Turn back to where we read in
Revelation 21. This book uses much symbolic
language. As a matter of fact, when you
read in the first chapter, God makes known that to us. It says that He sent and signified
these things to John. So we know immediately we're
going to have a lot of symbolism and symbolic language. And if you notice, when we read
through Revelation 21, part of that has to do with the New Jerusalem. He uses a city. And he uses this
city to describe the people and church of God. He describes it
as a holy city, and he makes us to know about this holy city
and what it is by equating this city to his bride. to the bride
of Christ. Look back in verse 2. He says, "...and I, John, saw
the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." And then if you look down in
verse 9, the latter part, the angel says, I will show thee the bride, the
Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the
Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city,
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." This
is the Lord's true church. These are His elect. Verse 3, he says, "...and I heard
a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be
his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." And this bride, or this city,
is shown and described as it is, as he sees it in Christ,
and as it always shall be, glorious, perfect, triumphant in every
case. But if there's one thing that
is noticeable here in this description with all its glory, it's found
in this 23rd verse. It says, "...and the city had
no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, For
the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof." If you notice, though this city, in its description
by God, has neither sun nor moon, it is nevertheless not dark. Because one description that
is given of the people of God is given by the Apostle Paul
in Colossians 1. He says, "...giving thanks unto
the Father, who hath made us meet or fit to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light." These people of God,
this church of God, will without doubt be made up of these saints
in light. But what we always have to remember,
especially as we come to this book, it is the revelation of
Jesus Christ. In other words, if we, in our
study of this particular last book of Scripture, if we come
out of it with knowing a lot about the beast or the dragon
or the harlot or whatever it is, if we come out of it with
simply a scheme of eschatology, of end-time, programs or diagrams
or all these things, we've missed the message of this book. It is the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Because you see, in this description,
he says, though there is neither sun or moon, it says in that
23rd verse, the glory of God did lighten it. Now, sad it is that in our day,
men and women, when they hear something like this, the glory
of God did lighten it, they immediately drift off into some mystical
view or thought concerning what is being said there. Oh, the
glory! The glory of God did lighten
it. But He doesn't leave us, neither
here or anywhere else, to wonder what that means. But it will
always be the case that the church of Jesus Christ is the glory
of God, not only then, but now and always. His glory, where
He tabernacles or dwells. Because that word glory, which
is doxa, has to do with praise and honor and worship being conferred
upon him because he has made manifest who he is and what he
has done. And that's why when something
is glorified, that doesn't mean that it is altered or changed,
but it has to do with something being revealed or made manifest
for what it is. It has to do with the truth about
something. If we see the glory of God, He
will have made known to us and revealed to us how He is and
what He has done. He will have manifested the truth
of God in revelation to us, because light, if you notice in Scripture,
often has to do with truth. If we have light from God, then
He has made manifest the truth of God to us, the Spirit of light
has revealed Himself to us, and if we have not the truth of God,
we are still in darkness. But God's people, though they
are born in darkness, Though they may live maybe even a great
part of their life, or even as that thief on the cross, right
to the end in darkness, He will bring them out of that darkness
into the light which is Christ. What is the glory of God? The glory of God did lighten
this city. Well, if you look back in the
book of Exodus, that man Moses on one occasion asked God, after
he had seen God do more things than you and I can probably even
imagine, he still beheld this God and asked of Him, Show me
your glory." I just imagine if you and I had seen rivers turn
to blood, Or if we had seen the Red Sea divide and a path of
dry land be across it, if we had seen the things that Moses
had seen with his natural eye, we would probably, if left to
ourselves, be telling everybody about the glory of God that we
beheld. Moses said, Lord, I beseech Thee. Show me your glory." And the
Scripture says that God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and
caused his name to pass before him, and this was his declaration,
the declaration of his glory. I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. And that's got something to do
with the glory of God. But exactly Where is or how is
God gracious and merciful to those He's gracious and merciful
to? Well, He follows right immediately
on the heels of this statement that the glory of God lightens
this city, and He says this, "...and the Lamb," is the light
thereof." In other words, the glory of God being His mercy
