Chapter 12 - Perfect Government
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The Lord is King over all the Earth
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“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).
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When Jesus was asked by His disciples how to pray, He taught them, “Pray then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9-10, Emphasis Added). One day this great prayer is going to be answered. A kingdom that has been in heaven will come to earth.
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When Jesus stood before Pilate, just hours prior to the crucifixion, Pilate asked, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33). Jesus had been silent before Pilate like a lamb to the slaughter. But to this question, “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm” (John 18:36).
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“Pilate therefore said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king” (John 18:37).
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The King and Lord of Glory who was innocent would be exchanged for the guilty. The crowds cried out “Crucify, crucify!” (John 19:6). Pilate attempted to release Jesus but to no avail. When given a choice between the release of a man known for insurrection and robbery and the Son of God who worked many miracles. The crowds shouted for the release of a man named, Jesus Barabbas. They could have had the release of Jesus the Son of the Father, the true and living God, but instead choose Jesus Barabbas.
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The name Barabbas if broken down into two words, Bar and Abba, means Son of Abba or Son of the Father. They had a choice between, Jesus the son of the father who everyone knew was guilty or Jesus the Son of the Father who was the spotless and innocent Lamb of God. The people choose to release the guilty, and Jesus the real Son of the Father would die in place of the guilty to establish a kingdom that would have no end.
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The Bema Seat
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Pilate “brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha” (John 19:13). Jesus the Lord of all creation was judged on our behalf. Where every person ever born on the earth should have been rightly judged guilty, innocence was exchanged for the guilty. Pilate then “said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” (John 19:14).
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The people cried out again, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priest answered, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).
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Our king then carried His own cross to the place of the Skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha. “And Pilate wrote an inscription also, and put it on the cross. And it was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19).
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The Bible calls Jesus, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, KJV). This means that it was always the plan of God that the innocent would be exchanged for the guilty to all who would put their faith and trust in Him. This is why the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
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This exchange of the innocent for the guilty is called, “the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8).
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Worthy is the Lamb who was Slain
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This is why it is written, “And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:11-12, Emphasis Added).
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This is why Jesus is worthy to take the scroll found in Revelation chapter 5. The Bible says those gathered around His throne, “They sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the scroll, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).
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Jesus is the savior of the world. “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and of the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).
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Jesus is the Messiah, the King of heaven and the soon and coming King of the earth. Jesus told His disciples prior to the departure of His first coming, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus is the promised King, He’s the one, He’s the way and the truth and the life. His kingdom shall have no end.
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God’s Promise to a man after His own heart
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Nearly three thousand years ago, a man named King David was given a promise from God. Nathan the prophet came to King David and told him these words straight from the lips of God; “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me” (2 Samuel 7:12-14).
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I love it God says, “One of your descendants after you, I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever. And I will be a Father to Him and He will be a Son to Me.” God the Father would establish a kingdom upon the earth which His own Son would be the heir and king, forever and ever.
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Isaiah the prophet saw this same thing. Isaiah prophesied, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
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The government will rest upon Jesus. A Son has been given to us. His name is above all names. He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. He will sit on the throne of David. Jesus is a righteous and just king and shall rule forevermore.
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The Psalmist saw this same thing. The Psalmist prophesied, “For the kingdom is the LORD’S, and He rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28). God is king and through the person of the Son, He rules over the nations.
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He is a good King who rules in uprightness
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The Bible is filled with passages about this same theme. God is a great king and the Father pronounces over the Son; “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of joy above Thy fellows” (Psalm 45:6-7).
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Jesus has been anointed king of heaven and earth. The disciples asked the king, “How should we pray then?” Jesus told them, “Pray for the kingdom to come and the will of the Father would be done on earth as it is in heaven!” This kingdom was always going to be His kingdom. The Father has anointed Jesus with oil of joy to be that King.
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Over and over the Psalmist proclaims this kingdom of God that would come to earth. The Psalmist proclaimed, “All Thy works shall give thanks to Thee, O LORD, and Thy godly ones shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power; to make known to the sons of men Thy mighty acts, and the glory of the majesty of Thy kingdom. The kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endures throughout all generations” (Psalm 145:10-13). It’s an everlasting kingdom and it shall have no end.
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Daniel saw a Kingdom that shall have no end
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This is why Jesus came proclaiming, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand, it near!” The kingdom spoken of by the prophets in the Old Testament, “It’s at hand, it’s near!”
