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Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 21. I just want to, again, look at the scripture we looked at this morning and then touch upon several of the other scriptures that relate to this. Revelation chapter 21, beginning in verse 1. We looked at this vision of heaven this morning.

I want to look more at some of the other scriptures that speak to this same event. Verse 1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be among them. And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death.

There will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things have passed away. So what I'm doing in these revelations on Revelation, I know many of you have been here and have been part of the world. Of it, so you know exactly what I'm doing.

For those of you who, this may be your first one with us, Revelations upon Revelation is, well, the book Revelations, what we're studying. Revelations are other scriptures that shine light upon Revelation. And it helps to spend time looking at how other portions of Scripture describe some of these same events.

However, I don't take the time to do that in the morning. I've already been two and a half years getting through Revelation without looking at the other texts, so you can imagine how that might get us bogged down. And so, anyway, I just want to look at really the first three verses tonight.

I want to look at the new heavens and the new earth and look at where that is brought up in other scriptures and the significance of where it's brought up. And second, I want to look at the new Jerusalem in the same vein and then look at God's presence.

So, first, I want to look at the new heavens and the new earth. Revelation 21:1, then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. Well, you can imagine if something that big of an event, like the whole heavens and earth passing away, you would expect that maybe the scripture speaks about this more than once.

And in fact, It does. And so I want to look at several passages where that does that. But mind you, as we do, it's important that we understand a little bit about the context in which the new heavens and the new earth may be spoken about in other texts.

Because what happens if you're not careful, you start stringing along a bunch of texts and reaching and ripping them out of their contexts, and then you start putting together a series of thoughts that really don't come out of scripture so much as they come out of your mind and you synthesize.

But I do think it's important to go back and look at some of these places and recognize that each time that the new heavens and the new earth are being spoken about, there's a context in which it's coming out. There's a purpose in which the author, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is referring to the new heavens and the new earth, and it's not necessarily and probably it's not hardly ever to satisfy our curiosities, but to accomplish a divine objective that God has set out.

So let me just look at Isaiah 60, 65, beginning in verse 17. God says, For behold, I created. New heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. So, Isaiah looked ahead and saw a time when there is a new heavens and a new earth, and former things would not come to mind anymore.

What is the goal? What is the goal for him saying this? Just even right there, what is he addressing? Do you know Isaiah 65? He's talking about how God is going to bring about healing, new creation, new heavens, new earth, and even though the people of Israel are going to undergo judgment and undergo the curses, they're going to experience the curses and all that.

God's going to hand them over, but in the end, he is going to bless. So, he wants to encourage the former things are not going to come to mind. What God is going to do is going to run its course. And Isaiah 66. Again, Isaiah picks up the theme.

For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I Make will endure before me, declares the Lord, so your offspring and your name will endure. Speaking again to Israel, the new heavens and the new earth are going to endure forever. So, guess what, Israel? Even though you're going to experience all the curses that were described in Deuteronomy, that's not the end of the story.

Your name is not going to be removed. Your name is going to endure because God is a God of mercy and grace and a covenant-keeping God. And it shall be from new moon to new moon, from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before me, says the Lord.

And this is how Isaiah ends. Then, after that, then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me, for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind. So Isaiah ends his book looking ahead to those who, the judgment upon those who transgressed God and their fire.

They will be an eternal monument of what not to do. And what God abhors. So, why do you think, just in this context, why do you think the new heavens and the new earth come up? What is Isaiah trying to get at? How is he trying to encourage the readers?

What's that? The same as in 65, the verses will end, and you'll be able to see the judgment against those that he's going, he's encouraging, and the new heavens and new earth are coming, and God is going to be worshipped as God. So, Israel, now you should worship God, and don't be one of these who transgress.

They will be an eternal monument of what not to do, an eternal abhorrence. That's how Isaiah ends his book. And it's clear that this is what he has in mind, looking ahead towards this final judgment. And because Jesus picks up this same verse, listen to what he says: if your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out.

It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched. You see, Jesus understood hell, he spoke a lot about it. And he warned people, that is the second death.

He's looking ahead, just like Isaiah. He's using Isaiah's text and he's looking to the end. And he's saying, Look, do not let this be you. At whatever cost, you do not let this be you. If you are caught in sin right now, get rid of it. Come out of it.

Come and, as we song, seek refuge in the Lord. Flee to him. But that's how Jesus picked this up. There is a new heavens. There is a new earth. There is blessing in it. Old things aren't going to come to mind anything. So don't be part of that system.

