Sun, Nov 27, 2011
Revelation 21:4-7
Revelation 21:4-7 by Ray Viola
Pastor Ray Viola continues in chapter 21 of the book of Revelation.

 

REVELATION 21:4-7


4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

  • God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes- It is not until after the 1000-year reign and the great white throne judgment that there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain. The end of sorrow, crying, pain and death means the end of sin, for sin is the cause of all sorrow, pain and death in this life.
  • God shall wipe away all tears-We will actually feel the hand of God wipe away the tears from our face. Beloved, the fact that God is going to wipe away all of our tears means much more than there will be no more tears. The implication is that all the tears of sorrow and pain that were shed in this age of former things shall be turned into joy. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.
  • No more death-PNTC- Death began his sway when man was expelled from Paradise; he ends it when the final judgment condemns Satan, death and hades to enter the lake of fire. The new Jerusalem will be painless, tearless, deathless, because it will be a sinless city. "The former things have passed away."
    • Here is the fulfillment of the promise of God through the OT prophets that He will swallow up death in victory (Isa. 25:8; Hos. 13:14). Death had not been a part of the original created order, but came by the curse at the disobedience of Adam (Gen. 3:19).
    • This also means that when you and I as believers face the hour of death, it will be but a shadow because on Calvary’s cross, Jesus Christ tasted death for every sinner. Before we were saved, the bullet of God’s wrath was pointed at our heads. On Calvary, Jesus did not stumble in front of that bullet, He took it square on for us.
  • All the memories of pain and suffering will be forgotten in the wonder of the new heaven and earth which God creates. The only exception will be those who were blotted out of the Book of Life. Having been cast into outer darkness, they will continually weep (Matt. 8:12).
  • D.L. Moody once said:”If you are saved, this earth is all of hell that you will ever see, and if you are lost, this earth is all of heaven that you will ever see.

 

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

  • I make all things new- Indeed in Christ all things are new. In Christ, we become new creatures (2 Cor 5.17). In Christ, we now follow a new and greater commandment of love (John 13.34,35). In the new economy, we will be given a new name (Rev 2.17; 3.12). When we turn our lives completely over to Jesus Christ, He does indeed make all things new.
  • 14 times in the Revelation, John is commanded to write something down that he either saw or heard. Maybe it is the musician mentality in me, but I believe that at this point in time in the book, John is getting holy writers cramps and is on the verge of revelation overload. I believe that he is over the top with all of the things that God is showing him. Thus, God tells John, write John…write down what you are seeing!!!
  • What does God want John to make sure that he writes down? That His words are faithful and true. God being faithful means that we can depend upon Him. God being true means that He will never lie to us, deceive us or manipulate us. God wanted to make sure that John wrote down to the church that was facing opposition, persecution, financial deprivation and even martyrdom that He is faithful and true.
  • Because of situations that some of you are facing presently, you may be doubting that our God is faithful and True. Dear saints, never allow your emotions or feelings or circumstances be the basis of the character of God.
  • Dear ones...precious KF family….make a note to self….Jesus Christ is faithful and true, period. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the promises in the book that you and I hold in our hand will last forever, because the Author of the Bible is Himself, Faithful and True. We do not praise God because we feel good, we praise and thank God because He is good.

        

6 And he said unto me, It is done.

  • On the cross, Jesus declared, it is finished (Gr. teleo). That word means, completed, executed, concluded, discharge (a debt):--accomplished, make an end, expired, filled up, finished, paid in full. In other words, the full payment for man’s sin that was required by God, referred to by all of those glorious theological terms, redemption, propitiation, reconciliation, expiation, atonement was fully paid. Beloved, beware of add-ons that religious groups or individuals make in addition to the completed, once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
  • Here, The Father declares that it is done. In other words, the final stage of man's redemption, the new heaven and the new earth is now accomplished.
  • Since the price has already been paid in full (John 19:30), no man can add to the finished work. For any individual or denomination to even suggest such a possibility is necessary or exists is to devalue the vicarious sacrifice of the Son of God and render His purchase inadequate.

