"There's No Place like Home"
Revelation 21:1-8
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 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. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Introduction:
How many of you remember this line from a movie that came out in 1939...The main character makes the following observation when speaking about home: "Someplace where there isn't any trouble... [tossing a piece of her cruller to Toto] ...do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or train. It's far, far away... behind the moon... beyond the rain." If you guessed "The Wizard of Oz" you would be right. Dorothy is asking her little dog Toto this question and this leads into one of the most famous songs ever written for a film..."Somewhere Over a Rainbow" This fictitious place called OZ does not exist but there is a real place that is "home" for all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many of us bounced around a lot while growing up either because our parents were in the service or in ministry or other reasons so the concept of home probably means something a little different for us than for someone who has lived in the same place all their life. Home for me was a destination, a place to return to after being away; it was a place where I belonged; a place where I was accepted, affirmed and loved. The places where my dad was stationed were always "temporary" not permanent, just houses to live in, not like going home for instance to my grandpa and grandma's house. The odd thing is that grandpa was a sharecropper and moved around a lot too so I never knew where they might be living from one year to the next but it was just different when we got to their house. I knew that I was "home" when we pulled up in the yard. I learned early on that there is a difference between a house and a home! It reminded me of a song by: Southern Gospel singer Squire Parsons who writes:
(Verse 1)
Somewhere beyond the grave, there is a land
Where Jesus went to prepare by His own hand,
And for the saved by grace, there is a resting place,
And in a few more days it will be mine.
(Verse 2)
Someone said you can't go back home again,
Things will not ever be as good as they've been.
Oh, but I've got good news for you,
When heaven comes into view
Just one glimse and you're gonna know,
The best is yet to come.
(Chorus)...
Some call it heaven, oh but I call it home
Some call it dreamin' well, why don't you let me dream on,
Some call it paradise, somewhere beyond the skies,
Some call it heaven, but I call it home.
Heaven is home for all those who call Jesus Savior and Lord. Thankfully the Scriptures reveal several aspects of this place in heaven that Christians call home. I've selected just three although there are many more...First let's consider that our heavenly home is:
I. A Place with No Separation v. 1
a. We will not be separated by geography
Verse 1 states that there is "...no more sea..." The new creation has no expanses of ocean to separate us. When John saw his vision it was dangerous just to sail around the Mediterranean Sea, much less across the oceans. Think about how the people of John's day must have viewed the great oceans. We think now that the Vikings were probably the first visitors to the American continent and that they were followed many years later by Columbus with his three little ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria but for thousands of years no one dared to even attempt to cross the great oceans for fear of falling off the edge of the world (they believed it was flat) or the fear of encountering great sea monsters but eventually these attempts succeeded. These men set sail in small wooden ships not knowing if they would ever see home again, and many never did! They left home knowing that they would be separated from home and family for years or forever. But in our heavenly home we will never be separated again.
b. We will not be separated from God
Immanuel will be us, not as in His ascension when He gave us His Spirit but He shall descend with His bride and we shall be with Him forever. Not as a servant but with all the attendant glory which He had before the foundation of the world and which the Father sees fit to bestow upon His one and only Son in whom He is well pleased. The suffering servant is now the conquering king! Paul writes:
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1ST VERSE
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE FACE OF MY SAVIOUR
BUT SERVING HIM HAS BEEN SUCH A THRILL
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE GATES TO THAT CITY
OH BUT ONE, ONE DAY I WILL
2ND VERSE
FROM THE TIME I FIRST MET HIM HES BEEN ALL TO ME
AND MY LIFE WITH HIS JOY HE HAS FILLED
AND I'M LONGING FOR THE DAY WHEN MY EYES SHALL BEHOLD HIM
THANK GOD ONE DAY, ONE DAY I WILL
CHORUS
ONE DAY I'M GONNA WALK ON STREETS OF PURE GOLD
AND THEY TELL ME THE HALF HAS NEVER YET BEEN TOLD
I'LL BE UNITED WITH LOVED ONES ON ZIONS HOLY HILL
YES ONE DAY, ONE DAY I WILL.
c. We will not be separated by grief
In verse 4 we read that in our heavenly home there will be no more death. The curse is gone, death is defeated and has been vanquished by the One who overcame death, hell and the grave. Jesus has removed the "sting" of death. I've been your pastor for several years now and it has been difficult in some respects because of the number of friends who have gone on before us. The have left us. We want to join them and see them again and one day we will. Our family is just like yours in that we are presently experiencing separation anxiety over the possible passing of a dear loved one. We don't know when but we do know that it is inevitable. Our loved ones will pass from this life to the next and we will follow them. Someone found this epitaph on an old tombstone:
Remember me as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so you will be,
Prepare yourself to follow me.
Later someone else had written a short postscript:
To follow you
I'm not content,
Until I know
Which way you went!
