Thank you Don Locke and friends. It's a joy to look back on this week of fellowship together in the precious, infallible, inerrant, eternal Word of God. Things to come. Things of the future. Things that will happen sooner than perhaps we would ever imagine. Our topic tonight, the New Jerusalem. And the eternal state. Turn please in your New Testament to Revelation chapter 21. Revelation chapter 21. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. This is the Apostle John exiled to a little island called Patmos, to whom the Lord Jesus personally revealed these precious truths of what's ahead in the eternal purpose and plan of God. He must have been absolutely overwhelmed as the interpreting angel guided him in recording these precious truths with which the entire 66 books of the Bible come to a conclusion, a climax, a pinnacle of written revelation. And thus we are overcome with astonishment and amazement as we listen to the Spirit of God speak to us through this passage of His word. I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. We remember from the previous chapter that when God finally judged the world in its rebellion at the end of the kingdom age, He brought fire from heaven. And we read in the last verses of chapter 20 that God set up a great white throne, and him who sat upon it from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. A total annihilation A vast, deep, permanent renovation, transformation. Nothing is left, friends, of everything that man has ever done that is contaminated and polluted with sin and rebellion against the Lord. It will all be removed and replaced by an infinitely holy, sinless, and perfect program that God unveils before our astonished eyes. Now this new heaven is characterized by the amazing fact that there is no sun, no moon, and apparently thus no stars. The entire universe has been somehow contaminated, not only through man, but through Satan and fallen angels. It will all be replaced with something new. We discovered, dear friends, that this new earth will be totally different than this one in the sense at least there won't be any oceans, no more sea at all. And thus you see the vast difference between this revelation of God of what's ahead and what we know of the thousand year kingdom on the earth that shall follow the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Because during that kingdom we learn from the book of Ezekiel and the book of Zechariah that the same basic geography and topography of the world that we now know with many adjustments because of earthquakes during the 70s week of Daniel but nevertheless the basic contours of this planet will still continue the same heavens, the same earth, the same oceans as now But when God makes all things new, there will be a vast transformation. The difference between the Millennial Kingdom, therefore, and the Eternal State is indescribably great. It is an entirely different program. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And this new city, this holy city, is apparently, dear friends, the city that God's people have been looking forward to for thousands of years. We're told, for example, in Hebrews chapter 11, in the Hebrews Hall of Fame, that Abraham was looking for this city 4,000 years ago. Listen to what it says about him. Hebrews 11 verse 10. For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Verse 16. They desire a better country that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. for he hath prepared a city for them." And then we turn to Hebrews chapter 12, verse 22, and here's a further description of that city that has unshakable eternal foundations that God alone can provide for his people. It says, "...you have come to Mount Zion," that's the spiritual name in the Old Testament for Jerusalem, and to the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn who are enrolled in Heaven, that's the Bride of Christ, the Church of which you and I are members, if we are born again and know the Savior personally, and have entered into the Blood Covenant, of his infinite sacrifice upon the cross confirmed by his resurrection from the dead. And who else is there? God, the judge of all. And who else? The spirits of righteous men made perfect. That covers all the pre-Pentecost saints all the way back to the beginning of the world. and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks better than the blood of Abel, because the blood of Jesus cries out forgiveness. The blood of Abel, shed at the dawn of human history, cried out vengeance, revenge. There were all their friends, by faith and anticipation, based upon the merits of Jesus and his blood shed upon the cross. That holy city that you and I really belong to, in terms of our spiritual passport, our citizenship is in heaven from whence we look to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall transform these bodies of humiliation into the glorious bodies that Jesus possesses by that power wherewith he is able to subdue all things to himself. So will we walk on this earth as his citizens, as his people, Our home is not the earth, we are dual citizens of an earthly kingdom, nation, and a heavenly one. And when the rapture resurrection day comes for the church, then we will be transferred to that heavenly place in a thousand communal kingdoms, the church, with Jesus Christ. We'll rule over the world with such angels who now govern the nations, and he says that not under angels do we set apart the world to come. But in that coming age, that millennial kingdom age, when glorified Christians and glorified righteous men made perfect by other different faiths and so joined together with Jesus, you can receive and live in the kingdom of that thousand-year kingdom. Many Bible scholars believe, friends, on the basis of this, that this wonderful new Jerusalem, this new city, will be suspended for a few years