The Power of the New Testament Church - Part 1

The New Testament Church was not born of silver-tongued orators. It was not born through the slick preaching of the Gospel such as we have today. It is easy to preach the Gospel today because we no longer have to prove anything. In general, our listeners do not expect signs and wonders following.

All you have to do to be successful now is to be a graduate of a Bible College or Seminary to gather some credentials. You can articulate your first point, your second point, your third point and your conclusion. Interject it with a nice story or two and a little humor and you have it made. If you can talk about your "God-given" gifts and the power of positive thinking and the power of mind over matter, then you are really successful.

I thank God for great preachers and there is no shortage of them. But, slowing and unknowingly the world is going to hell! Why? Because the Church cannot stop the influence of pornogaphy, sin, homosexuality, drugs and other evils.

The demonstration of Power

The New Testament Church was not born through great preaching, nor was it born through the manipulation of people. It was born in a demonstration power.

Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; ..." (Acts 1:8, NKJV).

When the disciples came out of the upper room after they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they were staggering under the influence of that power. People said, they, including Peter, were drunk.

Peter stood up and said, "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; ...'" (Acts 2:15 - 17).

When Paul came out of the desert after God overtook him and he was converted on the road to Damascus, he was able to say, ".. I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood" (Gal. 1:16).

He could go into cities and say, "When I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God ..., but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Cor 2:1 - 4).


He also said the following:

"... though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" (Phil. 3:4 - 6).

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:7 - 8).

"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Cor. 2:4).

Paul and the other members of the early church shook the political world in which they lived because they had Power. The Church of Jesus Christ was born through a demonstration of apostolic Power.

What do we have today? We have a lot of theory. We have have a lot of theology. We have a lot of doctrine. But we do not have a demonstration of this power.

Jesus Christ is coming back again and the Church will be raptured. And I do not believe that the Church will be raptured in powerless, anemic, compromising, sleeping, unconcerned condition that it is in today.

The raptured Church is the Bride of Christ. It is the Father's reward to His only begotten Son, Jesus, for the great work of redemption accomplished here on earth, for leaving the glories of His abode in heaven and taking on Himself the likeness of sinful flesh, for suffering humilition, rejection and pain in order that He might offer salvation and life to the entire world.

I believe the Church of Jesus Christ will be raptured in an even greater demonstration of power than the tremendous outpouring of God's Spirit and Power in which it was born. The Church was born in Power. There was a mark upon it. There were flames of fire. There were other tongues. There were miracles. there was Power. You can read part, a tiny portion, of the blazing history of the newly born Church in the book of Acts. It is maginficent, tremendous and power packed.

God took a contingent of men and women, ragged, scared, many of them uneducated, unendowed with the treasure of this world and He so ignited their souls with the fire power of heaven that they literally swept their world for Christ.

I believe the final chapter of the Acts of the Holy Spirit and of God's men and women here on this earth has not yet been written! As the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ draws near, the power, the presence, the anointing, the glory, the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the demonstration of power to the world will come forth from the spirit world. It will rest upon, glow within, radiate from, and be manifested through the Body of Christ in an even greater way than the early Church saw it.

This demonstration will become greater and greater, until just before the coming of the Lord a remarkable demonstration of the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ will be spread before the entire world.

The entire world will know that Christ is alive, that He is the Son of God that He came here to this world for a purpose. They will see His power manifested in His people in an irrefutable display of His resurrected might.

Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the word as witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14).

We are in that time of breakthrough, that time of the witness with power.

Reasons why the multitudes followed Jesus

The Bible is very clear; it does not pull any punches. It says openly and honestly exactly why the multitudes followed Jesus.

They followed Him because of the miracles He performed. They followed Him because they saw blind eyes opened, the saw deaf ears unstopped, and they saw the lame walk.

"Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased" (John 6:2).

Jesus knew their thoughts and their desires. He knew why they were following Him. Yet He did not chase them away. He did not rebuke them; He did not send away one person who followed Him for the miracles.

The woman with the issue of blood (Matt. 9:20) ... the blind man who cried out to Him (Luke 18:35 - 43) ... the father with the demon-possed boy whom the disciples could not heal (Mark 9:17 - 29) ... the Syro-Phoenician whoman who put herself in the place of a dog and said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (Matt. 15:27. ... He never chased one of them away. He healed every one of them. Why? Because Jesus came here for this purpose:

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 Jon 3:8).

Reasons why Jesus came

1. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost:

Jesus said, ".... for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Jesus come to transform lives - body, soul and spirit.

