Good morning. How are you all doing today? Awesome. I'm doing great. Thank you so
much. We like to start our services every week by saying welcome to anybody that's
joining us here in our sanctuary for the first time or if you're joining us
online for the first time, welcome. We're so glad you're here to worship with us
at Hosanna. I am Pastor Nathan and this morning we are continuing our look at
the New Jerusalem in Revelations chapter 21 and 22. New Jerusalem, the holy city
that is prepared for God's people wherein we will dwell with Him in His
glorious presence in heaven forever. It's a beautiful thing at the end of
Revelation as we look into eternity. You know this New Jerusalem we talked about
in our first part of this, look that it's a bride city. New Jerusalem is
described in the context of its occupants adorned as a bride for her
husband because it is the bride of Christ, the redeemed us, those that have
put our faith and trust into Jesus Christ for salvation that are dwelling
in that place. This New Jerusalem is a very very important part of heaven and
it shows us something that's a really key critical element of eternity. It's
that our eternity will be corporate, our eternity will be social, our eternity is
going to be a community. There's going to be no slipping off into the corner
alone, there's going to be no isolating ourselves from one another, but it's
going to be a perfect community, a perfect fellowship with God and His
people. And I know some of you may have heard that and been like, oh no, because
you tend to be the type of person who wants to be alone and off, but I promise
you in heaven you are going to be blessed with the community and the
fellowship and the connection. And it's really a big picture of how God created
us. God created us to need relationship. God created us to need relationship with
others and especially with Him and heaven is going to be the ultimate
fulfillment of all of that. Now Revelation is very clear and the Bible is
very clear that heaven, it's a real place with real activity populated
with real people. Heaven is a place where all of our greatest needs are met and
all of our deepest desires are satisfied, but not desires born of our flesh, not
desires born of our selfishness, but desires that are born out of our love
for God, our love for Him and our desire to honor and glorify Him. Heaven's going
to be a place of perfect symmetry and order and balance because heaven is a
place that reflects ultimately the mind of God who brought order to chaos. We
know that scripturally He brought order to chaos in creation, but the real miracle
is that He does it in the lives of those who trust Him. He brings order to
the chaos of our lives. Heaven's going to be a place where we will be face to face
with the glory of God in perfect fellowship forever. And I can't wait and
I hope you can't wait. I know we all got plans here on this earth. We all got
goals and things we want to accomplish and that's great, but there is nothing
that compares to the heaven that awaits those who trust in Jesus Christ as their
Lord and Savior and the New Jerusalem is a huge, huge part of it. Now last time we
looked at verses 9 through 21 of Revelation 21 and really looked at what
was a description of the outside of this New Jerusalem, this city to come. Today as
we look at verses 22 all the way through verse 5 of chapter 22, John's going to
describe for us the inside of this glorious city and all the wonder and
marvel that our promised paradise, a place prepared for us by Jesus has for
those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb. But before we get into that
we're going to spend time worshiping God Almighty because well that's what we're
going to be doing forever. We get a precursor of that wonderful time every
time we gather together whether it's here at church in our community groups.
Anytime where two or more are gathered God is there in the presence and we get
the glorious opportunity to praise His name, to declare to Him how awesome He is,
to declare to Him our thanks and our gratitude for the salvation He's given
us and it is a glorious, glorious opportunity every time we get to worship
Him. So join me in prayer. Father we love you so much. God we're so grateful for
the heaven to come. We look forward to it Lord. We say things like we can't
wait to get there Lord and yet there are many of us who for one reason or another
maybe lose sight God of heaven to come. Maybe we start to get caught up in
the here and now, the things of this world Lord and God having goals and
purpose here now isn't wrong. There's nothing wrong with that God but the
Lord nothing here compares to what is to come in heaven and Lord as your people
we know that your scripture teaches us that we are not citizens of this world.
We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom and that God we should live that way and
our priorities should be lined up that way God and Lord we see in this new
Jerusalem this capital of paradise Lord wherein your presence is gonna shine out
into all eternity forever. Lord that we're gonna have the opportunity, the
glory to dwell with you in perfection. God that is gonna be a place of just
absolute bliss and joy where everything is good and right and God this city is
such a picture of the beauty that you have for those who trust in you. So Lord
we ask you speak to us today encourage us but God we want to worship you
first. We want to praise your holy name because you are worthy. You are our God.