between the five and the kingdom. A satellite city, as it were, for the world-side people who will not be constantly intermingling with non-galactic, fully-mortal bodies on the earth from the age sixteen and eighteen years, and the male King Solomon holding him in the holy memory of us. But the first will root over the earth, invisible, then he, who also died, said, like Jesus, four years after he rose from the dead, he was deaf but mostly invisible, until he was over the earth appearing. and perhaps soon receiving the truth that I and Christ will appear at the inaugural banquet whereby the anniversary will be officially launched. But then, perhaps, only appearing with Jesus on special occasions, I would believe the Feast of Pentecost is the seventh month to last of the annual Hymn of the Feast. and become visible and accessible and available to more women and children on that occasion. And I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man, and I heard a man. And who of himself shall be among them? Did you know that the Old Testament makes it clear that in the millennium, those of the feasts that were celebrated by the Jews in ages past will be among them. But a serious decision was put on the feet of Tabernacle. On the 4th of April, 1945, there were 114 in fact. It was said that the Central National Nations does not have the authority to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacle. Yes, but he has to be a measure in those times. He is what we have not seen. He was the worst, but he is not worse than us. He is amazing when we shall run it. Look how God emphasizes his kingdom. If we can jump into Matthew chapter 21 verse 22. I'm gonna bring you some more miracles at the end, a wide deal of junk, and that makes me as blessed as I was in this. I hope you like it or not, and that's the law, Herman, that's the law. Why is there going to be no church? There's a Lord Jesus Christ who's almighty and the Lamb of God. That's Jesus, the Lamb of God. What was the purpose of the tabernacle and the temple? Jesus passed. It is a physical, physical, material reminder of the access that a fallen man can have to a son of a holy God through appropriate sacrifices under the jurisprudence of the legitimate priesthood. You just don't want to be ashamed of the fact that the holy God will come on his terms under his conditions only. But that God is not temporary. There won't be in politics access at all because he himself would be there constantly. Not that I have suggested in the millennium, only occasionally. Maybe once a year would be my guess. But in the eternal state, it is within you, every day, every night, every hour, every moment. God will be available, and the city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine upon it for the glory of God. As the Lord works, and as the land is the earth. Think of that wisdom for a moment. When we arrive at this glorious promise of all of human beings, we will indeed have accepted God's gift of salvation. We will discover the truth, I think. on the basis of this statement, that although God Almighty the Father will be there, the person of God the Holy Spirit will be there, and the only person that the Triune Godhead will ever be for all eternity will be the Triune God, the second person of the Triune God. because he's the only one who's ever been in the salvation of the Jesus Christ. And we're certainly not going to be like the Lord Jesus. He is the Father, and that will be the fight. That's what we really want. Where is the God of the Father? And the Lord Jesus says, I don't know how long it can be. And you say, show us the Father. He has seen me. He has what? He has seen the Father. I think that that is the purpose of the praying God is to focus our attention forever and ever on the one person of the praying God who will be visible, who is the Lamb. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the land is to make visible otherwise invisible creatures. This is the land of the Eternal City, and the purpose of the and there shall no longer be any curse in the millennium there will be a curse for you to die for the end of the millennium you will die but not here and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be given to the blind and the deaf and they shall see his face and his name shall be on their forehead, and they shall no longer be in night, and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God is in them, and they shall reign forever and ever. What has man to entail the time for man's reign? God is the sign of truth. for me. This is the way in which God created potential for me. To reflect a dog, as I know the Lord Jesus said, my father worked for this dog, and I worked for it. And to reflect that, in total contrast to the false image of the dog in cartoons, of sitting on tent clouds so high. It is worth it, surely worth it, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off our clouds, to get off Turn back to 1-2-1-3-4. And you shall wipe away every tear from your eyes. And there shall no longer be any death. There shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain, or thirsting, or pain, And he who sits on the throne shall behold I am making all things new. These words are faithful and true. Friend, it is unbelievable that God gives us a little hope today, doesn't he? No one can appreciate this time that he will live to be able to hear from her eyes. Except that we ourselves can experience the pain in our close circle of this one. Backed by the promise of this life, that's all going to be gone soon. Remember back to Revelation chapter 4, you don't need to turn there, but please listen. Revelation chapter 7, verse 16, His servants shall not hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun beat down on them, for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd. and shall guide them to the stream of the water of life. