The Destiny of Believers

Transcript

GR 1570
05/30/10
The Destiny of Believers
Revelation 21:1-8
Gil Rugh

Come to Matthew 7 for a moment. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke of a very important matter on the destiny of humanity. And He said in Matthew 7:13-4: “Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” Matthew 7:21-3 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.’” There are two gates, the two ways, the two destinies and many will be surprised on the Day of Judgment that they entered the wrong gate, traveled the wrong road and have ended up in the wrong place.

That's where we are in the book of Revelation. Turn over to chapter 21. At the end of chapter 20 we have had the last judgment, the true last judgment. We looked at the series of judgments that are unfolded in scripture. This is the last judgment, at the end of Revelation 20, beginning in verse 11, “And I saw a Great White Throne…” All those gathered before the Great White Throne, resurrected from the dead to appear before Jesus Christ for the final judgment. Every single unbeliever who has ever lived on the face of the earth will appear at the Great White Throne judgment. Everyone at the Great White Throne judgment in Revelation 20 is going to be sentenced to an eternal hell. They are judged there according to their works to determine where in hell they will be sentenced. Evidently in hell from the indication in this passage and others, there will be degrees of suffering in hell, based upon exposure to the truth and so on. So this is the ultimate end for those who entered the broad gate, traveled the broad way, the end of which is destruction. We are told at the end of verse 15, “…name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

We come to chapter 21 and we have the remarkable destination unfolded of those who entered the narrow gate, traveled the narrow way, the end of which is life. And so we have entered into what we call eternity. We have had a thousand-year kingdom but at the end of the thousand years there was a rebellion against Christ which demonstrated the sinfulness of man even living under perfect conditions. Then we had that last judgment. Now we move into what we call eternity, the eternal phase of the kingdom as we will see as we move on through chapter 21 and into chapter 22. Because the kingdom prophesied and promised is an eternal kingdom, but in Revelation 20 in the first part of the chapter, we were told for the first time that that eternal kingdom is divided off into a thousand-year period at the beginning, which will be followed by the eternal dimension. So it is a very marvelous section for those of us who are believers. This is telling us what eternity holds for us. This is the fullest description we have in the Bible of our eternal destiny. This is ultimately heaven because it is the eternal kingdom but in this phase of the kingdom heaven comes down and becomes part of the kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth. This is where we will live in the presence of God for eternity. So for us who are believers it has to be one of the most interesting and important portions of the word of God. Here is where we will be in a hundred million years, in a hundred trillion years, in the endless unfolding of eternity. We will be in glory in the presence of the eternal God.

We have the destinies laid out in the first eight verses and what it means for us who are believers, and then a reminder at the end of that section that not everybody is going to share in that glory. And then from chapter 21 verse 9 down into the opening verses of chapter 22, he'll give a fuller description of where we will be dwelling in the presence of God in eternity.

After the Great White Throne judgment at which all unbelievers receive their final sentencing to hell, we have chapter 21 open up. Verse 1: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away and there is no longer any sea.” We need a new heaven and a new earth because the first heaven and the first earth have passed away. Something new has come into existence. This was promised and prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures.

Come back to Isaiah 65. There are various views on the details of the unfolding of the new heavens and the new earth. I think it's the book of Revelation that gives us the chronology. And the Old Testament passages and in some of the New Testament passages that refer to the kingdom and so on, there is no distinction between the eternal kingdom and the thousand-year period of that are part of the first phase of the eternal kingdom. You don't know that the eternal kingdom promised in the Old Testament prophets has a thousand-year segment in its beginning. And some therefore, as we have noted, don't take that thousand years in Revelation 20 literally because they say no other portion of scripture gives us that information. But it is in the book of Revelation that we find a chronological unfolding of the events that in the Old Testament are talked about as the coming kingdom. And it is an eternal kingdom.

So we come to the prophecy of Isaiah 65:17: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.” And we're going to come to that in a moment in Revelation 21, where these old things will be done away with and the things that are negative associated with the former earth and heavens. Isaiah 65:18: “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. For behold I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness.” Verse 20: “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days or an old man who does not live out his days. For the youth will die at the age of one hundred, the one who does not reach the age of one hundred shall be thought accursed.” Well that will happen in the thousand-year phase. But the new heavens and the earth that bring in that fullness of the eternal dimension, we find out now follow the thousand-year phase when we see the chronological unfolding of the book of Revelation.