You are king of everything. You are our creator. You're the lover of our souls
Lord and we thank you. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. We are in Revelation
chapter 21 starting in verse 22 and last time we were together as I mentioned we
looked at the outside description of the new Jerusalem the city that has prepared
for us that we will be dwelling in in eternity with God forever. Now overall
the picture of New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as it told us coming down
out of the transcendent spiritual realm to actually be on a new created physical
earth in the new created universe it is really a picture of heaven on earth and
it's something that people over the centuries have often talked about
wanting to see a heaven on earth or they refer to things as heaven on earth and
you know nothing that has ever happened here on earth is comparable to what is
to come with this new Jerusalem and so but all of it together the whole
picture as Revelation 21 opened up introducing us to the new heavens and
the new earth and we talked about that when it says new heavens what it's
referring to is a new universe a new creation if you will and then the new
earth is an actually recreated earth a planet that we will be dwelling on and
then we have this new Jerusalem which comes down out of the transcendent
realm to this earth and then including the transcendent realm all of it together
is heaven all of it is paradise and as we've been seeing through this study
because God is ever-present without any hindrance in all of it in the eternal
state and so that's why we refer to it all as heaven so the idea of heaven for
the Christian is not so much aware but it's a what it's a how heaven is not
about the place per se it's about the experience that we will have as God's
people the perpetual existence in the direct presence of God Almighty in the
direct presence of his perfect glory unhindered unveiled unshielded in any
way and so what we're looking at today in Revelation 21 verses 22 through verse
5 in chapter 22 it gives us a description of the inside of this holy
city and it's not necessarily a comprehensive description it's not a
detailed description of every single element but it highlights the important
aspects of what's going to be in this city so read with me starting in verse
22 of chapter 21 John says I did not see a temple in it because the Lord God the
Almighty and the Lamb are its temple the city does not need the Sun or the moon
to shine on it because the glory of God illuminates it and its lamp is the lamb
the nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their
glory into it its gates will never close by day because it will never be night
there they will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it nothing
unclean will ever enter it nor anyone who does what is detestable or false but
only those written in the lambs book of life and so in this opening few verses
here John is is describing really the the collective marvels of the city right
the the amazing elements that are just catching his eye and he's gonna go on to
continue to describe these marvels together but it's interesting as he goes
from the outside to the inside of the city the first thing he looks for is a
place to worship God in all his glory right that's the first thing he looks
for when he looks to the inside you know we have to understand that in the ancient
world it was unthinkable to have a great city without temples without places to
worship the various gods in the Roman Empire of the day as we studied through
the letters when we looked at the seven letters to the seven churches earlier in
Revelation just about every single town in the Roman Empire was filled with
temples to all the various deities we remember the story when Paul went to
Athens right and he went into this place where they had a statue to every god
they had some type of altar to every god including one to the unknown God right
that's how you know you're super religious when you're gonna have an
altar of just in case we missed one right and that was the unknown God and
then Paul took that opportunity to say I want to talk to you about that God the
real God the only one and true God and so temples were everywhere in John's Day
and then the temple in Jerusalem by the time Revelation was written that temple
had already been destroyed and that temple was was the center of Jewish
religious life right the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 AD was was
terribly devastating for Jewish people and it was devastating because the
temple was the place where God's presence was the temple was the place
where God's glory was and so with the temple being gone by extension God's
presence was gone God's glory was gone and more importantly their ability to
draw close to God in the Jewish mind was gone because their temple that place
where they could come close to the presence of God where they could enter
into the glory as he at least as close as they could through the offerings and
the sacrifice it was gone now before Christ the temple that existed in
Jerusalem was was was a very prophetic thing it was prophetic of the
relationship to come that's what we saw in the tabernacle and then it became the
temple it was prophetic it always spoke to a relationship to come that God
wanted to have with his people and we know that in the Christian era after
Christ was crucified and after he was resurrected and we call it the Christian
area or the or the the era of grace the Bible teaches us that God's people are
the temple of God right Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 316 he said don't you
yourselves know that you are God's temple and that the Spirit of God dwells
in you I'm very excited for the men's conference coming up and men if you
haven't signed up for this yet it's a one-day conference it's a one Saturday
out of your schedule to come together and learn and we're focusing on the Holy
Spirit his indwelling and what that means in the life of a Christian and how
it empowers and equips us to serve with gifts and all of that I'm very excited
about that opportunity to get into that because the truth is as Paul said we are
God's temple every Christian and the Spirit of God lives in us now during the
