God’s Secret Plan (3)

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NLT

“God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfil his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”
Ephesians 1:9-11 NLT

Perhaps we pilgrims have never considered God as a Being who has made plans. Why would He need to, because he created this world and everything in it? In Genesis we read that he created with a word, “Then God said, …”, so weighing it all up, God’s plan must be for our benefit. Through His grace He has allowed sin and evil to rumble on in our world, something that has impacted and corrupted every aspect of His perfect creation. Of course, He could have eliminated sinful humans at a stroke, as He did with the generation at the time of the Flood, but what would that achieve because no longer could God enjoy His human creation forever? He could have created a race of humans that never sinned, but what benefits are there in having robots praise Him with artificial intelligence creating the words of prayer and song? So God came up with the perfect answer. He made a plan that would eventually bring about the race of human beings that He wanted all those years ago, a plan that started with the creation of Adam and Eve. In those days in the Garden of Eden, God enjoyed spending time with Adam and Eve until the day when their sin ended the relationship. So God made a plan and it would require many centuries of grace, forgiveness and love, to redeem a people who were riddled by sin and evil and who rejected Him, their Creator, at every turn. And as the centuries stretch into millennia, the plan continues. God will never give up.

God’s secret plan has always been present in this world, but mankind generally has been unaware of it.  The prophets of old had the occasional glimpse, and with the benefit of hindsight we pilgrims can see parts of the plan coming to fruition. Jesus and His Message of the Cross was a significant milestone in the plan, and that act of love, offering mankind forgiveness for their sins, and righteousness in His presence, marked the beginning of the End Times, as the Second Coming of Jesus is awaited, His final appearance on the world stage. We don’t know when God will finally sign off the final milestone labelled “End of the Age”, and declare that the plan is complete, but one thing is for sure – we are much closer today than mankind was when Jesus walked on this planet. 

Paul wrote that God’s plan will come to fruition at “just the right time”. God’s plan is to “bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth”. A combining of Heaven and Earth is incomprehensible to us earthlings, but it is all in God’s plan. We see how the will happen in Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone“. In the next two verses, John received a vision so incredible that it had to be true. John wrote, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them“. In Revelation 21:6 we read, “And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true””. And who will be living in this New Jerusalem? Revelation 21:27, “Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life“. 

That is God’s plan, and we pilgrims, believers who have put their faith in Jesus and the Message of the Cross, have been allowed access to God’s secret plan. Paradoxically it is only a secret to those who refuse to believe in God but it is not a secret anymore to believers in Jesus. He has gone on ahead of us and He is getting everything ready for that momentous day. What happens between now and then can be seen in the pages of Revelation, and in places the reading is uncomfortable. Many people, even believers, have dismissed the last Book in the Bible as irrelevant and more a fairy story, but it is there for a reason. It shows that God’s plan is still very much work in progress, and the Book of Revelation is in three parts. It starts with a warning to Christians everywhere, and then follows this with an age when living on Planet Earth gets more and more difficult and uncomfortable. Things get very bad, but then we see the turning point in Revelation 20 after which things get very much better – unless you are an unbeliever of course. But God isn’t fazed by people who rubbish His plan. They will find out what happens one day.

The good news for believers is that “we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan”. God didn’t just formulate a plan and then hoped it all worked out. His plan included all believers, each of whom God chose in advance. Peter wrote, “ … you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession … ” (1 Peter 2:9). Paul wrote in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them“. God is actively working out His plan in the lives of believers everywhere. We love God from the bottom of our hearts, secure in the knowledge that we are an important part of His plan, and He will one day enjoy our presence as we join him, first in Heaven and then in the New Jerusalem. John wrote, “No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:3-5). So there we have it. If that is not Good News for us, then it will be if we consider the alternative. We note that there will be no opportunity for a lukewarm believer in God’s Kingdom. Instead we will entering a life so exciting, so complete, that is totally beyond human comprehension. But in His presence we will praise and worship Him, reigning with Him as He planned.

Dear Father God. All this is too difficult for us to get our minds around, so we ask that You help us stay close to You as You bring all things together in accordance with Your plan. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Father’s Home

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
John 14:1-3 NLT

We wonder sometimes about what the home, the one that Jesus is preparing for us, will be like. There are some facts that we do know. For a start, God and Jesus will be there. And because God is holy and pure, so will our home be. The location of our future spiritual home will be in Heaven, because that is where Father God lives. We know that wherever Jesus is, there we will be as well. Some translations refer to the “room” being a “mansion”, but because God is wonderful, our new home will be as well. We can also assume that because we are not there already, Jesus is still in the process of preparing the new home.

