A cab driver reaches the pearly gates. St. Peter looks him in his Big Book and informs him to get a gold staff along with a silk robe and proceed into Paradise. Next lined up is really a preacher. St. Peter looks him in his Big Book, furrows his brow and states, “OK, we’ll allow you to in, but take that cloth robe and wooden staff.”
The preacher is shocked and replies, “But I’m a man from the cloth. You gave that cab driver a gold staff along with a silk robe. Surely I rate greater than the usual cabbie!” St. Peter responds matter-of-factly, “This is Paradise or more here, we are curious about results. Whenever you preached, people rested. Once the cabbie drove, people interceded.”
Ever wondered about paradise? Will St. Peter really stand in the pearly gates and distribute employees and robes? Exist really pearly gates in paradise?
Have you ever wondered what paradise is actually likely to be like? Have you contemplated what it will seem like, seem like, and seem like? Ever wondered who you will notice in paradise? Someone once stated, “When we obtain to paradise, we are surprised at who we have seen and who we don’t see.” There are plenty of reasons for paradise that people just have no idea, but on the other hand, there’s something we all do know!
The finish from the Book of Thought solutions a lot of our questions regarding paradise. In Thought 21:1-8, the Apostle John told us about his vision of paradise because the Holy City, the brand new Jerusalem, coming lower from God. He told us that paradise is really a place where God makes everything new. He told us that there won’t be any more dying or mourning or crying or discomfort in paradise. Exactly what a wonderful description of paradise which was!
In the current passage, John is constantly on the inform us about paradise. This time around, he zooms in further and presents a detailed up picture of paradise. In verse 9 he informs us that among the seven angels who’d the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues invites him to visit the bride to be, the wife from the Lamb. Then your angel transported him off to a really high mountain and acted as his personal tour guide of paradise, the brand new Jerusalem, God’s holy and celestial city.
Today, let’s follow John and also the angel and have a tour of paradise! Let’s take particular notice and find out the dwelling, the types of materials, and also the occupants from the celestial city.
The Dwelling from the Celestial City (11-17)
The very first factor we find out about the structure of paradise is it is based on the presence and glory of God. In verse 11, John informs us the celestial city shone using the presence glory of God and compared its brilliance to some precious jewel, sparkling like jasper. The Temple in Israel was the temporary place were God’s glory dwelt, however in the brand new creation, God’s presence and glory aren’t restricted to an actual structure, using the people outdoors the dwelling, however the individuals will be both city and also the temple where God’s glory resides. Unlike the current earth, God’s presence and glory is going to be seen constantly.
The 2nd factor we find out about the structure of paradise is it includes a high wall and twelve gates. Within the ancient world, walls were built around metropolitan areas to supply defense against foreign military. Here, the wall round the celestial city symbolizes strength, safety, and peace of mind in paradise. There aren’t any physical or spiritual threats in paradise there’s absolutely nothing to fear, it’s a host to perfect peace.
Like Ezekiel’s vision from the New Jerusalem (Ezekiel 48), John informs us the celestial city has twelve gates, three facing east north, south, and west. The gates displayed what they are called from the twelve tribes of Israel and also the foundations from the gates bore what they are called from the twelve apostles. The gates represent plentiful entry ways into paradise. The twelve tribes and also the twelve apostles together represent the covenant community, final amount of God’s individuals from that old Testament and New Testament eras. This develops the 144,000 in Thought 7:1-8, a symbolic number representing the entire people of God.
Just like an indication bearing a household name on someone’s door informs us who lives there, therefore the names from the from the twelve tribes and twelve apostles informs us who resides in paradise: the entire redeemed people of God.
The 3rd and final factor we find out about the structure from the celestial city is that it’s a cube it’s equal on every side. This symbolically represents the perfection of God’s celestial city: nothing has run out of order or balance. Verse 16 informs us that it’s 12,000 stadia on every side, that is about 1,500 miles. Its width and length are comparable to about 50 % from the U . s . States. These staggering figures are clearly symbolic, representing a town big enough to carry all the saints lower with the ages, they from “every tribe, language, people, and nation.”
So, exactly what does the dwelling from the celestial city inform us about paradise? Paradise is definitely an absolutely perfect place which is large enough its God’s redeemed people to reside in security and safety. Paradise is really wonderful that it’s hard to imagine, but try anyway. Are you able to imagine living somewhere where you can find no physical or spiritual threats—no more wars or terrorist attacks, forget about health issues or necessity, forget about guilt in the past or fear for the future?