millennial kingdom as we looked at we do understand that in the tribulation time
there is a third temple built in Jerusalem that is used unfortunately for
what is false worship and then ultimately becomes a pagan altar in the
abomination of desecration but we know that third temple is is going to be
restored and during the millennial kingdom that there will be religious
rights taking place there but it'll be serving as a memorial because Jesus
himself will be ruling and reigning physically here on the earth so we know
that there's a third temple and we know that third physical temple will be a
memorial during the millennial kingdom but when we get to eternity in the new
Jerusalem the holy city of God John says I saw no temple in it there's no temple
there now he's referring to the structures right and he says there's no
temple there but the temple is the Lord God Almighty and the lamb why is there
no physical temple in the new Jerusalem because it doesn't need one it doesn't
need one it doesn't need a church it doesn't need a cathedral it doesn't need
a living room right the new Jerusalem doesn't need any place for the gathering
of God's people because everywhere is the gathering of God's people God is
ever-present he is fully present in eternity we've looked at that already
this this whole city with with transparent streets and transparent
walls and and the and the glory of God just shining out into everything
everywhere is God's presence so there's no need for a place where that presence
is veiled or restricted in any way there's no need for temples there's no
need for any of that because everywhere is the gathering place in eternity
there's going to be nowhere that you can't draw close to him did that make
sense okay because it didn't make sense when I just said there is nowhere in all
of creation where you can't draw close to God that means in the new creation
the new heaven the new earth the new Jerusalem no matter where you're at
you're right there in God's presence no matter where you go God is right there
with you in his full glory unhindered unveiled in any way revelation chapter
7 if you remember back there it speak spoke of the redeemed in heaven and it
said this in Revelation 7 it said the one seated on the throne will shelter
them and that word shelter is an interesting word in the Greek it means
to he spread his tabernacle over them and that should make you think of the
tabernacle that the children of Israel had in the wilderness the tabernacle
which was that meeting place with God in which the the holy place was and inside
that was the holy of holies right the very presence of God and it was a
special tent and you get into the Old Testament right when we get there we'll
study all those details and it's just a beautiful picture that points to Jesus
Christ it's really fun to study those things but we see that there was this
tabernacle and then a temple but in heaven this is God spreads his
tabernacle over his people what does that mean it's not that the temple is
removed per se in heaven it's that it's expanded it's no longer a tent it's no
longer a structure it's expanded such that the entire universe all of
existence is now his temple everything everywhere is the holy place why because
everything everywhere is the dwelling place of God his presence is in all
places his presence radiates out to everywhere without hindrance and that's
what verses 23 through 25 get into they speak of this radiating light to this
ever shining pervasive glory of God that's just gonna permeate everything
and it's spoken of this way it says there's no need of Sun or moon to shine
on the city because the glory of God illuminates it now I was talking to
somebody recently and they said does that mean in eternity there's no Sun
there's no stars and I'm like well not necessarily it just sees there it just
says there's no need of the Sun in the moon right I think if there's a new
universe created I think that the creativity of God that we see in the
heavens today is is still gonna be there right I don't know exactly how but but
there's no need of the Sun or the moon because the glory of God illuminates it
and then notice this really interesting phrase it says the lamb is the lamp or
the lamp is the lamb right that word lamp there in other translations if you
have a different translation it might say the light is the lamb and the reason
is is because what that word refers to is a source of light right and so in the
original Greek it referred to a lamp that was the source of light and that's
why other translations just kind of skip the source idea and says he is the light
but the idea is that the lamb is the source of the light that the glory just
radiates from him and and this was prophesied in Isaiah chapter 60 verses
19 to 20 it says this the Sun will no longer be your light by day and the
brightness of the moon will not shine on you the Lord will be your everlasting
light and your God will be your splendor your son will no longer set and your
moon will not fade that's an interesting detail right is the rotation of the
earth different and that we don't know but it says for the Lord will be your
everlasting light and the days of your sorrow will be over all of this is
telling us that in eternity Jesus Christ the Son of God the second person of the
Trinity the second person of the Godhead will have all of the glory that he had
before he came to earth right John verse John chapter 17 verse 5 this is what
Jesus prayed now father glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with
you before the world existed you see John tells us in the beginning that that
in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God
and then in verse 14 of chapter 1 it says that word came in dwelt among us
and as you study through the Gospels you see that that God the Sun in all his
glory clothed himself covered himself in that sense in in frail humanity it
calls that right a little nod to us unless we think we're strong right frail
humanity and we know that that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man at
the same time but we know that he he set aside some of the rights and
inability and power he had he didn't cease to be God but he set aside a
little bit of his glory and in John 17 5 he was praying that hey in the future
