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Oh my God.
We pray for invasion.
Of God when it came to us.
As we can continue on in Revelation 21 and read as we did this morning into the next chapter, last chapter, the Bible, Revelation 21, and verse 9.
And there came unto me one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come, hit her, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone, clear as crystal, and had a wall great and high, and had 12 gates, and had the gates 12 angels.
And names written there, on which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel.
On the east, 3 gates, on the north 3 gates, on the South, 3 gates and on the West.
And the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and in them the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the city. And the gates, they're all in the wall, they're all in the city. Lieth 4 square.
And the length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with the Reed 12,000 furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
00:05:02
And he measured the wall thereof in 140 and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the Angel.
In the building of the wall of it was of Jasper.
And the city was pure gold, like under clear glass.
The foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper, the second sapphire, the third Caledonian the 4th and emerald the 5th Sergeant, the 6th, Sardius the 7th Crystalloid the 8th Girls, the 9th the Topaz.
The 10th Crystal process, the 11Th of Jason, the 12Th and Amethyst.
And the 12 gates were 12 Pearls, every several gate was of 1 Pearl. In the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
I saw no temple there in, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it, And the city had no need of the sun, neither the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lightning it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth to bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, or there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it, and there shall no wise enter into it anything that defiles us.
Either whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but say what you are written in the Lamb's book of life.
And he showed me a pure river water of life.
Where is Crystal proceeding? Out of the throne of God and of the Lamb? In the midst of the street, of it, and on either side of the river. Was there the tree of life?
Which bear 12 manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, And his servant shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. There shall be no night there.
And they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the Holy Prophet sent his Angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly.
Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Well, as we said this morning, this section then introduces us to something different. We've had the eternal state before us in the previous verses, but now he's going to go back and fill in some details in connection with the Millennium in From a heavenly perspective. And it's already been alluded to, but I think it's helpful to repeat the fact that what we have here is not a description of heaven. Now, brethren, I don't want to take away anybody's perception of what heaven is going to be like. And I will join heartily in some of the hymns. We sing about the Street of Gold and the Gates of Pearl, and we sing, and what will it be to be there? That's all fine and well.
But you notice in the context here, he is now going to describe the church.
Who has been already brought before us as the bride of Christ. He's going to describe her as the city. She's actually brought before us in two ways here as the Lamb's wife and as the city. Maybe I'll just make a comment about the Lamb's wife first, because, uh, well, well, in fact, just go back to the, uh, I want to make a contrast. Just go back to the 17th chapter for a moment.
00:10:07
To notice how John views all this.
And how he viewed the false church in the 17th chapter and verse three. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and 10 horns and so on. So when John viewed the false church and her judgment, he views it from an earthly perspective. He's taken by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. But notice where we started this afternoon.
Now he's going to view the true church, but he has to be not from an earthly perspective, it has to be from a heavenly perspective. And so he's not taken by the spirit into the wilderness, He's taken by the spirit to a high mountain because he's going to view things from a heavenly perspective. So very interesting contrast. And sometimes people don't realize, but you know, after we're gone, there's still going to be a church on earth.
It'll be a false church.
But there will still be a church on earth, and it will be fully judged. As we get in the previous chapters, John views her judgment from the perspective of the wilderness. But here he's carried to this great and high mountain, and we find he sees the Lamb's wife. Now why is she referred to as the Lamb's Wife? Well, there may be other reasons, but those of us who are married will remember vividly the day when a young lady stood beside us and she was our bride.
But as the years have gone by, she's become our wife.
It the bride has to do with the freshness and loveliness of affection and so on. And we are going to be the bride of Christ for all eternity, as was mentioned. But the wife has to do more with relationship. And so as the Lamb's wife, she's going to we're going to have a part in the administration of the Kingdom from a heavenly standpoint. Let me illustrate it this way. When the President of the United States or the Prime Minister of Canada or any other dignitary.
Elected to office and brought to the official residents of the country. Wouldn't you be surprised if their wife didn't move in with them? And wouldn't you be surprised if at least some of the time, as his picture is splashed across the national press if his wife wasn't beside him at least some of the time. And there are times when the wife, the the dignitaries wife has a part in a role to play. Not in the same way that the Prime Minister, the president has.
But she does play an important role, and so as the Lamb's wife in that relationship, we're going to have a part in reigning with Christ. But then he goes on, as we have noticed, to describe her.
