Bible Study With Jairus

#Bible Study with #Jairus – #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 4 Part 3 For all his ways are justice

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. NKJV

 

God is a God of faithfulness and truth. Although American culture values honesty and truth, many cultures do not. Presenting God as a God of truth may mean very little to cultures who do not value honesty. For example, in the Chinese culture I grew up in, lies and deceitfulness are common business practices. It is the only way to succeed in the business world. How can you do business if you cannot lie? Even after immigrating to the USA, I continued to receive spam messages from Chinese people trying to cheat me. I am not saying that everyone in China is a liar, as there are many good and honest people in China. But deceitfulness is certainly common in this godless culture. In this type of culture, honesty is viewed as a weakness instead of a truth.

 

On the other hand, honesty is valued in American society. Honesty is rewarded more in America than it is in other countries. People in America often trust you initially but will never trust you again if they find out you are lying to them. America values honesty, which is why it attracts talented people from around the world. These people may not have been successful in their own countries, but they can succeed in America’s honesty-based culture. For example, a hard-working creative artist cannot succeed in China because their art or digital property may be stolen overnight. But they can succeed in America because America protects their creativity and intellectual property.

 

As a God of truth, God cannot lie. Who do you think has more power: God, who cannot lie, or Satan, who has lied from the beginning? Many people may think that Satan’s lies have more power than God’s truth. After all, he deceived one third of the angels and tricked our ancestors, Adam and Eve. In addition, when we look at the society we live in, we may think that Satan’s lies are very powerful. After all, he has trapped quite a few people in lies. But in the end, when Satan is cast into the lake of fire, we will realize that the God of truth has all power over the god of all lies.

 

Often, we struggle to overcome our sin and failure because we cannot break free from the strongholds the enemy has created through the lies we believe and practice. The more we understand God’s nature as a truthful and honest God, the more our lies will be dismantled, and the more we will be delivered from the bondage of the enemy.

#Bible Study with #Jairus – #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 4 Part 3 For all his ways are justice

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice, A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

 

Moses said that God’s work is perfect! Can you say the same thing from the bottom of your heart?

 

Many people struggle with this idea. For example, people who believe the lie of transgenderism think they are trapped in the wrong body or that God made a mistake in creating them as a man or woman. They would struggle to say that God’s work is perfect.

 

But they are not the only ones. Many believers who have experienced hardship, neglect, abuse, or betrayal would also find it difficult to say God’s work is perfect.

 

So how could Moses say this? Because he had an easy life? Definitely not. He faced the difficult task of leading a rebellious, doubting people who often revolted against him. He even faced rejection from his own brother and sister! Yet he could say that God’s work was perfect.

 

Why did the Israelites struggle to believe this? Because of their corrupted view of God. In Deuteronomy 32:5, God called the Israelites a “crooked and twisted generation” (ESV). Since I grew up in a godless country like China, I can relate to this. Many people in China are twisted and crooked in their minds. They do not value human lives at all. When I was growing up, the older generation told stories of killing their newborn girls in their chamber pots. Although infanticide is longer allowed in modern China, there are still massive amounts of abortions and human trafficking. The people’s minds are so twisted that they do not value every human life as created in the image of God. They cannot say God’s work is perfect.

 

After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, it is not surprising that Israelites had a slave mindset. When the ten evil spies reported that there were giants in the Promised Land, the Israelites wanted to stone Moses and choose new leaders to take them back to Egypt. They could not say God’s work and guidance were perfect! Instead, they wanted to return to Egyptian slavery!

 

The journey in the wilderness served the purpose of making their crooked minds straight. As we allow God to transform our minds, we can finally say “His work is perfect.” Perhaps in Deuteronomy, when they were about ready to enter the Promised Land, they could finally believe these words. Perhaps this is why Moses told them this message at the end of his life. Perhaps they finally had ears to hear and minds to believe that God’s work is perfect.

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 4 Part 1 God is Our Rock

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 4 Part 1 God is Our Rock

 

The Rock, this work is perfect, for all his ways are perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

 

What does it mean that God is our rock? For many of us, when we speak of God as our rack, we are simply repeating what we have heard others saying. However, it is a completely different thing to experience this for ourselves in our own lives. Let me illustrate by sharing an experience from my life. When I was saved in 2002, I began to witness to my parents and share the gospel with them. But my mom was very committed to Buddhism and idol worship, and my father was a strong atheist. In our country, it is not easy to witness to family members. In fact, many people are even persecuted for sharing the gospel. Even in America, a so-called Christian country, it is not easy to bring back a prodigal son or daughter.

 

For ten years, my wife and I struggled with infertility. This made things worse. My mom told me she would not believe in Jesus, since she had not seen God answering our prayer to bless us with a baby. I didn’t know what to say, but I just kept trusting in the verse that says, “the one who believes in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 9:33). This verse is quoting Isaiah 28:16, which says, “whoever relies on it [the precious cornerstone] will never be stricken with panic” (NIV). I simply told my mom that I would continue to trust my God.

 

In 2016, God told me I would have a baby that year. I told my mom about this promise, but she did not believe it. When the promise was fulfilled, my mom was shocked. She was so amazed by this miracle that she decided to believe in Jesus’ name and get baptized. Because of my experience, I can say from experience that God is my rock. He is the rock of my salvation.

 

Why and how can Moses say that God is a rock? What was his experience with God being a rock? The Bible tells us that Moses told his father-in-law, Jethro, about the mighty acts of God. However, this did not happen right away. When Moses originally left his father-in-law to go back to Egypt, he took his wife and son with him. But later, they went back to be with Jethro. Perhaps Moses’ wife, sons, and father-in-law doubted God’s power to deliver them from Egypt. If not, why would his wife and sons have gone back to be with their family instead of going with Moses to Egypt?

 

However, after God successfully delivered the Israelites from Egypt, Jethro brought Moses’ wife and sons to meet him. Then Moses told his father-in-law what God had done to miraculously free them from Egypt. At that point, Jethro believed in Jehovah and offered sacrifices to God.

 

Do you think it was easy for Moses to witness to his father-in-law, a Midianite priest who worshiped a foreign God? Was it easy for Jethro to accept Jehovah as the real God, the Rock? No. Even Moses’s own brother and sister despised him. However, God’s mighty acts performed through Moses helped his family believe.