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. What is this idea of a water of life? Well, look at 21 verse 6 now, please. 21 verse 6. And he said to me, He's done. I am the Alpha and the Omega. First and last letters of the Greek alphabet, that means I cover everything from A to Z. I am infinite, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, I'm everything. I'm the beginning and the end. I'm all of history. And everything that ever happened before Christ, we look forward to that event and everything since then looks back to it. He is the center of everything. And I will give you the one who serves in the spring of the water of life without cost. Friend, what does that mean? Well, you remember, don't you, how the Lord Jesus said to the government of Wales, The water you drink will not permanently be removed. You will taste it again and again and again. But I will give you water that will eliminate your sin forever. He said, give me this water. Not of course having a foolish idea what he meant. But later the Lord Jesus did explain, didn't he? The Lord Jesus said, in the last days the great church will be saved. If any man is thirsty, let him come to me, and drink. He who believes in me, and is thirsty, shall see that he shall see that he shall enjoy the rivers of living water. Well, you speak forth of the Spirit, and those who believed in him were to receive it. For the Spirit was not given, but his teaching was not revealed. I am seriously dead. You lost your way around here and she's a little bit of an eskimo. You're a bit of a guy who's been with us since the city. You have fear of Nemochnia. Nemochnia is gonna exterminate us. No, we need to release Nemochnia. No. We need to release Nemochnia. Nemochnia is gonna exterminate us. Nemochnia is gonna exterminate us. Nemochnia is gonna exterminate us. Nemochnia is gonna exterminate us. The Holy Spirit will not tear his apartment as it is. He is going to tear it off slowly, but steadily, off his direction. I worship the Lord, and I think it's great desire that the people of the United States and the rest of the earth to be part of the unity. There's enough in that, but therefore you're on the floor of sin. And the Holy Spirit, when you're on the floor of sin, it's time to begin to serve as an object of worship, isn't it? And that's the part that the Spirit of the Lord controls, isn't it? flows and is available to every person in the earth and to the water of life. Look at Revelation 22 verse 1. How will we get the water? And he showed me a river of the water alone, a river flowing, clear as crystal, named for the glory of God and of the land. In the middle of its stream, And on either side of the river, the Tree of Life, where all kinds of fruits, living and food every month, can be used as a treasure for the healing of the nations. Not that nations are sick or wounded, but the point is, verse 3 tells us, that they will no longer be in a curse, and that there will be no dark forces left. But this is God's symbolic way of providing continual health. and continual strength for his people through a river of the water of life." Look at verse 17, 22. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come! The Spirit of God created that Bride, you know, on the day of Pentecost, the future. And they're going to send an invitation to the whole world, right now. Come! And let the one who hears, and who heeds and believes that invitation, tell everybody he knows, or she is acquainted with. Come! And let the one who is thirsty, come. And let the one who wishes, take the water of life, without cost. Friends, here's the secret. Did you know this water of life that flows like a vast river forever and ever as a central feature of the New Jerusalem is absolutely without cost to all those who partake of it. But there is a cost. There was a price. And that is the blood of the God-man shed upon a cross between two feet. God can say to you and me, come, receive my free gift of salvation. But it's free not because God simply arbitrarily dictated. Let all sin be forgiven. What difference does it make anyway? No, the moral fabric of the universe was descended in. God had to pay a price. through the blood of Christ. And that is the door through which his infinite grace becomes available to lost men. So that he can be just and the justifier of those that believe in Jesus. and maintains His infinite holiness by having paid the price Himself to vindicate His character. And thus it's free for you and for me. Aren't we amazed at that wonderful invitation we read about in Isaiah chapter 55? Listen to this. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the water. And you who have no money, come and buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread? And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to me and listen that you may live. And I'll make an everlasting covenant with you. according to the faithful mercy shown to David. Now that actually turns out in the New Testament to mean his resurrection from the dead as a confirmation that he is the greater son of David who thus qualifies to be the king of Israel. Now friends, The marvelous thing about this promise and provision is simply that, from our part, we may just come. And we can tell anybody in the world, come. You can make an authoritative statement to any human being crushed under the burden of sin and guilt. Come and take a free gift that God has provided at infinite cost to Himself, the blood of His own Son. And that's now we understand, don't we, what John 3.16 means. That God so loved the world, that He just forgave everybody? No. Listen. God so loved the world, He gave His Son upon the cross to bear for three hours from 12 noon to 3 pm. The infinite penalty of sin for every human being who's ever lived an eternal hell, all in three hours, upon one who was