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The prophet Daniel deciphered a dream that God gave to King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel revealed to the king; “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy” (Daniel 2:4-45).
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This stone cut out of a mountain without hands is none other than the Son of God. This kingdom that is coming to earth will crush all the previous kingdoms of the earth. The kingdom of heaven will arrive on earth. This kingdom will be established forever and ever.
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The Salvation of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego
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Our entrance to this kingdom is by the grace of the king, through our faith. Three men from the time of Daniel the prophet had a choice. They could bow before the idols of an earthly king or follow the king of heaven and earth. When these men were given a choice they choose a heavenly king.
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A decree had been made that when six instruments where played, these three men, Meshach, Shadrach and Abed-nego were to worship “an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits” (Daniel 3:1).
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These men refused to bow before any other God, as their God was king. The king became very angry with the men and told them, “If you do not bow down to this image, you shall face a fiery death.”
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These men replied to the king, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).
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King Nebuchadnezzar heated the fire seven times hotter and cast the men into the fire. Then the amazing happened. Daniel records, “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he responded and said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “Certainly, O king.” He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” (Daniel 3:24-25).
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Most theologians agree that this is a pre-incarnate Jesus walking in the midst of the fire with Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-nego. The king was so impressed that the men were not consumed by the fire that the three of them where removed from the furnace. The king then gives this response, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielding up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28).
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Then the king makes the following decree to any people, nations or tongues; “How great are His signs, and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:3, Emphasis Added). Our God is a great God to deliver those who worship no other God except the true God of heaven and earth. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and it shall never end.
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The Cripple and the King
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One of my favorite Old Testament stories gives a prophetic parallel of the kingdom which in its fullness is shortly to arrive on the earth. This story shows the fallen broken state of man and the great king who has not forgotten us. Spend time in meditation on this special story and realize the state you once inhabited and the king who did not forget his promise.
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The story has two main characters, the first is King Jesus played by King David in our story and the second is fallen man played by Mephibosheth. I am going to start our story in the 9th chapter of 2 Samuel, which reads:
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“Then David said, “Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). The house of Saul represents a fallen king. Adam was the original king of the earth, but then he fell, becoming our fallen king. So using this Bible story as a metaphor, King Messiah is looking for any descendants of fallen Adam that He might show kindness toward them.
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Our passage continues, “Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” And the king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.” Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar” (2 Samuel 9:2-5).
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There is a lot going on here so far in the story we find that there is a descendant of Saul who is still alive that David can show the kindness of God. It turns out to be Saul’s grandson, a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet that is living in Lo-debar. This son of Jonathan, whose name is Mephibosheth, is residing in Lo-debar. If you read too fast it’s easy to miss the details, Lo-debar means in the Hebrew a place with “no word.” Lo is the word translated in our English Bible from the Ten Commandments, as “Thou shall not”, it really means “God says no!” While Debar is the Hebrew word for “word” and many times is the reference to the word of God. May I say all of us once lived in a place with no word from the Lord.
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I want to introduce Mephibosheth to you so let’s turn back a few chapters and see the beginning of the story for Mephibosheth. The Bible says, “Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth” (2 Samuel 4:4).
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Mephibosheth was dropped by the person that should have taken care of him. He was left broken at the hands of another from a previous generation. He should have grown up and been heir to the king. Instead, his whole future was lost; everything he should have inherited including the throne of his grandfather was lost in one moment. This sounds relatively familiar to the story of Adam’s descendents.
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Back in the 9th chapter of 2nd Samuel our story resumes, “And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly” (2 Samuel 9:6-7).
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What a great promise our King makes to us that we could dine with Him at His table. This is the story of grace and we descendents of Adam have been shown this grace if we will receive Him and believe in our Lord King Jesus. But please notice that not only are we invited to dine with our King at His banquet table but He promises to return all the lands of our grandfather Adam. Our grandfather had dominion over the entire earth; these are our lands by the promise of our King.
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Our passage continues, “Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?” Then the king called Saul’s servant Ziba, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table regularly. Now he was lame in both feet” (2 Samuel 9:8-13).
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Mephibosheth represents all of us who will humble ourselves before our loving King, eats at the King’s table as one of the King’s sons. And now instead of dwelling in a place with “no word” he dwells in the city of our God, Jerusalem. This our future as true believers in our King Jesus.
