The Be Happy Blessings of Revelation pt 8
Review of the 6 Blessings of Revelation:
1. Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Summary: This is the first of the seven "Be Happy" blessings of Revelation. This one promises a blessing from heaven for everyone who reads, hears, and lives according to the book’s message. The key point in this verse is that "WE must take to heart" to heed, to watch over, to observe attentively, to implant in our hearts the message of this BOOK. The main message of this book is the "REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST." We all need to have a fresh Revelation of Jesus ¡V this vision reminds us of what He did in the past, what He is doing currently in the church today and what He is going to do in the future. We are to take this to our hearts because the time is near for His Second Coming and we need to be ready.
Bumper Sticker: Smile in the midst of trial!
2. Rev. 14:13 "Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
Summary: When we decide to die for Christ we receive the promise of eternal rest and peace from all the persecution that the world has inflicted on us. We get the blessing of having our righteous deeds follow us to Heaven. You could be thinking, How could someone give up their life? How? Why? Because they had a revelation of who Jesus Christ was, is, and will be. When you can see Jesus in spite of the difficulties then you persevere through any situation. The key is seeing and experiencing Jesus. Jesus is also empathetic because He knows the agony of pain and suffering for the Kingdom in this world. The Revelation tells us that our time may seem long and painful here on the earth but something greater is coming. Jesus knew we would face disappointments from others, despair from external events, persecution, betrayal, and even the fear of death. But Jesus encourages us with this truth, "Be Happy", stay with it, endure to the end of your life because at that point there will be a wonderful reward for you labor. Your deeds will be rewarded!¨So we need to commit to bring in the harvest for God’s Kingdom and patiently endure the world’s persecution! So be happy and smile in the trial and die in the Lord because all that you do for the Kingdom of God will be greatly rewarded when you cross from Here to Eternity!
Bumper Sticker: "Smile you will be wowed!"
3. Revelation 16:15: "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
Summary: This scripture text reminds us of how blessed the Christian is who is always ready for Jesus return. This text reveals one the core teachings of the Bible. The point behind Revelation and the New Testament is that we as Christians must stay awake and be ready to go with Christ at any moment. We as Christians do not have to know when we are going! We by the way will never know even with all the detailed elaborate calculations and predictions out there. I want to be very frank with you today. Nobody knows when Christ is returning nor when the Rapture of the church will take place it could happen today, tomorrow, next week, next year, the next decade, or even the next millennium. The point to grab a hold of is this, "...stay awake and be ready at any moment!"
Bumper Sticker: Get ready - Be ready - He is almost here!
4. Rev. 19:9: "Then the angel said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, These are the true words of God.’"
Summary: The bride needs to be ready and awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom so she can participate in the Wedding, in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!
Bumper Sticker: Are you ready for the Heavenly party?
5. Revelation 20:6: Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years."
Summary: The Blessing of taking part in the first resurrection is that Satan has no control over us anymore when we respond to Jesus words of life Satan loses us to Jesus Kingdom! Satan despises Jesus because he keeps snatching people back to life that he has written off as dead. You see Satan kills, Jesus heals and resurrects. Satan steals people¡¦s lives and Jesus snatches them back from death. Satan destroys and Jesus repairs and rebuilds things that are devastated by Satan. This is why Satan hates Jesus!
Bumper Sticker: No fear just Jesus!
6. Blessing - Revelation 22:7: 7 Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.
Summary: Jesus is coming back for His church and for us to be a part of this return we must follow the words of this prophetic book. We must live by them and keep true to them because this will lead right into Heaven.
Bumper Sticker: Rediscover the Bible it’s amazing!
7. Rev. 22:14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city (The New Jerusalem).
Today we will explore the last blessing spoken of in Revelation and I think it’s the biggest blessing and the most exciting of ALL.
T.S. - In our scripture text we have three things highlighted: Robes which are washed; Tree that gives life gates which lead into the Heavenly city.
I. Robes which are to be washed
a. Illustration - Two robes one dirty - one clean!
i. The blessing text of Rev. 22:14 reveals that there is an action required to enter into the New Jerusalem and to have the right to eat of the tree of life! That action is washing our robes.
1. The process of doing our wash is required to enter in. It means that bleach needs to be applied to our dirty robes. There needs to be a thorough washing completed of our robes of life.
