Well, we come to the passage that Peter read for us earlier, the end of chapter 20 and into chapter 21. Let me remind you that chapter 20, that we looked at two weeks ago, has shown us a perspective of the history of the New Testament age. Basically, from Christ accomplishing redemption at Calvary and returning to eternal glory, Satan has been restrained. In those verses in the first part of chapter 20, Satan has been restrained. He's been shut up with chains. The symbolism is that of restraint. His liberty to do what he wanted, as he had done in Old Testament days, in deception of the nations regarding the truth of God, that was restrained in the New Testament age. a symbolical thousand years, I think literally, more like a literal eighteen hundred and... no, sorry, nineteen hundred and eighty years, literally, something like that, anyway. He's restrained, and during that time, you know, remember the seals of the seven-sealed book in chapter five of Revelation, the first of the seals was opened, and a white horse was summoned forth by Christ, because it's Him that had the power to open, He was the one who was worthy to open the seals. And the very first one He sends forth is the white horse, and the white horse is the horse of God's gospel truth going out into the world, and having a wide effect. When you think that white horse, not only is the true Church called out of the darkness of sin, and of the lack of the knowledge of God, into the marvellous light of the knowledge of God, that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But Christendom, wider Christendom, I know it ultimately ends up showing to be anti-Christendom, as we saw in chapter 17, but nevertheless, that which calls itself Christian, that which affects the morals and the justice system of the civilized world, is the truth of God. And it's because of this white horse going forth. And this is because Satan was restrained in his ability to deceive the whole of humanity. There were many that were not deceived. There were even some called into the Kingdom of God by the preaching of the Gospel, out of the kingdoms of what the scripture calls Gog and Magog. You see it there in verse 8 for example. It means the heathen nations of the world where there has been no influence of the Christian gospel. And through missionary work and others, what did God say? Who would form his kingdom? People from every tribe and tongue and kindred and language. Every one of them, without exception. There are even people from those godless, unbelieving nations, heathen nations, that are called into the kingdom of God. But just before the end of time, we read there in chapter 20, verse 3, After all those things are fulfilled, he must be loosed for a little season. After he's been locked up for a symbolical thousand years, not to deceive the nations, he must be set free for a little season. I've said many times that I believe these years in which we're living now, maybe, I don't know, in the last 30 years or so, it becomes more and more intense day by day, but that this might well be that little season of which Scripture speaks. Why do intelligent people, you might ask, fall for this deception of Satan? Satan says, there is no God, there isn't any justice of God, you don't need to bother yourself about things like that, there probably isn't, don't bother about that. Why do so many intelligent people seem to fall for the deception of Satan? Because that's what it is, the scripture tells us. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14. Some of you know it well. It says this, for the natural man, man as he is, receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Why not? They're foolishness to him. Neither can he know them. Why are they foolishness to him? Because those things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned. And who is it that grants spiritual discernment? Ye are saved through grace by faith. sorry, by faith, by grace through faith, and that faith, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. This spiritual sight is the gift of God, and He gives that sight to His people. has unbelief in this world, has deception regarding the true God, oh people believe in gods of all sorts, they even call them the Christian God, but they're false, but has unbelief and deception regarding God ever been greater than it is in these days? I don't believe so. Satan's aim is to gather the deceived nations for war against what looks like God's kingdom today, against Christendom. That's what we've been seeing in Revelation. And what's the evidence that I think we're in that season now? Well, practically speaking, there are no more borders between countries. You know how borders came about? Tower of Babel. The people were all of one language. They sought to build a tower to get to heaven without the justice of God being satisfied. That's the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. And God came down and confounded the languages, and the nation-states with their strict borders were formed. And that lasted for thousands of years. The Old Testament empires grew up as Satan again and again tried to re-establish a worldwide globalist kingdom. But God frustrated it again and again. But now, in the days in which we live, this globalist, godless empire seems to be advancing apace. Practically, there are no more borders now. Are there? Western Christianized society is overrun with anti-Christian culture. You say, oh, that's racism. Well, you call it what you like. It's what the Word of God says. God's two witnesses that we saw in chapter 11, God's two witnesses, his ministers and his people, are lying dead in the streets of the great city. They're lying dead because this world, this kingdom of Satan, has killed them. Symbolically, it's symbolical, compared with what the Church has been in the past, what it was 200 years ago. Little groups like we are, meeting in a home, lying dead in the streets for all practical purposes, it seems to me like we're in this little season. It seems like the imminent destruction of the Kingdom of God is at hand. But look, They're encompassed around, it says in chapter 20 and verse 9. They went up, all these forces of Satan went up on the breadth of the earth and encompassed the camp of the saints about and the beloved city. Seems like the kingdom of God, the people of God, are about to be devoured and swallowed up. But look. They hadn't reckoned on who they were dealing with. Whose people are the people of God? They're, in the name, the people of