And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)
There is a notion going around and gaining strength that the promises God made to Israel have been taken away from Israel and given to the Church. There is also the idea that the Jews occupying the modern nation of Israel are not the same people to whom God made the promise, therefore God’s promises made to Israel are null and void since the original Israelites no longer exist. Both notions are false.
God’s promise to Abraham (Abram) came with no conditions.[1] God promised the land of Israel’s current borders and beyond as an “everlasting” possession. God’s unconditional promise, detailed in Genesis 15, was a “covenant” – a contract – guaranteed by God alone. “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself” (Hebrews 6:13). God would be going against His own nature if He broke the covenant He made with Abraham and guaranteed by His own name. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
Some will argue that God annulled that covenant and made a “new covenant” that applies to the Church and which was fulfilled at Pentecost.[2] They come to this conclusion from a prophecy given by the Prophet Jeremiah. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). However, the plain reading of the text clearly specifies that the promise is to “the house of Israel” and “the house of Judah.” One really has to stretch to make it apply to the Church. These will quickly point to Peter’s words at Pentecost when he said, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). That being the case, we need to see exactly what Joel said. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit” (Joel 2:28-29, emphasis mine). That certainly came true in part on the Day of Pentecost. However, it was not the complete fulfillment of the prophecy. In the verses that follow, the prophet continues: “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel 2:30-31, emphasis mine). That certainly did not take place at Pentecost, but it is meant for a future time.
In the second chapter of Joel, the prophet is talking about the coming of “the day of the Lord.” That phrase must be understood in its context. Here, the prophet was speaking of the coming of the Lord (i.e., Jesus) to set up His earthly kingdom. The prophets of the O.T. did not foresee the “Church.” The Apostle Paul declares that the Church was a “mystery” to the prophets of old. “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27, emphasis mine). John the Revelator amplifies to whom it was made a mystery. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7, emphasis mine). In other words, what was a mystery to the prophets will finally be revealed during and after the time of the Tribulation.
When one reads the prophecies in the O.T., it is clear that they all pertain to Israel. Even those who speak of the coming Messiah, they make clear that the Messiah is coming to save His people. Those prophecies that speak of His suffering and dying, the Jews of Jesus’ time treated as anathema. They believed then, and do even now, that the Messiah would be a human that would be a king in the line of David and would make their nation great among all the nations of the earth. As we study the prophecies, we cannot argue with that line of thinking, apart from Christ. Knowing this, we can understand their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus Himself said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). However, He was not exactly what they expected, and so, He was “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3) and nailed to a Roman cross.
However, the prophets were not erred about Jesus coming as king. That is yet to come, and all the promises made to Israel will be finally and ultimately be fulfilled according to the covenant God made with Abraham – an “everlasting covenant.” Jesus will indeed return and rule the nations with a rod of iron.[3]
However, before all of that happens, the Jews have to be back in the land that God promised Abraham as an everlasting possession. The migration began in the late 19th Century and into the 20th Century. Then on May 14, 1948, Israel took its place among the free nations of the world. That event became the harbinger of the “last days,” because for the last days’ prophecies to be fulfilled, there must be a national Israel – and it is NOT the Church. Today, the population of Israel is over 9.55 million and growing. With the increase of worldwide antisemitism, that number grows daily. Yet some discount that saying those populating Israel are not genetically pure Jews. That is a ridiculous claim! Have those making that claim done serious genetic research to verify that claim? I dare say not! It is only their way to deny what is evident before their eyes. Besides, who believes that God, who knows the number of hairs on every head, can lose track of His chosen people? Besides, can anyone make the claim that Jesus was a “pure” Jew? Jesus’ lineage came from the line of Judah through Tamar (a Canaanite), followed by Rehab (a Canaanite prostitute), and later by Ruth (a Moabite), and who knows how many others who were not named. Does that disqualify Jesus’ Messiahship?