 

The promise of God always starts from a tiny seed. But this seed will grow into a miracle if we keep believing God’s promise and steward it well. As a result, we will have a powerful testimony of God being our rock.

 

Not only did Jethro place his trust in Jehovah, but an entire group of Midianites also went on the journey of faith to the Promised Land. One of their descendants is Jael, who later killed Sisera. Witnessing to your family members and bringing back the prodigals is not easy. But if you keep trusting him, you will be able to testify that God is your Rock. He who trusts in him WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME!

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 3 For I will proclaim the name of the Lord

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 3 For I will proclaim the name of the Lord

 

For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;   ascribe greatness to our God!

We trust that when we call, others will answer.

• If we call our mom, we will get food, comfort, and love.
• If we call our teacher, we will get help with math and reading.
• If we call 911, we will get assistance from first responders.
• If we call our dog, he will come running and wag his tail.
• If we call a person’s name, we will get the person himself.

We have confidence that we will get a response when we call the names of many different people and even animals. But we often neglect the fact that when we call on the name of the Lord, we will get the reality of the Lord’s presence.

 

In Genesis, we see that in the third generation of human existence, during the lifetime of Enosh, people began to call on the name of the LORD (Genesis 4:26). The name “Jesus” means “God is our salvation.” If we call on the name of Jesus, we will get the salvation of God.

 

Moses knows this fact from personal experience. He also expects the Israelites to have a proper response to the name of God. For example, if a herald announced that a great king was approaching, people would kneel and give them honor. In the same way, Moses expects that when he proclaims the name of the Lord, the Israelites will respond by “ascribing greatness to our God.” When we proclaim the name of the Lord, we will bring God’s greatness into our awareness.

 

As humans, we experience the personal presence of God through his acts. If we have never experienced the miraculous acts of God, it is difficult to associate the name of the Lord with the greatness of God. When Abraham first built an altar between Bethel and Ai and called on the name of God, he did not fully understand God’s greatness. He immediately went down to Egypt and almost sold his wife. God was faithful to save Abraham from the Egyptians, even though Abraham was not faithful. Then Abraham returned to the same altar, offered sacrifices, and once again called on the name of God. His experience of God’s power in Egypt deepened His understanding of God’s faithfulness. It helped him understand what it truly meant to call on the name of God. This is why he again called on the name of the Lord to ascribe greatness to his God.

 

This is one reason that God revealed Himself to Moses as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” God gave Moses similar experiences that helped him understand God’s greatness in the same way as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did. Before Moses went to Egypt, he did not tell his father-in-law what he was about to do in Egypt. Moses only told him about God’s greatness after God rescued His people from Egypt and brought them through the Red Sea. When Moses declared God’s mighty deeds and his awesome wonders to Jethro, he ascribed greatness to the Lord. He accepted Jehovah as his God and offered sacrifices to God right on the spot. This is another example of Moses declaring the name of the Lord and others ascribing greatness to Him.

 

Many Christians today cannot connect the name of God with the greatness of God. If we proclaim the name of the Lord, they don’t react by ascribing greatness to the Lord. Why? Because they need to experience God through his acts and deeds. Why don’t we have these experiences? Because we haven’t asked for them. The Bible says, “Ask, it shall be given to you.” Why don’t we ask for these experiences? Because experiencing God’s power may cost us something, so we often avoid it.

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 2 The Law is like Rain

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 2 The Law is like Rain

 

May my teaching drop as the rain,
    my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
    and like showers upon the herb.

 

To help you understand this verse, I want you to close your eyes and imagine the four pictures that Moses points in this verse. He likens his words to rain, dews, raindrops, and showers to water the plants and provide for human life on earth.

 

First, please imagine you are watching rain drizzling against a windowpane, falling from the sky, and gently dropping to the ground. Second, please imagine drops of dew on the grass when you walk out of your house in the morning. Thirdly please imagine raindrops on a bush or plant. You can see the drops that still linger on the tip of a blade of grass or on the leaves of a water lily. Fourth, please imagine gentle showers falling on your garden so you don’t need to water them.

 

In this verse, Moses painted a picture of the law as a nourishing dew or a gentle, life-giving shower. He did not liken his words to storms, floods, typhoons, or tsunamis.  But in the later portion of this chapter, Moses warned the Israelites about the chastisement that would come upon them if they didn’t heed his gentle words. If they rejected the gentle rainfall of his word, they would experience the flood of condemnation. The law brings life, but if you disobey the law, it becomes a curse and a source of condemnation.

 

The Law first teaches and admonishes before correcting and disciplining. A good parent will speak gently at first, but will later discipline the child if they don’t obey. In the same way, the law protects and teaches us when we are spiritually immature (Galatians 3:24). Paul made it clear the law is good, but the person who cannot follow the law is the problem. Is the mother wrong to discipline her child? Most of the time, it is the children who are in the wrong.

 

Ultimately, Moses reminded the Israelites that God would one day have compassion on His people. After their time of discipline was over, God would again have compassion on them. No punishment or chastisement or anything else can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:38-39).  Moses did not mention Jesus’s name in this passage, but he alludes to the coming Savior. The Apostle John said, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17 ESV).

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 1 Heaven and Earth are awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ

#Bible Study With #Jairus #Deuteronomy 32 Verse 1 Heaven and Earth are awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ

 

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,   and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.”

 

We often say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In Deuteronomy 32, God gives the people of Israel a poem filled with pictorial language. Understanding pictorial language will help us grasp the prophetic and poetic language of the Bible. Since many of God’s truths are from the spiritual realm, a picture or metaphor can help us understand them. For example, the imagery of the heavens and earth listening to Moses’ words gives us a powerful picture that helps us understand God’s hidden plan.

 

Deuteronomy 32 is a poem God gave through Moses to remind the Israelites of three important truths:

• God’s faithfulness to them
• The consequences if they rebelled against God
• God’s promise to restore them after their future punishment was complete.

 

Why is God punishing the Israelites, the nation he calls his “firstborn son”? First, the Bible tells us that God the father disciplines his sons and daughters, just like earthly fathers discipline their children out of love (Hebrews 12:6-7).