infinite and thus capable of bearing an infinite penalty in a finite period of time. No wonder the Son of God cried out to God the Father, Why hast thou forsaken me? For the first time in all eternity the Father turned from his Son, and he became sin, not a sinner. He became sin, not less than God. He became sin judicially, forensically, representatively, for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him by God. You say, well, I don't believe it. I'm not interested. I don't need a Savior. I don't have any sin. I don't have any guilt. Well, that was my attitude until God in his mercy saved me as an evolutionist at Princeton University six years ago this February. And I want to tell you friends, I am totally in terror when I read in this chapter what can happen to people who do not accept the three greatest gifts and offer of the living God. Now look, 21 verse 27. and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination of lying shall ever come into it. But only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, those who belong to Him by simple faith. Look at chapter 22, verse 20. And seven to me do not steal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong still be wrong, and let the one who is filthy still be filthy, and let the one who is righteous still practice righteousness, and let the one who is holy still keep himself holy. Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me. Surrender to every man according to what he has done. You see, when the new heavens and new earth are unveiled, it's too late then for anybody to repent and accept the gift and the free offer. Wherever you are, when that event occurs, you will be forever. You'll either be regained or unregained. Judicially righteous and accepted to a holy God through the blood of Christ or your sin nature will be fixed forever. Nobody can ever again be saved. It's too late. The door is shut. The end has come. And so we read in 2215 outside of this beautiful... I will take care of myself, I'm good enough. For the unbelieving, their part will be in the lake of fire that burns forever, which is the second death. Friends, where are you tonight? Where am I? Are we sure that our name is written in the Lamb's book of life, that we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, that we are acceptable to a thrice holy God in His eternal heaven? You know, the Old Testament says that if you take an unbeliever into heaven, it'll be a disaster for him and for heaven. Did you know that? There's one verse in the Old Testament that says that. Just one. I'm amazed at this verse. Let me read it to you. Isaiah chapter 26, verse 10. Though the wicked is shown favor, he does not learn righteousness. He won't become nicer and more righteous and more holy and God-honoring if he is taken to that place of favor. He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness. and does not perceive the majesty of the Lord. So just improving the environment for an unbeliever does not make him nicer. That's why at the end of a thousand years, called the Millennium, under perfect government with perfect education and a perfect environment, billions of people will be like Judas Iscariot, who for three and a half years saw the Son of God performed sign miracles, and teach absolute truth, and despised him, and hated him, and betrayed him." Friends, this is God's way to say, it has nothing to do with your environment. It has everything to do with your heart. Jeremiah said, The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Only God, only God can search the heart. Oh friends, God wants us to know that for those who simply accept His gift, and say, yes Lord, I believe you. I don't understand all these things, but I know that I'm not perfect. I know that I can't enter your heaven. I know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. God just sort of gives us a tiny glimpse of how marvelous our heavenly home will be. Do you want to look with me? Now watch, please. Verse 9 of chapter 21. 21-9, and one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls full of the last Seven plagues came and spoke to me, saying, Come here, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance is like a very costly stone, like a stone of crystal clear jasper. And it had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, And at the gate twelve angels, and the names writ on them which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. And there were three gates on the east, and three on the north, three on the south, three on the west, and the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them, look at this, were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. You mean that in the eternal state there will still be a distinction between true Israel and the true church? Yes. and every one of the twelve gates which is a gigantic pearl will have the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel and each of the foundations underneath that enormous wall will have the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ representative of the true church distinct and yet unified as part of the structure of the New Jerusalem Now look, please, how big this great city will be. Verse 16, it is laid out as a square, its length as great as its width, and he measured the city with a rod 1,500 miles. Its length and width and height are equal, shaped doubtless like a huge pyramid. Can you imagine a pyramid 1,500 miles long and wide? There'll be apartments for every believer who's ever lived from the beginning of the world to the end. Billions and billions and billions of places. Jesus said it to the 11 disciples in the upper room. