Chapter 22 is the final chapter of the Book of Revelation. My desire has been to give as clear a picture as possible to the things that had been recorded in this book. It is not something that I took lightly and we will see why as we finish this chapter. There is a lot of insight in this final chapter, along with some instruction that will be helpful to note. John starts this chapter continuing with writing what he was seeing pertaining to the New Jerusalem. John starts off with this in verse 1-2;
(1)"And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the
throne of God and of the Lamb,(2) in the middle of its street. And on either side of
the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every
month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
Again we see that the throne of heaven is the throne of God and the Lamb. A throne can only be occupied by one king. As I wrote earlier, I am going to show in future blogs, from scripture in the Old and New Testaments, that Jesus is God. From the throne comes forth the water of life. This is the water of life that Jesus said that He could give to the Samaritan women who was at Jacob's well as written by John in his gospel in his 4th Chapter, verses 7-14;
(7)" There came a women of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give Me a
drink.'(8) For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.(9) The Samaritan
women therefore said to Him, 'How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink
since I am a Samaritan woman?' (For Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.)
(10) Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who
it is who says to you, "Give Me a drink," you would have asked Him, and He would
have given you living water.'(11) She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw
with and the well is deep; where then do you get that living water?(12) You are not
greater that our father Jacob, are You, who gave us this well, and drank of it himself,
and his sons, and his cattle?" (13) Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who
drinks of this well will thirst again;(14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall
give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a
well of water springing up to eternal life.'
This water of life that gives eternal life is the very Spirit of the Living God. Like I wrote in my last blog about Jesus relationship with the church, where Paul wrote this in his letter to the Ephesians Chapter 5, verse 26;
"that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the
word."
John began his gospel with this in verse 1;
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God."
And then in verse 4 John continued;
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Getting back to the Samaritan woman in 4th Chapter of John's gospel, in verses 20-26, we start with her asking Jesus this;
(20)"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem
is the place to worship."
Something to note here is the fact that there were two different groups of thought among the descendants of Jacob as to where it is that they should worship God. The Jews believed that the place of worship was in the temple in Jerusalem. Whereas, the Samaritans who where also descendants of Jacob chose to worship God on the mountain where Jacob's well was. This is why the Jews looked down on the Samaritans as a second class citizen, viewing them as law breakers to Jewish traditions. This visit to Jacob's well was not an unintentional turn of events for Jesus. He purposely went up there to meet with this woman to tell her what He told her so that His message could get to the rest of the Samaritans. He was not there to defend the practice of the Jews over theirs, but to present what was really going to become the true form of worship. Jesus reveals this to her in verses 20-26;
(21)"Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in
this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father.(22) You worship
that which you do not know, we worship that which we know, for salvation is
from the Jews.
Jesus was referring to Himself, for He had to come into the world through the linage of Jacob that offered sacrifice once a year for the forgiveness of sin. For this was a foreshadow of what Jesus would do Himself by offering up his own life as the final sacrifice for sin on the cross. This is why God would kill those who were motivated by Satan to destroy Israel. When Jesus would come into the world, He had to come in through a woman who understood that she needed to be cleansed once a year for the forgiveness of sin. This is what allowed Jesus to come into the world through Mary who understood this and practiced this. The preservation of Israel had to be there so that Mary could be there.
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman what true worship will be in verses 23 and 24;
(23)"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship
the Father in Spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
(24) God is spirit, and those who worship Him shall worship Him must worship
in spirit and truth."
God is a Spirit and God is the Word. It is The Word of God, through the presentation of the truth of the gospel, which is, the Word became flesh in the form of Jesus and gave Himself as the everlasting sacrifice that would allow anyone who would choose to receive Jesus, in the form of His Spirit the Living Water, into their souls, to become eternal beings with eternal life instead of death. It is Jesus Spirit as living water that satisfies the soul of man, for it is for this purpose that the soul was created. Therefore, when a person drinks of this water, they will never thirst. For the thirst of the soul is finally satisfied.
Jesus revealed something very important to the Samaritan woman that is important to note. It is nice that places are built for people to congregate and fellowship together. Though, it is important to note that to be able to even worship God, you must have His Spirit living in you. A person must be connected to God to be able to worship Him, for it is with our new existence in the Spirit that allows us to be in the presence of God. The second way we worship God is in truth. The early church was not interested in building places to worship. Instead, they would meet together in one of their homes to search the scriptures to see what was true. They understood what Jesus had taught them that it was not enough to just worship God, but you had to do it in the Spirit one receives through the new birth and in truth. This means that it was important to know what the truth is so that you could really worship God by speaking the truth in love. There is only one truth. If there is a multiple of truths then there is no truth.
This is what Jesus told Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews, about a new existence.
It is found in John's gospel in Chapter 4, verses 3-6;
(3)"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God.(4) Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? He
cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?'(5) Jesus
answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God.(6) That which is born of flesh is flesh, that
which is born of Spirit is spirit.
