the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation chapter 21. You can turn there. Certainly they had a funeral service for her on the 9th. I just thought in light of her passing, it would be good to remind ourselves not only of what she presently enjoys, but what God has laid up for his people in the eschaton, in the latter age and the age to come.

So I wanna read Revelation 21, I'll read to 20 to five, it's not that long. And our focus will be Revelation 21, one to eight. So beginning in verse one, Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then he who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.

And he said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bulls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, 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, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

Also, she had a great and high wall with 12 gates and 12 angels at the gates and names written on them, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. Three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south and three gates on the west. Now, the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

The city is laid out as a square. Its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, 12,000 furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper, and 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, chalcedony, the fourth, emerald, the fifth, sardonyx, the sixth, sardius, the seventh, chrysolite, the eighth, beryl, the ninth, topaz, the tenth, chrysoprase, the eleventh, jacenth, and the twelfth, amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each individual gate was of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. But I saw no temple in it, for 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, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light, and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it.

Its gates shall not be shut at all by day, there shall be no night there, and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. but there shall by no means enter at anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street and on either side of the river was the tree of life, which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever.

Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for this wonderful description of the new heaven and the new earth. Thank you for this temple city that descends from heaven, this new Jerusalem.

God, encourage us as we move our way through this passage of Holy Scripture, not only in light of the death of our dear sister, but in light of the impending reality of our coming death. It is appointed unto men once to die, and then comes judgment. And how we thank you that because of the provision given to us in and through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will be able to stand before God Most High in judgment. We will hear, enter into the joy of your rest.

We will hear most blessed and wonderful things. And God in heaven, may this indeed encourage us in this lower world. Strengthen us now, bless our time together. Again, forgive us for all sin and guide us by your spirit.

And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Introduction and Structural Overview

Well, as we come to this particular section, I would suggest that this is a unit. So from chapter 21, verse 1, to chapter 22, verse 5, it is one unit. You have the vision of the new heaven and the new earth here in chapter 21 at verses 1 to 8, and then the description of the temple city of God in 21.9 to 22.5. The specific elements of the vision mentioned in chapter 21 verses 1 to 8 are further developed later in 21.9 to 22.5.

The New Jerusalem of 21.2 is described in 21.9 to 21. The truth that God dwells with man, as stated in verse 3 of chapter 21, is amplified in verses 22 to 27. And the renewal of heaven and earth spoken of in verse 5a is developed ultimately in chapter 22, verses 1 to 5. So it holds together, it ties together, but for the sake of time, as I said, we'll just take up those first eight verses.

As well, there is a contrast. between what we have here in chapter 21 verses 1 to 8 and what was previous in chapter 20 at verses 11 to 15. There you have the consignment of the wicked into everlasting fire at the great white throne judgment. If you notice in chapter 20 at verse 14, then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So there is a marked contrast between the destiny of the unrighteous and the destiny of the righteous.

New Heaven and New Earth Introduced

So let's look at the new heaven and the new earth under four considerations. First, the new heaven and the new earth introduced in verse 1. Secondly, the bride prepared for her husband in verse 2. Third, the announcement of blessing in verses 3 to 4, and then finally the voice from the throne in verses 5 to 8.

Now, some of you, all of you perhaps will know that there's various ways of interpreting the book of Revelation. I'm going to probably share mine with you, but whatever I say, it doesn't have to bind your conscience, but rather it is simply the rationale for why I interpret certain things in this section the way that I do. it doesn't ultimately deter or affect the end result. God has in store for his people wonderful and glorious things. No matter how we come to the book of Revelation, no matter how we interpret, I don't think I should be that broad.

I would suggest the orthodox options are best applied when it comes to the interpretation of the book of Revelation. But however we look at what's going on, we have to all affirm that God has laid up for us wonderful things in the age to come. So let's look first at the new heaven and the new earth. Notice in verse one, now I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.

Also, there was no more sea. Now, in the Bible, we see in terms of a broad approach to eschatology, the word eschatology simply means the study of or the doctrine of last things. So when we talk about eschatology, the broad sort of marks of it in the New Testament, there's a distinction between this age and the age to come. Jesus refers to that in Matthew chapter 12 at verse 32 and the Apostle Paul does in Ephesians 1 verse 21.