So, God is keeping and will keep His promise to Abraham and to his descendants. But along with those promises, did you catch what was also included in that promise? “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). God does not renege on His promises. He promises to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. That is a lesson that our elected officials do not seem to understand. Our current President in his recent State of the Union address boasted that the United States stands with Israel. That “sounds” good to American Jews and Evangelicals; but behind the scenes, the United States is giving money to Iran, which hates America and is intent on the annihilation of Israel. Iran uses that money to fund its terrorist proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, the Houthis, the Muslim Brotherhood, etc. At the same time, the U.S. is pressuring Israel to cease fire against the demonic Hamas and is actively supplying Israel’s enemy in Gaza. By her actions, the United States is cursing Israel and for this, God will curse America, if He hasn’t already. If America does not repent of its wrongheaded action, America will incur God’s curse upon us. God keeps His promises. If God has reneged on His promise to Abraham, how can we trust Him to keep His promise to us? God is faithful. He keeps His promises.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. (Hosea 6:2)
In one of my Bible readings this week, I was reading Luke’s account of Jesus’ resurrection. Luke records that two disciples (not apostles) were returning to their home in Emmaus.[1] Because they invited Jesus into their home, I assume that they were husband and wife; Luke does not say. Regardless, after Jesus broke bread with them and disappeared from their sight, they finally recognized that it was Jesus who had traveled with them. They immediately returned to Jerusalem and found “the eleven” together. However, according to John’s account, Thomas was not with them.[2] Apparently, Luke used the term (“the eleven”) in a generic sense referring to the Apostles.
While the two recounted their experience, Jesus appeared in their midst. After assuring them that He was not a ghost by inviting them to inspect His wounds and by eating a piece of broiled fish and bread with them, Luke writes, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day” (Luke 24:45-46, emphasis mine). That last phrase stopped my reading. Jesus said, “Thus it is written,” meaning that His suffering and resurrection had been prophesied. I checked the cross-reference in my Bible and found two: Isaiah 53:3-12 dealing with His suffering and Hosea 6:2 predicting His resurrection.
There is no question that Hosea’s prophecy, quoted above, refers to Jesus’ resurrection because Jesus applied the prophecy to Himself. However, what caught my attention was the use of the plural first-person pronouns, “us” and “we” rather than “me” and “I.” It is always best to read a single Bible verse within its context to get a clear understanding. Backing up to the previous verse, we understand that the prophet is addressing Israel. “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1, emphasis mine). In the previous chapter (Hosea 5), the prophet foretold the demise of Israel (Judah and Ephraim). The Lord says, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15). The “I” here refers to the Lord Jesus. He fulfilled this prophecy when He ascended and returned to “His place,” and He waits there until they repent and turn to Him. The Prophet Zechariah says, “they shall look upon me [Jesus] whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).
In 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, razed the Jewish temple, and scattered the Jews all over the world. Hosea encourages Israel, the Jews, to “return unto the LORD.” Then he adds this prophecy that Jesus applied to Himself. “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight” (Hosea 6:2, emphasis mine). In context, the primary application is to Israel. They have been torn. They have been smitten, and the promise is that God will heal and bind their wounds “after two days” and “in the third day he will raise us up.” That raises the question, are the days literal or symbolic? Obviously, when applied to Jesus’ resurrection, the days are literal; He was in the tomb for three days and raised on the third. However, the days cannot be literal when applied to Israel.
Three days have long passed since the destruction of Jerusalem. Indeed, almost 2000 years have gone by. However, we see the prophecy taking place with the rebirth of the nation of Israel, which is yet another event that was foretold by the prophets. However, they have yet to turn to their Messiah, but we see the dry bones taking on flesh.[3]
Perhaps the “days” have something to do with what Peter said in his second epistle. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8, emphasis mine). Because of his use of simile, I have always understood, and still do, that this verse refers primarily to God’s timelessness. The psalmist echoes the same refrain. “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4, emphasis mine). God is not bound by time, and so time for Him is irrelevant. However, that is not true for us.
