Let's bow our heads for prayer.
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Our loving heavenly
Father, we come once again
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before Your throne knowing
that our prayers are heard,
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because we come
boldly in the name of Jesus.
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We thank You, Father, that we
do have Jesus as our intercessor
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that we can come
boldly to the throne of grace
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knowing that our
sins will be forgiven.
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And also that we will
receive power from on high
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to overcome in our daily lives.
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Father, as we take a look,
just a glimpse, at what heaven
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and the new earth will be like,
we ask, Father, that You will
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instill in our
hearts that longing desire
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to be there when Jesus comes.
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We ask that You will
bless us in our study today.
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And we thank You
for hearing our prayer,
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for we ask it in
Jesus' name, amen.
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As I mentioned in my prayer,
today we are going to talk about
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something very practical.
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This is lecture number 32 in the
series on the Hebrew sanctuary.
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And I decided that the
last lecture would deal with
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what life will be like in heaven
during the thousand years,
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and ultimately on the earth made
new once sin comes to an end.
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Now the first thing
that I would like to say is
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that when Jesus comes,
He will be the real Jesus
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and He will take
us to a real place.
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I'd like to begin by
reading Acts chapter 1
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and verses 9 through 11.
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Acts chapter 1
verses 9 through 11.
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And as you're looking for that
passage, I'd like to ask you,
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when Jesus resurrected, did
Jesus have a real human body?
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Yes or no?
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He most certainly did.
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When His disciples thought
they were seeing a ghost,
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He said, "A ghost does
not have flesh and bones
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like you see that I have."
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And when He met Thomas a
week later, He said to Thomas,
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"Put your finger here
in My wounds; My hands
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and in My side.
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It is I."
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So when Jesus resurrected, He
had a real genuine human body.
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Of course, it
was a glorified body.
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It was an incorruptible
body and an immortal body.
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He had His resurrection
body, in other words.
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Now notice Acts
chapter 1 verses 9 through 11.
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That is, out of the
sight of the disciples.
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See, in the Bible,
sometimes angels are called men.
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In other words, they're beings.
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So when Jesus comes
again, is He going to come
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as a human being?
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He most certainly is.
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A real flesh and
blood human being.
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And He is going to take
us to a real genuine place.
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Which, of
course, we call heaven.
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Now I'd like to go
through several things that will
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characterize the future life.
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Some people ask the question,
"Will we know our friends
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and relatives who
are saved in that day?
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Will we recognize them?"
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The fact is, the
Bible affirms that we will.
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Notice 1 Corinthians
chapter 13 and verse 12.
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1 Corinthians
chapter 13 and verse 12.
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Here the apostle
Paul says, "For now..."
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That is, in the present day.
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So I'm going to know,
and I am going to be... What?
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...I am going to be known.
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People are going to know
that this is Pastor Bohr.
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And I am going to know
that this is Rick Shepherd.
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Because the Bible tells us
that we will recognize people
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when Jesus comes.
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Now let's notice a few things
about what the future life
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is going to be like.
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Some of these apply to
heaven and some of these
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apply to the new earth.
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Go with me to
Isaiah 65 and verse 17.
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Isaiah chapter 65 and verse 17.
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Here we have a
wonderful promise.
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And it's repeated, by the
way, in the book of Revelation
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as well in the New Testament.
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It says here...
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What does God promise
that He's going to do?
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He going to make a new
heaven and a new earth.
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And the former things,
all of the struggles and the
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difficulties of life,
will not come to mind.
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The Bible also tells us that
in the future life, everyone
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will be vegetarians,
including the wild animals.
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Notice Isaiah chapter
11 and verses 6 through 9.
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Isaiah 11 and
verses 6 through 9.
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This is a beautiful promise.
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I don't know if you
look forward to the day when
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you'll be able to pet a lion and
you'll be able to pet a tiger.
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I look forward to those days.
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And play with snakes,
with poisonous snakes,
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and not have them kill you.
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Notice what it says.
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Can you imagine a
lion eating straw?
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That'll be the day.
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But that was the original
diet of the animals before death
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came into the world.
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Verse 8...
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And then it
gives the reason why.
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Why won't they hurt?
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So what is the reason why
there will be no ravenous beasts
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and there will be no
poisonous snakes there?
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For the simple reason that
the earth is going to be full
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of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
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Notice Isaiah 35
verses 1, 2, and verse 7.
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These verses tell us
that there will be no deserts
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or parched land in
the earth made new.
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And obviously, they
won't exist in heaven as well.
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It says there in
Isaiah 35 and verse 1...
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Lebanon is a very beautiful
place in biblical times.
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So the glory of the new earth
is being compared to Lebanon.
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So it says, "The glory of
Lebanon shall be given to it."
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Also beautiful
places in the Holy Land.
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The Bible also tells
us that there will be no
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physical defects or disease in
heaven or in the earth made new.
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The medical doctors
will be out of a job.
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And there will be no exorbitant
fees for medical procedures
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and for hospital charges.
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Notice what we find here in
Isaiah 35 verses 3 through 6.
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And then notice verse 5.
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Isn't that a
beautiful description of how
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all physical defects will
disappear when Jesus comes.
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The Bible also tells us
that there's not going to be any
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sorrows, suffering,
pain, or tears in heaven
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or in the earth made new.
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Notice Isaiah 25 verses 8 and 9.
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This is repeated in Revelation
21 and verse 4, by the way.
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And then verse 9 is
a much quoted verse.
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As I mentioned, a portion
of these verses are quoted
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in the book of Revelation
chapter 21 and verse 4.
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Let's go there for a moment.
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Revelation
chapter 21 and verse 4.
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It says here...
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The Bible tells us that
God's people will sing for joy.
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We'll be able to
join the heavenly choir.
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Notice what we find in
Isaiah 35 and verse 10.
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Isaiah 35 and verse 10.
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This also is a
much quoted verse.
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These are just some of the
promises that the Bible gives
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about what heaven
is going to be like
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and what life on the
new earth will be like.
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Now let's talk a
little bit about the capital
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of the universe,
which is the New Jerusalem;
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the Holy City.
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Go with me to Hebrews chapter
11 and we're going to read
00:13:03.57\00:13:07.43
verse 10, and then
verse 14 and verse 16.
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Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 10.
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It's speaking
here about Abraham.
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And notice that
Abraham was not looking forward
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to that city over
in the Middle East;
00:13:20.26\00:13:23.04
to old Jerusalem.
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Now, Abraham and the
heroes of Hebrews chapter 11
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were not looking to that city
over there in the Middle East
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where there's so much turmoil.
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We're told here in
Hebrews 11 verse 10...
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Notice verse 14.
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What is that homeland?
00:13:55.30\00:13:56.67
Verse 16.
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Now, the book of
Revelation gives us a
00:14:12.55\00:14:14.14
description of that city.
00:14:14.17\00:14:15.61
Let me just mention some of
the highlights of what that city
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is going to be like.
00:14:18.95\00:14:20.32
First of all, it's going to
be the capital of the universe.
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Because the Bible tells us
that God is going to transfer
00:14:24.81\00:14:28.77
His
headquarters to planet earth.
00:14:28.80\00:14:31.55
We're going to
notice that in a few moments
00:14:31.85\00:14:33.58
in a couple of verses
that we find in Scripture.
00:14:33.61\00:14:36.01
Can you imagine what an
honor it will be to have the
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capital of the
universe, God's headquarters,
00:14:39.44\00:14:42.02
right here on planet earth?
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That is an amazing thought.
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The Bible tells us that
the city is made of pure gold,
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clear as crystal.
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You know, John is struggling
for words to describe it.
00:14:53.26\00:14:56.77
Because I've never seen
gold that looks like crystal.
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But this gold is so shiny
that it looks like crystal,
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even though it's gold.
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The Bible tells us that
the gates are made of pearl.
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Each gate is one
pearl, in other words.
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That is amazing.
00:15:13.94\00:15:15.31
Have you ever seen a pearl?
00:15:15.34\00:15:16.71
It's absolutely beautiful.