 

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

  • In the Book of Hebrews, Jesus is called the author and the finisher of our faith. Here is called the beginning (GR. source or origin) and the end (Gr. completion).
  • This verse provides some very important Deity of Christ proofs.  The One Who is seated on the throne, typically understood to be God The Father, declares that He is The Alpha and Omega. In Rev 1.11 & 22.13, Jesus declares that He is The Alpha and Omega. Jesus and The Father are One. One in essence, one in nature. Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is one (Heb word describes a compound unity).
  • Because of that infinite price that was paid by Jesus Christ for our redemption, salvation is now freely given to all sinners who are thirsty.
    • John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
  • Please note the word Freely in the Greek means, gratuitously; without a cause. This word freely is a tremendous word for bible students, because it reminds us of the offer that God made to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden!
    • Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat (that included the tree of life) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
    • We all know the rest of the story. The enemy persuaded them to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and in that moment that they ate, they died. But, they could have eaten of the tree of life freely.
    • Rev 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 
      • In Rev 22.2, we will be introduced to the tree of life again. Was the tree of life in the Garden transplanted into the New Jerusalem? I don’t know!
  • The water of life is a free gift that is only God can give, for He alone is the fountain of life (Ps. 36:6). He is the “fountain of living waters” (Jer. 2:13).Sound familiar? In the wilderness wandering, Moses’ struck the rock (representing Christ, 1Cor. 10:4) from which life-giving waters came forth (Ex. 17:6).
    • God is The Giver of the water of life freely to all who are thirsty. Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
    • John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
    • John 7:37-39  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
  • Salvation by grace means that it is free for 2 reasons. (1) Because it comes from God it is free, (2) Because it cannot be purchased, earned or merited, it is free.
    • Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
  • Some would say that it is arrogant for someone to say that you know that you are going to heaven. I would agree with that if it was a confidence that was based on ones own works or righteousness. In God’s eyes, self-righteousness is as disgusting as unrighteousness. However, if the basis of one’s confidence is the unmerited, undeserved grace of God and the righteousness that He has provided for us the Person and atonement of Jesus Christ, that is boasting in The Lord and not self at all.
  • Within each and every human being is an emptiness that only Jesus Christ can fill. One of the lies of the devil is that if you live for self, than you will be a happy person. Really, then alcoholics should be happy people…drug addicts should be happy people…sexual perverts should be happy people…covetous, materialistic people should be happy people, but the truth is that they are not. Only the splendour of the magnificent God can satisfy the hunger of sinners.Happy are those people, whose God is The Lord.

 

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

  • Note that in eternity we will not become little gods, we will forever be the children of the Living God. That is one of the fundamental lies of The new Age movement, Hinduism and many other religious sects. LDS teach the doctrine of eternal progression. 5th LDS president Lorenzo Snow: “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.”The creature can never become the Creator.
  • There are fourteen promises in the Book of Revelation, to those who overcome. The Greek word for overcome is nikao, which means to conquer, prevail, get the victory.
  • Overcomers are identified and defined.
    • 1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
    • Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
  • Overcomers are adopted children of God. Being born of the Spirit, the overcomer has the Spirit of adoption.
    • Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
    • Ga 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
  • Overcomers promises are found in Rev 2,3. This is no doubt the most glorious of all the promises that is given to overcomers. The promise is this: Anything and everything which the Father has given to the Son is also the possession of the saints!
  • Paul recognizes this incredible promise and admonishes the Corinthians not to boast or become partisan in their thinking because all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours (1Cor. 3:21).
  • He recognized that this inheritance was a promise that was based upon His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus.
    • In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Eph. 1:11-12)
  • Not only is this inheritance bountiful beyond measure, it is also incorruptible. In this world we may lose our job, our savings, our home, our health, and our loved ones, but our inheritance in God is beyond the reach of disaster and loss:
    • 1Pe 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you
  • We overcome by drinking of the grace of God that is given unto us through faith in The Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is a living, loving relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ. We are in love with Jesus and seek to please Him and bring Him glory in all tat we do, howbeit imperfect at times. Through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ, we become His blood bought sons and daughters.
  • Will you trust Christ today as Lord and Saviour? It is offered to you today freely, just like it was offered to Adam and Eve in the Garden….come to Christ this morning and find life, and that more abundantly.