Revelation chapter 21, verse 9 to 27.
On Sunday we'll finish the Book of Revelation chapter 22.
So we got part way through. So we're continuing on in
Revelation 21 tonight it says and the title of tonight
actually is heaven the reality. You know, when you when you try
and explain something that doesn't exist, it's pretty hard,
isn't it? It's kind of like, well, you
know, I think it's kind of round or might be a bit long.
I'm not sure the colour because it doesn't exist.
When when something exists and you explain it, you give the
detail. Well, we get the detail tonight
because heaven is the reality. Verse 9, then one of the seven
angels who had the seven bowls. So he he has two jobs.
He was pouring out bowl judgements during the
tribulation period. Seven years has passed, 1000
years has passed the millennial reign.
Now it's at the end of that God says I've got another job for
you. Show this to John.
So one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with
the seven last plagues, came to me and talked with me.
This is John saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the
Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the
spirit to a great and high mountain, showed me the great
city. Remember, the New Jerusalem is
called the Bride as well. Why?
Because the inhabitants we, we, we're the inhabitants of it.
It's where the bride lives. It's called the bride.
It's the new Jerusalem. But that's why the terminology
terminology is, is linked the same way.
I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.
He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
showed me the great city of the holy Jerusalem.
This is the new Jerusalem descending out of heaven from
God. And so here is this, and we
often think of it as a, a round kind of like moon, like another
moon coming out of heaven and at about to lodge on land on Earth.
But it's not, it's not round like a moon at all, but it is
another satellite. In that sense.
It comes down like a satellite. And we know first of all that
Peter is not at the gate checking people as they come in
as always people say, well, I heard the one about Peter
Torkins. And so and so, you know, we
noticed, we saw also that when believers go to heaven and you
know, it's sad when many Australians, and I've done a lot
of funerals and many Australians, it just bites me
and I bite my tongue. I don't say anything.
And people say, well, so and so he's there.
Now he's an Angel, or now she's an Angel.
We don't become angels. When believers arrive in heaven,
they do not become angels. Put on wings, strum, harps
around the clouds. No heaven.
The New Jerusalem is a real place, and we go there as real
people in real bodies. 1 Corinthians 15 change bodies.
We are able to recognise one another.
There was a song remember Will you see Me or Will you know me
in heaven? When?
Who was that? Eric Clapton.
His young little boy was being babysat and fell off a tall
building and died until he wrote this song.
It's heartbreaking. It's played at a lot of Funeral
services. Will you know me in heaven?
You know well, we will know one another in heaven.
We will be similar and the same When Jesus rose from the dead on
on the third day and then he appeared to his disciples, then
go. They didn't go.
Who are you? They didn't go.
You know, he said, hey, it's me. Look.
Oh yeah, it isn't. It's the Lord and the beautiful
thing about heaven, this new Jerusalem, because it's a real
place. You'll feel like I'm, you know,
when you whenever you travel. And I don't like travelling at
all. I think it's a it's not, not
what people say it is. There's something about coming
home. You come home, it's home.
It's real. In Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 8,
Speaking of the faith of Abraham, the Romans chapter 4
tells us that Abraham is the father of our faith.
That means he is the one who remember he first believed in
God by faith. He was kind of righteous by by
by faith. It says by faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out to the place where he would receive
an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he
was going. He stepped out in faith.
By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country.
Abraham never owned a home. He was always in a tent.
Remember that dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise, the same promise to dad.
Why? For Abraham waited for the city,
an actual city which has foundations.
Why would that? Why would Abraham speak about
foundations? Because the city has foundations
whose builder and maker is God. So Abraham and Hebrews Chapter
11 is Speaking of our home, the new Jerusalem.
John is on the island of Pat Moss.
He's in his late 90s. An Angel appears to him.
He's in a vision. John gets a tour guide of the
New Jerusalem by this Angel. He's taken to a high mountain on
the island of Patmos. And there John begins to write
down exactly what he sees with this city, the New Jerusalem.
The word city in relation to the New Jerusalem is mentioned 11
times here. So that we get to know we're not
talking about some sort of like gooey sort of thing or some sort
of like a pasture or, you know, think of a happy place.
It's, it's beyond that. This is this is tangible.
This is real. Foundations will read.
And I won't go and jump too far ahead.
But it's a city. It's not it's not heaven.
There's more of heaven and more of earth.
This is the city New Jerusalem. It's part of heaven, but it's
the new Jerusalem. And it says in verse 11, having
the glory of God, John sees the city.
