “pure.” Either way, the focus of the water is on it being “water of life.”

This has already been hinted at in Revelation –

“They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17

&

“And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.’” Revelation 21:6

The idea of “water of life” is that of vibrancy. Thus, it is that which springs forth as opposed to that which is, or has become, stagnant. One can then extend the thought to “life-giving,” because it is fresh and wholesome rather than containing contaminants.

In the Greek, the words are in the genitive, giving the idea of water that itself possesses life or life-giving power. It is water that issues forth with life and provides life as it continues on. Whether the word “pure” belongs in the original or not, it would be implied. There is purity to it as it issues forth. Of this water, John next says it is “clear as crystal.”

The Greek adjective is lampros. One can see the word “lamp” in it. Thus, it signifies brilliant, shining, etc. The waters are so pure that they are bright. The idea of “living water” is brought forth. Their purity will reflect the state of all things in New Jerusalem. It is a place where nothing defiled exists. There will be only that which is pure, and the waters will provide a continual introduction of that purity as they issue forth. And that is expected based on its source, as John next notes, saying that they are “proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

As God is the Source of all purity and goodness, the water issuing from His throne is a reflection of His very being and life-giving power. Noting God and the Lamb in the same context is, as it was in verse 21:22, an indication that the two are One. Both verses use articles that suggest it is singular. There is one throne and one source from which the waters issue forth.

Life application: There is an eternal river flowing from the throne of God in New Jerusalem. This takes the reader of the Bible back to the Genesis narrative concerning the Garden of Eden. There in verse 2:10, it says –

“Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.”

When man fell through disobedience, he was cast out of Eden and from the Source of this water, even though the waters continued. These four riverheads picture the four gospels and thus point directly to Christ.

Later, at the time of the Exodus, the people were conducted through the wilderness, but were given glimpses of the true life-giving Water by the use of real-life pictures. One was when they came to Marah where the waters were bitter. In that account, it says, “So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (Exodus 15:25). This was a picture of the cross and thus the spiritual healing and life-giving waters of Christ.

Again, in the wilderness, at two separate times, water was made to flow from rock. One of the accounts says –

“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:6

The second time water was to come from the rock, the Lord instructed Moses to speak to the rock, not strike it. However, Moses disobeyed and was punished for this. The two accounts point to Christ under the law and Christ as the fulfillment of the law, and thus the Giver of grace. Both directly point to Christ. Paul notes this in the New Testament –

“… all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4

All along, the Israelites received their life-sustaining power from Christ, whether they acknowledged it or not. The Bible’s journey of the Water of Life continues through the Old Testament. For example, it is referred to in Isaiah 55:1 which anticipates the work of Christ once again –

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.”

Another picture of Christ and His work in the redemptive narrative is found in the book of Ezekiel. It is in a prophecy of the future temple that will stand during the millennial reign of Christ –

“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.” Ezekiel 47:1

This water, flowing from the right side of the temple is an earthly taste of what will be realized in the eternal city, the New Jerusalem. Again, the water pictures the healing work of Christ as is described in the passage. These and other passages fill the Old Testament with a continuous stream of thought concerning Christ, the true Source of all life-giving water.

In the New Testament, we see the fulfillment of the Old Testament shadows and pictures. They are realized in the Person of Jesus. We know this from the words He proclaimed when speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob –

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’”  John 4:13, 14

In John 7, we see the correlation between Jesus’ claims concerning the life-giving water and the Holy Spirit –

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39

Now, in Revelation, the final picture of this wonderful anticipation of our being restored to paradise, where pure water of life issues forth is seen. What God offers is to be found again through the giving of His Son, Christ the Lamb. He is the One who is eternally revealing the unseen Father to us, and it is the Spirit of Christ who issues from the Father, through the Son.

This life-giving water is surely real water and a real river, but it is also an eternal reminder of the true Life which flows eternally from God to the redeemed of the world. From beginning to end, and at all points along the redemptive narrative, we are seeing God reveal Himself to us through Christ, our wonderful Lord JESUS!

O God, Your word is so rich and pure. We can see how You have tied it all together, pointing to our Lord and Savior Jesus each step of the way. We long to drink from the eternally flowing river which proceeds from Your throne and to revel in the beauty which surrounds it. May that day be soon! Amen.

