New Heaven and Earth.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:1-2

Of all the grand descriptions in the book of Revelation, this vision of what will be our ultimate eternal destiny is most compelling. God is remaking the universe. He is doing something both new and the same. There is a heaven. There is an earth. And this time the physical planet will also be His physical dwelling place in a place of His design: The New Jerusalem. It is called a “holy city” that is “from God” and “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”.

We know that this will be such a remarkable place that it will be uniquely associated with God’s people. The New Jerusalem is called “the wife of the Lamb” in Revelation 21:9. Then the rest of the chapter goes into detail on its measurements and glorious construction. Somehow this beautiful final city is also the unique abode of all believers. It is where my heart will find its final home. That is why it is a holy city. It is the dwelling place of God and it is the dwelling place of His holy people. One cannot help but wonder if that was what God hoped for in the Garden of Eden all along. That at some point He would work with Adam and Eve and their descendants in the construction of just such a place.

The origin of the New Jerusalem is “from God”. It comes to the earth from heaven. Jesus Himself promised to “go and prepare a place” for us and come and bring us to Himself. That will find its complete fulfillment in the arrival of the New Jerusalem. And I think He is already preparing that place for us even now.

And the city is festive. It is prepared for a wedding of the Lamb to His Bride. It will be the place where we will share our lives forever with Jesus. And it will be a place of joy, intimacy, shared life, and joy and fulfillment that we can only now barely comprehend in our redeemed fallen natures. But when we are as a race fully holy, this experience will be more thrilling than we can ever imagine. My heart quickens just a little thinking about it now. It is what my deepest hopes want to see.

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The Big Picture: why I should do what I do.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

Revelation 7:9-10

Companies have their visions statements and their mission statements. Sometime in the late eighties that became an overt corporate practice. And it is not a bad thing. But Wall Street was just catching up with the church in that practice. When I read scripture there are clarifying portions that show me clearly why it is I serve as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This passage is one of them.

The scene of worship of God in heaven by an innumerably diverse crowd of human beings from every ethnic group imaginable is quite stirring. It is the ultimate worship service. And their worship is significant. They cry out with palm branches in hand (a symbol of Jesus’ triumph as Messiah and Deliverer) in appreciation and recognition of God as the sole provider of salvation in Jesus. This crowd knows they are there because of the work of Christ. And they worship wholeheartedly.

This scene keeps me going. It is why when I have opportunity, I will share the gospel with anyone who may not understand their need of Christ. It is why I will work among redeemed sinners who do not always act like the saints they are supposed to be. Yes, church work has its ugly side as well. I am OFTEN judged, misunderstood, spoken down to, even dismissed by Christians… some of them in my own church. I would expect that from outside the church. It is difficult to take inside the walls. But it is worth it to know that at some point, I will not feel the slights and we will ALL stand together affirming what we have known all along: Jesus is Lord and Savior. That is what matters the most. We will be thoroughly satisfied with that worship.

Technorati Tags: Jesus,Worship,Revelation,Heaven