Dear Christian friends:

Today is the last Sunday of the Church year. So therefore we should think about the last things, our death, the end of the world, Judgement Day, and heaven and hell.

In the past I have preached about Judgement Day. Today our text tells about heaven. The text is Chapter 21 of Revelations. Chapters 21 & 22 tell about heaven very beautifully. God let John in a vision see it. He calls it:


So what is heaven like? John saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth were gone along with the sea. (verse 1) Heaven was compared to a a beautiful bride ready to meet her husband. God will live with the people in the city. He will wipe away tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. (verse 4)

There will only be good people there. (verse 8) The bride is now described in detail and has God's glory. There are large high walls made of Jasper with twelve gates made of pearls three on each side, N.S.E.W. The city is square as wide as it is long. Roughly 1,500 miles long by 1,500 miles wide a huge city made of gold. The streets are made of gold as pure as glass.

The city doesn't need any sun or moon to give it light, because God's glory is the light. It needs no electric lights from Northern States Power because Jesus, the Lamb is its Lamp. It needs no church, because the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are its Temple. The gates will be never shut because there is no night.

The Kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Also great men of God who died with faith in Jesus will be there. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Soloman, Twelve Disciples, St. Paul, James, Martin Luther, Dr. Livingston, etc. will be there.

Jesus our Savior, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world will sit on His throne and all will worship Him in great wonderful singing.

This sounds like a fairy tale. Many people laugh and mock and have no faith in it. So in our text in the vision of John, God Himself, says, setting on His throne to John, "Look, I am making everything new. Writh this because these words are true and you can trust them. Then God said to John, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." (verses 5&6)

What does he mean by these words? God is saying, "I am the Almighty, everlasting God, I made the first world in the beginning and I will end it. I can also make a new world better than the first. Yes, I have already done it. It is now ready and finished. Don't doubt, but believe, and you shall taste and see!"

But still we are afraid and doubt. We think its not really true. Its too good to be true. Or we think we are to bad and sinful to go into such a pure glorious place. God can't want us He is holy and perfect, and we are sinful and make many mistakes.

So God here says to John and to all of us poor sinners: "To anyone who is thirsty I will give water, that cost nothing, from the spring of the water of life." What is this wonderful water that costs nothing? It is the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus, Who was born of Mary, Who lived for us and died for us on the cross to take away our sins.

In Revelations 22:16-17, Jesus says, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life."

Don't doubt! Don't question! Don't be shy or afraid! Only believe and you shall have it. We must not listen to men or to our own reason and nature which cannot believe, but doubts and laughs and fears. We must fight all the temptations of the devil, world and our own earthly nature.

They say, "God can't do it. God will never do it. There is no God. Whey you die, you are dead and you will stay dead forever. Hell is now on earth. We make our own hell here while we live. And may other things they say. "Now is the only life. After death is nothing."

So God says here to us. Be victorious, and you will have these things, these wonderful glorious things of the New Jerusalem, and I will be your God, and you will be My Son." (Show the bulletin cover. You will be victorious if you keep your faith alive. The burning lamp means living faith in Jesus.)

Amen.