THE RETURN OF THE KING – Revelation 21:1-5
INTRO
When did you last read a good book that was difficult to put down?
Some of you here are keen readers who occasionally come across good books that keep you guessing what kind of an ending there will be. An excellent film or drama series can have the same effect.
The Drama of Scripture is like this – only more so!
• We are part of the story.
• We are in the script.
• We all have a walk on part in the pages of Scripture.
• We are there in the background.
• And there is a future and an ending yet to be unveiled the likes of which we can only imagine.
There is a sense in which the lives we live are like an impromptu performance for which there is no rehearsal. Like in the imaginative film ‘The Never Ending Story’ in which the reader finds himself within the text of the book he is reading, so we also find ourselves in the Drama of Scripture, and each one of us writes more of the script each day through our daily choices and daily living.
But how will the drama end? In the Drama of Scripture there is a future which our all-knowing, all-seeing God reveals in part. God, who created time and who transcends time knows the beginning from the end and has been pleased to reveal to us something of what is yet to take place.
This sermon today is the penultimate in our series on the Drama of Scripture.
• We have watched the drama unfold from the opening scenes in which Creation was established by God, and humankind were formed.
• We have watched as the Creation became entirely corrupted through original sin and we have traced God’s plan of Redemption through the calling of a covenant people for himself, on to the coming of the Messiah, the Second Adam, who accomplished in his death all that was needful for our salvation.
• History has now caught up with us and we find ourselves in the story waiting for the second coming of the Lord and for what must yet take place.
POINT
• But what will the future be like? What will eternal life be like? What can we expect?
• And where are our loved ones in Christ now who have already gone from us?
The Scriptures lift the corner of the veil:
READING Revelation 21:1-5
POINT
What an uplifting description we have here in John’s vision of Creation redeemed and restored. This is not so much a vision of what could be described as ‘heaven’ as it is Creation restored – A new heaven and a new earth. It is that which is described by Peter in 2 Peter 3:13
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
POINT
With good reason, Christians ask the questions:
‘What is the afterlife like?’ And,
‘Where are my loved ones in Christ just now?’
It is of the utmost importance that we look for our answers in the Bible and not to the philosophy of Plato or to our own imaginings.
The Holy Bible is our final authority in matters of truth.
THE DRAMA OF SCRIPTURE – THE FINAL SCENE
This final scene in the drama of Scripture pictures the future redemption of the whole of Creation.
That which became entirely corrupted through the sin of Adam is now entirely redeemed through the obedience of Christ.
Here are combined images of Eden and of the temple and Jerusalem - the dwelling places of God.
POINT
The Bible reveals that both heaven and earth will be restored.
People acquire a different understanding – put simply – of ‘going to heaven when you die’, but as Craig Bartholomew states in The Drama of Scripture:
John’s vision of salvation is not an escape from earth into a spiritual heaven where humans souls dwell forever. Salvation is the restoration of God’s creation: a new earth.
N T Wright says: ‘Very often people have come to the New Testament with the presumption that ‘going to heaven when you die’ is the implicit point of it all… They acquire that viewpoint from somewhere, but not from the New Testament’. [Probably from the philosophy of Plato]
So – According to the Bible - Just as EVERYTHING was corrupted through Adam so EVERYTHING is restored through Christ.
POINT
John’s vision in Rev 21:1-5 is of a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Heaven and earth are physically rejoined. Peace and harmony is re-established between the creator and creation. God dwells on earth with humankind and sin and all its effects are removed.
APPLIC
This will be the final state of all who have been saved through the atoning work of Christ. It is what Christ purchased for us through his atoning death on the cross.
POINT
The Book of Revelation was written to a persecuted church in Asia Minor. It’s message is that God will triumph and it describes three major events that will take place before the end:
The second coming of Christ
The dead being bodily raised
And all appearing before Christ for judgment.
BUT
WHERE ARE CHRISTIANS NOW WHO HAVE DIED IN CHRIST?
The clear and unambiguous teaching of the Bible is that the believer who dies goes immediately into the presence of the Lord!
Philip. 1:23
I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
2 Cor. 5:8
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Hebrews 12:23
You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
Luke 23:43
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Wayne Grudem ‘Death is a temporary cessation of bodily life … a separation of soul and body to be reunited at the second coming.
(no purgatory or soul sleep).
APPLIC
One of the greatest gifts we can give to our believing friends is that of a clear testimony as to our faith in Christ.
It gives us confidence of the whereabouts of our loved one beyond the grave.
IS EVERYONE ‘IN A BETTER PLACE?’
Much as people would like to ignore, discount it or reject it, the clear teaching of the Bible is that not everyone finds themselves in a better place beyond death.
Revelation 21:5-8 describes another final state.
Rev. 21:5-8
He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
[6] He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. [7] He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. [8] But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death."
POINT
The Good News is that Jesus Christ took upon himself the just punishment for our sin and he offers to bear our sins for us
[GOSPEL APPEAL]
POINT
The fact that there is a heaven and a hell can pose a real problem for some of us when we have had loved ones who have died without making any profession of faith that we know of by which we may have the assurance that they are saved.
But we can be confident of this – As Abraham said of God: ‘Surely the judge of all the earth will do right’
• God’s mercy will extend to the limits it can go to
• We never know what prayers are prayed by people in their dying weeks or moments
• And we cannot, nor should we be, the judge of others. Only God can do this
CONCL
But what we can be confident of is this: Jesus Christ bore in himself the just punishment for our sin, even though he had done no wrong, and we are forgiven through faith in him.
Hebrews 9:27-28
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, [28] so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. [16] Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Communion link – until he comes