As a city. Why? Because cities denote administration. If I say Ottawa or Washington DC or London or Paris or any of the other great capitals of this world, you immediately think of the running of the country, the administration of the country from that point. And I believe that's why she's described as a city in her administrative function and glory, reigning with Christ in a coming day.
The language, of course, is figurative, but it brings before us, I believe, the place of relationship and the role we are going to have in reigning with Christ during that the Millennium. So I believe that helps to put in contact what we have. She's called the Lamb's wife in the end of verse nine. And then he's carried away to see this city and the city is not heaven. The city is a description as he points out.
Of the Church in her millennial administrative reign.
Strong So as Jim read there in the 17th chapter, we have a picture of her and she is uh.
The fourth verse of the 17th chapter, a woman is raid in purple and scarlet colored, decked with gold and precious stones and pearls. I mean, cup in her hand, full of abominations, filthiness of her fornication. She's a hollow and she is also viewed as a city too, and in connection with the false administration that she's taken in this oath. And so the next verse, Mystery Babylon the great. So I mean, once you start seeing these parallels, you can see what the Spirit of God uses.
The language that he does at least is helpful to see these parallels.
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There the Angel carries him away into a wilderness.
Here he carries him to a great and high mountain that's significant as well.
I think to not to get.
Particular words, but in verse 10, it's the great city could be removed. It's not a great city in the sense that Babylon, Babylon the great that she is a holy city, holy Jerusalem.
So those words are you can cross out that great city.
But.
Just go back to Hebrews 12 and you'll get one of them.
Hebrews, chapter 12.
And, uh, verse 22.
But year come unto Mount Zion under the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly and the Church of the first born which are written in heaven, and to the Judge of all, the of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and so on. The Jerusalem here, I believe in its context, is the same as the 3rd heaven, eternal dwelling place of God. It's not where we are, that place where we are going to spend eternity.
And there there's going to be those different companies in heaven. There's going to be not just the church, but the Old Testament Saints, those who died before the age of responsibility. There's going to be the tribulation martyrs and so on. There's going to be a number of groups or families in that Jerusalem or in in heaven, the eternal dwelling place of God. Then, of course, we have no problem understanding that there's the physical city of Jerusalem that during the millennial reign of Christ on earth is going to be the center of the world. It's going to be the capital of the world.
Not Washington DC, not London or Ottawa or any other of the celebrated capitals of this world.
Jerusalem is going to be the metropolis, the capital of the world. Tremendous to think about. They're not that today. They're still a suppressed city. People in Jerusalem tonight will go to bed with fear and trepidation in their heart. But in a coming day, there's going to be the peace of Jerusalem. And as we have, all the nations are going to have to come up year by year and recognize that that physical city, Jerusalem, is God's center on earth. And if they don't, they will be cut off and have pestilence and famine.
But then there's the Jerusalem here, what we might call the mystical Jerusalem. Again, it's the church described in her heavenly administrative glory with Christ reigning over the earth. So there are these three. I believe we again shows the importance of context. There are these three.
Aspects in which Jerusalem is brought before us in the Scripture.
I think verse 11 is a tremendous verse to stop and consider having the glory of God. Now he's talking about the church in her millennial glory, having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone, most precious, even like a Jasper stone, clear as crystal. Just go back to 2nd Thessalonians for a moment, chapter one for a verse that I think corresponds with what we have here as to this description.
2nd Thessalonians chapter one and verse 10. Now this is talking about a future day when the Lord Jesus comes back. Heaven, heaven opens up, earth looks up. They see not only the Lord Jesus coming back, but they see the heavenly company with Him, that heavenly company that Bob brought before us in the open meeting. And what does it say? Verse 10 when he shall come? This is his appearing to be glorified in His Saints, and to admire, be admired in all them.
00:20:07
Not believe. I'm gonna leave out the italic, the the parenthesis admired in all them that believe in that day. What is that day? That day in Scripture is always the day of his appearing. And when he comes back and heaven opens up and the Lord Jesus comes forth wearing many diadems to reign in righteousness, and we come with him, the earth is gonna look up and wherever they look, they're gonna see a reflection of Christ in every St. And that's tremendous to think about.
