Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER UNIVERSITY MIKE BICKLE A Biblical Overview of Eternal Rewards Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven I. JESUS WILL MAKE SOME TO BE A PILLAR IN GOD S TEMPLE (REV. 3:12) A. Jesus promised to make overcomers a pillar in the heavenly temple. Some will be pillars who hold a position of authority, responsibility, and honor in the temple of God in the age to come. 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 the New Jerusalem (Rev. 3:12) We are on session eight, and we have a number of topics we are covering here, but not really going in depth. There are eighteen rewards that Jesus talked about in Revelations 2-3. We are not covering all of them in this series because we ran out of time. We are beginning this session with Revelations 3:12. Now you can read it in your own Bible to get the whole passage. I have it edited in the handout for space. It is one of the most dynamic verses anywhere in the Bible that gives promises to believers. I mean, Revelation 3:12 is at the top of the list. I just want to alert you to that: this is a verse you will want to put your name on and say Revelation 3:12. There are actually five different promises. I have only three of them highlighted here in the notes. Verse 12, Jesus says to the one who overcomes, I will make him number one a pillar in the temple of My God, the heavenly temple. Number two, he will not go out anymore. The person that has this privilege will not leave the presence of God, which means they will have the highest position of privilege, of service in the kingdom. That is intense! Number three, Jesus says, I am going to write the name of the New Jerusalem on him, on her. Now, when God writes on a believer, that always includes the spirit of revelation. That means living understanding coming from the Spirit to that believer in that area. So, there is going to be a dimension of living understanding related to the New Jerusalem. That is an interesting promise. Then the two other promises which I do not have here on the page: He says, I am going to write the name of My God, My Father, on you and I am going to write My own name on you. We looked at those in the other sessions. Now the focus tonight is on those whom the Lord will make pillars in His temple. This is for overcomers. This is not for every believer, because there are particular issues to overcome. There are promises that He has given here in Revelation 2-3 related to overcoming those issues. They are pretty intense issues. A lot of believers just kind of read over these promises fast and think, Well, that is kind of neat. No! They are dynamic. They are glorious and very, very important. They are worth being radically committed to the Lord. Pillars are those who will hold positions of honor, of authority, and of responsibility in nearness to God. Again, one of the real focuses of this is that they will not ever leave His presence. Now none of us will, in one sense. We all experience His presence because, by the Spirit, He is omniscient and His presence is everywhere. This is His manifest presence, His immediate presence. B. We may consider pillars in the Scripture and in history to gain some insight into what is implied by heavenly pillars. Pillars are functional in bearing the weight of a building, ornamental in beautifying a building and testimonial in honoring the memory of an honorable person or a significant event. Pillars speak of strength, permanence, honor, beauty, and remembrance. Pillars vary in size, location, design, building material, and the events or story associated with them. We are going to consider what pillars are; how they were used; what their functions are in Scripture and then in history. By comparing those, we are going to draw a little bit of insight into what heavenly pillars might mean. Now it is not for sure, but we are reading what happens in the Scripture when God mentions pillars. We

2 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 2 look at what happens in culture and at how pillars were meant to be understood when Jesus talked about pillars in that generation. Now really simply, pillars are functional. They bear the weight of a building. Not every pillar, but standard pillars are functional, and they bear weight. Number two, they are ornamental, and they beautify a building. Number three, not all pillars, but some pillars are in honor of the memory of an honorable person, heroic person, or significant event. So they speak of strength, permanence, and honor. I would add reliability, beauty, and remembrance of deeds and events that happen in this age. Now when we look in the Scripture, we see in society or history, natural pillars, marble pillars, stone pillars. They varied in size and where they were located in a building. There were pillars on the inside and on the outside of the temple. There are many different locations for pillars, which could even signify their function and honor. Pillars had many different designs and many different building materials. Some pillars are wood, some marble, and some stone. They vary in the events that they memorialize or the stories that are associated with those pillars. Now the heavenly pillars are people. Jesus is saying, I am going to make you pillars. We look at what the Scripture says about pillars and we see the diversity of function, material, and different things. We think, Well, it is likely that there will be that kind of diversity as the Lord makes people pillars. There will be different dimensions of glory, of purpose, and many things. There will be many different diverse expressions. C. Heavenly pillars speak of faithful believers. Paul referred to Peter, James, and John as pillars in the Church. This spoke of their significant position of authority, reliability, and honor in the kingdom. 