what's coming next glorify me with the glory I had before the world of existed
see while Jesus was here on earth he was he was deity he was fully deity but that
deity was veiled wasn't gone it was just veiled he still did miracles we see he
still read people's minds right but his full deity his full glory was veiled to
the degree that the few times that veil was lifted the disciples were amazed you
guys remember the story at the Mount of Transfiguration right Peter was blown
away because the full glory of Jesus was displayed there on that mountain they
were just like ah and then Peter in his infinite superior intellect was like
can we build you a house
love Peter right sometimes he's just overwhelmed and says things you're like
what you know but how many of us identify with that right but in
eternity this this glory of God will just shine without without hindrance
the veil is completely gone and he the lamb is the light of eternity and so
verse 24 it tells us that the nations will walk by its light and it's talking
about the light in the city the light radiating out of the city the kings of
the earth will bring their glory into it its gates will never close by day
because it will never be night there it will bring the glory and honor of the
nations into it that phrase the nations it means in the Greek all people all
people see as I mentioned in the intro that our eternity is going to be a
corporate existence it's gonna be an existence of community an existence of
relationship an existence of fellowship and I know here on this earth there's
some of us that are extroverts and some of us that are introverts right and some
of us that just love being around other people and some of us are like whoa step
back a little bit you know and and and and we have our different ways that we
relate in relationship but even the most introverted introverts still needs
connection with people and in eternity that connection is going to be perfect
with all people and with God there's going to be no separation right remember
we talked about death was more than just a physical death death in the biblical
context talks about a separation right when our spirit is dead our spirit is
separated from God and all of that death in every context in every aspect is
going to be gone forever in eternity meaning that there's going to be this
full connection this full unity this full fellowship and perfection it's
going to be this wonderful beautiful thing and it says there the nations it
means all people right now in its other uses throughout scripture when it's
referring to all people what it's referring to as Gentiles and Jews it's
every tribe it's every tongue it's every people but in heaven in eternity we know
that what that's referring to is all the redeemed because it's only the saved
that are there in heaven right it's only the the redeemed that are there the
point here is that there's no limitation to God's presence there's there's
nothing prohibiting access to the glory of God based on any of the the
separators that exist in our world today heaven is not limited to one group of
people one ethnicity of people one nation of people there's no prejudice in
heaven there's no classism there's no racism there's no rich there's no poor
it's just the people of God without division without separation all as one
who are there because of Jesus that is what makes them God's people in heaven
they are Jesus yet today we have divisions of people we got nationalities
and we even see all the way up through the millennial kingdom that there's
this this group of people called the Jews that are God's chosen people and
there's a special plan and purpose of them through the prophetic revelation of
history but in eternity it's like we're just all God's people now of every tribe
of every nation of every tongue and we're there because of Jesus not because
of who we are not because of our ethnicity not because of our background
we're there because of Jesus all engulfed together by the light of God's
glory and then it says that they're gonna bring their glory into it right
this light this glory radiating out of the city and then it says that the the
Kings and the nations they will bring their glory into it what is that talking
about that idea of glory there is is the idea that everything about them that is
worthy of acknowledgement in any way is subsumed into God's glory we saw a
picture of this earlier in Revelation when the elders who had crowns cast them
at the feet of Jesus right you remember that they had crowns they they had been
recognized by the by the God of glory by the King of creation they had been
recognized for their for their service and and you know and we talked a little
bit about that back then there's all these crowns that are mentioned that
that you'll receive right for your service to God but but even in in that
moment in the presence of God the elders are like we're just gonna throw it at
your feet you are worthy God you are worthy there's nothing in and of us that
that supersedes your glory you are the one that's worthy and this is the idea
of them bringing their glory into it and it's really a preview of the worship
we're gonna see in chapter 22 but moving on here verse 27 it says nothing
unclean will ever enter into it nor anyone who does what is detestable or
false but only those written in the Lamb's Book of Life now this verse isn't
indicating that there's anything unclean in heaven alright it's not indicating
that there's anything unclean or detestable in eternity because we know
just through the study of Revelation that all sinners and death itself has
already been cast into the lake of fire at this point right where we're past all
of that we're in the eternal state but what this is is an exhortation it's a
it's a warning to present-time readers right remember John was on the island of
Patmos when he got this revelation he wrote it down and then this letter went
back out to the seven churches and then has been with the church for all time to
the point where we're studying it now it's an exhortation it's a warning to
present-time readers that the only way to participate in this future city is to
turn one's life and loyalties over to the Lamb now it's the only way the only way