 

But why did Moses command the heaven and earth to listen to his warnings to the Israelites?  Because this poem was not just for the Israelites. God had a hidden plan to redeem all of creation. One day, His son would come to earth as an Israelite. He would accomplish redemption through His death on the cross and resurrection. In this way, he would “bring many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). God’s plan is clearly revealed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8. All of creation is eagerly waiting for God’s sons to receive freedom and glory so the creation can also be set free from corruption (Romans 8:18-25).

 

But the Israelites didn’t know God’s hidden plan to redeem all of creation. As spiritual infants, they were prone to worship idols, like a sheep who is prone to wander from its shepherd. The Israelites needed to be disciplined so they would remain holy, set apart to God until the promised Messiah would be born through the tribe of Israel. This plan was about the Jew—but it was not only about the Jew. It was about bringing many sons to glory through Jesus Christ so that all creation could be freed from bondage. That is why Moses called heaven and earth to hear this poem addressed to the Israelites. The whole creation was longing for the birth of Jesus Christ to redeem them! Is it too much to say Moses was pointing to Jesus Christ in this chapter? Not at all! Jesus made it clear to the disciples on the road to Emmaus that all the writings of Moses, the Psalms and the Prophets point to His death and resurrection!

Bible Study With Jairus Revelation 20 (part 3) Overcoming the Second Death

Bible Study With Jairus Revelation 20 (part 3)  Overcoming the Second Death

 

In Revelation, 20, we see that only a small group of believers has the privilege of reigning with the Lord for a thousand years. Among believers, there are those who overcome and those who do not. The believers who overcome share in the first resurrection and are rewarded by reigning with the Lord for a thousand years in the millennial kingdom. After they overcome, the second death has no power over them (20:6).

 

We are all children of God, but not every child can overcome and become a king. Though all people are created equal by God, yet we are born into unequal circumstances because we grow up in different countries and families. For instance, I was born into a poor farming family in China, and my daughter was born into a middle-class family in America. Both of us are equal in God’s eyes, because we were made in His image. However, our starting points in life are not the same. She started her life journey much farther ahead than I did. Similarly, according to the truth of the Bible, there is no hierarchy among believers, yet there are differences in the degree of life to which they can attain. I believe that those who started out behind have a more difficult time overcoming spiritually.

 

What will happen to believers who do not overcome? Will they have another opportunity to overcome in the future? The Bible does not explicitly answer this question. Personally, I believe they will have this opportunity. However, one thing is certain: those who do not share in the first resurrection may still be subject to the second death.

 

Sister Lai Wangxiulan has written several books and testimonies about her visions. She shares that God told her that disobedient Christians are held in certain valleys, where they study the Bible and are urged to repent. If they repent, they will proceed to Paradise; if not, they will be sent to the Lake of Fire. If this revelation is true, then both sinning Christians and those who have not accepted the Lord may have the opportunity to learn about God and repent. If they choose to repent, they can avoid the second death. This second death is eternal death in “the lake of fire” (20:14).

 

In Matthew 25, Jesus discusses the judgment of the sheep and goats. The Lord said that the people who treated believers kindly (sheep) would enter the kingdom prepared for them by the Father from the foundation of the world. Meanwhile, the people who treated God’s children poorly (goats) would be cast into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:33-41). We are uncertain whether this judgment of the nations takes place during the millennial kingdom or at the Great White Throne. My personal understanding is that it occurs at the Great White Throne judgment. If this judgment took place during the millennial kingdom, then it would be impossible to have a rebellion at the end of the thousand years. Therefore, it must take place at the Great White Throne judgment.

 

So, how can a person avoid the second death? I believe there are three possible ways to avoid eternal punishment.

• Being an overcoming Christian in this life.
• Being a Christian who does not overcome in this life, but continuing to repent and overcome in the afterlife. This is possible because the Bible mentions the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, which seems to be different from the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:30).
• Treating God’s children kindly and being included in the “nations” who are judged by God in Matthew 25. These people will enter God’s eternal kingdom and be free from the harm of the second death.

 

Christians Who Overcome Today Will Reign with the Lord in the Millennial Kingdom

 

Who are the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 14:1? Are they merely Jews who have been chosen and sealed with the seal of the living God (Revelation 7:4)? My understanding is that the 144,000 sealed from the twelve tribes are those whom God has chosen to be saved and to be spared from certain disasters. This term may also refer to those who overcome.

 

In Revelation 14, God specifically states that the 144,000 are “redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb” (Revelation 14:4). If they are the firstfruits, then they may represent the first group of overcomers. If there are firstfruits, then there are also later fruits, which suggests that other believers may have an opportunity to overcome later on.

 

It is also possible that this term refers to the saints who appear in glory with the Lord Jesus at His return. They will reign with Christ for a thousand years and will not be harmed by the second death.  The Book of Jude says, "It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him'" (Jude 1:14-15). This reveals that those who come with the Lord will execute judgment with Him upon sinners. This aligns with the scene described in Revelation regarding the coming of the millennial kingdom.

 

Revelation 20:4 says, "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.  Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Note that several groups of people are mentioned here. The first group consists of those to whom the authority to judge was given. This group is not explicitly described as martyrs, so it may include believers who have overcome throughout the ages. The structure of the verse, in which the first and second parts of the verse begin with the words, "I saw," indicates that John is seeing different groups of people. These individuals, as overcomers, will receive the future reward of reigning with the Lord in the millennial kingdom for a thousand years and will not be harmed by the second death.

 

To those of us who are still facing the daily pressures and temptations of present life, these promises may sound like fairy tales. They may seem like a distant and unrealistic dream. However, if God opens our spiritual eyes, we will realize how glorious these promises truly are. Moreover, this passage reminds us that our current life is our only opportunity—or at least our best opportunity—to overcome. The suffering and trials we experience in this life are excellent opportunities for us to achieve victory. Suffering is often grace in disguise. If we can embrace the hardships and trials of this life, break free from the corruption caused by worldly desires, and partake more and more in the divine nature, we will be filled with the life of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4). In doing so, we will escape the second death, become the firstfruits of God’s redemption, and potentially have the opportunity to reign with the Lord for a thousand years in the future. May God open the eyes of each and every one of us.