2. Jesus came to heal the sick and afflicted:

"Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well" (Mark 6:56).

He never once told a person it was God's will for him to bear or suffer blindness, deafness, leprosy, lameness, or any other affliction. Jesus had the answer to their problems.


God's healing center - the Church


Ask any Pastor and he will tell you, the Church is the place where you get the right Biblical teaching. You are expected to sit quietly in the pews and listen attentively to what is being taught from the pulpit. Not many Pastors know that God has placed in our hands the keys to effectively witness for Him. It is His desire that every one of His children have a supernatural, Holy Spirit-empowered ministry to the needs of others. One of the needs is healing and health.


What God wants the Church to be and what the Church actually represents often are two very different things. The real purpose often is completely overlooked and many non-essentials are substituted.


The Church too often has become the social center, the recreation center, the supper fellowhip committee center, etc.


These activities may be perfectly well and good in their time and in their place. But it is not God had in mind for the Church. It was not His intended purpose that the Church be a social or recreational center. It is not the task He set for the Body of Christ, which is His Church.


The Church may even be the prayer and Bible study center and still miss God's mark, while deep human needs, sin, sickness, death remain unmet right ouside its door.


The temple Jesus visited had become a trading center, a merchandise center, but Jesus had other plan for it. Even cleansing it, getting rid of the evils that existed there, was only part of that plan. He sent His disciples out with a task to perform.


He said to them: "I will wait here. You go out to the highways and the byways and hedges and everywhere. Bring Me the sick, the lame, the blind, the dumb and the deaf. Go get the needs of the people and bring them into the temple." The temple represents the Church, the Body of Christ. The Church is not a den of thieves. It is a house of prayer, a place of intercession, a place where the people's need must be met by the supernatural power of the living God.


If the Church of Jesus Christ had been true to its task, there would be no need for Bible School or Seminary. There would be no need for gifted evangelists to go into the cities of the world to have healing meetings. Every Church member will work the works of God. But how can the Church go out and heal the world when the majority of the so-called Spirit-filled people sitting in our pews are on pills and medicines and drugs? When so many of them are hospitalized and cannot get deliverance from cancer, blind eyes, deaf ears, sleeping disorder, eating disorder and many other kinds of sickness and afflictions. This is a bad testimony to the lost. They are likely to say, "If these spirit-filled Christians are just like us, sick like us and suffering like us, why should we join their Church?"


Transfomation of Peter


An excellent example of a disciple who caught the vision of working the the works of God was the apostle Peter.


In the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus took Peter with Him and went apart for His times of prayer, what did Peter and the other disciples do while Jesus was praying? They slept (Mark 14:37)!


When Jesus Christ was on trial for His life, what did Peter do? He denied Him three times (Matt. 26:69 - 75)!


Where were Peter and the other disciples when Jesus was hanging on the cross? They were hiding. They would not approach the cross. They were afraid.


Yet in the third chapter of the book of Acts, we find this same Peter, approaching the gate of the temple and encountered a cripple who had been sitting at the gate day after day for many years. He had passed this crippled man on many prior occasions when all he could do was look at him with sympathetic eyes. But this time as Peter and John walked past the crippled man, something seized them and Peter said to this man: "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6).


He took the crippled man by the hand and lifted him to his feet. Some thing had happen to Peter - he had an experience and he had the keys and the power. The faith that Peter displayed in the healing of the lame man was not tied to some theology he had learned. It was not tied to his understanding or to the words he said. It was tied to reality. He had been to the upper room where he had received something from the touch of God - power and authority. He spoke the Word and the crippled man was healed.


The crippled man and those who were there at the temple did not want further proof that Jesus is a man. They did not want proof that Jesus is not in the grave. They did not want evidence that Jesus Christ lives.


Here is a tremendous example of one man who learned what he must do to work the works of God. I believe, in the Name of Jesus, if it happened to Peter, it can happen to us! Peter had no special man-made qualifications that somehow turned him into a spiritual giant. He was an "ordinary" person, a fisherman. Yet here he was, stepping forth before the Scribes, before the priests and doing the works of God clothed in the authority and power of heaven itself. It can happen to us!


Jesus never sent Peter out without an experience that revolutionized his life and prepared him to meet human needs. In other words, He prepared him to be an actual extension of Christ's life and ministry.