We can find a few hints of the process before we enter our new home from other places in the Bible. In Acts 1:9-11 we read, “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” Jesus will return to Planet Earth for a second time, the angels at the Ascension said, and it will be just in the same way that He left. If we had taken a video of the way Jesus left this world, ascending into the clouds, then if we replayed it backwards, that would be how He will return. In 1 Thessalonians 4 we can read what the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul, “For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18). It will be noisy time when Jesus returns, with shouting and trumpets. Will that occasion be the time when we are allocated our new bodies? John 6:40, “For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day“.

But to find out where are new bodies will live, we need to turn to Revelation 21:1-2, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. And to cap it all, God will set up His home on the new earth with His people. Revelation 21:3, “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.” For all those people who perhaps think that when they die they will live with God in Heaven forever, there may be a bit of a shock!

Father God. We only see dimly those parts of our future that You have revealed to us through Your Word. But come what may, we trust in You. Amen.

All Things New

Posted on by korgrocker

“Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”
2 Peter 3:11-13 NLT

Noah took a hundred years or so to build the ark. He wasn’t in a hurry, obviously! But God patiently waited before He brought judgement on the nations with the Flood. Could Noah have hurried the “day of the Lord”, if he had built the ark a bit quicker? Quite possibly. Peter wrote that his readers should “[look] forward to the day of God and [hurry] it along”. Does this mean anything to us pilgrims? Are we living our lives, as Noah did, in expectation that the “day of the Lord” is just around the corner, and we should be doing all we can to hurry it along? Is such a thing even possible? 

Jesus gave us an indication that once the Gospel has reached every corner of our world then the “end will come”. Matthew 24:14, “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come“. There have been extraordinary efforts to meet this goal. The Bible has been translated into many languages. Quote from Wikipedia, “As of September 2023 all of the Bible has been translated into 736 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,658 languages, and smaller portions of the Bible have been translated into 1,264 other languages according to Wycliffe Global Alliance“. But that in itself won’t satisfy Jesus’ statement because the Good News, the Gospel, has to be “preached”. But it’s a start. Will this goal ever be reached? With God’s help it will be, and we can’t be far from when “the end will come”. 

We will certainly know when the Gospel has been preached throughout the world, because Peter told us what would happen next. Fire will destroy the heavens and the earth. That will really be global warming on steroids! But there will be nothing left, paving the way for the “new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness”. To find out all about this we turn to Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.” Peter wrote that the existing heaven and earth was destroyed by fire. John just noted in his vision that it had “disappeared”. But either way, the earth and sky we know was replaced by a new heaven and earth. If that was not enough, though, we read on in Revelation, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband“. What a creation! More details can be found in my book, “The End Times”. 

We pilgrims know how the story ends, and that must change our world view. We may perhaps come to the conclusion that saving the planet is a pointless exercise, if it is going to be destroyed by fire anyway. Peter wrote that we must hurry along the coming “day of the Lord” and look forward to the new heavens and new earth that “He has promised”. We pilgrims take the long view as we lift our eyes above the horizon and see coming the glory of the Lord. Is there a hint of a glow I see just over the hill?

Dear Lord Jesus. Please help us as we preach Your message of Good News to those around us. Maranatha! Amen.

Jerusalem

Posted on by korgrocker

“As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honour, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.””
1 Peter 2:6 NLT

In his letter, Peter quoted Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.” Isaiah’s prophecy in his chapter 28 was scathing about the rulers in Jerusalem, and he foretold their fate. Isaiah could see coming a time when there would be a righteous Ruler in Jerusalem but his prophecy is still to be fulfilled of course. Other prophets foretold of Jesus ruling in Jerusalem – we can read their prophecies in Zechariah 14 and Jeremiah 3. We refer to this coming of Jesus as His second coming, because we already know about His first coming, as a baby, born in a stable located in Bethlehem. Some 50 days after the resurrection, Jesus went out with His disciples to the Mount of Olives, located just outside Jerusalem, from where He ascended into Heaven. But Jesus is returning to this world, and we read about His return from the angels’ message in Acts 1:11, ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” We knew this was at Jerusalem, because the next verse in Acts reads, “Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile”. Jesus Himself foretold of His return to Planet Earth in Matthew 24:30, “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