So there's this age, this age that we are presently involved in and then the age to come. This deals with the age to come. Though having said that, elements of the age to come have broken in upon us in terms of new covenant blessing, in terms of new covenant fulfillment, in terms of the good things that God has for us. When he mentions that there was no more sea, in the book of Revelation, and also in the prophets of the Old Testament, the sea at times, not always, the sea was created by God, and it's good, but at times, it represents either chaos, or it represents rebellion against God, and in some senses, it represents Gentiles.

And by Gentiles, I don't mean just non-Jews, but typically those who are not worshipers of the true and living God. So John points to this new heaven and new earth, and he says that there will be no more sea. The passing away of the first heaven and the first earth oftentimes cause people to think there's going to be a brand new heaven and a brand new earth. I don't take that particular position.

Again, some do, I'm not gonna condemn them, but I think what we're looking forward to is renovation. It's not a complete discontinuity where God blows up the old heaven, and he blows up the old earth, and he makes something brand new. In the book of Romans, in chapter 8, the apostle Paul indicates that not just man in sin, but the creation itself is in bondage, and the creation itself is yearning for that redemption. And I think the creation itself is yearning for what we find here in Revelation 21 in terms of a new heaven and a new earth.

The Bride Prepared for Her Husband

Now, notice secondly, in terms of the bride prepared for her husband. Verse 2, he says, Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Now brethren, here's where I take a particular interpretation of this passage. What the book of Revelation is about, as far as I can tell, is the divorce of apostate Israel, and it is the marriage of the church.

In other words, what we find in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, when Jesus prophesies concerning the destruction of the temple, that comes on the heels of a previous statement by our Lord where He says, Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Old Covenant Israel was apostate. Old Covenant Israel needed their temple cleansed at the initial beginning of Jesus' ministry and at the end. They had engaged in rebellion against the living and true God.

So Christ, as prophet, announces that He's going to take the kingdom from them and He's going to give it to a nation that will bear fruits consistent with it. That nation is the church. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. So using that imagery, then, I, John, saw the holy city, knew Jerusalem.

The contrast is with old Jerusalem. And if you go back to chapter 11 in the book of Revelation, I would suggest that this is a very helpful key to utilize in understanding the book of Revelation as a whole. Notice specifically in chapter 11 at verse 8. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

The Lord was crucified in Jerusalem. Spiritually referred to as Sodom because Sodom was apostate. Sodom was wicked. Sodom engaged in great sin and was cut off by God Almighty.

That's what first century Judaism had become. That's what apostate Israel had become. They had become the new Sodom. Later on, this language of great city is appended to Babylon.

Again, I think that's a reference to Jerusalem. And what John is saying in Revelation 21 to now that the great city of old has been cut off for their rebellion against the covenant God, the new Jerusalem, the people of God, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ have been incorporated into the covenant promises of God Almighty. And so what we have in this book is the divorce of apostate Israel and the marriage of the church. If you go back to Revelation chapter 19, notice specifically in verse seven, let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready.

And to her, it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. Then he said to me, Right, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. So John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

That preparation comes from God himself. It is the grace of God in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the proclamation of the truth, the belief in the truth by people such that God has now prepared them to be inhabitants of this new Jerusalem. And if this seems a bit odd, look at Galatians 4 in your own time.

The apostle makes a dichotomy between the Jerusalem that now is and the Jerusalem which is above, the mother of us all. As well in the book of Hebrews in chapter 12, you have not come to Sinai, but rather you have come to Zion. So what we have is the cutting off of apostate Israel and the marriage supper of Balaam. That doesn't mean that there's no Jews in the church.

If they believe the gospel, they repent of their sins, they receive all the blessings and the benefits that Christ has for his people. So the divorce of Israel, the marriage of the new Jerusalem.

The Announcement of Blessing

Now let's move on. Look thirdly at the announcement of blessing. Try to set the stage in terms of the interpretation. Now let's look at what God has for man.

Communion of God with Man

In the first place, communion with him. Look at verse 3a. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God dwelt with Adam and Eve in the garden.

That, my brothers and sisters, was a temple. God dwelt with his people in the tabernacle. After that sacrificial system was put in place, they made the sacrifice, the faithful went in, and they enjoyed the presence of God. When Solomon builds the temple, that Shekinah glory, again, representative of Yahweh of Israel, comes down and resides upon the temple.