and His grace to sinners such as we are, the glory of God's
grace and mercy is not just random or general in any way. It is always particular because
the Lamb, Lamb is the light thereof. God said by the prophet Malachi,
He said, but unto you that fear my name shall the Son of Righteousness. That's a description of the Lord
Jesus Christ. unto you that fear my name shall
the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings, and
ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall." In other
words, all the light and all the glory of God Almighty is
to be seen and known in Christ who is the Lamb of God. He's the light of God. He's the
truth of God. And whenever we hear him speaking
in John chapter 8, he says it as plainly as it can be. He says,
"...I am the light of the world, and he that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." In other
words, his people. because they are in Christ Jesus,
because they are described as those who walk in the light,
who are described as children of the light. And that light
being the light of God which is made manifest in Christ Jesus,
he says, they will not, they do not walk in darkness. And like I said, God's glory
has something to do with his salvation of sinners in Christ
crucified, and that is a glory which to sinners like us has
to be revealed. We don't see it with the natural
eye. We don't understand it with our
natural eye. We're not born in this world
with a knowledge of it. We don't even see our own need
of Christ as a Savior. And it is the glory which the
devil himself most wants and tries to conceal. And were it
not for God in His mighty, omnipotent grace, no one would ever behold
it were it not for His Spirit and His Word. Turn over to 2
Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 3, and
notice what the apostle says here. Now this isn't a glory
that somebody sees one day when they have some kind of epiphany
in a church. morning sunrise or some kind
of emotional experience or something like that. Listen to what he
says here about how God makes His glory and this glory and
light manifest by His Word and gospel. 2 Corinthians 3. In verse 6, Paul describes of
himself and those that God calls to this gospel ministry, he says,
"...who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament,
not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter killeth,
but the Spirit giveth life." And then he goes on to compare
the gospel that he preached to that law that was given by Moses. He says, but if the ministration
of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, In other
words, there was a measure of revelation about how God is and
what He requires in that law that was given in the Ten Commandments. He said this, "...so that the
children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of
Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. How shall not?" the ministration
of the Spirit be rather glorious. For if the ministration of condemnation
be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness
exceed in glory. For even that which was made
glorious had no reason in respect by reason of the glory that excelleth."
In other words, the glory that is revealed of God in the gospel
so far eclipses and exceeds any glory that was manifest in the
law. He says, "...for if that which
is done away with was glorious, much more that which remaineth
is glorious." seeing then that we have such hope. We use great
plainness of speech, and not as Moses, which put a veil over
his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
look to the end of that which is abolished. But their minds
were blinded, for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken
away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done
away in Christ." But even until this day. When Moses is read,
the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn
to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. In other words, the
only one who can remove that veil and give that revelation
and show that greater glory in Christ is God Himself, God His
Spirit. Now, the Lord is that Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty in the glory
of Christ. in the glory of the gospel, in
the glory that is revealed by the Spirit of God. There is not
that which binds, but there is that which liberates. But we all with open face, beholding
as in a glass the glory of God, are changed unto the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Now,
Paul is saying here that the ministration or the ministry
of that gospel, the gospel of Christ wherein the righteousness
of God is revealed, That glory, rather than being a glory such
as was revealed through the lawgiver to Moses, who in God's presence
had to come out of it and veil his face. Paul said, we don't
do that because the glory is in the gospel of Christ revealed
by His Spirit. Now look over in chapter 4, verse
3. Paul goes on to say this, he
says, but if our gospel be hid, if you don't see any glory in
the gospel, if you don't see the glory of God in the gospel
of Christ crucified, if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost. "...in whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." lest the
light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them." In other words, the devil is
shown here to do everything he can to distract away and blind
and hide the glorious gospel of Christ, the sinner. Paul continues. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves, your servants, for
Jesus' sake, for God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness."
