n the beginning of theBible, the third chapter of

Scripture (Genesis 3) introduces Satan,sin, sorrow, the curse, and death.

At the end of the Bible, Revelation20 (the third chapter from the end), bidsfarewell to all of these.

Revelation 20 unveils the secret re-alities of faith and unbelief. The wickedtestify, by their murderous attack on himwho raised them from the dead, thateternal death is both their just desert andchoice. They are unchanged, and onewith the great Destroyer. This is nowfully apparent.

Once this is aptly demonstrated, sinno longer has reason for existence; itbecomes no more. And with it go thecurse, death, and sorrow. The earth againbecomes an abyss, without form and void.

God Creates a New EarthFrom its ashes, God now calls forth

order and beauty, life and song. (TheGreek word for "new" here means "re-newed.")

"Then I saw a new heaven and anew earth; for the first heaven and thefirst earth had passed away, and the seawas no more. And I saw the holy city,the new Jerusalem, coming down out ofheaven from God, prepared as a brideadorned for her husband. And I heard aloud voice from the throne saying,

'See, the home of God is amongmortals,

He will dwell with them as theirGod;

they will be his peoples,and God himself will be with them;he will wipe every tear from their

eyes.Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain willbe no more,

for the first things have passedaway'" (Rev 21:1-4 NRSV).

The millennial Sabbath is over andGod once more regenerates.

The last two chapters of the Book ofRevelation depict the consummation ofthe plan of salvation. They speak of areal world, though one necessarily de-scribed with metaphors from the Old

HappilyEver Afterby Desmond Ford

A study of the Bible's last chapterswill lift our spirits as we appreciate the future

secure joy that is ours in the gospel.

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Testament. All the covenant promisesare now portrayed as fulfilled, andEdenic life is restored.

The old atmospheric heavens andthe earth's scarred surface pass away,and with them the sea as we know it.(There is 'no reason to believe thereshall be no sea at all in the new world.It will not be as it is now: a threat, adanger, and a separator. John, the au-thor of the Book of Revelation, wasexiled to the island of Patmos (Rev1:9). The sea separated him from hischurches and loved ones.)

The promise that themeek shall inherit the earthis fulfilled. This is no ethe-real inheritance. Scholarsin all ages have under-stood this. But in recentyears this truth has cometo the forefront because ofthe restoration of the He-brew view of nature andhumanity.

The New JerusalemThe capital of the new

earth-already inhabitedby the saved--descendsfrom heaven. That descenttowards earth is picturedin Revelation 20. LikeNoah's ark it rode abovethe flood of fire which de-voured the old world.

Jewish apocalypticwritings had much to sayabout a new Jerusalemcoming in glory. The seedof the idea, however, is inthe Old Testament itself(Ez 40-48; Dan 8:14).

Daniel had foretoldthat judgment on thedesolating powers of sinwould result in the cleans-ing and vindicating of God's sanctuary.When the angel Gabriel interpreted thisfor Daniel, he spoke not only of theend of sin, and the bringing in of ever-lasting righteousness. He also spokeof the fulfilling of all prophetic vision,and the anointing of a "most holy"(Dan 9:20-27, see especially verse 24).

The last expression pointed to Godtabernacling once more with hispeople, as of old (Ex 25:8). Revelation21:1-4 vividly pictures the reality of

that forecast. God comes to dwell withhumanity. With God's coming, everytear is dried, and every bitter memory,by some magic alchemy, becomessweet. The covenant promise, reiter-ated throughout Scripture, now findsits consummation: "1 will walk amongyou, and will be your God, and youshall be my people" (Lev 26:12 NRSV).

Conquerors and Idolaters"And the one who was seated on

the throne said, 'See, 1 am making allthings new.' Also he said, 'Write this,

for these words are trustworthy andtrue.' Then he said to me, 'It is done! 1am the Alpha and the Omega, the be-ginning and the end. To the thirsty 1will give water as a gift from the springof the water of life. Those who con-quer will inherit these things, and 1will be their God, and they will be mychildren. But as for the cowardly, thefaithless, the polluted, the murderers,the fornicators, the sorcerers, theidolaters, and all liars, their place will

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be in the lake that burns with fire andsulfur, which is the second death" (Rev21:5-8 NRSV).

