Lesson January, The Eternal State of the Righteous

Transcription

1 Lesson January, 2017 The Eternal State of the Righteous Lesson Scope: Revelation 21 and 22 Unless otherwise noted references in brackets relate to above chapters Lesson Focus After many chapters of divine retribution upon sinful men and their Final doom being sealed along with the devil's, this lesson is a refreshing change. Chapter 21 elaborates on New Jerusalem, the glorious, holy city of the redeemed. Chapter 22 begins by expounding on the river of life, which flows from the throne of God. By the river is the tree of life, which will again be available for man's blessing as he serves God eternally. These chapters embody the hope of the saints. The promises of these chapters have inspired believers of many generations to be faithful unto death. Enduring the afflictions of the Gospel will have been well worth it if we can make it through to that eternal heavenly city. Jesus is preparing a place of unparalleled glory for His people. Only those whose names "are written in the Lamb's book of life" and who "do his commandments" will enter this wondrous abode. Do not overlook the evangelistic overtones in this lesson. In 21:6 and 22:17 the water of life is available for thirsty souls. In 22:17 the word come is used three times. The first two are the appeal of the Spirit and the redeemed for Christ to come. The third is an invitation to "take the water of life freely." During His earthly ministry, Jesus cried, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." Verses 7 and 8 of chapter 21 contrast the end of the wicked with the end of the righteous. The better choice is obvious. Call attention to the connection between 22:14 and the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, 20. The church is responsible to teach the commands of Christ, and the doing of His commands is the key of access to the city. As you fit details of these chapters together, keep in mind that the allimportant thing is to be ready for Christ's return and, like Abraham, to look for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

2 Lesson Aim: To unveil glorious realities about the eternal abode of the righteous. Theme Verses: Revelation 21: And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Lesson Text I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth Revelation 21:1-7 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. "And He... Showed Me That Great City" Revelation 21: And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the

3 north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. Revelation 21:27 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. "Blessed Are They That... Enter" Revelation 22:1-5 1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 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: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:14 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:20 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Questions for Study I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth 1. Explain the significance of the frequently used word new. 2. How does the saint's relationship with God in eternity far exceed this relationship in time? "And He... Showed Me That Great City" 3. Explain the significance of the wall, gates, and foundations of the New Jerusalem. 4. What are some implications of the New Jerusalem's vast size?

4 5. How should the truths of 21:27 affect the child of God while he is anticipating heaven? "Blessed Are They That... Enter" 6. How is the throne central in the New Jerusalem? 7. What inspiration can we gain from the presence of the "pure river of water of life" and the "tree of life"? 8. What are the conditions for entering the holy city? Analyzing the Passage Words cannot fully depict the heavenly glories John describes in these two chapters. John, however, has given us a sufficient description to stretch our imaginations and cause us to long for our eternal home. All things will be new: a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. Compare 2 Peter 3:12, 13. The former things will be passed away. In heaven, there will be no tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain, temple, sea, night, Satan, sin, sinful nature, temptations, or curse. Another key thought relates to God's presence; He will dwell with-man (21:3). God and the Lamb will be the temple (21:22) and the light of the city (21:23). Their throne will be in the city (22:3). Twelve, the number of final completeness, recurs frequently in these chapters twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve foundations, twelve apostles, twelve pearls, twelve kinds of fruits a sevenfold description. There were also all manner of precious stones in the foundations, which numbered twelve. Twelve also appears in multiples in the mention of one hundred forty-four cubits (21:17) and twelve thousand furlongs (21:16). The astounding size of the city (nearly fifteen hundred miles long, wide, and high) is ample room for the multitude of saints. The foursquare city was typified by the holy of holies in the tabernacle and Solomon's temple, which were both cubes. The exquisite beauty and magnificent structure of the New Jerusalem are incomprehensible. The light of the city is like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. The wall of the city is of jasper and the city is pure gold like clear glass. Each foundation is garnished with its own precious stone, while the pure gold street glitters as transparent glass. Each gate is the splendor of a different pearl.

5 Principles and Applications "I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth" 1. The glory of the new heaven, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem far exceed the glory of the former (21:1, 2, 5). All the beauty and glory of this present world will fade by comparison. "Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" suggests ultimate beauty, purity, and perfection. The faithful have "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." 2. God Himself will dwell with His people throughout eternity (21:3). 1 n the Old Testament, God met with man in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Today God dwells with us through His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:17). But this will all be exceedingly superseded by seeing God face to face and falling down to worship Him in His very presence. 3. The tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain of the former life will all be passed away (21:4). Man has no power to take away the pain and death I hat cause tears. God may wipe away some initial tears of His children upon entering heaven, but He also wipes away tears by removing the cause of sorrows. "Weeping may endure fora night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). 4. God will abundantly supply every need of His children in that blessed abode (21:5, 6). The words "living water" in John 4:10 are similar to "water of life." Those who have drunk of Christ's living water in this life will wake up in eternity with everlasting provision and enjoyment. The water supply is free and inexhaustible. 5. The new things will be inherited by those who are overcomers in this life (21:7). The theme of overcoming is very prominent in Revelation. The messages to the seven churches all included a promise to the overcomer. Overcoming power is provided through the blood of the Lamb, the one who has overcome the world. See John 16:33 and 1 John 5:4, 5. "And He... Showed Me That Great City" 6. The New Jerusalem is a memorial of God's glorious work of salvation (21:11, 12, 14). "The nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it" (21:24). The Scriptures refer to the salvation of God's people as walls, which indicates the security that salvation is for them. The names inscribed on the gates and foundations are the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and seem to represent the saved of all time.

