Zechariah 1:5-11

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5 Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? “Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’” 7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. 8 During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. 9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.” 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.” 11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.” ~ Zechariah 1:5-11

The Bible is an ancient and complex book, yet it is God’s revelation to us. Interpreting the Bible involves several key steps that we know as hermeneutics. In fact, there are a few key principles of hermeneutics that are musts in order to arrive upon a sound interpretation of a given passage. The first of which is the place of Israel, the nation, in the Scriptures. God has made a clear distinction in the Scriptures between the nation of Israel and the Church. And, even though it appears that when Israel, as a whole, rejected Christ, God appeared to be finished with Israel, this is not the case. Clearly, God has more work to do with the little nation we know as Israel.

The Bible is not a random compilation of unrelated books that were put together. Rather, it is a unified storyline interwoven into every single book. That’s why we must interpret every verse, chapter, and book in light of the entire Bible. One of the musts in interpreting the Bible correctly is making sure that we know who the writer's audience was: Is he addressing the nation of Israel or is he addressing the Church? When we confuse the two, we get into serious trouble while trying to interpret a passage.

So, today, we come back to a passage clearly written to the nation of Israel. And, from this passage we learn a very important principle: When we refused to hear the Scripture, sin will take us to places that we do not want to go, but God can be trusted, if we only heed His word. 

In Romans 6:23 we read, “The wages of sin is death.” The Israelites refused to hear and heed God's word and they therefore died. This is why our text today begins with v.5 which reads, "Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever?"

Then in v.6 we read, "But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? 'Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.'"

That which God said would happen, happened. The exile of the nation into Babylon was proof positive that it happened. The death of the nation stood as evidence that it happened. God will always do what He says He will do. He is faithful and He is faithful to His promises. This is why God will never be finished with Israel.

God's message is always: "Here I am. I'm waiting for you to come back to me. And when you return to me, you will find salvation. You will find restoration." The Lord never forces Himself or His ways on us. So, when the people of Israel returned to their homeland, they found themselves standing in the results of the legacy of failure and disobedience.

In v.7-11 of today's text we read, "7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. 8 During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. 9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.” 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.” 11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace."

Beginning in today's text, we have a series of visions from God to the prophet. And these visions were used of God to encourage the exiles that returned to their promised land.  The first vision is sort of a general vision that speaks of all of the rest of the visions. And those following will add details to the first one. These visions are therefore an unfolding explanation of God's plan for Israel.

In this first vision, God promises to prosper Israel. The vision was given on the date of February 24th, 520 BC. This was three months after the first message calling the people to repent from their way and turn back to God. All of these visions occur on a single night. They're not spread out by any time. It all happens at once.  

Now, the prophet Zechariah asked a good question in v.9. He saw something and he had no idea what he was looking at.  And so, in v.10, the Lord answers his question which reads, "Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth."

The myrtle tree is a hardy evergreen tree. It is hard to kill it. And, it grows in the lowlands. It doesn't grow to an impressive height. It never gets higher than 18 feet. This speaks of the lowliness of the nation of Israel. It is always when we think more of ourselves that we discover ourselves moving away from the Lord and His ways. When we move away from Him, He must do those things to bring us back to Himself. Though people have come against Israel and attacked her and destroyed her cities and taken her into captivity, God's promise has always been to restore her. This is why the nation of Israel never goes away.

The man in v.8 on the red horse symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ. Later on in this book He is called the Angel of the Lord. This is a pre-incarnate guest appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus shows up often in the Old Testament, not by that name, and not in the same form as we see Him in the New Testament, but He is there to be found nonetheless. In fact, the theme of the entire Bible is Jesus Christ.

But notice, there are other riders, other horses. They seem to report to the pre-incarnate Christ, indicating that He has authority over them. Their arrival proves that God is actively interested in what goes on on the earth, especially when it deals with and includes His own people, the Jews. 

Israel, God's people, had been scattered after being oppressed, dispersed, taken in by the nations of the world. And the nations rather liked that. They were at rest with subjugating the Jewish people and causing a rest that was enforced by taking the Jews captive. Well, that was an arrest that God did not approve of. 

As written in Jeremiah 31:35-37, "Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name: 'If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.' Thus says the Lord: 'If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord.'"

That's why the Jewish people still exist today: They have been miraculously preserved by God, not because of their goodness, but because of His goodness. Thank God that He keeps His promises! Thank God for His grace and mercy and longsuffering!

When we get to heaven we will learn that God was more intricately involved in our lives here on earth than we knew. Therefore, we can trust Him with everything, especially when life is going in a way we prefer not. Proving His love to ourselves only happens in the context of trusting. And, the more impossible the situation, the greater the opportunity for Him to show Himself most faithful.

