The Little Book that John Ate"
Chapter 16
New Heavens and New Earth
Praise God for the new heaven and the new earth! Jesus said, "Heaven
and earth shall pass away but not my word." He said, "My kingdom
is not of this world." He also stated:
John 14:2-3
2) "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
Thus Jesus' prophecy and promise will be fulfilled when He calls out His people.
We shall meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with Jesus. The
beloved prophet Isaiah tells us many things of this wonder of God, which is the
end result of His salvation.
Isaiah 62:11-12
11) "Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say
ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is
with him, and his work before him.
12) And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and
thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken."
Hallelujah! In verse 12, he assigns titles or calls two different peoples:
first, "they shall call THEM, the holy people, the redeemed of the
Lord." Secondly, "and THOU shalt be called, sought out, a city not
forsaken."
Jesus confirms the words of Isaiah on both of these prophecies.
Revelation 22:12
12) "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be."
Revelation 3:11-12
11) "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown.
12) Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he
shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name
of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven
from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."
God's people are a city not forsaken indeed. Praise and bless His Holy
Name! The name of that city is new Jerusalem.
Isaiah's prophecies fill out the big prophetic picture and the joy of this
prophecy.
Isaiah 65:17-18
17) "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the
former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18) But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I
create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. "
Isaiah 66:22
22) "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make,
shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name
remain."
So we are this new Jerusalem, the city not forsaken. We are the sought
out, even the called out. This is the way we shall go up there.
Isaiah often referred to the rapture scene.
Isaiah 35:8-10
8) "And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called
The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for
those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
9) No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall
not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
10) And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and
everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow
and sighing shall flee away."
Those who are able to go up on this way of holiness are those under the
cleansing blood of Jesus. But how is it that no others may stumble on by
accident or get on it some other way than Jesus? This highway could very
well be the way of the saved or redeemed. All who are written in the
Lamb's book of Life shall be called out by Him at the seventh trumpet. He
said if we confess Him before men He will confess us before the angels of God,
Luke 12:8. At that time of calling out, Jesus
will send His angels to gather us Matthew 24:31.
Luke 12:8
8) "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:"
Matthew 24:31
31) "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other."
The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, 1 Thessalonians
4:16-17. As the dead are raised immortal, we shall be changedin an
instant, 1 Corinthians 15:52.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16) "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first:
17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord."
1 Corinthians 15:52
52) "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed."
That change effected on us at the calling of our names is something like the
transfiguration of Jesus. It will be an actual physical change. It
will be an immortal change.
There is no error in the Lamb's book of Life. Only those who confess
before men that Jesus is Lord will be able to go up, having received their
release from the forces of gravity. Ringing in our ears as we enter in
will be: 'the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!' Hallelujah!
Revelation 19:7
7) "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready."
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage feast of the Lamb.
Revelation 21:9-10
9) "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the
seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come
hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10) And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from
God,"
Revelation 21:1-2
1) "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
In heaven everyone will see Jesus and the throne of God. We will also see
all the saints and the prophets. We shall know and love each other
instantly, just as Jesus did. We shall be like Him. We will all
praise the
Lord!
Revelation 21:22-24
22) "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it.
23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and
the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."
There shall be no sin or sorrow in this new Jerusalem, the new heaven and new
earth Jesus is preparing for us. We shall see God face to face!
Revelation 22:1
1) "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."
Revelation 1:3
3) "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at
hand."
Revelation 22:18-19
18) "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add
unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city,
and from the things which are written in this book."
Revelation 22:20-21
20) "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
Amen.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
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