Therefore, if we take the days in Hosea symbolically to mean 1000 years, 2 days equals 2000 years, which is where we are now since the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God has returned the Jews to their homeland as foretold by the prophets, but yet, as Ezekiel described, the breath of God is not in them yet. They have yet to undergo the final seven years assigned to them by Daniel the Prophet.[4] Then, after the seven years (of Tribulation), Israel will be fully restored (“raised”) as prophesied on the third day, the final 1000 years[5] when Christ will rule as absolute monarch from His throne in Jerusalem.
If you would like to study more on end-times prophecy, find my page on “Revelation.” There you will find links to articles I have written that will take you systematically through the Book of Revelation along with other articles that cover end-times in general.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matthew 24:12)
Anyone that halfway pays attention to the news – even the “lame-stream-media” – can see the unprecedented rise in crime these days. Mobs of black young people ransacking stores and running off with thousands of dollars’ worth of high-end merchandise. (I am not being racist; I am just stating the obvious for anyone paying attention. Security cameras don’t lie and they are not racists.) They get away with it because police are not allowed to stop them and leftist district attorneys refuse to prosecute them.
Many major American cities are infested with homeless people living in tents along major thoroughfares and some in neighborhoods. They use the streets as their toilets and numb themselves with illegal drugs. Rather than enforce no-loitering laws to clean up the streets, many cities dole out sanitary syringes to keep drug abusers from contracting hepatitis. Very compassionate!
Then there is the Black Lives Matter organization (many of whom are self-deprecating white people), which cares little about black lives and looks for any opportunity to riot and burn down private businesses. Who will be the next black man that violently resists arrest and gets himself killed by police to give these thugs an excuse to riot?
Crime is not limited to the “dregs” of our society. Crime exists in the highest levels of our government. There too, depending on the political party affiliation, crime goes unpunished. Without delving into the details, all one needs to do is mention the names – Clinton, Biden, Comey, Fauci, Palosi, Garland, etc. These treasonous lawbreakers make millions of dollars from the positions entrusted to them by American taxpayers, and the law seems to bypass them. In the meantime, the “Injustice Department” persecutes and prosecutes anyone who dares to challenge their status quo.
Quoting Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries, “What did you think the end-times would look like?” In the verse above, Jesus responded to His disciples when they asked, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus gave a detailed description of what the end-times would be like just before His return. One of the characteristics He gave was that “iniquity shall abound” (Matthew 24:12). The Greek word translated as “iniquity” is anomia, meaning “no law.” The Strong’s Dictionary defines it as “illegality, that is, violation of law or (generally) wickedness.” We see that everywhere. One does not need to be that old to notice the rapid rise in lawlessness, and it is happening worldwide.
In the same sentence, Jesus said, “the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). Surprisingly, the word Jesus used for “love” is agapē. That is the “unconditional” love given to another, whether deserved or not, and without expectation of reciprocation. Generally speaking, there is near zero of that kind of love being expressed anywhere. Love is certainly waxing cold.
The lack of love manifests in a variety of ways. In his final words to his protégé, Timothy, Paul predicts the loveless character of people in the “last days.”
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:1-5, emphasis mine)
Let us examine some of these characteristics more closely. “Lovers of their own selves” characterizes egocentrism, self-centeredness, selfishness, etc. Marketers feed into the egocentrism of their target audience with the idea that “it’s all about YOU!” Self-love gives rise to covetousness, which in its essence is a desire for what others possess. Self-love also feeds the desire to “boast” about oneself whether the boast is justified or not. Self-love makes one “proud,” often without basis. Self-lovers are often “blasphemers” in that they attribute any praise they receive, whether from others or by self-delusion, to themselves rather than giving the glory to God. Such blasphemy takes many forms and finds its roots in humanism. Many scientists and those who worship “science” fall prey to that. They reject God and attempt to explain all of Creation by natural means, and attribute all human advances in medicine and technology to the inexhaustible (by their reckoning) abilities of mankind. That is blasphemy!