Zechariah 1:1-4

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1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo: 2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 3 Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. 4 Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.’” ~ Zechariah 1:1-4

We come today to the Old Testament book of Zechariah which is the next to the last book in the Old Testament. Zechariah includes Christ's priesthood, His humanity, His deity, His first coming, His rejection and betrayal, His return to Israel as the crucified one, and His Millennial reign. So, it can be said that Zechariah is the most Messianic book of the Old Treatment. 

Zechariah was written to the people of Israel to let them know that the God of the Bible was on their side. Zechariah means “God remembers.” So, the book of Zechariah is all about God remembering His promises to His people.

The first six chapters of Zechariah include a series of visions. The purpose of these visions was to bring hope to the discouraged people of Israel. And, when the remnant returned to Israel from Babylonian captivity, they found themselves standing in the results of their failed legacy of disobedience. As a result, in 586, BC the Babylonian had come to take their land and to take them into captivity because they had forsaken the Lord and His culture. And, when they returned from exile some seventy years later, the people of Israel found themselves among the piles of bricks and rubble, reminders of what happens when we forsake the Lord. 

In v.1-2 we read, "1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo: 2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors."

The name Zechariah means "the Lord remembers." His dad was named Berechiah which means "the Lord blesses." His grandpa's name, Iddo, means "at the appointed time." So their names brought an encouraging message to the believing heart. "At the appointed time, the Lord remembers and the Lord will bless."

When the book of Zechariah was written, the people of Israel were at a critical moment in their history. Eighteen years had passed since Cyrus the great had conquered the Babylonian Empire. You will remember that Daniel had said there would be four great world empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Babylon had come and gone. And, at this point in time, the Medo-Persian Empire was ruling. Cyrus the Great had conquered the Babylonians. Israel had been taken into Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C. and they had been in Babylon for 70 years when Cyrus made the decree that they could all go back to their land.

But, the Jews had become comfortable in Babylon, that foreign land, and many of them didn't want to return to the promised land. When they did return, only a small remnant of Jews went back to Israel from their Babylonian captivity. And, in seven months they had rebuilt the sacred altar, and they were again performing the sacrifices prescribed in the Old Testament. They were back with their worship commanded by God, and, by the beginning of the second year, they had actually begun to rebuild their temple. 

After they had begun rebuilding their temple, their neighbors, the Samaritans, so hassled them about rebuilding the temple, they stopped building it. But, shortly afterwards, the king of the Samaritans was assassinated. And, when he was assassinated, one would think they would have taken advantage of the opportunity, but the Jews didn’t. 

In response to this, since God wanted the temple rebuilt, He raised up Haggai who was a prophet at the same time as Zechariah. Haggai's ministry was to exhort the people to rebuild the temple. In fact, after preaching four messages encouraging the people to rebuild the temple, the people experienced revival.

In the midst of the revival, God raised up another prophet: Zechariah who came on the scene two months after Haggai. When we compare Zechariah 1:1 with Haggai 1:1, it’s very clear that it was two months later according to the Hebrew calendar. So, this book is a comfort to the Jews in the process of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. 

In v.3-4 of today's text we read, "3 Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. 4 Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord."

Zechariah begins with this message of repentance because we can not enjoy the blessings of God without being defined by God. We do not access God's blessings while we are in rebellion to Him. He has given us His word for a reason. His word gives us His culture which is different than ours and that of this world. Throughout the Bible, the message is the same: When we turn from sin, we will know the blessing of God. 

Given original sin, the place of God's blessing, the place of His mercy and grace has always been the place of our turning back to Him. We have all lived long enough on this earth to discover that our way does not garner the results that are substantive. We know that we must turn 180 degrees from our way to God's ways in order to come to that place which has the stamp of His blessing on it. And, to think that we can make it in this world any other way than His is just plain fooling ourselves. 

Now, the prophecy of Zechariah began in the eighth month of the second year of Darius. It was in the eighth month, the month of Marcheshvan. In the Hebrew calendar that is October/November time. And, the Persian emperor that had released the Jews, because Cyrus had died. At that time Cyrus was succeeded by Cambyses but Cambyses didn’t have a child, so he committed suicide. And when Cambyses committed suicide, Darius became the new  ruler. His reign began in 522 B.C., which means if this is the second year of Darius, it was written in 520 B.C. So, Darius was the king under whom Zechariah wrote.

You see, even though they were back repatriating their country, they had no king. And the king of the whole world at that time was Darius. So, Darius was really the king over Zechariah.

With the exception of two times in the Old Testament, the prophets always wrote saying they prophesied during the rule of a certain king in Israel. This is one of two that they didn't cite a king of Israel. The other prophet to write like Zachariah was Haggai. There was no king in Israel because it was being ruled by Gentiles. The rule of the Gentiles over Jerusalem has yet to end and it will end at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since 586 B.C., Jerusalem has been under the hands and the power and the control of Gentiles.