00:15:16.74\00:15:18.11
It's not only white, but it has
the colors of the rainbow in it
00:15:18.14\00:15:21.30
when the light shines upon it.
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The Bible tells us that
the street of the city...
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By the way, people
say, "I'm going to walk
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the golden streets."
00:15:28.76\00:15:30.13
No, no, no. That's not correct.
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The Bible never says that
the city has streets of gold.
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Actually, when we studied
the 70 weeks, do you remember
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that we said that the
word "street" really means,
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the city square?
00:15:42.42\00:15:44.02
That's what it means in
Hebrew and also in Greek.
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In other words, the
city square is also composed,
00:15:47.26\00:15:50.64
according to the
Bible, of pure gold.
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Now there's a river that
runs out of the throne of God.
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Clear as crystal,
according to the Bible.
00:15:57.82\00:16:00.25
Then we're going to really know
what good water tastes like.
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You know, we think that bottled
water tastes pretty good.
00:16:03.38\00:16:06.47
But I'll tell you, we have
not even imagined what real pure
00:16:06.50\00:16:12.04
water tastes like until
we're able to drink that water
00:16:12.07\00:16:14.86
that comes from
the throne of God.
00:16:14.89\00:16:16.91
And then there's the tree.
00:16:17.42\00:16:18.94
You know it's interesting,
the Bible says that it's on
00:16:19.38\00:16:22.28
either side of the river.
00:16:22.31\00:16:24.09
And so some people
have struggled with that.
00:16:24.40\00:16:26.09
They say, "One tree on
either side of the river?
00:16:26.12\00:16:28.21
Wouldn't that be two trees?"
00:16:28.24\00:16:29.61
Well, Ellen White explains
it in such a simple way.
00:16:29.64\00:16:31.67
She says that there was one
trunk on one side of the river
00:16:31.70\00:16:34.54
and there was another trunk
on the other side of the river.
00:16:34.57\00:16:36.60
And then they met in the
middle, kind of like an arch,
00:16:36.63\00:16:39.46
and it formed one
tree above the river.
00:16:39.49\00:16:41.78
And the Bible says that
each month this tree produces
00:16:42.19\00:16:46.46
its fruit, and God's people are
going to go on a monthly basis
00:16:46.49\00:16:51.87
to eat from the
fruit of the tree of life.
00:16:51.90\00:16:54.16
You see, even in eternity,
our source of life will
00:16:54.19\00:16:57.10
not be within us.
00:16:57.13\00:16:58.65
Our source of life
will be in God's tree.
00:16:58.68\00:17:01.43
We will continue to
live forever, not because
00:17:01.94\00:17:04.01
we have an immortal battery
that is always going to be
00:17:04.04\00:17:07.29
functioning, but because there's
a tree where we go to charge
00:17:07.32\00:17:10.61
our battery every
month, according to Scripture.
00:17:10.64\00:17:13.62
The Bible says that the walls
of the city have foundations
00:17:14.49\00:17:18.67
of precious stones.
00:17:18.70\00:17:20.58
Can you imagine what
it's going to be like to talk
00:17:20.68\00:17:22.77
to some of the heroes that
are mentioned in Scripture?
00:17:22.80\00:17:25.34
You know, I'm looking
forward to talking to Adam
00:17:25.81\00:17:28.28
and reminiscing
about certain things.
00:17:28.68\00:17:31.11
How about Enoch
and talking to Noah,
00:17:31.14\00:17:33.79
and Abraham, and Moses, and
Elijah, and the apostle Paul,
00:17:33.82\00:17:38.26
and all of these worthies
that are mentioned in Scripture.
00:17:38.29\00:17:40.97
It's going to be
an exciting event.
00:17:41.00\00:17:43.20
The Bible tells us that
we're also going to be able
00:17:44.88\00:17:47.08
to have fellowship with
friends and relatives who died
00:17:47.11\00:17:51.35
who will be
resurrected when Jesus comes.
00:17:51.38\00:17:53.80
I look forward, for
example, to seeing my mother
00:17:54.00\00:17:56.94
who died about three years ago.
00:17:56.97\00:17:58.75
I'm going to tell you
a few more things about
00:17:58.78\00:18:00.38
her in a little while.
00:18:00.41\00:18:01.95
I look forward with great
anticipation to see my mother
00:18:02.30\00:18:07.66
when my mother comes
forth from the grave.
00:18:07.69\00:18:09.54
We'll be able to
travel to distant galaxies.
00:18:09.89\00:18:12.80
Imagine, you know, we'll
say, "Now let's go to the galaxy
00:18:12.83\00:18:16.87
of Andromeda and
pay a visit over there."
00:18:16.90\00:18:19.43
You know, we'll have
a whole vast universe
00:18:19.46\00:18:22.18
to visit throughout the
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:18:22.21\00:18:24.92
There are going to be
so many beautiful things,
00:18:24.95\00:18:27.14
so many benefits.
00:18:27.17\00:18:28.82
But now I want to ask the
question, is this what heaven
00:18:29.41\00:18:33.22
and the new earth
are really all about?
00:18:33.25\00:18:36.67
No, this is the
icing on the cake.
00:18:37.79\00:18:41.10
What I've described is only,
if you please, the dessert.
00:18:41.82\00:18:45.70
But there's something much
more significant about heaven
00:18:46.52\00:18:50.15
and the new earth than
all of these fringe benefits
00:18:50.18\00:18:53.81
that we've talked about so far.
00:18:53.84\00:18:56.07
I want to take us back to
the time that Jesus met with His
00:18:57.44\00:19:02.13
disciples in the upper room.
00:19:02.16\00:19:04.12
Right before He went to
the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:19:04.75\00:19:07.34
At this time, Jesus had
spent three and a half years
00:19:09.37\00:19:13.41
with His disciples.
00:19:13.44\00:19:15.08
His disciples had
learned to love Jesus.
00:19:15.71\00:19:19.03
In fact, they could
not conceive of one day
00:19:19.33\00:19:22.05
without being with Jesus.
00:19:22.08\00:19:23.75
For them, being with
Jesus was more important
00:19:24.08\00:19:27.20
even than their daily food.
00:19:27.23\00:19:28.97
More important than
anything on planet earth.
00:19:29.28\00:19:31.98
They could not conceive of
the idea of Jesus being gone.
00:19:32.01\00:19:36.34
And Jesus met with His
disciples in the upper room.
00:19:37.70\00:19:40.36
And He shared with them
some news that shook them
00:19:41.97\00:19:44.36
to their very foundation.
00:19:44.39\00:19:45.93
His first statement to
the disciples that shook them
00:19:46.77\00:19:51.49
is that He spoke
about His body being broken
00:19:51.89\00:19:55.67
and His blood being spilt.
00:19:56.00\00:19:58.41
That disturbed them.
00:19:59.26\00:20:00.63
"Broken body? Spilt blood?
00:20:01.11\00:20:03.88
Messiah sits on the
throne in Jerusalem and reigns.
00:20:04.67\00:20:07.43
What's this about
spilling His blood and His
00:20:07.46\00:20:10.53
body being broken?"
00:20:10.63\00:20:12.13
But they were even
more disturbed when Jesus
00:20:12.71\00:20:15.35
announced that one
of them was a traitor.
00:20:15.38\00:20:18.58
And He said, "One of
you this very evening
00:20:19.46\00:20:21.92
is going to betray Me."
00:20:21.95\00:20:23.32
Oh, they were very
distressed now and disturbed.
00:20:23.35\00:20:26.44
And each one of them
asked with anxiety, "Is it I?"
00:20:26.47\00:20:29.97
But what caused the greatest
anxiety for the disciples
00:20:30.90\00:20:33.95
in the upper room
was that Jesus told them
00:20:33.98\00:20:38.02
that He was going to leave.
00:20:38.26\00:20:41.16
Go with me to John chapter 13.
00:20:42.05\00:20:44.40
John chapter 13, and
I want to read verse 33.