God dwells ultimately with us in and through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word became flesh and did what? He dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. The Lord willing, if we all make it to next Sunday, the next section in John's gospel, I already alluded to it this morning.

This is the main point. Destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up. They say it took 46 years to build this temple and you're going to raise it up in three days? John the theologian tells us he was speaking about the temple of his body.

The temple existed, the tabernacle existed, typologically to point us forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we enter into that next age, look at what we find in 21-22. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. So the communion of God with man, we certainly enjoy that now.

One of the blessings that we find in the book of Revelation in chapter one is that Christ is found in the midst of the lampstands. And John interprets the image for us. The lampstand is the church. So Christ is in the midst of the church.

We see God present with his people in this new covenant setting. Go back to Ephesians chapter 2, where it's vividly displayed by the apostle in a keenly Trinitarian way. In Ephesians 2 at verse 19, Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. You Gentiles who at one time were not the people of God, you who at one time had no hope, You had no Christ, you had only the wrath of God and his fury awaiting you.

He says, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted 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." So it's no stretch to say that in public worship, when the people of God gather together, we go to the Father, through the Son, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. But brethren, what we have a taste of in terms of that age that is broken into us now is laid up or rather there is much more laid up in the future. Notice 21.3, I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God, the dwelling of God is with men and he will dwell with them. just like Adam and Eve communed with God in the cool of the day.

What you have in the Bible is a storyline. You have paradise lost in Genesis 1 to 3, forfeit by the first Adam. And then you have paradise restored in these latter chapters of the book of Revelation because of the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. What Adam failed to do, the Lord Christ is victorious and triumphant. such that we will be in the presence of God Most High.

Now brethren, this is the fulfillment of covenant blessing. We as Reformed believers like covenant. We as Reformed believers see covenant as the central architecture of the Bible. It's sort of the skeleton that holds it all together.

And with reference to the promise of God in the various covenants made, this is one of the chief features. I will be your God, and you shall be my people. Consider Leviticus 26, verses 11 and 12. I will set my tabernacle among you, and my soul shall not abhor you.

I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be my people. Jeremiah 31 33 I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people Ezekiel 37 26 to 27 Moreover, I will make a covenant to peace with them and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them I will establish them and multiply them and I will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore My tabernacle also shall be with them. Indeed. I will be their God and they shall be my people Brethren, as believers in Jesus Christ, isn't this the chief delight?

Isn't the having of God and us being halved by God the apex of covenant blessing? The reality that they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them? Their lawless deeds I will forgive. The reality that the law of God is internalized in their heart.

And we experience that now. In this age, we have tasted of the powers of the age to come. It breaks in because of God's grace, such that when we meet together with public worship, or when we read our Bibles, or when we pray, or when we engage in family altar, Can't we testify, perhaps not as much as we'd like to, but can't we testify that the nearness of God is my good? That's what the psalmist says in Psalm 73.

Brethren, the nearness of God is the best blessing the creature could receive. And while we get a foretaste now, and while we get blessed provision now, it's not what it's going to be. There's an already, but there's a not yet. And John points to this not yet reality for the encouragement of the people of God, for their strengthening in the faith, and for their perseverance.

And you will see how that functions as we move through the passage. The ultimate realization of this promise is in the new heaven and the new earth. Again, Revelation 21, 22, but I saw no temple in it for the Lord God almighty and the lamb are its temple. Revelation 22, three, and there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him.

So when he announces these blessings, we have the communion of God with man, it is reminiscent of the fulfillment of covenant blessing, but then

Removal of the Curse's Effects

notice the removal of the effects of the curse. You know, you've ever gone to some place where it's not only what's at that place that makes it good, but it's what's not at that place that makes it good, right? If you don't like a particular food item, for instance, you choose a restaurant where they don't have that particular food item. You go where they have what you want, and you find your blessing not only in the fact that you get what you want, but you're not having to deal with that which you don't want.

So in terms of the new heaven and the new earth, in terms of the new Jerusalem, it's not just the presence of God. Though, again, even to say it like that is feeling like a betrayer. It's not just the presence of God, but it's the removal of the effects of our sin. In Revelation 7, you see this great multitude assembled before the Lord God Most High, and they cry out, salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb who sits on the throne.