God’s wrath is always averted by the repentance of the people, when we come back to Him. God's wrath is always solved by the presentation of His grace. Having stated in v.1-3 the problem of God's wrath and the presentation of His grace, Zechariah turns to the people of Israel to plea for their repentance. 

Again, in v.4, we read, “Do not be like your ancestors.” Evil is hereditary, each generation passes on the same evil patterns to their children. The people knew the results of their fathers’ sins, they knew their fathers had been slaughtered by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies. And the ones that didn’t die were hauled off into captivity. And, here, Zechariah reminds these who had never lived in Israel to listen to God and be different than their ancestors.

In the book of Jude, we are told to, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” We are prone to wander outside of God's love. We are prone to be defined by the wrong loves. We must always be careful to continue to be defined and motivated by the love of God. We must not be defined by all of the so called loves out there that will only destroy us.

Finally, Thomas Merton once brilliantly said, "But the man who is not afraid to admit everything that he sees to be wrong with himself, and yet recognizes that he may be the object of God's love precisely because of his shortcomings, can begin to be sincere. His sincerity is based on confidence, not in his own illusions about himself, but in the endless, unfailing mercy of God."

Revelation 22:18-21

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18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. ~ Revelation 22:18-21

Today, we complete our study of the book of the Revelation. In today's text the Lord Jesus Himself offers an extended word of testimony regarding the authority and finality of this prophesy. He had commissioned John to write it, but He was the author of it. You will remember that the book of the Revelation is a prophecy. In Revelation 1:3 we read, "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy." 

In v.18 of today's text we read, "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. "

With this last book of the Bible, the canon of Scripture is closed. And, the warning here, is to those who add to Scripture. Those who tamper with truth to falsify it, to mitigate its message, to alter it are going to feel the vengeance of God. 

In v.19 we read, “And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” 

It’s equally dangerous to take away from Scripture. There are some people who wouldn’t want to add to it, they just want to take away from it.

Interestingly, the words "takes words away" is a play on words. You take away from the words of this book, and God’ll take away your part in heaven, the part you might have had if you hadn’t tampered with Scripture. Now, a true believer would not tamper with Scripture. Anyone who is on the way to heaven is going to treat Scripture with great respect.

You see, God’s word is absolute, true, faithful, permanent, and complete, not to be altered, not to be changed, not to be added to, not to be taken away from, and true believers understand that.

The fact that this warning is here indicates people would be prone to tamper with Scripture. It also indicates that men would deny its validity because it is so specific prophetically, and that has been true. But it also indicates to me that the Holy Spirit wants to make a final sweeping statement about what you do with Scripture altogether. And the bottom line is God has written it; don’t erase it and don’t expand it.

In v.20 we read, "He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

At the writing of 2 Peter, there were false prophets who scoffed at the coming of Christ, they mocked the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Peter 3 they asked, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."

In v.21 we read, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen."

It is just like the Lord to end this book with "grace." His point is everybody, all the time, be ready, watchful and alert, because He comes in an hour that no man knows, and in an hour when you think not. Until that hour, there is grace.

Revelation 22:12-17

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12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.  ~ Revelation 22:12-17

We are sadly coming to the end of our study of the book of the Revelation. We have just one more passage after today's. 

Our text today begins with the promise of the Lord's return. And then, heaven will finally be our permanent home. And, with this promotion will come for the believer in Christ, rewards. Not only will we live in that place of perfection and safety and security for all of eternity, in addition, we will be given certain rewards when we get there. The main thing we must remember with this subject is this: God rewards faithfulness, not fruitfulness.

In v.12 of today's text we read, "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done."

No one gets into heaven based upon our good works, we are not saved by our good deeds done here on earth. In fact, our justification will be and is based solely on Christ's finished work on the cross. But, when that day comes when we stand before Him, we will give an account for our sanctification. And, remember, sanctification is the process we enter when we are born again. And, through this process God is changing us and equipping us to fulfill His calling on our lives while on this earth. So, the point of our sanctification is ministry or influence in the lives of others for eternity. This will be rewarded in certain ways in heaven.

In 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive for the things done in the body, whether they are good or useless."

And then, according to 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, we discover that our activities in this life after becoming believers in Christ will be gold, silver, precious stones or wood, hay, and stubble. You see, at that time, God will test our works, and the gold, silver, and precious stones will survive the fire because they will represent eternal value. The rest will be the other deeds done out of our lives that weren’t necessarily evil, but had no eternal value. Only that which will have eternal value will survive. And it’s on the basis of that test that we will be rewarded accordingly. The rewards that we will receive in glory will impact our capacity to worship God and serve Him in heaven for eternity. The more faithful we are here, the greater will be our reward there. 