One of the greatest miracles of God is how He can take ordinary, weak, failure-prone, wishy-washy men and women and transform them into powerhouses of dynamic ministry for Himself. He did it with Peter. He did it with James, John and Paul. He did it with other apostles. He can do it with you and me today! He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Biblical Philosophy of the Pastoral Ministry

Every believer is called into the full-time ministry. Every member of the Body of Christ serves full-time. But, no matter how much a Church member would desire, he cannot choose to assume the ministry of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers - the so-called five-fold ministry, without a clear and unique calling from God.

Such a ministry (pastor in particular) should not be undertaken unless one has been especially called for such a purpose. Pastors are ministers of the Lord and He alone does the choosing. Those whom He chooses, have the benefit of a personal encounter and experience resulting in "knowing" that they are called.

In his epistle to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul said: "And He (Christ) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, for the equiping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ..." (Eph. 4:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).

To be a Pastor, one must not presume that because hs is scholastically prepared or because he, or others, decided he should pursue such a ministry; qualifies himself for such a ministry. Before specialized training is pursued, one must have received a personal call.

The "impossible" demands a Pastor needs to face

I came across a message written by an unknown author to Christians telling them what "impossible" demands a Pastor needs to face:

"Have you ever tried to preach fifty-two sermons a year to the same congregation - sometimes to almost empty audience?

Have you ever tried to please all the members of your Church?

Have you ever tried to lead a prayer meeting week after week when 148 of the 150 members are absent?

Have you ever attempted to visit all newcomers in your community? And of your congregation, have you visit all the sick at home; all the aged and the home-bound; and all who are hospitalized? Have you seek after the lost in your neighourhood?

Have you ever tried to get up in the early hours of the morning and drive more than 30 km to pray for one of your sick or dying members?

Have you ever had to lead when no one would follow?

Have you ever tried to get a little man to do a big job, or a big man to do a small job?

Have you ever tried to carry the burden of a lost world, plus the burden of your own Church and community?

Have you ever tried to love when others hate, or praise when others condemn?

Have you ever tried to bind up broken hearts or re-establich broken homes?

Have you ever tried to sympathize with and help fallen men and women when others seem not to care and even mock?

Have you ever tried to smile upon empty collection bags and realize that the world is moving away from God?

Have you ever tried to pour out your very own soul to get men to give themselves to Christ and have no response?

If not, then you cannot know what it means to be the Pastor of a Local Church!"

Let me add to the last line: If yes, then you surely know that a Pastor is a supernaturally called leader to shepherd a God-given flock.

The above demands call for supernatural strength and ability, wisdom and gifts to carry out all the tasks demanded by the ministry of a Pastor.

Timothy's Pastoral Ministry

I believe the two Epistles that Paul wrote to Timothy give the "blue-print" for a perfect Church ministry. First Timothy is Paul's advice to Pastors and Second Timothy is Paul's final messge to the Church.

The practical significance of Paul's advice to Timothy goes beyond those who are Pastors. Every Christian is called to a life of ministry and is to follow the example of the Pastor as the sheep following the shepherd.

Paul said, "These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Tim. 4:11, 12, emphasis added).

Paul had personally guided Timothy, a young Pastor. But Timothy encountered severe trials when he was assigned the task of leading the Church at Ephesus out of sin and error. He struggled with fear and human weakness. He was evidently tempted to soften his preaching in the face of persecution. At times he seemed ashamed of the Gospel. Paul had to remind him to stand up for the faith with boldness, even if it meant suffering:

Paul said, "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the Gospel according to the powe of God, ..." (2 Tim. 1:8).

The two important and rich Epistles from Paul to Timothy outline a ministry philosophy that put to shame the worldly pragmatic philosophy prevailing in today's Churches!


Paul's admonitions and instructions to Timothy


With careful study of the two Epistles we are able to list out Paul's admonitions and instructions to Timothy. It is interesting to see if we can identify any "Timothy" in today's Local Churches. For the sake of clarity I am going to paraphrase the verses which are Paul's instructions to Timothy. The reader should read all the verses of Scripture concerned. I shall also give my personal comment based on the Scriptures and personal observation following each instruction from Paul.


First Epistle of Paul to Timothy


1. To correct those who teach false doctrine and encourage them to have a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sinsere faith (1 Tim. 1:3 - 5)


On the contrary, many teachers of the Word, or Pastors, or preachers of today are deceived themselves. Hence, they are not capable of correcting those who teach false doctrines.


2. To fight for divine truth and for God's purposes, keeping his own faith and a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:18).