That they are “disobedient to parents” needs little explanation. One trip to Walmart ™ and watching some parents trying to control unruly children gives ample support for this truth. However, the result of such unruliness in children is the lawlessness of young adults. This is also characterized by “incontinence” (mentioned later on in the list). “Incontinence” here has nothing to do with the inability to control one’s bodily functions. In the King James vernacular, it simply means “lack of self-control.” It is the idea that “if it feels right, do it,” regardless of whether it is unlawful, immoral, or offensive,” and it plays right along with self-love. “To thyself be true” is the mantra. That, by the way, is satanic.
They are “unthankful” because they believe that anything that comes to them is due to them because they are “worth it.” They are “unholy,” the opposite of “holy,” which means to be “set apart” for God’s purposes. The “unholy” have no place for God.
They are “without natural affection.” I used to think this had to do with homosexuality. What it really means is to not have “natural affection.” The three English words translate the single Greek word “astorgos.” “Storgē” in Greek is “familial love” – the love one has for one’s natural family. The “a” prefix negates the word. Therefore, these people have no natural affection or love for their own families. This also springs from self-love.
All of these characteristics are interrelated and they stem from egocentrism. They are “trucebreakers,” i.e., they cannot be trusted to keep their word. They are “false accusers” – we see a lot of that going on with all of the Trump indictments. They are “fierce,” i.e., savage, violent, combative, etc. That they are “Despisers of those that are good” is demonstrated daily against those who are “pro-life,” those who promote heterosexual marriage, those who rightly believe humans do not cause “climate change,” those who stand for Judeo-Christian principles, those who believe and preach the Bible, etc.
They are “traitors;” they cannot be trusted. They are “heady,” i.e., rash, reckless, precipitate (i.e., “rushing headlong or rapidly onward”). They are “high-minded,” i.e., they think too highly of themselves (Romans 12:3), false pride. “Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God” once again comes back to self-love, selfishness, and egocentrism.
The saddest part of this list suggests that some of these people pretend to be “Christians.” They have “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Many pulpits across our nation are filled with this kind that speak using “Christian” vocabulary while preaching that not all of the Bible should be taken verbatim. They teach that we should detach ourselves from the Old Testament and that many New Testament teachings, especially those of Paul, were specific to the culture of his time and do not necessarily apply to our day and time – women in the pulpit, for one example.
Jesus said that in the latter days, “… many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:11-12). Do we not see all of this coming to pass before our eyes? If Jesus’ Word is true (and it is), then His return is very near.
I have published an extensive study on the Book of Revelation and the end-times detailing the events that will transpire during the Tribulation. You can find that on my “Revelation” page. Reader, are you ready to meet the coming Lord Jesus at His return? If not, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”
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. (Revelation 21:1)
With the Great White Throne Judgment[1] out of the way, sin has been purged from the earth. However, the creation was cursed with Adam’s sin, and even with the near Edenic conditions of the Millennial reign of Christ, the planet retains remnants of the curse. God told Adam, “… cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field” (Genesis 3:17-18). The purging of the curse will come by fire. The Apostle Peter writes, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10, emphasis mine). Earth, i.e., the planet, will not cease to exist, for God promised that it would exist forever. The psalmist states, “[God] Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever” (Psalm 104:5, emphasis mine).
God, speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, says, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17, emphasis mine). The Hebrew word translated as “create” is bârâ’, and it is only used when referring to God’s creative power. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) ex nihilo, out of nothing, with only His spoken word. John witnesses fulfilled prophecy when he reports, “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” (Revelation 21:1).
However, this time God does not need to create out of nothing. All the raw materials already exist, they only need to be purified by fire and reconstituted. Indeed, John does not see the creation of a new heaven and new earth, but rather a heaven and earth that have been made new, i.e., renovated. What is conspicuous in this New Heaven and New Earth is the absence of a sea. Often in Revelation, the “sea” is used in reference to the masses of people,[2] and sometimes they are those that are “the lost.” Since the lost were sentenced to an eternity in the “lake of fire,” it is possible that “no more sea” refers to these. We see that reaffirmed a few verses down. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). However, “the sea” more often refers literally to Earth’s large bodies of water.[3] Here too, the word can be taken literally. That raises the question, how can the earth function without water? I believe Dr. Henry M. Morris, Jr. provided the best explanation.