In v.13-14 of today's text we read, "13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city."

In these two verses, right on the heels of talking about our rewards for the good works that we did as believers while on the earth, the Lord reminds us that our justification or our rightness and acceptability before Him is solely based on Christ's work on the cross. Our justification or ticket into heaven is a free gift earned by the perfection of Christ.

In v.15 we read, "Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."

The word "dog" in the New Testament occurs 5 times and is always used in a negative way. Dogs represented things hated, impure, sinful and disgusting in the days of the writing of the Bible. The Apostle John uses the word here to describe those who rejected the free gift of salvation. It is interesting that the list of sins in this verse is very similar to the list in Revelation 21:8. And, notice the word "practice" for it denotes that these are sins that make up these people's lifestyle. I have idols in my life but the idols do not define me most. Those who have come to know the Lord Jesus are being defined by Him most. 

In 1 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul writes that there are some people who are not going to make it into the kingdom, and here they are: “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Again, these sins denote these people's lifestyle, and they have such a lifestyle because they know not the Lord Jesus.

Then, in 1 Corinthians 6:11 we read, “And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Anyone can be included in the redeemed, it can happen to anyone who comes with their thirst to the Lord Jesus. The key is that we have come to realize our need for the Savior and we receive from Him this free gift of forgiveness of sin and we invite Him into our lives. The posture of willingness allows the Lord to do His work in our souls from the inside out.

Today's text ends with v.16-17 which reads,"16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life."

In Matthew 5:6 we read, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” It all starts with a spiritual hunger, a spiritual thirst.

Our souls were dry, and our hearts were parched. This led us to a barren place in our deepest being. This is what got us to the point that we cried out to Him in the first place. And, whoever wants and desires His salvation, gets it when we ask for it. And, this is an unlimited invitation, anyone can come.

In Matthew 11:28, the Lord Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” 

In this verse the Lord Jesus uses another metaphor to describe the same thing. Not thirsty but weary. Not needing water but needing rest. And all we have to do is come. If you sense the need and you’re eager to come, and you desire to come, then come. God saves, but not apart from our desire. Salvation, then, is offered to those who know they are parched and barren and who desire to have their life changed.

Revelation 22:6-11

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6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” 7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” 10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” ~ Revelation 22:6-11

In Genesis 1, the sun was created. In Revelation 21-22, there will be no sun. In Genesis 1, the night was distinguished from the day. In eternity, there will only be light. In Genesis 1, the seas were created. In Revelation 21, there will be no sea. In Genesis 3, the curse is announced. In Revelation 22, there shall be no more curse. In Genesis 3 death is given birth. In Revelation 22, death is eradicated. In Genesis 3, man is driven from the tree of life. In Revelation 21-22, the tree of life is accessible to man. In Genesis 3, sorrow and pain begin. In Revelation, no longer will there be sorrow, pain, death, and tears. The undoing of sin is the story of the Bible.

In v.6 we read, "The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."

We can always trust God's word for it has always come to pass. The problem is, we are conceived with a hardened heart to God.  And, God is the decisive cause of the unhardening of the human heart. But, we must respond with a willing heart in order for the miracle of a changed heart toward God to take place. When the Lord Jesus becomes the object of our faith, it is then that God can begin to work in and through us most profoundly because faith in Him is the opposite of Original Sin which began with our rebellion from Him. After we have been "Born Again" and if we practice patience in our faith in Him, we will see that His word is not only true, but it is also most powerful. It is His word that changes the most hardened of hearts.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll."

In context, the Lord Jesus says three times "He is coming soon." A thief never makes an announcement that he is coming to our house to rip us off. The thief counts on the home owner not being present when he comes. This will be the case with the Rapture of the Church. 

In light of this truth, in today's text, we are given three challenging responses. Here in v.7, we are given the first response which is: we ought to have a walk that corresponds with the revealed truth that He is coming quickly! The moment we believe the truth that the Lord Jesus is coming again, we should have a different orientation to life. As a result of being made alive to God through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, this world looses its hold on us. The hold of the Lord God will begin to arrest our hearts away from the longings of this world. And, as a result, our lives or our walk will begin to increasingly be defined by Him.

In v.8-9 we read, "8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!"

The second of the three responses to the return of the Lord Jesus will be worship. God didn't give us this book of the Revelation to enable us to build clever eschatological charts. God gave us this message so that we might live in the light of of the truth of the Rapture. And, when we do that, we will keep the words of this prophecy, which is to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Worship is not a one time event, it is a lifestyle. Worship is living the kind of life that God says is the truth. We worship God when we give worth to His word by obeying it. This does not mean we will be perfect, it simply means that God's word will define our choices.