When Jesus says born of flesh, He is referring to the bodies that we come into the world with through our mother's womb. When Jesus says born of the Spirit, He is referring to what happens in a persons soul when they ask Jesus to come into their soul and be their God. This was only made possible through Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. When a person receives what Jesus did for them on the cross, they become part of Jesus body. Putting themselves on the cross with Him, they die with Jesus and put to death their sin nature, they are buried with Him, and in Jesus' resurrection, they are raised with Him into the newness of life with the power and Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. This is what it means to have a second birth, you become a new creation where your soul is now filled with the Spirit of the Living God.
When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple in Jerusalem, that separated man from the place called the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God would show up once a year during the Passover feast, when the offering for the forgiveness of sins took place, was split in two. This was because, where before the cross, it was impossible for man to enter into God's presence, now man was able, through the blood shed by Jesus, to enter into God's presence forever.
Jesus put it this simple in the book of Revelation, when He said this in the letter to church in Laodicea, in Chapter 3, verse 20;
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the
door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me."
You can look at it this way, before Jesus died on the cross the doors to mans hearts were locked on the outside, preventing them from entering into God's presence. When Jesus died on the cross, He unlocked every lock on everyone's hearts door. All they would have to do now to enter into God's presence, was to just open the door from the inside and let Jesus in. There is no knob on the outside of the heart, for Jesus would never force Himself in.
Jesus reveals something to the Samaritan woman that He had not yet declared to anyone, when she responded to His remarks with this in verses 25 and 26;
(25)"The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called
Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.'(26) Jesus said to
her, 'I who speech to you am He.'
Continuing in Revelation Chapter 22, John sees this in verses 3-6;
(3)"And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb
shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him;(4) and they shall see His face,
and His name shall be on their foreheads.(5) And there shall no longer be any night;
and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, for the
Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.(6) And he said
to me, 'These words are faithful and true'; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the
prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly
take place."
They are referred to as bond-servant for two reasons.
First, because they were purchased with the blood of the Lamb, Jesus. As we read in Revelation Chapter 5, verses 9 and 10;
(9)"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the book, and
break its seals; for thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood
men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.(10) And Thou hast
made them to be a kingdom of priest to our God; and they will reign upon the
earth."
Second, the bond-servants are the believers who chose to receive the truth and allow Jesus, through the presence of His Spirit, to come into their souls and create in them a new being that would live forever. Whereas they were once isolated from the presence of God because of sin, they are now, through their new birth, joined together to Him in one Spirit. So bond-servant means that they have been bound together with Jesus and having their new glorified resurrected bodies, they will rule with Jesus and be called His servants. When it says that they will not need any light because the Lord God shall illumine them, it is revealing that they will exist as light, through the light of God.
Picture glowing beings that are radiating light. It is not just saying that God is their light, but also saying that because they are born of God, they are part of the illuminating light of God. It is also reinforcing the fact that the book of Revelation is revealing to the saints the things that will take place as the things that are foretold in this book begin to happen. This way they can prepare and will not be caught off guard.
In verse 7 Jesus says this to His Saints;
"And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the
prophecy of this book."
When Jesus says that He is coming quickly, Jesus is letting them know that when they see the things written in this book start to happen, they should know that His return is near. Then when He says that if you heed the words of this book, you will be blessed, to heed means to act on. Much of the instruction in the book of Revelation is to remain faithful to the end, even to the point of death and your reward will await you.
Also, to stand firm in the faith. The saints through this period of time will overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, and their testimony of Jesus. Even in death they are still overcomers over Satan, for their reward is eternal. Most of the instructions in the book of Revelation are found in the letters to the seven churches, for they are intended for all believers.
(8)"And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard
and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these
things.(9) And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and
of your brethren the prophets and those who heed the words of this book; worship
God."
May Jesus Spirit open our eyes to the revealing of His truth.
Jesus peace to you.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Revelation Chapter 21 (Part 2) The Heavenly Jerusalem
The heavenly Jerusalem is the place that Jesus told His disciples that He had to go away to prepare. Jesus said this in John's gospel Chapter14, verses 1-3;
(1)"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.(2) In My
Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you might be also."
This heavenly Jerusalem is the city that Jesus and His saints had been ruling from during Jesus' thousand year reign over the earth. It is the heavenly city, Mount Zion, that was raised above the mountains of Israel during that Thousand year reign. The prophet Isaiah wrote this in his 2nd Chapter, verse 2;
"Now it will come about that in the last days, The mountain of the house of the
Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above
the hills; And all the nations will stream to it."
Isaiah also wrote this in his 4th Chapter, verses 5 and 6;
(5)" then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her
assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by
night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.(6) And there will be a shelter to
give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and protection from the storm and
the rain."
As the heavenly Jerusalem is raised above the hills, it will act as a canopy that will be a covering from the elements and it's glory will be the light that will illuminate the whole area. From a distance, the nations will see it's glory in the sky and will be driven to it in fascination as to what it is. They will come to find the glory of God dwelling above the hills of Israel. Isaiah wrote this in his 60th Chapter 2 and 3;
(2)............................But the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear
upon you.(3) And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of
your rising."