Look over in Isaiah 66:22: “’For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘So your offspring and your name will endure.’” So the promise of the unending fulfillment of the promises that God gave to Israel. They will never fail. And that is associated with the new heavens and the new earth, which moves us beyond the thousand-year phase. But the Old Testament saints knew nothing about that kind of division. So the revelation given there had to do with the coming kingdom which is promised to be without end. And that is true, but we know that the first portion of it served a given purpose as we have talked about.

Come back to Psalm 102:25-6, “Of old You founded the earth and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You do endure…” The earth and the heavens, the work of His hands will perish. And that's where we pick up in Revelation 21:1 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away…” So this that has been created by God is destined to perish, to pass away. But You endure. All of them will wear out like a garment, like clothing you will change them, they will be changed. But You are the same and Your years will not come to an end. The children of Your servants will continue and their descendants will be established before You. So what's going to happen? The earth and the heavens will pass away and perish but God endures forever and those who belong to Him will continue. Well we find out now the details as it is unfolded because this present earth and heavens will pass away. But there is a new earth and heavens that God will bring into existence.

Come over to Matthew 24:35;”Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” And some will take these passages and say, the promises and the kingdom promise can't be eternal because Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away. Yes, it will, but Revelation 21 in fulfillment of what was prophesied by Isaiah, there is a new heavens and a new earth brought into existence when the old heavens and earth pass away.

II Peter 3:10 talks about this coming day, the destruction that includes the day of the Lord, the judgments of the tribulation that we have just come through in Revelation 6-19. We are still under the seven-sealed scroll that Christ took possession of in Revelation 5. The seals began to be broken in chapter 6, but everything in the plan of God through the redemption of His creation is included. We'll say more about that. We are still under events of the seventh bowl as we move through chapter 21 and into the first part of chapter 22. We talked about that, we'll talk about that again as we move through further in the section, so that we see that this is all part of what is unfolded in that scroll.

II Peter 3:10-13: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” And I connect these things all together; they are part of what God is unfolding in detail in the book of Revelation. There will be a new heavens and a new earth. Now the fact that it is called a new heavens and a new earth connects it to the old. And we see other things that will connect it to the old heavens and the old earth. We get into chapter 22, you remember in the Garden of Eden the tree of life was there. We'll find it in chapter 22 in the new earth. So it is a new heavens and a new earth but he's just not talking about there will be something new in heaven that you've never experienced. By the very fact he calls it a new heavens and a new earth connects it to what we can understand and know in heaven and earth. But it will be new and all elements of sin will be removed.

As you come back to Revelation 21, you have the final rebellion and display of man's sin in connection with the rebellion against Christ at the end of the thousand-year millennium. Revelation 20:11 told us, “earth and heaven fled away.” I take it that when we begin chapter 21 we're reminded the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. The judgment upon sinners and final judgment of sin takes place then prior to the establishing of the new heavens and new earth, which will have no taint of sin. In the first thousand years of the kingdom sinners were present. And even though overt acts of sin experience the judgment of God, there will be resistance and rebellion against Christ's rule even before the final rebellion.

We looked at this, but come back to Zechariah 14:9: “And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.” Verse 11: “And the people will live in it, and there will be no more curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.” And then we're told of the plague that God brings upon those who have rebelled and the judgments there. Verse 16: “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the king…” We are in the millennium now. It is just presented as a coming eternal kingdom. These are events that will only happen in the first thousand years. Verse 17: “And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.” So here we are in the kingdom, the Lord being King over all the earth, and yet there are acts of resistance against Him. We talk about overt acts of sin will be punished, there will be no murder going on in the kingdom. Isaiah 11:9 “They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain…” So any overt acts like murder, rape, things like that will be punished before they can be carried out. But understand men are sinners and there will be resistance manifested to His rule. Like a nation not going up to celebrate the feast that is required. So Christ withholds the rain on that nation. Verses 18-20: “And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the bowls before the altar.”

So you see, even in that first phase of the kingdom there is some manifestation of sin and sinful acts taking place. And they experience the judgment of God. The thousand years brings all of that to an end. So we have a new heaven and a new earth, all traces of sin and sinners are removed. We'll have a new heavens and a new earth that have never been marred, defiled, tainted in any way by sin or the presence of sin.