 

Christians Who Do Not Overcome on Earth May Have the Opportunity to Repent in the Afterlife, But They Will Endure Much Suffering

 

Will some people have the opportunity to repent in the afterlife? Will Christians continue to grow, mature, and learn? Will there be an intermediary period after death in which people’s final fate is still undecided? These have always been controversial questions. This controversy is illustrated in the multiple interpretations of the parable of the ten virgins. In this parable, five virgins run out of oil and are excluded from the wedding feast. Some denominations teach that these five virgins were never saved, while others believe they were Christians who lacked spiritual oil. In other words, they were saved but not overcomers. In this view, Christians can still repent after death. In the afterlife, immature Christians are disciplined in darkness until they repent.

 

I believe that both the Catholic and Protestant traditions have embraced extreme positions on this issue. On the one hand, the Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of purgatory, which led to the sale of indulgences. On the other hand, Protestantism rejects the existence of Purgatory and denies the possibility of post-death discipline for believers. Both extremes have led to erroneous teachings. The teachings of the Catholic church led believers to purchase indulgences to get their loved ones out of Purgatory. Protestants were concerned that corrupt clergy were charging excessive amounts for indulgences, so they overcorrected by denying Purgatory altogether. However, this led Protestants to believe that they will automatically go to heaven through faith in Christ. As a result, they sometimes see no need for spiritual growth, learning, and repentance in this life. Both extremes can lead to unhelpful distortions of the truth.

 

I believe that after believers enter eternity, they will have the opportunity to continue learning and repenting. If there is sin that was not dealt with while alive, it will not be simply erased upon entering eternity. Instead, they must continue to repent and be filled with Christ’s life.

 

The blood of Christ has cleansed us from sin once and for all; this is an indisputable fact. However, we need to continually apply the blood of Jesus Christ and His salvation to our experiences. The former frees us from the second death, which is the Lake of Fire; the latter helps us grow in holiness. When we believe in Jesus and accept His cleansing blood as payment for our sins, we are saved. We become God’s children, and no one can snatch us out of God’s hand. Even when we occasionally give in to sin and transgressions, we do not lose our salvation or need to be saved again. The common teaching that we can lose our salvation has instilled fear in many believers throughout history, but I believe this view is incorrect.

 

However, if a believer willfully sins after receiving the knowledge of salvation, I believe this is a totally different situation. We cannot bind God by our understanding of His word. He is alive, and His word is alive. We cannot decide who goes to hell and who does not based on our own human interpretation of God’s word. Instead, the living God will decide each person’s eternal destiny based on His own just character. Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “It is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (6:6). And in verse 8, it says, "but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned." From these scriptures, we see that God will punish people who have tasted His words yet refuse to repent from their deliberate sin and rebellion. When these people allow thorns and thistles to grow in their lives, they will be burned. We cannot take salvation lightly or ignore God's sanctification.

 

I believe that some people who do not overcome in this life will receive discipline and come to repentance in the afterlife. However, this will not be an easy process. The Bible says these people must pass through much suffering. Suffering and discipline will be the means of repentance that frees them from the harm of the second death.

 

It is delusional to believe that we can indulge in the pleasures of sin in this life and yet escape all suffering in the life to come. The Bible says that our works will be tested by fire, and “if anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15). People who live an irresponsible life on earth will experience suffering in the life to come.

 

Consistently Show Kindness to God's Children: Care for Even the Least of His Followers

 

Although God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), the reality is that not everyone has the opportunity to hear the gospel and be saved. Unfortunately, some people will never hear the gospel. But as Paul stated, their conscience acts as their guide. Paul said, “To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Romans 2:7). The Israelites, living under the law, will be judged according to the law (Romans 2:12). However, the situation is different for Gentiles who do not know the law (let alone the gospel). Paul says, “When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (Romans 2:14-15). From this passage, as well as the passage about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25, it seems that some people may be granted eternal life because they follow the guidance of their conscience in how they live. However, if people do evil (which not only includes mistreating Christians, but also harming God's creation), they may not enter God's Kingdom. Paul says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). These are clearly people who do not follow their conscience or the law of the spirit. They cannot inherit the Kingdom of God—unless they believe in Christ and repent. Revelation 21:8 more explicitly states, "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Revelation 21:27 also mentions, "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." These are the people outside the city mentioned in Revelation 22:15: "Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." This is likely referring to the Lake of Fire. In the Old Testament, the last chapter of Isaiah also describes a similar scenario regarding the end times. Isaiah 66:22-24 says, "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord. And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." Not only will the Lake of Fire still exist in the new heavens and the new earth, but believers will periodically go out to view the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against God and who are suffering in the Lake of Fire. I do not know what my feelings will be at that time, but this passage says that all flesh will abhor them. We may end up loving what God loves and hating what God hates.

 

It is evident that those who follow their conscience and treat others kindly will ultimately receive God's reward and escape the second death. On the other hand, those who live in sin without repentance will face the consequences of the second death. The Bible does not give a definitive answer about whether people will have a chance to repent after death. Personally, I have had some prophetic dreams in which my unsaved relatives were given an opportunity to hear the Gospel and study the Scriptures in the afterlife. I believe it’s possible that God did not immediately cast them into the Lake of Fire. Even if such a possibility exists, I believe it is reserved for those who did not have a chance to hear the Gospel and repent in this life. However, no one should allow this possibility to create apathy in this life. We should not ignore the importance of repentance in this life by assuming there will be another chance to repent in the afterlife. Instead, we should embrace the possibility that God’s grace for our loved ones may extend beyond this life.

 

Conclusion

 

The second death is the ultimate and final type of death, characterized by eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire. In His justice and love, God gives different people opportunities to receive eternal life. Those who hear the Gospel and accept it will not only be saved but will also have the opportunity to overcome and be victorious. After their victory, they will not only escape the second death but may also have the chance to reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom for a thousand years. Because of God's justice, people who have not heard the Gospel may still have a chance to hear it in the afterlife. God will judge them according to their conscience. I believe that people who treat God's elect and His creation with kindness will be allowed to enter the eternal kingdom.