9 When James, Cephas [Peter], and John, who seemed to be pillars (Gal. 2:9) Now one of the key verses to understanding the word, pillar, in Jesus promise, I am going to make you a pillar, is in Galatians 2. These pillars speak of people. These are Cephas, James, and John. Cephas is Peter s name. Cephas is the rock; that is the name that the Lord gave him, the name Peter. They were people, but they did not just have authority. They also bore responsibility, and they were reliable. Paul, the apostle, called them pillars in the Church. It spoke of their significant position of authority and their honor, but also spoke of their proven reliability. They were standard bearers of the kingdom. Jesus had invested so much in them, and He trusted that they would stay steady. So there is a reliability dimension to the pillar whom God designates in the resurrection. I mean, there are probably several billion people that will be in the kingdom of God after the great harvest. We are expecting a billion plus in the great harvest in the future. All the saints of history, there could be several billion people. All of them will not be pillars, but there will be a number of them. We do not know the percentage, but they will be designated in this really special privilege. D. Solomon put two large bronze pillars in the porch of the temple (l Kgs. 7:13-22; 2 Chr. 3:17). He named one pillar Jachin (stability) and the other Boaz (strength) these names give us some insight into God s purpose for pillars. They stood about 40 feet in height and were beautified with gold, chains, pomegranates, and lilies and illuminated with fire that burned incense like a lampstand, recalling the pillars of fire and cloud that led Israel in the wilderness (Ex. 13:21-22; 14:19-24; 33:9). 15 And he [Hiram] cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple called its name Jachin and Boaz. (1 Kgs. 7:15-22) We will look at the Old Testament for just a moment. The pillars in the Lord s temple, the temple that was built by King Solomon, give us a little bit of insight. It is not conclusive, but it gives us a bit of a hint. King Solomon had put two large bronze pillars in the porch of the temple, in the outside of the porch. There were pillars on the

3 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 3 inside, as well. I am going to highlight these two massive bronze pillars. When you add the pillar plus the crown on top of it, they were about forty feet high. They were named Jachin and Boaz. The names mean strength and stability or reliability and strength. The very name of these pillars gives us a little bit of insight into God s purpose for pillars. I believe that when God establishes people as pillars, He is saying that they were reliable and they were steadfast in His purpose. It is from the actions of this age. It is not from how big your ministry was, but what was your response to God in this age. Most would agree that these pillars were large fire altars that were burning incense. Forty feet tall, these huge burning-like lampstands at the top. I have written here that they were beautified, with gold, chains, pomegranates, and lilies. They were illumined with this fire at the top. People could see Solomon s temple from a far distance. They recalled the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud in the wilderness. They were recalling that. In other words, there was a memorial aspect to these pillars, as well as their names that give us insight. So, when the Lord makes people pillars, He is going to be saying something like: they were true during the wilderness journey in this world. They were reliable. They were steady. Now, nobody lives in sinless perfection, so it is not like you should think, Well, there is no chance I could do that. I think it is those who set their heart to be wholehearted. Beloved, it is never too late to jump into that, and I do not mean just kind of casual Christianity, but the wholehearted dimension. That is where this overcomer dimension is emphasized in Revelation 2-3 in these seven churches. To each one of them, He said, if you overcome in this area. Not just if you are born again, but if you press in and interact with the Spirit and have victory in this area you will have this reward. E. Pillars of remembrance of devotion to God will be erected in Egypt in the end times (Isa. 19:19). 19 In that day there will be an altar in the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD (Isa. 19:19) In the Old Testament, there is another dimension of a pillar in Isaiah 19. It talks about that in that day the end times, in the generation the Lord returns there will be pillars of remembrance that are erected in the land of Egypt. This is yet future. This is exciting for those who have a heart for Egypt. I have a tremendous heart for Egypt and God s purpose in Egypt. The Lord says, I will erect an altar and a pillar in that land that will declare the faithfulness of the Egyptian saints in the end times. That is a remarkable reality. Pillars are for remembrance. F. In the ancient world, when one served their city in special way, a pillar was built in their honor. It honored those who did heroic deeds of courage. We see pillars in our culture historical sites like the Lincoln or Washington memorials or statures in a city square honoring a war hero, etc. Now we go to history of the ancient world or just the secular use of pillars. First, we will start in the ancient world. We understand this, and it is pretty simple. A pillar was often built to honor a heroic leader in war, somebody who has saved a city, or done deeds of courage. We see pillars in our own culture. There are historical sites like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Memorial, and statues in the city square. You think, who is that guy from 1802 or whatever? Typically, they were somebody known as a man or a woman who did something heroic or noble that brought blessing to that city or that region. So, the people that God designates as pillars in His temple will have these dimensions, these associated with this reward. Again, we cannot be real specific in all the details about it, but at least we can get a general idea. G. Jesus promise to make pillars in the temple in the age to come refers to His faithful servants who will probably serve near to Jesus and carry much weight of serving in the government with Him.

