Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 22:1-4.
 
“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street.  On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month;  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;  they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”  Revelation 22:1-4.
 
————————–
 
Today’s Scripture, particularly the tree of life and the river, reminds us of the Garden of Eden.  “The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden;  and there He placed the man whom He had formed.  Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;  the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden;  and from there it divided and became four rivers.”  Genesis 2:8-10. 
 
But, from Genesis Chapter 3, we know about the sin of Adam and Eve and how they hid from God and how God punished by the curses.  Yet, even in the middle of the curses, God vaguely hinted at hope and  salvation. 
 
“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”  Genesis 3:15.  
 
“but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”  2 Timothy 1:10
 
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  Genesis 3:13-14.
 
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;  for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;  and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;  the first things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:1-4. 
 
And so, because of God’s work, instead of curses, we have blessings.
 
Because of God’s work, instead of a cursed earth, we have a new heaven and a new earth.
 
Because of God’s work, instead of polluted rivers, we have “a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb”.
 
Because of God’s work, instead of decaying trees, we have “the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month;  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.“
 
Because of God’s work, instead of man rebelling against God and hiding from God, “His bond-servants will serve Him”.
 
Because of God’s work, instead of man being driven out of the Garden of Eden, “they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” 
 
Thanks be to “our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life”! 
Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 16, 2013

Heaven: No Need for Temple, Lights, or Guards

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:22-27.
 
“22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;  26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;  27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”  Revelation 21:22-27.
 
—————–
 
God provides for all that we need in Heaven.  There is no need for temple, lights, or guards:  “for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”, “for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb”, and “nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it”.
 
First, we consider “for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”.  Verse 22.   
 
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;  and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”  Hebrews 9:11-14.
 
Second, we consider “for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb”.  Verse 23.
 
“19 “No longer will you have the sun for light by day,
Nor for brightness will the moon give you light;
But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And your God for your glory.
20 “Your sun will no longer set,
Nor will your moon wane;
For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning will be over.”  Isaiah 60:19-20.
 
Third, we consider “nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it”.  Verse 27. 
 
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived;  neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 6:9.
 
“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”  Revelation 21:8.
 
“11 “Your gates will be open continually;
They will not be closed day or night,
So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
With their kings led in procession.
12 “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish,
And the nations will be utterly ruined.”  Isaiah 60:11-12.
Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 14, 2013

Heaven: Perfect and Precious

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:15-21.
 
“The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.  The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width;  and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles;  its length and width and height are equal.  And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.  The material of the wall was jasper;  and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.  The first foundation stone was jasper;  the second, sapphire;  the third, chalcedony;  the fourth, emerald;  the fifth, sardonyx;  the sixth, sardius;  the seventh, chrysolite;  the eighth, beryl;  the ninth, topaz;  the tenth, chrysoprase;  the eleventh, jacinth;  the twelfth, amethyst.  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;  each one of the gates was a single pearl.  And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”  Revelation 21:15-21.
 
————————-
 
Heaven is perfect, represented by its perfect cube shape:  “its length and width and height are equal”.
 
Heaven is also precious, represented by its precious materials:  “The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.”  “The material of the wall was jasper;  and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.”  “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;  each one of the gates was a single pearl.  And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” 
 
“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.”  Psalm 50:2
 
“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:  That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4
Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 13, 2013

Heaven is also our home.

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:12-14.
 
“It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels;  and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.  There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west.  And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”  Revelation 21:12-14.
 
————–
 
Heaven is not just the home of “the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel”.  Heaven is not just the home of “the twelve apostles of the Lamb”.  Heaven is also our home. 
 
Consider that both “the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel” and “the twelve apostles of the Lamb” were chosen.  Consider that the “twelve” in “the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel” and in “the twelve apostles of the Lamb” represents a full and perfect number.  Not one was lost.
 
Yes, of course, the twelve apostles deserve to be honored.  Scripture confirms it.  “Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”  And He (Christ) said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”  Luke 18:28-30.
 
But, I think at least one of the purposes of today’s Scripture is to motivate us to desire that our names be also written on the wall of Heaven and to come to the realization that our names are also written on the wall of Heaven.  In a word, today’s Scripture drives us to faith.  “By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  Hebrews 11:9-10.
 
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”  Ephesians 2:19-22.
 
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”  Philippians 3:20
Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:9-11.
 
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
 
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.  Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.”  Revelation 21:9-11.
 
——————-
 

“Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”  We know that the bride, the wife of the Lamb, is the church.  “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.  Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.”

Marvel at all that Christ has done for us!    

“… Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;  but that she would be holy and blameless.”  Ephesians 5:25-27.

We are precious in God’s sight!

“Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.”  Isaiah 43:4
 
He has decked us out with very costly jewels! 
 
“Lift up your eyes and look around;  All of them gather together, they come to you.  As I live,” declares the Lord, “You will surely put on all of them as jewels and bind them on as a bride.”  Isaiah 49:18
 
“Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones.”  Isaiah 54:12
 
Rejoice and exult in our God!
 