The prophet Micah wrote this in his 4th Chapter, verse 1;
"And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord
will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills,
and the peoples will stream to it."
So what John will see as we continue in Revelation Chapter 21, is this heavenly city, that we saw earlier in the chapter, coming down out of heaven to the earth. John sees this city and describes it like this, when he continues in Revelation Chapter 21, verse 9;
(9)"And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last
plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, 'Come here, I will show you the bride,
the wife of the Lamb.'"
The heavenly city is called the wife of the Lamb because it is the place that Jesus prepared for His New Creations, the church. The New Jerusalem is the dwelling place of all the New Creations. They make up the body of Jesus that fills the city. It is the tabernacle, the dwelling place, of the presence of the Living God. In the marriage between Jesus and His bride, the Church, they became One. The New Jerusalem is like the body that carries their presence. The apostle Paul put it in perspective this way, in his letter to the Ephesians in the 5th Chapter, verses 25-30;
(25)" Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself up for her; (26) that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water with the word,(27) that He might present to Himself the church
in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should
be holy and blameless.(28) So husbands ought also to love their own wives as
their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;(29) for no one ever
hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the
church, because we are the members of His body."
John continues in Revelation Chapter 21, verses 10-14;
(10)" And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
(11) having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a
stone of crystal-clear jasper.(12) It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates,
and at the gate twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those
of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.(13) There were three gates on the east
and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the
west.(14) And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them
were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.(15) And the one who
spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and
its wall.(16) And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its
width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles, its length
and width and height are equal.(17) And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards,
according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements."
Things to note in these verses are first the fact that John was carried away in the Spirit. It wasn't just a spiritual experience, John was carried away in the Spirit, capitalized, meaning away in God's Spirit. It must be that only within the Spirit of God Himself was John allowed to enter to see the tabernacle of God.
It says that the city is a square that is fifteen miles on each side and fifteen miles high. This would mean that the city is about half the size of the United States, that is fifteen hundred miles high. If you could picture this city having levels, there could be fifteen hundred levels that are each a mile high.
So just picture the size of this city. Then you can understand how this city could be raised above the hills of Israel that would cover the whole land of Israel and be seen from a distance by the nations.
There are three gates on each side of the city. This mean that each gate would be approximately 375 miles apart. Each of these gates have the name of one of the sons of Jacob.
There is a foundation wall to the city that has twelve layers. Each layer has the name of one of Jesus' apostles written on it. The wall is 72 yards high. This would make each layer to be 6 yards or 18 feet high. Since the wall of the city is only 72 yards high, this revels that the rest of the fifteen hundred miles is without visible walls. Each layer of the foundation wall is made of a precious stone. John describes the stones as he continues in Revelation Chapter 21,verses 18-27;
(18)"And the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear
glass.(19) The foundation stones of the city wall was adorned with every kind of
precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the
third, chalcedony; the forth, emerald;(20) the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the
seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the
eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.(21) And the twelve gates were twelve
pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure
gold, like transparent glass.(22) And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the
Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.(23) And the city has no need of the sun or
of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is
the Lamb.(24) And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth
shall bring their glory into it.(25) And in the daytime (for there shall be no night
there) its gates shall never be closed;(26) and they shall bring the glory and honor of
the nations into it;(27) and nothing unclean and no one who practices abominations
and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the
Lamb's book of life.
It says that the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. The kings of the earth are the New Creations who make up the bride of the Lamb. They are the only ones whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. They were not any special people. They were just sinners who chose to receive the free gift of eternal life that Jesus, the Creator, made possible by becoming a man, shedding His own blood, dyeing on the cross Himself to forgive sin and putting to death their sin nature as they put themselves on the cross with Him when they chose Him. Being buried with Him, they were raised from the dead with Him, with the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. This caused them to be born of above, born again, of the Spirit of the Living God. At that point they inherited eternal life. At the resurrection they will receive new glorified bodies as they are caught up to be with Jesus where they will be with Jesus in the place that Jesus prepared for them. You can be one of them.
Jesus' peace and love be with you.
(1)"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.(2) In My
Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you might be also."
This heavenly Jerusalem is the city that Jesus and His saints had been ruling from during Jesus' thousand year reign over the earth. It is the heavenly city, Mount Zion, that was raised above the mountains of Israel during that Thousand year reign. The prophet Isaiah wrote this in his 2nd Chapter, verse 2;
"Now it will come about that in the last days, The mountain of the house of the
Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above
the hills; And all the nations will stream to it."
Isaiah also wrote this in his 4th Chapter, verses 5 and 6;
(5)" then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her
assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by
night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.(6) And there will be a shelter to
give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and protection from the storm and
the rain."
As the heavenly Jerusalem is raised above the hills, it will act as a canopy that will be a covering from the elements and it's glory will be the light that will illuminate the whole area. From a distance, the nations will see it's glory in the sky and will be driven to it in fascination as to what it is. They will come to find the glory of God dwelling above the hills of Israel. Isaiah wrote this in his 60th Chapter 2 and 3;
(2)............................But the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear
upon you.(3) And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of
your rising."