Don't be part of that. And that's why he leaves heaven. He doesn't wish hell on anybody. And so he extends. He came. And his call goes out to all. Come. 2 Peter 3. But according to his promise, we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

So here's Peter. Spent a lot of his time with Christ, tutored by him personally. Pre-resurrection, pre-cross, and post-resurrection, Peter spent a lot of time with Christ. And this is his theology. Yeah, of course, we're looking for a new heavens and a new earth. The Bible speaks a lot about this.

A new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So earth endures new heavens and a new earth. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So why is Peter writing about the new heavens and the new earth?

Quiet, bunch. Any thoughts? What's he trying to accomplish? What's he trying to motivate? So he motivates the courage and preserves. Righteousness because righteousness is in the evidence of the universe? Yeah, he's advancing. Look, look, this is what we're looking for. They're coming. We're looking for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, since you are looking for these, pursue righteousness now. Look for these. Be diligent to pursue these things, to pursue peace with one another, to pursue peace with God, one another. Be diligent to be spotless, because you know that's what's coming. This is what you're looking for. And if you truly are looking for these things, then let this characterize you now.

And regard the patience of our Lord. In fact, this is in a context where, like, okay, he's waiting a long time. Why isn't he coming? And that kind of thing. And you could easily grow. God waits. Well, why is he regarding the fact that God hasn't come as patience?

And that patience means salvation. Don't get impatient with him. And so. But there is a curious statement that I think is important to point out here: no longer any C. Verse 1 of Revelation 21, and there is no longer. Any sea. It's the last thing. As John sees all this, something is missing.

Think about, what is it, three-quarters of the earth covered in water, something like that. And he sees a new heavens and a new earth, and something is missing, the sea. And no longer any sea. And so this is important. I, as you know, my formal training profession was in hydrology.

I like water and bodies of water. And it's important to compare. This is one reason why I believe there has to be a millennium. And it has to do with the bodies of water. In the eternal state, there is no body, there is no sea. It's expressly stated.

And yet, as you're reading through the Old Testament and many of the prophets, over and over again, it speaks of this great blessing, this Eden-like blessings upon the earth, and yet it is often associated with the sea. And so, one reason why I believe there is a millennium, the only place you can fit this, an Eden-like blessing where there is ocean.

And because it's clearly not in the text we read, there is no sea. John says it's not there. There isn't any sea. Let me just. Give you a few places in Ezekiel 36. Thus says the Lord God in verse 33, on the day that I cleanse you, speaking of Israel, from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the waste places to be rebuilt.

The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. So Ezekiel again speaks of is speaking to the nation, Israel, you're going to experience desolation. Nebuchadnezzar is. Jerusalem is going to be handed over, and it's going to be in a state of desolation.

But it's clear he's talking about something farther in the future. And then he says this in verse 35, they will say, this desolate land has become like the Garden of Eden, and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left round about you, something's happened to where there's just a few left.

Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it. So he's speaking of a time of blessing coming upon Israel in the future. Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 47 goes on to say, in verse 9, it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes out will live, and there will be very much fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh, so everything will live where the river goes.

What river is he talking about? Well, when the glory returns back to Israel, just as in Ezekiel, they saw the glory depart. Ezekiel saw the glory depart, he also sees the glory return. And when that glory returns, he comes back to the temple, and there is water that then starts coming up out of the threshold of the temple, and it flows out.

Water from the temple. So chapter 47 is speaking about this river that's coming out of the very presence of the temple of Christ where he returns. And it will come about that the fishermen will stand beside it. From in Gedi, there will be a place for the spreading of nets.

Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the great sea, very many. So referring to the great sea, and there's going to be many fish, just like the great sea. And he goes on in that same passage by the river. On its banks, on one side, and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food.

Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing. So, the sanctuary, water is going to come out of the sanctuary, and it's going to go into the desolate places, and it's going to water the land, and it's going to turn that water, to that watered land, into a fruitful Eden paradise.

It's going to be fresh water, lots of fish, and there's going to be fishermen. Then he goes on, it says, Thus says the Lord, this shall be the boundary by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the 12 tribes of Israel. So, when Christ returns, comes back to the temple, or comes to Ezekiel, he sees this Ezekiel temple, and water, blessing flowing out of that, the nations coming to it.

And then he starts talking about dividing the land. Okay, let me tell you how this land is going to be divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. And then he starts going through the boundaries. This shall be the boundary of the land on the north side, from the great sea by the way of Hathlon.

