by Beth Moore
Years passed, and that small band of apostles scattered like seed cast from the hand of the Gardener. His sovereign fingers cast some of the seed into soil not far from their homeland, but at the flick of His wrist others sailed seas. John was one of those. His exile to Patmos invited many unwelcome opportunities, but one of the bittersweet gifts of the desolate island surely was remembrance. Like the sun reflecting off the briny waters, John must have reflected on all the twists and turns of divine destiny that had brought him to the mounds of rock rising from the sea.
Then came a loud voice behind him like a trumpet that said, "Write on a scroll what you see." So he wrote, in human vocabulary that could do little more than suggest the profundity of an indescribable reality. Imagine having been the one to see what John described! Do you realize that John "saw" Satan? Like us, he had seen his activity in thousands of ways, but he had never seen his visible and unholy essence. In the Revelation 20 vision, John saw him bound, loosed, then doomed. Keep in mind that John probably survived his stay on Patmos. Writings of the early church fathers indicate he returned to Ephesus after his exile.
We have no idea how long John lived, but imagine how his vision of Satan affected how he thought and taught from that time forward. Then imagine John seeing the final judgment of the lost at the great white throne. Don't separate his sights from his personality and emotional makeup through which they were processed. Think about the tender heart of this disciple. John had more to say about the love of God and love for one another than any other New Testament writer. Perhaps no one wanted less than John to see people shun the love of God and perish. Before his very eyes the sea, death, and Hades gave up their unbelieving dead, and they were judged for their deeds. After death and Hades were thrown in the lake of fire, the unbelieving were cast there as well. John saw this! Such sights must have affected his ministry from that time forward.
Now look at the first word of Revelation 21:1: "Then." Oh, Beloved, how I thank God for "then." Your life may be excruciating right now. Your challenges may be more than you can stand. Your strength may be sapped. Your health may be terrible. No matter how difficult this present season, dear one, God has a "then" on your time line of faith. Every believer has a new chapter ahead filled with dreams come true. Whatever you are facing is not the end of the story.
I want to encourage you to read all of Revelation 21, continually contrasting its hopes with the horrors of the chapter preceding it. No two chapters of New Testament Scripture provide a more profound side-by-side contrast of eternal destiny for the lost and the saved.
I want to look at the elements in Revelation 21 that may have meant the most to the apostle John. According to Revelation 21:1, the first obvious difference between the new heavens and the new earth is "no more sea." The coast just a few miles from Ephesus could be seen from the tip of Patmos on a clear day. Imagine how John longed for those he served, aching to see them and with tears fully plead that they return to their first love. Imagine what the sea between them might have represented to John.
I long for the day when seas will no longer separate brothers and sisters in the family of God. I want to know my faithful brothers and sisters in Sudan, Iran, and all over the world.
My dear coworker, Sabrina, loves the ocean like I love the mountains. She would hardly be able to imagine heaven with no sea. We know that the new earth will have at least two bodies of water because Revelation records rivers and a crystal sea. Remember, much of the terminology in the final book of the Bible is figurative. I believe the reference in Revelation 21:1 to "no longer any sea" means that nothing else will ever separate us. We will be one just as Christ asked the Father. We will have all the beauty of the oceans without the obstacles they pose here.
After telling us the new heavens and earth will not be disjointed by seas, John described the new Jerusalem. Meditate on his words: "I saw the Holy City." I am confident that most of us Gentiles cannot relate to the attachment many Jews through the centuries have felt toward their homeland. Even those whose feet never touched the Holy Land yearned for it like a lost child longs for its mother.
I saw this peculiar bond just weeks ago in the face of my Hebrew friend and ancient lands guide, Arie. He and his family are now residents of Tel Aviv, but his heart never departs Jerusalem. The turmoil erupting within and around Jerusalem doesn't just concern or upset him. It brings him pain. I asked him how he felt about the ongoing crises in the Holy Land. As I witnessed the agony in his face, I sorrowed that I had asked something so obviously intimate. I consider myself very patriotic, yet I had to acknowledge that I knew nothing of his attachment to his own homeland.
Remember that Arie told me that the deeply heartfelt commitment to keep Jerusalem ever before them is restated at every orthodox Jewish wedding? In the midst of joy, they always "remember" Jerusalem and the tragic loss of the temple.
If Arie and other Jews through the ages have experienced an indescribable attachment to the Holy City and a sense of grief concerning the temple, try to imagine the strength of John's ties. He grew up on the shores of Galilee at the peak of Jerusalem's splendor since the days of Solomon. Herod's temple was one of the greatest wonders of John's world. No Jew could behold her splendor without marveling. Even weeping.
John knew every wall and gate of the Holy City. He walked the lengths and breadths with the Savior Himself. He sat near Him on the Mount of Olives, overlooking its beauty. John was also part of the generation who witnessed the total destruction in A.D. 70. By the time Jerusalem fell, John probably was already stationed in Ephesus, but the news traveled fast, and the sobs echoed louder with every mile. The grief of the diaspora mixed with the unreasonable guilt of not having died with the city surely shook their homesick souls.
