Death Dies

Revelation Chapter 21

Scripture:
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.  (Revelation 21:7-8)

Observation:
The reason why some of the scripture here is in quotes is because the references made by John link back to Isaiah chapter 65, where he talks about the thousand year reign, the life span of those during that time, and the new heaven and new earth that comes after.  This explanation of heaven isn’t a new concept, but rather, an ancient one, one that God has promised all along and is the fulfillment of prophesy.

Application:
No matter if some of us are living and reigning with God during that thousand-year span, mentioned in the previous chapter- Revelation 20, or whether we join him after he remakes all things, we who have believed by faith and have our names on the Lamb’s Book of Life will join him.

But not all roads lead to heaven.  I know this isn’t politically correct for the current thinking of our society, but it really does matter who you believe in (the object of that faith), and the substance of it.  (Is it mature and strong enough to survive testing?).  As hard as it may be to hear, being a “good or moral person” isn’t enough to get us into heaven.

Believing in a thing doesn’t make it real.  It’s who you place your belief in, and HIS power that makes US real, and brings us into His reality.  He provides a list of those who won’t make it into heaven: the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, those who practice the magic arts, the idolaters and all liars.

It’s easy to look at that list and check them off as not applying to us, but I want to focus on two things from this list that might very well apply to us.

First: He is truth, and His truth sets us free from the chains of our self-delusion of believing in the lies we tell ourselves.  You know the ones I’m talking about, we say them to ourselves to keep us feeling comfortable and safe; justified in our positions, and always right - since we filter it through our own, one-point experience it comes out sounding like “that’s just the way I am”.

Second: Once we believe the lie that we can go our own way and still get into His heaven, Idolatry takes over.  This is expressed in our behavior when we fashion our faith into something that makes us feel good about doing good things, projects, or programs.  It comes out sounding like “That’s something I can get behind”. Instead, we should find out what He has to say about a subject and getting behind HIM in it.  (If you are doing it right, the world will reject you.)

Do you say you believe in God?  Then find out what he has to say about himself, and follow him instead of what feels good or right to you.  Your mother may only want you to be happy, but God says that the heart is deceitful and wicked (Jer.17:9).  Your feelings are bound to your flesh and are constantly at war with the Holy Spirit.  If following God is comfortable and easy for you, then you should take a strong look at what you believe in, what you are conforming to with your time, energy, and resources – because only those who do not practice idolatry get to inherit the heaven he has planned.

Prayer:
Father, I pray for the people of my generation who are like cold-blooded animals that adjust to the ambient temperature around them.  They cannot tell the truth from the lie …and so they lie comfortably.  I pray for those who believe in you, that the Holy Spirit within them brings conviction to their actions so they are found approved by their testing of faith.  I pray for those who do not believe, that you would prepare the soil of their hearts to hear the gospel.  I pray it is spoken to them clearly, and for their heart, soul, mind and strength to respond; for it will require strength, endurance to stay the course until the end when you usher us into our new homes with you.  Amen.