SLIDE 1 A dying man asked his
Christian physician to tell him something about the next life. The doctor fumbled for a reply, when he heard a
scratching at the door. "Do you hear that?" he asked his patient.
"It's my dog. I left him outside. He
has no notion what is inside this door, but he knows that I am here. Isn't
it the same with you? You don't know
what lies beyond the Door, but you know that your Master is there." A.M. Hunter, Christian
Theology in Plain Language, p. 208.
While
teaching Randy Alcorn’s “Heaven” an older lady firmly stated, “No one can know
what heaven is like.”
Sisters the last two chapters of Revelation is all we need to know. PRAY
Sisters the last two chapters of Revelation is all we need to know. PRAY
SLIDE 2 Revelation Chapter 21 New Heaven and New Earth
·
Where is your home?
·
God is into
details?
Heaven is my home.
Heaven is my home.
As beautiful and
thrilling it will be to be present at the wedding feast of the lamb, there will
be an unexplainable joy when we behold the Holy City, New Jerusalem.
SLIDE 3 Warren
Wiersbe says “Human history began in a garden and ends in a city like a garden
paradise.” He developed a chart comparing the creation in Genesis and the
recreation in Revelation.
Genesis
|
Revelation
|
Heavens and earth created, 1:1 Sun created, 1:16 The night established, 1:5 The seas created, 1:10 The curse announced, 3:14—17 Death enters history, 3:19 Man driven from the tree, 3:24 Sorrow and pain begin, 3:17 17 |
New heavens
and earth, 21:1
No need of the sun, 21:23 No night there, 22:5 No more seas, 21:1 No more curse, 22:3 No more death, 21:4 Man restored to paradise, 22:14 No more tears or pain, 21:4 |
The exciting thing in the New Jerusalem is what will be missing. No more evil,
wickedness, nor greed. No more fear nor curse nor death. No more pain, nor
tears, nor sorrow.
SLIDE 4 Then I saw
a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and the sea was no more. As John watched2 And I saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The saints referred to in 19:7-8 will inhabit the New
Jerusalem. The Holy city and the citizens will share the Lamb’s eternal love. All
believers will abide in this eternal home for God’s people not only the church,
but all redeemed people from all ages. John describes it as a holy city, a
prepared city (John 14:1-6) and a beautiful city.
*A tourist was visiting a village
priest, as the man looked around the sparse furnishing in the humble abode he
ask the man of God, “Where is your furniture?” The old priest replied, “Well, where is your
furniture?” he man stuttered and spouted, “I’m just a visitor I am just
travelling through.” The holy man smiled and nodded his head. “Me too!” Ladies
Heaven is my home.
http://www.heavenquestions.com/oceans_in_Heaven_.html.
SLIDE 5 3 "Behold,
the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will
be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
Wiersbe says the Bible records the dwelling places of God.
·
God walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.
SLIDE 6 Hebrews
11:10 Abraham… was looking
forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
God gave to Moses the
exact dimensions and details to build in the desert tabernacle where His glory
could reside.
SLIDE 7 Later
Solomon and Herod completed elaborate temples to worship and give honor to the LORD. In both place the veil stood between men and God. When
Israel sinned God departed from those dwellings.
·
John 1:14 says “the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” God’s plan for our salvation from
Creation.
SLIDE 8 At the exact moment that Christ died, the
veil was torn from top to bottom to permit our access to a holy, unapproachable
God. No more blood sacrifices to pay for sin. No more priests to intercede.
Jesus was the perfect sacrificial lamb. His blood was the price, paid in full
for you and me. For every sin-past, present, and future, we are redeemed,
justified, and sanctified. Jesus Christ is our advocate seated at the right
hand of God making intercession.
On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to live in the
bodies of His disciples. Today God does not live in manmade temples, but in us.
1 Cor. 6:19 “your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,” If you received the Holy
Spirit He will fill you up to overflowing. Release all your bitterness, fear,
and pain. Let Him fill you with joy, unspeakable joy, love overflowing on
everyone you meet, and peace that passes all understanding.