Rather than we ought to reflect something of Christ now in our lives and we will in the measure in which we're occupied with the man in the glory will be changed into the same image from glory to glory. You get that in Corinthians. But I I can only point at my own heart and say sometimes it's a pretty clouded picture. Sometimes the reflections pretty clouded, but it thrills my soul brethren to think there's a day coming when we're going to come forth and Jim Highland with every other St. of God is going to reflect fully the glories of Christ and wherever the world looks as they look up, they're going to see Christ reflected fully in his Saints now.
That ought to motivate us now to be occupied with the man in the glory and seek to reflect something of him now.
I think that thought of reflection, uh, reflected glory is umm.
Is can be simply explained in the in the fact that anything that is described here that is beautiful is only beautiful in the light.
If you take a precious stone and put it in the dark, all it is is a piece of rock. If you take a, if you take gold, it feels in the dark. It just feels like a lump of, uh, something that has a kind of an oily feel finish on it, but it's just a piece of, uh, rock. And, and so it takes the light to bring out the beauty that's there. But where is the light come from here? It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Here's the contrast. Having the glory of God, we will be completely conformed to what He had in mind of Him. Think to the fact that the says in First Corinthians 11 That the woman is the glory of the man.
Well, here is the one.
That reflects the glory of God.
We have that expression down through this chapter 2 quite a number of times. The end of verse 11 clear as crystal.
In verse 18, the city was Pure gold, likened to clear glass. Verse 21 at the end the city was Pure gold as it were transparent glass. Gold is often mentioned as it's God's righteousness, divine righteousness, but here it is like clear glass. It will be.
Visible. So often we see things today that we don't understand.
Why does it happen this way? Why it's not clear? In that day? Everything will be clear, brother.
I'd like to just make a practical Application in that regard. I don't want to depart from what we have here as to the typical teaching and the figurative language that is brought before us. But I thought of this, this expression clear as crystal. You know, it tells us brethren, that now we see through a glass darkly. Things aren't always clear as to circumstances in our lives now and what the Lord allows in our lives and.
00:25:19
I have no doubt there's some here perhaps. And you're wondering why did the Lord allow this in my life? I just don't understand. I just can't see through it and, and I don't get the point. But brethren, if you and I are willing to leave that with the Lord, maybe we won't see everything clear as crystal down here. Maybe everything as to God's purposes and ways with us won't be manifest. Sometimes we do look back and we say, well, now I see clearly why the Lord allowed that and brought me to this point.
But I think there's things, brethren, we're just going to have to leave till we get to the judgment seat of Christ. You know, Solomon said, Looking at things from a natural standpoint, that which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is rough cannot be made plain. Isn't that the way we look at it sometimes we say that's never going to be straightened out, that's never going to be made plain. But it tells us in Corinthians Speaking of a future day of glory at the men of the future day at the of the manifestation of the judgment seat of Christ.
In First Corinthians 4 it tells us that.
There everything is going to be to be made be made plain, and every man is going to have praise of God. Isaiah 40 as well says, the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. That's the future day of glory. And so rather than are you and I willing to to wait that wait that day.
I I'll quote the verse I was thinking of in First Corinthians. It says, it says there, let me just let me just read it.
So I quote it correctly. It's in connection with the judgment seat of Christ. It says, therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, make manifest the counsels of the heart, and then shall every man have praise of God. There's hidden things of darkness now, things we don't understand. But brethren, in that day everything is going to be clear as crystal. I know it takes faith to count on that. I know it takes faith to wait. We'd like everything plain now.
But are you and I willing to wait, realizing that God has a perfect plan, that everything is working out in our lives for a purpose of blessing, and that there's a day coming when in the light of His presence and His glory, everything is going to be plain? No shadows there, no seeing through a glass darkly there. Well, I know that's a little Application, but I just say that to encourage our hearts, brethren, and again, to look on to that day when we're going to understand everything perfectly. And as the little hymn says.
We shall shine in his beauty.
I like to associate these gates and the various.
Uh, precious stones and how they reflect beauty.
Uh, with, uh, our present testimony here on Earth, uh, we just go back and thought to, uh, Joseph, who we know spent those many years in rejection.
And he did it obediently and in submission, and he did it because of righteousness. He wouldn't lie. He wouldn't.
Conform to the world around him. And so when the day of exaltation came, Pharaoh could say none is so worthy as he.
He had proved his faithfulness in life and therefore was the best candidate to rule in the day of exaltation. That's our Lord Jesus Christ. But it's so wonderful to see how the Lord Jesus chooses to associate us with him. And I believe that in any measure that we go through life and suffer for righteousness, suffer injustice.
