Uh The Apostle John's amazing apocalypse tells us the capital of the new earth is a city of divine purpose, greatly elevated, incomparably immense. filled with divine light and teeming with redeemed residence. But so what, you may say? How do these truths relate to my everyday Christian life on this earth?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hennant. Welcome to the broadcast, my friend.
We will continue today studying New Jerusalem. Particularly, we will look at its amazing physical features and see what they imply about our spiritual lives.
Now in this world, New Jerusalem will be a city of divine purpose. God's purpose. Purpose is stated really in two parts. The first is in verse 5, and the second in verse 3. In verse 5, He who sits upon the throne says this, and I believe he's going to shout it so it's heard all over the new earth.
Behold, I make All things No.
Now Not some, but all things, every part of God's creation has been redeemed, made over. made in his image. made in his likeness what he lo according to what he loves. Everything is new now. All that Adam's sin has spoiled, ruined, and destroyed has now been redeemed through the work of the last atom And all history is played out now.
none of the lost are present Satan and his demons are gone. And only the redeemed are Surviving into this world to live with God. Everything has been new.
So He's rejoicing over this purpose. And then in verse 3. John says this: I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God. the dwelling place of God. The home the residence of God.
is with men. And he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their people. God You know, this is always been God's purpose to live with us. The reason He sent Jesus to die for our sins and then give us A new life, a new heart, a new spirit. is so that he could then sanctify us.
and train us in spiritual living.
so that we would be fit to fellowship with him all the time.
So these are his two purposes in New Jerusalem to make everything new. And also to live with us. This is something that just really is beyond our normal thinking. We don't realize that God wants to live with us.
So This clearly states his purpose, and let's talk about what that means to us. First of all, When you receive Jesus, God's plan was not just to make some things new in your life, but everything. Obviously, you receive a new heart, a new nature. When Christ comes into your heart, and you receive a new spirit. But then God wants to systematically sanctify you, that is, go through your entire being.
your heart, your desires, your mind, your life purposes and goals and your daily manner of living. including your reaction to testing and adversity, to thoroughly make You knew. That is, he can say over your life: Behold, I have made all things new in this Christian's life, that Christian's life. That's his purpose.
Now often we sell God short, We let Christ come into our heart, but we reserve the rest of our lives for ourselves, thank you. We want to think like we've always thought. live by the same habits. the life habits that we've always lived by. and often live for the same purposes, which is Self-serving.
and sometimes self-aggrandizing. Self-indulging. and making an idol of ourselves. Many, many Christians live miserably because they've not let God make everything new. Do understand that his purpose is to make you like his son.
Romans Chapter eight says that the purpose of God is to conform us to the image of His Son. And so he's not content with just part of you being changed. He wants to shout over your life one day with great joy: Behold, I have made everything new in this Christian's life. This man, this woman, is a thoroughly changed person. Oh, that they've they've just not Bowed their heads and nodded their head to agree that Jesus may have permission to come to their heart.
Every day they're yielding to him and letting him have his way.
So His purpose then is a grand regenesis in your life to thoroughly change not only your heart. but your mind and your whole daily Modus operanda. Also, this enables him to restore all the blessings he wanted to place in your life. the chief of which is knowing him and fellowshipping with him, But he wants to restore all the blessings that sin and self have ruined In your past. Satan wants to keep us focused on the past.
Don't do that, friend. Look forward. God is a whole new world of blessings for you beginning in this life. You're beginning eternal life now in time. And he wants to restore those blessings.
And mainly, he wants to make you a blessing. I'm convinced God blesses us so that we can be blessings. This was the destiny. Of Abraham. He was called to be a blessing and his people.
And the same is true for us. today because we are children of Abraham by faith.
So let God have His purpose and thoroughly renew your whole life. Then verse three, this purpose is also his plan for you that you live with him and you let him live with you where you are. You say, well, thank you, Greg, but I think I'll wait to the millennium to let Christ lives with me, and in the eternal world, let the Father live with me. That won't fly. That won't work at all.
because we're going to see two principles in everything we talk about in this extended study on New Jerusalem. that first God has said in I Samuel two thirty, Them who honor me I will honor. but those who despise me will be lightly esteemed.