There will, in fact, be no need for a sea on the new earth. The present sea is needed, as was the original antediluvian sea, as a basic reservoir for the maintenance of the hydrologic cycle and the water-based ecology and physiology of animal and human inhabitants of the earth. In the new earth, however, there will be no animals at all, and presumably all the men and women who live there will have glorified bodies with no more need of water. Their resurrected bodies will be composed, like that of the Lord Jesus, of flesh and bone (Luke 24.39; Philippians 3:21) but apparently with no need of blood (1 Corinthians 15:50) to serve as a cleanser and restorer of the body’s flesh as at present. This, in turn, eliminates the major need for water on the earth (blood is about 90 percent water, and present-day human flesh is about 65 percent water).[4]
For those who might lament the absence of oceans and all the aquatic activities that go along with that, the New Heaven and New Earth will more than make up for the lack of seas. As we consider the features of the New Heaven and New Earth, we need to keep in mind that John was literally at a loss for words to describe what he witnessed. The place is too wonderful to be expressed in human language, so John could only use the words available to him in his time.
The Apostle Paul experienced what he called the “third heaven.” The experience so overwhelmed him that he could not tell whether the experience was actual or a vision. Speaking of himself in the third person, he said, “And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12:3-4, emphasis mine).
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). Before going to the cross, Jesus promised, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). This is the place of which Jesus spoke. It comes down from heaven to the newly re-created earth, and it is unimaginably beautiful like “a bride adorned for her husband.”
“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” (Revelation 21:3). A “tabernacle” is literally a tent designed for portability. However, the deeper meaning is that of a “habitation” or a “dwelling place.” I have always maintained that “Zion” is a name referring to the dwelling place of God. In the Old Testament (OT), Jerusalem is often referred to as Zion, as is the mountain upon which the Temple stood. Hence, when people speak of Zion, they are thinking of either Jerusalem or the Temple. However, the name comes from the fact that God chose that place as His earthly dwelling. “So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more” (Joel 3:17, emphasis mine). Now, “the New Jerusalem,” the new Zion, descends from heaven where God will dwell among His children.
“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” (Revelation 21:4). All the things that cause pain, sorrow, and tears no longer exist. How many of us can recall even one day without experiencing any of these things? I dare say that even if such days come on occasion, they are rare indeed. In the New Jerusalem, such days will be the norm, and all things that cause tears, sorrow, and pain will not even come to mind.
“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. 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. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:5-8, emphasis mine).
“He that sat upon the throne” is Jesus. I do not like “red letter” Bibles that supposedly print the words of Jesus in red letters, because that often tends to be subjective based on the editor’s understanding of the text. These verses are a perfect example. I recently bought a new KJV Bible. I bought the Bible online, so I was not able to examine it closely before buying it, and when it arrived, I discovered that it is a red-letter edition. In my new Bible, the words of the person speaking are not in red print indicating that the person speaking is God the Father, not Jesus. However, in my e-Sword ™[5] electronic Bible, the words of the speaker in this passage are in red print, suggesting that it is Jesus speaking. My old KJV Bible is all black lettering. It leaves it to the Holy Spirit working in the reader to make that determination. Anyhow, I long ago determined that the speaker is indeed Jesus. The first indication is that John sees Him sitting upon the throne. Jesus said that “God (the Father) is a Spirit” (John 4:24). The Father does not have a physical form that He can be seen occupying a single place. After that, the speaker says, “Behold, I make all things new.” Jesus is the Creator,[6] and He is the One that promised to prepare a place for us.[7] Then, the speaker identifies Himself as, “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,” the same title with which Jesus first introduced Himself to John[8] in the Book of Revelation.