The prophet Micah wrote this in his 4th Chapter, verse 1;
"And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord
will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills,
and the peoples will stream to it."
So what John will see as we continue in Revelation Chapter 21, is this heavenly city, that we saw earlier in the chapter, coming down out of heaven to the earth. John sees this city and describes it like this, when he continues in Revelation Chapter 21, verse 9;
(9)"And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last
plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, 'Come here, I will show you the bride,
the wife of the Lamb.'"
The heavenly city is called the wife of the Lamb because it is the place that Jesus prepared for His New Creations, the church. The New Jerusalem is the dwelling place of all the New Creations. They make up the body of Jesus that fills the city. It is the tabernacle, the dwelling place, of the presence of the Living God. In the marriage between Jesus and His bride, the Church, they became One. The New Jerusalem is like the body that carries their presence. The apostle Paul put it in perspective this way, in his letter to the Ephesians in the 5th Chapter, verses 25-30;
(25)" Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself up for her; (26) that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water with the word,(27) that He might present to Himself the church
in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should
be holy and blameless.(28) So husbands ought also to love their own wives as
their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;(29) for no one ever
hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the
church, because we are the members of His body."
John continues in Revelation Chapter 21, verses 10-14;
(10)" And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
(11) having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a
stone of crystal-clear jasper.(12) It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates,
and at the gate twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those
of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.(13) There were three gates on the east
and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the
west.(14) And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them
were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.(15) And the one who
spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and
its wall.(16) And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its
width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles, its length
and width and height are equal.(17) And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards,
according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements."
Things to note in these verses are first the fact that John was carried away in the Spirit. It wasn't just a spiritual experience, John was carried away in the Spirit, capitalized, meaning away in God's Spirit. It must be that only within the Spirit of God Himself was John allowed to enter to see the tabernacle of God.
It says that the city is a square that is fifteen miles on each side and fifteen miles high. This would mean that the city is about half the size of the United States, that is fifteen hundred miles high. If you could picture this city having levels, there could be fifteen hundred levels that are each a mile high.
So just picture the size of this city. Then you can understand how this city could be raised above the hills of Israel that would cover the whole land of Israel and be seen from a distance by the nations.
There are three gates on each side of the city. This mean that each gate would be approximately 375 miles apart. Each of these gates have the name of one of the sons of Jacob.
There is a foundation wall to the city that has twelve layers. Each layer has the name of one of Jesus' apostles written on it. The wall is 72 yards high. This would make each layer to be 6 yards or 18 feet high. Since the wall of the city is only 72 yards high, this revels that the rest of the fifteen hundred miles is without visible walls. Each layer of the foundation wall is made of a precious stone. John describes the stones as he continues in Revelation Chapter 21,verses 18-27;
(18)"And the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear
glass.(19) The foundation stones of the city wall was adorned with every kind of
precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the
third, chalcedony; the forth, emerald;(20) the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the
seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the
eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.(21) And the twelve gates were twelve
pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure
gold, like transparent glass.(22) And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the
Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.(23) And the city has no need of the sun or
of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is
the Lamb.(24) And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth
shall bring their glory into it.(25) And in the daytime (for there shall be no night
there) its gates shall never be closed;(26) and they shall bring the glory and honor of
the nations into it;(27) and nothing unclean and no one who practices abominations
and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the
Lamb's book of life.
It says that the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. The kings of the earth are the New Creations who make up the bride of the Lamb. They are the only ones whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. They were not any special people. They were just sinners who chose to receive the free gift of eternal life that Jesus, the Creator, made possible by becoming a man, shedding His own blood, dyeing on the cross Himself to forgive sin and putting to death their sin nature as they put themselves on the cross with Him when they chose Him. Being buried with Him, they were raised from the dead with Him, with the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. This caused them to be born of above, born again, of the Spirit of the Living God. At that point they inherited eternal life. At the resurrection they will receive new glorified bodies as they are caught up to be with Jesus where they will be with Jesus in the place that Jesus prepared for them. You can be one of them.
Jesus' peace and love be with you.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Revelation Chapter 21 - A New Heaven And A New Earth
After the great white throne judgment, that will occur at the conclusion of Jesus thousand year reign and Satan being thrown into the lake of fire, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. With Satan and his demons being cast into the lake of fire, where they will be captive forever, Jesus can now do a new thing. With all His creative power, He will now create a new heaven and a new earth, where it will never again be corrupted or influenced by the adversary know as Satan. It will be a different world. It will be a world of true peace, for the agitator will no longer be around to cause his deception and lies to produce strife among the people. This time Jesus will create a new heaven and a new earth that he knows will be around forever. John starts off in Chapter 21 with this in verses 1-4;
(1)"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first
earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.(2) And I saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride
adorned for her husband.(3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall
dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God
himself shall be among them,(4) and He shall wipe away
every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any
death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or
pain; the first things have passed away.'