So you see how he's referring to the Great Sea as a boundary. He's going to keep going. The west side shall be the Great Sea. That's where it is today. The west side of the boundary of Israel is still the West Sea, the Great Sea. And so there's a time that there is a blessing coming.

And it's clearly that blessing is associated with Christ's return. Look at what Zechariah 14 says. And in that day, what day is he talking about, when Christ shall return, and his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, and there will be an earthquake that moves part of the Mount of Olives to the north, part of the Mount of Olives to the south, a big valley opening up in between.

He says, And in that day, living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. It will be in summer as well as in winter. So if you just look at the bodies of water, see? It's good to be a hydrologist.

You can compare. There is no sea in the eternal state, but there is clearly a sea, seas, in a time of blessed state after Christ returns, but before the eternal state. This is why I believe that when you're trying to reconcile all these things, there is a millennial blessing.

Blessing coming. The golden age is coming, and it is future still. You can't reconcile these texts otherwise. You have to kind of broad brush away. Well, that's just this picture of blessing. That's what Isaiah saw, that's what Zechariah saw. Well, it's just a picture of blessing. It's just a picture of blessing.

Then Revelation, well, it's just a picture of blessing, and it's all this same thing. What you're doing is just losing the texture of Scripture. And those who do that are more informed by a school of thought than they are by reconciling Scripture with Scripture. They're not letting the Scripture interpret the Scripture.

There is a blessed time coming. And the waters tell the story. That's just one indication. But we come to a staggering statement like this in the New Testament. It's like there is not going to be a sea any longer. That takes us out of this world. And many of those who don't believe the Bible says, yeah, see, we told you, you're out of this world.

But that is what the Scripture is saying that is coming. Look, people thought Noah was crazy. What are you doing? There are things coming upon this earth that you cannot know unless God tells you. And that's exactly what he's done. And it's not like a big event like this isn't just talked about in several places.

And so I could go on. But there is a sea in the time when Christ returns. But there isn't in the eternal state in the new heavens, the new earth. Zechariah goes on to say in verse 14: in that same place, and the Lord will be king over the earth, and in that day the Lord will be the only one, and his name the only one.

And that is at a time when there are seas. So it's in that period in between. What is heaven like? Well, looked a little bit at this morning. There is no sea, heaven and earth together. No sea. There's no sin. We know that there is no devil, serpent, demon.

There's none who are susceptible to believing his lies. That's in the eternal state. And we know that as you're going through it, and I think about how do we compare, how do we even understand heaven? As I said this morning, we typically understand it by its antithesis. Negatively, what is heaven like?

Well, it's the exact opposite of battle. Babylon. And that's the antithesis through Scripture. But what we don't have, what can we compare heaven to? Probably the best thing we can compare it to is Eden. But even that was so quickly, shortly lived. But the positive example is this time described in the millennium.

And many of the passages in the Old Testament, Ezekiel, Isaiah, just Jeremiah, you're starting to look forward. And many of the 12, the minor prophets, they look forward to this time of blessing. And many times they're talking about this Eden-like glory. And they're describing it. And so as we think about the epics that Earth goes through, well, we understand what heaven is like from the negative example, but what about the positive example?

What can we compare it to? Eden. The glory of the millennial kingdom, like an Eden-like glory over all of the earth. Heaven is like that, but it far surpasses it. So we have a negative example, pretty much all the cities of the world. We have the negative example.

Examples, and then we get these glimpses of this positive example still coming, the millennium when all is blessed, the curse is removed, the lion lays down with the lamb, and all that is happening. The earth is operating without its, I mean, without curse and it's yielding its blessing.

That Christ is here, there is good laws, and all that, and he is reigning with his people and through his people. But all of that is still, even as glorious as that time is, the eternal state far surpasses it. And it prepares us to see we really don't have the shelf space in our mind and in our language to really even relate and understand what heaven is like.

And yet, that's what in chapter 21 and 22 of Revelation, we're getting a glimpse of that. Anyone want to comment or questions at that point? Or I'd be happy to go on. Yes, sir. Just a quick question. I often look at the beauty of the world, and I see trees and mountains and beautiful forests and things.

Do you think that heaven will have forests, trees? Mountains and that kind of stuff? Well, I think everything that we see and find beautiful and glorious, heaven will surpass that in some way, shape, form. Not going to be a sea. But we do have trees. We do have water.

It's going to come out of the throne. There's going to be water. There's a river and the tree of life. And so, yes, I think we're going to have everything, but on a much surpassing level. A garden that actually works. No weeds. Yes. Anyone else? Okay, let's talk about the New Jerusalem for just a moment.