Or display Christ in our life in any way those things will be on display as associated with Christ As for him and he will choose to have his Saints as the messengers at the gates going out to to administer in his Kingdom. Uh, so these.
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I, I like to encourage our hearts when we go through life. I mean, this morning we prayed for some of our brethren that are in difficult circumstances. None of us would choose those things, but it's part of learning what the sufferings of Christ are. And, uh, I believe such ones in the coming day will be specially identified with the Lord, uh, as he reigns.
Umm, I hope I'm getting my point across because this is not just something that we're going to look forward to and we're going to enjoy in the coming day. It's something that's forming right now. We are preparing right now as we live our lives and it's going to be put on display then.
Brother Doug, let's go back to the 19th chapter for a moment, because I believe what you say is very important, that our lives now are going to have a bearing on that future day when we reign with the Lord Jesus. And I know it's more the thought of the individual side of things, but since Brother Douglas brought it up and I think it's helpful, let's notice the seventh verse of the 19th chapter. Let us be glad and rejoice.
And give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb has come. And his wife notice this hath made herself ready. There was preparation. And then notice we'll read on. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is I'm going to read this, I think Mr. Darby's way. Mr. Darby translated the righteousnesses of Saints. I believe what we have here at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Is the result of what is the rewards that are given for faithfulness at the judgment seat of Christ. The righteousness is of Saints and what is displayed when we come back to reign with Christ is going to be have its bearing. Yes, we're going to fully reflect the glories of Christ in that day, but we are we making ourselves ready now Is there that preparation for the wedding. What would you think of a bride.
Who was anticipating her wedding day and you stopped by her home from time to time and you found no preparations being made for the wedding.
Why you say that's very strange, but brethren, are we living in view of the fact that we're going to be married to the Lord? We are going to be married to the Lord, you and I who have been saved by the grace of God in this dispensation, the age of the, of grace. We are going to be the the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife. We're going to be that special company at the marriage supper of the Lamb that's going to be married to the Lord. Are we living in view of that day?
We're all gonna be there, that's true. And in heaven there's as far as eternity, there's no degrees, but as far as the judgment seat of Christ and what we have as the righteousness of Saints, we're preparing for that now. We're making ourselves ready, and it's all going to be brought to light and manifest. And so this is very, very practical. It's more than just being saved and knowing we're on our way to heaven and that we're going to be part of the bride of Christ in a coming day.
Again, as we've had before us already, what manner of person ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness? Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is Pure. Are we really like an earthly bride, living in view of the wedding day and making preparation? Again, we're going to collectively reflect the glories of Christ in a wonderful way, but individually there's a responsibility and an exercise that is needed now in view of that time.
I have a question I'd like to ask the brothers if they could, uh, help me out with this. If we're Speaking of right, right, Why is it that?
In.
In verse 12.
Uh, that that it speaks of the 12 tribes of Israel and their and their names being written on the gates.
Where is the? Where is the connection there?
Well, Israel is going to have a part in the millennial reign, as we've been saying. Israel and Jerusalem is going to be the center of the world. But it's also interesting in this that there are the names of the 12 apostles because they were promised that they would sit on 12 Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And remember that from verse 10. Now he's not describing her so much as the bride or the wife, but the city now.
00:35:30
If, if I can just make this this parenthetical comment. When you go through the New Testament, you find the Church of Christ described in different ways as to her function on earth Here now she's the body of Christ and every member has a function and so on. She's referred to as we've had as the, as the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife, the city, and there are other there are other ways that the church is brought before us to.
Bring before us various facets of her responsibility and her position that she's going to share with Christ in a, in a, in a coming day, what she means to the heart of Christ and the blessing she's been brought into. You have to keep them in their proper context. So here, as we said earlier, it's the the church as a city in her millennial administrative function with Christ. The apostles are going to have a part, but they're going to have a part from a heavenly standpoint.
Because they're going to be part of of the heavenly of the heavenly company of the Church of God.
See, again, Israel is going to have a part. It'll be from an earthly perspective, but they will have a have a part as well. There will also be Old Testament Saints that will be in heaven and they will have a part in the administration of, of the Kingdom as as well. And so there are, as we said earlier from, from Hebrews 12, there are these various companies in heaven. There's the Old Testament Saints, they're going to have an A part in the administration of the Kingdom.
Every Pennsylvania, every each part of the heavenly company is going to come back and reign with Christ. Every St. from Abel on down, I believe, is going to come with Christ to reign in a in a coming day.