It's dazzling. Her light was like a most
precious stone, John thinks, kind of like a like a Jasper
stone, clear as crystal. So John now attempts to describe
and write down what he sees, the glory and the wonder that glows
as he sees. And he attempts to describe to
you and I, the readers of Revelation, the new Jerusalem.
Firstly, the city has the glory of God in it.
That's why it's dazzling. God's glory radiates, radiates
throughout this city, and it dazzles in its illumination.
John says this the city, it glows like a precious stone.
It dazzles with the light. Now Jasper, clear as crystal,
indicates it's great beauty. However, it is evident that the
beauty of the stone John uses is beyond what we see in our Jasper
today because Jasper today is opaque, not clear.
So today John is describing the New Jerusalem, the city, as a
beautiful cut diamond. You know, you see diamonds and,
and they, they just dazzle, you know?
Yeah. A diamond was a stone not known
in the 1st century. So John thinks of the stone that
was closest to the Jasper stone, but it's actually glowing,
radiant, just dazzling with all the chasms or the things that
that just fly off from a diamond.
And in verse 12 it says also she had great and high wall with 12
gates. 12 is the number of government and 12 angels at the
gates and names written on them. The gates which are the names of
the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. 3 gates on the E, 3
gates on the N, 3 gates on the South, 3 gates on the West.
If you go back to the Exodus, you'll find out very interesting
how this lays out with how the tribes were also laid out during
that time in the Exodus. So this is the place, as John
describes it initially hit with gates and walls, angels and the
number of gates. This is the place that Jesus
said to his disciples, I go to prepare a place, an actual place
for you. 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 may be also.
That's what this is. This is where we're going.
It has high walls, 12 gates, 12 angels.
The gates are each inscribed with the name.
Notice the 12 tribes of Israel. Now at this moment we look at
our world. We see that everyone is against
Israel, even Australia, at least the government of Australia, 34%
voted in our current government. Satan and this fallen world
since the book of Genesis, the beginning, Genesis 3 has
continually tried to eliminate, not just move on, not just
shift, but to eliminate another word, annihilate.
We're talking earlier. Some of you talk about the book
of Esther. There we go back.
Hitler's final solution was not just to move the Jews, it was to
annihilate them. Eliminate Hamas, the PLO,
Hezbollah. Their catch cries are still the
elimination. They're not interested in two
states. Now our Prime Minister seems to
think that it's OK, and I find that weird because the land that
the world says is occupied by Israel is actually Judea and
Samaria. God gave it to Israel, so you
can't occupy that which is yours.
Secondly, Can you imagine another country, say the United
States saying to Australia, you know what, across the shore,
Indonesia, 199 million Muslims, people struggling, they don't
have enough room. WA should be part of Indonesia,
as is half of New Guinea. And that should make it right.
You guys need to give over the land that you're occupying.
You go, yeah, sure. And that's, that's the the
narrative currently of our government saying to a country,
you need to surrender up your part.
Secondly, to be a two part place, you're going to allow
those who want you eliminated next door.
It's just it's well, it's beyond foolish, It's satanic.
That's what it is. So Satan, this fallen world has
continually tried to eliminate from the face of the earth the
nation and people of Israel, not just move them on, not just
shift them, not just change the way that what they do, eliminate
them, annihilate them. But we see here, and this is
what I love about the Bible, especially the end of the Bible,
we see here that all their wicked and foolish attempts will
come to nothing and instead God gives the 12 tribes, the people
of Israel, a place of honour in the New Jerusalem in
recognition. They are His chosen people.
They always will be. God's Old Testament covenant
stands the test of time and it will stand.
Politicians and governments in the UN can say all that they
like, but in Genesis chapter 12, God said this.
I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your
name great, and you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you.
I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 17, verse 7, God said to
Abraham, and I will establish my covenant.
This is my agreement. Abraham, it's all God between me
and you and your descendants after you in their generations.
Just so we know, it's still Israel.
So people say, Oh well, no, Israel's finished and they have
this replacement theology now. It's the church.
The church has taken the spot of Israel.
No, it hasn't. The Bible, God doesn't break his
covenants and your descendants after you in their generations
for an everlasting covenant. How long, devil lasting?
I think that's forever, isn't it?
To be God to you and your descendants after you.
He just says it again, just by the way, and all those that
follow after you. So now verse 14, the wall of the
city had 12 foundations, and on them were the names of the 12
apostles. So the gates are named the 12
tribes. Now the walls, the foundations
12 have the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.
And he who talked with me had a gold Reed to measure the city.
He went down to Bunnings and said, I'll have a gold Reed,
just slide rule and I'm going to measure the city.
It's gates and it's walled. Why are we told this?
You know, why are we told this? And he had a measuring thing and
he was going to go down and why, why?
