Revelation 21:10-27
Years ago Rachel and I had the opportunity to take a tour of the Mega Caverns below Louisville Kentucky this last week. These are old limestone mines. Geologists say it is the hardest limestone on the face of the earth. This limestone was mined in layers so as you look up at the roof of the cavern it is perfectly flat. It doesn’t go up or down. It’s all flat. There are 223 pillars scattered throughout the caverns that support the roof of the cave. These caverns stretch for 17 miles under Louisville, the Interstate and the Louisville Zoo. Over 1 million square feet of storage. They store everything from cars, motorcycles and motorhomes to top secret stuff. It maintains a constant temperature year round in the mid 50’s. It was cold in that old cavern. We took a tram ride through a small part of the mine. You can Bicycle or Zip Line through it also.
But as we took this tour we came around a corner and there was what looked like a big campsite. Cots, lanterns and a fire burning. The driver stopped and began to explain. It was setup as a prop to tell about the mine during the 1950’s and 60’s. The Cold War was raging. Krushev was spewing out all kinds of threats against the U.S. The Cuban Missile crisis was on the news. It looked like everything that was known to man could all be gone. Back then it looked like there could be Nuclear War. So the Federal Government began to Stock Pile food and provisions.
The government thought, “What could be a better fall out shelter than an old abandoned mine below Louisville, Ky?” So they began storing enough food and provisions down in the mine for 50,000 people to live for 2 years. And then they came up with…a…BOOK. A SECRET BOOK that contained a LIST of those 50,ooo people who would be allowed to come into the mine if Nuclear War broke out. There were Doctors, Nurses, Engineers, Government Officials and lots of military personnel on that list. Those who the government felt were of value to society. I doubt if there were any preachers in the book.
IF…and I say IF you were IN THAT BOOK, ON THAT LIST…. you were told to tell no one. Not even your spouse. Because if everyone took just one other person then there would only be enough food for one year.
I thought what it would have been like to be IN THAT BOOK …. ON THAT LIST. That LIST that could mean the difference between LIFE or DEATH. You see, that list separated those who would live and those who would die if WAR came to America. WOW!!! Think about that.
This morning I want to talk about another book that is being written today. It contains a list of people who are of Great Value to God. People who are the Apple of God’s eye. Do you understand what I’m saying here? They are so special that when everything known to mankind collapses they will be allowed to enter into safety.
I want to take a few minutes and read Revelation 21 Verses 10-27.
“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 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.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the 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.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Brother ______ would you lead us in prayer?
This place of refuge is called the HOLY JERUSALEM. In Verse 2 he talks about the NEW JERUSALEM. It’s a great city. It’s another name for Heaven. I have preached on the first five Verses of this chapter before, all of the things that WON’T be in Heaven.
In verse 4 it gives us a list of these things:
No more TEARS, DEATH, SORROW, CRYING, PAIN. All of these things will be passed away. Now doesn’t that sound good?
But this morning I want us to see the things that will be there in Heaven.
I. The first thing I noticed was that this place of refuge found here in Revelation 21 is NOTHING like the place of refuge below the streets of Louisville.
In contrast to the darkness of the caverns. THERE IS LIGHT. This light is going to be like NOTHING we have ever experienced before. It is like a PRECIOUS JASPER STONE. It will be as clear as crystal.
ILLUS: I remember years ago we went down to Arkansas way back in the sticks and we went swimming in this little creek. It was up in the mountains North of Clarksville. It was close to 50 years ago and I still remember this.
Now remember folks I’m a Bird Creek Bottom Boy. If you can see past two or three inches in Bird Creek, the water’s just perfect for swimming.
But I was there standing on a rock looking down in the water that looked to be 2 feet deep and this huge blue cat came swimming by. Well the water wasn’t two feet deep it was over six foot deep but I couldn’t tell because it was CRYSTAL CLEAR. It was something I had never experienced before in Bird Creek. I never knew water could be so clean.
Folks, I think Heaven is going to be that way. In Verse 23 it tells us that this light shines out of the Lamb of God. JESUS CHRIST. When we see this LIGHT that is shining forth from Christ it’s going to be like NOTHING we have ever experienced. OH THE BRIGHTNESS OF IT. Oh the purity of this light. I betcha our human eyes just couldn’t take it. But our glorified bodies will have glorified eyes too. My eyes won’t be shaking up there in Heaven. I’ll have 20/20 vision. That’s going to be GLORIOUS. SPECTACULAR. SPLENDID. MORE THAN WE COULD EVER IMAGINE.
Oh the CAVERNS I spoke about were set up to be a place of refuge during a Nuclear Holocaust but they are NOTHING compared to this place of refuge called Heaven. They were dark and gloomy. I can’t imagine being stuck down there while bombs were going off above me. That would be pure terror.
In VERSE 25 it tells us that the Gates of that City won’t ever be shut. There is no need of closing the gates at night because there is no night. There is no TERROR. There is NO FEAR. There is no one to break in or steal in Heaven as Jesus told us in Matthew 6.
ILLUS: Have you ever noticed EVERYTHING seems worse at night. Every sound is someone breaking in.
Every problem is so much worse at night.
Even the tick of the clock can drive you crazy at night.
IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO NIGHT!!!
II. Also I want you to notice something else. I told you that the Mega Caverns were large. It’s 17 miles to snake your way through all of those different tunnels. It’s over a million square feet of floor space. But that’s NOTHING compared to Heaven.
Back in the 60’s there was a limited number of folks who would be allowed in the CAVERNS during a time of war. There would probably be few people there that you knew. Certainly none of your loved ones.
But this place is called HEAVEN. It’s the NEW JERUSALEM. Instead of a dark, narrow tunnel. this city is HUGE. Verse 16 gives us the dimensions of HEAVEN.