What's that a reference to? The creation. When the earth
was dark and void and without form, and out of that darkness
and out of that nothingness, God, by what is called the divine
fiat, by a word, He said, let there be light. Actually, what
that says there is, light be and light was. That God, who
did that glorious miracle in creation, speaking light into
darkness, Paul says of himself and believers, hath shined in
our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face or in the person of Jesus Christ. And then he goes on to say this,
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels." In other words,
the minister of the gospel is nothing in himself. He's a clay
pot, just like every other son and daughter of Adam. But he
says, we have a treasure, they've been given a treasure in these
earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and
not of us. The glory is His and not ours. Turn over to 2 Peter and listen
to what the Apostle Peter says with regard to this very thing. This is God's glory. 2 Peter
and the first chapter, look down at verse 16. Here is another
of the Apostles. And he writes and he says, "...for
we have not followed cunningly devised fables." That's what's
being preached in our day, cunningly devised fables. He says, "...when
we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eyewitnesses to his majesty." Peter was one
of those who, on the Mount of Transfiguration, beheld a certain
sense of the glory of God. He shone in such brightness a
manifestation of his deity. He said, we were eyewitnesses
of his majesty, for he received from God the Father honor and
glory. when there came such a voice
to him, from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased." Is that not just exactly what I told you
glorifying was? The Father on that mount spoke
audibly from heaven and said concerning that man, Jesus Christ,
with Peter, James, and John on that mountain, this is my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased. He glorified Jesus Christ. And he goes on, now listen to
Peter, "...and this voice which came from heaven we heard when
we were with him in the holy mount." Now notice what he'll
say, "...we have also a more sure word of prophecy." You mean
to tell me a more sure, a better word of prophecy than hearing
God the Father speak from heaven concerning His own Son? Something
better from God than that? He says, we have also a more
sure word of prophecy, whereunto you do well that you take heed
as unto a light that shines in a dark place. until the day dawn
and the day star arise in your hearts." In other words, what
Peter is showing here is the way by which the Spirit of God
works in the hearts of God's people, revealing Christ to them. He sends them this more sure
word of prophecy, and he said, you would do well you would do
well to heed and hear and listen until the day star." What's the
day star? The sun. Malachi called him the
sun of righteousness. And he said, you would do well
to listen and hear and heed this more sure word of prophecy, which
is simply the gospel, until that day star arise in your heart,
till light is sent of God into your heart, till he reveals Christ
through this gospel, which is that the Lamb is the light. The Lamb is the light. This was
the glorious gospel, if you will, that was first heralded by the
man who is described as the forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist. What kind of gospel, what kind
of light from God did John have? He didn't have any credentials.
He wore a garment made of camel's hair. Girt about with a leather
belt. He ate locusts and wild honey.
I have a feeling he was a bit scary looking. What kind of light
did he have? Direct revelation from God. What
kind of message did he preach? It says, John seeth Jesus coming
unto him and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sin of the world. Look at the Lamb. There's just
one Lamb. Behold Him. Think about it. And then the next day it says
that he saw Jesus again. There were some fellows with
John on that occasion. And John looked at Christ and
he said again, Behold the Lamb of God. It says that they left
John and followed Christ. God gave them some light. How
do you know that? Because they quit following a
man just for a man. They followed Christ. And because
John, when he proclaimed Christ, he proclaimed him, he announced
him in this first announcement as his forerunner, he proclaimed
him not just simply by his name, but in his redemptive character. Behold the Lamb of God. He beheld him as the sacrifice
for sin. And this glory of God, which
is Christ the Lamb, though He's the first herald of it before
Christ came, it certainly did not begin at that time. He was
always the glorious, eternal Lamb of God. Look back at our
text at that 27th verse. Revelation 21 and verse 27, I
want to compare that with another verse here in Revelation. Verse
27, he says, "...and there shall in no wise enter into it anything
that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh
a lie, but, or only they which are written in the Lamb's book
of life." There is a book of life. God has a book of life. That book of life is that book
of decrees wherein he's given life to a people in Christ, and
that's why it's called the book of the Lamb, the Lamb's book
of life. Not like I heard the preacher
on the radio say, you do something and God will write your name
in the Lamb's book of life. No. Turn back over to Revelation
chapter 13 and listen as it is spoken here in Revelation 13
concerning all those who will be deceived by one who is described
as the beast. It says in verse 8, "...and all
that dwell upon the earth shall worship him." This beast that
utters blasphemy against God, that's not one individual. That's
a host of individuals who, through the ages, will proclaim a God
that is not God, and in doing so, blaspheme the name of the
living God. Now listen, and he says, "...all
that dwell upon the earth will worship him whose names or accept
those whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world." Before there was
ever any sinner to save, Before there was ever any fall in the
garden, before there was ever a sinner that came forth from
the womb speaking lies, there was a book. There was a book
of life. That was the book of the life
of the Lamb of God, in God's eyes, viewed, slain before the
foundation of the world. And everyone was deceived. and
they followed Antichrist, they believe in a false god, except
these whose names were written in that Book of Life of the Lamb,
slain from the foundation of the world." I love what John
records about our Savior's prayer to the Father. In John 17, he
says, I will that they also, whom thou
hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my
glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the
foundation of the world." And then he goes on to say this,
"...I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it,
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them,
and I in them." He says, Father, you loved me before the world
was. And you have loved them as you
have loved me, which means you loved them before the world was
also. And I will that they behold my
glory." What is that? As their Savior and Redeemer
and Deliverer, as their righteousness. You see, He is and He was the
glory. of the theme of all the Old Testament
prophets. This same city and this same
land and this same light talked about all through the Scriptures.
