No More!, Part 1

Let me tell you something, the name of your bridegroom matters. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved. Paul wrote to Titus in chapter 2 verse 13, we are looking for that blessed hope, heaven. Associated with that is, he goes on quickly and says, and the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. As Christians, we're looking forward to the appearance of Jesus Christ because we know what awaits us on that day. We look forward to heaven, not only because of what Jesus has in store for us, but also because of what we leave behind. Things like sorrow and pain and injustice. In today's message, Stephen Davey is looking at the things we leave behind when we enter our eternal home. This is an encouraging lesson from God's Word today, here on Wisdom for the Heart.

It's called No More. No matter where you travel or what culture you study, you discover the world's fascination with weddings, don't you? I did a little research on cultural customs and found more than I have time to repeat, but by way of introduction, let me share a few of them with you. There's the Armenian tradition that I learned about, reading where the night before the ceremony, the groom's family brings beautifully wrapped boxes to the bride's family.

The boxes contain her veil, her shoes, perfume, and even a little chocolate candy. Now, is that a good tradition or what? You may have heard about jumping the broom. It's a wedding tradition that traces all the way back to the days of slavery when slaves were forbidden from marrying. They created this ritual to represent the beginning of their new life together. In fact, it was tantamount to an exchange of rings that they could not afford to buy. Jumping the broom was absolutely binding.

I found this. The Czechoslovakians have interesting wedding traditions, several of them. To start off a Czech wedding reception, someone in the wedding party breaks a plate at the feet of the bride and groom. The newlyweds have to sweep up the pieces together to show their willingness to work together. Isn't that great? These guys would have to learn how to operate a broom. Not sure how well that would work. I discovered the traditional German reception has the same ceremony.

They go further though. They break a lot of plates and bowls into pieces in the wedding reception and then the couple has to sweep them all up. The bride is probably thinking, I want Tupperware.

That's the answer to this. Toward the middle of the reception party, back to the Czech Republic, all the groomsmen kidnap the bride and whisk her away. It's the groom's job to find her within a specific period of time or else he must begin to pay the groomsmen money to give him clues. This is supposedly a way of showing that he will give everything he owns for her. Isn't that great, guys?

Isn't that great, ladies? Although this was interesting, on the night before a traditional Irish wedding, the groom is invited to the bride's house where he has served a cooked goose. In America, that doesn't have a positive message, does it?

Your goose is cooked, buddy. That's how we think of it. One Latin American custom I found is where the groom is not allowed to see the bride before the wedding day. In fact, it's the father of the bride's unique job to hide her. Then on the day of the ceremony, he brings her to the place of the ceremony, escorts her in and gives her away. Or he can keep his daughter hidden and never give her away.

Okay, I made that part up. I think that's a good custom. One custom I actually saw incorporated into a wedding stateside, the gal had been raised a missionary kid in the Pacific Rim Islands. The dad escorted her down and across the aisle was a ribbon there at the front. It had been tied across the aisle and into a beautiful bow. When the pastor delivered the question, who gives this woman to be married to this man? The father said, her mother and I, he stepped forward, he untied the bow, left a ribbon fall and escorted her across. Isn't that neat?

These customs, this is really what captivates us anyway. It's the procession of the bride. That pause, the music begins, and here comes the bride.

Every head turns, every neck cranes to see. That is the moment, isn't it? I mean, what a sight every married man to this day remembers, right? Every married man remembers that sight, right? Right. You got some work to do.

You got some sweeping to do when you get home, okay? The traditional American wedding, as I found by researching these around the world, a number of cultures I studied, it's interesting, the same, they dress as royalty. No matter what station of life you're in, if you're poor, wealthy, whatever, you borrow, you buy, whatever. The apparel for the bride and the bridegroom so that you appear on that day as a prince and a princess. This custom goes back to the days of Christ. The Jewish culture, they would borrow from their wealthiest friends and associates jewelry and clothing so that the bride and groom could appear in public on that day as royalty.