“I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God;  For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”  Isaiah 61:10
Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 11, 2013

“No evil dwells with You.”

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:8.
 
“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”  Revelation 21:8.
 
——————
 
One of Heaven’s blessings is the absence of the wicked. 
 
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived;  neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 6:9. 
 
But to prevent us from being proud, thinking:  “of course, we are so much better than they are“, the following verse states:  “Such were some of you;  but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”  1 Corinthians 6:10.
 
“4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
6 You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.”  Psalm 5:4-6.
 
“1 O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
3 He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.”  Psalm Chapter 15.
 
But, alas!  No one is righteous.
 
“10 as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Romans 3:10-18.

As Reformed believers very well aware of this “Total Depravity”, man’s natural condition of being dead in sin, we know that we all would be shut out of Heaven, unless we receive the grace of God summarized in the other points of “TULIP” of “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace”, and “Preservation of the Saints”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. 
 
“For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”  Romans 11:32    
 
“But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”  Galatians 3:22
Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 6, 2013

Heaven: “made ready as a bride adorned for her husband”

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:1-7.  The next devotion, God willing, will be next Tuesday, June 11, 2013.  I leave today for a cruise vacation.  
 
“1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;  for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;  and there will no longer be any death;  there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;  the first things have passed away.”
 
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”  And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”  6 Then He said to me, “It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.  7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”  Revelation 21:1-7.
 
——————-
 
What is Heaven like? 
 
Today’s Scripture gives us some descriptions.
 
Heaven is beautiful.  “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”  Verse 2.  
 
Heaven is God’s home.  “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them”.  See verse 3.
                                     

Heaven is peaceful:  “there will no longer be any death;  there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain”.  See verse 4.

Heaven is brand new.  “Behold, I am making all things new.”  See verse 5.  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth”.  See Verse 1.  “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem”.  See verse 2.   

Heaven is “the spring of the water of life”.  See verse 6.

Heaven is family.  “I will be his God and he will be My son.”  See verse 7.

For other descriptions of heaven, click the “Heaven” tag above at the top of this page. 

“Walk about Zion and go around her;
Count her towers;
Consider her ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
That you may tell it to the next generation.”  Psalm 48:12-13.
 
Thirst for heaven.  “I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.”  See Verse 6. 
 
Keep seeking heaven.  “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4. 
Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 20:11-15.
 
“11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.  12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened;  and another book was opened, which is the book of life;  and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them;  and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.  14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.  15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:11-15.
 
———————–
 
“The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.”  Psalm 97:5.
 
“9 Worship the Lord in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 Before the Lord, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.”  Psalm 96:9-13.

“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that will be abolished is death. ”  1 Corinthians 15:25-26.

“But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;  but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 20:7-10.
 
“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war;  the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.  And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.  And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also;  and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  Revelation 20:7-10.
 
————————
 
“1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.”  Psalm 97:1-3.
 
“… And therefore the consideration of this judgment, is justly terrible and dreadful to the wicked and ungodly, but most desirable and comfortable to the righteous and elect:  because then their full deliverance shall be perfected, and there they shall receive the fruits of their labor and trouble which they have borne.  Their innocence shall be known to all, and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God shall execute on the wicked, who most cruelly persecuted, oppressed and tormented them in this world;  and who shall be convicted by the testimony of their own consciences, and being immortal, shall be tormented in that everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.  …”  Article 37:  Of the Last Judgment.  Belgic Confession.
Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 20:4-6. 
 
“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand;  and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.  This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection;  over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”  Revelation 20:4-6. 
 
————————– 
 
The temptation in today’s Scripture is to ignore (or too lightly consider) the blessing of “they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” and worry about the coming event in the very next two verses of “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war;  the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.”  Revelation 20:7-8.
 
We do this in life.  We ignore (or too lightly consider) the blessing that we are presently experiencing and worry too much about the future.
 
Reformed Doctrine can help!
 
Reformed Doctrine reminds us of God’s sovereignty and providence.  God is still in control throughout all these events.  God will provide all that we need for whatever we face.
 
Question 28.  What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence doth still uphold all things?
 
Answer.  That we may be patient in adversity;  thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from his love;  since all creatures are so in his hand, that without his will they cannot so much as move.  Heidelberg Catechism.   
 
“7 He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
9 He has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.

10 The wicked will see it and be vexed,
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked will perish.”  Psalm 112:7-10

In conclusion, we even notice in verse 8 that “His heart is upheld, he will not fear”.  Reformed Doctrine teaches that God even upholds our heart.  “We believe that, to attain the true knowledge of this great mystery, the Holy Ghost kindleth in our hearts an upright faith, which embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, appropriates him, and seeks nothing more besides him. …”  Article 22:  Of Faith in Jesus Christ.  Belgic Confession.

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