God. God is sovereign over all. And it says in the second half of verse 9, fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. It's symbolism, it's all symbolism, but it all speaks of the triumph of God and his kingdom. Many people will object, many intellectuals will object that surely this is all medieval nonsense that you're speaking. How on earth can you expect people to believe this in this day? Surely it's all contrary to physical appearances. I don't know if you saw the other day, but this new telescope out in space a million miles from Earth, and it's taking pictures of billions of galaxies, we've got such a massive universe, we've got billions of galaxies, we've got such advancing knowledge. How on earth can you talk about things that are in this Word of God? It's because God is over all. And I'll tell you, Satan is an exceptionally good deceiver of people. He's an exceptionally good deceiver. But his destiny, you know what his destiny is, verse 10, in the lake of fire, that's where he's going. The eternal judgment of God, final judgment. So let me think just for a moment, and I know people don't like to think about this, but I want to spend some time thinking about the judgment of God, the final judgment. It's in verses 11 to 15. where John, in his vision, sees a great white throne and him that sat on it. He sees God on his throne, God in his triune persons, God who is the eternal God, the source of all life, the one over all, and Christ who manifests God. He sees them on the throne, and the sight is so awesome that the earth and the heaven flee away, and no place was found for them, no place to hide, they were seeking to hide. and a judgment's coming, and all the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened. Symbolical, no literal books, but the truth about everything that we are as sinners, and all the sin we've committed, is opened before God. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead, those who have died, were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Why must sin be judged and punished? You know that's the lie of Satan. The lie of Satan is that sin doesn't need to be judged and punished. This is a silly notion that we've become more sophisticated and moved on from that. God doesn't, there's no God to judge sin and to punish sin. That's Satan's lie. The fact is, the word of God, which is the truth of God, come down from heaven. and ministered via those that he chose to write it, his prophets and his apostles and his son himself. He sent down his son himself from heaven to reveal heavenly things and his word says this, Isaiah 34 and verse 2, the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations. God who made all things And you say, oh well, yeah, we don't need to bother about that because God didn't make all things. All things evolved, didn't they? Look at the television. Look at everything that we hear all of the clever people telling us. There wasn't any creation. No, it all happened. If you believe that, you believe in fairy stories. That is absolutely untrue. God created all things. Things cannot possibly put themselves together. Why do so many clever people believe that things put themselves together? Because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. That's what Romans chapter 1 says. They didn't like to retain God in their knowledge. but they can't avoid it, they can't duck it. God is true, there is no other explanation for life. God created all things, and the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, on all peoples, and His fury upon all their armies. Psalm 7 verse 11 says, God is angry with the wicked every day. Who are the wicked? Oh, people that do wicked things. I'll tell you who the wicked are, as far as the judgment of God is concerned. The wicked are those who will refuse to believe in the Son of God. Those who refuse to believe the testimony of God. What must we do to do the works of God? This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent. In Romans chapter 1, we see the indictment against humanity. Verse 18 of Romans chapter 1, for the wrath of God. Do you know what the wrath of God is? It's the holiness of God set in the context of the sin of mankind. It's that balancing justice of God. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth because they know it in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, the creation all around and in us. For God has showed it to them, for the invisible things of Him, of God, You can't see them with physical eyes, but the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. How? Being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. Where does that leave us? Without excuse. Without excuse. It's not your intellectual superiority and cleverness that gives you the right to say, oh, I'll choose not to believe God. You're without excuse. They are without excuse. Could that be clearer? There it is. They are without excuse. This is the indictment of God against the society all around. I'll just spend a moment in chapter 3. Look at chapter 3 of Romans. Verse 10. This is the charge sheet against all of us by nature. As it is written, there is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God. True, isn't it? They're all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat, the things they say, is an open sepulcher. With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. What's the fear of God? The beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, the law of God, the righteous standard of God, we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped. What's your excuse? Come on, you're standing before the court of divine justice, and you're a sinner, and what are you going to say? Every mouth may be stopped. For there is nothing, there is no excuse, there without excuse, every mouth may be stopped, and all the world, that's you and me, may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the things that we try to do, the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin, that I'm guilty before God. He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and all sin must be balanced with the wrath of divine holiness. as when Jesus bore his people's sins on the cross. Have you ever thought about how shocking this is? I'm struggling for words. But God's hatred of sin and his absolute necessity to balance all sin with his holiness and his wrath meant that His Son, His dearly beloved Son, God Himself as a man, God incarnate, that when He was made the sins of His people, when