Bible Talks - Sunday Night Church
Series: Letters from heaven · Talk No. 7
The end of the beginning
Sunday, 14 August 2005
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1. Visions of heaven
What do you think heaven will be like?
How do you picture it in your mind?
The media go to town with stereotyped ideas of ‘heaven’, with it being one of the most common pretend-religious images used in advertising.
[Turn around to someone near you and share with them two things:
1. A recent TV ad that uses images of heaven to sell a product.
2. What springs to your mind when you think about ‘heaven’
- TAKE ANSWERS -
For a lot of people the idea they have of heaven is that it will be getting to do the thing they love … all the time.
So people who love footy will think that heaven will be one continuous footy game (which code, doesn’t really matter) where the beer never runs out, and there’s no half time entertainment ! (Strangely enough that is what I think hell will be like.)
For other people the image of heaven is just everything that you think is wonderful – all in one place.
Some picture it like walking on clouds and everyone knows and loves everyone. You can eat any of your favourite foods at anytime day or night! You sleep on silky satin sheets and you never get bored! Everyone you know and love is there, and its just a great place to be.
People like to picture heaven as all the things they love.
I suppose that some of our ideas of heaven get influenced by what we see on TV and in movies:
· People imagine clouds & angels playing harps.
· Everyone standing around in white robes singing hymns.
· They picture tranquil places with lots of trees & running streams.
· Sometimes it is streets paved with gold. And so on
Some of those ideas actually come from this passage in Revelation that we are looking at tonight, but I think there is one thing that the Bible wants to stress about heaven … and it is not what most people think of.
There is one idea that dominates this final vision in Revelation – and it ought to be the thing we all long for about heaven … but I am not sure it is.
So put aside all your existing ideas about heaven, and prepare yourself for a whole new picture of where most of us will spend eternity!
2. One Closing Vision
What we have in Revelation 21 & 22 is a fantastic way to close this letter, we have one last vision in a book that we have seen, is full of an incredible series of visions or pictures.
These visions were originally intended for those seven churches in western Turkey – for Christians who were struggling in their faith:
· struggling with false teaching
· struggling with persecution
· struggling to maintain their faith in Jesus when it would have seemed easier to just give up and go with the flow of the world
· struggling against the other religions and the emperor worship of that time
But theses visions in Revelation have been designed to challenge and encourage them … and us.
They have been designed to remind us of what’s real – what’s worth trusting and what’s worth building your life on.
Last time we looked at Revelation Tim took us through the picture of God’s judgement in chapter 17-20.
· We saw Babylon – the counterfeit church - the city opposed to god – we saw it destroyed.
· We saw Satan was defeated and cast into the lake of fire.
· And along with Satan were all those who had refused to follow Jesus – all those who names were not written in the book of life.
But the picture of judgement we had in those chapters was really only half the story.
What we see in these closing chapters is the other side of the judgement … God’s reward for those who belong to Jesus.
The reward for those whose name is written in the book of life.
Those who oppose God have been judged.
Those who are enemies of God are disposed of.
In this final vision those who belong to God no longer have to ask “How Long O Lord?”.
3. Four Pictures of Heaven
What we have in these chapters is a vision of heaven.
But it is not just one picture. What John gives us in this section is four interwoven pictures of heaven.
Heaven is presented to us as a city, a bride, a garden and a temple.
Each of those visions has a special significance.
Each of those visions conveys something to us about heaven.
a. A City
I suppose when we think of cities today we tend to think of them as dirty, busy and even dangerous places.
For us the idea of tranquillity is found more in the country than it is in the city. We will see a picture of tranquillity like that a little later.
But the first vision of heaven I want to look at is the idea of a city.
Look at 21:2 “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
Then we pick up that idea again in 21:9-12 “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”.
At the time this book was written the significant thing about a city was that it provided security for the inhabitants.
Being in the city was being in a safe place.
But there is more to it than that.
This is the new Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was the city of God’s people.
It was the place where God’s name dwelt.
God’s people are gathered together in this massive and magnificent city.
And it is massive. Checkout the dimensions!
We are told that it measures 12,000 stadia along each side.
For those of you who may not know what a stadia is, 12 000 stadia is about 2,200 kms along each side!
We are talking about a city that in terms of surface area is just a bit bigger than the country India or just a bit smaller than the land mass of Australia.
This city is HUGE.
But I think the outstanding feature is the security.
The picture we have is of walls that are 144 cubits thick – that’s about 65 meters. I think that is supposed to convey the idea of complete security!
Now we need to remember that this is just an image.
We are not supposed to see this as a blueprint of heaven.
Even the idea of security is in some ways symbolic, because it’s not as though there are any enemies left to threaten – they have all been wiped away. But the idea still stands:
God’s people are secure in this massive city he has built for them.
B. A Bride
The next image is the idea of the bride.
The bride is the image for God’s people – the church - who is to finally be united to Jesus the bridegroom.
What is it that stands out about the bride?
We are told that she is beautifully dressed and prepared for her husband. And how is she dressed?
We need to go back to chapter 19.
19:6-8 “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)”
The idea of the white robe is that we are without sin – we are clothed in righteousness.
Flip back to chapter 7. We see the white robes explained there:
Revelation 7:13-15 “Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
The robes are white because of what Jesus has done.
