LECTURE XVII
THE NEW JERUSALEM AND THE ETERNAL GLORY 21:1-22:21
The last two chapters of this wonderful "Revelatio~ of Jesus Christ" conclude the vision which John saw of the things which shall be hereafter." They have to do with "the New Jerusalem" and the eternal glory of the home of the redeemed. And what a vision! Surely the aged apostle, a lonely exile.. on a barr~n, rocky isla~.d, separa.~ed_from all earthly ties for the testimony of Jesus -surely this beloved disciple" counted his sufferings as "not worthy to be com pared with the glory" that should soon "be revealed" unto his wondering eyes! For nearly two thousand years, since he received this vision, John has been "with the Lord" in that heavenly city; and he will be there throughout the endless ages! As we read and study together this closing portion of God's Word, my Christian friend, shall we not rejoice that our names are written in "the Lamb's book of life"; and that one day we, too, shall join the Apostle John, and share with him the presence of our Lord? · We shall better understand the message of these two chapters if we keep in mind this important division of their content: (1) In 21:1-8 the Holy Spirit brings to a close the full scope of "the things which shall be hereafter," taking us on beyond the millennium, even unto the eternal state· (2) in_ 21 :9-22:21 we have a kind of epilogue, so far a~ the_ outlm_e of the book is concerned. Again, this section falls log1call~ mto two_part~: T~e description of the New Jerusa lem durmg the m11len01al reign of Christ on earth, 21 :9-22:5· and the conclusion to the entire book, 22: 6-21. • . Let us ~ead now 21: 1-8. the real end of the vision of "the thmgs which shall be hereafter"-from the translation of the church to the eternal state: .
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