What took place under the dis-pensation of the Holy Spirit is nowfulfilled in deeper dimensions with thevisible reign of the Son of God. (Verse5 reminds us of 2 Corinthians 5:17.)

Christ is now present, as at thebeginning of the Book of Revelation.Some of his opening words are ech-oed now.

The thirsty are assured of accep-tance and refreshment. To drink is to

become an overcomer.God requires nothing thatGod does not provide forthe believer. To look atthe cross of Christ is tofind strength for the con-flict, and joy in the battle.We can do all things re-quired of us through Christwho strengthens us.

Those who are re-deemed from the oldEgyptian bondage of sinfind all the command-ments of God are nowpromises. "Thou shalt not

The sins here listedare not those of unsoughtfailures and regrettedlapses. They are the sinsof apostasy. From thePsalms we learn that mis-takes do not put us out-side the covenant; but toforsake deliberately theGod of the covenant isanother thing (Ps 32; 39:7-8; 40:8-12; 51).

Those who are yetidolaters (and all sin is buta form of idolatry) lack theseeds of eternal life.

The "cowardly" are people whofear humans more than they fear God.It is a relevant warning, especially atevery crisis of persecution.

Inhabitants of the New Jerusalem"Then one of the seven angels who

had the seven bowls full of the sevenlast plagues came and said to me,'Come, 1 will show you the bride, thewife of the Lamb.' And in the Spirit hecarried me away to a great, high

mountain and showed me the holy cityJerusalem coming down out of heavenfrom God. It has the glory of God anda radiance like a very rare jewel, likejasper, clear as crystal. It has a great,high wall with twelve gates, and at thegates twelve angels, and on the gatesare inscribed the names of the twelvetribes of the Israelites; on the east threegates, on the north three gates, on thesouth three gates, and on the westthree gates. And the wall of the cityhas twelve foundations, and on themare the twelve names of the twelveapostles of the Lamb" (Rev21:9-14 NRSV).

The purpose of theseverses is not primarily togive a literal representationof the new Jerusalem.These verses present thecity's transcendent reality;and do so in such a man-ner as to arouse our long-ing to be there.

Everything that is saidof the city tells us alsoabout its inhabitants-

It is a radiant citywhich needs no sun.Those who dwell therehave been the light of theworld.

It is the house of Godwith safe, eternal walls.Those who dwell thereforevermore have beenwalled-about by the HolySpirit in perfect security.

It is a city of firmfoundations. Those whodwell there never forgetthat their foundation lieson the apostles andprophets who built uponChrist the great foundation.The inhabitants of the newJerusalem are there solely because ofthe firm foundations of the covenantmade with the twelve tribes, and thegospel of the twelve apostles.

Description of the Sacred City"The angel who talked to me had

a measuring rod of gold to measurethe city and its gates and walls. Thecity lies foursquare, its length the sameas its width; and he measured the citywith his rod, fifteen hundred miles; its

length and width and height are equal.He also measured its wall, one hun-dred forty-four cubits by human mea-surement, which the angel was using.The wall is built of jasper, while thecity is pure gold, clear as glass. Thefoundations of the wall of the city areadorned with every jewel; the first wasjasper, the second sapphire, the thirdagate, the fourth emerald, the fifthonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventhchrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninthtopaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the elev-enth jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And

the twelve gates are twelves peads,each of the gates is a single pearl, andthe street of the city is pure gold;transparent as glass" (Rev 21:15-21NRSV).

The new Jerusalem is described asa perfect cube. This is reminiscent ofthe holy of holies in the temple, wherethe length, breadth, and height wereequal. The wall's thickness has thenumber associated with the sealedsaints (Rev 7:1-4; 14:1).

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The jeweled foundations are madeof the same components as the highpriest's breastplate. (They are also thesymbols of the zodiac; but in reverse,to show separation from pagan things.)

With foundations of jewels, gatesof pearl, and streets of gold, it is a cityto make human eyes sparkle, and hu-man hearts pant. Yet these symbolsare but tawdry baubles compared withthe gems of God's love and wisdomwhich will be shared with us through-out eternity.

That city is the only safe bank forour present small hoardof wealth. Down here,thieves break in and steal,and moth and rust corrupt.