So come back to Revelation 21. There is discussion if you read on this, is this a renovation of the old and so a connection there, or is this a total recreation? The point is the same either way. Does God take the old heavens and old earth and totally remake them as a new heavens and a new earth, or does He just wipe out the old heavens and the old earth and make them completely new? And I don't know for sure. But the fact is there are going to be new heavens and new earth. But they are a new heavens and new earth which have a connection to the old because they are a new heavens and a new earth. We're just not in eternity and in heaven and in the presence of God wherever the third heaven is, the residence of God, but we have a new heavens and a new earth. So it is connected with what we identify with. And as I said, that will be seen as we move further into its description.

There is a statement here at the end of verse 1, “there is no longer any sea…” Why that particular characteristic is brought out, I don't know. I wish I had some tremendous insight. I read some interesting discussions. We live in a water-based system and your blood is 90% water, I think they said. So there is no sea because it won't be a water-based system. Well that's interesting but I don't know. I don't know why there is no sea. This new heaven and new earth will have great land mass; you take all the seas out. Some people say that is to make room for everybody living. But remember this is a new heavens and a new earth, so will it be expanded beyond the present dimensions? Certain things, we'll have to wait until we get there. I can tell you for sure there will be no sea in the new earth, but I can't tell you why because God doesn't give any other elaboration there.

Verse 2: “And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” Again, here is another connection to the old earth because Jerusalem was in the old earth, and it was called the holy city then.

Come back to Isaiah 52. I want to be sure we see the connection with the old earth and the new earth. Whatever that newness is, a renovation or a completely new entity, it is connected to the old in the sense it will have Jerusalem, the holy city, even identified in the same way. Isaiah 52:1: “Awake, awake, clothe yourself in your strength O Zion. Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments O Jerusalem, the holy city. For the uncircumcised and unclean will no more come into you.” Jerusalem is going to be in a condition where no sinners will come into it. This is evidently the eternal city. But here the prophet talks about Jerusalem the holy city, but at a time when no sinners will come into that holy city. So even though it is called the holy city, it's a holy city that takes on a new dimension.

Matthew 4:5: “Then the devil took Him into the holy city and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple.” Well that is the present city Jerusalem that was in existence when Christ was on the earth. You'll note what it is called—“the holy city.” Then he takes Him to the temple in the holy city. So it's Jerusalem. Matthew 27:53 gives the same identification.

So when we come to Revelation 21 and it says “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,” that connects it to the old. It is given the same name, “the holy city,” and it is still called Jerusalem, but it is New Jerusalem. So you see in this new heavens and new earth we have this connection to the old. We have Jerusalem, but now we have a New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven.

Look in Revelation 3. We were told about this in the letters to the churches. Revelation 3 has the letter to the church at Philadelphia, and a promise is given to the overcomer. We're going to have the overcomers mentioned here coming up in chapter 21. Revelation 3:12: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God and My new name.” We are personally, the church, identified with this new city. This is a promise to the overcomer, the one who is the believer in Jesus Christ. “You will belong to My God; you will be a pillar in the temple of My God.” We will dwell in the very presence of God. That's what we're talking about; this is heaven in eternity because the throne of God is moved from its present location in the third heaven, apart from the earth. It will dwell on the earth in the new earth, in the New Jerusalem. And that will be our residence. We will be a pillar in that temple, the very presence of God. And what is heaven? Heaven is the place where God manifests His presence. He is omnipresent, He is present everywhere. But He chooses to manifest His presence for His creation in a given place. Now that is the third heaven, the dwelling place of God where the angels are and so on. But at a future time it will be on the new earth. That's why I say we're in the eternal phase of the kingdom; heaven now is on the new earth where the New Jerusalem is as well. So that's the promise to the overcomers in the church at Philadelphia

Revelation 21 is where the new city is coming down out of heaven from God. Some would take this to be that it has had prior existence. I think there is some logic to that. The New Jerusalem is primarily associated with the church, the bride of Christ. The New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven from God, “made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” This is where some have projected that during the first phase of the eternal kingdom the New Jerusalem will hover above the earth. Perhaps better to say the New Jerusalem is in heaven during the first thousand years. It's the dwelling place of the church, the bride of Christ, their residence. So this new city comes down as a bride adorned for her husband.