The holy city that we see coming down out of heaven from God is the new Jerusalem. This is the very city known as Mount Zion, that Jesus and His saints were ruling from during Jesus' thousand year reign over the earth. The heavenly Jerusalem was referred to as the Mountain of God, in the Old Testament, because it was above the mountains in Israel. I wrote a blog that covered all Old Testament writings that showed this. If you have not read the blog it would help to do so to understand more about this. It will be a new heaven and a new earth because the heavenly kingdom will come down out heaven to the earth making heaven different and coming down to the earth making the earth different. God's dwelling place will be among men.
There will be no more death because Jesus won victory over death when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Jesus finalized it when He threw death into the lake of fire. There will be no mourning because there will be no more death or suffering to mourn. There will be no more crying because there will be no more pain or suffering or death because the first things have passed away. There will only be life because Jesus is the Life and the Life will be among men. Their will be peace because Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the Prince of Peace will be among men.
John continues Chapter 21 with this in verses 5-6;
(5)"And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold I am making all things new.' And
He said, 'Write , for these words are faithful and true."(6) And He said to me,
'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and
the end, I will give to the one who thirsts from the springs of
the water of life without costs.'
In these verses, and the ones that will follow, there are some very important insights that are revealed. This is why the one who sits on the throne said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true', making special notice of what He was about to say. He says 'It is done.' After the great white throne judgment, eternity destinations will be settled. Those who chose Jesus for eternal life will be with Him in His kingdom. Those who chose not to chose Jesus to gain eternal life, would have instead chose the consequence, which would be eternal death in the lake of fire. Likewise, Satan and his demons will be there in the lake of fire for their rebellion against the Most High. Then the One on the throne says, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.' This is how we know that the One on the throne is Jesus. In the first Chapter of Revelation, verse 8, John hears this;
(8)"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and
who is to come, the Almighty.'"
In the first Chapter of Revelation, verses 17 and 18; John is told this;
(17)"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,(18) and the living One; and I was
dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades."
It is what follows in Chapter 21, verse 7, that reveals something very interesting as to who Jesus is, when He says the following;
"He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and He will
be my son.
If you remember back when we covered, in Revelation, the letters to the seven churches, Jesus finished each letter with, "He who overcomes".......and then the reward. These are all the rewards for the saints who overcame and remained faithful to the end, even unto death. Here Jesus tells the overcomers that he will be their God and they will be His sons. This is the first time that Jesus came right out and said that He was God. Even more revealing is that if the ones who overcome will be His sons then Jesus is revealing that He is their Father. I am going to do a whole section in my blog that will show in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that Jesus is God and Father. Not common thought, but if I can't show you, don't believe me.
When it says that the overcomers will inherit all these things, all these things are the new heaven and the new earth. The apostle James wrote this in his letter, Chapter 2, verse 5;
(5)"Listen, my beloved brethren; did not God choose the poor of this world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who
loved Him?"
The ones who chose Jesus will inherit the kingdom of God and the other groups destiny is described in Revelation 21, verse 8;
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and
immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be
in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Cowardly- Those who were not willing to be persecuted or die for their faith in Jesus.
Unbelieving- Those who chose to reject the truth of Jesus.
Abominable- Those who mock Jesus, the saints and the truth.
Immoral people- Those who corrupt themselves and others.
Sorcerers- Those who corrupt the minds of people with drugs.
Idolaters- Those who chose to put their security and trust into anything else but Jesus.
Liars- Those who don't speak truth and purposely lie for an advantage.
The first death is the death of the body, the second death is the death of the soul. I have written before that the souls of men are eternal, having one of two eternal destinies, eternal life or eternal death.
Again as always, when I talk about the eternal death or the lake of fire, I have to emphasize that this was never God's plan for man. The lake of fire was intended for Satan and the demons, never the souls of men. When Jesus conceived the plan of creating man, where in their souls He would offer to create an eternal being that would live forever with Him, He thought it would be a no brainer and many, if not all, would choose Him. What he saw after He put it in motion was probably very disheartening. It is His desire for all to come to Him, just as the apostle Peter wrote in his second letter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
towards you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."
If you have not turned to Jesus, please consider it. If you have, please remain faithful to the end.
Main Jesus' peace and strength be with you.
(1)"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first
earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.(2) And I saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride
adorned for her husband.(3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall
dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God
himself shall be among them,(4) and He shall wipe away
every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any
death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or
pain; the first things have passed away.'
The holy city that we see coming down out of heaven from God is the new Jerusalem. This is the very city known as Mount Zion, that Jesus and His saints were ruling from during Jesus' thousand year reign over the earth. The heavenly Jerusalem was referred to as the Mountain of God, in the Old Testament, because it was above the mountains in Israel. I wrote a blog that covered all Old Testament writings that showed this. If you have not read the blog it would help to do so to understand more about this. It will be a new heaven and a new earth because the heavenly kingdom will come down out heaven to the earth making heaven different and coming down to the earth making the earth different. God's dwelling place will be among men.
There will be no more death because Jesus won victory over death when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Jesus finalized it when He threw death into the lake of fire. There will be no mourning because there will be no more death or suffering to mourn. There will be no more crying because there will be no more pain or suffering or death because the first things have passed away. There will only be life because Jesus is the Life and the Life will be among men. Their will be peace because Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the Prince of Peace will be among men.
