THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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(cf. John 7:37, 39; Rev. 22:17; Isa. 44:3). I f one is satisfied already with what the world has to give “the fountain o f the water o f life” is not for him, but to the thirsty one it will be given as a free gift. v. 7. "He that overcometh shall inherit all (these) things; and I will be his God; and he shall be my son." All these won derful blessings which have been men tioned are for him “that overcometh,” that is, they are for the one who gets the victory day by day over the world, the flesh arid the devil. He, and he alone, shall inherit these things and God will be his God and he shall be God’s son. vs. 22, 23.' “ And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God (add , the) Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple of it (thereof). And the city had (hath) no need o f the sun, neither of the moon, 'to shine in (upon) it: for the glory of God didi lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof (and the lamp thereof is the Lamb"). The verses omitted, vs. 8-21, have a wonderful description o f the foun dation, walls and gates o f the coming city and should be carefully studied. One thing o f which our modern cities boast will be entirely absent. There will be no temple in that city. A temple will not be needed, instead o f the temple will be that for which the temple stands, the presence o f God Himself. But the Lamb is coupled with the Lord God the Almighty as the temple o f it. Nothing could more forcibly present the Deity o f our Lord Jesus and His Deity not merely as our risen Lord, but His Deity as the atoning Lamb. One o f the great problems o f our modern cities is the problem o f illumination, but for that com ing city this 1 problem is solved in a won derful way. It will neither need sun by day, nor moon by night. It will need neither gas, nor electricity, nor ^radium. The “glory o f God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb.” “ God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1 :5) ; the light o f sun and moon and stars o f light is derived from Him and Jesus, the Lamb, is the light o f the World (John
8:12). The light that shone from the per son o f Jesus on the Damascus road was above the brightness o f the noon-day sun.' No other light than that which shines from the Father and the Son will be needed. vs. 24-27. “And the nations of them which are saved (omit, o f them which are saved) shall walk ,in (amidst) the light o f it (thereof) : and the kings o f the earth do (omit, do) bring their glory and honor (omit, and honor) into it. And the gates o f it (thereof) shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there, (shall in no wise be shut by day for there shall be no night there:) And (and) they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ( ; ) And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth (unclean), neither whatsoever (or he that) worketh (maketh an) abomination, or maketh a lie (and a lie): but (add , only) they which ( that) are written in the Lambs book o f life.” AJ1 the nations (see R. V .) shall walk amidst the wondrous light o f that city. The kings shall bring their glory into it. Everything that is truly regal will be brought into that city. The city stands wide open all the time. There will be no need o f excluding gates, only that which ought to enter will dare enter. There shall be no light there. In God the Father o f lights, there is “no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning” (James 1:18), and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever; so there can never be any darkness in the city o f which they are thé light. The glory and honor o f nations shall be brought into the city, but there shall be excluded from it everything “common.” (Common is the exact force o f the word translated unclean,” v. 27). Every one that maketh an abomination shall be shut out. In that city there shall be no sin, no meanness, no falsehood; no sham o f any kind whatever. The only ones who shall enter are those who are written in the Lamb’s book o f life. Well may each one o f us ask, “Is my name written there?”
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