But why Jerusalem? Surely there are better places for Jesus to return to? Places where He could be a “cornerstone” far more effectively. Jerusalem is riven by conflict between Jew and Gentile, Israeli and Palestinian, Muslim and Jew. There are many more peaceful places on earth, we could argue. But it will be as God has ordained it. And we also need to remember that one day there will be a New Jerusalem that Jesus Himself foretold about, as recorded by John in Revelation 3:12, “All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.” In Revelation 21:2 we read, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. The names Jerusalem and Zion are synonymous and the author of the Hebrews wrote, “No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect” (Hebrews 12:22-23). 

There is something special about Jerusalem. It figures greatly throughout the Bible as God’s home and one in which we too will live one day. Whether we consider it as a physical place or a spiritual condition, we must never discount it, and must always be obedient to the Scripture, “Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6-9). There is much strife in 21st Century Jerusalem, but God will one day answer our prayers.

Dear God. We pray for the Holy City Jerusalem today, that peace will reign and Your Word upheld. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Holy City (4)

Posted on by korgrocker

“I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.”
‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT

There will be three things missing from the New Jerusalem. No temple, no sun and no moon. As we think about the implications of this, our minds start to struggle a bit. To Western Christians, the lack of the Temple, or even any churches, would not seem to be too much of a big deal. But to the Jews, the Temple was the focal point of their experience of God. So for there not to be one, in theory it could be a great disappointment for them. 

The lack of a sun and moon would be a problem for everyone. We look at the sun as a celestial body that has always been there, a fundamental object providing us with light and warmth, and the presence of the moon a reassuring constancy during the dark and sun-less hours. But we have to remember that earlier in this chapter John “ … saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.” (Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬). We don’t know if all the celestial objects that fill the universe disappeared as well. But we do know that there will be a new Heaven and a new earth. There will be a New Jerusalem there and “the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light”. 

So what does the glory of God look like? If we are thinking of a sun or moon replacement, then we have fallen far short of what the glory of God is. It’s not a natural light and heat source that will be illuminating the Holy City. Our perception of the sun is bounded by our human senses – our eyes for the light and our nerves within our skin to detect heat. If we look in the Bible we can get a glimpse of what the glory of God is. It’s His beauty, and His character, for starters. It says in Isaiah 43:7, that we are His glory – “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them”.  Hebrews 1:3a tells us about the glory of God’s Son, Jesus. We read, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, … ”. And in a sense, His glory is within us. We read in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” There was an intriguing dialogue between Jesus and His Father, that John recorded in his Gospel. Jesus said, “Father, bring glory to Your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to My name, and I will do so again.”” (John 12:28). But all of this hardly scratches the surface of what God’s glory is. We may be able to have a go at listing all the attributes and adjectives that describe God’s glory, but what will be lacking from our words is that complete experience of what it means to see at first hand the glory of God.

When we pilgrims consider the glory of God I’m sure we agree that it is something far beyond anything we can get our minds around. The Apostle Paul perceptively summed up our limited God-experience, as we read in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely“. 

But we pray that we will get to know God better. One day we will find out what His glory is really like and I suspect we will be saying “Wow!” for all eternity.

Father God. What can we say or do other than fall on our knees in worship to You. words cannot describe Your wonder, Your glory. Amen.

The Holy City (3)

Posted on by korgrocker

“The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.”
Revelation‬ ‭21:19-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

At first sight, there would seem to be a connection between the “twelve precious stones” that were the “foundations stones” of the Holy City, and the twelve gemstones mounted on Aaron’s breastplate, as described in Exodus 28. In both cases each stone represents the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. But the naming of the stones are slightly different. The translators of Exodus 28:17 made a note that the identification of some of the breastplate’s gemstones is uncertain. However, the similarities between the two occurrences of these gemstones was probably very much in John’s mind when he saw the foundations of the Holy City.

The High Priest’s breastplate was there for a purpose. We read in Exodus 28:15, “Then, with great skill and care, make a chest piece to be worn for seeking a decision from God. Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.” Further down this chapter in verse 29 we read, “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chest piece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the Lord”. We too can make a connection between our High Priest, Jesus, interceding for us before the throne of God, and forming the foundation to our future home.

