I came across a group of college students that were working on a project about the end times. They were expressing their frustration because the information they were finding was not satisfying to them. I was sitting next to them and overheard them. I then saw the opportunity to explain what I know about the subject and used the door that had opened up for me also to talk to them about Christ and His grace to save us by trusting in Him and His Son. They asked me to give them what I said in writing for them to use in their project. This is what I gave them with the hope that it will lead them to salvation. I hope this post helps you turn your heart towards Jesus too, not just because of fear of judgment, but because you want to experience the new life Jesus died on the Cross to give you.
“3Then I heard a mighty voice from the throne and I perceived its distinct words, saying, See! The abode of God is with men, and He will live (encamp, tent) among them; and they shall be His people, and God shall personally be with them and be their God.
4 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away.
5 And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine).
6 And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.
7 He who is victorious shall inherit all these things, and I will be God to him and he shall be My son.
8 But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)—[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.” Amplified Version
To explain the meaning of this passage, verse 3 explains that God’s home is with people. He dwells inside those who live to worship Him alone and give their lives solely for Him to have complete use of them as vessels who have a relationship with Him and advance His Kingdom here on earth. Verse 4 talks about the sufferings of his saints. The word "saints" is used to refer to believers of the Most High God, the One and only True God. This promise in God’s word for them is that He will save them from the oppression of the enemy (the Anti-Christ) and all his followers who have been persecuting them in relentless ways to obstruct them and keep them from advancing God’s Kingdom on earth.
Verse 5 highlights the new of what God will do on earth after the old order of things is removed. He ends the world as it is currently to make room for a new one free from demonic oppression against His people. Verse 6 explains through the phrase “it is done” that this was accomplished through the death of Jesus at the cross. He did that so that we could have forgiveness of our sins and access to the Father to have a Father and child relationship with Him. He who started this work will also finish it in our lives by helping us remove through the renewing of our minds the old order of things with its religious beliefs, traditions, and mindsets that opened us to demonic oppression to be replaced with the truth of His word in the Bible which is “the fountain (springs) of the water of life”.
This is explained even further in John 3:15-19,
“15 In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever!
16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]
19 The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.” Amplified Version
To continue explaining the meaning of the first passage in Revelation 21, verse 7 talks about those who are victorious. This refers to those of us who choose to believe in Jesus, the Son of God, follow Him, and choose to have and live the life He died on the cross to give us because Adam sinned at the beginning (Genesis Chapter 3) and condemned us to a cursed life.
But Jesus came to remove the curse and give us an abundant life which means that He came to give us a quality of life, a rich life full of His goodness and loving-kindness, a life empowered to live for Him and serve Him as we walk in authority and power from on high to overcome the enemy and fulfill our destinies.
But we have to make a choice to live for Him and accept Him in our lives as our Lord and Savior and live in obedience to Him and His word. This way, we can learn to be led by His Spirit of Truth which leads us to have an intimate relationship with the Father because the basis of our walk as believers in Jesus is to have a relationship with the Father through Him that will help us know who we are, what is the purpose for our lives, and how to walk victoriously as we appropriate the things Jesus died to give us. Everything about our lives on earth has been predestined by God from the foundations of the world. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
That is why Jeremiah 29:11-13 tells us how God sees us and the future He has planned for us as well as what He requires of us to overcome the evils of this world. It says,
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
However, those who give themselves to the things outlined in verse 8 of Revelation 21 since their worldly beliefs cause them to refuse God and His ways, and many even give themselves to obstruct God’s people from advancing His Kingdom on earth, they will suffer the consequences outlined in verse 8 which refer to the hour of testing and process they will have to endure and hopefully they will choose to turn to God and follow Him and the truth of His word that will set them free as they renew their mind.
The end of the old ways to live and believe will come so that God’s people can enjoy the newness of life in Him apart from persecution and destruction. This will cause many people to turn to seek and obey the truth of His word and have a relationship with Him because they see us as examples of how to live in the new order of life apart from idolatry and wrong beliefs.
But Jesus came to remove the curse and give us an abundant life which means that He came to give us a quality of life, a rich life full of His goodness and loving-kindness, a life empowered to live for Him and serve Him as we walk in authority and power from on high to overcome the enemy and fulfill our destinies.
But we have to make a choice to live for Him and accept Him in our lives as our Lord and Savior and live in obedience to Him and His word. This way, we can learn to be led by His Spirit of Truth which leads us to have an intimate relationship with the Father because the basis of our walk as believers in Jesus is to have a relationship with the Father through Him that will help us know who we are, what is the purpose for our lives, and how to walk victoriously as we appropriate the things Jesus died to give us. Everything about our lives on earth has been predestined by God from the foundations of the world. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
That is why Jeremiah 29:11-13 tells us how God sees us and the future He has planned for us as well as what He requires of us to overcome the evils of this world. It says,
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
However, those who give themselves to the things outlined in verse 8 of Revelation 21 since their worldly beliefs cause them to refuse God and His ways, and many even give themselves to obstruct God’s people from advancing His Kingdom on earth, they will suffer the consequences outlined in verse 8 which refer to the hour of testing and process they will have to endure and hopefully they will choose to turn to God and follow Him and the truth of His word that will set them free as they renew their mind.
The end of the old ways to live and believe will come so that God’s people can enjoy the newness of life in Him apart from persecution and destruction. This will cause many people to turn to seek and obey the truth of His word and have a relationship with Him because they see us as examples of how to live in the new order of life apart from idolatry and wrong beliefs.
To
Him alone be all the glory. ■
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