This is what the Apostle John meant then in 1 John when he wrote, "everyone who has this hope of His return purifies himself even as He is pure." What we have learned in our study of the book of the Revelation should change the way we walk and worship. As we read about what is coming down on planet earth and what God has in store really ought to make us less temporal and more eternal in our choices and in our perspective. Our lives speak much louder and believable messages than our lips.

In v.10 we read, "Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near."

The third response is that we ought to be witnessing. The message we have been given must not to be hidden. We must not seal it up. We must not keep it to ourselves. Prophecy is a tremendous motivation in witnessing. In fact, how can we read about the Tribulation, hell and God's judgment of sinful man, and not be moved by it to warn people to avoid it? 

Finally, in v.11 we read, "Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy."

When we share the truth with people, we must remember that they will respond positively or negatively. Some will hear the truth and will reject it, and some will hear it and believe it. Our responsibility is to share the truth with others, and it is their responsibility to believe it. Our destiny is not determined by our genetics. We make a choice to follow Jesus Christ or to reject Him, and, that, and that alone, will mark our destiny. We can lead a horse to the water but he must make the choice to drink it.

Revelation 22:1-5

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1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. ~ Revelation 22:1-5

Today, we transition into the final chapter of the book of the Revelation. And, today, we conclude our study of The New Jerusalem by continuing our look on the inside of this incredible dwelling of the redeemed. 

In v.1-2 we read, "1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."

In heaven, there will be no more sea. And, this river will not be a river like we know rivers to be. In order to have a river, we would have to have a sea, because the river would have to go somewhere, and then it would have to dissolve into something, and it would have to be evaporated and picked up and brought back and put back in the head waters to make the river go again. There would have to be some cycle that moved the water. But, in The New Jerusalem, there will be no sea, nor will there be a hydrological cycle as we know it. 

This river will be filled with the water of life which will be clear as crystal. That speaks of its purity. It will be ever flowing and it will be ever cascading because it will come down from the throne of God and of the Lamb. This river's water will tumble down, like a waterfall, across this crystal city, splashing across the transparent gold. 

The water of life will be pure and holy, and it will flow down through the city from the throne of God. The water of our heavenly paradise will symbolize eternal life. And, everyone who  drinks of this water shall never thirst, for it will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.

According to v.2 the water will flow down the middle of its "street." And, on each side of the river, there, the tree of life will be. This tree will symbolize healing and blessing. And, the tree of life will bear twelve kinds of fruit, every month, and the leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the nations.

The twelve different kinds of fruit means heaven is going to be filled with variety, changing all of the time. And then a most interesting comment. "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." From this word “healing” we get our word therapeutic. Kind of like vitamins, only we don’t take vitamins because we’re sick, we take them because vitamins make us feel better. There will be provided for us in heaven continual energetic life which will produce life to its fullest.

In v.3 we read, "3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him."

No more curse will there be. This means no more tears, death, mourning, crying, and pain because the Lord Jesus will reign. And, He has conquered sin and death. His reign will produce in us a desire to serve. In Luke 12:37 we are told, "The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!" Out of His great love for us, our King, the Lord Jesus, will serve us, producing in us, a great desire to serve Him!

In Revelation 7:15 we read, “they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them.” 

This will be the reason there will be no temple or tabernacle in The New Jerusalem, because He will spread His presence over all of us. His presence is His glory and His glory is His presence.

In v.4 of today's text we read, "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."

In Exodus 33 we learn, “If anybody looks on My face, they’ll die; they’ll be consumed. No man can see Me and live.” 

In heaven, we will be able to look at the blazing glory of God in all its fullness and not die, because we will be covered with His holy presence. To see God’s face as sinners would be to be consumed by His holy anger. But in heaven, we will be like Him, and we’ll see Him in all His glory.

The fact that His name shall be on our foreheads shows that we will be His personal possession. There will be no doubt who we will belong to, and we will belong to Him forever.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

Darkness veils, it hides, and it confuses us because it limits our perception. And, when our perceptions are limited, we get confused, and perhaps, made afraid. Fear is at the root of all of our abnormalities. The fear of being alone, the fear of being found out are just a few expressions of our fear. The glory of God will chase away our fears. Our need to put on a good face before others will be destroyed by the glory of God come to rest in our being.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 we learn that God chose us as the firstfruits for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth, to which he called us through our gospel, so that we may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The word "glory" is described in the Bible with its usage of several different words. The most prominent is the Hebrew word "kabud" which means "heaviness." And, this heavy presence of God provides for its recipients stability and security. This explains why there is a clear connection in scripture between "glory" and "service." When we find our identity in the presence of God, we will act out of that acceptance. Gone will be the fear, gone will be the insecurity. And, when we have shared in His glory, we will operate according to His culture.