There are some significant conclusions we can draw from the use of gemstones, pearls and gold. Firstly, with the gemstones, God was reaffirming His plan to be delivered through Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations. We read in Genesis 17:6, “I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!”. The references to the twelve tribes represented by the gemstones flow through both the Old and New Testaments like a thread, which only ends with the last references in Revelation. God always fulfils His promises.

Secondly, the gates to the Holy City were made from pearls. In our natural world, pearls are made in certain types of shellfish, particularly oysters, and are caused by a grain of sand causing an irritation that the shellfish covers, and keeps covering, with layers of crystalline calcium carbonate. Perfectly formed pearls have acquired great value and the word “pearl” has been used as a figure of speech describing someone as being admirable or beautiful. In the past it has even been used as a Christian name. But there is a spiritual significance as well. In our sins we were a great irritant to God. But He provided a way that covered the irritation through the blood of Jesus, covering us until we became a thing of beauty, a pearl redeemed by Jesus’ blood. So the way into the Holy City will be through gates made of pearls, signifying the beauty of God’s grace and love, and the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, the “main street was pure gold, as clear as glass”. To understand this, we must dig into the word “pure”. A quote from David Pawson, in his book “The Character of God”. “The scriptural use of the word “holy” means far more than supernatural power. It means supernatural purity. It is the very character of God, and when you say “God is holy” you mean God is cleaner than you can imagine. God is utterly pure, and this is something that we have never known, so it is so difficult for us to imagine it“. The clarity of the pure gold used to pave the streets in the Holy City signifies the holy ground upon which the redeemed will walk. We will walk there in communion with the holiness and purity of God Himself.

We pilgrims can only read about the Holy City and marvel. We lack the imagination or the knowledge to really understand what will be there. John’s vision gives us a few hints, tantalising and teasing us with something that will be so wonderful as to be beyond human comprehension. All we can do is patiently wait for that wonderful day when we will be shown to the room Jesus is preparing for us in the Holy City.

Father God. We thank You for this glimpse of our ultimate eternal home. But we have Your work to complete in our world just now. Please help us to remain focused, always in Your presence. We worship You today. Amen.

The Holy City (2)

Posted on by korgrocker

“The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel). The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:15-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The New Jerusalem was some place! It was a cube, each side being 1,400 miles long, though possibly open at the top (we know it had a base because we read about the foundations in the last verse). In the conversation between John and the angel, it became apparent that the angel had a “gold measuring stick” in his hand. John saw that it was made of gold, signifying something true and calibrated to be exactly correct. In the natural it would have taken a very long time to measure the three dimensions with a portable ruler. But in John’s vision it would have taken no time at all. The angel also measured the thickness of the walls, and found them to be 216 feet. John wrote an aside here, pointing out that the measurements were “to the human standard”. In other words, the New Jerusalem will be bigger and more substantial than anything we could ever imagine. We will probably never be able to explore its limits when we get there. Rather sadly, I calculated that the volume of the walls alone would be over 250 cubic kilometres. A mind boggling feat of engineering. But nothing to our amazing Creator God! But it gets even more wonderful. The wall is made of jasper. No concrete structure this. Jasper is a semi-precious stone, much valued by the ancient Israelites, especially if green. It featured as the last stone in the High Priest’s breastplate, as described in Exodus 28:20, “The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree.” The type of jasper favoured by the Israelites was very translucent, so the Holy City would have glowed with its inner light, lit up by the glory of God. But also twinkling away as light penetrated and reflected off its surfaces. Perhaps the jasper John saw was so pure that it behaved almost like diamonds.

Inside the city, John could see that it was made of gold. Pure gold. But it was a special variation of the precious metal, because it was “as clear as glass”. The mineralogy behind the Holy City was of a kind unknown on Planet Earth. Perhaps this was how the earthly jasper and gold should have been before the impact of sin and wickedness warped and twisted God’s original creation.

We pilgrims will notice that the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is something special because God is living within it. And it will be amazing to be able to join Him there. But God lives within each one of us through faith right now. Jesus said to His disciples, as recorded in John 14:23, “… All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.” The God-experience within us is only bounded by our faith and humanity. He is always wanting to do more through us, if only we had the faith to let Him. That same power that could create the Holy City out of jasper and gold is available to each one of us today. I am always impressed and challenged by Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Tapping into God’s “mighty power”starts with a living, breathing relationship with Him, taking small steps of faith. And before long we will find out that we are accomplishing much for Him. Notice the word that Paul includes in this verse. “Infinitely”. That’s quite a lot! There is no limit to what God can do.

