The future of the fantastic family.
Revelation 21: 9 -- 22: 5. 04/10/05
When Jesus attended the marriage at Cana, the people ran out of wine, the fruit of the vine. The mother of Jesus came to him and told him the situation about the wine running out. Jesus told some of his disciples to take some water pots and fill them with water. They did as Jesus said and Jesus turned the water into wine. He then told the disciples to take some of the wine for the governor to taste. When the governor tasted the wine, he said something unusual has happened here. He said at wedding celebrations they serve the best wine first but you have saved the best to last.
Now folks, that is exactly what Jesus has done. For every born-again believer, the best is yet to come. Jesus has saved the best until last. There is a song that has the words every day with Jesus is a little sweeter than the day before. After knowing Jesus for 27 years, I can say every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.
Now there is given to us in these wonderful scriptures the future of the fantastic family. In these verses, there is given the home, the eternal home of all that know Jesus as their personal savior. It’s as if that God has saved the best until last. There is enough given in these verses to tell us about our new home to cause anyone with average intelligence to want go there after this life. As I was getting the sermon together, I prayed there would not be a person in this building leave without making their reservation to this wonderful place. And if you have invited Jesus to be your personal savior, these reservations are made for you. Your place is already reserved in heaven. If you are saved, then you are just as sure to go to heaven as if you have been their 10,000 years. I hope you are interested in this place called the home of the believer. God has a way of just letting this world lose its hold on the life of the believer. Things of heaven get more precious and sweet.
One of these days church, we are going to make our final move from this earth. One of these days the sands of our hourglass will be gone. We will move out of these bodies into a city whose builder and maker is God. We will live in that wonderful city called in the Bible, New Jerusalem.
Now what we have this morning is one of God’s real estate men to take us on a tour of New Jerusalem. Since this is going to be our final abode, I know you are very interested in this tour. I want you to notice John’s impressions as the angel takes him, and we follow him on the tour of the heavenly city.
First of all, Jesus talks about THE SPLENDOR OF THE NEW CITY.
John saw a city descending from God out of heaven and it had the glory of God. The word glory means an outward manifestation of inward reality. When Jesus was born, an angel said glory to God in the highest and peace on earth. Here was the glory of God manifesting himself in his son Jesus. Then every life that Jesus touches has a glow about it. There is a glow about the presence of God in a life. Here is a city that is going to radiate the glory of God. When the glory of God gets into a home, it will brighten the darkest room. When the glory of God gets into the church, it will be a place that draws a sinner from the darkness. There is such a glow about this city that there will be no need for the sun. The sun will be embarrassed to shine. The splendor of the city that Jesus is preparing for the church we can only imagine. Paul said of heaven, “eye have not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him.”
John not only tells us about the splendor of the new city but also THE STRUCTURE OF THE NEW CITY.
In verse 12, John says there is a wall. Then in verse 17, he measures the wall. It measures 200 and 15 feet high. Walls in that day had to do with protection and security. The wall is a reminder to us there is one way to get into the city. No one will be able to climb the wall. We can only get to the city by the way of Jesus. Jesus said many times, “I am the way.” He is talking about heaven. He is talking about the believer’s home. He is not just a way; he is the only way.
After John measures the wall, he says that is fun and I don’t have anything to do so I will just measure the entire city. In verses 15 and 16 he measures the city. The measure is a perfect cube. The city measures 1500 miles long, 1500 miles high and 1500 miles wide. That will reach from here to Las Vegas. We are going to a big city.
What is important church, have you made preparations to go to this new city through faith in Jesus Christ? Do you know Jesus?