4 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 4 H. He shall not go out: The overcomer s place of honor is permanent; they remain forever serving near to Jesus. Some angels are described as standing before God. The living creatures are also before God. David prayed that he would be able to be in God s house all of his days (Ps. 27:4). 2 I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given trumpets (Rev. 8:2) 4 One thing I have desired that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. (Ps. 27:4) This is one of the most remarkable parts. They will never go outside of the temple. This speaks of permanence. Of course pillars speak of permanence! The overcomer s place of honor is permanent. They remain forever serving near to Jesus. Again, all believers will be near Him through the Holy Spirit, but there may possibly be several billion people in the New Jerusalem, and they will not all be next to Jesus in His physical body all the time. There will be those that are allowed this unusual nearness. I am talking about to His physical person as their position in the divine court is to serve in Him. It is the way I understand it. It is like every other noble task in the New Jerusalem, and serving on the earth, no matter how noble the task is, will be a demotion from being directly in the service of Jesus. Again, in His physical presence, and just the glory of that, is the highest position of honor. We see just a little hint of this in Revelation 8 where it describes angels. When it says, they stand before God, that is a description of great honor and privilege. Of all the myriads of angels they say, I want that job. I want the job up front next to Him. Of course, the living creatures are there night and day before Him. I think the living creatures, the seraphim of Isaiah 6, are the highest exalted angelic beings, right before God s face day and night. That is kind of like the ultimate in the angelic realm. Being a pillar in the temple, never leaving His presence is, in the human sense for the redeemed, as far as I can see, the highest privilege. I do not know. It may not be the highest. But, boy, it is way up there! It is really interesting. I look at this and I say, Lord, by the grace of God. You want to put your name on Revelation 3:12. You want to know that verse; put it on your greeting cards, even though your friends may not have a clue what you are talking about. Just put it on there by faith. So, when they say your name, they also say, Revelation 3:12. II. JESUS WILL WRITE ON SOME THE NAME OF THE NEW JERUSALEM (REV. 3:12) A. Jesus promised to write on overcomers the name of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 3:12). This seems to include giving them special responsibility in and insight into the New Jerusalem a mysterious and glorious City. It might be comparable to receiving an all access pass to go anywhere in the city. 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 the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven (Rev. 3:12) Let s look at the same promise in the same verse, but look at the next dimension of it. Not only does He make the overcomers a pillar that they should never more go out of the temple, but He gives another promise. Remember there are five promises in Revelation 3:12. This is one of the other promises: I will write on him. Amazing, Jesus writing on a believer? I will write on him the name of the New Jerusalem. Now in the Scripture we read the great new covenant passages, Jeremiah 31, and Hebrews 10. When He describes that in Hebrews 8, it says that God writes by the finger of the Holy Spirit on the mind and the heart. He writes on us and that illumines our mind and energizes our heart.

5 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 5 So, the writing of God on a believer illumines their mind and gives them living understanding and increased understanding. It energizes their heart in love and vibrancy. When God writes on a believer, this is a really special. We do not know the specifics of it, but it denotes special responsibility in the city itself. Of course, we know they are a pillar so that is pretty significant already. There is a special responsibility of the city. It also denotes special insight into the New Jerusalem. Now this city is glorious, vast, mysterious, and dynamic. I think for many, many years and generation after generation, we will be exploring this city. I am just assuming that there is no end to what we will discover in that city for ages. I do not know how far that goes out. The Lord is saying, I am writing the name of the city on you. It is saying, as it were, I am going to help you navigate and understand the city. I am going to give you responsibility in it. I think that even more than that, it is like He is giving maybe it is not exactly this way an all-access pass to the city. I am writing your name on it it is like the TMK, the master key that opens every door of the city. I am going to give you that status in the city, permission, the all-access pass. That is just a guess, but I am thinking this. There are things like this that you cannot be dogmatic about the details. This promise is as glorious as the city is. This is a glorious promise. This is not just the Lord putting a few initials on you and saying, Pass. Next guy on the right, NJ, New Jerusalem. Next, NJ. Next. No, this is dynamic promise. I am sure it is bigger than what I understand. B. This honor points to one s authority, service, full access, and understanding of the New Jerusalem. III. JESUS WILL GIVE TO SOME HIDDEN MANNA TO EAT (REV. 2:17) A. Jesus promised to give hidden manna to overcomers. This includes having an increased capacity to receive revelation of the Word. This is fulfilled in part in this age and in fullness in the age to come. 14 you have there [in Pergamos] those who hold the doctrine of Balaam to commit sexual immorality 17 To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat (Rev. 2:14-17) Now we are going to shift to another promise. This is in Revelation 2:17. Again, these promises are in Revelation 2-3, where there are eighteen of them. They are from the lips of Jesus. They are to motivate the church. They are only phrases. You have to go back to the Bible to see how that phrase, or that corresponding event or reality, like a pillar, was used in the Old Testament. How it was understood in the culture so when Jesus spoke to them they would understand some comparative way as to what He meant by a pillar, a rock, a memorial, or those kinds of things. Now let s look at the larger context