Finally, according to Romans 8, the whole creation has been subjected to the corruption which comes through sin, and they are all eagerly expecting and looking forward to the glory of the revelation of the sons of God. This means after we have shared in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, once we have shared in His glory, all of creation will be delivered from the effects of sin and death.

Revelation 21:22-27

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22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. ~ Revelation 21:22-27

In yesterday's text, we considered the view of The New Jerusalem from the outside. Today, we will look at it on the inside. All through the book of the Revelation we have seen a temple in heaven described. That temple remains throughout the millennium, as the original of which the earthly temple is a copy. 

In v.22 we read, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."

Literally the city will dwell within the temple, which is the very presence of God and Christ. In the new heavens and earth there will be no temple because the true temple, of which the one in the old heavens is a picture, is the True Man, the Lord Jesus Himself. God in man that will be the temple! 

In v.23 we read, "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."

In eternity Jesus Christ, the Lamb, will have the glory that He had before He came to earth as the Messiah. He prayed, "Lord, give to Me the glory that I once had with You before the world was." Here, in today's text, the prayer is answered. Light emanates not only from the Father but from the Son. The Lamb will be its light. 

When the Lord Jesus was on the earth, He was God, but His deity was veiled. He still created miracles. He could still read minds but it was veiled. So much so that every now and then the veil was lifted and it blew the disciples mind. While on the Mount of Transfiguration they saw the Lord Jesus transfigured in brilliant light like the light of the sun. In eternity, the veil will be lifted and the Lamb will be the light.  

We will share the honor of being the dwelling place of God. And from Him will come radiant light. We will see all things by Him who is the truth. So glorious will He be that there will be no need for the sun or the moon. It does not say they are not there; it simply says there is no need for them in this city of God. There will never be night there because heaven will be lit continually by the glory which is God in man. 

The new earth will not be an earth like we know now, because the earth as we know it now depends upon the sun and the moon. It depends upon time for the sun to shine, and time for darkness to run its normal cycles. So, whatever goes on in that new earth will be dependent upon a completely different structure, a completely different creation than anything we know today. 

In v.24-25 we read, "24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there."

Notice the access of this city will be to everyone. All the nations, all ethnic peoples who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word nations is ethnoi or ethnic groups. Gentiles, Jews, people from every tribe, every tongue, every nation gather together. In other words, heaven will not be limited to one group. There will be no prejudice in heaven. There will be no class warfare in heaven, just all of the people of God without any division. All as one in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.26-27 we read, "26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."

The gates of heaven will never be shut because there will be no night there and therefore no need for protection. Cities close their gates at night because they are in danger. But there will be nothing to destroy in this new city to come. The kings of the earth will bring their glory in, not to compete with the glory of God, but to have it revealed by the light of God. Nothing impure will enter because only the redeemed will be admitted.

In heaven, everything that now makes us groan will be done away with. We will find ourselves in the very presence of God, where the purest and truest kind of plea­sure is possible. Whatever pleasures we have known here on earth while living under the curse of sin will seem insignificant compared to the pure delights of heaven. When our souls are made new we will finally be able to glorify God perfectly and enjoy Him perfectly, as He intended. Since nothing is better or greater than God, the pure enjoyment of Him will be the very essence of bliss.

Revelation 21:15-21

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15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. ~ Revelation 21:15-21

Today, we continue our study of our future home, the New Jerusalem. Today, we will consider the makeup of the New Jerusalem from the outside. Tomorrow, we will look at it from the inside.

Everyone wants to be whole, but who provides the most complete definition of wholeness. Wholeness is a complex issue because it involves all of what makes us human: body, soul and spirit. The biblical word for "wholeness" is holiness. And, when we let God define us, we will be wholly. In fact, when we read wholeness in place of holiness everywhere we find it in the Bible, we will be much closer to what God meant regarding what it means to be holy. 

Interestingly, these two cities that are being contrasted at the end of time, Babylon and the New Jerusalem, make the point in a contrasting way. When evil reaches its zenith, it forms a prostitute-city which destroys its inhabitants and itself. When righteousness reaches its highest point, it forms a bride-city that creates wholeness in its inhabitants which will endure forever.

In v.15 we read, "The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls."

When God measures something, He is declaring His ownership of it. The number twelve is used everywhere in today's text. The number twelve is the number for government or rule in Scripture. And, today's text reveals God's fulfillment to the promise in Isaiah 9:6 which reads, "The government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." 

