The Book of Revelation #9 Jesus the Restorer
The Book of Revelation #9 - Jesus the Restorer
“I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Rev 21:2
He who is seated on the throne will say, “Look! I am making all things new.” Rev 21:5
He who sits on the Throne is Jesus, who first destroyed his enemies, then judged mankind, and is now recreating/restoring all things, not to their former state, but better; they are called “new” heavens and “new” earth.
Let us note several things:
Firstly, regarding the word “new”; if we put 1Co 3 and 2Pt 3 together, both speaking of cleansing and burning with/by fire, I think we see God cleansing his creation, and in that sense restoring it and recreating it, rather than destroying it completely and making another; like we restore furniture, by removing the grime. Think about it, if he completely destroyed the old, if he threw it away, he would be saying it was so bad, he could not fix it, and in one sense Satan would have “won”; Satan would have so ruined God’s creation that Jesus could not fix it; and that cannot be.
As he was the creator of the first: “All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created.” Jhn 1:3, so he is the re-creator/restorer unto the new.
Secondly, it is from heaven. This was the hope of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.
“By faith he (Abraham) dwelt in the promised land, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb 10:9-10
“But they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Heb 11:16
It is often thought that Christians obviously hope for heaven, but the Old Testament saints had an earthly hope. That is not true! The Old Testament born-again people had a hope of heaven, just as the Christian does. We are one people, one church, going to the same place.
Thirdly, it is physical. It has foundations, gates, doors, a wall, and it is measurable; it is real, we will touch it! The Patriarch’s hope was not in a pleasant land here on this earth, but on the new earth, in the new heavens.
And we will have resurrected bodies, we will not be bodiless spirits, we will have bodies like his.
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” Php 3:21
New immortal bodies capable of passing through solids, like walls and doors, but also able to eat! Luk 24: 36-43
I highly recommend Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven”, it was a huge blessing to me.
Fourthly, it is a place of beauty:
The foundation stones are of various and beautiful colors, the gates pearls, the streets gold, seas of crystal.
Evolutionists have a problem explaining color, it is not utilitarian; we could live in a black and white world. Evolution is all about utilitarianism and usefulness; color is beauty. The existence of color is a proof of God, a proof that God created the universe, and a proof that God loves beauty. The whole visible light spectrum, white light really being a mix of all light wave-lengths (think of how a prism “breaks” up light) is a very complex thing (wave versus particle theory of light), but if we think color is wonderful here, in heaven the colors will explode!
The sights and sounds and smells of heaven, will be “tangible” and “tactile”; it will be beyond anything we can imagine!
Fifthly, it is specifically made for us.
Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also.” Jhn 14:2-3
“But as it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” 1Co 2:9-10
“Prepared for us!” (Mat 25:31) Christian rejoice, here is a vale of tears, there is a city prepared for us by God, were Adam and Eve and Enoch and Abraham and Rahab and Paul and the Syrophenician woman and Cornelius and Jan Huss and Katie and Martin Luther are waiting for us. They are the “cloud of witnesses” cheering us on, calling out, “Don’t quit! Keep on! We are here waiting for you. We did it, so can you!”
Sixthly, it is the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan for his elect.
“Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.” Mat 25:34
This is no after-thought. The fall of Adam did not catch God by surprise! He did not have to come up with Plan “B”, on the fly, when Adam sinned.
This was prepare “from BEFORE the foundation of the world”. Without getting into the Supra-Lapsarianism verses Infra-Lapsarianism issue, the verse is clear, the word is clear “BEFORE”.
It was God’s eternal plan that his people would live forever with him on a new earth, in a new heaven, which he had specifically prepared for them.
“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Heb 11:16
Seventhly, it will be clean: holy and without sin.
“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.” Rev 21:8
“No unclean thing shall ever enter it, nor shall anyone who commits abomination or falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Rev 21:27
If God’s enemies were in heaven, it would not be heaven. Heaven will be heaven, a place of joy, because sin and sinners will have been judged and removed.
Would heaven be heaven if the devil and the demons were there? Would heaven be heaven if un-converted sinners, who rejoiced to serve the devil, who rejoiced in evil, who were active enemies of God, were there?
Would heaven be heaven if the 1st Century Romans who murdered our Christian brothers and sister in the Coliseum were there; if the priests of the Inquisition were there; if devil worshippers were there?
Eighthly, it will not be under the curse of God:
“There shall be no more Curse” Rev 22:3
When man sinned, God cursed his creation, in effect saying, “You did not like the perfect place and condition I made for you, now suffer the consequences; see what misery is all about.” But in heaven, there is no curse; brokenness, pain, and suffering, are all gone; the slavery to corruption is done.
“The eager expectation of the creation waits for the appearance of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.” Rom 8:19-22
Now the entire creation is groaning and travailing under the curse. It is waiting for the appearance of the sons of God. It is waiting for the new heavens and new earth to come down from heaven, and for us to be ushered in. It is currently in subjection, slavery, corruption, but eagerly expecting glorious freedom.
How strange, the in-animate creation is waiting for the new heavens, but people mock.
“That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 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. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 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. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
2Pe 3:2-13
There is much talk today by Economists talk about the “Great Re-Set” that is to take place. When God consigns the devil and his people to hell, and ushers in the new heaven and earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, prepared for his people from before the foundation of the world, and says to us, “Enter in!”, THAT will be the real “Great Re-Set!”
Ninthly, there we will live by sight, in the very presence of God, no more faith:
“I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need of sun or moon to shine in it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
Rev 21:22-23
“Then he showed me a pure river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Rev 22:1
“The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face,” Rev 22:3-4
We will dwell in the presence of God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the river is the Spirit), in all of his/their Triune fullness.
No more faith, trusting in what we do not see; we will see!
Reading the Bible is like reading love letters from a lover who is far away; but I don’t want letters, I want her!
Now we live by faith, then we will see!
Jonathan Edwards “Heaven a World of Love”, is a blessed little booklet,
https://www.chapellibrary.org/pdf/books/hawo.pdf
This is the place our God prepared for us from before the foundation of the world, which Jesus is now preparing for us individually, which he will give to us, when he restores all things.
18 June 2024