Who's interested in that? Because God's trying to let you
know this is real. This is not just some cloud,
some, some, you know, some stuff in the heaven.
This is a real place, real walls, real gates, real
foundations. But why are there gates in the
New Jerusalem? That's a good question.
Because gates were always in the cities built, so they opened
during the day and then closed at the night to stop all the
enemies and, you know, wild animals coming in.
People could live safe. Well, firstly, these gates,
we're told she'll never be closed.
And that tells us of the safety and security that once was an
issue in a fallen world that no longer exists.
Aren't you looking to a place where you are safe?
The gates speak of how we also, as the citizens of the New
Jerusalem, will go in and out. Why are we going to go in?
Because we're not just going to. The other day is hanging around
the water fountain drinking everlasting water.
No, no, we go in and out because we're we're busy.
We're going out to the new earth.
We're going out to the new heavens and, and, and going out
to other parts of the universe that have been created, but
especially to the new world that's been created, new
heavens, new earth, looking, working, serving.
Because Jesus said right at the beginning, he said, I am the
door. If anyone enters by me, you'll
be saved. We'll go in and out and find
pastor. So we're going to, we're going
to be in the New Jerusalem, but not just parked there.
Oh, and we're stuck in this place.
We're going to be going in and out, in and out.
I love that verse 14 reminds us that the New Testament church
has been built on the foundation of the apostles.
A lot of churches say, you know what, we've had this.
There's a new thing that God's doing.
No, he's not. No, he's not.
If it's new, it's not true. If it's true, it's not new.
In Ephesians chapter 2, verse 20, it says having been built on
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole
building it's talking about, the church being fit together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built
together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Beware of the new stuff. No, you don't need the new
stuff. You need to know the true stuff.
The walls have 12 foundations inscribed with the names of the
12 apostles. Verse 16.
The city is laid out as a square.
Its length is as great as its breadth and its height.
And he measured the city with the Reed 12,000 furlongs.
And usually we've only heard furlongs when we you go to the
horse races. It's length, breadth and height,
just so we know are equal. It's a cube.
Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits, according to the measure
of a man that is of an Angel. So the New Jerusalem is a city
that's an enormous cube. It is 2414 kilometres cubed.
That is the distance from Canada to Mexico.
This is just the city. It's 3/4 of the United States.
That's just New Jerusalem. The ground level alone.
Remember, it's length, breadth and height are all the same.
The ground level alone, just the bottom floor, will be 5,179,976
square kilometres alone. It's 40 times larger than
England. It's 10 times as big as France.
That's just the ground level. It's 600,000 storeys high.
That's going to be a pretty good lift, isn't it?
Top 4, 600,000 stories. Now the wall that's around the
city is 65 metres. Now this Chapel is 9 metres.
So the wall is 65 metres. You go, Well, that's pretty
tall. No, not when you compare it to
the city. It's really like a retaining
wall around this massive, massive city.
And compared to the height of the city, the New Jerusalem, as
I said, is a perfect cube. And it's interesting that in
Solomon's temple, when Solomon built the temple, that the Holy
of Holies was also a perfect cube.
Why? That's where God dwelt.
New Jerusalem is a perfect cube because it's where God dwells,
where you and I, you and I will live in the largest Holy of
Holies, in the presence of the Lord.
Verse 18. The construction of its wall was
of Jasper. The city was pure gold, like
clear glass. The foundations of the wall of
the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones.
The first foundation was Jasper, the second Sapphire, the third
Chalcedonia, the 4th Emerald, the 5th Sardonics, the 6th
Sardius, the 7th Crystalite, the 8th Barrel, the 9th Topaz, the
10th Christoph Praise, the 11th Jacenth and the 12th Amethyst.
You know, it's dazzling. But you see, here's the deal.
People go, you know, we're not interested.
We're going to go there. It's kind of like, it's nice,
but why are we there? And people go, well, Streets of
Paper, we're not going to go Wow, Wow, Wow.
No, I don't. At least I don't think I am.
My Wow will be the Lord. That's the Lord because his
light dazzles everything. The 12 gates were 12 pearls.
Now we're told this. Each individual gate was of 1
pill. That's a big poocher.
And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent
glass. It's funny because people will
lose their their faith, they will walk out on God because of
the treasures of this world and in heaven you walk on those
things. Now verse 22, I saw no temple in
it for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are a temple.
So why is there no temple? There's your answer.
Why does it say this to the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are
its temple. The city had no need of the sun
or of the moon to shine in it. Now we can be picky here.
We could say, well, appearing by context here doesn't mean that
there's no sun or no moon. It's still there.