They are king and queen for a day. This is the picture and the metaphor of Christ who speaks to his disciples and to us. He says, I'm going to go away and I'm going to prepare a place for you and I'm going to come back and I'm going to get you and take you home. And now we find John in Revelation referring to the wedding procession. The new heavens and new earth are created. In our last study, we studied verse one of chapter 21. I invite you back to that chapter in Revelation and now we're going to watch Here Comes the Bride take on new and biblical meaning.

For our study today, I want to introduce you to three primary observations, three major observations. First, heaven's permanent relocation. Secondly, heaven's primary relationship and thirdly, heaven's profound reversal.

Let's get a running start at verse one. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth, that is the first creation, passed away. Now there may be some confusion as to the reference of heaven here.

We didn't have time in our last session. Let me speak to this just momentarily here. There's confusion because this is a reference and it's found in the form of a singular noun as heaven. This word urinas appears throughout the Bible, the Greek translation of the Old Testament and of course the New Testament, as a reference to heaven and context tells us which heaven we're talking about because there are actually three of them. Not three different ones.

Based on how good you are, you go to the bottom one if you're not that good, the middle one if you're a little better and the top one if you're really good. That's Mormon theology. That's Mormon doctrine. This word refers to three layers as it were of heavens occupied by different things and the context determines which one you're talking about. For the sake of alliteration, I'll give you these three. The first is what we could call the home of sparrows. This is the atmosphere around us. This is the air.

These are the fluffy clouds. These are the birds. Jesus Christ used the word heaven urinas to refer to this layer, so to speak, when he said observe the birds of heaven. Matthew chapter 6 verse 26. Look at the birds of the air.

That's literally the word urinas. Look at the birds of heaven. Obviously referring to the atmosphere. James uses that word when he speaks of rain coming down from heaven. He's obviously referring to clouds, the atmosphere. And it's been raining I suppose today.

I look through that. I can see outside. I don't get out much in the morning here and I can see a little sunlight so maybe it stopped raining but it was raining this morning. And James uses this expression. He says the rain, as he talks about Elijah's praying, the rain fell from heaven.

He's talking about the atmosphere. I heard it this morning early. I got up this morning. The alarm went off, went in, took a shower, got all dressed, and then just as I was finishing up I looked down at a little clock there to my left and it said 3 59. Somehow my clock had been turned around a little bit. I'd done something wrong and I was all dressed up and nowhere to go.

Let me tell you that. So I went into my study and took off my jacket and sat there and I have an overstuffed chair. I do all my reading and I listened to the rain. It's wonderful. By the way, if you see me afterward my shirt's wrinkled. Be patient. I've had it on since 3 30.

In fact, I'm surprised my tie matches that early. This is the atmosphere and the word used is heaven. We call the second layer, still used with the word Urenas, heaven, the home of the stars, sun, moon, and stars. This is the astronomical heaven.

This is the outer universe where we can say the planets live. Jesus Christ used the word when he predicted the coming tribulation. He said the power of heaven will be shaken.

And he goes on to describe in this prophetic passage Matthew 24 verse 29 how the sun will be darkened and the moon won't reflect light and the stars will fall from their orbs. He uses the word heaven. This is a word for that layer out there.

We need a telescope to see well. That is the galaxy region. The first layer is the home of the sparrows.

The second layer is the home of the stars. The book of Hebrews uses this word in context where Jesus Christ, the creator, we read, laid the foundations of the earth and created by his hands heaven. You could render it the heavens, Hebrews 11 10.

Same word, a different reference, a different place. We have the home of sparrows, the home of stars. Thirdly, we have the home of saints. This is the place of God's throne that we read of, describe. This is the place where the spirits of departed believers go and are there even now awaiting the resurrection of their bodies in due time. This is the heaven in mind when Jesus, again, uses the same word, but he says let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. He's seen as, in that place, Paul describes as literally the third heaven. Paul calls it that in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

He's transported, given a tour of heaven, and he says it was so glorious I didn't know if I was in a body or not. So you have the first heaven, the layer, so to speak, the home of sparrows. The second layer, a little further out, the home of stars, sun and moon, and then beyond is what we think of as the Bible refers to it as the home of the saints, the spectacular glory of God. Now when John uses the word heaven, uranus, here in Revelation chapter 21 and verse 1, he's referring to the home of the sparrows and the home of the stars. That first creation is going to be done away, and we studied that in our last session, and will be recreated, no doubt, using the elements of this universe.