in Revelation 2. The promise in verse 17 is, I will give some of the hidden manna, and it is for you to eat it, to actually eat it. Okay, let s read the promise. He says in verse 14, You have some people in your church in Pergamos, He said, I am troubled by them. I am very troubled. They hold the doctrine of Balaam. The doctrine of Balaam, and they were teachers in the church, giving a view that immorality was okay. Beloved, that doctrine is all over the Western Church right now. There are all kinds of expressions of it. We do not call it Balaam, but that was the doctrine of Balaam. This is Jesus talking about when they pervert the grace of God to make immorality normative and not that big of a deal. He says, This really troubles Me. Then He adds to it, and idolatry, which you will see when you read the whole passage. In verse 17, it says, but the person that overcomes. Again, this is not just every born-again believer, because some born-again believers die when they are still stuck and not free. They love the Lord, and they are sincere in their faith. They are in the city. Now that is a different thing than people who claim to be a believer but do not have any concern for obedience in those areas. A lot of people really desire to obey, but they are

6 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 6 constantly struggling. They never actually get the full victory, yet they are still saved and they are in the kingdom. He is talking to those in this age, who overcome in their interaction with the Holy Spirit by the grace of God. He said, I am going to give some of the hidden manna. Like some of it? He might say, Well, there is more than you imagine. There is a whole lot of hidden manna. It is for you to eat. Now, again, I believe that this is another dimension. Probably every dimension of this is unique in its own way. It has distinctions of increased capacity to understand the Word of God. I believe that this promise is fulfilled in part in this age, but in fullness in the age to come. B. Jesus is the ultimate manna from heaven (Jn. 6:48-58). We eat spiritually by receiving more of Jesus, and possibly this will also include eating heavenly manna in a physical way. Heavenly manna strengthens God s people with greater understanding of Jesus and it may energize their body. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever (Jn. 6:49-51) Now we know from John 6 that Jesus is the ultimate manna from heaven. When Jesus said, I will give you hidden manna, He was saying, as it were, I am going to give you more of Myself. That is part of what He is talking about. I think it even goes beyond that. I think that is the main point. That is the big point, that we eat spiritually by receiving more of Him. I think there is also a physical dimension to it, because there is real food in heaven. Food shows up a number of times on the lips of Jesus related to the resurrection. So, when He says, I am going to give you hidden manna to eat, probably I would not doubt it He says, yeah, I am going to give you more of Me. I am the ultimate hidden manna. I see some more to this. I see several levels to this promise. I am imagining that He is saying again you cannot be dogmatic that there are going to be physical dimensions, as well as spiritual dimensions where we are increased in our understanding of Jesus. That is the spiritual eating of manna. I believe there very possibly is an energizing of our physical resurrected body. I believe we will eat in the age to come, and we will need to eat. Some people think, You need to eat? Yes, I believe there will be no lack, so nobody will hunger. My assumption is that the food that we eat will be real. I mean, it is necessary. It is not just kind of a side deal. I think, my assumption is, it will energize and strengthen our body. I have had people say, Well that s weird. If we have a resurrected body, why would we need to eat? I said, Reverse it. If you have a resurrected body, why would you not eat? They say, Well, I do not know, I just thought that you float around and play a harp on that cloud. I do not know. Have you ever had to eat when you are not hungry? It is torture. I remember when I played football at the University of Missouri. I was the smallest guy on the team. It was way back in the 1930s. No, not really! It was in the 1970s. I was the smallest, shortest, and the lightest guy on the team. They said, Bickle, if you are going to make this team, you have to gain ten pounds. I said, Okay, that will be fun. They gave me the smorgasbord beyond measure, three times a day. Oh, for the days when I could not gain ten pounds! I could not. I stuffed myself three times a day. It was grueling. About a month later I said, I hate food. I do not want anything to do with this. They said, Bickle, eat. You have only gained a pound.

7 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 7 I said, Ugh, I cannot do this. I would rather just be skinny and slow. Forget it. I remember from that, you know, three, four, five-month period, whatever it was, it was terrible. Then I remember that eating, hunger and then satisfaction and being energized from it is a glorious gift. Eating when you are not hungry is not fun. People think that would be amazing, but it is not. Well, maybe if you are snacking all day long, you might think that is amazing. No, I think this is talking about something substantial. C. In Israel s journey in the wilderness, God sustained them with manna angel s food (Ps. 78:25). 25 Men ate angels food [manna]; He sent them food to the full. (Ps. 78:25) D. In the Old Testament, manna was hidden only after it was put in the golden pot in the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies (Ex. 16:32-36; Heb. 9:1-5). This may speak of serving in nearness to God s throne. The high priest could see this hidden manna once a year, on the Day of Atonement. In the Old Testament, manna was hidden only in one situation. As you know, manna fell from heaven every day when the Israelites were in the wilderness, after they were delivered from Egypt. There was no food or water in the wilderness. Water came out of a rock. Two to three million people drank water from a rock. This was not a little, dripping fountain. This was a river coming out of a rock. Imagine all the animals, the livestock that was with them, that was watered every day from a rock. Then we find out the rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10, Paul says that the rock was Christ. They had manna, and Jesus is the manna. Manna came every day from heaven, and the day before the Sabbath