But the glory of God illumines that.
Their lights colour. You don't even notice.
For the glory of God illuminated the Lamb is its light.
Now speaks of the nations of the earth, and the nations of those
who were saved shall walk in its light.
Notice the interaction here. The kings of the earth bring
their glory and honour into it. It's gates shall not be shut at
all by day, while there'll be no night there, he says.
And they, they shall bring the glory and the honour of the
nations into it. Says there's there's this
interaction between the New Jerusalem, the church and and
the earth, those on the earth. But there shall be by no means
into it anything that defiles or causes an abomination.
Remember we learned on Sunday, abomination was any wicked
thought, deed, action, anything or a lie.
Only the truth, but only those who are written in the Lamb's
Book of Life will be in the New Jerusalem.
There'll be no temple in the New Jerusalem, since God himself
will be the temple. Remember back it says, and I
will dwell with you. I will Tabernacle with you.
I'll be your God and you will be my people.
Remember, we've gone through all the stages of the the tent of
meeting in Solomon's Temple. Then so on and so on and so
forth. But now we are immersed in the
glory and the wonder. One day a year, remember, the
high priest could go into the Holy of Holies only after the
Lamb had been slaughtered, covered with blood, shed the
blood. A rope was tying around his leg,
bells around his gown, and the outside.
The other priests heard the bell, stopped.
They would drag out the dead body of the high priest.
Now we're in the presence of the Lord, we worship God face to
face. That's why there's no, there's
no temple. We're, we're, we're, we're,
we're in the glory and wonder of God.
Verse 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk
in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their
glory and honour into it. The word nations there
translates also in the Hebrew or in the Greek to peoples and the
peoples we will have one language instead of the now 6500
spoken today. You see, you remember God is is
turning back recreating. Remember we had one language at
the beginning. And then the man said, well,
let's Genesis 11, let's middle tower.
Let's let's stay here. We're not going to go out and
you know, let's just do our own thing and God came down, said
no, that's not good battle. Confusion came.
Well, that's all over now. We'll speak with one language.
It's going to be Australian. I can sure going out to Saint
Peter and Daniel and you walk up there.
Peter, good day, I'm Noah, good day.
How are you good mate? And so that's just my thing on
the language that we'll speak. Nothing evil, wicked or
untruthful will be in the New Jerusalem.
This is our hearts desire. This is what sits on us when
we're going through terrible times.
You're sitting in a an intensive care unit waiting room and
you're there and things of tragedies happen.
You've lost a loved one. Bad news has come and you just
wish you a way. You wish this had never
happened. You see heaven, heaven is far
more. It's going to be absolutely
amazing. That's why we'll have a greater
capacity, new body to to speak and express ourselves.
We're so limited at this moment, but only in this New Jerusalem,
only people allowed in. The only citizens who will live
in the New Jerusalem are those whose names are written in the
Lamb's Book of Life. You have to ask yourself, is my
name in the Lamb's Book of Life? Well, how do I know that?
How do I know it's not in there? How do I know?
Well, simple, receive Jesus Christ, confess your sins,
realise you're a Sinner, believe that Jesus died on the cross for
you, that God sent his Son for God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten Son, That whosoever believes in him should
not perish but have an everlasting life.
That we are all sinners. We need saving.
The Saviour came, receive him as your Lord and Saviour and then
you'll realise and you'll know and your name will be in the
Lamb's book of life. It's the biggest decision that
anyone could ever make. In Psalm 16, as we close verse
11, the psalmist wrote, you will show me the the path of life.
And here's the wonder in your presence where we'll be in the
New Jerusalem is fullness of joy.
You know, some people have lived sad, battered lives upon this
planet. Well, in the New Jerusalem,
you'll experience the fullness of joy.
No more tears. And then it says at your right
hand are pleasures. But they don't just stop there.
And your right hand are pleasures.
It says at your right hand are pleasures.
How long? Forever More.
That's why eternity is just staggering.
That's why when a believer goes and when a believer knows my
body is finished. I know my time is short.
I'm coming to the end. You're on your deathbed.
Ha, these thoughts you're, you're, it's like boarding a
plane first class for the first time.
You go into a place that and it's all expenses paid.
You just can't wait to get there.
You can't wait to get there. You see, we have this hope.
We look forward to him to return, but what we have to is
we have to get as many people to join us on that journey.
That's why we're here. That's why you don't get saved
and then God just takes you home.
You're here for a purpose. You're the only Christian in
your family. Maybe not even children are
believers. Maybe your grandfather's not a
believer. Maybe you work colleague.
You're here on a mission, and the mission is to get as many
people to join you to the New Jerusalem.