Then John "saw the Holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband" (Rev. 21:2). How his heart must have leapt with unspeakable joy! There it was! Not just restored but created anew with splendor beyond compare. "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Rev. 7:17). I wonder if John was weeping at the sight.
Some people say that we won't be able to cry in the new heavens and earth. Clearly we get at least one last good cry since God will wipe away every tear! I cannot imagine that I will see my Christ, my God, and His heavenly kingdom with dry eyes. Our last tears, however, will no longer be those shed in mourning for "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:4).
Meditate on the words "old order of things." Since Adam and Eve grieved the loss of intimate fellowship with God and the agony of one son murdered by the other, this present Earth has been characterized by the "old order." We are shocked by pain again and again, yet this present world order is literally characterized by it. None of us will avoid it. We can anesthetize it, but without it we will never fully experience the old order or celebrate the new.
The new order will bring all things to completion and prepare the heavens and the earth for eternal bliss. "Now the dwelling of God is with men" (v. 3). Hallelujah! The sorrow of man's expulsion from the garden will only be exceeded by the unquenchable joy of God dwelling with men. Take note of the fact that John did not see a temple, sun, or moon in this new Jerusalem. These elements will be absent in the new Holy City "because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp" (Rev. 21:22-23).
Perhaps you also noticed another reference to "the kings of the earth" (v. 24). These kings stand in stark contrast to the kings of the earth in Revelation 19:19 who will rise against the Rider called Faithful and True. I believe the "kings of the earth" who will bring splendor into the new Holy City may be the redeemed described in Revelation 20:4 and others like them. "I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the be
ast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
When God creates the new heaven and the new earth, I think quite possibly those who reign with Him in the kingdom-not as equals but as those ruling under His authority-will be among those bringing "their splendor into" the new Holy City. I also believe that prior to the end of times, kings of many nations will bow their knees in adoration and confession of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Indeed, "the glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it" (Rev. 21:26). Our future is beyond the words and imaginations of scholars, poets, and movie producers. We will bask in the brilliance of our God when He proclaims a new beginning and creates a heaven and an earth out of the ideal of His imagination.
As we conclude this chapter, let's take one last glimpse at a detail in the new Jerusalem that might have had a fairly profound impact on John. "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. 21:14).
Beloved, do you realize that among them John saw his own name? In the days he remained on this earth, can you imagine what kinds of thoughts he had as he recaptured that sight in his memory? I have no idea what being one of Jesus' apostles was like, but I don't think that they felt superhuman or vaguely worthy of their calling. I'm not even sure those original disciples ever grasped that what they were doing would make a world-changing impact. I can't picture them thinking, What I'm doing this moment will go down in history and be recorded in the eternal annals of glory. I think they probably got down on themselves just like you and I do. I also think they were terribly overwhelmed at the prospect of reaching their world with the gospel of Christ and seeing only handfuls of converts most of the time.
Days and months later when John stared at that wall and its foundations again in his memory, can't you imagine he was nearly overcome that God esteemed them? Don't you think he marveled that the plan had worked ... considering the mortal agents Christ had chosen to use?
Every day I deal with a measure of low self-esteem in ministry. I never feel up to the task. Never smart enough. Never strong enough. Never prayed up enough. Never prepared enough. Do you feel the same way? Then perhaps you also feel the same flood of emotions when this truth washes over you: God loves us. He prepares an inconceivable place for those who receive His love. He highly esteems those who choose to believe His call over the paralyzing screams of their own insecurities. No, our names won't be written on the foundations of the new Jerusalem, but they are engraved in the palms of His hands.
Chapter 51
SEEING HIS FACE
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. (Revelation 22:4)
I can't believe my eyes. How could this journey have passed so quickly? The last chapter of study is always the most difficult for me to write, primarily because I hate good-byes. Years ago in my broken estate, I begged God to completely consume my imagination because I knew I would never be free until He transformed my thinking. In answer to that prayer, God has granted me an imagination to picture spiritual realities almost as vividly as physical realities. The journey you and I have taken on these pages is as real to me as anything we could have experienced face-to-face.
Even though I may never have seen your face, I have "pictured" you hundreds of times, esteemed your place in the body of Christ, and grown very fond of your company. We have walked side by side. I do not want to be someone others follow. My deepest desire has been to journey beside you, opening God's Word together and conversing over its truths.
Another reason the last chapter of study is difficult to write is that I want to say so much before we part. I felt the same way when I left Amanda at college for the first time. As the tears welled in our eyes, I said, "Baby, I had so much I wanted to say, and right now I am so overcome, I'm at a loss for words." I'll never forget her response. "Mom, you said it all yesterday ... and the day before that." We both laughed. That's what I get for talking so much.
