The Lamb's Book Of Life

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;