Good Riddance!

SAY "GOOD RIDDANCE" TO THESE EIGHT THINGS IN THE NEW HEAVEN

An excerpt from a course on the Book of Revelation

In the previous post "Room in Heaven," we learned that there will be so much room in the New Jerusalem that it could never be too full.  What a great revelation from that part of Revelation to discover how many rooms there will be in the Father's house!

Here on earth we know that when a lot of people get together in the same place, there is the potential for trouble - the more people, the more trouble.  Plus there is the fact that even though most trouble comes from the attitudes and actions of people, there are also those troubles that come from other sources such as the the frailty of the human body, and living in a fallen world.  We could call these encumbrances to peace, joy and prosperity.

 Say Goodbye and Good Riddance to Eight Encumberances

If there are any encumbrances in the New Jerusalem then it would not be different from any other gathering of a great number of persons.  In other words, it would not be heaven.  But that will not be the case.  In Revelation 21:22-27 we are given a list of eight things you will not find in the New Jerusalem.  Let's take a look...

1. v.22 - No Temple.  What?  A temple would be an encumbrance?  Sure, because a temple is a place where people go to meet with God.  In the New Jerusalem God will be right there in the middle of everything.  God will be the Temple!
2. v.23 - No Sun.  Sun is light, right?  How can light be an encumbrance?  The sun is not permanent.  It may take a long time, but the sun will eventually burn out.  No so in the New Jerusalem.  God is Light, and the Lamb of God (Jesus) will be the eternal Light in the New Jerusalem.
3. v.23 - No Moon.  Most of like the moon.  There are lots of great songs about the romantic influence of the moon.  How can a moon be an encumbrance?  Well, the moon has no light of its own.  It only reflects the light of the sun.  No sun, not moon.  In the New Jerusalem Jesus will be the light, and will need nothing to reflect His light, because He is the light.
4. v.25 - No Shut Gates.  Gates are to keep something in or something out.  Gates encumber access.  In the New Jerusalem there will be no need to restrict our going and coming from the greatest city in the universe.
5. v.25 - No Night.  Night means darkness.  Darkness is the absence of light.  Darkness embumbers.  There will be no darkness in the New Jerusalem because Jesus will be the Light - the eternal Light.
6. v.27 - No Impure Influence.  It has been said that influence is stronger than authority.  Satan had no authority over Adam and Eve, but he did have influence - an evil influence, and that's all it took to corrupt an entire world.  There will be none of that in the New Jerusalem.  Satan, his cronies and all of his followers will be permanently deported!
7. v.27 - No Impure Person.  It has been said that the second most wicked creatures in the universe are human beings.  Who can argue with that?  There is an old saying that one bad apple spoils the whole barrel.  There will be no bad apples in the New Jerusalem.
8. v.27 - No Alien Residents.  An alien resident is someone living somewhere that they do not belong because they have not been granted permission.  By their very presence they encumber.  No one will be in heaven who has not been granted permission - neither angels nor humans - only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  The only persons who will be in the New Jerusalem are those who belong there.  That's is not to say they deserve to be there - that's different.  It is to say that they belong because they have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb - the Light!

Now I belong to Jesus
by Norman J. Clayton

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,

He gave His life to ransom my soul;

Now I belong to Him;

Chorus

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

For a deeper study, you are encouraged to consider enrolling in one of our 3 credit-hour academic courses on the Book of Revelation.  You can check out all of our regular academic programs by clicking this link:  PROGRAMS.

Thank you for sharing time with me.  I hope to meet you someday in this life, but for sure when we are both living in and around the New Jerusalem!

Dennis D. Frey, Th.D.,