with me to the book of Revelation
21, continuing our review of the study that we started in
05. Started in, I think it was February
of 05, we started the book of Revelation, went through it,
and now here we are in the next to the last chapter in the review. Revelation 21. Before we begin,
let's and pray together. Our Father, we do ask You this
morning, for Christ's sake, and in His name, by His blood, we
ask You to bless our time together. Lord, help us to worship. Help
us to see. Help us to hear. Help us to rejoice
and praise Be glad. Be thankful for that which You
have done for us, that which we could or would never do for
ourselves. We pray that You would open the
Scriptures to us by Your Spirit. And we ask these things for Christ's
sake. Amen. Revelation 21, John said, I saw
a new heaven, a new earth. That was verse 1. This new that John sees. The word that's there doesn't
mean new in time. It's not a new earth in time. It's a different word. It means
refreshed, rejuvenated. When God made the heavens and
the earth the first time, this is what He said about it. It's
good. Now, what God made, God's going
to bring back. This earth has been cursed because
of sin. And Almighty God is going to
purge everything that has been cursed, tainted by sin. He is going to obliterate it.
Now, there is going to be an eternal existence of Almighty
God and His people. And His people who are made new
are going to live In that which God makes new, in fact, verse
5 of this chapter, He says, Behold, I make all things new. It is a place, the world, the
heavens that you are not accustomed to. That is what it means. You
are not accustomed to it. It is a word. It doesn't mean
new in time. It means refreshed, rejuvenated. Made new. Now, knowing that this
is coming, Peter said something. Turn to 2 Peter 3. Peter writes something here that is,
well, it's an anxious anticipation. This is what a believer knows. I mentioned this last week. This
is real. We really, truly believe that
this is going to take place. Somebody would say, well, we're
sure we believe that. Do we? Do we really believe it? We see through a glass darkly,
but we see. We know in part, but we know. And I'm telling you, for God's
people, there is, and I'm going to read this, 2 Peter 3, 11 to
14, there is an anxious anticipation. You look around and you realize
that this is not my home. What I'm seeing right here is
not eternal. But there is coming in that day,
there's going to be a dissolving of everything that we're seeing,
everything we look at. And all things are going to be
made new. 2 Peter 3, verse 11, the Scripture says,
seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. shall be
disintegrated, loosened is what that word is. What manner of
persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness
looking for and hastening unto, hastening unto the coming of
the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The elements. I
looked that up, the elements, hydrogen, oxygen, elements. That's what it means. All this,
everything that's used, that God has used to make. They said,
well, water is that, you know, that's H2O. All of it's going to be dissolved.
And a new heaven, new earth. Nevertheless, Peter says, We,
according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness." I said a moment ago, it's new
meaning that which you're not accustomed to. I look and I see
and you see and we see the sky and you see the ground, you see
the trees, you see dirt. It's that which you're not accustomed
to. New. Same word, new creation. A new creation. That which you're
not accustomed to. Being born in Adam, man comes forth from his mother's
womb a liar. He doesn't love God. He doesn't
know God. He doesn't seek God. But Almighty
God creates and imparts, that means puts within a new nature. He said, I'm going to give you
a new heart, that which you're not accustomed to, that which
by nature we don't know. He said, I'll be your God. You'll be my people. There'll
be a realization of it new. That's what it means, new. John
said, I saw a new heaven and a new earth. First heaven and
the first earth were passed away. There was no more sea, no more
unrest. Now, that's the environment. This 21st chapter, 21-22, it's
talking about the way things are going to be. Now, that's
the environment that we'll live in. We're going to live, God's
people, are going to be raised. We've talked about the resurrection. The same body in which you go
into the ground will come out of the ground. Same body. It will be planted corruptible,
raised incorruptible. Planted in weakness, sown in
weakness, raised in power. How? What is that? I don't know. I can't tell you. I can look
at what happened when the Lord Jesus Christ came out of the
grave, and I look at Him as He was resurrected. The same body
He went in with, He came out with. The apostles saw Him. Many people saw Him. They looked
at Him, and He told Thomas. He said, Thomas, touch me. I'm a spirit. A spirit doesn't
have flesh and bone. Touch me. Phil, touch my side. Touch my hands. Look at my feet. He saw Him. He didn't lose His
identity. We'll come out just like that. And we're going to
live eternally in resurrected glory. But then John says in
verse 2, And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride, adorned
for her husband. This is the way she is. Holy. Pure. Sacred. John said this is the
way I see her. This is the way she is. In her
husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is her righteousness, She is holy. He is her sanctification. She is what He is. Holy, purged, cleansed from the
penalty and now the very presence of sin. She's a city. That's
what John said. I saw the holy city. This is what Abraham looked for. Look for a city which has foundations,
whose builder and maker is God. And you that believe, right now,
you think to yourself, I look for that city. I am that city. That's what he
said. That's what John said. I saw
the holy city. The place of permanency. holiness. Almighty God, New Jerusalem
dwelling with her. That's what he said. Fresh. Citizenship in heaven. Philippians 3.20 says, For our
conversation, our citizenship is what that word means. Our
citizenship is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Citizens. of the heavenly Jerusalem. I
mean, we talk about this and we believe it and our new heart,
new mind rejoices in what we hear because we know this is
so. God's people who are with Him
right now who have departed this world in the very presence of
the Lord Jesus Christ We'll be there, all of God's
elect, all of the saints of God redeemed by the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We say this is not our home.
John 18, 36, Jesus answered. He said, My kingdom, my people, a kingdom has a king
and a king has subjects, the kingdom. the bride. My kingdom is not of this world.
