May 14, Thursday

ACT EIGHT – All Things New

Suddenly before me was a brand new heaven and a brand new earth. The first heaven and earth as well as the seas had all disappeared.

Then, what looked like a city, a New Jerusalem, came floating down from God out of Heaven. It somehow looked like a bride coming down the aisle to meet her beloved.

Next, a voice from the throne announced: “Look, everyone! God now lives among His people  — the Home He has always wanted. Now God will be your companion and will wipe every tear from your eyes. Never again death! No more pain! No more sorrow or sadness! Gone forever are your troubles!”

The One seated upon the throne added, “Yes! Everything is new! Count on it! Trust Me! I am setting everything right.” Then He turned to me and said, “My plan is complete! I am Alpha and Omega; I began it all and I will wrap it up just as I planned:

• All who are thirsty can drink from My fountain of life at no cost.
• All this is for the overcomers. I will be their God, and they will be My sons.
• The cowards, perverts, unbelieving, idolatrous, murderers, and liars get what’s coming to them, too: an inheritance of eternal death, the second death, in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur.”

He then carried me away in spirit to the top of a tall mountain. He pointed toward that city I had seen descending from Heaven, radiant with the glory of God, the holy Jerusalem:

• She sparkled like a precious jewel, crystal clear, made of the purest gold.
• A massive wall surrounded the city with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels:
  • The wall itself was built of translucent stone.
  • There were three gateways on each side of the city: each gate was made of a single pearl.
  • The wall was set on twelve massive foundation stones:
    • On each stone was engraved the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
    • Each was fashioned out of precious stone: jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, cornelian, goldstone, beryl, topaz, green goldstone, zircon, and amethyst.

I watched as He measured the city with a golden measuring rod:

• It formed a perfect cube whose length, width, and height were each 1400 miles in length.
• The walls around the city were 216 feet thick.

Inside the city I saw even greater splendor:

• There was no Temple or place of worship in the city because the Lord, Almighty God, and the Lamb are the Temple.
• I saw no external light sources, sun or moon. God’s glory illuminates everything and the Lamb is the light.
• The nations of the earth will operate in the light coming from the city, and they will bring their treasures and tributes into it.
• The city’s gates will always be open since there is never night in the city.
• Nothing unclean, no one dealing in dishonesty, nor any kind of evil can enter at any time.
• Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are allowed in.
• I saw the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal as it flowed from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed right through the middle of the city.
• Planted along the banks of the river was the Tree of Life:
  • It bore twelve different fruits, a different kind each month.
  • Its leaves provided healing for all peoples.

No longer was there any evidence of the curse. As noted earlier, the throne of God and of the Lamb are within the City. God’s servants will gaze on His face, His Name engraved on their foreheads; and they will worship Him. There will be no more night and no need for artificial or external light because the Lord God will shed His light upon them, and they will reign together for timeless ages.

Then an angel said to me, “Know that everything you have seen and heard is utterly true! The Lord God, who inspired the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what is about to happen. You can rely on it!”

“Watch! I am coming soon!
Those who pay close attention to the words written here will be blessed.”

As I, John, wrote these things down, I was again overwhelmed and fell at the feet of the angel who was explaining it all to me. “No!” he said to me, “I am just your servant and the messenger to your brothers, to the prophets, and to all who take hold of the words of this book. Worship God!  And see that you do not hide this book,” he added. “Everything written here will come to pass soon. Those who are bent on wickedness can carry on in it; those devoted to doing what is right should steadfastly carry on living good lives.”

“See, I come quickly!
I am bringing My reward with Me.
Everyone will be rewarded
according to what he has done.
I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Those who wash their robes are the truly blessed,
for they have the right to the tree of life
and freedom to come and go through the gates of the city.
Shut out from the city shall be the depraved,
the sorcerers, the impure,
the murderers, and the idolaters,
and everyone who loves and practices a lie!

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to you with this Message for the churches. I am the One who created David, and I have now inherited his throne. I am the bright Morning Star!”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”

Let everyone who hears this also say, “Come!”

Let the thirsty ones and all who desire the water of life come and receive it as a gift.

In closing, let me solemnly warn the reader and all who hear the words of this book:

• If anyone adds to these words, God will add to him the disasters described in this book.
• If anyone takes away from the words written here, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book.

He who is behind all of this says, “Yes, I am coming very quickly!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all His people.