Where judgment was carried out in old times, and so somebody has said the order of authority in the millennial they will be Christ supreme.
And the church in connection with him. And that's what we have in this city. And then Israel on the earth. And so each of those gates where the judgment is rendered goes out to a particular tribe of the children of Israel. And Israel will be supreme in this world as to the government of the world. And so it's interesting #12 in Scripture is always.
Uh, administrative, it's a number of administration. There were 12 apostles and it's, uh, of course that's the foundations of the city because it's foundation of the church is the doctrine of the apostles. And then, uh, the 12 tribes of Israel will be the means by which the whole earth is governed. So it's proper picture, isn't it? It comes out of the gates, uh, each.
Gate has one of the names of the children of Israel. Because it will be through. That means the whole earth will be governed.
We're getting John 4 salvation is of the Jews and we get in Revelation 5 thou is redeemed to God out of every tribe. That certainly includes the 12.
There's there's the.
Ones that are part of the church.
But there are the angels because they have always been God's ministers. And so from the beginning of time, God has sent forth angels to perform various functions and tasks. And we certainly know from going through Revelation that they play a very prominent role in the carrying out of God's judgments as well As for the blessing of the earth. So they're mentioned here as well.
It's interesting, I believe there are nine sets of 12 here in this in in this description. I'll just give them to you without expounding on them. But the first one, of course, is in verse 12, the 12 gates and that same verse 12 angels, same verse the 12 tribes of Israel. Then we have 12 manner of precious stones described in the verses that follow. Then there's.
00:40:13
In verse 21.
There are, uh, uh, twe, I'm sorry, in verse 16, there are 12,000 furlongs. Then we have the 12 Stones that are mentioned. Then we have the, uh, in verse 21, the 12 gates, uh, and then, umm, in uh, the next chapter we have the 12 manner of fruit. I, I believe if you count there's nine there. But a very significant, as Bob said, 12 is always administrative perfection.
In connection with the earth. And it will be a perfect rain. It won't be a perfect state of things as we've mentioned, but it will be a wonderful rain as Christ has his rightful place. And the administration goes forth throughout the whole or in the way that Bob has described. Because it's not only Israel that's going to be blessed, but the whole earth is going to be blessed in that day.
Two March 12Th and verse 14. Brother Jim, I I I missed those. I'm sorry. Yeah, they they were part of my account. I've counted them too.
I know there might be different, uh, ways of looking at it, but if you take the 144 that are mentioned in verse 17 as 2/12, this is 12 * 12. There are actually 12 twelves. Very good.
Perfect administration, Huawei. How different than what we have in the world today. One government comes up.
And it falls. And then another government comes up with more promises and doesn't last too long. Here's a government that will last for 1000 years.
Perfect rain.
So that's why the city is described as Foursquare. It's equal, isn't it? It's measured now with a he says, with a golden Reed. That's gold, always are, often speaks of divine righteousness. And so, again, I know we say these things many times, but just to put it in perspective, now in man's day, righteousness suffers. And it, brethren, if we're looking for righteousness in an unrighteous world, we're gonna be sadly disappointed.
And I've talked to many Christians who through MIS teaching are looking for righteousness down here and feel we're a moral force to change the world and usher in the Kingdom and bring in an era of, of righteousness and good and so on. You talk to, you don't have to talk to them very long to find they're somewhat discouraged. They may not want you to to see it, but there's there's somewhat discouraged because if they're honest with themselves, they realize that righteousness is suffering now. And brethren, we can't expect righteousness in an unrighteous world.
They rejected the king of righteousness, and as Malachi says, not till the Son of righteousness rises with healing in his wings.
Will there be righteous judgment in the earth again, so righteousness suffers in the eternal state?
Righteousness is, is going to abide. There's going to be nothing to spoil. As we said, said this morning, umm, it's, it's a fixed state of things. But in, in eternal, I'm sorry. In the Millennium, righteousness will reign. It won't be perfect. Sin will need to be judged every morning, but righteousness is is going to rain. And so the church, as she's described here as the city, she's Foursquare equal size.
There's no equality in this world today, is there? All you have to do, I don't suggest you do this, but all you have to do is when the courts open, uh, on Monday morning is go down to a court of law and listen to the cases that are taken up in a court of law. I think you pretty soon realize there's really no righteousness in this world. Woe to those that call evil good and good evil and people that are guilty, if they get, if they're fast talkers and they get a good lawyer, they're going to get, they may get off others. Sometimes there's bribes paid under the table.