00:20:44.83\00:20:48.54
And then we'll jump
down to verses 36 and 37.
00:20:48.57\00:20:51.93
John 13 and verse 33.
00:20:51.96\00:20:54.50
Notice how Jesus
addresses His disciples.
00:20:54.53\00:20:57.28
He says, "Little children..."
00:20:57.57\00:21:00.03
Isn't that beautiful?
00:21:00.95\00:21:02.32
"Little children, I shall be
with you a little while longer.
00:21:02.90\00:21:08.10
You will seek Me; and
as I said to the Jews,
00:21:08.66\00:21:12.10
'Where I am going, you cannot
come,' so now I say to you."
00:21:12.13\00:21:18.67
So Jesus is
saying, "I'm leaving.
00:21:19.00\00:21:21.08
And where I'm going,
you can't come with Me now."
00:21:21.29\00:21:24.03
Oh, now they
were really disturbed.
00:21:24.48\00:21:26.58
His body is going to be broken,
His blood is going to be spilt.
00:21:26.89\00:21:30.36
Somebody is going to betray Him.
00:21:30.63\00:21:32.44
And He's going to leave.
00:21:32.47\00:21:33.98
And of course the spokesman
of the disciples, Simon Peter,
00:21:35.07\00:21:38.99
was especially
distressed and disturbed.
00:21:40.06\00:21:42.34
Verse 36.
00:21:42.87\00:21:44.47
In other words, "Where I'm
going, you can't go with Me now.
00:21:59.37\00:22:02.25
But later on, you're
going to go with me."
00:22:02.28\00:22:05.53
But Peter wasn't
satisfied with that.
00:22:05.56\00:22:07.35
He says, "Now wait a minute.
00:22:07.38\00:22:08.75
We can't live one day
without being in Your presence."
00:22:08.78\00:22:11.51
And so in verse 37 we
find, "Peter said to Him..."
00:22:11.88\00:22:14.94
Undoubtedly, with
a sense of urgency.
00:22:15.99\00:22:18.32
Can you hear the
urgency in His voice?
00:22:27.40\00:22:29.18
"I don't want to go
later. I want to go now.
00:22:29.47\00:22:33.10
We can't live even
one day without You."
00:22:33.79\00:22:37.75
And then in the very
next chapter, we find the
00:22:39.20\00:22:42.71
famous words Jesus that
many Christians have memorized.
00:22:42.74\00:22:47.91
Especially from
the King James Version.
00:22:47.94\00:22:50.19
You know, there's a
context to John 14:1-3.
00:22:51.22\00:22:54.50
And sometimes we
forget the context.
00:22:55.05\00:22:56.89
The context is
that the disciples
00:22:56.92\00:22:58.68
are extremely disturbed.
00:22:58.71\00:23:00.24
They're troubled.
00:23:01.32\00:23:02.69
They're saying, "He's leaving
and we can't go with Him.
00:23:03.15\00:23:06.80
Yeah, He says we can go later,
but we don't want to go later.
00:23:07.66\00:23:10.56
We want to be
with Him all the time."
00:23:10.77\00:23:12.75
And so Jesus knows
that they are distressed.
00:23:13.18\00:23:15.69
And so in John 14 and verse
1, we find the following words.
00:23:16.37\00:23:21.23
That word
"troubled" is very interesting.
00:23:26.27\00:23:28.08
For example, it's used to
describe the pool of Bethesda.
00:23:28.68\00:23:31.79
Remember the idea that
the person who jumped in first
00:23:31.82\00:23:34.56
when the waters were troubled,
that person would be healed?
00:23:34.59\00:23:39.03
Well, when it says that
the waters were troubled,
00:23:39.39\00:23:42.17
it means that the
water was stirred up.
00:23:42.20\00:23:44.26
In other words, their hearts
were churning within them.
00:23:44.29\00:23:47.32
They were like troubled waters.
00:23:47.52\00:23:49.81
It's also used
to describe Herod.
00:23:50.47\00:23:53.18
When he heard that the
Messiah was born, the Bible says
00:23:53.21\00:23:55.76
that he was deeply troubled.
00:23:55.79\00:23:58.00
It's also used when
Jesus came walking on the water
00:23:58.91\00:24:02.79
towards where the
disciples were in an evening
00:24:02.82\00:24:05.43
when there was a storm.
00:24:05.46\00:24:06.83
The Bible says that the
disciples were deeply troubled.
00:24:06.86\00:24:10.02
And so we catch a picture that
they're tremendously troubled
00:24:10.44\00:24:14.13
at the end of chapter 13.
00:24:14.16\00:24:15.72
And so Jesus, in
chapter 14, says,
00:24:15.75\00:24:17.77
"Don't be filled with anxiety."
00:24:19.46\00:24:21.52
"Let not your heart be troubled.
00:24:22.28\00:24:24.14
you believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:24:24.87\00:24:28.90
In My Father's house
there will be many mansions."
00:24:29.77\00:24:34.43
Ah, some of you are reading.
00:24:35.62\00:24:37.94
Yeah, because there's this
idea that Jesus went to heaven
00:24:39.23\00:24:42.40
to build mansions for us.
00:24:42.43\00:24:44.64
Do you really think
that Jesus needs 2000 years
00:24:45.54\00:24:47.98
to build mansions?
00:24:48.01\00:24:49.58
Do you think he's been heavenly
contracting for 2000 years?
00:24:49.95\00:24:53.07
I rather doubt it when the Bible
tells us that Jesus created
00:24:53.10\00:24:57.17
this world in six
days and everything in it.
00:24:57.20\00:25:00.43
The Bible doesn't say
that He's going to prepare
00:25:01.67\00:25:03.88
mansions for us.
00:25:03.91\00:25:05.28
When Jesus said these words,
He said, "In My Father's house
00:25:05.31\00:25:10.08
are many mansions."
00:25:10.11\00:25:12.23
The mansions were
there when Jesus spoke.
00:25:12.26\00:25:15.26
By the way, the word
"mansions" is not even
00:25:16.01\00:25:18.35
the best translation.
00:25:18.38\00:25:19.75
It's really the Greek
word "mone," which means
00:25:19.81\00:25:23.01
permanent dwellings.
00:25:23.21\00:25:25.40
It's not just a dwelling
where you go on vacation.
00:25:27.10\00:25:29.80
"Mone" means, to
dwell permanently.
00:25:30.47\00:25:34.10
In other words, Jesus is
saying, "In My Father's house,
00:25:34.13\00:25:37.41
there are many
permanent dwellings."
00:25:37.82\00:25:40.92
Why would there be
permanent dwellings up there?
00:25:41.47\00:25:43.89
Because He's expecting
a lot of people, right?
00:25:46.31\00:25:48.75
So there are these
permanent dwellings.
00:25:49.66\00:25:51.97
Now, notice what
Jesus continues saying.
00:25:52.79\00:25:56.77
By the way, where
is the Father's house?
00:25:57.97\00:25:59.75
The Father's house
is in heaven, right?
00:26:01.64\00:26:03.86
We pray, "Our Father,
which art everywhere."
00:26:03.89\00:26:07.03
No, "Our Father,
which art..." Where?
00:26:07.40\00:26:09.90
"...in heaven." The
Father's house is heaven.
00:26:09.93\00:26:12.06
So is Jesus promising
that there are many dwellings
00:26:12.09\00:26:14.86
for God's people in His
Father's house in heaven?
00:26:14.89\00:26:17.54
Is He promising to
take His people to heaven?
00:26:17.57\00:26:19.68
He most certainly is.
00:26:19.98\00:26:21.35
He said to Peter,
"You're not going to go now.
00:26:21.90\00:26:24.33
But you're going to go
later where I'm going."
00:26:24.58\00:26:27.13
So notice what
He continues saying.
00:26:28.20\00:26:29.80
"In My Father's
house are many dwellings,"
00:26:29.83\00:26:33.21
or permanent residences.
00:26:33.24\00:26:35.21
"If it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:26:35.52\00:26:38.79
I go to..." What?