Well, they stand before Him day and night. They're not looking at their watches. They're not struggling to keep their eyes open. They are glorified in the presence of God, and therefore there's no sin, there's no distraction, there's nothing to hinder them, and they have access to God, and they worship and praise.

Look at what is not there in the New Jerusalem that ought to really encourage us. Look in the first place at verse 4. It says, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. You may cry a lot and you may not, but I think you get the point.

The idea is, is that God himself, look at the language, it's very conspicuous. When you as a parent see your child fall and then you come to minister to that child, specifically, that is a very special moment. You don't send him to the neighbor to get a band-aid to put on his knee. No, you as the parent function in that capacity of the healer.

And that just solidifies that bond between parent and child. Well, notice in our passage, God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Everything that has evoked tears, everything that has promoted that grief of spirit, everything that casts us down, every sorrow, every trouble, every trial, every travail and affliction, the Lord God Himself will wipe away those tears. Notice, secondly, the fact that there will be no more death.

Death is an abnormality, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God gave Adam a prohibition, and he appended to that a threat. The day that you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, dying you will die. And when Adam rebels against God, when Adam transgresses God, when Adam goes against God, he plunges his entire posterity into the pains of death.

And yet when we get to the new Jerusalem, we'll not get a call from our brother who said that his dear wife has passed away. When we enter into the new Jerusalem, the last enemy, according to 1 Corinthians 15, that Christ destroys is death itself. So it's not only what is there, but it's also what isn't there that is most encouraging for the people of God. Notice thirdly, there will be no more sorrow.

There'll be no crying. The sorts of things, again, that affect us in this lower world. Difficulties in family, difficulties in life, difficulties at work, difficulties in church, difficulties wherever we find ourselves. Those things that provoke in us, those things that evoke in us a sorrowful disposition.

You see it back in the Psalms with David. He talks to himself. He says, why aren't thou disquieted, O my soul? And then he encourages himself, hope thou in God.

But the reality is, brethren, is that the road to heaven is oftentimes paved with great affliction and great sorrow. But when we, by grace, enter into that new heaven and that new earth, when we enter into that new Jerusalem, when we are in the presence of God Most High, there will be no sorrow. There will be no sort of consternation. We won't have to check our watches and say, when is this going to end?

Isn't it beautiful? Newton put it this way, when we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. Brethren, we have everlasting life. We have eternal life.

What is held up here for the consideration of God's people in terms of what awaits them in that future state is not fleeting. It's not temporary. We're in this world for 80 or 90 or 100 years, and it seems like an eternity. but it's not, it's a drop in the bucket. The eternity that we are headed for is not one marked by sorrow, it's not marked by death, and it's not marked by tears.

And then notice the fact that there will be no more pain. No more pain. Why? For the former things have passed away.

See, in this renovated new heaven and new earth, when this new Jerusalem descends out of heaven, like a bride adorned for her husband, what enters in there is not sin. not the effects of sin, not the effects of the curse. We see that in chapter 22. There will be no more curse. In this sin-cursed world, there's hardship.

In this sin-cursed world, there's trial. In this sin-cursed world, there's death. But in that age to come, there will be no more of that.

Glimpse from Revelation 7

Turn back to Revelation 7 for just a moment to get another glimpse at this reality. Revelation chapter 7. specifically at verse 13. Then one of the elders answered saying to me, who are these arrayed in white robes and where did they come from? And I said to him, sir, you know.

So he said to me, these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Isn't that beautiful? We put in our dirty robes into the blood of the lamb and they come out white. They don't come out red, they come out white.

It is the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, that cleanses us from all sin. Verse 15, They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore.

I suppose that's a promise that our brethren in other countries appreciate more than we do. We can go to Superstore, we can go to Costco, we can go to Walmart, we can go to Savon. I'm not plugging any in particular. I'm simply saying we can go get food whenever or wherever we want it.

But brethren in Sudan, for instance, or Ethiopia, for instance, those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb probably read verse 16 in a way that you and I, or they appreciate it in a way that you and I don't. We can certainly appreciate Revelation 21, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death, no more tears. But these brethren who are going hungry so often read this and they probably delight. Beware of being so super spiritual that you don't appreciate the bounty of God and his provision for his people.

