IN Rev. 20 we get a magnificent description of the heavenly city, New Jerusalem. She has the glory of God, and her light is like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone clear as crystal. A jasper wall surrounds her, garnished with all manner of precious stones. Twelve gates of pearl are in it, and at each gate an angel stands. The street is of pure gold, as it were transparent glass. There is no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. It has no need of the sun, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Incomparable scene—jasper walls, gates of pearl, golden street, all radiant with the shining of God’s glory.
Night is never there; the sound of weeping disturbs not the peace that fills that place. Toil has ceased for all who enter there. They share God’s rest, they see His face, His name is on their foreheads, they reign forever and ever.
Say, reader, will you be there? Will your feet press that golden street? Will that rest fill your heart? Will you dwell in that abode of Eternal Light?
But the Spirit says that into this city there shall in no wise enter anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie.
None enter the sinless city but the sinless. Are you sinless? Mark it well—nothing that defileth will ever enter there.
Follow me a moment, and you will understand.
In Gen. 3 sinful Adam is driven out of Paradise, and at its gates are placed cherubim and a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life, which grew in the midst of the garden.
Adam never re-entered Paradise; the angels prevented him; and he died outside in the place of the curse.
In the Revelation a city is disclosed to view where the curse is not, where sin can never come.
It is the city of God. He dwells there in manifested glory. The inhabitants serve Him. They see His face. They dwell in peace before Him. A deathless joy is theirs. Who are they? and whence came they? They once were sinners in this world. How they left the world and were brought to God they tell us in chapter 5., when they sing to the Lamb in the midst of the throne, “Thou art worthy, for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed [us] to God by Thy blood.”
We have seen the tree of life growing in the midst of the earthly paradise, and sinful Adam driven out lest he should touch it.
In the last chapter in the Bible the tree is seen blooming in the midst of the new Jerusalem—the paradise of God.
Oh! reader, wouldst thou enter this fair scene and eat of this wondrous tree? Wouldst thou dwell in this city of delights?
See then, at each of the twelve gates of pearl an angel stands. These angels are no longer on earth, but at the gates of the heavenly paradise, standing, as in days of yore they stood, at the gate of the earthly paradise.
How will you pass them, sinner? Do you not know that it is written, “There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth”? Has sin defiled you? Is the defilement still there? The charms of the city may attract you. You may long to be there. But how will you evade those zealous sentinels? Adam passed not the angelic guards of Eden’s garden; how then shall you, his fallen, sin-stained child, pass by those holy guardians of the golden city?
Is there, then, no hope for me? Listen.
“Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.” (Rev. 22:15, R.V.)
Here is news for you, my reader. They who wash their robes have a right to enter the gates and to come to the tree of life.
Do you ask, With what must I wash my robes? Listen.
In Rev. 7 a great white-robed multitude stand before the throne, and the Lamb leading the angels worship. One inquires, “Who are they, and whence came they?” Quickly comes the answer, “These are they who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. THEREFORE are they before the throne of God, and He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them.” A different company that to the one in chap. v., but the same Saviour.
They are there because they have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
This is the truth, beloved reader. Access to God’s presence and glory is by the blood of Jesus alone. “Washed robes” is but a figure, signifying the soul cleansed from the stain and guilt of sin. If you ever pass the angels, and enter through the gates of the city of God, it will be by virtue of the Blood of Jesus.
We press the point. Unless in this world you get cleansed from sin by the blood you will never dwell with God.
You may seek to wash your robes in something else, but you can never make them white. These had washed their robes, and made them white, but it was in the blood of the Lamb. Myriads are trying to wash their robes, but the filth still remains. It is only the blood of Jesus that cleanseth from all sin. The sinner’s only passport to God’s presence is the blood of His Son.
Oh! unsaved reader, how awful is your state.
Outside the earthly paradise, your soul black as midnight with years of accumulated sin, and with nothing but eternal judgment before you, what hope have you of passing the sleepless watchers at the city gates? Oh! believe it, you have no hope unless you get washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Cleansed thus, the gates are open to you, all heaven will welcome you, the company of God and the Lamb shall be yours forever. Oh! linger not. He who died for sinners waits to receive you. He has purchased salvation with His own blood, and now offers it to you without money and without price. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
W. H. S.