Monday, 30 August 2021

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 21:27

The previous verse referred to bringing the glory and the honor of the nation into New Jerusalem. The words now speak of exactly the opposite, meaning that which can never enter. John begins with, “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles.” The words “that defiles” are an adjective signifying “common.” The same expression was used in Acts 10 when Peter was taught a lesson concerning those who are sanctified by God, even the Gentiles –

“The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. ¹⁰ Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. ¹³ And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
¹⁴ But Peter said, ‘Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.’
¹⁵ And a voice spoke to him again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ ¹⁶ This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.” Acts 10:9-16

The idea being conveyed in these words from Acts is that those of the nations are cleansed by God through faith in Christ. They are no longer common or unclean. Because of Christ, they may enter into New Jerusalem. But that which remains common may not. John continues with the words “or causes an abomination or a lie.”

The verb is a present participle and is rightly translated as, “or is causing.” It is an ongoing thing. The word translated as “abomination” is used for the last time in Scripture now. It is derived from a root meaning “to reek with stench.” Thus, it is that which emits a foul odor and is abhorrent and abominable. It was used when referring to Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17:5.

The word translated as “lie” signifies that which is false. To not follow Christ is, by default, to pursue that which is false. There is no other acceptable option for man to pursue. One can come to God through Christ, who is the Truth, or he follows a falsity. Such as have not come through Him are, by their very nature, abominable, and they follow that which is false.

John then explains this by saying, “but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” To be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is to have come to God through His offering of peace, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and who is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

It is the sacrificial aspect of the Lord that restores fallen man to a right and propitious relationship with God. Nothing else can do so, and when a person is so cleansed, it is an act of Christ, and it is considered an eternal decree of God that he is so cleansed. Thank God for Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God!

Life application: This is the last verse of chapter 21, and it reminds the readers of the fallen state of mankind apart from Christ. There shall be many excluded from the glory to come.

To understand things that make a person unclean, take time to read through the Law of Moses. There you will find the Ten Commandments, but there are also a host of other laws that Israel was obligated to. The general reckoning is that there were six hundred and thirteen laws. Anyone who doesn’t meet every one of these standards perfectly violates the law because, as James notes, “…whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in on point, he is guilty of all.”

To be guilty before the law, or to not bear the perfection of Christ who fulfilled the law, means the soul will be excluded from New Jerusalem. So, who then can be saved? No one apart from Jesus! He summed up His first advent with these words –

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17, 18

For those under the law, it had to be adhered to exactingly. But Jesus came to fulfill the law which we could never fulfill. And He did so. In His fulfilling of it, He then offered His life as a Substitute for the sins of mankind. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are cleansed from defilement.

A second category John referred to is anyone who causes an abomination or a lie. A good example of what God finds abominable is found in Luke 16:14, 15 where the same word translated as “abomination” is used –

“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.’”

The sin of idolatry is abominable because it puts something in our hearts that is a part of creation above the Creator. Idolatry, pride, etc. are reprehensible to God because they demonstrate our priorities are not directed toward Him, but He must always be first. The lie, or that which is false, is included here because without truth there is no basis for a relationship with others. Following falsity is to reject the truth. But in God, there is only truth.

There is good news to end the chapter though. One category of humans will be granted access into the paradise that God is preparing for man. It is those who have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. For man, it is impossible to meet the standards God has laid out. But what is impossible for man, God accomplished by coming in the form of a Man and living the life that we cannot live. Jesus is the One who met all of God’s standards perfectly, and Jesus is the One who became our Substitute after doing so.

Now, by faith in what He has done, we move from fallen Adam to the risen Christ. We move from death to life. We move from condemnation to salvation. How can we not praise the Lord who has done such great and marvelous deeds for His creatures? Hallelujah and Amen! Thank God for JESUS!

Lord God Almighty, though we have erred and strayed and done that which separates us from You, instead of destroying us, You have had compassion on us and sent Jesus. Thank You, O God for the marvelous work that You have wrought on our behalf. All glory to You, O God. Amen!

Sunday, 29 August 2021

And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. Revelation 21:26

John just noted that the gates of New Jerusalem will not be shut at all by day. Now, in accord with that, he continues by saying, “And they shall bring the glory of and the honor of the nations into it.” The words here continue to follow after the words of Isaiah 60:11 when referring to the millennial reign of Christ –

“Therefore your gates shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.”