00:26:39.48\00:26:41.53
"I go to prepare
a place for you."
00:26:41.85\00:26:45.38
What did Jesus go to heaven for?
00:26:46.74\00:26:48.20
To prepare a place for us.
00:26:49.12\00:26:50.49
So how does He
prepare that place?
00:26:50.52\00:26:52.69
Is He building houses?
00:26:54.35\00:26:55.72
Does He really need
2000 years to build houses?
00:26:57.15\00:27:00.37
Absolutely not.
00:27:00.40\00:27:01.77
How is Jesus preparing
a place for us in heaven?
00:27:01.80\00:27:05.05
It's by the work that He is
doing in the heavenly sanctuary.
00:27:05.30\00:27:10.06
Does He have a work to perform
before He can come to get us?
00:27:11.72\00:27:15.29
Absolutely.
00:27:15.68\00:27:17.05
On earth, He lived His perfect
life and He died death for sin.
00:27:17.11\00:27:21.88
But then He went to heaven so
that we can claim the benefits
00:27:22.41\00:27:25.87
of what He did on
earth through repentance.
00:27:25.90\00:27:29.30
And what does He do?
00:27:29.33\00:27:30.70
He takes our sins
and He places them where?
00:27:30.73\00:27:33.67
In the sanctuary
covered by His blood.
00:27:33.70\00:27:37.16
Does He also empower the
church through His Holy Spirit
00:27:37.19\00:27:40.62
to preach the
gospel to the world?
00:27:40.65\00:27:42.69
Must the world hear the
gospel before Jesus can come?
00:27:42.96\00:27:45.88
Absolutely.
00:27:45.91\00:27:47.28
Must the sanctuary be
cleansed from the record of sin
00:27:47.31\00:27:50.47
before Jesus can come?
00:27:50.50\00:27:51.89
Absolutely.
00:27:51.92\00:27:53.29
So when Jesus said, "I go
to prepare a place for you,"
00:27:53.37\00:27:57.51
He's not talking
primarily about building houses,
00:27:57.54\00:28:01.33
about, you know, paving streets
with gold and things like that.
00:28:01.60\00:28:05.47
He's talking about His
work in the heavenly sanctuary,
00:28:05.50\00:28:08.77
that when He finishes that
work, then the place will be
00:28:09.07\00:28:13.50
prepared for us.
00:28:13.53\00:28:14.90
Are you
understanding this point?
00:28:15.18\00:28:16.68
Now notice verse 3.
00:28:17.05\00:28:18.73
He says, "And if I go and
prepare a place for you..."
00:28:19.50\00:28:23.77
Now comes the
critical point in this passage.
00:28:23.80\00:28:27.34
"...I will come again..."
00:28:27.37\00:28:30.50
And now listen carefully.
00:28:31.81\00:28:33.18
"...and receive you to Myself;
00:28:33.21\00:28:36.25
that where I am,
there you may be also."
00:28:36.93\00:28:41.67
What is important about heaven?
00:28:41.97\00:28:44.30
What's important about
heaven is that Jesus is there.
00:28:45.27\00:28:49.40
And He wants to be with us.
00:28:50.21\00:28:52.50
See, it's not the mansions
that we should be focusing on,
00:28:54.04\00:28:57.26
or all of the other
things that we spoke about.
00:28:57.29\00:28:59.56
Although those are nice.
00:28:59.59\00:29:00.96
Jesus says, "I'm
going to prepare the place,
00:29:01.47\00:29:04.36
because then I can
receive you to Myself.
00:29:04.39\00:29:07.60
And where I am,
there you can be with Me."
00:29:07.63\00:29:12.06
You know, Jesus, a
little bit later on,
00:29:13.43\00:29:17.23
was in the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:29:17.89\00:29:19.73
And He prayed that famous
prayer of John chapter 17.
00:29:20.85\00:29:24.55
This is a prayer that He uttered
in the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:29:26.11\00:29:29.00
He prayed for the
unity of His people.
00:29:29.28\00:29:31.37
He prayed that His Father
would glorify Him with the
00:29:31.91\00:29:34.16
glory He had with
Him before the world was.
00:29:34.19\00:29:36.94
He prayed many things.
00:29:36.97\00:29:38.52
But at the climax of His prayer,
I want you to notice what the
00:29:38.90\00:29:43.22
passion of Jesus was.
00:29:43.25\00:29:44.97
Notice John
chapter 17 and verse 24.
00:29:45.30\00:29:48.02
John chapter 17 and verse 24.
00:29:48.05\00:29:50.43
Here, Jesus is speaking to His
Father in prayer and He says...
00:29:51.36\00:29:54.16
What is the passion of Jesus?
00:30:03.88\00:30:05.47
That those who have been
given to Him can be what?
00:30:05.79\00:30:08.90
With Him where He is.
00:30:08.93\00:30:11.16
So in John 14 He
says, "So that where I am,
00:30:18.52\00:30:21.46
you may be also."
00:30:21.49\00:30:23.07
Here in John 17 verse 24,
He says, "Father, I want those
00:30:23.10\00:30:26.98
You have given to Me
to be with Me where I am."
00:30:27.01\00:30:31.09
Notice that famous resurrection
passage in 1 Thessalonians
00:30:31.67\00:30:35.22
chapter 4 and
verses 15 through 17.
00:30:35.25\00:30:38.33
1 Thessalonians chapter
4 and verses 15 through 17.
00:30:38.58\00:30:42.45
Here, the apostle Paul
speaks about when Jesus comes
00:30:43.04\00:30:46.91
how the dead will be raised and
how the living will be changed
00:30:46.94\00:30:51.12
in a moment in the
twinkling of an eye.
00:30:51.15\00:30:53.24
But I think that
we've missed the main point
00:30:53.27\00:30:55.73
of this whole passage.
00:30:55.76\00:30:57.39
Notice what it says
beginning in verse 15.
00:30:57.42\00:30:59.95
In other words, those who
are alive are not going to go to
00:31:09.59\00:31:11.26
heaven before those who went
to sleep, before those who died.
00:31:11.29\00:31:14.08
Verse 16...
00:31:14.11\00:31:15.48
And now notice the most
important part of this passage.
00:31:35.52\00:31:38.99
Same emphasis;
being with the Lord.
00:31:50.52\00:31:53.89
Notice Revelation chapter
21 and verses 2 through 4.
00:31:54.55\00:31:57.81
The same theme all over again.
00:31:57.84\00:32:00.11
Jesus wants us with Him.
00:32:00.14\00:32:02.06
That's why He came and
He lived His perfect life.
00:32:02.57\00:32:04.92
That's the reason
why Jesus came and died.
00:32:04.95\00:32:07.19
That's the reason why Jesus went
to heaven to intercede for us,
00:32:07.22\00:32:10.78
to pour out the benefits
of what He did on earth.
00:32:10.81\00:32:13.26
That's the reason why
Jesus empowers His church to
00:32:13.29\00:32:16.06
preach the gospel, so
that as many people as possible
00:32:16.09\00:32:19.14
can hear the message
of what Jesus has done.
00:32:19.17\00:32:21.95
That's the reason why Jesus
ultimately is going to cleanse
00:32:21.98\00:32:24.52
the sanctuary
from the record of sin.
00:32:24.55\00:32:26.51
So that He can some
again to get His people,
00:32:26.54\00:32:29.71
because He wants
them to be where He is.
00:32:29.74\00:32:33.94
Revelation 21
verses 2 through 4.
00:32:34.33\00:32:36.83
So what is the emphasis here?
00:33:10.14\00:33:11.80
That He is going to be what?
00:33:12.33\00:33:14.49
With us.
00:33:14.69\00:33:16.06
And we are going to be with Him.
00:33:16.09\00:33:18.64
Notice verse 4.
00:33:18.92\00:33:20.29
And then notice Revelation
chapter 22 and verses 3 and 4.
00:33:31.37\00:33:35.09
You know, in antiquity,
to see the face of a person
00:33:35.40\00:33:38.72
meant to have intimate knowledge
concerning that person.