“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.”
It’s a CUBE city. It’s width and it’s length and it’s height are all the same. And each of these is 12,000 furlongs.
How much is a furlong? 220 yards or 660 feet.
660 times 12,000=7,920,000 feet
7,920,000 divided by 5280 feet, the distance of a mile equals 1500!!! EXACTLY!!!
1500 miles wide, 1500 miles long and 1500 miles high.
It won’t be a trashy city either. There won’t be LITTLE SHACKS here and there. No CARDBOARD HUTS alongside the road. No, this chapter tells us what that city will be built of. Walls of Jasper, Gates of Pearl, Streets of Gold. It gives us a list in Verses 19 and 20 of all the Precious stones that are being used to build this Heavenly City.
My little BRAIN just can’t comprehend a city that looks like that. 1500 miles wide, long and high. Maybe there will be different levels. I don’t know, but let me tell you something that I do KNOW. I KNOW who is gonna be there and THAT is what will make it Heaven. First of all JESUS will be in Heaven. John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 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.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
THAT’S GOOD. JESUS IS GOING TO BE THERE.
God the Father will be in Heaven.
Verse 22 tells us that there will be no temple in Heaven because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb of God are the temple.
Verse 23 tells us that there will be no need for the Sun or the Moon because the Glory of God and the Lamb are the LIGHT. How wonderful it’s going to be to spend all eternity in the presence of God.
Also, our loved ones will be in Heaven.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Can you imagine the FAMILY REUNIONS that will take place on that day. Grammas and Grandpas, Mamas and Daddys, Little Boys and Girls, Little Babies, LOVED ONES seeing each other after many years of being apart. Instead of SEPARATING LOVED ONES, this place called Heaven will reunite LOVED ONES. What a meeting in the air as we sail through the Milky Way on our way to this PLACE OF REFUGE called Heaven.
I’m looking forward to that aren’t you?
I’m excited for that time, how about you?
III. But I wouldn’t be telling you the whole TRUTH if I stopped here. There is a BOOK being written today. RIGHT NOW. THIS VERY SECOND. It’s called the Lamb’s Book of life. It contains a LIST of all those who will be allowed into this awesome place called Heaven. Verse 27 is very clear. ONLY those whose name is in this BOOK will be allowed to enter in.
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Back in the day that the book was written in Louisville Kentucky there were only certain people allowed to be in it. As I said doctors, nurses, engineers, soldiers and politicians. People who had something to offer. Even the Politicians. Even though they didn’t have much to offer they still got on the list.
So I was thinking about that LIST in the Lamb’s Book of Life. How do you get into the BOOK? Whose on that list?
Do you have to be someone important?
Maybe if you have a lot of money you can buy yourself a spot.
Good looks, does that count? I mean I’ve got it made if that’s true!!! Right? What are you all laughing about?
Maybe if you’re talented or smart or maybe you’re a really GOOD person.
NONE OF THESE WILL YOU GET YOU INTO THE BOOK.
I’ll get into what it takes here in just a minute but first of all … who’s not on that list. Well, the Apostle Paul gives us a list of those who will NOT enter Heaven. They will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. You might say it is a list of the DAMNED. Now listen close to this LIST of those who won’t make it.
1 Corinthians 6:9 and 10.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
That’s a pretty long list so let’s break it down.
The UNRIGHTEOUS. Romans 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
FORNICATORS. Those involved in sexual immorality.
IDOLATERS. Those that have put something ahead of the True and Living God.
ADULTERERS. Those who are immoral and unfaithful even while being married.
EFFEMINATE. Those men who are unmanly.
ABUSERS of themselves with mankind. Homosexuality.
Some might say up to this point. “Hey I’m doing good. I haven’t done any of these things.” But it doesn’t stop there.
THIEVES. Have you ever stoled anything?
Those who COVET. Have you ever LUSTED after something that wasn’t yours?
DRUNKARDS.
REVILERS. Those who put other people down.
EXTORTIONERS. Those who con people out of their possessions.
THESE ….. SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!!!
HOW ARE YOU DOING NOW? The Paul goes on and says this in Verse 11.
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
I guess we all could say, “AND SUCH WERE SOME OF US.” RIGHT?
We’ve all probably done one or more of these things. Stolen something. Coveted something. Gotten Drunk.
BUT…to the contrary. YOU ARE WASHED. YOU ARE SANCTIFIED. YOU ARE NOW JUSTIFIED. NOT by your own power but by the POWER of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit of God. His SALVATION is how we get into the BOOK. We can be PURE and CLEAN by TRUSTING in Him.
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. CHORUS
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
How about you today? Are you washed by the Blood of Jesus? His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary? Have you accepted His plan of salvation for your life? Have you put your trust in Him?
ILLUS: IT NEVER HAPPENED. The Soviet Union never pulled the trigger. War was averted. Khrushev backed down and removed the missiles out of Cuba. No one ever had to show up at the Mega Caverns in Louisville Kentucky hoping their name was really in the BOOK, on the LIST. Now it’s just a place to play, ride bikes, zip line and store things.
But I want you to think about something. The UNTHINKABLE has happened. Either you have died, which we’re all gonna do, OR the Lord Jesus Christ has returned. This is NOT a POSSIBILITY. It is NOT a PROBABILITY. IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU WILL STAND before the JUDGE of the whole universe. He is going to LOOK through HIS BOOK. There are thousands and thousands of names in this book. Is your name in there? Is your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life? OR WILL YOU BE TURNED AWAY TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HELL? It’s not a “I hope so” or “maybe” or a “someday salvation.” You better KNOW for sure where you stand with God. We’re talking about eternity in either Heaven or Hell. You better KNOW FOR SURE THAT YOUR NAME IS IN………THE BOOK.
Let’s Pray