to get there the only way to be there the only way to have the opportunity to
experience all of this wonderful glory in the presence of God and in perfect
community and perfect fellowship and joy and bliss and all of that the only way
is if your name is written in the Lamb's book of life and the only way to get
your name written in the Lamb's book of life is to submit your life to the Lamb
is to come to Jesus Christ in repentance and asking him to forgive you of your
sin and to come into your life and to be Lord of your life and you give your
your life over to him that whole salvation concept that we talk about so
much that is the only way no one will ever find their name in the Lamb's book
of life because of anything of their own glory that's why we see that picture
them going there's nothing in us that supersedes the glory of God they're just
gonna give all the glory to him anyways so it's not gonna be like wow you you
served a whole lot at the church that's great that's wonderful you were very
generous with your with your your finances that's great that's wonderful
you were you were so giving of things and helping people that's great that's
wonderful all those things are important and necessary for us to do church right
but none of those things get you into the Lamb's book of life it's knowing
Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior that's the only way and you'll notice
that anybody who doesn't know Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior they're kind
of described here is unclean because it's the blood of Christ that washes us
of all sin that's what the Bible teaches that when you trust in God you say God I
believe you came to this earth I believe you died on the cross I believe that you
did what you did what your book tells me you did for me I put my faith in that I
trust in that for my salvation the Bible says you're washed clean by the blood
that your sins are gone that God no longer sees those sins when he looks at
you but he sees a spotless perfect child of his he sees you as you will be in
heaven when you were there with him how glorious right and in without him we're
unclean without him we're blemished without him our actions are detestable
we're sinners by nature but it's through him that we have the hope of heaven it's
through him we have the hope of redemption and salvation it's the hope
of it's through him we have the hope of paradise and that's what this verse is
is a warning as he's describing this vision he is seeing of this this perfect
city in this perfect creation this perfect paradise don't think you're gonna
get in there because you're a quote-unquote good person because
there's no such thing compared to God's glory we're all sinners we've all fallen
short but for those that know the lamb those who have been washed clean by his
blood glory glory hallelujah so we get to chapter 22 then he showed me the river
of the water of life clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of
the lamb down the middle of the city's main street I think every city in
America or most of them in probably the world they have a main street right here
in bellflower California our main street is is named guess what bellflower
Boulevard right it's pretty clever I guess you know a lot of cities the main
street is called what Main Street right now we've already been introduced to
this main street in Revelation chapter 21 verse 21 it said the main street of
the city was pure gold transparent as glass right and we talked a little bit
about that like gold as we know it today isn't transparent but but in this
perfect city there's gonna be a gold that is transparent as glass as God has
created this perfection but here we get more detail about this main street down
the middle of this transparent street it tells us is the river of the water of
life clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb now
throughout the Old Testament prophets often use images of rivers to express
richness to express provision to express peace for example in Isaiah chapter 48
verse 18 it says if you if only you had paid attention to my commands then your
peace would have been like a river in your righteousness like the waves of
the sea in Psalm 46 for more prophetically and specifically talking
about this river it says there is a river its streams delight the city of
God the holy dwelling place of the most high and so this picture of this river
that John is seeing I believe like most of this it's a literal image he is seeing
but again things can be both literal and symbolic at the same time so what is
this river represent flowing from the throne of God well first it tells us it's
clear as crystal right clear as crystal it's pure it's absolutely unpolluted is
what the word means it's reflecting the the characteristics of this whole city
you remember when it was talking about the walls of the city or gold clear as
glass and we talked about that word means means without blemish right the
material had didn't have any foreign objects in it it was it was a pure
material this whole city is made of this this clear perfectly unblemished clean
material all the way through it's pure the whole place the whole existence is
perfect at this point and so there's river being clear as crystal flowing
from the throne it's a literal representation of the richness that God
has for his people in eternity it's a permanent provision it's a permanent
supply of the peace of God that will flow unimpeded forever and it says the
river of the water of life that's that word zoe that we've talked a lot about
that means more than just being biologically alive it means having the
vigor the zest of life the zeal the passion of everything is good everything
is right everything is well I'm just I'm alive and it's gonna be a permanent
provision of that forever and the idea the picture is that in heaven we will be
fully satisfied fully satisfied with no want no lack and that satisfaction will
be without any impurity there will be no selfishness to the satisfaction there
will be no no inappropriateness to that it's just being fully at peace and
satisfied in the presence of God forever now it says it flows from the throne of
God and of the Lamb so John's noting the the source of this provision as he is