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are what? Many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. And I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself where I am there you will be also. Do you believe this? He is working now, building, preparing, this is magic. Holy, cleansed, prepared, designed as an appropriate foundation for the new Jerusalem and friends take a look at those foundation stones ever seen a building like this one? verse 19 the foundation stones of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone the first foundation stone was the jasper and the next was sapphire and the third calcitonic and the fourth emerald and the fifth sardonyx and the sixth sardicus probably a carnelian The eleventh, Chrysalite. The eighth, Beryl. The ninth, Topaz. The tenth, Chrysophrase. The eleventh, Jackson. And the twelfth, Amethyst. And at the hour and a half, look at these gates. Verse 21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was a single pearl. And look at this. The street of the city was pure gold and transparent glass. Jesus God is saying, have you ever dreamed a dream of a perfect place? Absolutely nothing compared to the place I've prepared for those that love my Son, Jesus Christ. And you know, there's not only going to be Israel there, and the Church there. Guess who else is going to be there? Look at verse 24. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and in the daytime, for there shall be no night, its gates shall never be closed, and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it." Friends, every gentile nation represented here described as the sheep nations in Matthew 25 that entered the kingdom that are not Jews and are not Christians, but are believing Gentiles, will also have their function and their purpose and their destiny to bring the God-given glory into the New Jerusalem? You say, well, when? When is all this going to begin to happen? Well, look at 22, verse 6. Watch this one. Lest we say to ourselves, this is some kind of a never-never land, far off, that has nothing to do with me at all. Some dreamy dream. No, no. Verse 6 of chapter 22, And he said to me, These words are faithful and true. I don't just spin dreams. The Lord is telling us And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must shortly take place. This whole scenario, friend, of end-time events, beginning with the rapture of the church, the seventh week of Daniel, the thousand-year kingdom, all of which are what? Preparatory vestibules for the eternal state, will begin when? Shortly. And behold, I'm coming quickly. The Greek word is taku, which means two things. One, I'm coming sooner than you think. And number two, when I start coming, I'm coming very fast. And this is just not going to drag out forever in some kind of an evolutionary scenario where we're told that billions of years from now, things might be better. No, not at all. It is imminent. It is urgently near. Look at verse 12, and behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to render to every man according to what he has done. Look at verse 20, the very end of the book, the very end of the whole Bible. Here is the very tippy-top of the pinnacle of the capstone of Revelation. He who testifies to these things says, Yes, I am coming quickly. What's our response? Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Come. Can't wait. Please come. But the burning question that you and I have to face, dear friends, is this. Are we ready? Have we honored his word to believe it? To take it literally? To take it seriously? To read it? To study it? To compare scripture with scripture? To mastermind it so that we can tell other people what God has said? And you know, this word, this book, has infinite power to authenticate itself to an unbelieving mind like mine was 50 years ago. God doesn't need props and human evidences and arguments and persuasion and eloquence and brilliance. All it needs is to be opened and learned and presented. Preach the word! In season, out of season, whether people like it or don't, or believe it or don't, or want it or don't. preach the word patiently, prayerfully, graciously and the Spirit of God will take this precious word and implant it into human hearts and activate that conscience so that at a time when God is ready that heart will respond under infinite pressure called the grace of God and a believer is born into his kingdom And when people don't believe the message you and I share with them, perhaps there's someone here tonight that doesn't believe. Don't panic. God is in control. God says, the fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Don't give up. Pray a prayer, Lord, whatever is necessary for this one I love. Make him want to believe. Make him want to listen to you. And it all depends on what we do with this book. And that's why the Bible ends with a warning, a horrible threat. Don't ever abuse this precious Word, because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So look out! What's happening to this book in your church, your denomination, your school, your family? What's happening to the book? Chapter 22, verse 18, I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them And every cult in the world specializes in adding new, inspired, authoritative words to the Bible. You get extra books, extra inspired, authoritative statements, interpretations. No, no. God can take care of His own word. He's very intelligent. He's very powerful. He's an expert on communicating. He really doesn't need additional books to give us an infallible interpretation of his own word. So don't do what? Don't add to his word. Because if you do, what will happen? God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book, and if you don't know what they are, read Revelation 6 to 19. I have made a decision. I'm not going to try. Thank you, Lord, I'm not going to add anything to your book. 1,100 chapters is sufficient for me to spend my life reading, studying, masterminding, and obeying. But look, verse 19, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, and