And this is more just verse 2 and 21. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Okay, so you have the New Jerusalem. And really, what I just is thinking about this, I just want to relate that this New Jerusalem really is our homeland.

And I want to relate, it's certainly an eschatological reality. That's a big word, meaning it is. The new Jerusalem coming down, I believe it's new. I believe it is coming down at that time and a creation at that time, not part of the old world and not renovated.

It is new. And yet, so it is a reality that is to come. And yet, at the same token, there is a place. There is a, you know, God dwells. And so there is a city of above that is spoken of many times. And it's in the context of talking about citizenship, where we belong.

And so, certainly, as we're looking at Revelation 21, we're seeing that eschatological reality as it comes. But the present origin, it comes from God. We are in union with Him, and it speaks of a citizenship that is from above. And many of the scriptures speak about this. You're very familiar with these, and say Hebrews 12, but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to the God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.

Who's going to dwell there? The spirits of the righteous made perfect. So that's who's going to be. This is Who we are and who we belong. Galatians 4 speaks about Abraham's two sons and says this: for it is written in verse 22 that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.

But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the one and the son by the free woman through the promise. Who are they? Remember? Names? Ishmael and bondwoman? Isaac through promise. This is allegorically speaking. For these women are two covenants, one proceeding from Mount Sinai, bearing children who are to be slaves.

She is Hagar. Now, this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. Slavery to what? Slavery to sin. But the Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother. And born from above. Heavenly city, heavenly belonging, heavenly origins.

Isaiah 65 speaks about Jerusalem. Jerusalem. What does he say? Verse 18, he says, But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. Now keep in mind, Isaiah has seen Sennacherib's army come. And he is looking forward ahead and knowing that the Babylonian army is going to come.

And he's saying, Look, rejoice, be glad, and rejoice forever in what I create. I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. And there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

So there's certainly this Isaiah is looking forward to this. Now, what is his goal here? What is he trying to do? Again. Thoughts? Yeah. Yeah, look forward, rejoice. He says, I'm doing something with Jerusalem, even though I'm going to hand it over, and even though it's going to experience all the curses, I am going to create Jerusalem for rejoicing.

And certainly, when you get to the Revelation 21, it's. A place of this new Jerusalem comes on the scene. But look what he says in verse 19: I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. Now, that's remarkable. He's going to create Jerusalem, a new Jerusalem, create.

Now, let me ask you this. In all of your time reading through Genesis chapters 1 through 3, does the scripture ever say that God rejoiced in the original creation? He said it was good. Yes. But do you have Him rejoicing? I will rejoice. Do you see that kind of language?

You really don't, and I may be missing something, and maybe there's, but this is profound. I will rejoice. It was good. The original creation, just like, Nathan, just like what you were saying, I mean, I look around and I see the glory of God in this creation, in this fallen world, and it blows my mind.

The beauty you see all around, just from the flower, the tree, the sky, it's beautiful all around, exquisite, glorious. And yet, what's coming is something that God says, I will. Rejoice in Jerusalem. I will be glad in my people. You see that? Here, the heart of God. It's like this language.

So that's remarkable. He, what's coming? I think it's what Isaiah is saying. This is, God hasn't been rejoicing in Jerusalem. In fact, even at its best time, if you look at David's time, Yeah, David had problems too, didn't he? Solomon, okay, that's the glory moment, right? But then idolatry became rife because Solomon's heart was divided.

So even at their pinnacle, you can hardly say that God ever even rejoiced in Jerusalem, and certainly not the Jerusalem of Jesus' day. And yet he's going to create. So Isaiah is looking forward to this. But this is our homeland. This is where we belong. We are the people to whom this city that we read about belong.

The city that Abraham. Ephesians 2, 19 says this, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household. We are fellow citizens now, and we will occupy that heavenly city when God. Consummates the ages. Yeah, that's who we are, fellow citizens.

This is our homeland. Philippians 3, I read it this morning. Brethren, join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite, whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory by the exertion of His power that He has, even to subject all things to Himself.

How is Paul using this doctrine about our citizenship? How is He using it? What's He trying to accomplish? We're citizens in heaven. So what? Act like it. Yeah. Join in following my example. And observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. There is a heavenly characteristic of the citizens from heaven.

They have already received his dominion, they already are walking in his way. And that's what Paul is saying: because your citizenship is in heaven and you are waiting for these things, live down here. Walk in the way of heaven. Because that's who we are. Well, I want to take a couple more moments and look at Revelation 21, verse 3.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be among them. Now, this is really exciting. You can start looking at what has God's goal been all along?