John continues Chapter 21 with this in verses 5-6;
(5)"And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold I am making all things new.' And
He said, 'Write , for these words are faithful and true."(6) And He said to me,
'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and
the end, I will give to the one who thirsts from the springs of
the water of life without costs.'
In these verses, and the ones that will follow, there are some very important insights that are revealed. This is why the one who sits on the throne said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true', making special notice of what He was about to say. He says 'It is done.' After the great white throne judgment, eternity destinations will be settled. Those who chose Jesus for eternal life will be with Him in His kingdom. Those who chose not to chose Jesus to gain eternal life, would have instead chose the consequence, which would be eternal death in the lake of fire. Likewise, Satan and his demons will be there in the lake of fire for their rebellion against the Most High. Then the One on the throne says, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.' This is how we know that the One on the throne is Jesus. In the first Chapter of Revelation, verse 8, John hears this;
(8)"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and
who is to come, the Almighty.'"
In the first Chapter of Revelation, verses 17 and 18; John is told this;
(17)"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,(18) and the living One; and I was
dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades."
It is what follows in Chapter 21, verse 7, that reveals something very interesting as to who Jesus is, when He says the following;
"He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and He will
be my son.
If you remember back when we covered, in Revelation, the letters to the seven churches, Jesus finished each letter with, "He who overcomes".......and then the reward. These are all the rewards for the saints who overcame and remained faithful to the end, even unto death. Here Jesus tells the overcomers that he will be their God and they will be His sons. This is the first time that Jesus came right out and said that He was God. Even more revealing is that if the ones who overcome will be His sons then Jesus is revealing that He is their Father. I am going to do a whole section in my blog that will show in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that Jesus is God and Father. Not common thought, but if I can't show you, don't believe me.
When it says that the overcomers will inherit all these things, all these things are the new heaven and the new earth. The apostle James wrote this in his letter, Chapter 2, verse 5;
(5)"Listen, my beloved brethren; did not God choose the poor of this world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who
loved Him?"
The ones who chose Jesus will inherit the kingdom of God and the other groups destiny is described in Revelation 21, verse 8;
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and
immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be
in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Cowardly- Those who were not willing to be persecuted or die for their faith in Jesus.
Unbelieving- Those who chose to reject the truth of Jesus.
Abominable- Those who mock Jesus, the saints and the truth.
Immoral people- Those who corrupt themselves and others.
Sorcerers- Those who corrupt the minds of people with drugs.
Idolaters- Those who chose to put their security and trust into anything else but Jesus.
Liars- Those who don't speak truth and purposely lie for an advantage.
The first death is the death of the body, the second death is the death of the soul. I have written before that the souls of men are eternal, having one of two eternal destinies, eternal life or eternal death.
Again as always, when I talk about the eternal death or the lake of fire, I have to emphasize that this was never God's plan for man. The lake of fire was intended for Satan and the demons, never the souls of men. When Jesus conceived the plan of creating man, where in their souls He would offer to create an eternal being that would live forever with Him, He thought it would be a no brainer and many, if not all, would choose Him. What he saw after He put it in motion was probably very disheartening. It is His desire for all to come to Him, just as the apostle Peter wrote in his second letter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
towards you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."
If you have not turned to Jesus, please consider it. If you have, please remain faithful to the end.
Main Jesus' peace and strength be with you.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
To Express The Truth
I know that my site is being monitored. At one point I discovered that my site could not be accessed through a search or even keying in my actual address. The only thing that will stop this information from getting out is Jesus. If you want to tangle with Him, I must warn you that He will win. There are a lot of other things on the internet that are way worse than the Truth. You must ask yourself why the truth is the enemy and all the 90% of the internet is porn and there is not the concern with that more than my site. I have looked at what is available on the internet and found that people are starving for the true Love to fill their souls. They are looking for someone to notice them so that they can feel that their life has a purpose and that they are alive. If they can understand that the Creator of the universe (Jesus) notices them and not only wants to fill their soul and give them real life, so that they can feel real love, but also at the same time give them eternal life, then they would not settle for empty searches and actions for false affections. I have looked at what is on the internet that is available to an easy view and I appreciate what Google has done to control the content to make it a step more to access certain videos. All I want is the same availability that everyone has to express themselves. I am harming no one and in fact I am looking out for the eternal destiny of peoples' souls. How offensive can that be. If Truth is not malice towards deception, then it is not truth. If there is more than one Truth , then there is no truth at all. If Jesus is not, The Way, The Truth, and The Life, then we are all to be pitied.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Revelation Chapter 20 (Part 3) Great White Throne Judgment
The great white throne judgment will occur at the end of Jesus' thousand year reign over the earth. At the end of Jesus' thousand year reign, the time will come for those who wait in the balance to be judged. Everyone who has ever come into existence, will come before the throne of God and will give account for what they did with their existence. Every created being was created to be eternal. A God whose whole essence is the eternal life, cannot create a being that does not have eternal life. All the angels were created to have eternal life, but a third of them surrendered that life when they chose to rebel and follow after Satan. The result of their rebellion was that they surrendered the eternal life for eternal death. Since they are eternal beings, they cannot cease to exist. Therefore they will be cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophets and then Satan will be cast after his final rebellion. This is the lake that burns forever and ever. This was not God's plan for them. It was the result of their own doing and choice. This lake of fire was never intended to be the destiny of the souls of men. When man was first created, Adam and Eve were created eternal beings. They were living beings with living souls. God gave them one commandment and that was that they do not eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God told them this, as recorded in the book of Genesis, Chapter 2, verse 17;
"But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in
the day that you eat from it, 'you shall surely die'."
