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HOUSMAIL HM055 30
March 2000 THE HOLY CITY In
the last two chapters of the Bible, the Apostle John describes his vision of
the New Jerusalem, the holy city of the Kingdom of God. The language he uses
to describe what he saw is very graphic - a city with the radiance of a rare
jewel, built of transparent gold, with walls of jasper, built on foundations
adorned with precious stones, and with twelve gates, each formed of one
single huge pearl! All of this indicates to us that what John saw must have
been almost beyond human comprehension; and it certainly leaves us struggling
with our own imagination, to form a mental picture of the city’s glory and
appearance. What
a wonderful place it will be. Its gates will never close. (Revelation 21:25) The throne of God
will be there! Jesus will reign from there! (Revelation
21:3; Revelation 22:3) The kings of the
earth who share the throne with Jesus, will bring their glory into it. The
nations of the earth will walk in the light which emanates from it. (Revelation 21:24) The tree of life will
be there, for those who have the right to eat of it. (Revelation 22:14) From that time forth,
there will be no more curse on the earth; no more death, mourning, crying, or
pain. (Revelation 21:4) And
for those who love righteousness, there is the marvellous news that nothing
unclean will ever be able to enter it. (Revelation 21:27) THIS IS THE VERY ESSENCE OF THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF
GOD! IT IS WHAT JESUS OFFERS TO THOSE WHO WILL REPENT OF THEIR
SINS, LOVE HIM, AND OBEY HIM. IT LIES BEYOND THE NARROW GATE, AND AT THE END OF THE NARROW
WAY, WHICH ALONE LEADS TO LIFE. IT IS THE END POINT OF GRACE. IT IS THE GOAL OF FAITH. IT IS THE HOPE OF THE RIGHTEOUS! But
we must not allow ourselves to be dazzled by all those glorious externals! If
we look beyond those, we will quickly discover that John’s description is far more concerned with telling us how to become citizens, than it is with the number of the city’s gates! Very
close to its beginning, we learn that, for some, this vision isn’t good news
at all! One of John’s main concerns is to leave us a list of those who will
never be able to enter the city. (Revelation 21:8, Revelation
21:27; Revelation 22:15) And that list is accompanied
by a solemn warning that all who are rejected at the judgement, will be
destroyed in the second death. Don’t fail to read it again, in conjunction
with this short paper! But let us read carefully. The primary purpose of
John’s warning is NOT to condemn sinners, but to save them! For
all of us who want to share in the great privileges of entry to the city,
this list is the Bible’s final call to repentance! Forget for a moment, all
the ear tickling things you might have heard, which cloud the vital issues of
life or death at the final judgement. Forget all the fanciful theology
offering FALSE HOPE through
COUNTERFEIT grace and faith! This
is a serious practical list which draws a sharp line between those who will
be there to share eternity with Jesus, and those who won’t! It is there so
that sinners can examine themselves, be convicted of their need for change,
and heed the Gospel call to repentance! It is there to describe the changes
which sinners must make, in order to walk in the way of life, into which
Grace and Faith will surely lead them. It
is there so that when the Bad News of “death for sinners” has been exchanged
for the personal GOOD NEWS of “eternal life for the righteous”, the
truly repentant can use it to remind themselves of the things they have
covenanted with God to leave behind. And
finally, it is there to encourage the Children of God with the Good News that
there really is an AGE TO COME on this earth, in which righteousness will dwell, just as it
does in Heaven, FOR EVER! (2 Peter 3:13) "Since we
have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement
of body and spirit, and MAKE HOLINESS PERFECT in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1) Allon |