Because of unbelief and deception, many ministers do not love the truth and do not fear God. Their own faith suffered shipwreck. Some of them even reject divine truth because of pride.


3. To pray for all men, especially those who are in authority (kings and government leaders) and the lost, and lead the men of the Local Church to do likewise (1 Tim. 2:1 - 8).


If Pastors, elders and leaders are truly honest to themselves and to God, they seldom spend time in prayers, intercessions and supplications let alone leading Church members to pray.


4. To call women in the Local Church to fulfill their God-given role of submission and to raise up godly children, setting an example of fatih, love, and sanctity with self-restraint (1 Tim. 2:9 - 15)


Nowadays it is common to find ordained women Pastors and preachers. The Scripture clearly forbid women to teach and have authority over men. Pastors are shepherds and they lead and protect the sheep and so it is ridiculous to have women to lead and protect men Church members.


5. Carefully select spiritual leaders for the Local Church on the basis of their giftedness, godliness and virtue (1 Tim 3:1 - 13).


Many Pastors are unable to dicern the spiritual gifts of Church members. Even if they are able to discern, many of them will not let them use their gifts for reasons known only to themselves. I believe many Pastors fear their inaccurate teachings will be revealed and so feel embarrass about it.


6. Recognize the source of errors and those who teach it, and expose them publicly to the rest of the Church (1 Tim. 4:1 - 6).


In some Local Churches Pastors, leaders and members are so used to errors in spiritual things that, they are not able to recognize the source of errors even though they have the Scriptures to refer to.


7. To teach and preach principles of true godliness, helping believers to dicern between true godliness and mere hypocrisy (1 Tim. 5:24 - 6:6).


When you have Pastors and preachers who are not capable in discerning between true godliness and hypocricy, how do you expect them to teach Church members to discern?


8. To instruct the rich not to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God (1 Tim. 6:17 - 19).


Jesus said that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Due to fear of losing the rich men as Church members many Pastors tend to avoid giving this instruction. It is not unusual to find the rich holding leadership positions in the Local Church, even if their lifestyle is worldly and questionable.


Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy


1. Not to be fearful or timid but minister in power, in love and with a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7).


Many Pastors and elders fear men and try to please men instead of trying to fear and please God. They compromise the truth of of God's Word. And so, their preaching is devoid of power.


2. Be a teacher of apostolic truth or the apostles' doctrine so that he may reproduce himself in faithful men (2 Tim. 2:2),


It is doubtful if we can find many Pastors or preachers whos teachings or doctrines follow strictly to the apostolic truth.


3. Be diligent to present himself approved to God, interpret and apply Scripture accurately (2 Tim. 2:15).


The actual verse says that if we "rightly dividing the word of truth" God is pleased and we need not be ashamed. This also means it is shameful if the word of truth is interpreted wrongly! If this instrution is followed strictly, the Church will not be deceived by false doctrines.


4. Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Tim. 4:1, 2).


I believe the simple command - "Preach the Word" is the centerpiece of every truly Biblical ministry philosophy. The Pastor's task is to proclaim the Scripture and give sense of it and nothing else. All other content is extraneous.


5. Do not compromise in difficult times (2 Tim. 4:3, 4).


The difficult times that Paul referred to is when "they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."


In my opinion we are going through the "difficult times' now. I believe when people will not tolerate the truth is the right time when courageous, outspoken preachers are most desperately needed to proclaim it.


Why are people unwilling to endure sound preaching and teaching? it is because they love sin. Sound preaching confronts ad rebukes sin, and people in love with sinful lifestyles will not tolerate such teaching.


6. Endure afflictions and hardship (2 Tim. 4:5).


Paul reminded Timothy that Pastors or ministers cannot be those who yearn for earthly applause. Neither can they be lovers of earthly comfort. Paul knew Timothy could not have the kind of ministry God desired of him unless he was willing to go through some suffering.


If the Lord calls someone to be Pastor, He will certainly enable him supernaturally to endure afflictions and hardship.


What Paul did not instruct Timothey to do?


It is interesting to consider what Paul did not instruct Timothy to do:


1. Paul said nothing to Timothy about how the congregation of believers may respond to his ministry method.


2. He did not instruct Timothy to attend a Bible Seminary or College for training before his is considered qualified to pastor a congregation.


3. He did not ask Timothy to build a Bible Seminary or College to train others how to endure as a Pastor.


4. He did not lecture Timothy on how to be successful in building mega-churches, and how to raise funds to expand existing Church premises.