What does he want? See, this heavenly city, you see the new Jerusalem coming, and the core aspect of it, the great emphasis in these chapters, is about God's presence. As I said this morning, it's some of my greatest memories, and I could think of the time when I was little, and we spent A lot of time on our Arkansas farm.

I remember if you could just, if I could summarize heaven on earth in one word, it would have been Arkansas. And just because my grandfather was there, my grandmother was there, my mom, my dad were there, my brothers and sisters were there. We had cows, horses, and all the thing, and we were just all there.

And so my grandfather would bring orange slices home after he cut hair all day, and we'd eat orange slices and drink Dr. Pepper and all that kind of good stuff. And those memories. You know what I'm talking about? It's like there's nothing spectacular about the place. It's the people.

And so this is what heaven is about. It's about the people. It's about God's presence. And that is the great grand emphasis. But it's God's desire. You know, there's a theology that kind of put it like this. You know, there used to be a thought where the earth was the center and everything rotated around, the sun rotated around the earth.

And we kind of learned that, you know what, the sun is the center of our solar system and the earth moves in orbit about it. And so there are theologies that are man-centered. And we think. Everything kind of revolves around us. But then when you step in and you really see that theology laid out in Scripture, it's theocentric.

It's God doing things. And we are kind of all in orbit around what God is doing. And what God is doing is God desires to be with His people. Just speaking from what does God want? What is He about in this book? And it's about relationship that He wants with people, that He wants with you.

This is God's desire. And this is evident as you just start even casually reading through, listen to Genesis 3. You remember right after the kids had sinned, or Adam and Eve were kids. Everybody's kids these days. It's happening to me. But anyway, verse 8: they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord, God walking among the trees of the garden.

Then the Lord called out to the man and said, Where are you? He created the man. Why? He wanted a relationship with him. And so, his presence, he wanted the man in his presence. That's God, and he comes looking for the man. Look at what Exodus 29 says.

You remember after God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, he sets up his tabernacle because he wants to be close to them. Listen to what he says. Verse 44: I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to me.

I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God. You see, with Israel, with Adam and Eve, you see his desire to dwell.

And then you get to the Exodus. And what does he do? He's coming near for the purpose of dwelling, being in relationship with. That's from what he says in Leviticus 26. I mean, this is just throughout. I'm just giving you a few. Verse 11: Moreover, I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul will not reject you.

I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be my people. That's God's promise. This is what's Happening. Yeah, they're going to reject generations. They're going to go. They're going to go into exile. They're going to go into all this stuff. But do you see the heart of God?

New Jerusalem. He's going to accomplish. I will walk among you. And I will be your God. And you shall be my people. Jeremiah, of course, God's going to bring this out through the workings of a new covenant. He's going to bring this about. This is what Christ coming.

This is what the blood is about. This is what all the Old Testament sacrifices are pointing to. God wants a relationship with His people, including you here tonight. Verse 33. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord.

I will put my law within them, and on their heart I will write it, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Ezekiel 48. You know how Ezekiel closes out his book? He's discussing the city, the Jerusalem there, and I believe that's the millennial.

What he's talking about in Ezekiel 40 to 48, there's a temple and all that there, which isn't going to be in the eternal state. There's not going to be a temple there. But in verse 35, This is how he ends his book. The city shall be 18,000 cubics round about.

The name of the city from that day shall be the Lord is there. That's how Ezekiel ends it, speaking about the presence. The Lord is there. That's what's going to characterize Jerusalem and the new Jerusalem. The Lord is there, His presence. So you think about that is God's desire.

Let your life take orbit about that. What your Creator's desire from Genesis to Revelation is revealed to be the God who wants to dwell with His people and who has said, I will dwell with my people, and my people will dwell with me. I will be their God.

And He's bringing all this about. And the question for us is: How do you respond to this? This is what your Creator is after, a relationship with you. Yield, let him. And even today, so as we look at, we're looking at eschatological reality, stuff that's going to happen in the future, but there is an implication to this today.

God dwells. With us today and by his Spirit and Jesus, you know, he says, Matthew 28:20, as you go about gospel enterprise, and this is one reason why I say every one of you, get involved in gospel enterprise. If you are a Christian in one way, shape, or form, get active, get involved in the church, get connected in gospel ministry, however that looks, be active in it because this is where the promise is.

I will be with you, you know, always, even to the end of the age. And Christ is present. He's present here tonight. This is gospel industry, gospel ministry, and industry, and work, and labor, and joy. But this is where he is. And his presence is here. And it's real.