Back in Revelation 19:7, the celebration in heaven, repeated hallelujahs during the first six verses of this chapter in anticipation of the return of Christ to earth. Revelation 19:7: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” So the people of God are identified with the city of God and the bride of Christ, the church. And this is the bride's city, the dwelling place of the bride. As would have been done in Old Testament and New Testament times, what a ruler prepared, a special city, a special dwelling place, a special palace for his bride. John 14:2: “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told; for I go to prepare a place for you.” So I take it He is preparing the New Jerusalem as the dwelling place for the church, His bride, and that will descend from heaven because the residence of God is going to be on the new earth. And the New Jerusalem will be the focal point in the new earth as chapter 21 is going to unfold.

Revelation 21:9: “And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me saying, ‘Come here and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’” Well we are the bride, the wife of the Lamb, but the city that is the dwelling place for this bride is inseparably identified with the bride. And so the description of the New Jerusalem will follow that.

Revelation 22:17: “…the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’…” So you see the city is identified as the bride because it is the place where the bride lives. But in 22:17 the Holy Spirit and the bride of Christ which is the church today is calling people to come to Christ. So that's how the book of Revelation is drawing to its conclusion. Verse 17: “The Spirit and the bride say ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say ‘Come,’ and let the one who is thirsty come, let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” That's what we are doing in the world today, calling people to Christ. It's the ministry of the Spirit, and the Spirit works with the bride of Christ, believers today. And this is our dwelling place in eternity.

Revelation 21:3: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men…’” That's why I say heaven really is moved with the coming of the New Jerusalem from heaven to the new earth. In the Old Testament what was the tabernacle? It was the place where on earth God manifested His presence among His people Israel. We have seen the tabernacle in heaven up to this point in the book of Revelation.

Come back to chapter 13 verse 6, and here we have the beast. We are back in the middle of the tribulation and the activity of the beast and his rebellion against God. Verse 6: “And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.” So you see the presence of God and His people in His presence, the tabernacle of God. Revelation 15:5: “After these things I looked and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened.” So there we have the tabernacle in heaven, which is the place where God's presence is fully manifested. Now in 21:3, “…the tabernacle of God is among men and He will dwell among them. They shall be His people and God Himself shall be among them.” We are in heaven because this is the place of God's dwelling, the manifestation of His presence.

Ezekiel 37:14: “And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life and I will place you on your own land…” Verse 21: “…Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone and I will gather them from every side, and bring them into their own land.” Verse 23: “…they will be My people, and I will be their God.” Verse 24: “And My servant David will be king over them, and they will have one shepherd…” Verse 26: “And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them…” Verses 27-8: “My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.” You can see in this chapter how the kingdom and all parts of the kingdom here merge together, not distinguishing some things that would be particularly true in the first phase of the eternal kingdom, the millennium, and the eternal phase. But we're seeing that ultimate realization where God's dwelling place, His sanctuary, will be in their midst forever. We don't just have a manifestation of His presence as they did with the tabernacle and then the temple in the Old Testament with the true tabernacle and temple in heaven, now the tabernacle of God has moved from heaven to the new earth.

So come back to Revelation 21. He will dwell among them. They shall be His people. God Himself will be among them. Verse 4: “and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death, and there shall no longer be any mourning or crying or pain; the first things have passed away.” The things associated with the first earth, “the first things have passed away.” We are told 21:1 that the first earth passed away and all those negative things, associated with and the result of sin are done with. That's what passes away, the first things—tears, sorrow, mourning, crying, pain, those things are gone. They have no place in the new earth. It has all been removed. So “every tear wiped away” means there will never be any cause for sorrow anymore. There will never be any painful experiences or painful happenings. There will be no more death, no one dying, no one getting diseases, nothing to cause sorrow. It is hard for us to identify with such a place of awesome beauty and splendor and joy and happiness. And no sorrow, no tears.

So you see what has happened when we have moved from that first phase of the kingdom, the thousand years, all these things have finally been done away with. People have died during that first thousand years, a person who dies at a hundred will be thought to have been accursed, Isaiah said. Because why would they die at a hundred? It is the curse of God on them. And that will be the kind of judgment that takes place; there will be recognition. Somebody may decide he is going to kill someone, steal, rape, but he drops dead. He is recognized as cursed of God. So all those things are passed away and gone. They are all the result of the fall in Genesis 3, the result of the presence of sin. They will be no more.