God is effectively creating a new universe. Now the reason I want to point that out is because John is going to use the same word for heaven translated heaven in your text in two verses, but he's going to be talking about two different heavens. In verse 1, he refers to the first layer and the second layer of heaven, and in verse 2, he's going to use the word again and he's going to refer to heaven, only this time it will be that third layer, the place of God's abode, as it were, the home of the saints. Notice where John writes in verse 2, and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, which informs us, by the way, that God does not replace this third heaven with a new one.

It isn't replaced, it is relocated, as we studied. John will see it, the heaven of God's throne, the abode of the saints, he will see it descending literally physically and resting on a newly created heaven and earth, that is, a newly created planet with its outer universe being recreated. This is the heavenly city Abraham was looking for, which had foundations, it was literal, physical, whose builder and designer architect was God. This is further in Hebrews 12, where we read, but you have come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the myriads of angels, Revelation 21 tells us it descends and rests on a new earth, the general assembly, the church of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and God, the judge of all, and the spirits of righteous men, made perfect. This new Jerusalem comes down from the third heaven, it is the golden city where God occupies his throne, and with his saints displays his glory as seen by John descending, literally becoming the capital city of the eternal state on a new earth surrounded by a new universe.

Clear enough? We've been singing about that, by the way, for years perhaps, you have, without even thinking about the text, or maybe you have. One commentator introduced it to me and I saw it with new eyes and went back, pulled out my hymnal and read it.

It's the hymn text that reads one of the stanzas, this is my Father's world. The battle is not done. Jesus who died shall be satisfied and earth and heaven be one. This is all about the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

This is all about the satisfaction of Jesus Christ in his new creation, and it is glorious. Would you note how John refers to this city in verse 2, and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready. It's made ready. The word ready is the word prepared. It's the same word used by our Lord when he told his disciples, I'm gonna leave you, I'm gonna go away, and what?

Prepare a place for you. John 14 2. Hebrews 11 6 told us of the saints of old that they desire a better country.

Interesting phrase, they desire a better country. He then explains that is a heavenly one, therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared, same word, a city for them. The apostle Paul uses the same word when he says of heaven, eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them who love him. 1 Corinthians 2 9, for those who belong to him. And all the saints then of all time are now experiencing together the finishing touch, as it were, as that glorious heaven descends in the form of this golden city and heaven and earth are one, it rests upon earth, and the eternal state officially begins and it will never end.

Now I want you to notice how John begins his description, which is gonna become much more specific and that will be for a later study. But he writes in verse 2, I saw the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. The word adorned is the word cosmeo.

It gives us our transliterated word cosmetics. It refers to the bride who has put on her cosmetics. She has become adorned.

She has become, you could literally render it decorated. Throughout the Bible, the beloved of God is referred to as a bride. Israel is called the bride of Jehovah.

The church is called the bride of Christ. As John describes for us the permanent relocation of the city, his focus is on the beauty of the bride and you are arrested by the fact that he's speaking of both the beauty of the city and later the beauty of its inhabitants. They are viewed as one.

We do the same thing. I can say to you that I live in a beautiful city and you would know that immediately I'm talking about green grass and trees and fields and whatever. But I could also tell you I live in a wicked city and you would know immediately I'm not talking about trees and grass and fields. I'm talking about people.

We can refer to a city and be referring to both its citizens and its real estate. This is exactly what he's doing here. John is effectively saying, I saw the procession of the bride and she is adorned. She is ready. And there she is with her bridegroom in this procession of the bridal party. And by the way, if the name of Jesus Christ, if you get that wrong, that will make all the difference in the world. You have to have the right bridegroom to enjoy everything that we're going to study over the next period of years.