you know there's more than one way to do that? Liberals say, well, we just don't really believe all these things, and we don't believe the whole Bible is inspired. In fact, the only verses that are inspired are the ones that inspire us. Well, which ones are those? And they all disagree with each other and you end up with nothing. Nothing. It's a toboggan slide that goes one way to total destruction and is irreversible. Friends, there's another way to take away from the words of the book. And that's just to neglect it. Don't even read it. Put it on the shelf. Say, well, that's a wonderful book. That's a holy book. I believe all of it. But I just don't have time to read it." Really? Don't tell God that someday, dear friend. Lord, I'm so sorry. I was so busy, I didn't even have time for your word. Plan now not to say that. Because if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, oh friend, look, God shall take away his part from the tree of life. And from the Holy City, which are written in this book. In other words, the person who shows that mentality, that attitude toward the only book God has ever written, has thereby given irrefutable evidence and proof that his heart is not with God. Let me put it more carefully. He has no right to the assurance of salvation. If he saved us in spite of this attitude, not because of it, because if it's carried beyond the limit, you're confirmed forever in unbelief and eternal disaster. And friend, I've decided not to take any chances of that one either. Because you know what the tree of life is? It's the tree that God prevented Adam and Eve from partaking of at the dawn of history. He drove them out of the garden, lest they should eat of the tree of life and live forever, and perpetuate their fallen state. That's what the tree of life was for, to do what? To perpetuate the state of the person who partakes of it. And God in mercy prevented Adam and Eve from partaking of a tree that would have made them possessors of a sin nature forever. And God says to us in his precious words that someday Someday, we will have access to the Tree of Life, because we will be glorified, and thus our state will be fixed forever in glory. Do you see chapter 22, verse 14? Blessed are those who wash their robes, that is, in the blood of Christ, by believing in Him, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life. and may enter by the gates into the city. Friends, if God takes away our part from the tree of life and from the holy city, that's his way of saying what? It consigns the eternal fire called hell. There's only two alternatives. There aren't ten or fifteen or twenty, just two. Heaven or hell. Life or death. Light or darkness. Forgiveness or guilt. Forever and ever and ever. So Mr. Knight, here's a question. Very simple. Where are you? Where are you? Have you heard the indications of the Living God? Come! Take! No price! No cost! Don't think you have to improve yourself. Turn over new leaves. Become better. It's impossible! All things are hopeless things. You're under guilt, before God. Don't wait until things get better. Believe now, tonight, it could be any moment, in your heart of hearts. And say, Lord, I don't understand all this. And so it's one of a kind, I tell you that. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know what to do about it. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know what to do about it. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know what to do about it. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know what to do about it. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know what to do about it. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know what to do about it. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know what to do about it. And so we see him in the light and we see him in the earth. And we don't know I believe you. I think you're true. What I'm going to do is I'm going to take your gift. Your son Jesus. He said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. Yes, friends, as Jesus introduces himself over and over in this precious book, 2213, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Verse 16, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things to the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David. I am a human being forever, a permanent possessor of 100% human nature, by which means I was able to die for your sins on the cross. Nothing fakey happened there. I died. I shed real blood for you. And I'm the bright and morning star. The only hope there is for the world. For the human race. For you. And for me. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Father, I thank you for your precious book, this magnificent climax at the end of the book of Revelation, a book that you wrote, Lord Jesus, and revealed to John and to us through that interpreting angel, that we might have absolute assurance of the truth of what we read. Some things, Father, we grant, we admit, We confess are hard to be understood. We can't even imagine the kind of a world described in these chapters. But that's not the requirement. It's that we accept the invitation to come and to enter into that glorious relationship and to partake of the water of life without cost to us. And Father, as we look back over this week, as we search the Word concerning things to come, help us not to miss the basic thing, and that is the Savior who makes it all possible for those who trust Him. We thank you, Father, that you told us that in that eternal city there will be no temple, because you will be there. There will be no sun or moon. to give light, because you will be there. There will be no abomination, no curse, no tears, no death, no mourning, no crying, no pain, because you do a perfect work for those who trust you. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.