They did eat from the tree, but they did not die, or did they. Something died. Before they ate of the tree, they were living beings that had living souls that had eternal life. After they ate from the tree they were still living eternal beings, but the life part was gone. Because of their rebellion, they surrendered the part of themselves that had the existence of eternal life. They ceased from having living souls and became fallen beings who no longer had living souls with the life of God in them. God in His eternal life nature could not create anything that did not have eternal life. So without having to create such a being, they now were coming into existence though the now fallen beings, Adam and Eve. This was God's plan before the foundation of the world. God, knowing all, knew that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree and become fallen beings. Therefore it was God's plan to have fallen beings, but why? God was doing a new thing. Every being that had come into existence, was spoken into existence through God. They had no choice. This is why the angels that fell, did not appreciate their Creator. They took Him for granted and followed after their own lust and desires. Their result was that they became fallen angels, known as demons. They surrendered the life part of themselves and now were destined for eternal death.
With Adam and Eve now existing in a fallen state, God now had the vehicle in which He could do a new thing. There would now come into existence fallen men with empty lifeless souls. He allowed this because in these empty souls, He would make a New Creation. One that would come into existence by choosing Him and the Life He offers. Therefore we have the gospel of Jesus. God Himself, at the proper time, would come in the likeness of man, Jesus. He would allow Himself to be the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of the fallen nature, sin. With Jesus dying on the cross, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, He would unlock man's heart (Soul) door. Then any who would invite Him into their dead soul, He would come in and give their dead soul life, for He would become their life. Every man is born with a dead and empty soul. Jesus came to give the soul life to anyone who would choose Him. This is the difference between the angels that were spoken into existence verse the New Creation that would come into existence by choosing to be with Him. In the gospel of John in Chapter 3, verse 16, it is summed up in this;
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
There will be just two things that will determine a person destiny. Did they choose Jesus and receive His gift of eternal life or did they refuse the offer of eternal life and stay in a fallen state with eternal darkness in their soul. An eternal soul without the life, cannot live in the eternal presence of the Life and must go where all darkness will be retained forever in the lake of fire..John writes this in Chapter 20, verse 11;
"And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face earth and
heaven fled away, and no place was found for them."
We know that the One on the throne is Jesus, because it was at Jesus presence that that earth and heaven fled away. John continues in verse 12;
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead
were judged from the things that were written in the books, according to their deeds."
If you notice, there are two groups of books here. There are books and then 'another book'. Then it
says that the dead would be judged by their deeds that are recorded in the 'books'. It did not mention any judgment pertaining to the book, which is the book of life. This is because the book of life holds the names of all those who chose to choose Jesus for the gaining of eternal life, becoming a New Creation. In the gospel of John Chapter 3, verses 17 and 18, it follows what we read above about the promise of eternal life, with this;
(17)"For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the
world should be saved through Him.(18) He who believes in Him is not judged; he
who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God."
So we have the two different groups. Those who chose to be saved and those who refused to be saved. When we read about the books that were opened and the dead were judged according to the things that were written in them, we must note that this does not include the New Creations because they are no longer dead. They participated in the first resurrection and are alive. Remember, those who participated in the first resurrection are blessed because over them the second death has no power. The second death is the death of the eternal death soul. John continues in Revelation Chapter 20, verse 13, with this;
"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the
dead which were in them; and they were judged, everyone of them according to
their deeds."
Hades is the holding place for all the souls of people that refused to receive the gift of eternal life that comes with choosing what Jesus did for them. Jesus is the Light of the world. When a person comes to Jesus, it is like bringing with you all the things recorded in your life that you did in this earthly body on film. When it is exposed to the Light, the film is over exposed and there is nothing showing on the film. That is why it says this in Paul's letter to the Romans in Chapter 8, verses 1 and2;
(1)"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.(2) For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and
death."
The prophet Isaiah writes this in his 1st Chapter, verse 18;
"Come now and let us reason together, Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as
scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they
will be like wool."
Jesus looks at our sins through His shed blood. If you look at anything red through a piece of red glass, the red looks white. It is the shed blood of Jesus that makes our red sin, white and cleansed, because we are under the covering of His blood. There is nothing to see. Nothing recorded. No condemnation.
In contrast, all those who remain in the darkness all their deeds are recorded on the film where it is developed in the darkroom for all to see. Therefore they are recorded in the books. Everything that they have done will be exposed for all to see. John concludes Chapter 20 with this in verses 14 and15;
"And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire.(15) And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire.
