Welcome Home!

 Read Revelation 21.

The future continued to be revealed to the Apostle John.  He saw a new heaven and new earth with a beautiful bejeweled city called New Jerusalem.  What is described in this chapter is how many people envision heaven.  Keep in mind that chronologically this new city will not be seen until the 7 years of Tribulation, the 1,000 of the earthly kingdom, and final judgments are completed.

What will our eternal home look like?

1. New Jerusalem.
The city will be astonishingly beautiful.  It will be constructed of precious gemstones with gigantic pearls for gates and streets of gold.  The size will be a cube measuring 1380 miles in length, width, and height.  The walls will be about 216 feet thick.

In honor of our spiritual heritage, the 12 gates will have the names of the 12 tribes of Israel.  The city will be based upon 12 foundations with the names of the 12 Apostles.

While these stunning things will certainly catch our attention, the focus will not be on what is there but Who is there.  It will be the dwelling place of God and we will live with Him. (v.3)

2. The Environment.
There will be no more tears.
There will be no more death.
There will be no more mourning.
There will be no more crying.
There will be no more pain.
There will be nothing unclean, detestable, or false.
Why?  Because there will be no more sin.

There will be no temple for we will be in the very presence of God for worship.
There will be no night and no need of lights.  "The glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." (v.23)

Two eternal questions are answered in this chapter.
1. Who will not be living in this city?
"If anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (20:15)  "...the lake of fire burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (21:8)
Verse 8 explains the clear warning to those who do not turn to Jesus.
-The cowardly or fearful.  This is the opposite of faith.  They just cannot bring themselves to trust in Jesus so they chose to do nothing.
-The faithless or unbelieving.  They doubt the truthfulness of the message.
-The detestable or sinful.  They would rather pursue their temporal pleasures instead of dealing with the reality of their eternal fate.
-The sorcerers.  They place their faith in evil spiritual activity instead of God and His word.
-The idolaters.  They put their faith in their own made up religion and way of life.
-The liars.  They are committed to false thinking about sin and eternity.

2. Who will be living in this city?
"...only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." (v.27b)
These are the ones who heard the good news of Jesus and personally placed their faith in Him.  "...whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24)