Room For All, But Not All Will Come!

Where exactly is heaven? We live in a physical realm, but heaven is in the spiritual realm. Its capital city will be the New Jerusalem. It will be massive in size but it doesn't limit the size of heaven. What if God provided enough room in heaven, and in New Jerusalem, the city, for all of human life that has ever lived. Imagine if every single person in the world, trusted in Jesus Christ, because God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believed in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. Imagine if Jesus made room for everyone, but we know factually that in heaven, not everyone will be there, how big it will be?

Jesus Christ is the door. He said Himself, that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one gets to the Father but through Him. Jesus loves every single person even though we can't comprehend what that is like. To love everyone.

Today as we open this study again into Revelation 21, we will be learning more about our heavenly home. It will be secured throughout all the ages.

Revelation 21:12-13 ~ " It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed - on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates and on the west three gates."

This is an awesome scene for those who came before Jesus Christ from Adam to John the Baptist. These looked forward to what Messiah would do for them. By faith, they looked ahead, trust in God's promises to come. Israel looked ahead for the coming Christ.

Matthew 8:11 ~ "I tell you, many will come from the east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."

The church and the Gentile world looks back at what God has done. By faith we look back trusting in God's faithfulness to perform. God has always provided a lamb or sacrifice. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and suddenly became aware of their nakedness, I believe God offered a lamb to cloth them. For Abraham and Isaac, God provided a lamb for his obedience, and He did it for the world by offering Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, as payment. The cross is empty and even know Jesus Christ, is interceding for us before the Father.

1 John 1:9 ~ "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Your great security in Christ, you salvation is safe with Him - forever!!!

So what is the significance of the gates? There are angels at each gate. There is no evil there. There is no crime or sin there, so why the gates. It is to announce an entrance to the city. It defines the city limits. It sends a message of sovereignty and safety, a sense of proprietorship, it's God's estate. He doesn't need to. It's the epi-center of all eternity.

These gates will never be shut, never shut and forever open! The city of God will be the center of eternity. The coming and going of the holy angels and all of the believers.

It will be secured by the Word of God.

Revelation 21:14 ~ "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

The gates of the city had the 12 names of the children of Israel and the foundation of the city had the 12 names of the 12 apostles.

Hebrews 12:22-24 ~ "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

Ephesians 2:19-20 ~ "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone."

Our new heavenly home will be grand enough for all to enter in.

Revelation 21:15-17 ~ "And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rode of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 1,380 miles. It's length and width and height are equal. he also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement."

Four square, means totality of completion, as a square, equally balanced. Dr. Henry Morris states in his commentary on Revelation, that the foursquare shape is as a cube, the city itself is 1,380 miles or 2, 220 km on each side or face including the great wall which measure 72 yards thick or 216 feet or 66 m. If calculating only 25% of space available, just that 25% or 1/4 of the city would comfortably provide enough space for 25 billion people.

That means that the capacity of the city alone is 100 billion. Hidden here in the measurements of the city is a passionate announcement of grace. There is so much room available that it can be easily argued that God prepared enough room for all humanity to enter into heaven. Heaven will not be fully occupied not because the LORD failed to invite enough people, but because many people refused His invitation.

Matthew 22:1-5 ~ "And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent servants, saying ' Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business." 

2 Peter 3:9 ~ "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

Remember this is not the size of heaven, but the dimensions of the city! The city will be multi-levels to all levels for 1500 miles upward. Each gate will open to all the levels. Think of it like a shopping mall. The gates will be 1500 miles tall, and there are 12 of them, 3 on each side!

A great analogy for the rapture is to take a rolly-polly and pick it up and move it to a new location. That rolly-polly has been raptured in a sense, it doesn't know how it happened, just that it did and it is now in a new location. We will not be bound in Heaven or the New Jerusalem by the effects of gravity or the laws of nature. We can move in any direction, horizontally, vertically or simply at will. This will not be like any city you have ever been to or imagined.

There is nothing worse than to plan for a joyous event and no one shows up! Remember the children of Israel said No!

God wants you in heaven, why would you not show up! He has prepared a great and glorious place. We're looking at it in our study today. He's sent you numerous invitations. He sent you friends and family that have told you about Him and heaven; you may have turned to a radio station and heard a message there, whether through a song or a message; you may have seen a billboard, read a book, or some other sign, but the point is God has sent you invitation after invitation and He's still waiting.

If you miss this, its not because God failed. You failed yourself!

You removed yourself out of His hands of grace and mercy. Why on earth and in hell, would you do such a thing, when God has prepared a place for you, just waiting for you to say Yes?!!!

What Does Your Retirement Program Really Offer You?

In the world today, there are all kinds of what I would call bad doctrine. People taking the Bible out of context or even worse telling you that there is no hell or even heaven. We simply cease to exist when we die. That is often how people refer to the Book of Revelation. That it was a book created by people on drugs, or it's a dream sequence of some sort, symbolism that no one can understand, and therefore the very reason many churches today, avoid teaching on the Book of Revelation, either because they don't know how, they fail to understand it themselves, or others simply don't want to in fear it will scare people off from attending their churches.