Jesus is the Word of God;[9] therefore, the words He speaks “are true and faithful.” God’s Word never fails. To those who “thirst” for life, i.e., eternal life, He will give “of the fountain of the water of life freely.” This could be an actual fountain of water, but it is more likely symbolic of eternal life continually springing forth without end. Jesus made the same claim to the Samaritan woman at the well. “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14, emphasis mine). Those that enter the New Jerusalem are the “overcomers.” They will inherit “all things,” and He will be their God, and they will be His children. The Apostle Paul explains it in legal terms. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:17, emphasis mine). “All things” belong to Him, and as His children, we jointly inherit “all things” with Him. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8, emphasis mine). No extra commentary is needed here.[10]
Revelation 21:9-21 describes the appearance of the New Jerusalem. I will leave the text of the passage to the reader. The description was clearly beyond John’s language to describe. Its beauty is obviously beyond words. It is not some ethereal, misty, dreamlike apparition. It is a real, physical, three-dimensional place, exceeding the most beautiful city on Earth built by man. The dimensions are given as 12,000 furlongs square or 1500 miles per side. (21:16). Because the width, length, and height are all equal, some have suggested that it is a cube. However, others have suggested a four-sided pyramid with the throne of God, from which the river of living water flows, is at the apex (22:1). Whether cubical or pyramidical, its height (1500 miles) extends to what we now recognize as outer space. If superimposed on the United States, its footprint (2.25 million square miles) would extend from Maine to Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to 600 miles west of the Mississippi River.[11] Clearly, there is sufficient space for every believer that has ever lived. I would be amiss to venture at a number, but surely it must be in the billions.
“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” (Revelation 21:22-23, emphasis mine). In the previous chapters, we saw that “heaven” was arranged in a manner for which the earthly Temple was patterned.[12] In the New Jerusalem, the Temple is no longer needed. The earthly Temple had the Holy of Holies where the presence of God dwelt, and no man could enter there, except for the high priest and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement. In the New Jerusalem, God dwells with and among His people without restrictions. The sun and moon are not seen in the New Jerusalem, because the glory of God and the Lamb overwhelm the light they produce. That does not mean the sun and moon cease to exist. Remember that the New Jerusalem comes out of heaven down to Earth. It does not occupy the entire surface of the earth (which has no sea), so outside its gates, there will still be a need for the sun and moon.
“And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it” (Revelation 21:24-26, emphasis mine). Apparently, the New Earth will have people living in it outside the gates of the New Jerusalem, none of whom were sentenced to the “lake of fire.” Those are all excluded as Jesus said, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). The “fearful” are those who were timid to identify with Christ. Of them, Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). The “unbelieving” are simply those who rejected the Gospel and Jesus’ free gift of salvation. There is only one way to obtain eternal life and that is through faith in Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, emphasis mine). In the Law of Moses, several practices were considered unclean and an abomination to the Lord. However, two extend beyond the Mosaic Law and are a perpetual abomination to the Lord; they are homosexuality[13] (actually, any sexual perversion) and idolatry.[14] The “abominable” are also prone to the other sins listed: murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers (i.e., drug abusers), etc. All of these reside in the eternal lake of fire and have no place in the New Earth and New Jerusalem.
The word “nations” here is the Greek word ethnos from which we get our English word “ethnic” referring to “people groups.” The New Earth and New Jerusalem will be populated by people from every ethnic group on this present earth. The children’s chorus “Jesus Loves the Little Children” that says “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight” will be perfectly demonstrated in the New Earth and New Jerusalem. Evidently, there will be “kings” over the various groups and they will “bring their glory and honor into it.” I do not believe this is a tribute or sacrifice of any sort, but just their presence as the representatives of “the redeemed” will give glory and honor to the Lord and to the city. Mankind contributes nothing toward his salvation.[15] It is all by the grace of God, and all the glory goes to Him. The inhabitants of the New Earth have constant access, in and out, to the New Jerusalem. The gates of pearl are never shut (21:21).
“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” (Revelation 21:27, emphasis mine). Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, those to have their glorified bodies, bodies free from sin, sickness, and death, bodies that are ageless, will reside in the New Earth and New Jerusalem.