5. He did not tell Timothy how much offering he needs to collect and how influential his Church needs to be to attract rich Christians.


6. He did not instruct Timothy to remember to celebrate Christmas and Easter in his Church so that inactive Church members have a reason to come to Church at least once or twice a year to be entertained.


When Pastors fail to lead the Church to seek for fruitful spiritual activities they have to look for external worldly substitutes. Otherwise the Church would be empty. But this is never the will of God!


Conclusion


Paul said nothing whatever about a "successful" Local Church. In Scripture external success is never a valid goal. The appropriate goal for the Church is not success, but excellence. Paul was encouraging Timothy to be all that God had called and gifted him to be. He was not advising Timothey to seek success; he was urging him to pursue excellence! After all this is what pleases the Lord who is waiting for His Glrious Bride, wonderfully prepared for Him. Timothy was expected to play his part to prepare the Lord's Bride. Shouldn't all Pastors also play their parts to prepare the Bride of Christ?

The New Heaven and the New Earth

People always like new things - new house, new car, new furniture, new food, new clothes and new experience etc. Whenever they can afford it, they look with eagle eyes for new things.

After revealing to John the church Age, the Great Tribulation period, and the Millennium, the Lord reveals one last time period that most Bible scholars called "eternity." God will create a new heaven and a new earth. And with these new creations, everything is made new.

Everything made new (Rev. 21:1)

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea" (Rev. 21:1).

Here John glimpsed a new heaven and an new earth, but they will be different from the original creation when God divided the waters to create seas and cause the dry land to appear (Genesis 1:9, 10). The new earth will not have sea in it.

However, I believe the word "sea" here can also have a different meaning. We sometimes call life the sea of trouble. The "sea" stands for bitterness and sorrow. But there is no pain of any kind in the new heaven and the new earth.

The New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2 - 4)

"Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away'" (Rev. 21:2 - 4).

John also saw descending from heaven the New Jesusalem, the capital of the new heaven and the new earth.

Who will live in the New Jerusalem? The Church that is the Bride of Jesus Christ will enter it with her Bridegroom and live there forever. The Jews and those who are saved during the millennial kingdom will also live in the new heaven and new earth.

In the original creation, God put Adam in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8), but in the new creation God will put His Church in a special city called the New Jerusalem. This will be a Holy City because it will come down out of heaven. This city is not the whole creation or the whole new earth. It is just one part or one city that will come down to the new earth. Just as Babylon was the capital of Babylonia, the New Jesusalwm will be the captial of the new heaven and new earth.

Revelation 19 revealed the wedding of the Lamb - the marriage of Jesus and His Church. Now invitations will be given to the marriage supper here on earth when Jesus comes back. The New Jerusalem will be the Bride's new home after the Millennium. It will be a real city with physical attributes, but it will also be like a bride that it will be pure and radiant.


In the original creation, God came down from heaven to walk and talk with Adem (Genesis 3:8, 9). In the wilderness, God dwelled in the Ark of the Covenant from which He talked to His people (Exodus 25:1 - 22). In the new creation, God will come down with His people.

In the original creation, death came upon Adam and he worked, and experienced sorrow and pain because he sinned. And because Eve sinned, she experienced sorrow and pain in childbirth (Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:17 - 19). But in the new creation situation will be entirely different. We who will enter the New Jerusalem will no longer experience death or even sorrow. In that place there will be nothing sad and no more pain, for the former things will pass away, and it will become a completely new world.

A Declaration of God (Rev. 21:5 - 8)

"Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all this new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain water of life freely to him who thirst. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death'" (Rev. 21:5 - 8).

Following the Millennium, Jesus will not fix or repair this old creation. He will re-create everything. This is more than a verbal promise because He says, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

The new creation is inevitable because it is the spoken Word of Jesus. He proved His power to create when He fashioned all things at the beginning of creation. As the Alpha and Omega, He is the first and the last word in all things. All authority is His. What He declares will be done.

In the original creation, a rever watered the Garden of Eden and divided into four other rivers (Genesis 2:10 - 14). The new creation will have a fountain that provides the water of life. All who thirst after God will be given the privilege of freely drinking from the water of life.

He who overcomes (i.e. overcomers) will inherit the new creation and all true Christians are overcomers. God is their God. They are His children and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

The list of those who will not have a part in the new creation includes:

1. The cowardly - those who are too embarrassed, ashamed, or afraid to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

2. The unbelieving - those who reject Jesus.

3. The abominable - those who defile themselves with abominable sins such as stealing, taking the mark of the Beast, taking drugs, and drunkenness.

