It may seem a little strange
to start off a series on The Jesus Church with a passage like
this – all about what the completed church looks like in heaven, as opposed to
what it’s like now.
But that’s just the point; the church that is our
model isn’t Presbyterian, Church of God, Baptist or Methodist or Roman
Catholic. The church of Heaven is the
church for which Jesus died! The church
Jesus said he would build wasn’t built as the result of a consultation with
experts, nor a popular vote on how you should do church; He built the
church on the bedrock truth that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Messiah, the
Son of the Living God!
Essentially everything about this passage of Scripture
is practical, helpful and totally sobering.
Jesus did not pull any punches with the straight talk that he told John
to write down for us.
It’s much like the mother who moved her family to a
new neighborhood; she was registering her 6 year old for school. He was a hyper sort, always getting into
mischief.
Mom filled out all the required information on shots,
doctor, and previous school; when she came to the large open space for
"COMMENTS," she simply wrote in huge block letters: BRACE
YOURSELVES.
Well, brace yourselves for what the church will look
like in heaven, and what we should be all about here on earth:
1.Completed Wholeness
Revelation
22:1-6(NLT)
Then the angel showed me a
river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb. It
flowed down the center of the main street. On
each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with
a fresh crop each month. The
leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his
servants will worship him. And
they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the
Lord God will shine on them. And
they will reign forever and ever. Then
the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and
true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has
sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.”
Just like God provided manna for the children of
Israel to eat in their desert wanderings, the Lord will provide in heaven. Jesus shows John the flowing waters of a
clear, crystal river meandering right through the heart of New Jerusalem, The
tree of life is in the center of the city, bearing twelve different kinds of
fruit, with a fresh crop each month; what a wonderful picture of our future.
If you do the math, there are twelve different kinds
of fruit and a new growing season for each of the twelve months; that’s 144
different kinds of food crop. It’s my
belief this is apocalyptic language, symbolic of the complete tribes of all
God’s children. It picturesquely reminds
us of the 144,000 witnesses (12,000 from each of 12 tribes). This is metaphorically representative of
providence being plentiful for all who are God’s family.
And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the
nations. All disease and defect have
become a distant memory of history.
In addition to all this the curse of darkness will be
removed, because in the presence of the King of Glory there is brilliant and
overwhelming perfect truth. While the
tree and waters of life speak of the physical completion God will bring to his
people, His light and truth speak of the wholeness of spirit and soul. He says it plainly – it’s all trustworthy and
true!
2.Completed Obedience
Revelation
22:7-9(NLT)
“Look, I am coming soon!
Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw all
these things. And when I heard and saw
them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just
like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is
written in this book. Worship only
God!”
Throughout the New Testament Jesus’ second coming is
characterized by suddenness. In parables
(ten virgins, the unfaithful steward, et al), Jesus cautions his followers to
stay awake and keep faithfully serving, as we don’t know the time or exactly
how his return will happen.
In the scheme of things time hardly matters; God is
above time and space, having created both, and having placed us within. We think in a linear fashion, looking forward
to events, or remembering past events.
God isn’t hampered by that; he knows and experiences
everything as present, and moves according to what is best for us. He did that when he came the first time:
But when the right time came, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, subject to the law. Galatians 4:4(NLT)
And so, obedience to God’s Word and will (His Law) are
undoubtedly connected to the conditions under which the completion of the
church occurs. I believe this is what
Paul meant about Christ’s purpose in growing a spiritually-mature church:
That
he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27(NLT)
The “suddenness” of His coming will find his true
followers obedient!
3.Completed Justice
Revelation
22:10-11(NLT)
Then he instructed me, “Do
not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who
is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live
righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”
This ought to put to rest for all of us the so-called complicated
and unknowable reputation of Revelation. John is instructed to leave this prophecy UN-sealed,
meaning it is open, understandable and a clear message for the churches.
So what does it mean about letting the one who does
harm, and is vile [filthy] continue in it?
One author put it this way:
The word “filthy” [vile] here is, of course, used with reference
to moral defilement or pollution. It refers to the sensual, the corrupt, the
profane; and the meaning is, that, their condition will be fixed, and that they
will remain in this state of pollution forever. There is nothing more awful
than the idea that a polluted soul will be always polluted; that a heart
corrupt will be always corrupt; that the defiled will be put forever beyond the
possibility of being cleansed from sin.[1]
Simply put, God draws a line. For those who continue to stay outside his
will, there comes a time when those who will not obey, cross the line
and cannot
obey. They have knowingly and willfully
put themselves beyond any hope of salvation!
It also flows in the opposite direction – those who
willfully choose to obey God become more able to obey God.
This is why we are often warned against resisting God. All the prophets warned Israel to be soft
towards JHWH; they rarely listened for long.
Since the day that your fathers came forth
out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my
servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined
their ear, but hardened their neck: they
did worse than their fathers. Jeremiah
7:25-26(NLT)
God is willing to forgive all sin, but we must not
resist him and think his patience is unending.
I heard my mentor, Pat Giffin preach a sermon once
about this. He said, There
are at least two things God doesn’t know; he doesn’t know a sin too
big to forgive, and he doesn’t know an unconfessed sin of any size he
can forgive.
Justice, for the church will be completed when
judgment of sin is accomplished.
And judgment will have its consequences:
4.Completed Separation
Revelation
22:12-15(NLT)
“Look, I am coming soon,
bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the End.” Blessed
are those who wash their robes. They
will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from
the tree of life. Outside
the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the
idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
In Scripture washing is seen as a symbol of purity and
innocence. In the early centuries of the
church people who were going to join the church were given a new, white robe as
a sign that their sins had been forgiven.
These are the ones who are permitted to come through
the outer gates of the city of New Jerusalem – those who have washed their
robes in the blood of the Lamb of God.
Isaiah said it plainly:
Come
now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18(KJV)
We sing plenty of songs that proclaim the Gospel’s
message that the crimson red blood of Jesus Christ, shed at Calvary’s cross is
the sacrifice which takes the dark stain of sin and guilt away.
But what of those who remain in the stain? What of those who never kneel at the cross
and ask for God’s forgiveness? This is
where the judgment line is drawn – at heaven’s gates.
John’s revelation plainly says that, in the New
Jerusalem (heaven), there are insiders and outsiders. The outsiders are a long list – those who
prefer sin – wanton disobedience to God’s law.
On this “hit-list” are sorcerers (dark magic), sexually immoral people,
murderers, worshipers of false gods and all those who love to live a lie.
One caution here – the difference between those who
qualify for the list and those who get exempted from this separation is free
will. We all choose badly – all are
guilty. Those who refuse the forgiveness
of the cross are destined to spend eternity separated from the God they chose
to ignore. Free will is like that; we
are given by our Creator the privilege and responsibility
to choose wisely!
5.Completed Restoration
Revelation 22:16-21(NLT)
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the
churches. I am both the source of David
and the heir to his throne. I am the
bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who
hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who
is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires
drink freely from the water of life. And I solemnly declare
to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written
here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes
any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s
share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this
book. He who is the faithful witness to
all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Here the free offer of the cross and its pathway to
the living waters is repeated; it’s for anyone who will come to God in
repentance and humility, willing to confess Christ as Savior. The Scripture is pretty clear about
full-inclusion and full-exclusion.
Scripture is complete and must not be reduced or expanded; it is intended
to be obeyed.
For those who will, the image of God will be
completely restored!
In the name of the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit!
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