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Our story of Mephibosheth takes a turn as he is betrayed by his servant, so some of the prophetic parallels don’t match up just perfectly. We’ll pick of the story of Mephibosheth in the 16th chapter of 2nd Samuel. It reads, “Now when David had passed a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. And the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink.” Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me’ ” So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!” (2 Samuel 16:1-4).
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The important part of what is happening in the story is not that Mephibosheth has been betrayed by his servant. What’s important is how Mephibosheth reacts to the betrayal. Mephibosheth must decide if his devotion to the king is based on the promises or the one who has made the promises. As you read about the continuation of Mephibosheth’s story watch for his devotion to his king, this should be the devotion of every true believer.
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“Then Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. And it was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” So he answered, “O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ because your servant is lame. Moreover, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. For all my father’s household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king?” So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’ ” And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house” (2 Samuel 19:24-30).
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Is your love for Jesus based on His promises or the one who is promising? Where you will spend eternity will depend on your relationship with each of the leaders of the two kingdoms which are in cosmic battle. Is your love and devotion to King Jesus strong enough to overcome even the toughest of situations? Or have you lost faith in Jesus and trusted only in the lies of the enemy?
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It all comes down to faith. I pray even now no matter what your situation is that you will trust in the one who can save you and that your love for our King Jesus would match that shown by Mephibosheth. Eternity hangs in the balance, what is your relationship with the kingdom of light vs. the kingdom of darkness?
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His Kingdom Come, on earth as it is in heaven!
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From eternity God has seen all things and predestined that Jesus would be the only way for the salvation of fallen man. The rise of the King of Kings had the most humble of beginnings with His birth coming to a teenage virgin named Mary. The mother of our Lord had to be the person most surprised when the Angel Gabriel told her the following:
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“And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:32-33).
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The cosmic battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent will reach its climax in the book of Revelation with the kingdom of darkness is defeated. The defeat of the kingdom of darkness will be the most joyous event in the history of man, save creator itself and possible the birth of our Lord. I can’t wait to hear the cry in heaven recorded in the book of Revelation:
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“And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign” (Revelation 11:15-17).
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Satan bound for a Thousand years
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The kingdom of God coming to earth, the old things are gone and new have come. The Bible records that when the Lord returns Satan will be defeated and thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years. Here is how it is recorded in Revelation:
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“And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time” (Revelation 20:1-3).
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Then peace shall come upon the earth. I love the Hebrew word for peace, Shalom. Shalom is spelled in the Hebrew, Shin, Lamed, Vav, Mem. In the Hebrew each letter holds specific meaning, where in English you might sound out the meaning to read the word, in Hebrew you can actually find the meaning of the word through the meaning of each of the letters. The letter Shin looks like our “w” and stands for fire and means, to devour. The letter Lamed looks like a shepards cane and it holds the meaning of authority. The letter Vav, looks like a nail and it means to hold together. Lastly is the letter Mem, which many times stands for water and is the letter for testing, but in this case the letter stands for chaos.
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The Hebrew word Shalom, holds the meaning of The one who devours, the authority, which holds together, chaos. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He will devour the authority which holds together chaos. True peace comes with a fight.
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The Feast of Booths
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The people of this world who are left that did not take the number of the beast will give honor to the true prince of peace. Zechariah the prophet saw the one thousand year reign of our Lord upon the earth. He prophesied, “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them” (Zechariah 14:16-17).
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The nations of the world will come up one time per year on the Feast of Booths to celebrate and give honor to the King. The Feast of Booths is the last of the seven Biblical feasts to be fulfilled. Each feast held a specific appointed meeting time with the Lord.
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Isaiah prophesied this, “And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD. Then they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind” (Isaiah 66:23-24).
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Lord Jesus will inhabit Jerusalem and all of mankind will bow down before Him. This is just as it is written in Philippians 2 where it says, “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess.” What is strange though about this passage is that all the people will be able to look upon the corpses of men who transgressed against the Lord. It appears that the valley of Gehenah will be almost like an open view into hell. Just look again at what Isaiah records, “Then they shall go forth and look on the corpses of men who have transgressed against Me.”
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It’s almost as if all mankind will shake their heads at the enemies of God who rejected the free gift of eternal life.