Our sin has been dealt with by his death and resurrection.
It is a strange image that you make things white by washing them in blood.
But the wonderful thing about this vision of the bride is that it reminds us that our sin will be a thing of the past in heaven.
I think that is a great thought.
The sin that we struggle with now…
The sin that can make our lives difficult and unattractive now…
The sin that can damage relationships and cause pain to others now…
The sin that stops us being all that God wants us to be now…
…will be gone forever.
We will be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
We will be robed in white – not because we have been righteous – but because Jesus has paid for our sin.
The purpose of the image is clear: we will never be troubled by our sin again!
C. Garden
The third image of heaven is found at the beginning of chapter 22: the idea of a new garden of Eden.
Have a look at some of the things that are mentioned:
22:1 – River flowing out from the throne of God – just like the rivers that flowed in the garden of Eden
22:2 – The river has the tree of life growing on either side the tree of life that stood in Eden
22:2 – Unlimited fruit to eat … as Adam and Eve had in Eden
But the clincher comes in v3:
Revelation 22:3 “No longer will there be any curse”
This vision of heaven shows us that we are being taken back before the fall – before sin entered the world.
And so God is establishing what he had intended all along.
It is not as though heaven will be just like the garden of Eden.
I am sure that it will be more than that. But the garden image is a great one to convey the idea of God establishing his original purpose in creation.
It is a great image of what heaven will be like.
D. A New Temple
The last of the four intertwined pictures of heaven is that of a new temple. But actually, one thing that this passage says clearly is that there is no temple in heaven.
And why is there is no need for a temple?
21:22 “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”
The temple in the pages of the Old Testament was the symbolic dwelling place of god. The Temple (and the Tabernacle before it) were the constant reminder to the people of Israel that God was there with them.
But in heaven, there is no need for a Temple.
God and Jesus are right there, and why would you need a symbol of their presence when they are actually present?
But having said that there is an enormous amount of Temple language in this passage, if you care to browse back through the O.T. sometime….
4. The Big Thing About Heaven
But in the end, if you had to pick the one big idea about heaven that runs through all those visions then it is this:
GOD IS WITH HIS PEOPLE
And that is significant. Because very often, when people think of heaven, it is almost a Godless view that they have.
They conjure up these images of fishing all day or sitting beside pools with tall drinks with umbrellas in them. We can manage to create an image of heaven that means that God is somewhat unnecessary .
We can build a picture of heaven that doesn’t even need God.
But the four images that John shows us are all images where God’s presence is at the very heart of it.
That is what they all have in common.
Take the idea of the bride.
It shows us the intimacy of the relationship that God has with his people. The ‘wedding’ between Jesus and his people is about to take place. They are going to be joined together forever.
The idea of the city is that God’s people will dwell with him.
One of the standout features about the original garden of Eden is that God was walking in the garden with the people he had made.
In heaven, it is happening just the way God intended.
WE WILL SEE GOD FACE TO FACE.
The idea of the Temple and the lack of a temple is that God is with his people – and it says that clearly. And look at the closeness that will be there:
21:3 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
It will be God who is right there with us.
He will be the one who wipes the tear from our eye.
We will be with him – constantly in his presence, never to be cut off from him by sin again.
There is a verse in John’s gospel that picks up on that idea.
In John 17 Jesus is praying – but this is what he says that the beginning of his prayer:
John 17:3 “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Did you see that? What is eternal life?
• Is it endless days of fishing?
• Is it sleeping on silky satin sheets?
• Is it clouds & harps & hymns?
• Is it seeing family & friends?
NO.
It is knowing God and knowing Jesus.
It is having a relationship with them that is perfect and uninterrupted.
I think that is what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 13:12 “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
Yes, we have a relationship with God now.
But it is a relationship that will be made perfect when we are in heaven. God’s purpose for us when he created this world was that we would know him personally.
This is, not know about God.
Not some distant acquaintance.
But to know God personally – to call him our heavenly father.
Come Lord Jesus!
There is one strange verse at the end of this letter that we should look at before we finish.
Look at Revelation 22:11 “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.”
It seems like a strange thing to say, but in a way I think that is the effect that the book of Revelation is going to have on people.
All these visions – visions of what God is like – visions of heaven and what is to come – they will either serve to drive you to God or drive you away.
They will either strengthen your relationship with God and your longing for heaven or they will confirm your hardness of heart toward God.
If you can look at this book and be unmoved by what you have seen then I think the message is:
Continue to do wrong. Continue to be vile.
But to those who do trust in Jesus it leads us to long for his coming. It leads us to long for the day when our relationship with him will be made complete.
I hate having to leave my family for any length of time. I hate having to leave home for more than a few days. But when I am away I don’t miss my car or my house or my computer or lounge or TV.
I miss my family. I miss the relationship I have with them. Talking to them on the phone is ok – but it is not like being with them.
I count down the days until I will be with them – when the relationship will be complete.
Surely that is what John is saying when he says come lord Jesus. He is longing for the day when we will be with God.
If we value our relationship with God now then we should long for heaven.
If knowing God now is important to us the how much better will it be to be with him – how much better will it be to have that relationship made perfect.
When we hear Jesus say: “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Then we should be able to echo with John:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