4. Murderers - those who kill.

5. The sexually immoral - fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, and rapists.

6. Sorcerers - astrologers, Satan worshipers and all forms of occultism.

7. Idolaters - those who worship anyone or anything other than God.

8. All liars - those who deceive the lost, falsely accuse Christians, falsely claim to be a Christian, or add to or take away from the Bible, etc.

They will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb (Rev. 21:9 - 27)

The New Jerusalem is the Bride of Jesus Christ (Rev. 21:9 - 11)

"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal" (Rev. 21:9 - 11).

The adornment of the Bride of Jesus Christ is the same as the adornment of the New Jerusalem. Therefore the appearance of the New Jerusalem is the same as our appearance spiritually. That is why the Bible calls the New Jerusalem the Bride of Jesus Christ.

The green color of the precious jasper stone stands for divinity and life, the spiritual green pasture that provides eternal life. Therefore the New Jerusalem is a place full of infinite divinity, inexhaustible satisfaction and endless life.

The twelve gates and twelve foundations (Rev. 21:12 - 14)

"Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. 21:12 - 14).

The Holy City (New Jerusalem) will be surrounded by a thick, high wall with twelve dates. An angel will be sitting on each gate. The name of each of the twelve tribes of Israel will be written on a gate.

However John did not explain the purpose of the wall. Does the New Jerusalem need security? No one knows the answer.

The Holy City will have twelve foundations. Each foundation will have the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus on it. This is significant because the Bible tells us that the Church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). It also says Jesus "through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen" (Acts 1:2). With the help of the Holy Spirit, the apostles preached the gospel, won converts, organized congregations, wrote the Scriptures, selected elders, and taught their followers. They relinquished everything for Jesus and His Church, and were threatened, beaten, imprisoned, and killed. They earned the right to have their names inscribed on the foundations of the Holy City.


Measurements of the Holy City, its gates and its wall (Rev. 21:15 - 17)


"And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breath, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel" (Rev. 21:15 - 17, emphasis added).


A measuring reed (stick) in John's days was approximate 10 feet long and the most common material used in heaven seems to be gold. The same angel who talked with John took a golden measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.


The Holy City will be laid out like a square. Its length will be the same as its width, and its height will equal its length. It is in consistent in shape as the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and the temple of God. The one in the Jerusalem Temple were cubes, so it seems that the shape if God's temporary residence among the Jews will be the shape of God's permanent residence among His people.


Notice that the Holy City will be enormous. Twelve thousand furlongs are 2,400 kilometers, or about 1,440 miles. So the length, the breath and the height of the New Jerusalem are about 1,440 miles. The architecture of heaven is obviously inscrutable, for by human design that kind of structure would be impossible.


The wall around the Holy City will be 144 cubit (216 feet) thick. It dows not matter whether one uses angel's measurements or man's measurement, the result will be the same. The thick wall will provide plenty of protection.


The construction material of the wall, the foundations and the gates (Rev. 21:18 - 21)


"The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation 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, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each in dividual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass" (Rev. 21:18 - 21).


The wall will be made of a gem (jasper - opal, diamond, or topaz) that is beautiful, hard, and transparent. People will be able to see through it into the Holy City, and the light of God will beam out of the city. The city itself will be made of gold as pure as glass.


The twelve foundations of the wall are made of all kinds of precious stones, ant the twelve gates are twelve pearls; each gate is one big pearl.


There is a reason for the gates of the New Jerusalem being made of pearls. Pearls are produced from oysters. When sand creeps into the oyster's shell, it injures the body of the oyster. Therefore the oyster produces a secretion to cover the intruder, and in the process of time, a lustrous peal is formed.


Likewise the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem are made of pearls because the people who enter all possess faith like pearls. While they lived in the world, they were not discouraed by numerous trials that came their way. Rather, they overcame them through prayer. They endured the trials and tribulations by producing perseverance and faith.


The city's being made of pure gold means that all the people who enter it will have a divine nature, throwing away their human nature, and will live forever.


No temple, no sun, no moon and no night (Rev:22 - 27)


The New Jerusalem will not have a temple because God and Christ will be the Temple. Likewise, the Holy City will not need a sun or a moon because the Father and Son will be the light (Rev. 21:22 - 25).


Visitors will go to the Holy City to give glory and honor to the Lord. Only those with their names found in the Lamb's Book of Life will be permitted to enter (Rev. 21:26, 27).