 

Everyone has the opportunity for salvation, and everyone has the chance for victory. Our salvation is freely given, as long as we accept the cleansing of Jesus Christ’s blood by faith. However, victory requires spiritual growth and the willingness to pay a cost. If we are willing to pay that cost, our reward will far exceed anything we can imagine. I hope that all people will seize the opportunity in this life not only to believe in the Lord but also to overcome. For those who are less fortunate, including relatives who have passed away without hearing the Gospel, do not lose hope. God's justice will not allow a good soul to enter hell. Not only have I personally seen in prophetic dreams that deceased relatives can continue to hear the Gospel and read the Bible in the afterlife, but the same idea is confirmed by the testimonies of many prophets. There are also many scriptures which suggest that individuals will be judged by their conscience, indicating that these individuals may still have a chance. However, we do not teach or encourage people to reject the Gospel in this life or to indulge in sin based on the assumption that there will be another chance. We can never be sure that we will have another chance—especially for those who hear the Gospel in this life and still reject it. So we should take every opportunity we have to trust in Christ and apply His resurrection power to our lives.

God's End Time Plan/End Time Prophecy Part 1 - Jesus told me he will be back when the New Jerusalem is built up.

God's End Time Plan/End Time Prophecy Part 1 - Jesus told me he will be back when the New Jerusalem is built up.

 

Why do I think the Lord's return is not imminent? In this first reflection, I will share my understanding of God's end times plans. I believe God has a heart for worldwide revival, but it will take longer than we thought. We are living the last days, but we don't know when Jesus will return. Is it possible that it is still several hundred years away?

 

In 2004, two years after trusting Christ as Savior, I had an encounter with Jesus in a revival meeting. The leaders of the revival meeting were encouraging believers to dedicate their lives to God, but I was not willing. I did not believe Jesus’ second coming was true. But finally, I knelt down to pray, “Jesus, if you reveal yourself to me and help me understand your second coming, I will dedicate my life to you.” That very night, I had a dream. In the dream, two people were fighting for access to my heart. I believe it was the Lord fighting against Satan. One of them was stronger and he took my heart. I physically felt the pain of this person grabbing my heart. The next day, I no longer struggled to dedicate myself to the Lord. Instead, I did it willingly. During the meeting, I suddenly saw the heavens open. I saw Jesus and heard him saying, “When the body of Christ, the New Jerusalem, is built up, I will come back.”

 

So many people are talking about the Lord’s imminent return, but my argument is that it is not as imminent as some think. The Lord is longing for the maturity of the Body of Christ so that he can marry a mature bride. But we are far from maturity. It is not we who are waiting for the Lord’s return, but it is the Lord who is waiting for our maturity.

 

Bible Study with Jairus Revelation 21 (part 5) The Gemstones of the New Jerusalem Symbolize our Horizontal Fellowship with the Saints, While Israel's Pearls Symbolize our Vertical Fellowship with God

Bible Study with Jairus Revelation 21 (part 5)

The Gemstones of the New Jerusalem Symbolize our Horizontal Fellowship with the Saints, While Israel's Pearls Symbolize our Vertical Fellowship with God

 

What is the New Jerusalem made of? The walls are made of jasper, the city is made of pure gold, and the twelve gates are made of twelve pearls. Furthermore, the foundations of the city’s walls are adorned with twelve kinds of gemstones (Revelation 21:18-21). Jasper, gold, gemstones, and pearls are the four building materials used in the construction of the New Jerusalem. Since jasper is a type of gemstone, there are essentially three materials: gold, gemstones, and pearls.

 

Gold symbolizes the nature of God. In the Old Testament, gold was used in the construction of the temple and in the making of the Ark of the Covenant. These examples show that gold represents God’s uncreated nature. The streets of the New Jerusalem are also made of pure gold. I believe that gold represents God’s heavenly purity, which is contrasted with human earthiness. We were created from the dust of the ground, and clay cannot transform into gold. Even though Peter said that our faith, which is tested by fire, will become more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7), we will always be created beings. We can never become as majestic, pure, and powerful as God is. Even when our lives are refined in fire to separate the gold from the rock, we cannot rival God’s holiness. God is pure and holy, like gold. Part of the New Jerusalem is made out of gold, which means that God Himself is an integral part of the city. The throne of God and the Lamb is at the center of the New Jerusalem. The presence of gold in the New Jerusalem reminds us that God is our tabernacle.

 

The walls and gates of the New Jerusalem are made of various gemstones and pearls. Pearls symbolize our vertical fellowship with God, which is made possible through the wounds of Christ. Like an oyster that secretes a pearly liquid when it is wounded by the piece of sand inside its shell, we are transformed by the suffering of Christ. The pearls represent the twelve tribes of Israel, which reminds us of our vertical fellowship with God and the transformation we undergo after experiencing His salvation.

 

The gemstones represent the apostles who provide the foundation for our growth in Christ. As we build each other up in the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:11), we are built together as living stones that form a part of Christ’s temple (1 Peter 2:5). Christ is the cornerstone that connects both Jews and Gentiles in one holy temple. In the same way, the cross of Christ unites believers with each other and reconciles God and man (Ephesians 2:14-17).

 

While we have never seen clay turn into gold, we have seen clay transformed into gemstones under high pressure, and we have seen sand turn into pearls after the oyster is wounded. When we personally experience God’s life-saving grace and salvation, we are transformed into individual pearls. And when we are built together with other believers in Christ, we become different kinds of gemstones. Since each believer has undergone a different kind of suffering and transformation, we manifest as different kinds of gemstones. This is why the foundation of the city wall has so many different colors on display.

 

The New Jerusalem, as God’s dwelling place, is made up of both human and divine building materials. It contains gold, which represents God’s uncreated nature. It also contains gemstones and pearls, which represent the created, yet transformed, human nature. The New Jerusalem is the mutual dwelling place of God and man. It represents Immanuel, God with us.

 

The Literal and Symbolic Meaning of Eternal Dwellings

 

The descriptions of the New Jerusalem can be confusing at first glance. Is the New Jerusalem a literal city with literal houses? Or is it a completely metaphorical place that represents our bodies, our relationships, or other types of spiritual realities? I believe it is both.