2. Many of you are wondering about robes.
a. Dirty robes - Have signs saying "I like dirt!" Eat dirt for life! Dirt is good" Cleanliness is evil! Give yourself some dirt today! I love dirt! Dirt is awesome! 80% of people eat dirt so give it try! The majority of us think, live and eat dirt! No dirt, no life! Live and breathe dirt! It is a good thing to give praise to dirt.
3. Use the scenario of trying to enter city and eat of the tree of life:
a. Hi I want to enter the city! No you cannot you have to wash your robe. I argue it’s my right to enter and eat. No you have no rights unless your robe is washed. Well how do I clean my robe? You wash it in the blood of Jesus and it becomes white as snow then you can enter. Jesus’ power to clean is what makes us clean and pure to enter into heaven.
ii. The premise is this you have to wash your robe to enter the gate and eat of the Tree of Life! In other words there needs to be no dirt or sin. Only Jesus can cleanse us! He cleanses us when we ask for forgiveness. He takes our robe dips in his blood and we become white as snow.
1. But there is an important point to remember after we are cleansed we need to keep our robe clean, keep it freshly washed.
a. That means we need to daily do our wash to keep the filth of sin from staining our robes of righteousness.
b. This is an extremely important point that Jesus makes to the churches in Revelation and to us today. We need to stay clean and if we do get dirty wash it out before it permanently stains our robes.
2. Therefore let me share 20 reasons why we should not to sin according to Discipleship Journal! Or can I say 20 reasons why we need to keep clean!
a. A little sin leads to more sin. Sin will always take you further than you intended to go!
b. Sin invites the discipline of God never His blessings.
c. The time spent in my sin is forever wasted.
d. My sin never pleases but always grieves the God who loves me.
e. My sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
f. In time, sin always brings heaviness to my heart never relief.
g. Others, including my family, suffer consequences due to sin.
h. My sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
i. Sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
j. Sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
k. The supposed benefits of sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
l. Repenting of sin is a painful process.
m. My sin may influence others to sin.
n. My sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
o. Sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
p. It is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
q. Others more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
r. God chooses not to hear the prayers of those who cherish sin (Ps. 66:18).
s. My unwillingness to reject this sin now grants its authority over me greater than I understand.
t. I promised God He would be the Lord of my life but when sin dominates it¡¦s the Lord of my life
i. . (Adapted from 35 reasons not to sin- Christian Communications).
iii. John Wesley stated, "Cleanliness is next to godliness!"
1. It’s imperative that we stay clean and pure so we have the right to eat of the tree of life and enter the gate into the Heavenly Holy city.
iv. 1 Corinthians 6:11 - 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God¨
1. What were some of us?
a. The preceding verses tells us that we were wicked and then wickedness is explained: sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, prostitutes, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers, all these referenced in verse 9-10 and it tells us that none of these dirty robed individuals will enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless their robes are washed with the Blood of the Lamb with the sanctification of Jesus sacrifice with the Spirit of God.
i. Revelation 7:14 - 14I answered, Sir, you know.¨And he said, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
T.S. So step one in our text tells us that for us to be able to enter into the Holy City of God means we have to have our robes washed and purified from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Then we are reminded of the tree!
II. Tree that gives life
a. Trees in the Bible
i. Trees occur in the Bible right from the beginning with the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden described in Genesis and again in the Holy City New Jerusalem described in Revelation in the last chapter of the Bible.
1. In between all sorts of trees are described including olive, cedar, palm, poplar, apple, oak, pine, willow, bay, fir, juniper, myrtle and almond - so many different trees of varying height and shape and use.
2. But the one which stands out the most is the Tree of Life found in the Garden of Eden and in the New Jerusalem.
a. You could say the Bible starts with the Tree of Life and ends with the Tree of Life and the importance of eating of it for eternal life.
i. The Tree of Life seems to be a central point for the follower of God to partake of!
ii. See Revelation 2: 1-7 Church of Ephesus
b. A Preacher who took the concept of the Tree of Life to new heights:
i. Illustration: Tree of life tree house of life seeing things from the high view of the tree.