If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight
that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom
not from thence." John said, I saw the holy city, the New
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. coming down actually
means according to. This New Jerusalem, the people
of God, the city of God, the city that has foundations, that
is built on the foundation Himself, this city prepared, made ready, all of
the necessary preparations prepared as a bride, adorned, embellished
by her husband. These truths are so wonderful. They're so marvelously wonderful. We begin to contemplate and our
heart is just raised in ecstasy and praised in anticipation for. Because we can see and we know
and we believe and we say, Lord, come quickly. Come quickly. I understand that we look around
and we see these things and we're accustomed to them. I understand.
But all to see by faith. and to realize that there is
hastening a day when we'll no more see by faith. And that which
we know in part shall be made indescribably real. We'll see
Him as He is and know Him. We know Him now. We know Him
as we're known. You think, how can that be? He
that has everlastingly known me, everlastingly loved me, everlastingly
stood for me, answered for me, and we'll know Him as He knows
us. You say, Lord, these things are too high for me to behold Him Here she is, John says, prepared
as a bride, adorned for her husband. I want you to turn to Isaiah
61. I want to read something to you. Isaiah 61. I mean, here we are this morning. all that the Lord has called
out of darkness and has given a new heart, a new mind, new spirit, new will. This is the mind. This is the
spirit. This is the new man that is going
to eternally dwell with God. We possess right now what we
shall ever possess. yet without the presence of sin. Paul said, O wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? For the
mind of which you know Him right now, the new heart, new spirit, you're going to know Him then
perfectly with that new man. Isaiah 61. Verse 10, the prophet says, I
will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. I got to reading
that and I noticed something there that was amazingly interesting
to me. I will greatly rejoice in the
Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for He hath clothed
me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with a robe
of righteousness." I started thinking about, there's
two things there. He said two things that the Lord
is going to do for His people. The Lord's done for His people. He hath clothed me with the garments, the garments of salvation. I got to thinking, what are the
garments? It's plural. What are the garments? The second
part of it, He covered me with a robe of righteousness. I seem
to be able to enter into that one, not enter into it to fullness,
but I mean to perceive what it was talking about, but the garments. of salvation. 1 Peter 5.5. Let me show you one
of them. The garments. 1 Peter 5.5. Likewise, ye younger, submit
yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one
to another, and be clothed with Humility. For God resisted the
proud and giveth grace to the humble. Almighty God in the garments
of salvation. The first thing I know that I
could find scripturally is that we're clothed with humility. That is a right
attitude about myself. Whenever Almighty God calls a
man or a woman out of darkness, this is what He clothes them
with in the garments of salvation. He brings them to know something
of their need of Him. Without me, you can do nothing. See, a man born in Adam, he's
clothed with the garment of pride. Just a proud, arrogant, self-centered,
self-righteous man. Men talk about establishing their own righteousness,
giving their heart to Jesus and getting saved. My friend, if
you've got to get yourself saved, then you better realize you've
got to keep yourself saved. And if you offend in one point,
before or after, and it's all up to you, and you have no hope. The garments. Let me read this to you. Here's
another one. Isaiah 61.3. to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness." There's a garment of salvation. A garment
of praise. Thankfulness. Lord, thank You. Thank You showed mercy to me. When I think about having chosen
us in Him before the foundation of the world. This is how my
little fickle mind thinks. Before the foundation of the
world. Before there was a world ever called into it. Before the
Spirit of God moved upon the waters. When everything was void. Empty. Without form. Before Almighty God ever called
into existence anything. Before the foundation of the
world, Almighty God knew me. And I thought, I don't know in
time. I have no idea. The element of
time. But that's okay. He who is eternal.
who loved me with an everlasting love. Can it be that Almighty
God, before the foundation of the world, before He called into
existence anything, before He created anything, that He knew
me, knew my name, and set His affection on me? And then in time, would call me out of darkness
and then reveal unto me, I've everlastingly loved you. How can it be that God would
show mercy to me? I'm going to give you the garment
of praise for heaviness. Psalm 3011 says this, from me, my mourning, into dancing.
Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness." These garments, the garments
of salvation, that's what Isaiah says. Isaiah says, He hath clothed
me with the garments of salvation. But listen to this blessed truth.
He's covered me with a robe of righteousness. Why did He say it like that,
I wonder? Well, let me tell you what I think. These garments, the garments
of salvation, the garment of humility, the garment of praise,
the garment of gladness, He's clothed me. But I will say this, I have an
understanding just enough of myself to know this. Though He has clothed me with
the garments of humility, and He's given me somewhat of an
understanding of myself, there's enough pride in me to
sink a billion worlds. He's clothed me with a garment
of praise, and I do thank Him for what He's done for me, but
I'll tell you this, my thanks is tainted with sin. Sin, the presence of it. Oh, that
which wars against my new mind. The garment of salvation, I'm
glad, but not as I would be, not as I desire to be, and not
as I shall be. That which He's done for me brought me down to see something
of myself, giving me a garment of praise, a garment of gladness,
if it be not that I am robed in His righteousness, even these
blessed gifts that He's given me, I would then fall. If I were
not robed in Him who is my righteousness, I'm glad He's brought me down
to see something. I praise Him. But, oh, I couldn't
stand even then. if He has not robed me in His
righteousness. John says back in Revelation
21, I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. All
preparation must be made because without Him, She can do nothing. She cannot keep herself. Give her all of these blessed
garments, garments of praise and garments
of humility and garments of gladness, and robe her not in His righteousness. She will not stand. Thanks be
unto Him who is our righteousness. in whom alone we stand, all of
the blessed promises in Christ are yea and amen. Let's just
take a break. We'll come back in about five
minutes.