They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them nor any heat. for the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them." Think about that. You throw your dirty robes into blood and they come out white. Notice in verse 17, the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them.

It's typically the other way around. Doesn't the shepherd lead the lamb? Well, the Lamb is both Lamb, the one who was offered as a sacrifice, and He is the Shepherd. And He will lead them to living fountains of waters, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

So back to Revelation 21.

The Voice from the Throne

We move finally, fourthly, in terms of the broad approach, the voice from the throne in verses 5 to 8. Notice the completion of all things in verse 6. And he said to me, it is done. Now the word that the apostle uses is different than what we find when the Savior says from the cross, it is finished.

When the Savior says that from the cross, it is finished, He is suggesting, or not suggesting, rather He is declaring. He cries this out. I mean, this is like just about before He dies. He's been up all night.

He's been scourged twice. He's been crucified. He's been mocked. He has suffered the wrath of God on the cross.

And nevertheless, He cries out with a loud voice, it is finished. And the language of the Lord at that point, it's a beautiful word, and it means completely fulfilled, completely finished, but it's in the perfect tense. So in other words, what has happened in the past, or what has happened in terms of Christ and His crucifixion, has abiding and perpetual results for all persons, all time. In the papyri or the archaeological finds, they would see this word.

The Greek word is tetelestai. And that's what Jesus says in John 19. And they would find this over and over again on receipts. It was a commercial term.

The debt has been paid in full and it abides and it lasts because the debt has been paid in full. Now John the Apostle here uses different language, but it's thematically connected. The concept is the same. in the sixth saying from the cross, the Lord Jesus cries out in triumph and victory. That's how we're supposed to hear verse six.

And that comes as good news to those of us in this lower world who at times suspect that the church will ultimately lose. We look around and we get discouraged. We look around and we get weary. We look around and we wonder.

But never forget, the Christ who promised to build his church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, has given us the book of Revelation to underscore not his defeat, not our defeat, but rather his triumph and victory. So many Christians today approach the book of Revelation as if it's a document about doom and gloom, that it's only supposed to promote heavy and melancholic thoughts. No, it is about Christ victorious, Christ triumphant. It's the crown of Christ that is preeminent in the book of Revelation.

So he said to me, it is done. Now notice the consummator. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

Because God is who God is, he can secure this promise. He can bring it to realization and he does bring it to fulfillment.

Promise to Overcomers

Now notice this promise to overcomers in verse 7. Here's where I said this document was given not only to encourage the people of God, but to call upon them to persevere. Look at verse 7. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Now, brethren, as Reformed believers, we believe in the perseverance of the saints.

Not because the saints are great. I mean, brethren, MacArthur's right. If we could lose our salvation, we would. We are preserved by God's grace and we persevere by God's grace.

And one of the means that God uses to encourage us are warnings at times, Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, and just exhortation. And here a promise to those who overcome, you shall inherit, he who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son. Now, with reference to this, go back to Revelation 2. Revelation 2, we cannot forget the letters to the churches in Asia Minor.

This will also help us with the next verse. But notice in Revelation 2, at verse seven, this is the church of Ephesus. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Notice the next church in Smyrna. Verse 11, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. Notice the next one, Pergamos, verse 17.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. The next church is Thyatira, verse 26. And he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.

The next church, chapter three, Sardis, you see that same emphasis in verse five. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. The next church, Philadelphia, look at verse 12. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more.

I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of the heaven from my God, and I will write on him my new name. And then the final church, Laodicea. Look at verse 21, to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. Jesus, what are you trying to tell us?

Yeah, that's right, you guessed it. Overcome, persevere, not pull up your bootstraps, knuckle under and just show us that grit and determination, but walk by God's grace, standing in God's mercy, fortified by God's spirit, persevering to the very end. That is why God from the throne can offer this blessed promise that he who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be, notice, my son. My son by adoption.

Jesus is his only begotten son by nature. We are adopted sons and daughters by grace, according to Ephesians 1, 3, and 4. And then notice finally, I mentioned earlier, the glory of the new heaven and new earth is not only seen in what is there, but also what isn't there.

The Excluded and the Warning

Look at verse eight, but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Now, I think most of those vices are pretty obvious. I think we'd all say, oh, of course, unbelievers, abominable persons, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars. Yeah, of course, we expect them to go off into hell.