Verse 5: “And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’” And you almost get the idea that John at this stage is enthralled at what is being revealed. I'm making all things new. I mean, unbelievable as it is, it's hard to imagine this part of a fallen world and fallen beings and a world that is filled with suffering and pain and sorrow and all the things that go with it. These words are faithful and true just as surely as you are sitting here right now. This will be reality. Write these things for “these words are faithful and true,” they come from the living God. As hard as it is to grasp, as awesome as it is to consider, these words are faithful and true. This is exactly how it's going to take place. And we will be there. And these words are faithful and true, write them down.

Revelation 19:9: “And he said to me, ‘Write, blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’” Revelation 22:6: “And he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place.” Heaven and earth will pass away; My words will not pass away, Jesus said. The words of God will stand true. When this present earth and heavens pass away, the words of God are settled and true. Psalm 119 says, forever, your word is settled in heaven oh Lord. I mean, it's a done, settled fact. We rest secure in it; this is where we are going. That's why Peter said, don't get all wrapped up in the things of this world in II Peter 3. We're looking for a new heavens and a new earth. This isn't our life, our citizenship is in heaven. We are looking for the coming of our Savior and then we will be with Him when God moves heaven to the new earth. And we'll be pillars in the temple of our God and we will dwell permanently in the wonder and the splendor of His presence.

Revelation 21:6: “And He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end…’” The eternal God is the source of these words. Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega…” God applies the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the beginning and the end. All focus is in Him; He is everything. Revelation 22:13: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” I mean, put all your confidence, all your trust in Him and what He has said. He is the eternal God.

How gracious He is. Revelation 21:6: “…I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” I offer you free salvation. We've come through the book of Revelation, we see the awesome and terribly destiny of the unbeliever. And here as God unfolds the wonder of eternal splendor and glory and joy and happiness of those that drink of the water of life, He says, “I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” What more could God do? Unfold all these truths about the future in detail, the awesome destiny of those who don't believe. Then He says, but I'll give you all this for free. You can have life, the water of life.

Isaiah 55:1: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” You see that's the invitation. Come and receive the salvation blessings of God and they are free. Verses 6-7: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” I mean, how gracious God is. These are days of salvation, these are days of grace. It's free. The water of life, it's free. God's salvation is given as a gift. People say, I don't believe in a hell, I don't think God would do that. Believe it, the words that He gives are faithful and true. But you don't have to go to hell. There is a narrow gate and a narrow way that ends in life. Come, drink of the water of life; receive God's salvation free. How gracious is God. What would heaven be like if people were telling God they will do it their way, and not His way? What more can He do? He sends His Son to die to pay the penalty for our sin, then He offers the free gift of eternal life and people say, no. Then they deserve it as we saw when we moved through the book of Revelation, the judgments of God as they are poured out on the wicked. And what is the testimony of heaven? They are worthy; they deserve it.

There are many other passages; we won't take time to look at the promise of the water of life. Jesus used the analogy with the woman at the well in John 4, the Samaritan woman. If you drink of the water I give you, you will never thirst again, picturing again the salvation. He spoke of the Spirit of God being like a gushing well of water from within in John 7.

Revelation 21:7: “He who overcomes shall inherit these things and I will be his God and he will be My son.” Each of the seven churches ended with that promise to the overcomer. I John 5:5 “And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Overcomer doesn't mean I'm giving it all my effort; I'm working hard and hoping to earn my way. No, you overcome when you place your faith in Jesus Christ. That's what an overcomer is, the one who believes in Jesus Christ, according to I John 5. We overcome in Jesus Christ. In the world you have tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. When we place our faith in Him, we become overcomers.

Revelation 21:5: “…Behold, I make all things new…” This new heaven and new earth, the New Jerusalem, the bride's city will come down. And you can inherit it all by believing in My Son. You'll be an overcomer. Isn't it amazing that anyone says no? It's free; it's without cost because the price has been paid. Reveals how sinful we are. Even such a gracious invitation unfolding all these things can be your inheritance. No charge to you. He who overcomes will inherit these things. I will be his God, he will be My son.