As a Christian why wouldn't you want to know what your future looks like? For anyone really, that is why there is such an interest in fortune cookies, fortune tellers, tarot card, palm readers, the occult and even horoscopes. Stop doing those things and pick up the Bible and read the Book of Revelation if you want to know what your future will be like one day, especially Chapters 20-21. As a Christian, we should be very excited, because what we are studying is our future!

Find out today in our study what your real retirement program offers you as a believer in Christ as we look into Chapter 21! This is more true and read than today's headline news. It is a chapter referred to in Ryrie's Study Bible as the Eternal State. Meaning this, it is the doctrine of eternity. It is always now where we are going. It's where God and Jesus exist. Thee is no marking of time. It is always now. It's beyond our human comprehension and capability to even understand what that means. It is where believers in Christ are going one day.

When we think of a perfect life, we're talking about heaven. Our hearts desire will be fulfilled. One day when we all go home.

It is interesting to realize that in every culture and throughout human history, there has been several things that connect each civilization, regardless of their place in history or their status.

1. That man lives with an internal, moral law written within his heart, even in backwards tribal places.

2. That there is a passion for man to redeem himself, whether in an act or ritual to relive a man's sense of guilty.

3. That there is a place of paradise or a heaven to be sought after. Even a Utopia that can be obtained through the use of drugs by some cultures. People desire to go there.

4. That there is a God or gods that grant access. It's in our history even today. Why is that so? Where does that come from? Is it a left over ember from the Garden of Eden left behind in our spiritual DNA that beckons us?

There is a strong desire in each of us to know what's on the other side, and what would that be like, where will it be and how will it happen?

We don't have to dream about it or wonder anymore, we can know for sure! In our study through the Book of Revelation beginning in chapter 21, we will take a look first into the first seven verses, which are great but there is a warning in verse 8 as well.

Revelation 19, the central theme is the Second Coming of Christ, which fulfills Matthew 25.

Revelation 20, the central theme is the Millennial Reign of Christ on Earth. He must sit on the throne of David and that is not in heaven. When Jesus was here on earth the first time, did He ever sit on the throne of David? No, He didn't. But the Bible says this must happen. So when will it be fulfilled? It must be fulfilled literally during the Millennium found in chapter 20.

Revelation 21, the central theme is the Eternity of Christ.

In Chapter 21, the Millennium is over, and the Day of God, the Day of Eternity begins. Time ceases. God will establish eternity in a sense where we can physically touch and see and hear one another; we can eat; we can worship; we will be like Jesus post resurrection, where we can appear and disappear; we won't have any more death; there will be a new heaven and new earth; there will be no more sea. It will be a day that commences and never ends. Forever. It's going to be literally FOREVER!

That is the ultimate destination. We are currently taking reservations, but if you read the fine print in the Bible, you have to make your reservations now before you die. You have to book it now! If you want to enjoy eternity in heaven with God, you have to book it now. It's not that it is filling up, it's that your time is running out. Stop goofing around. Stop playing around with God.

Hebrews 9:27-28 ~ "And just as it is appointed for a man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

We're not going home, as believers in Christ, we're coming home. We know our time here is temporary, that this world is running out of time. We know time here is not fixed. There is a desire to come home to where we belong.

When we come home, everything is going to be new and we all love new things.

Revelation 21:1 ~ "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." 

We need a new heaven and new earth. This one we are in has been filled with the effects of sin since the fall in the Garden of Eden. The climate will change. There will be not a new creation of the heaven where God lives, but this is a new atmosphere, a new celestial space, where the stars are...

Isaiah 65:17 ~ "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind."

Isaiah 66:22 ~ "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain."

Why would a new heaven (starry host) and a new earth (planet) be needed? Because sin has ravaged this world. The word "New" is not like God destroys the existing ones, He take the existing earth and autoclaves it. It means to sterilize it by a blast of heat or fire. Peter said that in the end that the elements will melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10). The word "elements" in the Greek used here, means a-tom, where we get the word atom. This will not be a new creation, but God will sterilize it in such as way to make it fit for all eternity.

We will need a new city. This is not the earth Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:2 ~ "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

This is a new Jerusalem, and it is holy, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Why? Because it will be the focal point of eternity to come. It is where the LORD Himself will dwell.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 ~ "But as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him' - these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God."

It's in the spiritual DNA to want this city.

Hebrews 11:8-10 ~ "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God."

Abraham believed he was going to see this city. It was a deep desire in his heart to go where God told him to. Almighty God wants you and I in heaven. Jesus came to provide the entrance into heaven. The Holy Spirit has authored the Holy Bible telling us how to get to heaven. And it is God's will that you will be there with Him. So now is the time to make sure you book your trip today!