noting the source of the light and the glory you guys remember when Jesus was
here on earth he said come to me all who are thirsty Jesus is and has always been
and will always be the source of true joy and true peace and true satisfaction
in him we find satisfaction that is like a cold drink of water when we're parched
right but even that is it's just such a woefully inadequate way to describe the
reality that is going to take place there and he's talking about that that
come to me if you're thirsty we all have spiritual lack we all have that sense of
separation without Jesus we all have that sense of something's not right
something's wrong there's a sense of injustice to even those that don't know
the Lord but they have a a moral morally relativistic list of priorities in which
they judge things and that's what people do without Christ I'm not as bad as that
person the very fact that you're making that judgment proves that you have some
moral compass of some kind it's just calibrated wrong and when Jesus comes in
and brings us that peace and we know that we're at peace with our Creator it's
amazing and so it says the tree of life was on each side of the river bearing
twelve kinds of fruit producing its fruit every month the leaves of the tree
are for the healing of the nations and there will be there will no longer be
any curse the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants
will worship him now of course reading this phrase tree of life if you're a
Bible student that should take you back to Genesis chapter 3 right where we see
the tree of life mentioned for the first time there it was the tree of life that
that existed in the Garden of Eden there and it was the tree that that had fruit
that that some go well they ate that fruit and it gave them eternal life
right but we see here now with with creation remade were reintroduced to the
tree of life that's interesting there's all of history kind of hangs on three
trees if you will yeah the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that we read
about in the garden you have the tree of life and then you have the tree if you
will that Jesus was crucified on that first tree the tree of knowledge of good
and evil that's where that's where man was separated from God that's where we
lost salvation if you will that's where our perfect communion our perfect
relationship with God was severed and and the whole title deed of the earth
was given over to Satan it was there at that first tree that was where man sinned
and then that tree in a sense took away man's spiritual life that is when death
entered that's when the separation of the soul entered that's when all of the
the problem of everything entered and there in the garden was also the tree of
life but we read that that God had to kick them out of the garden because they
had sinned and he had to guard that tree with the cherubim and the flaming swords
and he had to guard entrance to all that lest man eat of the tree of life and live
forever in his separation from God and live forever in his sin and live
forever in death but then you had that third tree that cross that Jesus hung on
the cross that brings back life to us that cross that work that was done there
when we trust in the perfect God who hung on that tree or granted eternal life
and now here in eternity we see that that tree of life that was kept away
from us since the garden stands replanted stands restored no longer kept
no longer barred from us because in heaven there's no possibility of sin and
death it is done it is forever gone now the heavenly landscaping here might be
hard to picture because it says the tree of life that's singular but then it says
it's on each side of the river right some people argue about this right you
know what does it mean you know it's possibly a very large tree whose trunk
splits on the either side of the river is one way to picture it some see it as
as the tree of life is referring to a collection of trees kind of like a you
know an orchard where they're lining both sides I don't think it matters
honestly right but you'd be surprised how much you could find on the internet
people arguing this point here I think the point is that the tree of life is
accessible it's accessible right and then it goes on to tell us about these
twelve kinds of fruit producing its fruit every month this is an interesting
phrase considering that we're in eternity here right we're in eternity and
yet we read here indicators of time twelve kinds of fruit that are born
every month and that should obviously bring to mind the calendar right there's
twelve months in a year right we track time that way in our current relationship
to time and you know we wrap around to January every year and you know we it's
it's the cycle of time that we track through these idea of twelve months so
the indication here seems to be that there is still a passage of time in
eternity now we've talked about this before in how it references things
earlier in chapter 21 so there there seems to be some passage of time or
some relationship to time in some way but we don't know exactly what it's
gonna be we don't know that in if in our glorified bodies we're gonna be subject
to time the same thing same way we are now right we're subject to time now in
the sense that entropy happens and from the day we're born we're dying where we
start to decay but that's not gonna happen in our glorified bodies will be
immortal right but but there's just this indication that there's some reference
there's some reference to time passing or or some type of cycle that is
referenced here and so this this fruit being pictured you know bearing its
fruit every month it's unclear whether it's one fruit for 12 months or it's
12 fruits every month again I think it's a detail that's irrelevant but there's
an ongoing cycle of provision for us in heaven that God will provide our needs
forever without ceasing over and over and over and over and over but this does
lead to another interesting question as some people go are we gonna eat in
heaven right how many of you like food
how many of you would love to eat your favorite foods without gaining weight
heaven right yeah I like food too you know foods a foods a pleasure it's it's