Are you able to imagine living somewhere where nothing has run out of order or balance? Do you get fed up with fixing things and clearing up messes? In paradise, there is little be damaged and there won’t be any more messes. Perfect peace finally! Consider it!
The Types Of Materials from the Celestial City (18-21)
Well, now we have seen a detailed-up look at the dwelling from the celestial city, let’s focus our eyes around the materials from the celestial city. Verse 18 informs us the wall from the city is made of jasper, probably the most jewels within the ancient world. And also the whole city is built with pure gold, such as the city’s primary street. The principles from the city is decorated with beautiful gemstones. Their list of twelve gems is comparable to that which was adorned around the breastplate from the high priest, thus emphasizing the priestly nature from the church. And lastly, we discover each one of the city’s twelve gates are manufactured from single pearls. Pearls were considered probably the most luxurious of all of the jewels.
One morning after i was teaching a senior high Sunday school class in Massachusetts, we’d attorney at law about paradise. A youthful man requested me, “Are there really pearly gates in paradise?” Having a puff of pastoral pontification, I responded, “No, the look of pearly gates originates from our jokes, not in the Bible.”
However, I observed that certain girl were built with a confused and disappointed check out her face, and she or he stated, “My mother explained that heaven’s gates were made from pearls.” To complicate things further, the lady was the pastor’s daughter, which made her mother the pastor’s wife. I stated, “I’m sure your mom meant well anybody can produce a mistake.” I had been youthful and unskilled and that i had yet to understand that the pastor’s wife isn’t wrong.
As our discussion switched another direction, I hardly observed her thumbing through her Bible. About 10 mins later, I heard her say, “A-huh! I understood it! The Bible does state that heaven’s gates are made from pearls.” All of us switched to Thought 21:21 there it had been! I’d browse the Book of Thought a large number of occasions, however it had not sunk for the reason that heaven’s gates were made from pearls. I was remedied with a teenage girl and that i apologized towards the class.
Despite the fact that I was remedied on that day, I don’t believe that we’ll ever walk-through pearly gates or on roads of gold. All of these are symbolic images which represent the glory and grandeur from the celestial city. Human language was insufficient for describing the magnificence and splendor of God in paradise, therefore it was present with us gold and silver and jewels to focus on his glory.
Paradise is a host to indescribable and awe-inspiring beauty. All the ugly, corrupt, and disturbing pictures of our planet will disappear. Paradise could be more beautiful than the most amazing factor you’ve ever seen. Don’t you need to spend eternity somewhere like this?
The Occupants from the Celestial City (22-27)
The tour from the celestial city concludes having a description of heaven’s occupants. John informs us he didn’t use whatever temple there because God the daddy and Jesus the Lamb are its temple. Likewise, there’s neither sun nor moon because God’s glory offers the light. So, who’s the very first inhabitant of paradise? God themself! God’s full presence is within paradise.
Another occupants range from the nations and nobleman and those that have repented using their sins and also have placed on the righteousness of Jesus. This really is clarified in verse 27, if this states, “Nothing impure is ever going to come in, nor will anybody who what’s shameful or deceitful, only individuals whose names are designed in the Lamb’s book of existence.” Neither crime nor unrepentant sinners can go into the celestial city, only individuals people whose names happen to be recorded within the Lamb’s book of existence by having faith in in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Unhealthy news is the fact that everyone have stated and done stuff that are impure, shameful, and deceitful. Therefore, many of us are disqualified from paradise. But Jesus died around the mix and rose around the third day-to offer us forgiveness from your sins and also the hope of eternal existence within this celestial city. Have you ever committed your existence to Jesus? Is the name within the Lamb’s book of existence?
Throughout today’s sermon, I’ve known the brand new Jerusalem and paradise as “The Celestial City.” This term doesn’t range from Bible. Rather, it comes down from John Bunyan’s 17th century classic The Pilgrim’s Progress. The storyline follows the protagonist, Christian, because he leaves the town of Destruction (addressing this present world) and journeys towards the Celestial City (addressing paradise).
“Celestial” only denotes otherworldly—a good term to explain paradise. It’s so otherworldly that human mind cannot fully realize it and human language cannot fully explain it. But we all know that it’s a host to ultimate security and safety, peace and perfection, and magnificence and elegance!
So, now we have taken a taken an excursion of paradise and also have seen a preview of products in the future, let’s give our souls towards the Lord Jesus and start our journey towards the Celestial City!
Nada Karam: I Love the way you brought clarity and understanding, I greatly appreciate your message, I love your delivery of the word, I herd it and I received it. May God bless you abundantly.
Vet Len: Thank you! This was a difficult topic for me but you did a great job explaining.