00:33:39.10\00:33:43.04
You remember that God
said, "You won't see My face.
00:33:43.82\00:33:46.45
You'll just see My back."
00:33:46.48\00:33:47.96
Now notice what we find
in Revelation chapter 22
00:33:48.33\00:33:51.26
and verses 3 and 4.
00:33:51.29\00:33:52.66
They shall see His face.
00:34:09.54\00:34:11.40
You know, my favorite
hymn in all the hymnal is,
00:34:11.82\00:34:14.06
"Face to face
with Christ my Savior;
00:34:14.09\00:34:16.54
face to face, what will it be."
00:34:16.57\00:34:18.73
Do you know that hymn?
00:34:19.82\00:34:21.19
Beautiful hymn.
00:34:21.60\00:34:22.97
What is it going to be like
to behold the face of Jesus?
00:34:23.00\00:34:27.12
By the way, did you
know that the New Jerusalem,
00:34:27.85\00:34:30.43
the name of the New Jerusalem
is going to be changed?
00:34:30.46\00:34:34.69
You say, "Really?"
00:34:35.93\00:34:37.30
Go with me to
Ezekiel 48 and verse 35.
00:34:37.66\00:34:41.36
Ezekiel chapter 48 and verse 35.
00:34:41.75\00:34:47.05
You know, Ezekiel...
00:34:48.99\00:34:50.93
By the way, did I say Isaiah?
00:34:51.42\00:34:53.18
It's actually
Ezekiel 48 verse 35.
00:34:53.95\00:34:56.57
If you read Ezekiel 40 through
48, you're going to notice
00:34:56.60\00:35:00.96
a description of the
sanctuary, of the temple,
00:35:00.99\00:35:04.99
in the restoration.
00:35:05.58\00:35:07.26
And I want you to
notice that the previous verses
00:35:07.64\00:35:10.62
describe the twelve
gates of the New Jerusalem.
00:35:10.65\00:35:14.13
Three on the
east, three on the west,
00:35:14.73\00:35:16.47
three on the north,
and three on the south.
00:35:16.50\00:35:18.81
And then we find this expression
in Ezekiel 48 and verse 35.
00:35:19.41\00:35:24.31
It says...
00:35:24.34\00:35:25.71
What is the name of
the Holy City going to be?
00:35:41.64\00:35:43.97
The Lord Is There.
00:35:44.00\00:35:45.84
So what's
important about the city?
00:35:45.87\00:35:47.85
What's important about the city
are not the city square of gold,
00:35:48.49\00:35:52.90
and the river of
life, and the tree of life,
00:35:52.93\00:35:55.37
and the foundations and the
walls that are precious stones.
00:35:55.40\00:35:58.83
Those are only
the icing on the cake.
00:35:59.17\00:36:01.82
The important thing
is that God is there.
00:36:02.02\00:36:05.80
Notice Matthew
chapter 1 verse 23.
00:36:07.40\00:36:09.82
This is speaking about
the first coming of Christ.
00:36:09.85\00:36:12.19
But the principle applies.
00:36:12.22\00:36:14.03
You know, when Jesus was born,
a name that was given to Him
00:36:14.33\00:36:17.84
was Emmanuel.
00:36:17.87\00:36:19.62
Do you know what Emmanuel means?
00:36:20.46\00:36:22.61
Let's read it,
Matthew 1 verse 23.
00:36:23.17\00:36:25.96
Notice time and again in
these verses, God with us.
00:36:38.84\00:36:42.02
Us with Him; that's what heaven
and the new earth are all about.
00:36:42.37\00:36:47.82
I want to read you a rather long
passage from Desire of Ages,
00:36:47.85\00:36:51.09
pages 25 and 26,
where Ellen White describes
00:36:51.12\00:36:55.95
the fruit of the work of Christ.
00:36:55.98\00:36:58.39
She says this.
00:36:58.62\00:37:00.04
"By His life and His death,
Christ has achieved even more
00:37:00.27\00:37:05.40
than recovery from the
ruin wrought through sin."
00:37:05.60\00:37:09.15
Listen Carefully.
00:37:09.65\00:37:11.04
"It was Satan's purpose to bring
about an eternal separation
00:37:11.07\00:37:15.65
between God and man."
00:37:15.68\00:37:17.33
What was the devil's intention?
00:37:18.71\00:37:20.37
To bring about eternal
separation between God and man.
00:37:20.99\00:37:23.95
"But in
Christ..." Listen carefully.
00:37:24.37\00:37:26.61
"... in Christ we become
more closely united to God
00:37:26.64\00:37:30.22
than if we had never fallen."
00:37:30.25\00:37:32.56
Now she's going to
explain what she means.
00:37:34.86\00:37:36.69
"In taking our nature,
the Savior has bound Himself
00:37:37.28\00:37:42.38
to humanity by a tie
that is never to be broken."
00:37:42.41\00:37:46.40
Because some people say,
"Oh yeah, He became a man and
00:37:47.83\00:37:49.79
then He went back to heaven.
00:37:49.82\00:37:51.19
And now He's God,
He's not man anymore."
00:37:51.22\00:37:52.59
No.
00:37:52.62\00:37:53.99
She says, "The Savior
has bound Himself to humanity
00:37:54.32\00:37:58.38
by a tie that is
never to be broken.
00:37:58.41\00:38:00.11
Through the eternal
ages He is linked with us.
00:38:00.72\00:38:04.64
'God so loved the world, that
He gave His only-begotten Son.'
00:38:05.14\00:38:08.59
He gave Him not only to
bear our sins and to die
00:38:08.73\00:38:12.54
as our sacrifice; He
gave Him to the fallen race.
00:38:12.57\00:38:16.39
To assure us of His immutable
counsel of peace, God gave
00:38:16.82\00:38:21.08
His only-begotten Son to
become one of the human family,
00:38:21.11\00:38:25.47
forever to
retain His human nature.
00:38:25.50\00:38:28.64
This is the pledge that
God will fulfill His word.
00:38:28.87\00:38:31.61
'Unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given:
00:38:31.64\00:38:34.89
and the government
shall be upon His shoulder.'
00:38:34.92\00:38:37.32
God has adopted human
nature in the person of His Son,
00:38:37.62\00:38:41.78
and has carried the
same into the highest heaven.
00:38:42.49\00:38:45.69
It is the 'Son of
man' who shares the throne
00:38:46.05\00:38:48.55
of the universe.
00:38:48.58\00:38:49.95
It is the 'Son of man'
whose name shall be called,
00:38:50.40\00:38:53.45
'Wonderful,
Counselor, The mighty God,
00:38:53.48\00:38:55.67
The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.'
00:38:55.70\00:38:58.38
The I AM is the Daysman
between God and humanity,
00:38:58.64\00:39:03.97
laying His hand upon both.
00:39:04.27\00:39:06.56
He who is 'holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from
00:39:06.88\00:39:10.00
sinners,' is not
ashamed to call us brethren.
00:39:10.03\00:39:14.51
In Christ, the family of
earth and the family of heaven
00:39:15.78\00:39:20.64
are bound together.
00:39:20.67\00:39:22.88
Christ glorified is our brother.
00:39:23.13\00:39:26.12
Heaven is enshrined in humanity,
and humanity is enfolded
00:39:26.66\00:39:31.74
in the bosom of Infinite Love."
00:39:31.94\00:39:34.53
What a description.
00:39:34.96\00:39:36.33
In other words,
forever we will have
00:39:36.65\00:39:38.74
an elder Brother on the throne.
00:39:38.77\00:39:40.44
We are closer to God
than if we never sinned
00:39:40.55\00:39:42.99
because Jesus Christ
has become one of us.
00:39:43.16\00:39:46.50
God, in the person of
Jesus, has adopted humanity.
00:39:46.83\00:39:50.78
And Jesus is not only our
God, Jesus is our brother.
00:39:51.64\00:39:55.62
Now if we hadn't sinned,
that never would have happened.