The New Jerusalem will be a city of symmetry, just as long as it will be wide and just as tall as it will be long. It will be perfectly proportioned and wholeness will be known by all of its occupants! The New Jerusalem will illustrate there is no blemish in God. He lives in harmony with Himself. His disposition is what we all long for.  He is filled with joy, love and peace. He lives in wholeness. And He looks at us in our brokenness and says to us, "You, too, shall be whole."

In v.16 we read, "The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long."

The Apostle uses the Greek word "tetragon" translated "square" in this verse. A tetragon is a four-sided perfect cube. The New Jerusalem will be twelve thousand stadia cubed. That will make the city 1500 miles wide, 1500 miles deep, and 1500 miles tall. The distance from Florida to Maine is 1500 miles. And, as a result  the new Jerusalem will be able to house well over 20 billion people if only 25% of the city was given over to residents. 

In v.17 we read, "The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick."

This verse gives us the measurement of the thickness of the wall surrounding the New Jerusalem. A cubit is 18 inches, that's 72 yards or 216 feet. The New Jerusalem’s walls will be very thick: 144 cubits thick. The number 144, of course, is 12 times 12. Found 187 times in the Bible, the number 12 appears in Revelation 22 times. The gates and the wall will represent the rule of the redeemed, of both Israel and the church. This was His promise to both, to reign with Him in eternity. 

By the way, the angel used human measurement. The wall will not be there for protection. It will be there for adornment, illustration the completeness of the redeemed. 

In v.18 we read, "The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass."

Gold is opaque, not transparent or translucent. But, the gold in heaven, we will be able to see through. Radiating from the Lamb, there will be translucent, transparent gold on the streets with clear diamond-like walls. The transparency of the gold speaks of its purity. All things in heaven will be whole or holy or pure.

In v.19-20 we read, "19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst."

In the foundation, there will be a whole lot of colors. And notice, everything will have perfect symmetry, order, balance. The measurements and the materials of the new Jerusalem will describe God who is a God who brings order, symmetry, and balance. The New Jerusalem will be God's answer to humanity. In many ways, it will remind us of His crucified Son.

In v.21 we read, "The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass."

The gates will be made of big pearls. There will be twelve gates, each one will be a gigantic pearl. Pearls speak of beauty out of pain. Beauty comes from pain in an oyster. A pearl is formed when a tiny grain of sand gets inside an oyster's shell and the oyster becomes very uncomfortable. To relieve its discomfort the oyster covers the irritant with a soft lustrous nacre that hardens into a beautiful, glowing pearl. 

Each pearl will come from one pearl which describes beautifully how the redeemed come from the pain of the Lord Jesus. The pearls illustrate each believer who came out of the pain that the Lord Jesus suffered as He went through the anguish of the cross. The pearls will be for all of eternity a reminder to the redeemed of His pain and shame that He bore for us.

God determined in eternity past to heal man's brokenness and to make us whole again. And, He will remind us throughout eternity through these great gates that His Son is the whole One, and He has shared His wholeness with all those who willingly choose to be defined by Him.

Revelation 21:9-14

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9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ~ Revelation 21:9-14

Today's passage provides a description of our future home. It's described from the outside in. At this point, the rapture is over, the tribulation is over, the judgments are over, the millennium is over, and a new heaven and a new earth have been created. We are now in eternity, outside of time.

In his book, The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis wrote, "I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now...Come further up, come further in!" We all long for home, we all long for that place of complete comfort and safety. We all long for heaven.

In v.9-10 of today's text we read, '"9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God."'

Here, the Apostle uses a metaphor to describe the place where the followers of the Lord Jesus will spend eternity. One of God's favorite names for His children is His bride. Marriage is the closest possible relationship on earth, and it is the metaphor that God chose to describe His relationship with His people. This means God desires intimacy with us. He doesn't want distance between us. He wants meaningful interaction. 

Trust is at the heart of intimacy. The more we trust someone, the closer we let them get to us. The degree to which trust is compromised in a relationship is the degree to which intimacy evaporates.

In John 14, the Lord Jesus told us that He was going to prepare a place for us. Now, there had to have been a place already existing for Him to go to and prepare a place for us. It would make sense then that this New Jerusalem is the Father's house and that if we were to die right now, we would go to this place that He went to when He ascended back to the Father. And this, our new home will come down out of heaven as a bride walks down the isle in a wedding. 

In v.11 we read, "It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal."

The Jasper was the last stone on the breastplate of the High Priest in the Old Testament. Perhaps, God is highlighting the idea that the least will fit in to this magnificent city. Of course, that which will make us all fit in is the precious blood of the Lord Jesus.

The first characteristic highlighted here about our future home will be "the glory of God." This will mean that her brilliance will be like a most precious stone. The Greek word used in this verse translated "brilliance" describes something in which light is concentrated and from which light radiates.  