Jesus is coming quickly (Rev. 22:1 - 20)


The second last Verse of the Book of Revelation (and of the Bible) says, "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"


John was in fear and disappointment after witnessing things that would happen to the Church during during the next two thousand years, and the things that would happen during the Great Tribulation following the rapture of the Church. But after he saw the glorious new heaven and new earth, he was overwhelmed with joy and looked forward to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He prayed, shouting with a loud voice, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"


The person who has finished reading the Book of Revelation should also shout loudly, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

The Millennial Kingdom and the Great Judgment

It is interesting to begin with some comparison. The length of Jesus' reign on earth will be a thousand years - called the Millennium. Compared to the Antichrist, who will reign just seven years, Jesus will reign a whopping one thousand years, or more than one hundred and forty years of blessing for each year of Tribulation. That is the grace of God!

Revelation 19 revealed the capture of the Antichrist. Revelation 20 reveals the capture of Satan. It also goes on to discuss the future destiny of unbelievers. Later, in Revelation 21 and 22, that will be contrasted with the future destiny of believers.

The imprisonment of Satan (Rev. 20:1 - 3)

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while" (Rev. 20:1 - 3).

An unnamed, but seemingly ordinary angel will come from heaven to earth. He will have the key to the bottomless pit that will be taken from Satan when the Devil is cast out of heaven in Rev. 12:7 - 9. The angel will also have a great chain in his hand.

Obviously, since God is omnipotent, he could seize Satan anytime he wants. But the Bible says Satan's arrest will come at the end of the Great Tribulation period. God will not jump the gun and violate His own Word. When the Great Tribulation period is over, He will send one ordinary angel to seize and bind Satan for a thousand years.

The angel will cast Satan, bound and chained, into the bottomless pit. This will keep Satan from deceiving the nations during the Millennium. The earth is once again populated with people. They neither commit any sin nor are afflicted with any sickness of disease, as they are not tempted by Satan or under his influence. They flourish and fill the face of the whole earth.

Therefore these people who have lived in a world free from the influence of Satan need to to decide for themselves whether they will truly love God. To test them, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit for a little while. This testing is no worse than that has already been experienced by many God's saints.

Multitudes will be born during the Millennium. During this time, the offspring from the Tribulation saints and Jews will not know what temptation is. There will be no real test of their faith.

The Thrones of Judgment (Rev. 20:4)

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4).

John next saw thrones that gave judgment ot the people before they entered the millennial kingdom. Why should it be "thrones" instead of "a throne"? Because Jesus does not give judgment alone; His Bride, the Church, will sit with Him and judge for a thousand years.

How will those thrones give judgment? As we have already seen, the people who were sealed by the Antichrist were all killed, but those who were not sealed by him, and the remaining Jew, will enter the millennial kingdom. Out of those God will separate the sheep from the goats. The standard by which the two are separated is how they treated Jesus Christ (read Matt. 25:31 - 43).

The sheep on the right side of Jesus were the people who, though they did not believe in Him, nonetheless treated Christians well by taking care of their needs. The goats, however, were punished, for they did not accept Christians in the Name of Christ.

The First Resurrection (Rev. 20:5, 6)

"But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:5, 6, emphasis added).

The first resurrection is called the resurrection of life or the resurrection of believer. The second resurrection is called the resurrection of damnation or the resurrection of unbelievers. Rev. 20:5 reveals that there will be a thousand years between the two. Jesus clarified in John 5:28, 29.

At the first resurrection, those who died during the Great Tribulation rise first. Those who partake in this resurrection are blessed, for they will not enter the second death. The first death is the death of the body, and the second is the death of the soul, which means that one is forsaken by God and dies forever.

Those who participate in the first resurrection, however, are received by God and will reign with Christ for one thousand years. How blessed those people will be!

The rest of the dead do not come to life until the thousand years are ended. All the unbelievers since the beginning of the world will remain in hell; they will not enter the millennial kingdom. After Jesus' reign of one thousand years has ended, those unbelievers will come to life again and be judged. Then they will be cast forever into the lake of fire.

Therefore the resurrection of sinners (unbelievers) becomes a resurrection to judgment and destruction. But the resurrection of thse who have participated in the first resurrection is a rising to eternal life.


Satan comes out of his prison (Rev. 20:7 - 10)

"Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four conrners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:7 - 10).