00:39:56.38\00:39:58.69
Jesus would just be God.
00:39:58.72\00:40:00.23
But because of sin,
Jesus became our brother;
00:40:00.56\00:40:03.82
to be our brethren forever.
00:40:03.85\00:40:06.38
Now let me ask you this.
00:40:08.20\00:40:09.57
Do you really love
the appearing of Christ?
00:40:10.63\00:40:14.98
Do you really, really,
in the depths of your soul
00:40:15.52\00:40:18.77
and in your heart, long
for the coming of Jesus?
00:40:18.80\00:40:22.14
You know, sometimes our
lifestyles don't reveal it.
00:40:23.68\00:40:26.40
You know, we say we believe
in the second coming of Christ,
00:40:27.46\00:40:30.15
but we accumulate things in
a way that we seem to indicate
00:40:30.18\00:40:35.03
that we're planning to spend a
long time here on planet earth.
00:40:35.06\00:40:38.73
The fact is, folks, that if we
are going to love the appearing
00:40:39.43\00:40:43.65
of Jesus Christ, we
first of all have to love Him.
00:40:43.68\00:40:48.50
Let me give you an illustration.
00:40:49.44\00:40:50.81
I grew up, from the time that
I was 5 years old till the time
00:40:51.86\00:40:56.25
that I was 14 years old,
in the country of Venezuela.
00:40:56.28\00:40:59.76
I lived in Barquisimeto
in western Venezuela,
00:40:59.79\00:41:02.44
and then I lived
in Caracas after that.
00:41:02.47\00:41:04.65
And I studied all my
primary education in Spanish
00:41:04.68\00:41:07.22
in our Seventh-day
Adventist school there.
00:41:07.25\00:41:08.77
So when I was 14 years
old I could speak English,
00:41:09.58\00:41:13.99
but I did not know how
to read or write English.
00:41:14.19\00:41:16.98
And so my parents said
it's time for Steve to go
00:41:17.38\00:41:20.92
up to Wisconsin, where
my dad was born and where
00:41:20.95\00:41:23.35
he had lots of relatives.
00:41:23.38\00:41:24.75
"It's time for him to
go to Wisconsin Academy,
00:41:25.11\00:41:27.70
Seventh-day
Adventist boarding school,
00:41:27.73\00:41:29.61
and you know, study in
English so that he learns
00:41:29.96\00:41:33.66
how to read and write English."
00:41:33.69\00:41:35.06
So, you know, I must
say that it was a very
00:41:35.09\00:41:38.59
traumatic event for me.
00:41:38.62\00:41:39.99
Because my mom was
a stay at home mom.
00:41:40.38\00:41:42.80
You know, while we
were growing up, she never
00:41:43.26\00:41:45.90
worked outside the home.
00:41:45.93\00:41:47.30
We were extremely close to
my mom, my three sisters and I.
00:41:47.33\00:41:51.28
And I'd never been away
from home for maybe more than
00:41:51.46\00:41:54.86
two or three days at the
most at a Pathfinder Camporee,
00:41:54.89\00:41:58.56
or something like that.
00:41:58.59\00:41:59.96
And so now they were
going to ship me off.
00:41:59.99\00:42:01.36
They were going to stay
all the way in Venezuela
00:42:01.39\00:42:02.99
and I was going to be shipped
off all the way to Wisconsin.
00:42:03.02\00:42:06.71
And I'll tell you what,
when I got to Wisconsin Academy,
00:42:08.48\00:42:12.38
I spent many
evenings shedding tears.
00:42:12.41\00:42:18.19
Home sick for my mother.
00:42:19.11\00:42:22.10
It was a very, very,
extremely difficult time.
00:42:22.98\00:42:25.74
The first semester... All F's.
00:42:26.83\00:42:30.73
My grades were all F's.
00:42:31.65\00:42:33.17
You say, "Why?"
00:42:33.68\00:42:35.05
Well, if you can't
read or write English,
00:42:35.08\00:42:36.45
what do you expect.
00:42:36.48\00:42:37.85
But then after a while,
you know, I learned to read
00:42:38.24\00:42:40.40
and write English and
I became more proficient.
00:42:40.43\00:42:43.28
And then I became
a straight C student,
00:42:43.31\00:42:45.06
with a few B's
intermingled in there.
00:42:45.82\00:42:48.79
But anyway, that was a
very difficult time for me.
00:42:49.95\00:42:52.70
Spending a whole year at that
school with my parents living
00:42:53.38\00:42:58.47
all the way in South America.
00:42:58.50\00:42:59.89
I remember about two
months before the end of the
00:43:00.94\00:43:03.21
school year, I got
a letter from my mom.
00:43:03.24\00:43:05.18
And my mom wrote in
that letter, "I'm coming
00:43:05.89\00:43:09.73
to Wisconsin May 21."
00:43:11.13\00:43:14.67
How do you think I felt?
00:43:15.67\00:43:17.04
Whew, I'll tell you.
00:43:17.82\00:43:19.77
My heart leaped for joy.
00:43:19.80\00:43:22.01
It was beating faster.
00:43:22.21\00:43:23.94
Because my mother
was going to come.
00:43:23.97\00:43:25.51
You know, I
calendar on the wall.
00:43:26.25\00:43:27.65
Do you know what I
did with that calendar?
00:43:27.68\00:43:29.66
I had a marker.
00:43:30.11\00:43:31.48
And every day that passed,
I put an X over that day.
00:43:31.51\00:43:35.74
Because it was one day
less until my mother came.
00:43:36.19\00:43:39.67
And then the day came.
00:43:40.63\00:43:42.02
I got up early.
00:43:42.32\00:43:43.69
The transportation
manager took me to the
00:43:43.93\00:43:46.29
Madison, Wisconsin airport.
00:43:46.32\00:43:48.26
And at that time, you
know, I think it was a DC-4.
00:43:48.61\00:43:51.70
A small plane that was
flying in from Chicago.
00:43:52.87\00:43:55.02
And the plane, I saw it landing.
00:43:55.67\00:43:59.87
And finally, it
came and it stopped.
00:43:59.90\00:44:01.32
At that time, you could
go out and you could watch
00:44:01.35\00:44:03.01
the flights come in and go out.
00:44:03.04\00:44:04.65
And I stretched my neck out.
00:44:05.72\00:44:07.43
"I wonder if my
mom is on that flight.
00:44:08.37\00:44:10.21
She's got to be on that flight."
00:44:10.24\00:44:11.65
And people started
coming out and coming up.
00:44:11.68\00:44:14.26
And she wasn't coming out.
00:44:14.46\00:44:16.09
And so I
started feeling anxiety.
00:44:16.95\00:44:19.30
I said, maybe she
decided not to come.
00:44:19.33\00:44:22.47
Or maybe she got delayed or
maybe she missed the flight.
00:44:22.50\00:44:25.15
And I was filled with anxiety.
00:44:25.79\00:44:27.29
And then as I was
getting worried, low and behold,
00:44:27.32\00:44:31.29
my mother's head came
out of the airplane door.
00:44:31.32\00:44:35.40
Oh, you don't know how I felt.
00:44:36.32\00:44:38.42
I was just so
overjoyed to see my mom.
00:44:38.62\00:44:41.61
And when she, you know...
00:44:41.85\00:44:43.22
At that time you could
almost go out on the runway
00:44:43.25\00:44:45.32
to greet people.
00:44:45.53\00:44:46.90
And when she came,
we embraced and kissed.
00:44:46.93\00:44:50.33
And it was just such
a wonderful experience.
00:44:50.36\00:44:52.36
Let me ask you, why did I
love my mother's appearing?
00:44:52.39\00:44:57.33
Because I loved her.
00:44:58.14\00:44:59.78
And why did I love her?
00:45:00.08\00:45:01.76
Because I had spent
all my life with her.
00:45:02.50\00:45:05.60
Can we love the appearing
of Jesus if we don't love Jesus
00:45:06.50\00:45:10.58
because we have not
spent time with Him?