Dear Father God. We confess our lack of faith and our timidity, when it comes to doing great things for You. Please help us, we pray. Amen.

The Holy City (1)

Posted on by korgrocker

“So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
Revelation‬ ‭21:10-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The old Apostle John must have sensed that he was nearing the end of his Revelation, because the final act seems to be rolling out before him. Jerusalem was a city much revered by the Jews. It was, and still is, a focal point, a place that the Jews attached a religious and national significance to. Over history, it housed magnificent temples, built as a home and place of worship for God. Jesus Himself connected Jerusalem with His mission and, ultimately, His death. He wept over its stubbornness (Luke 19:41) and its impending demise to come at the hands of the Romans just a few years later. Jeremiah prophesied about Jerusalem. We read in Jeremiah 3:17, “In that day Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ All nations will come there to honour the Lord. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires”. The modern Jerusalem is a troubled place, tense with religious and racial differences, and the place most revered, the Temple Mount, houses a Muslim mosque. The reverence of Jerusalem didn’t die away with Jesus, and a thread continues through the New Testament, ending with a crescendo of praise as the New Jerusalem appears.

Of course, by this time in John’s vision the earth had disappeared, so the old Jerusalem would have disappeared with it. But the Jews always believed that Jerusalem would be God’s eternal home. Little did they realise that the New Jerusalem would be created by God Himself. No more man-made structures.

The New Jerusalem was designed and built by God in Heaven. And John’s description ran out of adjectives comprehensive enough to fully describe it, as he watched it slowly coming down from Heaven to the new earth. His first impression was that it shone with the glory of God, sparkling in the same way as light does when seen reflecting from, or refracting through, a precious stone. John’s first impression was that the walls were “broad and high”and he could see twelve gates, each of which had a name above it. He saw that “the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates”. This is significant, because God’s chosen people, the Jews, were not forgotten. But we shouldn’t be surprised by that. Scriptures such as Psalm 23:6 made it clear that God would be with His people forever. “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”  The Jews, along with the children of the New Covenant, would be found in the Holy City. All redeemed peoples, regardless of their race or nationality, will be living in the New Jerusalem.

John also saw features of note, underpinning the walls. They were, “twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb”. So we have the importance of the foundational Apostolic teaching, from the men who had been disciples with Jesus, recognised forever. John saw the merging of the Old and New covenants in a glorious expression of God’s created new city.

Are we pilgrims looking forward to living in the New Jerusalem? How can we not be? A place shining with God’s glory. A place founded on the principles we have been trying to live by during our Christian lives. We have already read that there will not be any more sin there. Or death or sickness. Our future lives with God are going to be nothing like we can ever imagine. And in the new Jerusalem we will find all the heroes of the faith. Imagine being able to ask Peter what it was like to walk on the Sea of Galilee? Or find out what Paul was really like. There are many biblical and other characters I’m sure we would love to meet. And we’ll have eternity to find out all about them. But will we find everyone we expect in Heaven” Martin Luther summed it all up in this quote, attributed to him, “First, there will be people in heaven I did not expect to be there. Second, there will be people not present in heaven that I was certain would be there. Third is the greatest surprise of all – that I will be there myself!” 

Dear Lord. We thank You that through Your sacrifice at Calvary we are assured of a place in Heaven. We thank You that You are reserving a room for each one of us in the New Jerusalem. We praise You today. Amen.

The New Jerusalem

Posted on by korgrocker

“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.””‭‭
Revelation‬ ‭21:2-4‬ ‭NLT

As John, in his vision, was marvelling about the New Jerusalem appearing before him, he heard a loud shout. It grabbed his attention and he recorded what was said. The angel’s words were profound. God was going to make His home amongst His people, the people who had been rebirthed into His eternal Kingdom. Are we pilgrims ready to welcome God? Really ready?

Right back in Genesis, it was God’s intention to spend time with His created friends, Adam and Eve. He walked in the Garden where they were, and it must have broken His heart when He discovered their sin. The end of a face to face relationship. But God had no option – He couldn’t stay in an environment that contained sin. But here we are in the penultimate chapter of Revelation, discovering that at last, with the cleansing of sin from His presence complete, He could once again achieve His goal of spending time amongst His people. 