Revelation 21:8: “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death.” Make no mistake; there are only two alternatives, two gates, two roads, two destinies. That's it. You can inherit all these things and become My son, God says, or you can spend eternity in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Those are the alternatives before you. That's it. Don't be confused. There is no middle way, there is no partly in and partly out. For those who have not overcome they are described here with these words, and again they are not a complete list by any means. We have seen more complete lists but it gives you an idea. The cowardly are those who are afraid to believe because of the consequences. Held back, he who is ashamed of Me before men, I will be ashamed of him before My Father who is in heaven, Jesus said. The unbelieving are those who refuse to believe; the abominable, polluted by their sin, their vile practices. This same idea is found in Titus 1:16, where it talks about the vileness of disobedience to God. Murderers, that's a serious one. Hebrews 13 gives the warning to immoral persons. In marriage the bed is undefiled, but “adulterers and fornicators God will judge.” Some people claim they are Christians and they are living in immorality. You understand what God says, all immoral persons will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Sorcerers are those involved with idolatry and magic. It's part of the list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. And “all liars” which pretty well takes in a large group of people. In fact each time here at the end of the book of Revelation that he mentions a list like this, the various individual sins change but liars are part of all three lists—22:8, 21:27, 22:15. What he is doing is given an example, samples.

I Corinthians 6:9-10: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Don't be deceived, it isn't going to happen. Remember where we started out in Matthew 7? “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord.’ And He'll say, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.’” They are dumbfounded. People profess to be believers and practice these sins and say, I know I'm a Christian. How clear can God be? “Do not be deceived, the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.” It's not going to happen. There are various kinds of deceptions; the worst kind of deception is to be deceived about your eternal destiny. You don't want to make a mistake here, there is no undoing that. I mean, come to the Great White Throne and you have your part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone forever and ever. I Corinthians 6:11: “And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” We're not saying that Christians are better people because they never were vile sinners like the others, we're just like them. What's the difference? The grace of God and the reception of what He gave us for free.

And that's what we have to tell others. You can have the same free gift that I got. I was a sinner just like you; I was on my way to the lake of fire just like you. What did you do to clean up your life? Nothing, I just bowed before the living God and said, Lord, I believe you. I believe what you say about me, I believe what you say about your Son. I'm casting myself on your mercy and receiving your free gift. That was it. Well, that easy? I mean, easy for us in that sense, but very hard, very humbling to come and bow. So you see the exclusion and the inclusiveness.

Come back to Revelation 21. When he says at the end of verse 8, their part will be “in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone;” we've gone back to what we saw at the end of chapter 20, the Great White Throne judgment where we saw all unbelievers receive their final sentencing to an eternal hell. Revelation 20:14-5: “…this is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 21:8: “…their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death.” Make no mistake, verse 27 of chapter 21, nothing unclean, no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come into the New Jerusalem, which is the dwelling place of God, which is now heaven for eternity. Only those whose names are in the Lamb's book of life will spend eternity in heaven.

It is a huge contrast. Reminder here at the end there will be splendid glory, eternity without any negatives—no sorrow, no suffering, no pain, no crying, and no tears. All those things are gone because in Jesus Christ we have received a complete cleansing and forgiveness, new life. The contrast is in verse 8, those who “will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.” You think, how can I be sure? These words are faithful and true, they come from the eternal God. It is just as sure as reading the outcome of yesterday's sporting events. I mean, it is done. When God tells you the future, it is done. It's just a matter of getting there. But these events are settled and true, there will be a Great White Throne judgment, all unbelievers will be cast into hell. There will be a new heaven and a new earth and the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven and it will be the bride's city and we the church will be the bride of Christ in that city. That will be our permanent residence to bask in the glory of God with eternal joy as we serve Him. What a destiny, what a contrast. This is to shape our lives. We examine ourselves first to be sure we are in the faith; then we bring to a lost world this contrast. You can have the water of life free and have God's salvation free. But that's the only way to get it and the alternative is just as inconceivable and hard to grasp with our finite minds as the glory side. But praise God even though I can't grasp the fullness of glory, I'll be able to experience it by His grace.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for Your word, thank You that Your word is sure. It is fixed, it is settled forever. We as Your children, those who have become sons of the living God by Your grace through faith in Your Son; we have received the water of life. Our lives are committed to Your truth. Heaven and earth will pass away, Your words will not pass away; they will not fail. All these things will come true. Some day we will gather in the glory of Your presence as the bride of Christ in the bride's city, the New Jerusalem, our dwelling place for eternity. We thank You for the greatness of Your salvation. Lord, may our understanding and conviction of the truth of Your word even be a motivation to us to share boldly and openly Your grace in bringing this message of salvation to family and friends. Use us to bring honor to Yourself, to bring glory to Your name as we share with others the grace that has been provided in Your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.