00:45:10.61\00:45:12.70
The apostle Paul tells us
in 1 Corinthians chapter 2
00:45:14.35\00:45:17.08
and verse 9...
00:45:17.11\00:45:18.48
Not for those
who believe in Him.
00:45:32.91\00:45:34.40
For those who... What?
00:45:34.98\00:45:36.35
For those who love Him.
00:45:36.62\00:45:39.38
I like to think
of the apostle Paul.
00:45:41.14\00:45:43.28
You know, he was in
the prison there in Rome.
00:45:43.91\00:45:47.04
And he knew that he
was at the point of death.
00:45:47.43\00:45:49.62
He knew that he was going to be
decapitated by the Emperor Nero,
00:45:49.65\00:45:53.45
that savage Emperor.
00:45:53.48\00:45:54.91
And he wrote
about his experiences.
00:45:55.69\00:45:57.98
2 Timothy chapter 4
and verses 6 through 8,
00:45:58.01\00:46:00.58
I want to read that.
00:46:00.61\00:46:01.98
"...and not to me
only but also to all
00:46:24.97\00:46:28.27
who have believed
in His appearing."
00:46:28.30\00:46:30.46
I must be seeing wrong here.
00:46:33.35\00:46:35.08
"And not to me only but to all
who have taught His appearing."
00:46:35.48\00:46:39.36
No.
00:46:40.15\00:46:41.52
"Not to me only but
also to all who have
00:46:41.68\00:46:44.14
preached His appearing."
00:46:44.17\00:46:45.54
No. What does it say?
00:46:46.02\00:46:47.39
It says, "And not to me only but
also to all who have..." What?
00:46:47.95\00:46:52.19
"...who have
loved His appearing."
00:46:52.22\00:46:54.77
And why do you
love His appearing?
00:46:54.80\00:46:56.65
Because you have loved Him.
00:46:56.85\00:46:58.31
And you love Him because
you have spent time with him.
00:46:58.34\00:47:02.71
It makes me think
of the apostle John.
00:47:04.64\00:47:08.71
He's known as
the beloved disciple.
00:47:09.55\00:47:11.71
Because he was closest to Jesus.
00:47:12.44\00:47:14.12
Not because Jesus had favorites,
but because he drew closer
00:47:14.15\00:47:17.08
to Jesus than any
of the other disciples.
00:47:17.11\00:47:19.63
He was greatly saddened
by the departure of Jesus.
00:47:20.95\00:47:23.75
About 60 years later, he was an
exile on the island of Patmos.
00:47:25.33\00:47:30.77
Perhaps working
in the sulfur mines.
00:47:32.36\00:47:34.08
There's no clear
evidence to that point.
00:47:34.11\00:47:36.17
But he was on Patmos, exiled.
00:47:36.20\00:47:38.17
The Bible tells us that
there on the island of Patmos,
00:47:40.18\00:47:43.93
in Revelation chapter
1 we have a description
00:47:44.39\00:47:46.43
of a vision that
was given to him.
00:47:46.46\00:47:48.53
And in that vision,
he saw Jesus Christ.
00:47:48.56\00:47:53.40
The glorified Jesus Christ.
00:47:53.43\00:47:55.64
And he thought to himself,
"Is this perhaps the moment?
00:47:56.31\00:47:59.83
Is Jesus going to come
now, my beloved Jesus?"
00:48:00.77\00:48:03.97
Incidentally, John was sitting
at the right hand of Jesus
00:48:04.74\00:48:08.21
and he was the one that was
laying on the bosom of Christ
00:48:08.80\00:48:12.16
at the last supper.
00:48:12.46\00:48:13.83
So he had a very close
relationship with Jesus.
00:48:14.10\00:48:16.73
And so he sees the
glorified Christ, "There He is.
00:48:17.45\00:48:20.41
Is He going to come now?
00:48:20.76\00:48:22.65
Could this be it?"
00:48:23.12\00:48:24.49
But then the Bible tells
us that Jesus revealed to him
00:48:25.60\00:48:28.88
the book of Revelation.
00:48:29.63\00:48:31.01
He revealed to him
Satan's attempt to annihilate
00:48:31.99\00:48:37.50
the Christian church.
00:48:38.15\00:48:40.29
He showed him
the final controversy
00:48:40.32\00:48:43.49
between good and evil.
00:48:43.89\00:48:45.26
The final battle of
God's people with the beasts
00:48:45.59\00:48:48.47
and with the false
prophet and with the dragon.
00:48:48.50\00:48:50.97
And at the end of his
book, after he had seen all of
00:48:52.64\00:48:55.71
these things, he
ends his book by saying,
00:48:55.74\00:49:02.23
"Amen. Even so,
come, Lord Jesus."
00:49:03.09\00:49:09.93
What did John desire more
than anything in the world?
00:49:11.11\00:49:15.22
He wanted Jesus to come.
00:49:16.08\00:49:18.04
"Amen. Even so,
come, Lord Jesus."
00:49:18.07\00:49:22.52
He was tired of living in
this world of sin and sorrow
00:49:23.13\00:49:25.71
and sickness and
suffering and death.
00:49:25.74\00:49:27.89
And he wanted Jesus to
come to fulfill His promise,
00:49:28.59\00:49:31.53
because he had spent time
with Jesus and he loved Jesus.
00:49:31.56\00:49:36.02
It makes me think about Enoch.
00:49:36.78\00:49:38.80
That great hero whom the
Bible tells us walked with God.
00:49:38.83\00:49:43.70
He was the first person to be
translated from earth to heaven
00:49:44.40\00:49:48.17
from among the living.
00:49:48.20\00:49:49.65
In other words, he never
even suffered physical death.
00:49:50.01\00:49:52.71
But the Bible says that
before he was translated,
00:49:54.17\00:49:56.84
he pleased God.
00:49:57.61\00:49:59.08
He walked with God.
00:49:59.48\00:50:01.02
Step by step.
00:50:01.41\00:50:02.78
I like the way that
Ellen White describes it in
00:50:03.58\00:50:06.10
the book,
Patriarchs and Prophets.
00:50:06.13\00:50:07.59
She has a chapter
titled, Seth and Enoch.
00:50:07.62\00:50:10.13
And she has some
very interesting details
00:50:10.71\00:50:12.62
there about Enoch.
00:50:12.65\00:50:14.02
And she says that Enoch had such
a close walk with Jesus Christ.
00:50:14.61\00:50:18.21
Jesus, of course, at
that time was in heaven
00:50:19.06\00:50:21.41
and Enoch was on earth.
00:50:21.44\00:50:23.41
But he had such a close
link mentally with Jesus Christ
00:50:23.74\00:50:28.74
that Jesus said to Enoch,
"Enoch, you don't have anything
00:50:30.68\00:50:34.52
more to do
there on planet earth.
00:50:34.55\00:50:36.43
Your body is there
but your heart is here.
00:50:37.18\00:50:39.87
Why don't you just come up
here and we'll walk together
00:50:41.00\00:50:44.90
on the street of gold.
00:50:45.32\00:50:47.06
Come up here and we'll
spend eternity together."
00:50:47.26\00:50:51.12
The first man to be
translated from among the living
00:50:51.15\00:50:55.60
to walk with Jesus
in the New Jerusalem.
00:50:56.19\00:50:58.69
It makes me think
of that little song,
00:51:00.82\00:51:02.74
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
00:51:03.83\00:51:05.96
look full in His wonderful face.
00:51:06.43\00:51:09.25
And the things of
earth will grow strangely dim
00:51:09.74\00:51:16.68
in the light of
His glory and grace."
00:51:16.71\00:51:19.37
Don't let anything in this
world occupy your attention
00:51:21.22\00:51:25.59
or take the
place of Jesus Christ.
00:51:25.62\00:51:27.49
"Oh, but I've got a nice house."
00:51:29.02\00:51:30.90
Is it made of gold?
00:51:30.93\00:51:32.85
"Oh, I have a
wonderful automobile."
00:51:34.29\00:51:38.64
Does it fly?
