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 Sermon on Revelation 21

Eternal Security in a Better World

By Brian Pepper

A man asked this question, “why do you waste your time preaching about Heaven? Why don't you put your energies into trying to build up a better world?” I have thought about that and the more I think about it the more determined I am to preach about Heaven. Why? Because countless individuals have tried to make the world a better place to live in, but the more they try the worse things seem to get.

Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” He kept pointing to a better world to come when he would abolish the old and bring about a completely new order of things.
 

All Things New

Isaiah 65:17; "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

To me that is a glorious expectation that the Lord is going to make all things new; a new Heaven and a new Earth. I am thankful that Jesus made Heaven so real. He had a lot to say about Heaven.

“Our Father which art (where?) in Heaven.”


A New Earth

He also spoke about a new Earth, Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

That is not our present Earth. It is the one that Isaiah spoke of when he wrote, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.”  A new Earth, won’t that be wonderful?

John 14:2 says; “In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.”

That home that Jesus is preparing will be a wonderful place, a perfect place, a wonderful home of glory.


New Jerusalem in Vision

Now we are going to join St John on the isle of Patmos. One Sabbath morning God gave him a wonderful vision. He was given a view of paradise. He saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem.  

Revelation 21:21 says; "And twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."

The streets seemed to be made of pure gold. In another text he describes the streets as being like polished glass. It must have been very difficult to describe in human language the glories of Heaven. But St John did the best that he could.


Measurement of the City

Revelation 21:15 says; "And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.”

I am sure St John must have wondered why the angel would want to measure the city.

Revelation 21:16 says; “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.”

The measurement given by the angel is amazing. It's circumference is 12,000 furlongs or 1500 miles. Thus it is 375 miles on each side.

A city 375 miles long on each side would cover an area of 140,625 square miles. It is far greater in size that all of Palestine.


Gates of the City

Revelation 21:12 says; "And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereof which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel."

There are twelve gates and there are twelve angels, and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on them.

Revelation 21:25 tells us; “And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.”

The gates are never closed, there is no night there. Inside the city is perpetual light, for the light of God illuminates the city.

Revelation 21:18 says; "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."

Just imagine that! The walls are over 20 stories high, and they are made of pure diamond. This means that they are transparent. The streets are paved with golden glass like material, incredibly beautiful.
 

Tree and River of Life

Revelation 22:1,2 says; “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life…”

That must have been a wonderful sight to be able to see the city of God, the city of gold. As St John enters the city, he sees the tree of life. He noticed the beautiful river that flows through the great city. The tree of life spans the river of life. Then it says that it bears a different kind of fruit every month.


Many Mansions

John 14:2 says; "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."

One day Jesus is going to usher us into those marvellous heavenly mansions that he has been preparing for us with such loving tender care. Beautiful beyond description will be our home of the future.

It was the thought of those heavenly mansions that inspired and encouraged patriarch Abraham. For we read in Hebrews 11:10; "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

The people of God have looked forward to that wonderful day when they will at long last move into those heavenly mansions.


No more Sea

Revelation 21:1 says; "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away; and there was no more sea."

Most of us love the sea. There is a wonderful sense of relaxation in swimming, lying on the beach sunbathing and sailing in boats. In the beginning when God created this world He made a sea or seas. So when God makes this earth new there will be small seas.


Like a Botanical Garden

Isaiah 35:1 says; “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”

The whole earth will be like a great botanical garden. Can you imagine that! There will be flowers all year round.


No more Sickness

Isaiah 35:5,6 says; “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

The eyes of the blind opened? Is that not wonderful? The cripple able to run and leap! The dumb singing! Can you imagine that? But more than that, in Isaiah 33:24 it says, “The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick.”

No sickness! But not only will people never become sick or have bad health but they will never grow old. They will always be youthful. That is God’s promise to his people.


New Jerusalem Will come down to Earth

Zechariah 14:4 says; “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives…and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof…and there shall be a very great valley…”

The city if God, that city of gold, the New Jerusalem (paradise/heaven) will come down to this world of ours and this world will become the capital of God’s universe for all time to come, and Jesus will reign as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.