This morning, before the morning service, as I often want to do, I went up to get a drink of water, and I saw a spider about that big. I don't kill spiders because I think spiders are good. I think they do good things. They eat other bugs.

So I was taught as a youth not to kill spiders. Call me weird. But I know that some people are afraid of spiders. This thing was a monster.

One of the kids in the church could have rode on its back. When the apostle says cowardly, does he mean that people who are afraid of spiders aren't gonna be in the New Jerusalem? Does he mean that people who need a nightlight on because they're a little bit shaken up by the dark are not gonna be in the New Jerusalem? Have you ever been out in the woods?

Perhaps you've gone hunting or camping and you've turned a corner and there's a bear. I mean, again, brethren, there's a lot of us who aren't necessarily eight foot tall and bulletproof when we see a bear. That can be a little bit scary. Is John saying that if you fear for your life in the face of a grizzly, you're not gonna enter the new Jerusalem?

That's not the emphasis. The contrast to cowardly is the overcomer. He who overcomes shall inherit all things. I will be his God and he shall be my son.

So when he starts verse eight with, but the cowardly, that's the contrast. That is the one who at one point perhaps made a profession, but because of pressure recanted. He made a profession, but because of peer pressure or riches or whatever it may be, the parable of the soils is instructive here. He does not follow through.

In 1 John 2, the apostle tells us, they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us. So in verse 8, I think it functions in a couple of ways.

It's a warning to the professing people of God. Press on. Persevere. Seek by grace to live in a manner that is consistent with your calling in the gospel.

Don't live in this kind of sin. Don't live or truck in this kind of activity. But as well, it's an encouragement to the believer because these persons, those steeped in this conduct, are not going to be in the New Jerusalem. In other words, it is a place wherein righteousness dwells.

Verne Poythress describes it this way, both as a warning and as a guarantee. Verse 8 notes that the wicked will be excluded from the New Jerusalem. This exclusion summarizes the point already made in chapter 20, verses 11 to 15, the great white throne judgment. The standard of God's justice, as well as the holiness and the peace of the new Jerusalem requires the exclusion of evil.

No sin or second fall into evil will disturb the permanent security and bliss of the new world. It will be cut off, it will be excised, it will be gone. This is a land where in righteousness dwells.

Application and Conclusion

Well, in conclusion, in the first place, if you're not a believer here tonight, notice in 20-21-8, the cowardly, and then he says, unbelieving. We're not saved because we're good. We're not saved because we're lawful. We're not saved because we have righteousness.

We're saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Unbelief is horrific. And may I exhort and encourage you to believe. Listen to Jesus or listen to the end of the book in verse 17 of chapter 22.

The spirit and the bride say, come. and let him who hears say come, and let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. In other words, don't stay, he doesn't say, the spirit and the bride say stay, and let him who hears stay, and let him who thirsts not come. Whoever desires, don't come and don't take the water of life freely.

I think that sometimes people read their Bibles that way. Sometimes men preach the Bible that way. Stay away. Oh, there's no hope for you.

There's no grace for you. That's not what you find in this book of Revelation. There is mercy offered in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, we ought to be encouraged.

What this particular passage points to is the consummation of all things. I mentioned the word eschatology earlier. Eschatology is usually looked at in two heads. One, a cosmic eschatology, and two, individual.

Cosmic has to do with the end times. Cosmic has to do with the return of Jesus Christ. Cosmic has to do with the judgment of the living and the dead. Cosmic has to do with the entrance of the new Jerusalem, the new heaven, and the new earth.

And I would suggest that the older creeds and confessions of the church make eschatology simple. The Apostles' Creed, I believe the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. The Nicene Creed, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come, amen.

The Athanasian Creed, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead, at whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into everlasting life, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. So this is a view of cosmic eschatology.

Individual Eschatology

I want to end with a bit on individual eschatology. Margarita was a doll. She was an encouragement. She was a saint.

She was just infectious in terms of her joy and her happiness. I mean, you guys, you can all nod, right? She was a delight. That call on Wednesday night was shocking.