they received two portions. It was never hidden. It was only hidden on one occasion, and that was when it was put in a golden pot and put in the holy of holies in the temple. The high priest, and only the high priest, once a year, could see that hidden manna. From the old days it was hidden. It was preserved and hidden in a pot. He would go in once a year, and he could see it. It was set near the arc of the covenant. Now the ark of the covenant is symbolic of the throne of God. The hidden manna was the manna by the ark in the holy of holies. That is the biblical description of it. So, we think, Ah, this hidden manna is the manna near or related to the throne of God, or the nearness of Jesus, or something like that. Again, we cannot be dogmatic. We cannot be over-precise about it. I want it. I look at that, and I think, I want it now, by the Holy Spirit. I am saying, Lord, I want to obey in all of these areas. I want to overcome in all of these areas described in Revelation 2-3, these seven different scenarios that are laid out. E. What will we eat in heaven? I assume the food will be free, healthy, organic, and non-fattening :). Scripture mentions 12 types of fruit that grow on the tree in the New Jerusalem. I assume that this refers to 12 categories of fruit, perhaps each with many varieties in taste, smell, texture, etc. There are over 7,000 varieties of apples, 2,000 varieties of peaches, and 1000 varieties of bananas. God s creative expression in providing good food will surely be greater in the New Jerusalem 2 the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. (Rev. 22:2) Now just for fun. This is not comprehensive, but what will we eat in heaven? Well, there are quite a few foods. We looked a little bit at this in one of the other sessions. I have a fun statement here. This is not a theological one. The food will be free, healthy, organic that is for the organic people and non-fattening. Isn t that great? Again, that was a fun statement, but probably true. Revelation 22 talks about twelve types of fruit in the New Jerusalem. Now I am assuming again, I cannot be sure, that these twelve types of fruit were categories of fruit. When we look at the natural realm, the diversity of types of fruit on the earth right now, look at this; this might surprise you. There are over 7,000 varieties of

8 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 8 apples on the earth right now, 7,000 different types. We have two thousand types of peaches, and one thousand varieties of bananas. Now God s creativity in the New Jerusalem is far more expressed than I believe it is now. So, when I look at the twelve I do not think, Well, we have a billion years, and we get an apple for every meal for one month, banana the next month for every meal. Oh boy, this is going to get boring! No, I think it is going to be so diverse, more than we could imagine. F. In the age to come, we will eat bread and drink at His table and at the marriage supper of the Lamb. In the New Jerusalem, the fruit of the tree of life may not be the only food the saints eat. 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom (Lk. 22:30) 9 Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Rev. 19:9) Jesus talked about eating and drinking at the table with Him. Of course, the great reality is the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:8. It is one of the core, defining activities of the age to come. I do not think the marriage supper of the Lamb is an afternoon. You know, we have that twelve-hour dinner with several billion people. My assumption I can t prove it or my theory is that the marriage supper of the Lamb continues the entire thousand years of the millennial kingdom. The entire thousand years is a celebration, getting ready for billions of years in the ages to come, and that is the inauguration of the new heaven and new earth which come after the Millennium. The whole Millennium is the marriage supper of the Lamb. I might be wrong on that, but the marriage supper of the Lamb is a big thing. We really eat at the marriage supper. I think there are all kinds of diversity of food. Anyway, that was just a little two or three minutes on food, just for fun. It is a bigger subject. When some people think of the resurrection, as I say week after week, they think just of going away to heaven and floating on a cloud in a spiritual body, that when they hug each other they kind of pass through each other and say, Oops oops! Try it again. Beloved, we are going to have a physical, material body with bones and flesh. It is supernatural flesh. It is not corruptible flesh. You will eat. You will learn. You will grow in your understanding, in relationships, and even have a ministry. You will work without any of the frustration of sin. We will be without the weeds growing in the garden like in Adam s to destroy his work, or the sun bearing down or the frustration in the work. All that will all be gone, but the work will be there. IV. JESUS WILL GIVE TO SOME FOOD IN THE MIDST OF PARADISE (REV. 2:7) A. Jesus promised to give overcomers the privilege of eating food in the midst of Paradise (Rev. 2:7). All believers will eat from the tree of life (Rev. 22:14). In addition to this, there is a special privilege of eating from the tree that is in the midst of Paradise. 4 you have left your first love 5 repent and do the first works 7 To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. (Rev. 2:4-7) 14 Those who do His commandments have the right to the tree of life (Rev. 22:14) Well, Jesus promised to give overcomers the privilege of eating food here is the phrase in the midst of paradise. Let s read the whole thing here, or at least the context of Revelation 2:4. He is talking to the church at Ephesus. He says, in effect, You know, I really appreciate you guys. You work really hard. Your service is remarkable. You hold the line on truth. When there are false teachings, you expose them, and you do not let them in, like some of the other churches in Revelation 2-3 did. But in verse 4, He says, I have this against