Why is the Earth So Special to God?

You might say, ‘How can that be?’ I will tell you why that God has chosen this dark world out of the entire universe to be his new headquarters. This world is the dearest spot in all the universe to God the Father, for it is the birth place and the burial place of His own dear Son when he came in human flesh.

“For God so loved this world.” This world with its rebellion; this is the one dark world in the universe “that he gave His only begotten Son.”

He sent His Son but they despised Him. They treated Him like a criminal. They drove Him up Calvary’s hill and nailed him to a cross. As God the Father saw those blood drops fall from his side, and the blood trickling from his hands; as that blood dripped into Mt Calvary, that marked this world as the most cherished and precious spot in all the universe to God the Father, because His Son died here.

And God the Father has decided to transport His heavenly kingdom to this world of ours.


God Will Live Among Men

Revelation 21:2 says; “And I John saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” That must have been a wonderful sight!

Verse 3 says; “And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with man and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

St John is amazed that God is going to live right here on this earth. Three times in this verse it uses the word ‘with’, ‘with men’, ‘with them’, and once again ‘with them’. We are able to see God, to talk to him, and to know what He is like.


No More Tears Nor Sorrow

Verse 4 says; “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. “

It is wonderful to know that all the sorrows of the past, all the heartaches, and all the trials will be wiped away with God’s handkerchief of love.

Our hearts will be saddened as we think of some loved one very dear to us who have allowed themselves to be separated from God, and did not return to His fold. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes and blot out from our memories our heartaches. Isn’t it wonderful to know that there will be no more death, no more undertakers, no more cemeteries, nothing that will even suggest death. It also says that there will be no more pain. There seems to be more sickness and pain today than ever before. There is hardly a home where someone is not sick or suffering pain.

In the New Earth all these things will be gone forever. We will have perfect health. We will never grow old but always youthful and glowing with vitality.


A Place of Activity

Isaiah 65:17,21 says; “Behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind…And they shall build houses and inhabit them: they shall plant vineyards, and eat fruit of them.”

That is going to be real life! There are some people that say ‘What do you mean build houses? Why I thought that we would never have to work in heaven?’      

But that is not true. Heaven will be a place of activity. There will be so much to do that we will never have a dull moment. We will not be restricted to this earth, for there will be a universe to explore; to be able to talk to the inhabitants of other planets. There will be so many activities that time will mean nothing.

When you think of these things, it makes us wish that it will come quickly. The more we pray for it the quicker it will come. 

 

  Sermons
The Bible in Song Sermons category is expected to be enlarged over time as hard copy sermon notes are scanned, typed and edited in webpage format. Visit Sermons Page for the complete list of sermons and Bible Commentaries
 

 
  PDF Sermon Files
Click image for sample. The Complete Sermon Collection is available at the Store Page. It includes 169 sermons which are listed on the Sermons Page, plus several audio visual sermonettes and a number of incomplete sermons. Original typed sermon notes have been scanned in PDF files on a DVD.

 

 
  PDF Revelation Files
Easy access to all the uploaded Revelation Bible Commentaries written by Brian Pepper. Also a CD of the complete Book of Revelation consisting of 22 PDF files scanned from original typed documents. These files can be downloaded by Adobe Acrobat to view on computer screen, or printed in booklet or other format.

 

 
  SDA Prophecy Chart
Bible in Song Sermons and Commentaries pages have exposed flaws in the "2300 day" prophecy chart most notably used by Seventh-day Adventists. Seventh-day Adventists in their biblical interpretation have favored the tradition of their founding fathers over Scripture and the "divine revelation" of their own prophet Ellen White. Read more.

 

 
 
  Testimonials
Thank you for posting some of (Brian Pepper's) sermons. It's like reading the very words Jesus has spoken to me and is a great encouragement. I cannot say that about many Pastors but I can say that about (Pr Pepper). Thank you. Robert @yeshuaskingdom.org (USA) ... more testimonials.

 

 
 

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