Don't worry, there's lots of corruption in, in the Western world. We deal with it blatantly in the in, in other countries, but there's lots of it in this West, in the Western world as well. Sometimes there's pace under the under the table and the judge let somebody off. Sometimes there's those who are not guilty and they may be condemned and they may have to pay a fine or go to prison or whatever. There's no equity and justice in the world today and I don't expect there will be until God's man takes the throne of his glory, until the Lord Jesus reigns in righteousness and Princess rule and judgment. Is there going to be equity and judgment, justice and righteousness?
00:45:13
So I believe this is at least part of what is illustrated to us in the city. Being a cube, it was 4 square and it was measured by a golden Reed that would speak of divine righteousness.
I think we mentioned that this morning, uh, that in the 1St 8 verses, it speaks about the church there, there's no wall mentioned at all. But here there's a wall. And that goes along with what you were saying, Brother Jim, that there's gonna be evil still on the earth in the millennial day, but righteousness will reign and it will be judged.
Immediately, but there is need of a wall and that always indicates keeping something out. It's interesting if you look at Mr. Darby's translation in verse 24 says in the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the kings of the earth to bring their glory and honor. You look at Mr. Darby's translations, It's to it. It's not into it. And also in verse.
26 And they shall bring.
The glory and honor of the nations. To it they'll bring the nothing that contaminates will ever be allowed to enter that city.
Yes, we're going to be beyond anything that defiles in that day. And I believe it's more accurate in the 5th chapter of Revelation when they sing the new song that they reign over the Earth. King James says on the earth. But I don't believe, brethren, there's a scripture that would teach us that when we leave planet Earth at the Rapture, we're ever going to touch this Earth as it is again. We're going to be beyond that. Yes, we're going to rain over the Earth.
It's interesting when you compare scripture to see that the Lord Jesus.
Is going to come back and stand on planet Earth again and the Mount of Olives is going to rend asunder and he's going to establish his Kingdom. But he's going to leave a vice Regent or under the British system we call it a Governor General. He's going to leave a vice Regent who's of the seed of David here on the on the throne in in Jerusalem, who will act under his direction. The Governor General of Canada acts under the direction of the Queen. He's directly answerable to the sovereign of Britain.
And so this vice Regent or Governor General, he will sit on the throne in Israel, and then the Lord Jesus is going to take the throne of his glory in the heavens to reign over the earth with his bride and with the heavenly company. So I believe it's good to keep that in perspective. I'm not expecting once I leave this, this world of sin and sorrow and defilement, I'm not expecting to ever touch foot on it again. I'm expecting, though, to come back with Christ.
And to reign over the earth. So I think what Brother Bob said is very helpful, that the nations, they bring their tribute to it, but they don't come into it because again, on earth it is still not a perfect state of things. Sin is not eradicated completely until there's a new heaven and a new earth.
It's interesting you couldn't prove it by me, but a brother was telling me that if you figure the dimensions of this.
Uh, it, this, this city, it. And again, it's figurative, I realized, but 2.6 billion cubic miles, that's quite a city. We don't have any city on earth today that big. I've been to Cairo and, and Lagos and some of the, the big cities in this world, but this city is tremendous and it's a square. It will when the bride, when the, when the church reigns over the earth with Christ, there's gonna be, everybody's gonna be able to look up and see her. There's going to be nothing hidden in that day. Think of a side again, figurative, but think of the size of that city and the import that she's going to have as she reigns with Christ over the earth.
00:50:00
You'll excuse your brother and once your brother and Jim, I must say that I thought about what you said that we will never touch planet Earth again, but we will be with the Lord like we've been saying. And if his feet touchdown and you say that your feet won't touch down too, so well, we'll be with Christ. But I wouldn't I wouldn't, I don't. All I say is I don't believe we have a scripture that would show us that we actually touch that which defiles again.
Yes, but uh.
Not to angels has he committed the administration of the coming world, but to men, hasn't he? And we have the example in the Old Testament of of.
Abraham once received a visit from the Lord and from 2 angels because in that time the administration was committed to angels, and so the angels were deputed down to, uh, Sodom and Gomorrah.