9 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 9 you. You do not love me like you used to. That is, You work for Me, but you do not interact with Me. You can read the whole passage in your Bible. Further, in verse 5, He says, I want you to remember from where you have fallen and repent. That is, I want you to return to working out of an encounter of loving Me, not just duty-bound service, but service that flows out of love. I want you to interact with Me. I want to have a partnership in the labor. I love to say that that lovers will always outwork workers. You get somebody with a to-do list, who is simply just a worker, and they fall in love, they do not need the list anymore. When they have love, they go way beyond the list. Lovers always outwork workers. He said, You do not love Me like you used to. Verse 7, but I want you to overcome this. Many believers die before they can actually restore that lifestyle of interacting with Him in love. I mean, they serve Him, but they are not really encountering Him heart to heart. They are still genuine believers, but as He said in verse 7, I want you to overcome this issue and return to your first love. If you do, I will give you to eat from the tree of life, particularly I think this; I am adding the word, particularly, because I think that is what it means the tree of life which is in the midst of the garden. That is the phrase, in the midst. Now all believers in the New Jerusalem will eat from the tree of life. Remember there are possibly several billion believers. I will use a term that maybe is not the best term, but I think of the tree-of-life system, meaning that I do not think it is one tree and a couple billion people stand in this long line, three times a day, to get an apple. I think of it as the tree-of-life system. Again, not an accurate term, but just the best that I can describe it, and it is all over the city. Again, it is not one line where they stand to get one piece of fruit three times a day. Maybe they do not eat three meals a day. I do not know how it works. All believers, all several billion, if that number is accurate, and it might not be, it may be more or less, but He is talking to those that overcome this lifestyle of diminished love with the Lord, the lifestyle where they serve Him, but they are not enriching the love dimension to where they are really partnering with a real person, heart to heart, while they are doing the work. I do not mean all day, every day, they are talking to Him, but the love dimension, the partnership dimension, is central to their work mandate. It is central to it. He says, For you who overcome that, there is a special privilege of eating from the tree in the midst. B. The Paradise of God and the New Jerusalem refer to the same place. We only find the phrase the Paradise of God once in Scripture. Garden of Eden characteristics such as the river of life and the tree of life (Rev. 22:1-2) are also part of the description of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:9-22:5) I think most agree, and I have never seen it to the contrary, that the paradise of God and the New Jerusalem are synonymous. Also, that the New Jerusalem is fifteen hundred miles in all directions. C. The New Jerusalem is about 1500 miles in each direction (Rev. 21:16). I assume there are many diverse expressions of God s glory, kingdom activity, and proximity to God s throne in the New Jerusalem. There may be diverse experiences in different parts of the city. Scripture does not give us details on this diversity, yet it may be part of the privilege of being in the midst of Paradise. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. (Rev. 21:16, NAS) The New American Standard Bible indicates that it is 1,500 miles in each direction, that is, the length, the width, and the height. That is not from the Greek. That is the estimation when they add up the terms that were used in the Greek. Anyway, it is this vast city that is a paradise. It is a garden-of-eden city. I am assuming that the river and the tree are expressed throughout the city, not just right there. You know, maybe a one-mile radius around the throne is where the river is. My assumption is that the river has expression all through the 1,500-mile city, as well as the tree system, which again that is my term, which may not be an accurate term.

10 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 10 I do not want to take liberties with the Bible, but I do not want to be stuck with no thought about it, except for a few phrases. I want to say, Lord, where this is really at? What do You mean when You say, a city of 1,500 miles in each direction and the tree of life and the water of life and people all over the city? They are all partaking of it. So, I assume there are many diverse expressions of the glory of God in the paradise city. I do not think that every square mile of the city is equal in its character, its expressions, or in its functions to every other part of the city, to every other square mile in the city. It is just like the earth is now. In some cities, there are greater expressions of the glory of God and in others there are lesser expressions and different emphasis of the grace of God and expressions of the Body of Christ. So, I am assuming there will be diverse expressions of the grace of God, the glory of God, and kingdom activities throughout the whole city. I think that these diverse experiences are giving us a little bit of insight into what it means. They will eat of the tree in the midst. I think there is part of the tree of life that is literally in a glorious place in the midst of the garden and that not everyone has access to that particular place. It is a special privilege, and there is a special dimension of the grace of God. I do not know what it would be, but I know Jesus said, If you overcome this neglect to love, you are going to get this gift. So, I know this gift is related to love. If you do not overcome, you are still in the city. You still can eat from the tree, but I do not know about this part of the city, if there is an intensive expression of the glory of God. Again, I think it will be diverse in many ways all throughout the city, just like the kingdom is diverse right now in this age. Every city is different in how the kingdom functions. I do not mean the principle of the kingdom, but what is emphasized. Different ministries have a greater measure of this or that, and cities are different from other cities and even congregations within a city. I believe that there is a part of this privilege that is related to the tree that is in the midst. There are areas of the city, I do not know where it would be, but obviously near the throne would be the most logical guess, where there is a part of the city that is designated as in the midst of the paradise, in the center of it, in the middle of it. Something like that. Again, I do not know for sure, but I know there is something there. I will let the Lord surprise me, but I am going for it, whatever it is. I think, Lord, I do not know all this for sure, but I want to go for them. I want to look at these conditions and take them very, very seriously. V. JESUS WILL VINDICATE SOME BEFORE THEIR ENEMIES (REV. 3:9) A. Jesus promised to vindicate overcomers before those who persecuted them in this age (Rev. 3:9). Unbelievers will worship Jesus and witness His love towards the very people that they persecuted. The hostile people who accuse Jesus and His disciples of being bigots and haters will see the truth. 