In John’s words, the verb is impersonal. It simply means that whoever comes into the gates will, by entering, bring the glory and honor of their nation into New Jerusalem. It is a way of saying that they who enter are the redeemed of the Lord. This was conveyed by Jesus in Matthew 28 –

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

Not only were Jews to be considered acceptable, but a New Covenant implies a new order of things. In this, God demonstrated that people would be brought into this covenant in the same manner as Abraham was brought in, long before the introduction of the law – by faith – and that it would be inclusive of all nations. This is further noted in Revelation 5:9, which says –

“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

The words demonstrate that those who have been redeemed by the Lord, through His shed blood, are considered precious. This is regardless as to race, color, ethnicity, or any other distinction. Those who enter New Jerusalem are the glory and honor of the nations, even if in this current life we are often lowly and despised.

Life application: This verse closely repeats what was seen in verse 24 – “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Such repetitions will often reveal to us hidden patterns within the text. This pattern is called a chiasm.

A chiasm is a pattern that goes in one direction and then turns around and repeats an idea in the opposite direction. There are countless chiasms in the Bible, some spanning chapters and even books or combinations of books. They are a literary form that God uses to show us a concept and how it reveals a particular thought He is conveying.

Chiasms will often be anchored on a center verse, such as the one noted below. The two “a” sections are speaking of the Lamb – first being the “light of God” and second, the One who controls life. The connection between “life and light” is a concept that is often spoken about in the Bible. The “b” section is a contrast between those who are “saved” and will walk in the light and those who are in darkness by defilement; a thought similar to the “light and life” concept in the “a” section. The “c” section revolves around those who will bring their glory and honor into the New Jerusalem. The “x” section reaffirms the notion of eternal light and that because of this the gates will never be closed.

It should be noted that the “gates” of the New Jerusalem are mentioned ten times in this chapter. Therefore, they are a highlight of the overall chapter and thus are very important to the theme of the city. The importance is then highlighted by this short chiasm.

a. The glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

—-b. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light.

——–c. And the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

———— x. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).

——– c. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

—- b. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie.

a. But only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

When studying your Bible, (which you should do every morning when you wake up and every evening before you sleep, and also throughout the day such as when traveling, waiting in a doctor’s office, eating lunch, sitting on the beach, driving your car (audio only!), having afternoon break in the park, etc.) take time to look for such patterns in the Bible and then think on them and contemplate why they are there and what God is telling us. There are rich and wonderful treasures hidden in God’s word and we should be attentive to them. He is giving us insights into His mind.

If you’d like to review the chiasms compiled at the Superior Word website, go to the search bar and type in “chiasm.” It will bring up a lengthy page of such treasures. In the end, God is conveying to us wonderful truths concerning His working in and through creation in order to reconcile us to Himself. And He is doing this through the giving of His Son, our Lord JESUS.

How splendid is Your word, O God. Thank You for the treasures You have hidden in it which give us insights into what You intend for us to know. Thank You for all of the wonderful gifts You give us. How can we do anything but thank You for all we receive. Amen.

Saturday, 28 August 2021

Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). Revelation 21:25

Of New Jerusalem, the previous verse said that those who enter will walk in its light and that the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. This is now further explained by the words of this verse. First, John says, “Its gates shall not be shut at all by day.”

The idea of shutting a gate is for protection from harm, or the shutting out of that which is defiled or unacceptable. When Adam was cast out of Eden, cherubim were placed at the east of the garden, protected by a flaming sword “which turned every way.” This was after the sixth day of creation, signifying that the intended place of rest (for worshiping and serving the Lord) was taken from the man. Instead, he would toil until he returned to the dust.

Gates are normally kept open during the day unless there is a battle going on or for some other reason. A battle has raged among humanity since his expulsion from Eden. That battle ended with the casting of Satan and those who belong to him into the Lake of Fire.

New Jerusalem will have no enemies and therefore there will never be a need to close the gates to the city to protect its inhabitants. As noted, in ancient times, this would occur during the day if enemies were spotted, but the gates were closed during the nights as a precaution because the darkness hid those who may attack.

In New Jerusalem, there will only be the realization of absolute peace and harmony within the city, and there will only be constant light within. As such, there will be permanent access to this city of God. However, as noted above, enemy attacks aren’t the only reason why the gates were closed to the earthly Jerusalem. Two other reasons which are important to note will be reviewed.

