1-18-14. Revelation 21:9-27. THE LAMB IS THE TEMPLE- my devotional

Revelation 21:9-27                                                                                   Sat, Jan 18, 2014

Key verse 21:22,                                                                                      Kevin E. Jesmer

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”

Dear Lord, heavenly Father, thank you for helping us to focus on what is truly important. There are so many things that are trying to get a hold of our hearts. There are so many things that sap our energy on fruitless ventures and keep us nurturing fruitless branches that should have been pruned a long time ago. Lord, please help us to focus on Christ and the task at hand. Help us to find our mission in you, each day, and apply ourselves, by depending on your power. Help us to live devotional lives, learning and growing through your words and beholding Christ with the eyes of our hearts. Guide us on the most fruitful path. Prune fruitless branches from our lives and help us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Grant me your word in my heart today. I pray all these things in the fruit bearing name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Part 1: the Bride of the Lamb (9-21).

Verses 9-21, “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 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— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.  Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” (ESV)

The holy city, the New Jerusalem, is called the Bride of the Lamb. It is a city that is beautiful beyond description, decorated with gems and precious jewels on all its gates and walls. What a beautiful place to live. It is more beautiful than the GettyMuseum in LA. It is more beautiful than the capital building in Washington. It is more beautiful that the Tajmahal in India. It is such a wonderful place to dwell for all eternity and it is created by God as a dwelling place for him and his people. People want to know exactly what heaven is like. But it is so indescribable. In is so wonderful. And yet the God obliges us in trying to portray heaven to in terms we might begin to understand. In the immortal words of the late Keith Green, compared to heaven, this world is like living in a garbage can.

The foundation stones of the New Jerusalem are gorgeous. Its foundations are built on the teachings, the faith, the lives of faith, and ultimately the sacrifices of the 12 apostles (some were martyred. All gave their remainder of their lives on earth to serve Christ.). All Christians could have a roll to play in building up God’s house.  According to 1 Peter 2:5 we are living stones in the house of God. “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (ESV) Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. The foundation of the New Jerusalem is so beautiful. Look at verses 19-20, “19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.”  We can see the end results of those who have poured out their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Together, they make a beautiful foundation for the New Jerusalem. We may think that what we for do for Jesus is coming to nothing. Some may think that their lives are a waste. They feel fruiutless. But this is not true. Those who hold onto Gospel faith and follow the example of Christ and the apostles through faith and live by Gospel faith, the fruit of their lives are becoming the polished precious jewels of the foundation of God’s house. Thank you Lord, for teaching me that a Christian’s life of faith is never in vain, but is a vital and precious part of your plan.

Part 2: The Lamb Is The Temple (22-27).

Verses 22-27, “22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (ESV)

The most wonderful thing about the New Jerusalem is that God and the Lamb are its temple. Our coming to the Temple is not about coming to a building. It is about having a relationship with God. Jesus the Lamb restores our relationship with God. We are untied with God and Christ’s sacrifice enables us to worship God purely and forever. How doe this happen? The Lamb takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29) and cleanses us from acts that lead to death. (He 9:14) Jesus is the perfect sacrifice once and for all for our sins. (He 9:28) We are forgiven. We are united with God. We are made holy. Jesus is the great high priest who fulfills the priestly duty to redeem us from our sins and make us spotless. (He 9:11) Jesus is everything to us. It is because of Jesus that we can have assurance of dwelling in the New Jerusalem.

There is no need for any light, for God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. All nations will walk by its light. There is no sun here. All light does not emanate from the sun. There is light that comes from God. I long for the day when nations will walk by the light of Jesus and not by their nationalism, their selfish agendas, their war mongering desires, their empire building, nor their exploitive ways. In the New Jerusalem the nations will walk in the ways of Christ…in the ways of love and truth. Nothing impure will ever enter there.

What an infinite grace to sinners forgiven by the blood of the Lamb! I could never walk there on my own, for I was very impure because of sin. But Jesus forgave me and set me on a new course in life. Now I can dwell there. It is like I received a visa to live there, better yet…my citizenship in heaven.  This invite is open for anyone who accepts Christ’s invite with faith. May Christ’s light shine in us!

Prayer: “Lord, thank you for washing me in Jesus’ blood so that I may walk in your light and worship you always and dwell in the New Jerusalem.”

One Word: God and the Lamb are its temple