In Revelation 21:23 we read, "The city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light." 

Rather than reflecting the rays of the Sun like the moon or rather than the sun generating light by combustion, the source of light in our future home will be the Lamb. It's God Himself and His light will radiate into all of eternity. And, to John, it looked like a crystal clear jasper stone.

In v.12-13 we read, "12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west."

The high wall of the city speaks of intimacy and separation. Intimacy with the Lord and separation from evil. The wall will shut out all other things and people. No intruders will be able to ever enter. The whole of Scripture with one voice speaks of God's desire to have what he calls "a people for my own possession." 

Everything created is his possession. But those bought by the precious blood of His Son will be peculiarly God's own possession. That is because He has made us to correspond to Himself. He can share with us the deepest things in His life and heart. We will satisfy Him and fulfill Him just as a bride satisfies and fulfills her husband.

Our future home will have four sides and it will be laid out like the tabernacle in the Old Testament where there were three tribes on each side with three gates with the names of the tribes of Israel all centering toward God who is in the center on the throne. 

The foundations of the gates had the names of the twelve apostles on them. And, angels will be there to welcome us. In Hebrews 1 angels are described as servants of God's children and they'll be standing at the gates.

In John 10:9 we read, " I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture." 

This verse portrays the widespread ministry of believers throughout the eternal ages. The new universe will surely be bigger than it is now. Billions of galaxies, far larger than our own galaxy of the Milky Way, will fill the heavens as far as the eye can see by means of the greatest telescopes we have, and still we have not reached the end. That means that there will be new planets to develop, new principles to discover, new joys to experience. Every moment of eternity will be an adventure of discovery. The gates will be named for the tribes of Israel as a perpetual reminder that "salvation is of the Jews." Access to the city will be through Israel. The Messianic age was predicted and promised to Israel. The prophets came from Israel. The Old Testament and the New Testament are so combined, the foundation of the New Testament is the Old, and God had a unique covenant with the twelve tribes of Israel. And to show our spiritual heritage for all of eternity, there will be the tribes of Israel inscribed on the gates of the New Jerusalem.

In v.14 we read, "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

Now, this verse celebrates the covenant relationship God has with the church. The covenant is the New Testament. In fact, in Ephesians 2 we read, "Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints, members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles." 

Our faith is built upon the doctrines, the teachings, the eyewitness accounts of the apostles who physically spent more than three years with the Lord Jesus Christ. From a human standpoint, what God provided through them is the foundation of the faith. In Acts 2 they taught the church the apostles' doctrines. And, for all of eternity in our future home, the foundations of the city will have the names of the twelve apostles whom God will honor.

Revelation 21:5-8

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5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” ~ Revelation 21:5-8

We continue our study of the book of the Revelation, and, today, we will consider our eternal state. Our anticipation of heaven is the only reality that can make life here and now have any lasting meaning. And as we come to the conclusion of the Bible, we come to God's description of heaven. God closes out His book with a dramatic presentation of the unbelievable reality of heaven.

After the thousand-year millennial reign of Christ on the earth, and the time when God will judge all the ungodly at the great white throne, and Satan is finally rendered null and void, and the universe will be destroyed, God will make a new heaven and a new earth. 

In v.5-6 of today's text we read, "5 He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' 6 He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life."'

God brackets this book with, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." Everything in between comes from Him. These are words of truth that help us to believe in Him. On the cross, the Lord Jesus said, "It is finished," and man's redemption was settled and was made complete.

For the statement, "It is finished," John uses one word in the Greek, tetelestai, which literally means "PAID IN FULL." The Lord Jesus Christ achieved what no one could: He paid, in full, the penalty for all of mankind's sin. 

In today's text, John, the Apostle, describes two classes of people: the occupants of heaven and the non-occupants of heaven. These occupants of eternity are described in two ways. The first is described as "the thirsty." The second are described as "unbelieving." In order to get into heaven we have to be thirsty. That is, you have to see your need to drink from God's well. 

The Lord Jesus said to the woman at the well, "whoever drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 

And then the Lord Jesus said to the Jews in the temple in Jerusalem, "if anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." Those who have a parched enough soul and admit it, will be those who will be in heaven.

In v.8 of today's text we read, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

The second group is described in such a way that they are defined by their evil desires which have become practices. Cowards don’t confess the Lord Jesus as their Savior. And, since they have no personal relationship with Him, they will have no saving faith. The only saving faith is the faith that has as its object the Lord Jesus Christ. And, these, the second group, will be defined by their evil deeds, the evil deeds of their flesh. The difference between the two will be: the group that gets into heaven are in Christ and are being defined by Him. They are not perfect, they are not earning anything. It's a gift for the receiving. The second group just wasn't willing.