With Satan bound during the Millennium, people will be shielded from temptation and sin. Sickness and disease will not exist, and people will live to be hundreds of years old. A population explosion will occur. However, God is no respecter of persons. Those born during the Millennium will have to be tested just like everyone else. When the Millennium is over, the abyss will be opened one more time, and Satan will be released to resume his old ways.

When Satan is released he will pick up where he left off. he will go out once again to deceive the nations. Realizing this is his last chance, he gathers his people to oppose God. "Gog and Mogog"refer to the people who oppose God. At the Battle of Gog and Mogog Satan will repeat what he tried at the Battle of Armageddon. He will try one final time to become greater than God by gathering a great horde of people from all over the world, including those from Gog and Mogog.

Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, the beloved city - the City of God, during His millennial reign. Satan's army will march across the earth and surround the city, but just as God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, He will again consume Satan's army with fire from heaven.

Satan will not be allowed to lure people into destruction any longer. His deceptive career will be brought to an end when he is captured and thrown into the Lake of Fire where the Antichrist and False Prophet already reside. They will not be destroyed, but will suffer unending torment.

On the other hand, those who followed Jesus in the millenial kingdom will enter the eternal new heaven and the new earth.

The Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11 - 15)

The lost will appear before the Judgment Seat (Rev. 20:11, 12)

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And thre was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (Rev. 20:11, 12, emphasis added).

At first glance, earth and heaven seem to have fled away (disappeared). But Solomon said, "One gerneration passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever" (Eccl. 14).

It is not that the earth has gone forever, but that our Lord is going to transform it according to what Peter said:

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, ant the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).

Thus, there was found no place for the heaven and earth, the a throne of judgment is set at a certain place within the universe. This is the Great White Throne, and when the judgment finally begins, all the dead (unbelivers or the lost) rise and stand before it. They will come from all walks of life: small and great, poor and rich, laborers and managers or directors, peasants and kings etc. They will all stand before the court's judgment bar to be sentenced. several books will be opened - each one is a "book of works" or a "book of deeds." these books will conatain the thoughts, words, and deeds of each individual, and by these things they will be judged.


Another book will be opened - the Book of Life. When people are born, their names are written in this book. If they never get saved, they will die in a lost condition and their names will be removed. Some will deny Jesus so strongly while they are alive that that their names will be removed (e.g. those who take the mark). Some will add to or take away from the Scriptures, and their names will too be removed. If they get saved, their names will be left in the Book of Life when they die. It will also be added to the Lamb's Book of Life at the time they get saved. Ultimately, the list of names in both books will be identical.


Why is the Book of Life needed to judge the dead? Because God is righteous, and after He points out every unrighteous behavior of sinners, He opens the Book of Life and shows them that their names are not recorded. Everyone whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life falls into the lake of fire without being able to say anything for vindication.


Here is the main difference between the Book of Life and the Lamb's Book of Life:


The Book of Life - A list of all who were born once (every person who ever live), minus the names of those who were removed for sinning against God, denying Jesus, or adding to or taking away from the Scriptures.


The Lamb's Book of Life - A list of all who were born twice (every person who truly accepts Jesus as their Savior).


All will appear before the Judgment Seat (Rev. 20:13 - 15)


"The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:13 - 15, emphasis added).


Everyone will stand before the judgment seat, even those from the bottom of the sea. No one will escape the judgment of God because He will raise them all from the dead. He will even raise them from Hades, the temporary abode of the souls and spirits of the wicked. All will be judged as individuals according to their deeds.


The Bible teaches that man is destined to die once, and then he will face Judgment (Heb. 9:27). But believers and unbelievers will be raised separately and judged separately. Believers will go before the Judgment Seat of Christ where their works, will be judged. The purpose of this is not salvation. This is a judgment of works for the purpose of receiving rewards or crowns. Unbelievers will go before the Great White Throne where their works will be judged also. The purpose of this is not salvation, but degrees of punishment.


This will be end of physical death. This is good news for believers but terrible news for unbeliever. They will want to die physically when they are raised from the dead, and cast into hell, but that will no longer be possible. They will have new bodies that cannot be destroyed in the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is a place of no hope. Jesus said concerning it, "Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48).


The second death means - The soul is permanently separated from God and tormented forever.


When the sentence is rendered, one's eternal destiny will not be determined by their deeds, but by what is written in the Book of Life. God will make a careful search of the heavenly list.


The names of those who did not accept Jesus before they died will have been blotted out of the Book of Life. Their names will not be found, and they will join Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet in the Lake of Fire forever.