Now I'm speaking to you as a Christian That as a Christian, your life is being examined, and one day we'll stand before Christ and will be rewarded for our life works. And the way we live now in this life determines our eternal status in the kingdom of God. We're saved by grace alone, not works. But our eternal rewards at the judgment seat are not by grace, but By our works, meaning our life works. life deeds, the way we've lived this life.
So, if you honor God now, He will honor you in eternity. He will honor you now also. But if you honor him in this life, he will honor you in the next. The next principle is in Galatians 6, verse 7. Where Paul wrote, Be not deceived.
God is not mocked. That is, God is not fooled, He is not taken advantage of, ever. Whatsoever a man sows, That shall he reap. And so he goes on to say: if we sow to the flesh, we'll reap corruption. If we sow to the spirit, we'll reap life everlasting.
If in this life you are sowing to the flesh, that is, you're living the old unspiritual life. or even indulging sins of the flesh after you have become a Christian. Do not expect to live in this city of New Jerusalem. It is reserved. for those who cooperate with the divine purpose.
Franz Sulek. Christ changed everything in their life so He can say, I've made all things new. And for those who build an intimate relationship with Him now in this world and They tabernacle with him. They live with him. Friend, your home life can become a new Jerusalem.
God can live with you. He wants to live with you in your house and in your work and as you come and go. That's why he's giving you not only the nature of his Son, but the Holy Spirit. The Per the Pericletos is your constant companion. And so let these two purposes be worked out in your life.
Then you're honoring God, and you know He'll honor you later. You'll live in this city. Then you know you're sowing to the Spirit and you'll reap life everlasting. You will live in this city of divine purpose. New Jerusalem is also a city of unprecedented elevation.
It was set atop, in John's words, a great and high mountain. A broad mountain It's very high and is a flat top. He sees New Jerusalem descending in the opening verses of Revelation 21 and lighting or landing on this church. Giant mesa.
Now, when you combine the elevation of this great mountain that John sees and the elevation of the city, which is 140 to 1500 miles in elevation, and you consider that it is filled with the glory light, and the glory light is emanating in every direction, clearly New Jerusalem will illuminate the whole world, but it will be of extreme Elevation It will be the eternal city set on a hill that cannot be hidden, that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5, verse 14. In this regard, eternal Jerusalem will be like its predecessors, that is, they too stand atop high mountains or mountains. Present-day Jerusalem stands on Mount Moriah. On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord, says Psalm eighty seven, verse one. And millennial Jerusalem will stand on a very high mountain The highest in the world.
Isaiah 2, verse 2 says it is the highest of all mountains. And Ezekiel tells us this in Ezekiel forty verse two. In visions, God brought me into the land of Israel and put me down on a very high mountain. On it, Toward the south, it seemed that a city was being built.
So God took Ezekiel into the future innovation and allowed him to see Restored Jerusalem, being built on a very high mountain at the beginning of the millennial reign of. Christ.
So really the Yeah. Millennial period Would be An eternity orientation. for us. We will be preparing for the eternal world in New Jerusalem which is the city we are discussing.
Now, this elevated city of New Jerusalem is the eternal home of Christians who have consistently lived a spiritually elevated life. Again, we're seeing. And again, I would not be dogmatic on this, but I am convinced by years of study of eschatology that the two principles I just told you about 1 Samuel 2.30 and Galatians 6.7 will indeed determined Our status, our eternal status in the kingdom.
So This elevator city is is where those who have lived a spiritually elevated life will live. I'm convinced of that. And so if we're living in the things of the flesh, don't expect for the Lord to arbitrarily honor you and let you live in a spiritually elevated city. And this will also be physically elevated because you've chosen to live in the lower things, the things of the world, the things of the flesh, the things of the old life. Let me encourage you not to do that, but instead to focus on, in Paul's words, the things above.
not the things of this earth, as he charged the Colossians in chapter three, verses one through four. To live this spiritually elevated life means being obedient to God's higher truth, the Word of God. Always make your decisions based upon the Word of God. And to live in his spiritual ways or disciplines. Prayer, worship, Bible meditation.