6 7. The eternal abode of the righteous will be free from all defilement (21:27). Eternity is the ultimate fulfillment of God's separation principles. Forever man's destiny will be fixed. The wicked are forever banished from the presence of God and His people, but the righteous will be in perfect company and perfect bliss forever. Praise God! "Blessed Are They That... Enter" 8. The eternal state of the righteous will be perfect (22:1-5). The curse being lifted and the tree of life being accessible again to man speaks of perfect restoration. The throne of God and of the Lamb provide perfect administration. His servants serving Him indicates perfect submission. Seeing His face reveals perfect transformation. His name in their foreheads is perfect identification. The Lord giving them light is perfect illumination. Reigning forever and ever indicates perfect exaltation. What could be more desirable than this complete perfection? 9. Obedience to Christ is the condition for experiencing this matchless glory (22:14). Salvation by grace through faith results in a workmanship to God's glory, which manifests itself in obedience (Ephesians 2:8-10). Obedience as a result of salvation will be the condition for entering the gates into the city. Important Teachings 1. The glory of the new heaven, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem far exceed the glory of the former (21:1, 2, 5). 2. God Himself will dwell with His people throughout eternity (21:3). 3. The tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain of the former life will all be passed away (21:4). 4. God will abundantly supply every need of His children in that blessed abode (21:5, 6). 5. The new things will be inherited by those who are overcomers in this life (21:7). 6. The New Jerusalem is a memorial of God's glorious work of salvation (21:11, 12, 14). 7. The eternal abode of the righteous will be free from all defilement (21:27). 8. The eternal state of the righteous will be perfect (22:1-5). 9. Obedience to Christ is the condition for experiencing this matchless glory (22:14).

7 10. The glory of God shines forth from the holy city, New Jerusalem (21:10, 11). 11. Jesus will surely come to reward every man according to his work (22:20). Answers to Questions 1. Explain the significance of the frequently used word new. The new is needed because the old was worn out. Also the new is needed because the old was marred by sin and was under the curse. That which is marred by sin is removed and that which remains is beautiful and glorified. See 2 Peter 3: How does the saint's relationship with God in eternity far exceed this relationship in time? God will dwell with the saints forever. They can see Him face to face and worship in His very presence, when faith is turned to sight. 3. Explain the significance of the wall, gates, and foundations of the New Jerusalem. The walls, gates, and foundations speak of security and stability. The names inscribed on the gates and foundations are the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb. These seem to represent the saved of all time. God will not forget any righteous. Christ came through Israel, but the apostles are the foundation of the New Testament church. 4. What are some implications of the New Jerusalem's vast size? The New Jerusalem provides adequate room for all who are save d. The evangelistic efforts of the church need not be curtailed because of a shortage of room. The vast size reflects the foreknowledge and greatness of God; we can trust Him for the future. The size is incomprehensible. 5. How should the truths of 2127 affect the child of God while he is anticipating heaven? It is comforting to know that nothing will be allowed to mar the beauty and purity of the holy city. There will be perfect bliss and perfect company. There will be no more temptation or opportunity to sin. The searching question is will the exclusiveness of the New Jerusalem exclude me? Also, am I warning others and informing them of the requirements for making it into heaven?

8 6. How is the throne central in the New Jerusalem? God and the Lamb are there and they are the source of all life and light. They are the focus of all praise and the center of all service. 7. What inspiration can we gain from the presence of the 'pure river of water of life" and the "tree of life"? God's supplies for man in heaven are free and exhaustless. The curse is removed and man is again worthy to partake of the tree of life. 8. What are the conditions for entering the holy city? The obedience of faith is the primary condition. We must be identified with God and serve Him now if we will be among those who do so then. Faith and works are inseparable. Therefore, we will be judged by our works. Our names must be in the Lamb's Book of Life. Summarizing the Lesson "Surely I come quickly" are the last words of Jesus in the Bible. Are we ready for that time, and responding, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus"? May the prospect of our heavenly home inspire us to press into the kingdom today and influence others to do the same. Research Guide 1. For the sake of comparison read Genesis 1 and Read the chapter titled "Heaven" in Doctrines of the Bible.