 

The New Jerusalem is both material and physical, literal and metaphorical. Both aspects are equally real and valid. Today, the spiritual world is invisible to us. As a result, it seems less real. People often think that the visible, material world is the real one, and the unseen spiritual world is false. This is because their spiritual eyes have not been opened. The Bible tells us that the visible world is not the true reality; it is just a shadow. The invisible spiritual world is the true reality (2 Corinthians 4:18).

 

Let’s look at an example of how the New Jerusalem is both literal and metaphorical. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul tells us that we will one day lay aside our earthly tents and receive a house from God. This house is not made by human hands, but is eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1). In this passage, Paul is clearly talking about laying aside our physical bodies and receiving spiritual resurrected bodies. Paul says, “For indeed in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened, not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:2-4). Paul is saying that we long to be free from the limitations of the flesh and to put on the dwelling from heaven, which likely includes a spiritual body. In this passage, the word “house” means “resurrection body.”

 

However, God will also give us literal houses, or dwelling places, in heaven. Jesus mentions that His Father’s house has many rooms, and he is preparing a place for us (John 14:2). I believe that this is also true. In addition to having individual resurrected bodies and garments, we will also have houses to live in, and a city in which to reside—the New Jerusalem. This New Jerusalem is our eternal dwelling which descends from God out of heaven. It is our house not made by human hands, eternal in the heavens. In the past, I was taught to doubt the existence of material houses in heaven. However, in a vision, God showed me the house of a saint in heaven. Now, I believe that when people go to heaven, they will have material houses. However, the material things in heaven surpass our current understanding of material things. For example, after the Lord’s resurrection, He could not only pass through walls but also eat fish, demonstrating that His resurrected body transcends our comprehension.

 

Furthermore, the idea of clothing is also used in several ways. Revelation 21:2 says, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Since we know that the church is the bride of Christ, the Lamb’s wife, we can conclude that the New Jerusalem represents believers. The New Jerusalem is our collective dwelling place, and it is also adorned with spiritual clothing. Here on earth, we may think we are clothed, but we are actually naked and exposed before God. The Bible tells us, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). In heaven, we will put on heavenly clothing and be fully prepared as Christ’s bride. In this passage, the idea of clothing is used metaphorically to describe the beauty of the city and the adornment of Christ’s bride. However, the idea of clothing is also used in a literal way as God describes the clothing of individual believers (Revelation 7:9).

 

The New Jerusalem is not only a spiritual building but also a material one. Revelation 21 clearly reveals that the city and streets of the New Jerusalem are made of pure gold. The walls are made of jasper, the gates are made of pearls, and the foundation of the city walls is made of various precious stones. These beautiful materials should not be seen merely as metaphors but as real, tangible materials. However, these tangible materials may also be alive in a sense that we do not currently understand. Therefore, the construction of the New Jerusalem may be an organic unity of both physical and spiritual building materials.

 

The Pearly Gates Symbolize Our Vertical, Personal Experience of God’s Salvation

 

According to Revelation 21:12, the twelve gates of the city are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. I believe that the twelve gates not only represent Israel, but by extension, Jesus Christ. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Salvation came through Jesus Christ, a descendent of Israel. The Israelite Torah points forward to the coming of Christ, and Christ is the fulfillment of the law and prophets (Romans 10:4). As a result, the twelve pearly gates certainly symbolize Christ. Salvation is only found in Christ, but God chose to bring his salvation through the twelve tribes of Israel.

 

Salvation comes from the Israelites. Salvation was made possible through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who became an Israelite. Without the Israelites, there would be no Jesus, and without Jesus, there would be no salvation. Therefore, the twelve gates, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, symbolize the collective human connection with God in a vertical sense.

 

Let me share another metaphor that helps me understand the relationship between Israel and our salvation to Christ. The Israelites are like the physical cables that bring internet signals into your home. The signal is then decoded in a modem and router. They turn the signal into a wireless connection. Finally, the signal is received by hardware on the phone or computer that interprets the signal. Without any of these elements, it would be impossible to connect to the internet.

 

In a similar way, Israel is like the cable that brings the signal into the home. Christ is like the router and modem that translates the Israelite heritage into a form that all of us can accept. But we need personal faith (like the hardware and software on a device) to receive the signal Christ brings. Through the connection of faith, we can connect with Christ, and through Christ, we connect with God.

 

Without the Israelites, it would be impossible to connect with Christ and God, just like it would be impossible to connect to the internet without a physical cable. This is what Paul is referring to when he talks about the blessing of Abraham: “So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14). Today, as Gentiles, we receive the blessing of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

 

In the construction of the New Jerusalem, God continues to remind us that the history and heritage of Israel were necessary for our salvation. They are the gate, or portal, into the presence of God. The twelve pearly gates of the New Jerusalem, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel, are the way we enter God's holy city.

 

The Pearly Gates and Gemstones Symbolize Transformation

 

The twelve gates are twelve pearls (21:21). Pearls are formed when a piece of sand becomes stuck inside an oyster shell. The oyster is wounded by the sand and begins to secrete a substance called mother-of-pearl that coats the sand and transforms it into a pearl. Similarly, when the Lord Jesus was wounded on the cross, he secreted life-giving fluids that not only provided forgiveness for our sins but also opened the way for transformation. Through his death, we can be transformed into something brand-new, like pearls.

 

The Bible reminds us that Jesus was literally pierced for our salvation. Quoting an Old Testament passage, the Apostle John says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced” (John 19:37, cf. Zechariah 12:10, 13:6). Christ was pierced by His own countrymen, and one day those who pierced Him will look upon Him with sadness and grief. But there will be some who will look on Him with faith, just as the Israelites looked upon the bronze serpent lifted by Moses to receive salvation (John 3:14).

 

The Israelites were not the only ones responsible for piercing Jesus. Every person is responsible for nailing Christ to the cross. Our sins caused His wounds. However, His precious blood flowed forth from His wounded body, cleansing us from our sins and transforming us into pearls. Pearls represent the transformation of sinners into saints.