1. Story of a tree house: Minister’s Tree house pictures of the Crossville Tree house:
a. It looks downright dangerous yet its creator claims it is divinely inspired by a vision he received in which he was told to begin building a tree house for which he would never run out of materials. 15 years, 10,000 square feet and 250,000 nails and a lot of scrap wood later, this amazing structure towers up over the very trees that support it.
i. Address: Beehive Lane, Crossville, TN Directions: I-40 exit 320. Turn north onto Hwy 298, then make an immediate right at the stoplight onto Cook Rd. Drive almost a mile. As the road takes a sharp right, instead make a sharp left onto Beehive Lane. Drive about a half-mile. The pavement will end, but keep driving. You’ll see the tree house ahead and to the right.
2. Minister’s Tree House: See slides - Crossville, Tennessee: Rev. Horaces story:
a. In the early 1990s, landscaper Horace Burgess bought some wooded land on the outskirts of Crossville, Tennessee. One of the bigger trees, next to a dirt road, caught his eye. He decided to build the world’s largest tree house in its branches. But Horace had a job and a family. After spending a couple of years on the project, he ran out of lumber and enthusiasm. "Then I turned my life over to God," Horace recalled. "And the spirit of God said, ’If you build Me a tree house, I’ll never let you run out of material.’" God doesn’t make housing offers every day. Horace got himself ordained as a minister and went back to work. God showed Horace what the tree house would look like ("It was like a vision") but didn’t tell Horace how big it would be. "If He had," Horace said, "I would’ve tried to talk Him out of it." Eleven years of labor later, Horace had what he’d originally wanted: the largest tree house in the world. It spreads across not one, but seven big trees that grow through its floors and out of its windows. It soars 100 feet into the sky. Built without blueprints, its dimensions are a mystery even to Horace, who guesses that it covers around 10,000 square feet. News of Horace’s project spread quickly among local churches. Even before he was finished, people began showing up to climb it. They were trespassing then, and they’re trespassing now, but Horace has never had the heart to turn them away. Thousands of uninvited people have visited the tree house over the years, with God as their only lifeguard; Horace is rarely around (he still works full-time as a landscaper). "I built it for God, and God watches over it," Horace said. "He’s protected everyone for all these years." ¡KAlthough musty and occasionally littered with leaves, the tree house is built solid -- like a real house -- so visitors often don’t realize that they’re several stories in the air. Stairs wind up and down, leading to dozens of now-empty rooms. There’s a chapel with a basketball hoop (Horace encourages physical fitness) and a belfry only accessible by an outdoor ladder. Horace showed us secret passages that hadn’t yet been discovered (and destroyed) and the tower view of his flower garden, which he’s trimmed into a Christian cross, an American flag, and a big name: "Jesus." "When you see Jesus in the garden," said Horace with a smile, "the preacher don’t have to preach." Horace is remarkably forgiving, but even he has his limits. The tree house, although still open, is now watched 24/7 to prevent any further destruction. Horace plans to build a Welcome Booth where all visitors will sign waivers so that they no longer have to trespass. The long-delayed Phase 2 of the tree house will include an elevator, power, plumbing, heat in the winter, and a fitness-testing "Stairway to Heaven" that will twist all the way up to the belfry. "It’s only started, really," Horace said of the tree house. "I want to go back and finish what it looks like in my head."
ii. The Trees of the Bible - The 1st instance of the Tree of Life is found in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in Genesis.
1. Summarize the fall of man and the connection to the Tree of Life:
a. Genesis 3: 21-24: Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?" (Gen 3:1 NIV) The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, (Gen 3:2 NIV) but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’" (Gen 3:3 NIV) "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. (Gen 3:4 NIV) "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."(Gen 3:5 NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Gen 3:6 NIV) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. (Gen 3:7 NIV) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.(Gen 3:8 NIV) But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"(Gen 3:9 NIV) He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Gen 3:10 NIV) And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" (Gen 3:11 NIV) The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Gen 3:12 NIV) Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Gen 3:13 NIV) So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. (Gen 3:14 NIV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen 3:15 NIV) To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." (Gen 3:16 NIV) To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ’You must not eat of it,’ "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. (Gen 3:17 NIV) It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. (Gen 3:18 NIV) By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Gen 3:19 NIV) Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Gen 3:20 NIV) The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Gen 3:21 NIV) And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." (Gen 3:22 NIV) So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. (Gen 3:23 NIV) After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen 3:24 NIV)
i. Adam and Eve eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ¡V they listened to the serpent rather than to God.