II. A Place with No Sorrow v. 4
The second thing that we learn about our heavenly home is that it is a place where "there will be no sorrow..."
a. The cause of sorrow
Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
b. The comfort in sorrow
God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. Like a tender mother wipes away the tears of her child, our God will dry Seven centuries before John wrote about his vision we read:
Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. KJV And again in:
Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." ESV
c. The causes for sorrow
We've already mentioned the truth that death will have no power in this heavenly place but John also declares that "...neither shall there be any more pain..." There are many things in this life that cause us pain. Death is the most obvious one but even death can give us relief from pain. Disease strikes all of us sooner or later. Old age brings with it all its pain. There is the pain of broken relationships. There is the pain of betrayal and abuse. Pain in all its forms is not going to be a part of the blessed experience of heaven! All of the old things will have disappeared or the GK uses the word "departed." All the causes for sorrow, grief, and mourning will disappear and will never be found again in our heavenly home.
III. A Place with No Sin v.8
The text before us makes it plain that there is no place for sin in this heavenly home. More specifically it says three things:
Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
a. The Person who satisfies
John Gill writes this in Revelation 21:6 "And he said unto me, it is done,.." The end of all things is come; it is all over with the first heaven and earth; these are no more, and the new heaven and earth are finished: there seems to be an allusion to the old creation, he spake, and it was done, Psa_33:9. The whole election of grace is completed; every individual vessel of mercy is called by grace; all the saints are brought with Christ, and their bodies raised, and living saints changed, and all together are as a bride prepared for her husband; and the nuptials are now solemnized; all the promises and prophecies relating to the glorious state of the church are now fulfilled; the mystery of God, spoken by his servants, is finished; the kingdom of Christ is complete, and all other kingdoms are destroyed; the day of redemption is come; the salvation of the saints is perfect; what was finished on the cross, by way of impetration, is now done as to application; all are saved with an everlasting salvation. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
Notice that the Lord identifies Himself as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end! This means that He is everything, everything that we need, and everything that we will ever need. He gives that which satisfies the deepest longings of our soul. He fills the place that only He can fill and nothing else. He gives greatly, graciously and gratuitously!
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
b. The promise to the saints
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
c. The place for sinners
By the time we get to verse 8 we read that God has reserved a place for unredeemed, unregenerate men. The Lord gives us a list of the doomed and the damned that will have their place and it is not difficult to translate these words. But to this group we must add others:
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Conclusion: How do we know all this is true? Is this all just some sort of religious optimism or speculation? Everything that we have read in this passage is based on the word of God. Let me read it again...
Revelation 21:5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." ESV
WE DON'T KNOW HALF OF IT
The famous explorer Marco Polo after completing his journeys went back to his home in Venice. When he got back to his home he began to describe some of the things he had seen. But his close friends thought he had gone mad. He told then about black stones that you could actually set on fire and they would provide heat for you. But they could not imagine what he was talking about .... they had never heard of charcoal. He told them about a piece of cloth that as hard as he tried he could not set it on fire. But they could not imagine what he was talking about ... they had never heard of asbestos. He told them about large animals that were almost 20 feet long. Had jaws large enough to swallow a man but they could not imagine what he was talking about .. they had never seen a crocodile. Then he told them of a substance that came spewing out of the ground that if you lit it, it would catch on fire and actually provide light but they could not imagine because they had never heard of crude oil.
Years later when Marco Polo was lying on his death bed one of the few men who actually believed him was there and he said tell me all of those stories again. I want to hear them again. But he refused and simply said it's all true ... every bit of it. In fact, I have not told you half of what I saw.
In AD 90 John the apostle was sent to an island called Patmos. He was sent as punishment to live in isolation because of his witness for Christ. It was while he was there that he was given a vision and he wrote down the book of Revelation. I believe if John could speak to us today that he would tell us that he has not told us half of what he saw. When Paul was caught up into the 3rd heaven he said that he heard inexpressible things; things that man is not permitted to tell.
(From a sermon by David Henderson, "I Can Only Imagine, 5/25/2011)
In the movie "Shawshank Redemption," an old prisoner, Brooks Handlin, acts unreasonable and threatens to take another prisoner's life. They find out that the reason Brooks has reacted this way is that he's scared. Scared because his parole has been approved. You see those outside of Shawshank see it as a prison, but Brooks sees as home. Later, in the prison yard Ellis Boyd, "Red" explains why Brooks acts the way he does. "Brooks is just.. institutionalized. The man's been in here 50 years - 50 years! This is all he knows. You know what I'm trying to say? I'm telling you, these walls are funny. First, you hate them, then you get used to them. Enough time passes, you get to depend on them." That's institutionalized."
I think that is the problem for some of us. We've become institutionalized...to this world. We don't look to see the other side! We focus our attention on these earthly walls, only what we can touch, feel, observe. And it's true.. These earthly walls are funny that way... First we hate them.. What baby doesn't cry when he leaves the safety of his mother's womb? But then we do get used to them, enough time passes and we begin to depend on them. When God is over and over again trying to teach us not to be so narrow in our vision. He's saying, "Look, true success is not measured in where you are, it's in where you are going. True success in not about how comfortable you are here, it's about how prepared you are for over there! Timothy Smith