9 I will make them [your persecutors in this age] come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. (Rev. 3:9) 10 at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil. 2:10-11) Oh, this is just kind of a separate one. We are changing tracks here. This is not a small one. It is one that I do not hear mentioned much. I have not mentioned it much over the years. It is a beautiful. I mean, it is glorious. Jesus will vindicate some believers before their very persecutors, their earthly persecutors in front of them in the resurrection. In Philippians 2, we see that, in the resurrection, all the unbelievers will stand before Jesus. Jesus said that they will bow their knee and confess Him as Lord. Well, I am going to tell you something here

11 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 11 that might surprise you. In Revelation 3:9, Jesus says, I am going to make them come and worship Me in front of you at your feet, because they were hostile, arrogant against Jesus. They were in positions of power in the society. So they said things like this, Jesus is ridiculous, and you are deceived. You know in our culture today, if you are loyal to Jesus, more and more the new rhetoric says that you are a hater, a bigot. You are narrow-minded, and intolerant. If you are faithful to this beautiful King, with great wisdom which is the way to love, then the rhetoric piles up, and that is where culture is going right now. They are hostile, arrogant, cruel, exaggerating, but charging and accusing. There are so many of them in this momentum. Jesus says, as it were, Well, here is what I am going to do. I am going to stand in front of them. I am the Man that they called non-existent, just a religious relic. I am going to stand in My glory, and they are going to fall at My feet. They are going to call Me God, and I am going to make sure they do it with you next to Me. I want them to see you. I want them to see the wisdom of staying true to Me despite their vile persecutions and speech. For wisdom will be vindicated by her children is what Jesus said in Matthew 11. In other words, the people who are wise, it will take a while, but they will be vindicated by the fruit of their life. In Matthew 11, Jesus said, They said John has a demon, but I am telling you this: his lifestyle will be vindicated one day. The wisdom of his choices will be openly seen by all. Jesus says, and not only are they going to worship Me as God, awestruck, they are going to do it next to you in full acknowledgment of their error. Then I am going to display My love to you. As the glorious King, I am going to manifest My love in a very particular way to you in front of them. Lord, that is intense! He says, I am going to do that for those that overcome. I am going to make a point out of this concerning those who held true before the accusations and the persecutions and the hostile rhetoric. I am going to show them how wise it was that they stood true. I am going to let them know how I feel about the way they loved Me. He is going to manifest His zeal for His people. B. Jesus prayed that the world (unbelievers) would know how the Father loved the saints (Jn. 17:23). 23 that the world may know that You have loved them as You have loved Me. (Jn. 17:23) Jesus prayed this similar theme. He prayed it, in effect, Father, that the world would know the unbelievers would know that You love those believers. Father, You love them like You love Me, with the same intensity that You love Me. I want them to see Your love for them. The Father would say, Do not worry. I am going to show the unbelievers on that day how much I love those whom they persecuted. C. This principle occurs among those living on earth during the Millennium (Isa. 45:14; 49:23; 60:14). 14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet. (Isa. 60:14) This principle occurs also to those with natural bodies in the Millennium. It says in Isaiah 60, talking of the Jewish remnant that survived the Great Tribulation, and they are living on with a natural body. They were not raptured or resurrected. They are unsaved survivors of the Great Tribulation. Then they get saved. Jesus is there in Jerusalem as King. He says in Isaiah 60, I am going to cause the sons of those who afflicted you their children, and this is for the 1,000 years; I do not know how long this will go, but that is the period of time He is talking about. I am going to take the children of those people who persecuted you they are going to bow down to you. That is, They are going to acknowledge, not your superiority He is talking to this Jewish remnant they are going to acknowledge that I sovereignly choose you and it was true and not a lie. So the bowing down is not to acknowledge that those particular people were something in their flesh, but it was to

12 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 12 acknowledge that God was actually sovereign in calling them and it was right. It says that those who despised you are going to fall at your feet and acknowledge you are chosen of God. He is talking to the Jewish people, particularly in the generation the Lord returns because there will be a hostile persecution, antisemitism rising all over the earth. The Lord would say, I am going to reverse it. There is something in His heart that wants to set it right publicly with the people who were against His people. He just has zeal about that. I love that. D. Jesus taught a parable concluding with a promise that the Master speaking of Himself will serve His people, thus expressing how He feels about them and loves them (Lk. 12:37). 