00:51:38.67\00:51:40.74
Because we're
going to be able to fly.
00:51:42.17\00:51:43.66
Imagine, we're going to
fly to distant galaxies.
00:51:43.69\00:51:47.66
That's going to be something.
00:51:48.29\00:51:49.72
That's a velocity
that we cannot conceive of.
00:51:49.75\00:51:53.19
That's a different type
of transportation than what
00:51:53.22\00:51:55.37
we're acquainted with.
00:51:55.40\00:51:56.77
And so we need to learn
to turn our eyes upon Jesus.
00:51:59.18\00:52:01.98
And the more we
turn our eyes upon Him,
00:52:02.01\00:52:03.88
the more we love Him,
and the more we are changed
00:52:03.91\00:52:07.01
into His image and likeness.
00:52:07.04\00:52:10.46
It makes me think of an
experience that I had one time.
00:52:10.99\00:52:15.60
I went to preach at
this certain location.
00:52:15.63\00:52:17.49
And there was this lady that
came up to me after my sermon.
00:52:18.07\00:52:21.81
And she says, "Uh, Pastor
Bohr, do you know so and so?"
00:52:22.10\00:52:27.83
I said, "Yes, I
sure do know him.
00:52:28.99\00:52:32.23
A good guy."
00:52:32.66\00:52:34.03
She said, "Well, you
preach just like he does."
00:52:34.33\00:52:37.87
I said, "Oh really?"
00:52:39.27\00:52:40.64
And I looked at her
and I said, "In what way?"
00:52:40.96\00:52:45.87
She said, "Oh the
inflection of his voice,
00:52:45.90\00:52:47.89
the way he moves his arms,
the way he moves his body."
00:52:47.92\00:52:51.79
It's just identical."
00:52:51.82\00:52:53.19
I said, "Really?"
00:52:53.22\00:52:54.59
See, I was
playing devil's advocate.
00:52:54.77\00:52:56.43
And after a little
while, I said, "Do you know why
00:52:57.20\00:53:00.00
he preaches that way?
00:53:00.03\00:53:01.42
Because he was my
student for three years."
00:53:01.72\00:53:04.03
She said, "Oh really?
00:53:05.86\00:53:07.23
I'm sorry, pastor. I
didn't mean to offend you."
00:53:07.26\00:53:08.98
I said, "Oh, I'm
not offended at all."
00:53:09.01\00:53:10.97
I said, "When you spend three
years, three college years,
00:53:11.00\00:53:15.84
in a classroom with a teacher,
something is bound to rub off."
00:53:15.87\00:53:20.79
And even today, you know, we
had him at one of our retreats
00:53:21.56\00:53:24.30
here at Wawona a few years ago.
00:53:24.33\00:53:26.74
And I had several members
say, "You know, you preach
00:53:26.77\00:53:29.55
just like he does."
00:53:29.58\00:53:30.95
Why does he preach like I do?
00:53:32.47\00:53:34.03
Because he spent time with me.
00:53:34.70\00:53:36.25
Because he spent time beholding.
00:53:36.55\00:53:39.43
Is that true also in our
relationship with Christ?
00:53:39.73\00:53:42.71
It most certainly is.
00:53:42.74\00:53:44.13
The more time that
we spend with Jesus,
00:53:44.16\00:53:47.62
the more we become like Him.
00:53:47.65\00:53:50.91
The more time we spend
with television and with
00:53:51.31\00:53:54.76
worldly music and
with worldly entertainment,
00:53:55.44\00:53:58.41
the more we
become like the world.
00:53:58.44\00:54:00.59
It's a divine principle
of our psychological makeup.
00:54:00.62\00:54:04.04
We are what we look at and
we are what we hear, primarily.
00:54:04.07\00:54:09.35
We are composed of those.
00:54:09.38\00:54:11.53
You know, somebody once said
to me, "You know, the problem
00:54:11.56\00:54:14.58
with you Christians is
that you're so heavenly minded
00:54:14.61\00:54:17.08
you're no earthly good."
00:54:17.11\00:54:18.74
So I looked at him and I said,
00:54:19.87\00:54:21.24
"That's an
interesting statement.
00:54:21.27\00:54:22.77
Is it just possible
that you're so earthly minded
00:54:22.80\00:54:25.87
you're no heavenly good?"
00:54:25.90\00:54:27.27
Is it just possible
that we are so earthly minded
00:54:29.22\00:54:32.25
that we are no heavenly good?
00:54:32.97\00:54:34.64
See folks, Jesus
wants to be with us.
00:54:35.20\00:54:39.12
And He wants us to be with Him.
00:54:39.90\00:54:42.20
That's the passion of His life.
00:54:42.77\00:54:44.74
That's the reason He
came; to live for us.
00:54:45.55\00:54:47.92
That's the reason why
Jesus came to die for us.
00:54:47.95\00:54:50.30
That's the reason for
the last two thousand years
00:54:50.69\00:54:52.78
Jesus has been
interceding for us;
00:54:52.81\00:54:55.43
presenting our sins covered
by His blood before His Father.
00:54:56.37\00:54:59.89
That's the reason, during the
last two thousand years, that
00:55:00.24\00:55:02.90
Jesus has been pouring out
His spirit upon His church;
00:55:02.93\00:55:05.83
to preach the gospel to
the world so that everybody can
00:55:05.86\00:55:08.57
know what Jesus has
done, so that people can have
00:55:08.60\00:55:11.21
an opportunity to be saved.
00:55:11.24\00:55:12.96
That's the reason why Jesus,
in 1844, began the process
00:55:13.40\00:55:17.21
with the dead, as we noticed,
with Adam, the process of
00:55:17.24\00:55:20.85
cleansing the record of sin from
the sanctuary through His blood.
00:55:20.88\00:55:24.98
All of these things that
Jesus has done in the sanctuary
00:55:25.99\00:55:29.38
He has done because
He wants to be with us
00:55:29.41\00:55:32.81
and He wants us to be with Him.
00:55:32.84\00:55:34.52
The big question is,
will we be or will we allow
00:55:37.00\00:55:43.19
this world and the things of
this world to focus us so much
00:55:43.87\00:55:52.05
on this earth that
really we are no heavenly good?
00:55:52.08\00:55:56.59
It all depends on what
we spend our time doing.
00:55:58.57\00:56:04.96
If we pray without ceasing,
if we study God's Word daily.
00:56:05.86\00:56:13.42
And I'm not
talking about only reading.
00:56:13.88\00:56:15.68
I'm talking about
studying God's Word.
00:56:15.71\00:56:17.70
If we go to other people
and we share our testimony
00:56:18.04\00:56:21.95
about our relationship with
Jesus with a smile on our face,
00:56:21.98\00:56:25.38
then our experience
with Jesus Christ will grow.
00:56:26.98\00:56:30.01
And we'll come to the
point that Enoch came to.
00:56:31.10\00:56:33.23
We'll say, "There's nothing more
that this world has to offer.
00:56:34.22\00:56:37.73
I want to be in heaven.
00:56:38.71\00:56:40.08
I want to be with Jesus.
00:56:41.09\00:56:42.69
And that would mean that
all of our time, and all of our
00:56:43.63\00:56:46.06
efforts, and all of our
talents, and all of our means,
00:56:46.09\00:56:49.09
will be used for the
proclamation of the gospel
00:56:49.12\00:56:52.70
and the finishing of God's
work so that we can go home.
00:56:53.12\00:56:57.64
Is it time to go home?
00:56:58.67\00:57:00.13
You better believe
it's time to go home.
00:57:00.80\00:57:02.35
The signs in the world
show that Jesus is coming soon.
00:57:02.38\00:57:06.82
And the sooner, the better.
00:57:07.39\00:57:09.73
Folks, I want to end with
the words of the apostle John
00:57:10.86\00:57:15.06
on the island of Patmos.
00:57:15.51\00:57:17.34
"Amen. Even so,
come, Lord Jesus."
00:57:18.07\00:57:25.30
Amen.
00:57:25.33\00:57:26.70