As difficult as man has made religion, the simple truth comes down to this, accept Jesus and live, or reject Jesus and accept the consequences of doing so.
2nd Peter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
May Jesus grant you the wisdom and understanding to see His will.
"But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in
the day that you eat from it, 'you shall surely die'."
They did eat from the tree, but they did not die, or did they. Something died. Before they ate of the tree, they were living beings that had living souls that had eternal life. After they ate from the tree they were still living eternal beings, but the life part was gone. Because of their rebellion, they surrendered the part of themselves that had the existence of eternal life. They ceased from having living souls and became fallen beings who no longer had living souls with the life of God in them. God in His eternal life nature could not create anything that did not have eternal life. So without having to create such a being, they now were coming into existence though the now fallen beings, Adam and Eve. This was God's plan before the foundation of the world. God, knowing all, knew that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree and become fallen beings. Therefore it was God's plan to have fallen beings, but why? God was doing a new thing. Every being that had come into existence, was spoken into existence through God. They had no choice. This is why the angels that fell, did not appreciate their Creator. They took Him for granted and followed after their own lust and desires. Their result was that they became fallen angels, known as demons. They surrendered the life part of themselves and now were destined for eternal death.
With Adam and Eve now existing in a fallen state, God now had the vehicle in which He could do a new thing. There would now come into existence fallen men with empty lifeless souls. He allowed this because in these empty souls, He would make a New Creation. One that would come into existence by choosing Him and the Life He offers. Therefore we have the gospel of Jesus. God Himself, at the proper time, would come in the likeness of man, Jesus. He would allow Himself to be the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of the fallen nature, sin. With Jesus dying on the cross, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, He would unlock man's heart (Soul) door. Then any who would invite Him into their dead soul, He would come in and give their dead soul life, for He would become their life. Every man is born with a dead and empty soul. Jesus came to give the soul life to anyone who would choose Him. This is the difference between the angels that were spoken into existence verse the New Creation that would come into existence by choosing to be with Him. In the gospel of John in Chapter 3, verse 16, it is summed up in this;
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
There will be just two things that will determine a person destiny. Did they choose Jesus and receive His gift of eternal life or did they refuse the offer of eternal life and stay in a fallen state with eternal darkness in their soul. An eternal soul without the life, cannot live in the eternal presence of the Life and must go where all darkness will be retained forever in the lake of fire..John writes this in Chapter 20, verse 11;
"And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face earth and
heaven fled away, and no place was found for them."
We know that the One on the throne is Jesus, because it was at Jesus presence that that earth and heaven fled away. John continues in verse 12;
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead
were judged from the things that were written in the books, according to their deeds."
If you notice, there are two groups of books here. There are books and then 'another book'. Then it
says that the dead would be judged by their deeds that are recorded in the 'books'. It did not mention any judgment pertaining to the book, which is the book of life. This is because the book of life holds the names of all those who chose to choose Jesus for the gaining of eternal life, becoming a New Creation. In the gospel of John Chapter 3, verses 17 and 18, it follows what we read above about the promise of eternal life, with this;
(17)"For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the
world should be saved through Him.(18) He who believes in Him is not judged; he
who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God."
So we have the two different groups. Those who chose to be saved and those who refused to be saved. When we read about the books that were opened and the dead were judged according to the things that were written in them, we must note that this does not include the New Creations because they are no longer dead. They participated in the first resurrection and are alive. Remember, those who participated in the first resurrection are blessed because over them the second death has no power. The second death is the death of the eternal death soul. John continues in Revelation Chapter 20, verse 13, with this;
"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the
dead which were in them; and they were judged, everyone of them according to
their deeds."
Hades is the holding place for all the souls of people that refused to receive the gift of eternal life that comes with choosing what Jesus did for them. Jesus is the Light of the world. When a person comes to Jesus, it is like bringing with you all the things recorded in your life that you did in this earthly body on film. When it is exposed to the Light, the film is over exposed and there is nothing showing on the film. That is why it says this in Paul's letter to the Romans in Chapter 8, verses 1 and2;
(1)"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.(2) For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and
death."
The prophet Isaiah writes this in his 1st Chapter, verse 18;
"Come now and let us reason together, Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as
scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they
will be like wool."
Jesus looks at our sins through His shed blood. If you look at anything red through a piece of red glass, the red looks white. It is the shed blood of Jesus that makes our red sin, white and cleansed, because we are under the covering of His blood. There is nothing to see. Nothing recorded. No condemnation.
In contrast, all those who remain in the darkness all their deeds are recorded on the film where it is developed in the darkroom for all to see. Therefore they are recorded in the books. Everything that they have done will be exposed for all to see. John concludes Chapter 20 with this in verses 14 and15;
"And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire.(15) And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire.
As difficult as man has made religion, the simple truth comes down to this, accept Jesus and live, or reject Jesus and accept the consequences of doing so.
2nd Peter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
May Jesus grant you the wisdom and understanding to see His will.
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