I've already used up all my good words by the time a really profound moment rolls around. You've heard far too many words from. me as it is.
I grin as I remember a letter I received from a woman who tried to do one of my Bible studies. She described my approach like this: "So many words. So little said." I laughed my head off and added a hearty "Amen!" I say too much. Talk too long. Get too involved. I'm passionate to the point of looking foolish to my critics. I am over my head and underqualified, but this I can assure you: I love. It's real. And I have loved you.
Before we say good-bye, let's sit down for a little while and open our Bibles together. A river happens to be in our reading. Why don't we go sit on a rock on its shore, take off our sandals, and put our feet in? If you have your Bible, please read the last chapter in the entire inspired Word of God, Revelation 22.
Note the additional details concerning the new heaven and earth:
· the river of the water of life flowing from the throne
· the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month
· the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations
· no more curse
· no more night because the Lamb is the light
· the presence of the Lamb in the city
Twice toward the end of the Revelation, John became so overwhelmed at the sight of such glorious visions, he fell at the feet of the angel (Rev. 19:10; 22:9). Both times John received a swift rebuke and a reminder that the angel was nothing more than a "fellow servant." Amazing, isn't it? Those who serve God work side by side with the angels from glory. They are our fellow servants! Remember that next time you feel alone in your task.
I'd also like to draw another application from john's untimely buckling of the knees. John did not make the mistake of falling down at the feet of the angel when the visions were difficult and frightening to behold. He fell over the good news. God has performed the phenomenal over the last several years of Bible studies. We have increasingly heard from members of every conceivable denomination and segment in the body of Christ. Nothing could be more thrilling to me since my call to interdenominationalism is deep. At the same time, please let me issue a warning. Satan's primary objective is to entice us to bow to anything and anyone other than God. I believe Christians will be most tempted to fall down and worship spokespersons who tell us what we want to hear. In the words of the angel, "Do not do it!" Worship God alone. Now let's camp on Revelation 22:2 for a moment. You can compare this heavenly reality with an earthly allegory in Psalm 1:1-3.
During our stay on this earth, we are meant to be like trees of life bringing forth fruit in our seasons so others can "taste and see that the LORD is good" (Ps. 34:8). In order to bear much fruit, we've got to stay by the river. Perhaps even in it!
Ezekiel told of a related vision in Ezekiel 47:1-12. In Ezekiel's vision the river flowed from the temple in Jerusalem. The river in both visions seems to represent the outpouring of God's power and anointing. He not only cares for us with an incredible love; He makes absolute and complete provision for us.
I pray we've progressed in our walk with God, taken off our rationalizing seat belts, and thrown ourselves into His Great Adventure. How deeply do you see yourself in the figurative river of Christ's power and activity? Reflect on where you were when we began this journey. Beloved, I don't want you to be discouraged if you're not waist deep or swimming. I am only asking if we are more deeply immersed in Christ than when we began. Are we progressing? That's one of the most important questions of all. Mind you, we can swim one season and crawl our way right back to the bank and even into the desert the next. We will not be completely healed of our inconsistencies, infirmities, and weaknesses until we see Christ faceto-face.
Face-to-face. I can't think of a more fitting focus for our last few moments together. I don't want you to miss the most beautiful statement in the final chapter of Scripture: "They will see his face" (Rev. 22:4
). For many of us, the very sight of Christ's face will be heaven enough. Everything else is the river overflowing its banks.
Until then we who are redeemed are like spirit-people wrapped in prison walls of flesh. Our view is impaired by the steel bars of mortal vision. We are not unlike Moses who experienced God's presence but could not see His face. To him and to all confined momentarily by mortality, God has said, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live" (Exod. 33:20).
When all is said and done, we who are alive in Christ will indeed see His face and live. Happily ever after. I can hardly wait-yet right this moment I am absorbed by the thought of someone else seeing that face. Someone I've grown to love and appreciate so deeply through the months of study for this book. Several of the early church fathers plant the apostle John back in the soil of Ephesus again after the conclusion of his exile on the Island of Patmos. I wonder what kinds of thoughts swirled through his mind as the boat returned him to the shores of Asia Minor. I've made this trip by sea, and though it is beautiful, it is not brief. As his thinning gray hair blew across his face, he had time to experience a host of emotions. We have gotten to know him well. What kinds of things do you imagine he thought and felt on the ride back to Ephesus?
John lived to be a very old man. We have no idea how many years he lived beyond his exile. The earliest historians indicate, however, that the vitality of his spirit far exceeded the strength of his frame. His passionate heart continued to beat wildly for the Savior he loved so long. John took personally the words God poured through him. They did not simply run through the human quill and spill on the page. John's entire inner man was indelibly stained by rhema ink. In closing, read some of the words obviously inscribed on his heart from that last earthly night with Jesus:
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12-17)