 

The twelve tribes of the Old Testament will eventually be transformed into individual pearls. We, as individual sinners, will be transformed into pearls after undergoing personal salvation and spiritual renewal. Even though there is a collective sense to this renewal, it is also a very personal story between God and the individual. No one else can write our story for us. Each of us must come to God personally through Christ, our mediator.

 

Similarly, gemstones are also the result of transformation. Under specific conditions, certain types of minerals can be transformed into gemstones. For example, clay can be transformed into garnet through intense heat and pressure. Similarly, we humans, who are made of dust (1 Corinthians 15:47-57), can be transformed into gemstones through intense pressure and fiery trials. The difficulties, sufferings and trials we face will ultimately change us into gemstones for the new Jerusalem, God's building.

 

Gemstones Also Symbolize Our Fellowship with Other Saints in Christ

 

Not only are we transformed on a personal level, but we are also built together collectively as living stones in God’s holy temple (1 Peter 2:4-5). We need to join with other believers to become the large gemstones that will form the foundation of the city walls. We are built upon the Lord Jesus, who is the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22), the foundation stone (Isaiah 28:16), and the top stone (Zechariah 4:7-9). He connects Gentiles and Jews—all believers—and builds them into a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. In addition to experiencing personal salvation, we must also allow God to build us together into the New Jerusalem.

 

God's will for us is not merely for individuals to be saved, but for us to be built together to become a holy city that displays His wisdom, greatness, and glory to the universe. The New Jerusalem is God's ultimate expression of these qualities. God’s life not only saves us, but it also transforms us into various types of gemstones. These gemstones include jasper, sapphire, chalcedony emerald, onyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst—twelve types of gemstones in total. As we experience God’s many-colored grace (1 Peter 4:10), we join with other believers to become a beautiful spectrum of gemstones in the walls of the New Jerusalem.

 

Fellowship with God and with Saints is the Most Important Aspect of Eternity

 

What will we do for all of eternity? Aside from enjoying the various blessings that God has prepared for us, we will spend a great deal of time drawing closer to God and having more fellowship with Him. Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). How can we be perfect as the Father is perfect? It will require an eternity of continuously drawing near to the Lord, being filled with God's holy nature, and being perfectly transformed into His image.

 

In addition to fellowship with God, we will also spend time in fellowship with the saints. We will continue building one another up for all of eternity! Even here on earth, we are richly blessed when we gather with other believers for fellowship and mutual encouragement. As we learn from each other’s stories and testimonies, experience each other’s love, and build each other up, we gain a richer experience of God’s many-colored work in their individual lives, which is a very beautiful thing. The fellowship we experience here on earth will be even richer when we reach the New Jerusalem.

 

Conclusion: We Must Strive to Experience Salvation and Edification

 

Today, every Christian must strive to experience God's salvation and edification. The word edification comes from a Latin word that means “to build.” We must not only seek to experience personal salvation (a vertical relationship with God), but we must also seek to be built together with other believers (horizontal relationships with other believers). In this way, we will be built together into the New Jerusalem. Only when we continuously experience vertical fellowship with God and horizontal edification with the saints can we “be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19). This is the ultimate goal of the New Jerusalem—being filled with all the fullness of God.

Bible Study With Jairus - Revelation 21 Part 6 What Preparations Do We Need to Make to Enter the New Jerusalem?

Bible Study With Jairus Revelation 21 (part 6)

What Preparations Do We Need to Make to Enter the New Jerusalem?

 

What preparations do we need to make to enter the New Jerusalem? First, we must be filled with the life of Christ internally, and second, we must manifest the righteous deeds of Christ externally.

 

In Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem descends from heaven. This is only possible because the bride is prepared for her Heavenly Husband. The Bible clearly states that the New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). The Bible also says that the bride must be spotless (Ephesians 5:27). To prepare for her Bridegroom, the bride is clothed in fine linen, which represents the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8). When this happens, the New Jerusalem (the bride) can descend from heaven.

 

The New Jerusalem does not need the light of the sun or the moon, for it is illuminated by the glory of God, and the Lamb is its lamp (Revelation 21:23). God’s life dwells within the city, and his light radiates outward, just like our inward purity manifests in outward righteousness. When we are saved by faith, we become the external manifestation of God's righteousness. Jesus Christ redeems our hearts at the moment of salvation, forgiving our sins because of His righteousness. As He continues to sanctify us, we begin to manifest His righteousness outwardly. What is true on the inside becomes visible on the outside. Not only are we justified positionally, but we are also filled with God’s righteousness dispositionally. Like the New Jerusalem, we manifest God’s glory outwardly. The New Jerusalem is absolutely not just a city descending from heaven; it is also a picture of the mature bride of Christ, whose righteousness is visible externally and not only internally. If it is true that the New Jerusalem cannot descend from heaven until the body of Christ becomes mature, we must seize every opportunity to mature spiritually to hasten the coming of the New Jerusalem.

 

Our Outer Lives Must Match Our Inner Lives: Justification by Faith and Clothed in Fine Linen

 

We often say, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” This saying reminds us that what is inside the book is more important than the cover. Similarly, we often say that we should avoid judging people by external appearance—height, weight, clothing, etc. We are told that these external differences are not essential to the inner life. Instead, what matters is character and inner qualities.

 

However, I believe we do need to pay attention to appearance and image. When buying a book, customers will judge a book by its cover. And as humans, our external appearance has a big impact on the way we are perceived. As the Chinese saying goes, “Clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse.” This means that an individual’s clothing does have an impact. A well-groomed appearance not only improves a person’s outward image and presentation, but it also reflects the person’s internal character. A person with a sloppy appearance is probably irresponsible on the inside, while a person who takes good care of their physical appearance is probably well-mannered and diligent on the inside, too.

 

Similarly, the bride of Christ will be clothed in pure white linen. This linen is not only her literal clothing, but it also represents the righteous deeds of the saints. The white linen is the outward manifestation of God's righteousness in the lives of the saints. In addition, the old heaven and old earth can be compared to a dirty garment that is taken off and cast aside (Hebrews 1:12). Following this train of thought, the new heaven and new earth are like a beautiful, new garment for the bride of Christ. Peter says that righteousness will dwell in the new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:13). This righteousness is seen in the bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is an elegant bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. She is filled with the righteousness of God and Christ on the inside and outwardly expresses His righteousness for all to see.