SLIDE 9 But on that Day we shall behold Him in all His
glory face to face bow at His feet unable to speak. His majesty will render us
speechless, joy bubbly over. Heaven is my home.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and
death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain
anymore, for the former things have passed away."
Glory what a day that will be I can only imagine when His
face I see.
SLIDE 10 Why did God create a new heaven? Remember when
Lucifer was an angel; when the devil appeared before the throne to accuse Job.
The angels constantly battle in the heavenly. God will make all things new.
There is no place for satan or his angels.
Rev.21:27
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is
detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
SLIDE 11 5And he who was seated on the
throne said, "Behold,
I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down,
for these words are trustworthy and true."
In life we have all been deceived or cheated by salesmen or
contractors. We can be disappointed in family or friends. But Christ Jesus can
be trusted He is truth, he never disappoints, and He will never leave us or
forsake us.
SLIDE 12 NO SEAS In Genesis the seas became a
barrier separating what we now know to be continents, dividing the nations of
man. John was on an island surrounded by water, separated from other
Christians and loved ones.
On the new earth, it there will be no sea because the earth will be restored to
its original splendor. 64 There will be no more seas but that does not mean
there is no water for the River of
Life flows from the throne of God. Chapter 22:1
6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the
spring of the water of life without payment. What a glorious promise. Heaven is my eternal
home.
SLIDE 13 Twelves
in the Bible
Depending on the version of the Bible, you can find reference
to the number 12 over 164 times in KJV. Twelve times in Joshua: you may
remember our study with the mounds of 12 rocks and ten times in Revelation.The
number twelve seems to be very important to God and it represents, in most
cases, the number of perfection and authority.
CLICK on each BULLET
§ Think of
the twelve sons of Jacob becoming the twelve tribes of Israel.
§ There were
12 spies sent into the land of Canaan.
§ Joshua
choose 12 men from the 12 tribes who carried 12 stones from the middle of the
Jordan to build a monument to the Lord (Joshua 4:3).
§ The high
priest’s breastplate had 12 precious stones embedded within them.
§ There are
12 Minor Prophets in the Old Testament.
§ There are
12 historical books in the Bible.
§ Jesus chooses
twelve disciples. In the Bible as this number also signified governmental rule
or authority.
- In
Revelation 7, twelve thousands from each of the 12 tribes of Israel will be saved near the end of the present
world system.
- Twelve
thousand will be taken from the earth so that they may serve the Lamb of
God, Jesus Christ (Rev 14:1-5)
SLIDE 14 There
are an abundance of 12’s in Chapter 21
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high
mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from
God,11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel,
like a jasper, clear as crystal.
SLIDE 15 12 It had a great, high wall,
with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names
of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed---13 on
the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and
on the west three gates. I can’t wait to be home in heaven.
SLIDE 16 21:15-16 And the one who spoke with
me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its
width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and
width and height are equal
The city lies foursquare meaning the city is a cube.. The
size of this city indicates that each border is approximately fifteen hundred miles long. Thus the
dimensions of the city would be equal to the area of the United States from the
North Carolina to Colorado across one side and from the Canadian border to the
southern tip of Florida on the other. In addition to the length and breadth,
the city will be fifteen hundred miles high. This great size will afford
sufficient space for the habitation of the saints from all ages of history.
http://www.discoverrevelation.com/Rev_21.html
SLIDE 17 The wall
was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.19 The
foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The
first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,20
the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, 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 of
the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold,
transparent as glass.
Twelve brilliantly colored gemstones will reflect the shining
radiance of God's glory into a spectrum of beautiful colors that will flash
from New Jerusalem throughout the re-created universe.
SLIDE 18 23 And I saw no temple in the city, for its
temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.23 And the city has
no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and
its lamp is the Lamb.24 By its light will the nations walk, and the
kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day---and there
will be no night there.
There is no temple in
heaven because God will be with us. No need for sacrifices in the temple
because Christ was the supreme sacrifice
that redeemed all from their sins forever.
Until then
ladies we must be light in the world. We must reflect His light through our love
to others. Do not hide your light under a bushel but go out tomorrow and shine,
shine, shine.
SLIDE 19 Will you choose heaven for your
eternal home?