Complete surrender to Christ's will. These are constant ways of living in the life of a spiritually elevated Christian. loving what God loves and rejecting what He rejects. Living by Christ's motto in John eight, verse twenty. Do always, I do always, those things that please him.
And in Psalm 40, verse 8, where he says, I delight to do Thou will.
So these who live this spiritually elevated life are not. living a self-centered life. a self-serving life and much less a self worshiping life. They are living faithfully. They're faithfully fulfilling God's call.
on their live. My friend, are you living this spiritually elevated life today? You can. You can. It's available to every Christian.
If we make the choice to seek God And to live in his presence. And to walk in his ways. Satan will not take this sitting down. Here's Agents, the rulers of the darkness of this world that Paul describes in Ephesians chapter six, verse twelve. they will come after you.
and try to pull you down From your elevated life. Psalm 62, verse 4 says, They only consult to cast him down from his excellence. excellency, that is his spiritually excellent walk and work.
So when you realize that People and demons are working together to try to pull you down. Just don't let it happen. Don't let it happen. Consistently choose the higher path and the higher calling of God.
Now the dimensions of this city are just gargantuan. They're colossal beyond description. are not just the elevation of the city, but its width is not. And Uh length will all be fourteen hundred to one thousand five hundred miles square And this means that it will be a city like none we've ever seen. is vessels.
we'll have plenty of room for plains perhaps two hundred, five hundred miles in length, mountain ranges possibly eight hundred to one thousand miles high. Vast bodies of water, say lakes that are fifty miles deep, deep canyons that might be one hundred times the size of the Grand Canyon. And then other physical wonders. You know, the Angel Falls in Venezuela are the world's. Highest Waterfall.
And um they have one particular drop that's 2600 feet.
Well, in this new city, perhaps we'll have waterfalls that are 260,000 feet. In length. My goodness. And the elevation tells us that there will be massive skyscrapers and towers. Today, the largest building in the world is in Dubai.
The Buris Khalifa and its two thousand seven hundred feet in elevation with one hundred sixty three stories. Perhaps in New Jerusalem, we have skyscrapers that are sixty thousand feet in elevation and five thousand stories and on and on. What is this telling us?
Well In medieval Europe the The stone cathedrals were built with very high vaulted ceilings so people could look up. and consider the vastness of God and His eternal truth. In the same way, New Jerusalem is calling you to look up and consider the vast immensity of God. Is there any problem in your life today that you think is too big for this God? the God who made this colossal city, then think again, my friend, God is bigger than your problem.
Or your need. Remember New Jerusalem and the God who has built it. And confess that God is faithful and He's bigger than any need or problem in your life. Also, since this city is four square, it's like the Tabernacle Holy of Holies.
So it's a holy place. What does that tell us? that those who live in this city have pursued Holiness. They have believed. The Charge in Hebrews 12, verse 14, that no man shall see the Lord.
without holiness. without holiness. So they have visited the holy place. In this age, the holy place of the secret place of the Most High, every day, and they've learned to live by God's holy standards, not the standards of this world. Friend, are you pursuing holiness?
That is, are you letting God set you apart in your thinking, in your living. unto his ways and his truth. Are you learning to live a holy life, a clean life? Living by God's moral standards. Please do so.
Then you will know you're honoring God, you're sowing to the Spirit, and this awesome city. will be your home forever. New Jerusalem will be an eternal Holy place on the new earth, and you. will have a place reserved for you. there.
Now, we'll break off our reading now. We'll come back.
Next week, to discuss more about this awesome city. Why are we spending such time on it? Because New Jerusalem will be the eternal home of the overcoming Christian. This month, for a gift of any amount, we are offering one of Dr. Hinnant's third.
Free devotionals, Water from the Rock, which offers 122 spiritually rich biblical messages designed to refresh your heart, strengthen you in your daily trials, and help satisfy and increase your thirst. For more of Jesus. For a gift of $60 or more, we'll send you the complete four-volume hidden end times prophecy collection: the second coming of Christ, the tribulation story, revelation notes. A verse-by-verse commentary on Revelation. And the Day of the Lord Commentary, which interprets all Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings of the end times.