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when He comes, will find watching I say to you that He will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will serve them. (Lk. 12:37) This is one of the most remarkable demonstrations of love. I think it plays into His show of love somehow, though I do not know exactly how. Jesus taught a parable. This is so remarkable that it is just almost unbelievable, except that came from the lips of Jesus Himself. He taught a parable and, in verse 37, He gives the application. He is talking about Himself as the Master. He said, Blessed are the servants so put your name there that when the Master returns that is the second coming they are watching, and they are alert. They are paying attention to what is happening in the earth and what the Word of God says. I think that we need to know the scriptural narrative, the biblical narrative of what is happening in that generation. They are watching, they are waiting, and they are alert to what is happening. They are not confused by what is going on. The Master, talking about Himself, says, that He will gird Himself with a towel. That is the idea. He will have them sit down to eat. The Master will serve them Himself. That is, He says it will be His delight to serve us openly. We think, Lord, no, do not do that! but He says, Yes, yes, I am going to serve you, because this is what love looks like. The most humbling and dramatic expressions of love in the age to come are things like this. I am assuming He is going to express some of this love even in the beginning. I mean some place where the adversary sees that Jesus said, I am going to show you how much I loved you. I do not know what that looks like, but I just offer the Luke 12 parable as a possibility. It is things like that. VI. JESUS WILL GIVE TO SOME HEAVENLY GOLD, RICHES, AND TREASURE A. Jesus urged His people to gain treasure in heaven this treasure may include many different things that are valuable and precious to His people. He spoke often on heavenly treasure (Mt. 5:12; 6:4, 6, 18, 20; 10:41-42; 16:27; 19:21; Mk. 9:41; 10:21; Lk. 6:23, 35; 12:21, 33; 18:22; Rev. 3:18; 22:12). 20 Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. (Mt. 6:20) 21 sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven (Mt. 19:21) Well, we are coming to the end. Jesus says, I am going to give to some of you gold, riches, and treasure. This is real. It is not figurative. Jesus urged His people to gain treasure in heaven. Look at Matthew 6:20, where He says, Lay up treasure. In Matthew 19, You will have treasure in heaven if you give to the poor. Jesus spoke often about heavenly treasure. It is not simply figurative. I mean, there are figurative dimensions to it, but it is more than just figurative. It is more than a parable or a poem. He means treasure. I believe there will be many different facets of the treasure, just like in the earthly realm, when Jesus is talking to the people in terms they would understand from the culture. Then they would have some way to relate to what He said. He is not just giving mystical ideas. He is saying, Yeah, I mean treasure. You understand treasure? Yeah. That is what I mean. Okay cool, that is good.

13 Session 8 Pillars, Manna, Vindication, and Treasure in Heaven Page 13 There will be many expressions of it, far more than I could ever guess or imagine, because, remember, one of the principles is 1 Corinthians 2:9, where Paul said that it has never entered the mind of a man the dimension of the glory that is planned. So whatever these rewards are, they are more glorious than we imagine them. They are far beyond in glory than we are thinking. The many dimensions of treasure will be valuable, will be precious, and they will be real. I think of a person s earthly wealth, and I am assuming there are comparative components to this in heaven, because He is talking to people in His generation in ways that they could actually understand what He meant. A wealthy man or woman, a person s estate, their house, the size, the location, where it is in the town, city or the country will have meaning. I believe that in the age to come, in the 1,500-mile city, that the size, the design, the location of your dwelling place, your heavenly mansion, your estate, as well as your crowns, even your wardrobe, will be beyond anything you could imagine. We looked at that in previous sessions on heavenly garments. There is a whole array of biblical hints to those garments. There are jewels that are trophies. You know when they win the Super Bowl, and they get the large ring with all these diamonds or other beautiful gems, it just beautifies the person wearing it. There are jewels that express affection. Just like a man who buys jewels for his wife, or rather, I should say, the wise man, having not done it I better watch it. Maybe I need to get with it. You go to a wealthy person s house, a mansion, and the furnishings, the decorations are beautiful. It is adorned with collectible art, gardens with fountains, with priceless items of all kinds. Again, the crowns, garments, and the jewels, I think about all of these collected together. The list goes on and on and on. It is not just treasure, but there is meaning to it. The wealth and the treasure of believers will vary greatly within the whole kingdom family. 1. The treasure of individual believers will vary in the age to come. Some will have great treasure, others will have little, and some will even suffer loss, but will be saved (1 Cor. 3:15). Some will have a lot of treasure. Some people who did not have much treasure in this age and even some people who did have treasure in this age and used it in a godly kingdom way will have treasure from their choices, and lots of it. Some believers will have just a little bit. Some believers, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:15, will suffer loss, as they will be saved as though by fire. They will lose everything, but they will be saved. Laying up treasures in heaven is not simply a figurative saying. There is real treasure in heaven that is gained. We are exhorted to gain heavenly treasure or to build a bank account in heaven. 2. Acquiring treasure and becoming rich in heaven may include different aspects such as one s heavenly estate or mansion (its size, location, and design), heavenly crowns, garments, and jewels. The furnishings of one s mansion including its decorations with what might be comparable in this age to priceless art collections that expresses one wealth and personality. 3. Acquiring heavenly gold might speak of status (royalty), honor for noble achievements (trophies and medals), as well as expressing affection, like jewels given to one s wife. Some give their wife jewels to express how they feel about her. Does Jesus include jewels or precious stones in this promise that our life choices can result in gaining treasure in heaven? 16 He spoke a parable to them, saying: The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully 18 So he said, I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God 33 Provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens (Lk. 12:16-33)