First, in the time of Nehemiah, people were coming to the city on the Sabbath and trying to sell to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Nehemiah took control of the situation and mandated that the gates were to be closed throughout the Sabbath. This would preclude violations of this day of rest, symbolically taking man back to Genesis 2 where Adam was placed (rested) in the Garden –

“So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.” Nehemiah 13:19

However, the eternal state in the New Jerusalem is God’s “Day of Rest” for His redeemed. The eternal seventh day of Genesis 2:3 is realized for God’s people in the work of Jesus Christ. What was removed from Adam because of his transgression is restored through the work of Christ.

This is the reason why Christians don’t have a “Sabbath” day (despite what various cults proclaim). Hebrews 4:3 explains this to us –

“For we who have believed do enter that rest…”

In other words, faith in Christ’s work is what ushers His people into God’s eternal rest. We are now free from a Sabbath observance, an observance that only anticipated the coming of Christ and His restoration of our entrance into the rest Adam had lost. This eternal day will be fully realized in New Jerusalem where the gates of the city are never closed. We will be living in an eternal state of rest from the labors of this life.

A second reason for the closure of one of the gates of Jerusalem is found in Ezekiel 44, and it takes the reader symbolically back to Genesis 3 where man was expelled from the Garden –

“Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. ² And the Lord said to me, ‘This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. ³ As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.’” Ezekiel 44:1-3

Fallen man could not enter the gate which the Lord entered. It was sanctified as holy and therefore it was sealed up. In New Jerusalem, there will be no restrictions on the people concerning the gate(s) which the Lord enters. The Apostle John explains why –

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2

Because of the work of Christ, we shall be like Him. We will be pure, spotless, and undefiled. Our nature will no longer bear the stain of sin; we will have moved completely from Adam to Christ. Because of this, there will be no gate that is sealed up to the believer. We will have free and complete access into this glorious city.

In seeing this, John finishes the verse with, “(there shall be no night there).” The thought is set off as parenthetical. Of this, the Pulpit Commentary says, “The gates shall never be shut, either by day or night; but it is superfluous to say, “by night,” for there is no night there.”

Nothing is superfluous in the word of God. The meaning is that in the city there shall be no night there. It doesn’t mean that there is no night at all. If the city is descended from heaven to sit upon the earth, as is stated in the text (see verse 21:2), and if there are points on the compass by which the city is situated (see verse 21:14), and as the Greek meaning of two of those points is “dayspring” (the east), and “a setting” (the west), then there will be a sun. As there will be the rising and setting of the sun, then there will be day and night – but not in the city itself. Inside the city, which is a cubed edifice, there will never be day and night. It is the place of the eternal Day of God’s rest where the light of God will be illuminated by the Lamb, who is the lamp, for all eternity.

The symbolism is what is to be highlighted. Albert Barnes does a good job of explaining it –

“It shall be all day; all unclouded splendor. When, therefore, it is said that the gates should not be ‘shut by day,’ it means that they would never be shut. When it is said that there would be no night there, it is, undoubtedly, to be taken as meaning that there would be no literal darkness, and nothing of which night is the emblem: no calamity, no sorrow, no bereavement, no darkened windows on account of the loss of friends and kindred.”

New Jerusalem is the return to the presence of God. It is restoration to the Garden of Eden. No longer will the cherubim’s flaming sword turn in all directions to keep man out. Rather, after he has spent ten billion times ten billion years traveling the universe and searching out the wonders of God’s mysteries, he can freely enter through the gates, into the very presence of God, and there experience the rest that is granted to all who simply come to Him by faith in the work of Christ Jesus.

Life application: Isaiah had a glimpse of the glorious time ahead during his ministry, and he must have wondered how it could be. He was under the Sabbath rules of the law, and he dwelt among a “people of unclean lips.” He must have wondered and contemplated the glory which lay ahead for God’s people.

“Therefore your gates shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.” Isaiah 60:11

Isaiah wanted to know, but Peter explains that the words he wrote would only be revealed after Christ’s work –

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12

Now, we have the honor of knowing these things. What a blessed day we live in as we anticipate the fullness of what has been revealed to us! Thank God for what He has done. Thank God for the giving of His Son! Thank God for JESUS!