it's a I believe it's a gift that God gives us right to enjoy food but the
presence of fruit coming from this tree here it seems to indicate because I do
believe the literal interpretation comes first that there will be there will be
eating in heaven to some degree the difference is is you go back and you
study the glorified body in the glorified state and stuff we won't have
to eat if that makes sense right right now we have to eat to replenish the
fuel replenish da da da da da and so on so forth our glorified bodies will be
immortal we won't have to eat it won't be necessary for health and life but in
Luke chapter 24 and John 21 we see the resurrected Jesus enjoying food it was a
pleasure right in Genesis 18 the angels supernatural beings ate with Abraham
in Revelation 19 the great heavenly reunion between Jesus and his people is
called the marriage feast of the lamb so I I think there's gonna be eating in
heaven right but it's gonna be a part of the joy and the pleasure not something
you have to do you know you know there's the golden table of showbread that was
in the tabernacle and temple and the idea was that it was always there it was
ever-present ready for the priests to partake of and so we see this tree
standing in the Golden Street of New Jerusalem bearing fruit monthly for what
is gonna be the immortal King priests of Jesus that's us all the redeemed there
to enjoy perpetually it's gonna be a part of the joy and the and the blessing
of being there in heaven and then it says this interesting phrase the leaves
of the tree are for the healing of the nations you might go well I thought
we're in eternity right why is healing necessary in heaven I thought there's no
death and no disease and no sickness and no curse or anything that's a result of
the curse and you're right none of that is there that word healing in the Greek
is the word therapy in we get our word therapy from that word healing right or
the word therapeutic something being therapeutic that's that's this word
that is rendered healing in in the Greek and so the word refers to that which
adds vigor to life or a supplement that enhances living so the idea here is that
that the root of this word or this word is carrying the idea that the leaves
aren't for healing because we're sick the leaves are just therapeutic they add
to they're just an enhancement to the life that we have there in heaven and
what's really interesting is the root of this word therapy in even though we get
our word therapy and therapeutic for it the root of the word carries the idea of
serving or ministering so it's almost like it's saying that the leaves of this
tree are gonna serve and minister to the nations how by adding to and just
enhancing life just bringing joy and vigor into life in eternity so then it
says there will no longer be any curse and that's really speaking of the curse
that exists on us today because of sin right in heaven the curse is gone the
curse that man has lived with since the fall and all its effects right pain and
sorrow and death and disappointment and everything that was a result of the
curse is gone now this is in contrast to the millennial kingdom if you remember
during the millennial kingdom there are still aspects of death still present
right those that were raptured out come back with Jesus and glorified bodies but
there are humans who live through the tribulation and then live into the
millennial kingdom who still have earthly bodies who are living and bearing
children right we read that in Isaiah 65 20 talking about the millennial kingdom
is as indeed the one who dies at a hundred years old will be mourned as a
young man so there's still death during the millennial kingdom physical death
but in the new heaven and the new earth all aspects of death are gone it's it's
gone permanently there's no more physical death there's no more spiritual
separation of any kind and instead of the curse it says the throne of God and
of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants will worship him his servants
will worship him that word worship doesn't just mean singing songs it
includes that it doesn't just mean you know vocal instrument or utterance or
instrument instrumentation or any of that right the idea of worship means to
serve God by carrying out religious duties so the idea in heaven is that
we're not going to just be sitting there on a cloud strumming a harp we're not
just all in a big sanctuary just forever singing that we're gonna be doing
things we're gonna be there's work in heaven there's there's activity in heaven
we will do stuff what stuff I don't know exactly but it does tell us that we will
bring our glory and honor into the city we will be bringing everything that is
worth anything to him just to honor him with it perpetually it'll all be to and
for the king of glory forever but instead of the picture of arduous curse
stained work right remember to go back to the garden they send and what was the
curse that landed on the man you're gonna have to work the land and it's
gonna be hard right you're gonna have to strive to earn and to feed and to eat
and right that work isn't gonna be a bummer anymore it's gonna be this
blissful service to our king of glory forever it's gonna be awesome and so
it's a picture of this blissful blessed joyful worship of God in our service to
him throughout all eternity then it says they will see his face verse 4 and his
name will be on their foreheads night will be no more people will not need the
light of the lamp or the light of the Sun because the Lord God will give them
light and they will reign forever and ever so this idea of seeing his face and
his name on on their foreheads it's this picture of this heaven is is gonna be
this place of just intimate face-to-face fellowship with God it's gonna be an
eternal existence of being identified with him in the deepest and most
intimate and perfect of ways right there's there's never gonna be any doubt
that you belong to God you know I know many Christians today right we go
through stuff and sometimes we're like am I even saved you know and and we
wrestle with such questions right because our sin nature still with it
lives with us right Paul dealt with that Paul was like why do I do the things I
don't want to do and why don't I do the things I want to do and I always love