1. They allowed the enemy of God to convince them to doubt the Word of God.
ii. They are then banished from the Garden of Eden because God does not want them to eat of the Tree of Life in their sinful states.
1. If they did or continue to do then they would live forever in their sinful state ¡V and they would live forever with the curse of sin on their lives.
2. The tree is clearly one that when you eat the fruit you gain immortality.
a. Two theories on the Tree.
i. If man had access to the tree why had he not already received eternal life? Some solve this dilemma by claiming that immortality was possible only in the continual eating of the fruit. When man was driven out of the garden and cut off from the source of the fruit immortality was forfeited. The holders of this interpretation of eating continually of the Tree note that immortality rests on continual nourishment of the Word, the fruit.
ii. The theory was that they had never eaten of the fruit.
iii. Stedman notes this about our text:
1. God seems to have drastically changed his attitude, hasn’t he? He had just accepted Adam and Eve, dressed in new clothing which he himself had provided, and suddenly now he banishes them from his presence, drives them out, slams and locks the door behind them, and sets a guard in the path to keep them from coming back in. Is there not something wrong here? Yes, there is God who is now concerned with man/woman eating of the tree of life in a sinful fallen state and gaining eternal life in this fallen state.
2. Stedman goes on to note, "It would mean that man would never physically die but would go on in his evil condition forever. Notice that God leaves the sentence hanging in the air as though the result is too terrible to describe. What if man should do this? Then God’s loving solution follows. He says, "Drive them out!"... He continues by noting "It does not say. To keep men from coming to the tree of life.’ That is not what the barrier is for. It is to guard the way to the tree of life, so that men come the right way and not the wrong."
3. Many think that the tree of life is no longer accessible but in reality it is accessible through Jesus Christ.
a. He stated, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6 RSV).
b. Quote: Stedman "That is the only way there is. That is not only the way to begin the Christian life it is also the way to continue the Christian life."
c. The Tree of Life and the consequence of not eating of it by the Fall:
i. What was lost at the Fall and is regained in the end when we eat of the Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem?
1. The life intended for man by God depicted as a quality of harmonious existence together was lost but when we eat of the Tree in Revelation it is restored.
2. God walked and talked with them and when they were out of His presence they sinned. Comparison - When we are away from God we sin and become deceptive this is why the world is so corrupt but in the end those who eat of it are in the presence of God again.
3. Man lost perspective in the garden -- and today many do not have the proper perspective on life and focus in life as they should. And they are slowly dying. Many have lost their life-line - Jesus Christ -- their source of energy which makes them beautiful, flexible and wise.
4. Proverbs 3:18, "Wisdom is a Tree of Life and he that embraces it is blessed.
a. Many are not blessed today because of sin and those who enter into the Holy City are truly blessed for eternity.
5. Proverbs 11:30 "The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life, and he who wins souls is wise."
6. Proverbs also tells us that, "The tongue that brings healing is a Tree of Life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."
a. Revelation 22 tells us that the leaves of the Tree of Life will bring healing to the nations and to the people of the world in the end like it was in the beginning in the Garden of Eden.
d. The N.T. on this term "Tree of Life"
i. Only the book of Revelation has any reference to the Tree of Life. In Revelation 2:7 a promise is given that the over comer will partake of this tree, which is said to be located in "the paradise of God" Chapter 22 gives more detail on it.
1. Rev. 22: From the throne of God in the New Jerusalem will come a river of life on both sides of which is the tree of life also ever bearing, ever living, and providing both food and medicine for those dwelling there.
2. Revelation 22: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev 22:1 NIV) down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (Rev 22:2 NIV) No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Rev 22:3 NIV) They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. (Rev 22:4 NIV) There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever. (Rev 22:5 NIV) The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place." (Rev 22:6 NIV) "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." (Rev 22:7 NIV) I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. (Rev 22:8 NIV) But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brother¡¦s the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" (Rev 22:9 NIV) Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. (Rev 22:10 NIV) Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy." (Rev 22:11 NIV) "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (Rev 22:12 NIV) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Rev 22:13 NIV) "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (Rev 22:14 NIV) Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Rev 22:15 NIV) "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." (Rev 22:16 NIV) The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Rev 22:17 NIV) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. (Rev 22:18 NIV) And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Rev 22:19 NIV) He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20 NIV) The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. (Rev 22:21 NIV)
T.S. ¡V We learned more about the Tree of Life which is only found through the gates of the great heavenly City called the New Jerusalem.