I don't think we can say that they were ever defiled themselves, but they were in charge of destroying that those cities of the plane. So in the millennial day, I wonder if perhaps the Lord may send us in questions of government to take care of something as to the government of this world. This is this is my own thought and I just presented. You'll bear with it. Will you, brother? Absolutely. Yes, Sir, Thank you. But we will you will agree that we will never be depiled again. Definitely.
OK.
What would we expect? Imperfection from those millennial Saints, or lack of perfection?
Well, though still we need the need for sacrifice, won't there? Because there will be still sin, and so there's the need for the priesthood and sacrifice. Again, you get that in the last couple of chapters of Isaiah and other places, we find again that sin will be judged morning by morning. Things will need to be dealt with in that way. But I believe that it won't take many mornings for people to fall into line outwardly because it tells us in the 88 Psalm and other places that they will feign obedience.
The Millennium will not change men's hearts necessarily, but it will cause them to fall into line as they see what happened to their neighbor yesterday. Their neighbor did something. And remember, it's only actions that are judged in the Millennium, not the heart. But when there are actions, they are judged morning by morning. And so I a person sees what happened to their neighbor who sinned yesterday and they were brought up and they were they were killed. It was the ultimate penalty. I don't think it'll be take many mornings for people to outwardly fall into line.
Now sin is rampant because it says if, if sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed, is thoroughly said in the heart of man to do evil. Man does evil today because he gets all he gets away with it. And even if he's brought up to the judge again, as we say, he might have a have a good lawyer, there might be a typo in the report. There's some loophole in the law and he gets off or he just gets a slap on the wrist or a small fine. And so evil is rampant today because.
Sentences not easily are are not quickly executed, but in a coming day it will be morning by morning, and so people will fall into line. So again, there will still be sin in the Millennium, but I believe there will be many who outwardly feign obedience. Their hearts will be brought out later at the end, but they will go through the Millennium having feigned obedience, outwardly giving obeisance to the King.
Another, uh, detail to think about that too is that Satan will be bound in the Millennium, won't he? And people sin often now because they're deceived by Satan in that day, that they won't have that excuse at all. If they sin, they will do it knowing they are doing it in direct rebellion to the Lord Jesus. And so they're cut off the next morning.
Just another little detail in connection with the measurement of the city. If you notice in verse 17, he measures the wall thereof 140 and four cubits. Notice this according to the measure of a man that is of the Angel. This is measured not by man's measure of what is right or or just, but this is measured by the measure of what the Lord sees is right and just today men measures measure the things according to their feeling and of course the standard is completely gone and and it's.
00:55:24
Whatever, whatever you think is right and whatever you think is wrong, but this will all be measured according to divine righteousness in a coming day.
And that will be administration of a man, right? The man Christ Jesus, and with him those who are also men of the human race.
I just have a question here and uh.
Verse 25.
Chapters. And it says, And the gates which shall not be shut off by day, for there should be no night there.
Does that mean that the light and the glory of the Lord?
Will will repel anything that defiles.
That's what it gives you, gives us to understand that in verse 23, doesn't it? The city had no need of the sun either of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Remember a brother speaking about this and he said.
If you have a green light, it makes everything look green. You have a red light, it makes everything look red. But here Christ is the light of it. Everywhere you look, you'll see Christ.
I enjoy thinking too brother, in in verse 14 it speaks of the 12 foundations and in them the name of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. Then you have the foundations mentioned again in verse 19 and each of the foundations was garnished with all manner of precious stones and each foundation is mentioned Jasper, sapphire.
Ciao, Sidonie, 4th Emerald, 5th Sardomix, etcetera, right down to the end. Each of these precious stones. So in the apostles of the Lamb, it's it's interesting how the human and the divine are brought out together. None of the apostles were exactly like another. They were all different and yet God brings them all into the picture.
As the foundation work of this city.
I wonder, brethren, if we could take the time that remains to sing a rather lengthy hymn that describes what we've been Speaking of in beautiful language. For myself, I have to confess it's one of my favorite hymns. I memorized it years ago as a young person.
79.
I know it's a long him, but if we sing it to something like welcome Voice, which is a is a SM double, it goes fairly quickly, but it's Mr. Mr. Darby wrote this based on the portion we're taking up. And I believe it describes very in a very precious way what we've been saying Brother Bob brought before us speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. And certainly this hymn speaks in a very beautiful way to our hearts of what we have been saying so.
We could sing hymn #79.
01:05:25
Yeah, right as fast as way.
I love my voice while I'm.