Let me just read you a couple of verses in Isaiah 60 concerning
this city, the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. He says, "...the sun shall be
no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon
give light unto thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting
light, and thy God thy glory." Thy sun shall no more go down? Neither shall thy moon withdraw
itself, for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and
the days of thy morning shall be ended." No darkness, nothing
but light, and light forever, because the Lamb is the light
thereof. How could a city, just imagine
a city, that is characterized and to be known for purity and
perfection, how could it ever be populated by sinners? Because the Lamb is the light
there. He is the perfection of His people. He is that perfect righteousness
of His people. He is the holiness of His people. And He looks at His bride, And
he says like the bridegroom of old, there is no spot in thee. There is no spot, no defilement,
no sin in those who've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. When you open the book of Genesis
and you look after the fall, the first act of worship The
first way by which God announces his gospel. The first way by
which it is shown that sinners like Adam and Eve are reconciled
to God. It's in a lamb. And then between
Cain and Abel, it is Abel's lamb. And then everywhere you look
is another Lamb, such as the Passover Lamb, and all the lambs
slain in the camp of Israel. And it becomes obvious whenever
God gives us light that His glory and His worship is in Christ
as this sacrifice and Redeemer of His people, and by which He
saves them in the one way that He remains just and justifies
them. This is the glory of God, that
He as this thrice holy God, as this inflexibly just God, can
save a multitude of sinners in His Son, and through His death,
and God still be just as holy and His justice be totally satisfied
and magnified. His mercy can be shown and His
grace can be demonstrated all in perfect righteousness. Turn back to Revelation 5. I
know I've got to hush. Revelation chapter 5. Now listen
to what he says here in Revelation 5, beginning in verse 6. There are many descriptions,
many symbolic ways in which the bride of Christ, the church of
the Lord Jesus, is spoken of. City, a bride. He says, "...and
I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four
beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had
been slain." Or as it is, stood a Lamb as though newly slain. having seven horns, seven eyes,
which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the
earth. And he came, this Lamb, and took
the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
And when he had taken the book, The four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of
them harps and golden vows full of odors, which are the prayers
of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof,
for Thou wast slain. and has redeemed us to God by
thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,
and has made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall
reign on thee." Rather than having redeemed every kindred tongue,
tribe, and people. And having most of them perished
yet still in their sin and gone to hell, which would be very
unglorious, here's his glory, that he has in his life and death
already actually and fully redeemed a people to God from among men. He actually totally by His character
as the Lamb, redeemed them to God. And let me tell you what
happens. Somewhere in their life, even like I said, as if it was
that thief, every one of those he redeemed, saved by His blood,
paid their sin debt on that cross, they will, every one, behold
His glory. They'll behold the glory of God.
Because Christ crucified as all our salvation, as all of God's
righteousness imputed to us, as all Christ is in Himself,
made the righteousness of God in Him, that righteous grace
in the Lamb is the glory of God. And I'll tell you when you'll
find out, that you've truly beheld the glory of God. And that's
when you give Him all the glory. When it goes from being I, me,
my will, my decision, my works, my given, my this, until we bow
like Jonah and own that salvation is of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we're brought like old Simeon
of old, when he first saw Christ, And he said, Lord, just let me
depart in peace, because mine eyes have seen thy salvation. When he comes like he does to
Saul of Tarsus and makes manifest to him his glory. If we've never seen Christ as
our only hope, as our only salvation, as our only justification before
God, then we've never seen His glory. Because everyone that's
beheld His glory, they glory in the Lamb. Those who are the
inhabitants, the spiritual inhabitants of this new Jerusalem, this holy
city, they know that it is the glory of God that lightens it,
and that the Lamb, the Lamb is the light thereof. Not even my understanding of
the Gospel. It's not my faith in Christ.
It's all Him and Him in His death on that cross. Father, we ask
this day that you might be pleased by your Spirit As we acknowledge
that we have no power to give revelation, to make manifest
your glory to any sinner, including ourselves, we pray that you might
this day enable us to behold that Lamb which takes away the
sin of the world. What sinners we must be, to require,
if we're to be saved, that you would come in human flesh in
order to die the death of the cross. Pay our sin debt and make
us free. Bring us out of darkness into
that marvelous light of the Lamb. Save all your people and comfort
them with who you are and what you've done. and let him that
glorieth glory in the Lord. We pray and ask it in Christ's
name. Amen.