The angel’s shouted message also gave John some reassurance. Don’t forget he had been exiled to a prison on an island in the Aegean sea and he would be no stranger to “death or sorrow or crying or pain”. So the angel telling him about God’s plan reassured him that these human conditions would be eliminated. “Gone forever”. 

But in a sense, limited by our humanity, God lives within us. He never really left us. We read in Matthew 28:20, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” So Jesus has promised to be with us for ever. And there are many other Bible references about God being with us. In 1 Corinthians 3:16 we read, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” But as we read in these verses today from Revelation, “God himself will be with them”, His people. 

A Scripture much quoted in the upcoming season of Advent is Matthew 1:23, “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”‭‭ The First Coming of Jesus was announced as “God is with us“. It came to fruition then, and here, in these New Beginning Times (they’re not End Times any more) God is with us in person, amongst His people.

But one thing we must consider is the reference to the new Jerusalem being like “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. In Ephesians 5:25-27, we read, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” It was always Christ’s intention to make His Church “holy and without fault” one day. And by so doing, the Church will become His Bride. This finally comes to fruition with the new Jerusalem. 

These are exciting times for us pilgrims. One day we’ll get to explore the new Jerusalem, in all its splendour. And enjoy a new life for all eternity free of “death or sorrow or crying or pain”. How amazing is that?

Dear Lord. We look forward in awe at the coming of the new Jerusalem, where we will find You living with Your people. We worship You today, in grateful anticipation. Amen.

‭‭

The New Heaven and Earth

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
Revelation‬ ‭21:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The horrors of the scene involving the fiery lake were fading from John’s vision. There was a momentary pause in events, defined by the first word in Revelation 21 – “then”. In a previous part of John’s vision, he saw the Great White Throne appear, and the earth and sky tried to hide from God’s presence. Well, we now know what had happened to them, because we are told that they just “disappeared“. And they took the sea with them. So the scene before John was blank. But then he could hardly believe his eyes. He blinked just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. A marvellous sight came into view, displacing the darkness. A new heaven and a new earth appeared. New. Did that mean a new creation, as we read in Genesis, or did the new heaven and earth just appear, fully finished and ready to go? 

We consider our current earth and the sky above it. A finely tuned creation of atoms linked together to form an infinite number of different animal, vegetable and mineral products. Products that include and sustain the life we know so well. And to support those products, the physical properties of the sun and gravity, amongst many others, ensure a stability that has sustained the earth in its right place in space since the universe was created. Scientists talk about the “Goldilocks zone”, a planet’s position within a solar system where life as we know it can be sustained. But it’s more than that – we are God’s creation. Our planet and all its contents. And God has removed the old so that He can bring in the new. 

God is always creating something new, though. He didn’t make the world and its contents and then walk away, letting animals or plants get on with life, or not, as the case may be. Just look at our world every spring, when new plant growth spurts out everywhere. And the miracle of a new baby. Even under the curse of sin, our natural world is designed to be able to renew itself. We also have the miracle – yes, that is what it is – of spiritual birth. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Jesus told Nicodemus in that famous conversation recorded in John’s Gospel, that rebirth is essential for entry into God’s Kingdom. We read His words in John 3:3, “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”” Sadly, being “born again” has acquired negative connotations, bing ridiculed by many, even other Christians. But it’s another example of God’s design for His creation.

The old earth and heaven needed to be replaced. Sin and wickedness had trashed it. But not a problem to God, and He started with the new Holy City, the New Jerusalem. John gets a glimpse of it coming down from God’s home in Heaven, and it looks wonderful, made “like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. In his vision, John gets to view a “spoiler” of what it is like. Just a foretaste of the most wonderful place ever seen.

But back to our spiritual rebirth. Are we pilgrims “born again”? If we’re not sure, a question to God will soon clarify our positions. Being birthed into God’s amazing Kingdom, while we get the chance here on Planet Earth, is an introduction to our new life with God in eternity. We have the opportunity to live in His kingdom, as well as being part of our world’s kingdom, right now. There is a stark contrast. But one day the old kingdom will disappear, and we will fully enjoy being part of the new. Wonderful!

Dear God. There are exciting times ahead for those who have been birthed into your Kingdom. we praise and worship You today. Amen.