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1,000 Years of Peace
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Then one of the strangest things in the Bible happens, Satan who was chained and cast into the Abyss is released for a short season. There are many why’s with the Bible and this has to be one of them. But God is faithful and those who trust in Him shall not be put to shame. The Bible records the event like this:
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“And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:7-10).
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The battle will be finished. The seed of the serpent bruised the heel of the seed of the woman, but He shall bruise his head. The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 shall be complete! What was lost in the garden will be restored and redeemed. The whole world will have made its choice either to follow darkness and the seed of the serpent or to follow light, the seed of the woman.
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There will be a day
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That choice will leave all of mankind to spend eternity with one of two kingdoms; an eternity in hell or eternity with our God. The ones who choose God through the shed blood of our King Jesus will see what John saw in the 21st chapter of Revelation:
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“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:1-2).
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Our God makes all things new. He renewed our soul with the death of Jesus on the cross, “to as many as would receive Him” (John 1:12). He renewed our body, “in a moment at the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet” (1 Corinthians 15:51). And will the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, He has renewed our land. The will be a new heaven and a new earth, the old is gone and the new has come.
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The Bible then says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from the eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).
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I can’t help but think about the song by Jeremy Camp, “There will be a day.” If you haven’t heard it, go and listen. It will deepen your understanding of all this in just four minutes. Jeremy says it this way in his song, “There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more we’ll see Jesus face to face. There will be a day, He’ll wipe away the tears” (There will be a day, Jeremy Camp).
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There will be a day, when God shall make His tabernacle among men. It won’t be temporary but permanent. He shall be our God and we shall be His people. And there shall be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, and He shall wipe away every tear. The old is gone and the new has come!
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The City of Perfect Government
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The only way to have perfect government is if God is our King. Our God and our King shall rule out of the New Jerusalem. John saw this New Jerusalem which he said, “Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper” (Revelation 21:11). This great city which comes out of heaven has “twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel” (Revelation 21:12).
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What’s really amazing is the overall size of the New Jerusalem. “And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, twelve thousand stadia [fifteen hundred miles]; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits [seventy-five meters], according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements” (Revelation 21:16-17).
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The New Jerusalem will be like no city that our world has ever known; 1500 miles are its length and width and height. This will be a city with gates as of giant pearls, streets of gold, a city that shines like a very costly stone. This is the city of our God.
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They shall see His face
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Then the thing which no man has seen will be revealed, “They shall see His face.” John recorded it like this, “And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bondservants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:3-4).
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What Moses was denied we will behold! Moses had asked the Lord, “I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!” (Exodus 33:18). The Lord replied to Moses, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (Exodus 33:20). The Lord place Moses in the cleft of the rock and passed by and Moses saw the backside of the glory of the Lord. So what Moses was denied, His bondservants shall behold.
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Relationship with our Creator
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The entire story of the Bible has its foundation a relationship between man and God. The relationship was broken in the garden. What was lost at one tree was regained at another tree. God did not leave man without a way out. God so loved mankind that He sent Jesus, that whosoever should believe should not perish but have eternal life.
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And this is eternal life that they might know the one true God and His son whom thou hast sent. The whole reason we were created is that we might have intimate fellowship with the one who created us. If you have named Jesus as Lord but are living without that intimate fellowship, something is wrong. Begin today, begin right now. Stop living for the world and live for the one who died for you. He is a great King and the Father desires that none would perish but all would come into intimate fellowship with Him.
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I am coming quickly
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Jesus made these His final words to all the world until He returns; “Behold, I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:12-14).
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There is a God who loves you. The same word which Jesus spoke to Peter and Peter went from walking in the natural world to the supernatural. Jesus said to Peter, “Come!” And Peter walked on water. This is the word spoken in Revelation; “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Revelation 20:17).
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Final Admonition
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You can only come in faith. Faith is the key to heaven, it’s the key to a true relationship with God, the Bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11). The antithesis of faith is unbelieving.
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Look who is at the top of the list for those cast into the second death which is hell. It is not the murders or the rapist or adulterers, no it is those without faith. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
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How many times did Jesus scold His disciples, “Oh you of little faith”? Trust in Jesus! James said it this way, “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).
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So no longer desire to be rich in the currency of this world; Dollars and Euros will be of any value in the world to come. Be rich in the currency of heaven. “Be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him!”
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I pray faith in Jesus the Christ over you. These are the ending words of Bible from Jesus by John the Revelator; “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Revelation 22:20-21).
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