 

When we are invited to a formal event like a wedding, we should not wear casual jeans and flip flops. If we do, we will feel extremely awkward and wish we could disappear into the ground. In the same way, we cannot enter the marriage feast of Christ without a formal wedding garment. Even if we force our way in, we will be cast out for being dressed inappropriately. This is clearly explained in Jesus' parable in Matthew 22:11-13.

 

Just like a person’s external image and presentation reflects their internal qualities, the bride of Christ needs to have an external righteousness that matches her internal justification. External defilement is a manifestation of internal impurity, as Jesus stated in Matthew 15:11-20. Those whose spiritual garments are defiled cannot be part of the New Jerusalem.

 

If God has chosen us to be part of the New Jerusalem, our personal immaturity as Christians will delay the maturity of the body of Christ, thereby delaying the descent of the New Jerusalem from heaven. If the bride of Christ (synonymous with the Church, the body of Christ, and the New Jerusalem) is not filled with God’s light within and God’s righteousness without, then the New Heaven and New Earth will not descend from heaven, and this age will not come to an end. Every saved Christian is a part of the bride of Christ. We each need to manifest God’s righteousness in our lives so that we are prepared to meet our heavenly Bridegroom.

 

After Salvation, Victory Is Still Needed to Be Fully Prepared to Enter the New Jerusalem

 

When will the New Jerusalem be fully prepared for her heavenly husband? Is it when the number of Christians reaches a certain number of completion? Let’s look at some passages that seem to point in this direction.

 

• Paul said that when the number of Gentiles is complete, God's salvation will come to all of Israel and they will be saved (Romans 11:25-26).
• When speaking to the souls of the martyrs under the altar, God says that judgment will not come until the number of martyrs is completed (Revelation 6:11).
• The Lord Jesus told us that the gospel of the kingdom must be preached to the whole world before the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

 

Clearly, completed numbers are important to God. However, these completed numbers do not necessarily mean that everyone gets to be in the New Jerusalem, just like not every football player gets to be a part of professional football teams. However, a large number of Christians is required in order to produce a smaller number of highly-qualified Christian overcomers, just like a large number of football fans is required to produce a smaller number of excellent players. In the United States, a large base of football fans creates widespread interest in the sport. As a result, many students practice, train, and compete, and champions are produced. The wide base of football fans produces a great number of candidates for the team, but only a few excellent players are chosen. In the same way, I believe that the total number of Christians must reach a certain number in order to create enough high-quality overcomers to form the foundational group for the New Jerusalem. When this number is reached, there will be enough overcomers to create the New Jerusalem.

 

I believe that the believers who enter the New Jerusalem are the firstfruits, those who reached maturity and victory most quickly. Perhaps there will be other believers who will dwell in darkness, in a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13). Revelation 21:24 clearly makes a distinction between people who live in the city and those who visit: “By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” This indicates that some people, including the kings of the earth, do not dwell in the New Jerusalem. However, they will walk by its light and “bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations” (21:26). Since these kings are allowed to enter the city, they must be considered good, because “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false” (21:27).

 

This absolutely does not mean there is a class distinction among God's chosen people—not at all. Every person has an equal opportunity to enter the New Jerusalem, but not every Christian takes hold of these opportunities or achieves victory in their spiritual life. In the letters to the seven churches, Jesus pointed out the trials each church would face, and described the rewards they would receive if they overcame the challenges. The churches each faced unique trials and were promised unique rewards. However, there was a common theme in all these promises: those who overcame would become part of the New Jerusalem.

 

One reason for the degeneration of the churches in Europe and America is the overemphasis on evangelism and neglect of discipleship. This leads to an increase in the number of Christians, but a lack of adequate teaching and maturity. Many Western churches do not emphasize the importance of suffering, overcoming trials, and the discipline of the Holy Spirit. These teachings are not well-received in the Western world, but they are indispensable to spiritual growth. In order to experience deep revival, build up the church, and prepare for the New Jerusalem, the church must reach spiritual maturity through the discipline of the Holy Spirit and suffering.

 

The New Jerusalem, Abraham, and the Great Cloud of Witnesses Are Waiting for Our Maturity to Enter the City

 

In Revelation 21, we learn that the New Jerusalem not only includes New Testament believers represented by the apostles whose names are written on the foundation, but also Old Testament saints represented by the names of the twelve tribes written on the gates of the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is a city made up of saints from both the Old and New Testaments. They are witnesses of faith and vessels of God's glory, displaying God's glory, authority, and power in the world and throughout the universe.

 

However, these believers are waiting for today’s believers to mature so that they can all become part of the city at the same time. In Hebrews 11, God says that Old Testament saints are like runners in a relay race, continuously setting an example of faith for those who follow them. These Old Testament overcomers “all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). The passage mentions that Abraham chose to live in tents “because he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Apart from this verse, the Bible does not tell us anything about Abraham’s vision of this future city. However, I believe this city is the New Jerusalem.

 

The New Jerusalem includes saints of all ages, including the overcomers of both the Old and New Testament. Since this city includes the overcomers of all ages, they cannot receive what they hope for without the addition of the overcomers of today. “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40). What is the “better thing” that God has prepared for us? It must be the New Jerusalem. When today’s believers mature to the point that they can become a part of the New Jerusalem, then all those who have died in faith throughout history will also become part of this city.

 

Conclusion: We Urgently Need the Growth of Life and the Manifestation of Righteous Deeds

 

In the letter to the church in Laodicea, God makes the following promise to the overcomers: “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 3:12). This is the Lord’s promise to individual overcomers. When a person experiences this type of victory, the name of the New Jerusalem is written on him or her and they become a part of the manifestation of the New Jerusalem.

 

By the time we reach Revelation 21, the church as a whole has overcome, or at least a group of overcomers has emerged. The bride is now prepared to meet her husband, Jesus. The preparation of these overcomers brings about the descent of the New Jerusalem. As each believer is filled with the life of Jesus Christ and God on the inside, they will manifest the righteousness of God on the outside. Only then will they become victorious overcomers who manifest God’s purpose in Christ for the universe.