Spiritual Beauties of theNew Jerusalem

"I saw no temple inthe city, for its temple isthe Lord God the Almightyand the Lamb. And thecity has no need of sunor moon to shine on it,for the glory of God is itslight, and its lamp is theLamb. The nations willwalk by its light, and thekings of the earth willbring their glory into it.Its gates will never be shutby day-and there will beno night there. People willbring into it the glory andthe honor of the nations.But nothing unclean willenter it, nor anyone whopractices abomination orfalsehood, but only thosewho are written in theLamb's book of life" (Rev21:22-27 NRSV).

Here is the city with-out a church. The whole

city is God's temple! Glory and puritycharacterize it.

Reviewing the characteristics of thecity we note: 1) Its heavenliness (seeverse 2), -revealed by heaven andby heaven brought down to earth. 2)Its divinity (v.1l), -seen in its hav-ing the glory of God, with the Fatherand the Son and the Spirit as its temple.3) Its security (vv.12-14), -founda-tions, walls, and angels at the gatesare all symbols of release from anxiety

and care. 4) Its symmetry (vv.15-16),-everything is appropriate in size andposition. 5) Its amplitude (v.16), -thewalls stretch over 1,500 miles, and itlies foursquare-a challenge to all tocomprehend what is the height, thedepth, the length, and the breadth ofGod's love. 6) Its costliness (vv.I8-2l),-all that people value most contrib-ute to it, but it is the pearled gates thatremind us that all the glory camethrough pain.

Is the reference to "the nations"the hope that all shall be saved (thedoctrine of universalism)? The contextcannot support this. All who cling toabominiltions will not be forced intoheaven. The key to the puzzle is thatJohn has taken many figures of speechfrom the Old Testament prophets. Hehas mingled promises that applied tovarious times. These last two chaptersof the Bible are a marvelous fabric ofancient promises now set forth as ful-filled.

The Lamb's book of life is repeat-edly mentioned throughout Revelation(3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15). To be in theLamb's book of life means that we arein Christ and Christ in us. It means wehave passed from death to life by faithin Christ's merits. To be in the Lamb'sbook is to be in Christ's mind andheart. We can never be forgotten orneglected. Whoever touches us touchesthe 'apple of his eye.'

Verse 27, read as a whole, makesit clear that those in the Lamb's bookcannot practice evil. They would ratherhave Christ than all that the world, theflesh, and the devil can offer.

Justification is distinct, never sepa-rate, from sanctification. God gives hisgifts with both hands. God justifiesnone whom he does not sanctify.

Water of Life"Then the angel showed me the

river of the water of life, bright ascrystal, flowing from the throne of Godand of the Lamb through the middleof the street of the city. On either sideof the river, is the tree of life with itstwelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruiteach month; and the leaves of the treeare for the healing of the nations.Nothing accursed will be found thereany more. But the throne of God andof the Lamb will be in it, and his ser-

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vants will worship him; they will seehis face, and his name will be on theirforeheads. And there will be no morenight; they need no light of lamp orsun, for the Lord God will be theirlight, and they will reign forever andever" (Rev 22:1-5 NRSV).

Water, food, light, and God arethe great needs of all; and all exist inabundance for the saved.

The first three are the emblems ofthe fourth. God is the embodiment andthe source of all. With God is thefountain of life, for God only has in-herent immortality, life in himself. InGod is light and no darkness at all.

The waters clear as crystal fromGod's throne symbolize the perfectuntainted blessings that flow fromGod's goodness. In this life, we needwater for cleansing and for refresh-ment. Humanity needs spiritual cleans-ing and spiritual refreshment.

In this life, all we receive is but adrop by the way. In the life to comewe will be enveloped by the sea ofdivine goodness (Rom 8:23).