“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. 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” (Revelation 22:1-2, emphasis mine). Since there is no sickness or death in the New Earth and New Jerusalem, the need for “water of life” and a “tree of life” is perplexing. Dr. Morris[16] gave a good explanation for not having the need for a “sea,” so, why the need for water at all? Dr. Morris suggests …
Although the text does not say so, we are probably justified in inferring that this river (like the river in Eden which was its typological forerunner) parts “into four heads” (Genesis 2:10), which in turn descends from level to level, providing abundant water for every need (aesthetic as well as physiological) of the residents of the city. [What physiological needs we will have, I do not understand since earlier he said our glorified bodies would have no need for water.]
Eventually, it’s four distributaries will, presumably, reach ground level and then flow out through the four walls of the city, north, south, east, and west whence it, like the eyes of the Lord, will “run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Since there is “no more sea” (Revelation 21:1) the inexhaustible waters of this mighty river will supply whatever hydrologic needs the new earth may have. There surely will be an abundance of luxurious grasses and herbs and trees everywhere, as in the original “very good” created world (Genesis 1:11, 31), and the whole earth will be a well-watered paradise of abundant resources and fulfilling ministries for the servants of God.[17]
The text says that the leaves of the Tree of Life are for “the healing of the nations.” The Greek word translated as “healing” is therapeia and it means “service rendered by one to another” or “household service.” There is no sickness in the New Earth and New Jerusalem from which to be healed; therefore, a better understanding is that “the leaves of the tree were for the service of the nations.”[18]
“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: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 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 22:3-5, emphasis mine). The curse[19] has been purged by fire.[20] In our natural, physical state, we cannot see God and live.[21] However, that is not so with our glorified bodies; we “shall see His face” in all of His resplendent glory. “There shall be no night there,” i.e., in the New Jerusalem because the glory of the Father and of the Son will illuminate the entire place. However, as I stated before, the sun and moon will still light the New Earth, outside the city walls. The earth will still continue its annual orbit around the sun, and its rotation will continue to give day and night to the remade planet. However, within the New Jerusalem, the light of God and the Lamb will outshine the sun. And we “shall reign forever and ever” with Him.
Please, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Reader, what do you think? Do the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem sound like a good place to spend eternity? You will spend eternity somewhere, either in God’s new creation or in the lake of fire. There are no other options. If you want eternity in the New Earth with access to the New Jerusalem, then your name must be recorded in the Book of Life, and there is only one way to ensure that your name is written in that book. If you do not know the Savior, do not wait any longer. The time is short. Please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (Revelation 20:7)
At the beginning of the Millennium when Jesus comes again, “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan” is bound and imprisoned in the “bottomless pit” for a thousand years.[1] At the end of 1000 years (20:7, above), he will be released for “a little season” (20:3), “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea” (Revelation 20:8). Who are these that are deceived? They are not the saints who reign with Christ. The saints – the Bride and the Tribulation saints – have glorified bodies “like unto his glorious body”[2] that are incapable of sin, and they are immune to Satan’s deceptions. The ones who Satan deceives are the progeny of those that survived the Tribulation and entered the Millennium in their natural bodies – some believers and some non-believers – and retained the ability to reproduce. At the end of 1000 years of perfect conditions and “pre-flood” lifespans[3], billions of people will inhabit the earth. These are those who Satan incites to rebel. The “Gog and Magog” mentioned here are not the same to which the Prophet Ezekiel refers;[4] but rather, it is the “spirit” of Gog and Magog that seeks to destroy the people of God.
After 1000 years of perfect peace with Jesus reigning as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, why does God turn Satan loose on Earth again? Adam and Eve lived in a perfect environment with only one prohibition, yet they sinned and rebelled by disobeying God’s only command.[5] That took place probably within the first week following Creation. Now, after the Edenic state of Jesus’ Millennial reign, once again Satan is allowed to test mankind proving the depravity of mankind and the holy righteousness of God. God, speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah, says, “The heart [of mankind] is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins [i.e., “the seat of emotion and affection”], even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10, emphasis mine). It is a sad but true commentary. People sin because they are sinful even in a perfect environment.