Lord God, how wonderful it is to know the glories of what lies ahead because of the work which was accomplished before in Christ Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for the cross which has granted us access to the beautiful promises of the future! May the day be soon when You come for Your people, and we behold Your glory forever and ever. Amen.

Friday, 27 August 2021

And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Revelation 21:24

Having noted the state of the New Jerusalem, being without the need of sun or moon, John next states, “And the nations of those who are saved.” Some manuscripts omit the words “of those who are saved.” Also, the Greek word en reads dia. Thus, it reads, “And the nations will walk by its light” (BLB).

Either way, stated explicitly or not, the implication is clear. All of those who are not saved have already been chucked into the Lake of Fire. As such, only the saved will be a part of this new, eternal economy. How they are divided into nations goes unstated, but we are given the sense that there will be an order and structure to society, just as there is today. However, it will be one that is without sin. Because of this, it will be a perfectly functioning society.

Of those groups of peoples, we are told that they will walk by (amidst) the light just described in the previous verse. The light of the glory of God will illuminate the city as it is conveyed by the Lamb, who is its lamp. With that noted, John next says, “and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.”

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown takes this to mean, “who once had regard only to their glory.” In other words, these were kings during their earthly rule. The Pulpit Commentary says, “Not that there are literal kings and earth. The language is intended to convey an idea of God’s supreme glory and unquestioned authority. There are now no kings to dispute his sway.”

There is nothing that says that there is not a literal earth. As noted in the commentary of verse 20:13, if there are directions (east, north, south, and west), there must be something by which to mark out those directions. It implies that there is still a sunrise and a sunset and that the earth is still marked according to the directions by which that occurs.

There would also be no reason to note that there are kings if there are not to be kings. Nothing in this diminishes the glory of the King of kings. As such, there is as much reason to consider these words as literal as to take them symbolically. However, it cannot be denied that they may – in fact – be symbolic.

It may simply mean (and it even seems likely) that all of the great people of past ages will be no different than the common people. The greatest king will bring the honor he had into the city just as the common man. The honor which was in the past is brought into this city, and it will be inconsequential to the glory of the city and especially the glory of God and the light of the Lamb.

In the end, whichever is correct, everything will be perfectly arranged and structured. We need not worry that things will be awkward, unfair, or confused. All of the redeemed will see the wisdom and harmony of God in the structure of the society.

The idea conveyed in the words of this verse are found to be originally detailed in Isaiah 60:1-14. Reading them will give insights into the millennial reign of Christ and how that will anticipate the final state of things in the eternal state. Psalm 72 also carries hints of this coming glory –

“Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.” Psalm 72:11

“His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.” Psalm 72:17

Each step of the redemptive narrative logically follows after and builds upon the previous step. Someday, the perfection of that which has been anticipated will be fully realized for the redeemed of the Lord.

Life application: In this verse, the term “nations” is the Greek word ethne. This word is also translated from the Old Testament word goyim, and it generally means non-Israelites, or “Gentiles.” However, this isn’t always the case. A good example of this is Acts 17:26 which is speaking of all people groups, Jew and Gentile alike –

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings…”

The same is true with the term goyim from the Old Testament; it is not always exclusively used when referring to non-Jewish nations. This verse in Revelation is certainly speaking in the broader sense. It includes all people groups of the redeemed of the ages united into one salvation and one access to the presence of God.

If you are like most, you are a common man or woman who is living your life without pomp and celebrity. But you are treasured and as precious to God as the greatest king who ever walked the earth. Royal robes and the jewels of a crown don’t make the person. Rather, what is inside – and that which reflects God’s glory – is what is of the highest value.

A person with deep and enduring faith, though poor, is far more pleasing to God than a king who questions what God has stated in His word. Have faith in what He has presented, stand fast in times of trouble, and give God the glory at all times. In this, you will be ushered into the New Jerusalem ahead of the nobles whose faith is small. God’s glorious light will shine on you for all eternity.

How to be a true royal now while living out this life? Be saved by Christ, live for Christ, honor God through the giving of His Son – Christ our Lord – and at every chance you have, hail the great and exalted name of Christ. Hail the name of JESUS!

Lord, by the world’s standards I am common and without fame or great fortune, but I love and cherish Your word. I stand fast on its promises, and I hold fast to how it presents You – the Creator, Redeemer, Savior, and Sustainer. I hold fast to my Lord Jesus, and I pray for continued filling of your Holy Spirit all the days of my life. Amen.