III. The gates which lead into the Heavenly City
a. These gates are the entrance to the Heavenly City where God dwells.
i. You have to have robes which are washed to enter.
ii. If you are allowed to enter then you find the Tree of Life which was originally in the Garden of Eden and you can eat of the fruit which will cause you to live forever in this wonderful city filled with Love.
1. The Tree of Life is huge in the Holy City it is on each side of the Heavenly River of Life.
a. This river flows from the throne of God.
b. These gates have also been known as the Pearly Gates
i. Revelation 21:21: 21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
ii. Some Pearly gate Humor: Note: I do not read in my Bible that Peter is the gate keeper I read that it is a Cherubim angel with a flaming sword.
1. Joke: A man died and approached the Pearly Gates. St. Peter told him heaven was getting crowded so he had to test people with the point system. If he got to 100 points he could enter. The man told Peter that he gave to the poor. Peter marked him down for 3 points. The man thought again, then said that he tithed. Peter added one point. The man, desperately searching his memory, finally said that he never cussed. Peter added 1/2 a point. By now the man got very frustrated and said that at this rate he could only get in by the grace of God. Peter replied, "Come on in!"
2. Joke: 40 lawyers showed up at the pearly gates, asking for admission. St. Peter had never seen 40 lawyers at the same time, and didn’t know quite what to do. "Wait here," he said, "I have to go consult." He hurried to the Throne. "Lord," he said, "There are 40 lawyers standing at the pearly gates. What do I do?" God said, "True, it is an unusual situation. But just give them the standard morality test, and admit the five highest scores." St. Peter headed back to his post. A minute later, he came running back to the Throne. "They’re gone! They’re gone!" he shouted. "Do you mean to say all 40 of them just up and left?" God asked. "No, no!" said Peter. "It’s the pearly gates! They’re gone! They’re gone!"
3. Joke: Tragically, three friends die in a car crash, and they find themselves at the gates of heaven. Before entering, they are each asked a question by St. Peter. "When you are in your casket and friends and family are mourning upon you, what would you like to hear them say about you?", asks St. Peter. The first guy says, "I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time, and a great family man." The second guy says, "I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow." The last guy replies, "I would like to hear them say...... LOOK!!! HE’S MOVING!!!!!"
c. Gates in the Bible and their meaning: Parsons Bible Dictionary:
i. At the gates of cities courts of justice were frequently held, and hence ¡§judges of the gate¡¨ are spoken of (Deut. 16:18; 17:8; 21:19; 25:6, 7, etc.).
ii. At the gates prophets also frequently delivered their messages (Prov. 1:21; 8:3; Isa. 29:21; Jer. 17:19, 20; 26:10).
iii. Gates in the Bible era always had gatekeepers who managed what went in and out.
d. Jesus said in John 10:7 - "I am the Gate!"
i. John 10: 7-10: 7Therefore Jesus said again, ¡§I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Conclusion:
So the 7th Be Happy Blessing of Revelation is that since Jesus has washed our robes and cleaned us by his sacrificial death. We now have the white pure robes of righteousness which gives us entrance into the Holy City of Heaven. There we will find the Tree of Life which we now can eat of and live forever in the atmosphere of God’s light, love and presence.
Bumper Sticker: Come on Wash your robe, enter the Heavenly Gates and eat from the Tree of Life.
Conclusion of the series:
„X The book of Revelation was written to give the church of Jesus Christ HOPE - encouragement.
„X The Church was in desperate need of a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ. They received one with this book.
„X This book offered them a glimpse into the past - reminding them what Christ has done on the cross. It offered them a glimpse about the present situation and who will win in the end, a glimpse into the spiritual realm as to what is going on presently and a glimpse into the future as to what Jesus will do.
„X The future is made very clear on one point Jesus is coming again. Not only will He return He wins the war over evil. He opens back up the access to the Tree of life to those who overcome. Yes, we get to enter Heaven to live forever in His presence!
Recap the 7 Blessings of Revelation see beginning of the sermon.