Satan incites a rebellion against Christ and His saints, but the rebellion is short-lived. “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (Revelation 20:9). God responds instantaneously, decisively, and completely – no more second chances.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10, emphasis mine). There exists a false image of Satan and his demons ruling in hell and torturing its inhabitants. However, Satan and his “angels” will be no better off than any of the other inhabitants of “the lake of fire.” Jesus said that the lake of fire was “prepared for the devil and his angels.”[6] The Beast and the False Prophet are already there waiting for the Dragon,[7] and soon they will be joined by those whose names are not found in the Book of Life.[8]
With Satan permanently disposed of, John’s focus turns to Jesus on His throne. From the text, it is not clear whether His throne is in heaven or on earth where He has reigned for the last thousand years. Since Chapter 19, John has been reporting on events taking place on Earth; therefore, it seems feasible that Jesus’ throne could be the one He occupied in the Holy of Holies of the Millennial Temple as described by the Prophet Ezekiel. However, it could be His heavenly throne, which would have more space for the billions of people that are to be judged. Its location is irrelevant. Its significance lies in the seriousness of what takes place there.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them” (Revelation 20:11). The One on the great white throne is Christ, who is the Word,[9] who shed His blood a ransom for many,[10] and who conquered death and the grave by rising again.[11] He offered Himself for whosoever would accept His free gift of salvation through faith.[12] By His sacrifice, He earned the right to judge those who have despised His free gift of salvation. Now, He sits in the full splendor of His glory that overwhelms earth and heaven.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). These are those who have died without Christ from the beginning of time – small and great, peasants and kings, nobodies and celebrities – they all stand before God – Jesus is God.[13] The books were opened. We are not told, but I have concluded that the “books” include the detailed record of the life of every individual of both good and bad deeds, actions, and thoughts. Every person has his or her own complete, detailed biography. Among the books is the Bible, the Word of God, the standard against which each person will be measured. Too many people who even bother to ponder eternity believe that their good deeds will be weighed against their bad deeds, and in their pride, they think that their “good” will outweigh the “bad.” Actually, all of their deeds, good and bad, will be measured against God’s perfect standard, His Word, and only perfection by that standard will pass the test. On that day, the truth of Romans 3:10 will be undeniably evident: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one;” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
To be fair, “another book was opened, which is the book of life.” This book records the name of every person who has ever lived. However, only those adopted as children of God[14] remain recorded in the Book of Life; all others are blotted out, i.e., removed. When interceding for the sins of the children of Israel, Moses pleaded, “… unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Exodus 32:31-32, emphasis mine). Moses knew the significance of that book, and he was willing to have his name blotted out of that book in order to preserve his people.
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works” (Revelation 20:13, emphasis mine). Judged “according to their works,” no one will measure up to the perfect standard that Holy God demands.
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14). Death and the grave (i.e., hell, hades, the abode of the dead) cast into the lake of fire signifies that these cease to exist. There will be no death or dying in the lake of fire. Death separates the spirit from the body. When the body ceases to function, the spirit lives on, either in hell (the abode of the dead) or in the presence of the Lord (for the believer). For the believer, Paul says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8, emphasis mine). Everyone (except those caught up in the Rapture) will experience the first death. Scripture says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Since God is the Giver of Life, eternal separation from His presence is the ultimate death. Since physical death and the grave are cast into the lake of fire, the “second death” means eternal separation from the One who gives life – alive in one sense without the ability to die, yet dead in the sense of living apart from the One who gives true life. What a horrible thought!
Those being judged at the Great White Throne Judgment are given one more chance. Their “works” measured next to God’s perfect standard fall woefully short. To ensure a fair trial, their names are searched in the Book of Life. However, because they rejected Jesus as their Lord and Savior, their names will have been blotted out of the Book of Life. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
How about you, reader? The lake of fire was created for Satan and his angels; it was not meant for you. However, the lake of fire is the destiny of anyone not found in the Book of Life. There is only one way to ensure that your name is written in that book. If you do not know the Savior, do not wait any longer. The time is short. Please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”
Ernie's Musings 