John said, our sister's gone to be with the Lord about an hour ago. That's a tough call to make for him. That is a tough thing for him to witness. But as we ponder scripture, yes, we see the new heaven, we see the new earth, we see that new Jerusalem, that renovation that God has promised, that consummation of the age, that time when God will wipe away every sorrow from our eyes.

And that's corporately, that's the church of Christ in the presence of God, enjoying all the blessings and the benefits that he gives to us. But with reference to individual eschatology, or what we might call the intermediate state, if you or I drop dead right now, what does the Bible tell us? What happens to us if we die? Well, I just want to rehearse a few passages by way of encouragement.

Job 19, 26 and 27. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another, how my heart yearns within me. Isn't that beautiful? Does our thought, not of death, someone once said, I'm not afraid of dying, I just don't wanna be there when it happens.

You know, the thought of death is horrific in many ways, to be sure. But when we know that Christ has removed the sting of death, it ought not to be as horrific. And Job understood this, and Job's heart yearned within him. The psalmist, again, Psalm 16, 9-11, Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices.

My flesh also will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Consider Psalm 1715. As for me, I will see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. New Testament, what was Jesus' words to that thief on the cross?

Today, you shall be with me in paradise. Our sister has gone on to a much better place. People say that at times relative to unbelievers, and I don't think they have a clue. I don't think they have any idea whatsoever.

But when we say she's gone on to a better place, we absolutely positively mean it. In 2 Corinthians 4.17, the Apostle sort of compares what we go through now in this present age with reference to when we enter into Emmanuel's land. He says, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. In 2 Corinthians 5.8, the Apostle says, we are confident, yes, well-pleased rather, to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Now, when you survey the life and the ministry of the Apostle Paul, you're not struck with a man who has a death wish. You're not struck with a man who's threatening to engage in suicide by cop. No, he's not that man. He's not wishing to die.

But he understands comparatively what we have in the here and now and what we have when we pass into Emmanuel's land. In the book of Philippians, he indicates this. He knows that there is the potential that he could die while he's in prison. It's not as strong a conviction as he has in 2 Timothy, which incidentally, that's when he does die, in that second imprisonment.

But in Philippians, he's hard-pressed. If he dies, it is that much better. But if he remains on in the flesh, then he will see fruit from the Philippians. So he says, I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Now, literally, the apostle just sort of heaps up words to make it as good and superlative as it can possibly be. It is far better. Now, if you're thinking Philippians, just a couple of verses prior to verse 23 is verse 21. That's not just a math lesson.

He says, for to me to live is Christ, and to die is what? It's to gain. So for our sister, having passed in to the presence of God Almighty, all of these blessings, all of these provisions, all of these good gifts have been bestowed on her. So the apostle says we grieve, but not like the world.

We understand she has gone to a better place. Samuel Rutherford made this observation. He is not lost to us who is found in Christ. He has not gone away, but gone before.

That's the truism. That's the blessing. And the reality is that one day we shall be together in the presence of our blessed God, wherein righteousness dwells.

Closing Prayer

Let us pray. Our Father, thank you for your word and thank you, God, it's not just the blessings that you give us in this age, but you have so much laid up for us in the age to come. I pray for your blessing upon each and every one of us. I pray that you would encourage our weary hearts.

I pray that you would cause us in grace to persevere, to overcome and to continue to go forward in the fear of the Lord. And we do pray once again for our brother, John, that you would just minister to him, that you would comfort him, that you would encourage him and strengthen him with might in the inner man. And God, as he weeps, as he sorrows, as he grieves, which we know he will, God, may he always be reminded that she is now in the presence of God most high. And may this be a great balm to his weary soul.

And we ask in Jesus' name, amen.

Scripture References

• Leviticus 26:11-12
• Job 19:26-27
• Psalm 16:9-11; 17:15; 73
• Jeremiah 31:33
• Ezekiel 37:26-27
• Matthew 12:32
• Luke 23:43
• John 19
• Romans 8
• 1 Corinthians 15
• 2 Corinthians 4:17; 5:8
• Galatians 4
• Ephesians 1:3-4; 1:21; 2:19
• Philippians 1:21; 1:23
• 2 Timothy
• Hebrews 6; 10; 12
• 1 John 2
• Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; 3:21; 7:13-17; 11:8; 19:7; 20:11-15; 21:1-22:5; 22:3; 22:17