And if you are a Logos Bible Software user, you may purchase The Second Coming of Christ, The Day of the Lord Commentary, and Revelation Notes from the Logos Online Bookstore.
Now, again, Dr. Hinnant. And now it's time for some Q ⁇ A. Virginia Cornett from Columbus, Georgia asks, Throughout church history, people have debated the idea of hell. Which is more biblical?
Eternal conscious torment. Annihilationism or universalism.
Well, first a word about hell. In Revelation twenty, fourteen, the Apostle John foresees that after the great white throne judgment, hell is cast into the lake of fire.
So hell is a temporary place of punishment The lake of fire is one of everlasting punishment. punishment. The two are often interchangeably used in Christian parlance. In Matthew twenty-five, Jesus said this everlasting fire was prepared for the devil and his angels, not human beings. it became fallen man's destination when Adam, the federal head of the human race, chose to join Satan's rebellion against God in Eden.
In Matthew twenty five, forty six, Jesus also said the lost will be. Go away into eternal punishment. In Mark nine forty three, he added, this is a place where the fire never goes out. Second Thessalonians one, verse nine states, the lost will be punished with everlasting destruction, literally ruin or doom. Revelation twenty verse ten says, The devil, the beast, that is the Antichrist, and the false prophet, who is called the second beast, will all be cast into the lake of fire, and tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Verse fifteen adds whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. plainly implying that they too will be tormented forever and ever. The word torment, in reference to those who are in the lake of fire forever and ever, makes it clear they will be conscious. because one cannot be tormented with pain if one is unconscious.
So annihilationism, which teaches at some point the wicked dead cease to exist, is erroneous. The end of Isaiah's scroll reveals more about the lake of fire. Isaiah sixty six twenty two through twenty four states In the new earth, the righteous will be able to go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against God, and that their fire shall not be quenched. This tells us the Lake of Fire will be a material location somewhere on the new earth and visible to the redeemed.
So the lake of fire is not merely a state of mind. Revelation twenty verse fourteen reveals the lake of fire is the second death. which, according to Second Thessalonians 1.9, is everlasting banishment from the presence of the Lord.
So those condemned to the lake of fire suffer not temporary, but eternal separation from God.
Now Universalism teaches that God's redeeming love is so great. That in the end he will save every lost being, including Judas, Lucifer, that is the devil, and his demons. Universalists Claim that Bible texts asserting God desires all to be saved. That Christ's atonement was for all, and that every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, means. All will be saved.
But these texts do not state this. God's desire to save all does not mean all desire to be saved. Christ's atonement is offered to all. But not all will believe and receive his atonement. And every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but not savingly, meaning voluntarily, in faith, and in this life And Hebrews 9.27 says Unto men it is appointed once to die, And after this The judgment.
Universalists also misinterpret text claiming all things will be restored. For instance, Acts 3:21 speaks of the times of the restitution of all things. But then it qualifies this restoration as being things which God has spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets. And no Old Testament or New Testament prophet claimed all souls, including Judas, Lucifer, and his fallen angels, and the wicked dead. will be restored.
Furthermore, If universalism is true, it renders Jesus' death on the cross a foolish waste. And the gospel. And Jesus' repeated requirement in John 3 that all be spiritually reborn. False reports. It also undermines all motivation to live godly if all will be saved regardless of how they live.
Therefore, we conclude Hello. or the lake of fire, is a real material place of eternal conscious torment. And annihilationism and universalism are false doctrines. Email us your biblical questions today online at info at greghennettministries.org or call us at 336-882-1645 or send your letters to Greg Hennett Ministries, P.O. Box 788, Pine Point, North Carolina, 27260.
We are so glad you tuned into the broadcast. Our next episode will describe more of New Jerusalem's wonders awaiting us in the next life and vital spiritual lessons they teach about how we should be living in this life. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app. May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes.
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