Paul's answer to that right oh thank God for Jesus that's it that's his answer
thank God for Jesus because if it was up to me to be saved I'm lost of it's up to
Jesus we're eternally saved and so this idea is that we're gonna be in this
this perpetual just perfect fellowship without doubt of any kind and you know
because of Jesus we couldn't know something of the face of God today in
second Corinthians 4 6 Paul Wright says he goes for God who said let light shine
out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ knowing Jesus is to know something of
the face of God it's in Jesus we get a glimpse of the glory of God it's veiled
it's not in its full radiance yet because we couldn't handle it but we see
something of the glory of God in Jesus but Paul went on to anticipate an even
greater fulfillment of seeing the face of God in first Corinthians 13 12 he
said for now we see only a reflection as in a mirror but then face to face now I
know in part but then I will know fully as I am fully known and that is really
the glory of heaven when we're in heaven nothing will interfere with our vision
of Jesus nothing will block our vision of Jesus nothing will impede our vision
of Jesus we will see him clearly in his full glory because sin and death is done
away with we will see him clearly because all worry and concern and anxiety
is gone we're at peace we will see him clearly clearly because every idol every
false God every possible thing that that that we and our sinful nature would want
to worship that's all gone it's a pure worship and the greatest glory of heaven
will be to know Jesus more intimately and more wonderfully than we ever could
here on earth the darkness of this age will be gone forever and we will enjoy
as it says an eternal rain an eternal rain you know it's just stands in a
little bit of contrast to the millennial rain right that was a temporary thousand
years and I know we go from one to the other but now it's raining forever and
ever this rain with God our King of glory will be into all eternity without
the presence of sin without the presence of death without the presence of
separation from him it'll be perfection and I can't wait now what a city what a
heaven what a paradise to look forward to the Word of God you know opens with
the story of paradise lost that's what we see in the opening chapters of
Genesis and here at the end of scripture it closes with the story of
paradise regained we see paradise being regained in the images of the river and
the tree of life in the absence of the curse we see the picture of close
intimate fellowship restored ruling and reigning with God resumed it's a perfect
fulfillment of everything no more curse is a perfect restoration the throne in
their midst it's a perfect government at that point the servants will serve it's
perfect worship we're face to face with God a perfect transformation right we're
able to be face to face with him his name on our foreheads is a perfect
identification God be in the light we have perfect illumination forever and
reigning in with him forever and ever is the perfect exaltation why choose
anything else why choose anything else this this is the city that he has an
instance has in store for those who are his those who call him Lord and Savior
and master and friend it's it's a place where we will be always and forever
satisfied at a perfect peace it's a place where it says the river of life
flows the tree of life will perpetually bear fruit our needs will be
perpetually fulfilled in every way it's where our deepest needs on every level
will be forever fulfilled perfectly and it stands in such contrast to this life
this life where we're tempted with sin and we know sin never satisfies sin
always promises satisfaction but it always leaves us wanting more and more
and it just ropes us in step by step but it never satisfies this world and all it
has to offer never fully satisfies but a life following Jesus Christ it gives us
a taste of ultimate satisfaction now it's in Christ we could find a peace
filled contentedness that only comes from knowing that your life is safe in
the hands of the one who created you that your future is safe in the hands
of the one who created you and the satisfaction that we can experience in
him today it's just a glimpse of what is to come but if you know him it's a
promise and a guarantee of that future let's pray father we love you so much we
look forward to you we look forward to heaven God there's so much that happens
in this life that would cause us to say I long for a place of perfect peace
a place of perfect illumination perfect worship under a perfect government to be
perfectly transformed to exist in your presence to be perfectly identified with
you forever but God we're still here and Lord we look forward to this heaven but
God help us to not forget that we have a call here and now to choose you to choose
obedience to choose to reflect your glory in our lives to choose to do and
be who you've called us to be to lay down the the sins the weights those
things that ensnare us God to run the race after you to be like you to
represent you to proclaim you in every way God and Lord we're so grateful Lord
that that your word tells us that that that Lord yeah you you see the lives we
live and you're blessed by that and yes there'll be reward for that God but Lord
the ultimate reward is just to be in your presence in your glory forever
without hindrance Lord we're gonna cast all our crowns at your feet we're gonna
bring all glory and honor to you and it's gonna be awesome it's gonna be
amazing Lord so God help us Lord to keep heaven inside as we live in this life
help us to keep the new Jerusalem inside as we live in this life help us to to
look forward to this perfect dwelling with you and that it would motivate us
and inspire us to be who you're calling us to be while we're still here in this
life and Lord we thank you for this word we thank you for these promises and we
thank you for this revelation because the beauty of all that is you is really
a revelation of the beauty of the glory of Jesus Christ and we thank you we love
you so much teach us mold us and shape us use us be glorified in our lives it's
in Jesus name we pray amen let's worship