Hebrews 13:5 says, This, make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. So that we may confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

What will man do to me? In other words, the promise he's not going to desert. He is the same God, the same God that is going to be, we read about, that is there in the new Jerusalem, is the same God that dwells with us by his Spirit now.

And there's joy in his presence. There's comfort, there's encouragement, there's all of that. And what we're about is learning how to walk in that. Questions? Thoughts? Yes? One of your questions earlier was asking about where it says that the Lord had a voice in his creation. I guess the first thing that came to mind was in proverb who talks about how wisdom wisdom was there, it was alienism by the end of the voice in the creation of the creation.

Yeah, that's good. That's really good. And the angels, of course, you know, you have that. And yeah, so I think there's certainly God is an architect. He's a master creator and loves to create. I think he takes joy in everything. And so it's not something you can really divide up.

Whether he's creating an ant or he's creating an elephant or he has joy in doing it. Because that's who he is, and that kind of thing. So, there's certainly but it's just significant that what's ahead, just the language just seems to be so more overt like that. But yeah, thank you.

That's an excellent. Yes? Do you think that so if you think of Zephaniah chapter three, and specifically sixteen and seven? Do you think that's what's talking about the language or the Zephaniah chapter three? And where are you talking about? The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.

He will exult over you with joy, he will be quiet in his love, he will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts. Yeah, it looks like that, because he gets to the end. He says, At that time, verse 20, I will bring you in, even at that time when I gather you together.

Indeed, I will give you renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before you. Your eyes. So that seems to be in that context of the nations and that kind of thing. So I would probably put that in that millennial. And so, yeah, he's going to he has cleared away your enemies.

The king of Israel is in your midst. So, yeah, I would see a restoration when Christ returns and exalting Israel. But certainly it's indicative of the same. So, what is true there will certainly also be true of the New Jerusalem because it's the same God. But, yeah, I would probably put that there in the millennial.

Yes? Verse 24 says that the nations with them which are saved shall walk in the light of the death. I think it refers to the New Jerusalem. And the kings of the earth can bring their glory and honor. I've got to wonder in our bread that there would be other cities in heaven besides something for the yeah well I think there's well yeah well we'll certainly come to that and we will we'll go through it carefully but yeah I think uh that there's the nations we're talking about the redeemed people of the earth at this time redeemed uh nations that you know we don't lose our uh uh national I mean he he went to a lot of trouble to create many nations and and then save people out of those nations and then in the new Jerusalem yes there's we're not just in this fifteen hundred mile cube it's all of heaven comes down earth is here and you've got this fifteen hundred mile cube that seems to be the the joint uh you had a Venn diagram the overlap between the two or whatever and it's and they're they're one heaven and earth are one and so yes I mean you've got a universe out there you've got an earth a new earth and and it seems to be much bigger and so yeah he so yeah there's a lot a lot there but I do think we're talking about nations and I don't think we're all going to get I don't think we're going to get Boiled down to one mess.

As you look around, God loves distinctions. And so the new heavens and the new earth are going to be filled, the nations. Look, he had to choose one nation to be able to bring all the nations to him. He chose Israel. And Israel hasn't, and Israel is among the nations, it's going to be among them, but they're not the certainly all the nations, all the ethnic groups he has redeemed in every tribe, every tongue.

And so, and they're going to flourish. And so, yeah, I think there's going to be worlds. You know, even, and I'll say this and then we'll close, but even in Eden, I think the command was go and subdue. I think you had Eden. I don't think all of the world was like Eden, perhaps.

And it was go out and make the world like Eden, like what you have. You know, go and as you populate, go, subdue the world, bring it into order and in subjection. That's what God does. And as people who are made in His image, putting things under subjection in a good way is what His image bearers would do.

So, yeah, the increase of His government is going to have no end. The glories of the ages of the ages and man operating as God intended, subduing. Yeah, so I I've I think there's cities and cities and and and but more to say on that perhaps later and yeah so after I get through all exegete it all and say yeah delete delete delete I think I've got a different opinion no I think it's pretty pretty but good question let's pray Lord thank you for the evening thank you for the church thank you for this desire that you have to dwell among your people and Father we desire to be your people we desire to dwell with you and for you to be our God and for us to be your people and Father may that be true of our corporate life together here at Emmanuel may that be true in our personal life may that be true in everything Lord so go with us now may we walk and knowing and rejoice in your presence each day in Jesus' name amen