I have no idea how long it will be, but you've got to have that down. Same as in a wedding, right? The name of the bridegroom matters. And whenever I marry a couple, I'll always say, how do you want me to refer to you? And at that announcement, Mr. and Mrs., you got to get it just right. Some guys want the full name. Some guys want the nickname.

Some guys want the first and middle name and whatever it is, the name matters, but certainly the first name. I learned that the hard way. Of course, I already knew it was true, but when I was a younger pastor and nervous as anybody else at the wedding scene performing weddings, I actually can remember the one time I called the bridegroom by the wrong name. I know.

That's what everybody did. The groom's name was Richard, but I had performed a wedding a few months earlier and his name was Robert. And in my haste to prepare for my little wedding notebook, everything that I'll read from the vows and all of that, I cut and pasted the vows and forgot to change his name from Robert to Richard.

It makes my hands sweat just to think of that moment. The moment came for the wedding vows and I looked at her and I said, now repeat after me, I, Suzanne, take you, Robert, to be my lawfully wedded husband. The color drained from her face and the guy just sort of shuffled around and I knew something. I mean, everybody kind of gasped, but I knew something was wrong. I looked down at my notes and now I'm completely flustered.

I'm scanning. Was it Robert? Was it Richard? Was it Richard Roberts? Was it Robert Richards?

Do you want him or not? You ever seen that airplane commercial, Want to Get Away? Oh, yeah. I finally figured out what had happened and I got the bride married to the right man. Let me tell you, the name matters.

She wasn't about to say, Stephen, I understand. Don't worry. I'll call him Robert. Not on your life. Not on your life. Let me tell you something.

The name of your bridegroom matters. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved. The Philippian jailer said, what must I do to be saved? And Paul said, call upon the name of the Lord.

Call his name. Place your faith in all that that name represents and you shall be saved. Paul wrote to Titus in chapter 2 verse 13, we are looking for that blessed hope, heaven.

Associated with that is he goes on quickly and says, and the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. You get that name wrong. You're not in the bridal procession. You're going to live in the funeral procession forever. You will be a jilted bride because no one will keep his word like Jesus Christ will keep his word. He said, I'm going to go away and prepare a place for you and I'm coming back and I'm going to get you and can you depend on his word? Absolutely.

Count on it. John is saying, here comes the bride and with her the bridegroom. He focuses for a moment on the beauty of the bride. She's adorned. Her cosmetics are there in place.

She's decorated. In verse 3 John focuses on the father of the bride. Of course the triune God can easily be seen. This is heaven's primary relationship. Look at 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. The glory of heaven is the glory of God.

We the bride are nothing without him. And even though we're going to be mesmerized by the description of heaven, it's empty without him. In fact the stunning aspect in John's revelation is that which he emphasizes.

The fact that God permanently now forever will dwell with man, redeemed man, his beloved. The Bible by the way gives us an interesting record of the dwelling places of God. First God dwelt with him, that is he participated in fellowship.

We're not sure what the theophany took in the form of God's presence but he walked with Adam and even the cool of the garden, cool of the evening. Then he dwelt with Israel later in the tabernacle, later in the temple his glory filling the holy of holies. Later Jesus Christ came to earth and tabernacled among us.

That same word is used here in Revelation 21. He came and literally pitched his tent among us. Today God does not live in man-made temples. We are his temple.

Your body and mine uniquely as well as the assembly of the church that follows Christ Ephesians 2 22. He dwells there. He dwells literally yet it is invisibly.

We worship him whom we cannot see. With that truth that we are God's temple here on earth we need to pause this lesson because we don't have time to finish it today. When we come back next time Stephen will conclude this lesson that he's calling no more. Between now and our next lesson please accept our offer of Stephen's free digital resource called the coming tribulation. Perhaps you've wondered about some of the common questions regarding the tribulation.

Will it last for seven years or three and a half years? Is it figurative or literal? Will Christians suffer through it or be spared from it? Stephen has taught extensively on future events from the book of Revelation and in this booklet Stephen explores the tribulation from scripture. He lays out the most biblically consistent and logical answers to help you understand this coming period. Complete a simple form at wisdomonline.org and we'll send it to you. Then join us next time on Wisdom for the Heart.