Tree ofIlfeThe blessings of the first Paradise

are now restored. Thus, we see thetree of life. But not a single tree; rather,as Ezekiel pictures it, avenues of treeson both sides of the river of life (Ez47:12):

We should probably translate[verse 2J, 'Midway between thestreet of it and the river, on thisside and on that': i.e. there is a"street' or boulevard on each sideof the river, and parted from theriver by a sort of quay, in the midstof which is a row of trees. It canhardly be meant that there is asingle plant of the tree, as in theold Paradise (Gen 2:9) IThe fact that the tree yields a dif-

ferent kind of fruit each month indi-cates the usual cycle of gradual pro-duction is by-passed. It "expressed theabsolute triumph of life over death." 2

But the chief joy of the new envi-ronment is expressed in verses threeand four. We shall see and worshipthe One who has loved us from be-fore our birth, and who guided ourfeet when we knew not.

("The healing of the nations" doesnot mean sickness exists in the new

world .. It means that all our lack in theold world will now be made up.)

God's Name on Our ForeheadsThe phrase "his name will be on

their foreheads" is a reflection of Gen-esis 1:26 and Exodus 28:36-38.

Adam was originally made in thelikeness of God's character. Throughglorification, this likeness is now re-stored. 1bis is symbolized in the words"Holy to the Lord" which appeared onthe high priest's golden plate.

The seal of God (Rev 7:2) pointedto the same ultimate blessing-the finalrestoration of the image of God. At cre-ation, when the first humans were made,then the Sabbath was introduced. Sincethat time, the second has ever been thesign of the first (Gen 1:26; 2:1-3; Eph4:23-24; Heb 4:1-10).

The Lord Their Light"The Lord God will be their light"

should read, "The Lord God will shineupon them." It is an allusion to theancient benediction of Numbers 6:25.

In the prospect of reigning with Godforever and ever we see the fulfillmentof the promise in Revelation 3:21. It isa fitting conclusion to the dazzling vi-sion of the city of God.

Christ Returning Soon"And he said to me, 'These words

are trustworthy and true, for the Lord,the God of the spirits of the prophets,has sent his angel to show his servantswhat must soon take place.'

'See, I am coming soon! Blessed isthe one who keeps the words of theprophecy of this book'" (Rev 22:6-7NRSV).

There is within most of us a tingeof rebellion at the promise, "I am com-ing soon." We know the promise wasmade so long ago, yet Christ tarries.

Christ's tarrying is our fault, not his.Jesus said, "And this good news of thekingdom will be proclaimed through-out the world, as a testimony to all thenations, and then the end will come"(Mt 24:14 NRSV). By the second cen-tury, the Pauline good news was nolonger understood by the Fathers of thechurch. (It did not reappear until theReformation.) Justification was blendedwith sanctification; creature merit wasconfused with the perfect merits of

Christ's imputed righteousness. Thechurch had no gospel to take to allthe world.

Only when we know that justifi-cation and sanctification are unitedand distinct can we define the truegospel. We are justified (acquitted)on the basis of the imputed righ-teousness of Christ alone. This isGod's glorious work for us in Christ.This is the sole basis of salvation.1bis is the good news of the gospel.

United with justification (yet dis-tinct from it) is sanctification. Goddoes a great work in us through theHoly Spirit. 1bis holy living is theresult and fruit of salvation. It doesnot win salvation. It flows from thesalvation that Christ alone won forus. He won that salvation for us inhis substitutionary life, his ransomdeath, and his representative resur-rection.

A church that truly knows thegospel will share it with the world.The delay in the fulfillment of thegreat commission indicates that manywho worship do so ignorantly-andare thus unable to fulfill the man-date of heaven. Jesus will not returnuntil the commission is fulfilled, evenif he must cut short the evangelisticwork through angelic ministry.

It is even more essential to sensethe existential significance of ourLord's warning about time. That per-son is a fool-and in a dangerousplace-who does not ever bear inmind the shortness of this presentlife compared to the next. Death cancome with swift suddenness. Noperson's tarrying for Christ exceedsa lifetime. What is a human lifetimebut a watch in the night, a tale thatis told, grass that grows up and soonwithers. .:.

Footnotes1. W. Simcox, Revelation, pp. 201-202.2. G.E. Ladd, Revelation, p.288.

[This article is an adaptation ofchapter 38 in Crisis!, Dr. Ford's com-mentary on the Book of Revelation(Volume 2, pp.735-749). Crisis! isavailable from Desmond Ford Publi-cations, 7955 Bullard Drive, New-castle, C4 95658 $16.00 plus $1.75postage and handling.]

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