He who knew no sin was made the sins of His people, the wrath of God, this very same judgment of God, fell upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He bore the sins of His people in His own body on the cursed tree. If God's justice must punish God incarnate, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, loaded with the sins of his people, made sin for us, if God's justice must do that for sin, surely all sinners outside of Christ must bear divine punishment. Look at verse 11 of chapter 20 of Revelation. I saw a great white throne. It's all symbolical language, but the truth of this is, The truth of this is that there is a dreadful throne of God, and the one that sat on it is Almighty God, from whom heaven and earth flee away. This is, again, symbolism. The sight is so awesomely terrifying. And these heaven and earth, you know, as inanimate objects fleeing away from God, trying to find somewhere to hide, but there's nowhere to hide. And here's all that have ever lived. I saw the dead. They're not dead any longer. They're raised to consciousness before the throne of God. The greatest of them, the kings, the rulers, The great potentates, the rich ones, right the way down to the smallest of them. The poorest and the smallest, they all stand before God. And the books were open, not literal books, but God is infinite and nothing can be hid from Him. all the record of what we are as sinners, it was opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. That's from Verse 5, the rest of the believers, it says in verse 4, they go straight, this day you will be with me in paradise, said Jesus to the thief on the cross. They go straight into the presence of God. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, but those who die outside of Christ, they live not again until the thousand years, the symbolical thousand years, were finished. This is the first resurrection, and they're all raised for the judgment. They saw them all stand before the throne of God, and they judged according to their works. They judged according to the standard of law against which they have lived their lives and performed as the creatures of God. The sea gave up the dead which was in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged, every man, according to their works. all assembled before the throne of judgment at the end. It doesn't just say it here, it says it again and again throughout the Scriptures. Old Testament, Gospels, Jesus said a lot in Matthew 25 about this. We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It says that twice in the New Testament. In Hebrews 9 verse 27, it says that you have an appointment. I have an appointment. We all have an appointment. It's just a question of time. And the time is determined by God. For my times are in his hands, says the scripture. And it says this, it is appointed to man to die once. And then what? The judgment. In your consciousness, outside of Christ, you die and the next thing you're aware of is standing before this judgment throne of God. And the standard for the judgment is the books, the records that are kept, versus divine law. Works versus the righteousness of God. And as we read in Romans 3.19, all the world is found guilty before God. Found guilty. Debtors to divine justice. Deserving of wrath. Deserving of that retribution to balance the offense, it must all be balanced, it must all receive its double in terms of the justice of God. In verse 14, death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, i.e. those that were held by death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. These are serious words, aren't they? These really are serious, this is the Word of God that is speaking to us here. Verse 5, they're all judged worthy of hell, those ones that died outside of Christ, judged worthy of hell. It's symbolism, but it's horrendous because sin is horrendous to God. They're all judged in accordance with the books of works, but there's another book opened, there's another book opened. which is the book of life, verse 12. Another book was opened which is the book of life. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. In verse 15, that's the book of life, the book of the names of the chosen of God, the elect of God, the Israel of God, the people of God, the ones that He chose out of all humanity before the beginning of time. So that when the fall came, he had his people down all history, and he preserved them. And how were they judged? Jeremiah 50. Look at this. You know that's a horrendous scene of judgment, isn't it? Of all being judged according to their works. But Jeremiah chapter 50 and verse 20. In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for. What day is it talking about? It's talking about, you see, there's a historical context, but in actual fact, this is God speaking about this final judgment. And in those days of that final judgment, in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of the Israel of God shall be sought for. What's the Israel of God? We're not talking about that country in the Middle East and all the turmoil that's there at the moment. We're talking about the people of God, who believe Him, who trust Christ, who look to Christ alone for their salvation and their eternal security. He says, the sins, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, that against which the justice of God would judge them, and there shall be found none. And the sins of Judah, another name for the people of God, and they shall not be found, for I will pardon them whom I reserve. Who are the people of God? The people of God are those who are the children of Abraham by faith, not by physical descent, but by faith. The people who have the same faith that Abraham had. God's children by faith. You can see it in Galatians chapter 3. And verse 7, know ye therefore that they which are of faith, do you have the faith of God's elect? Do you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Then you are the children of Abraham. You say, but only Jews are the children of Abraham. No, according to the scriptures, they which are of faith, the same faith as Abraham, are the children of Abraham. They're the true Israel of God. Why are they the true Israel of God? Because Galatians 3 goes on to tell us, cursed is everyone. who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. So what are we going to do? Go on to verse 13 of Galatians chapter 3. But Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, God himself, In human flesh, Christ has redeemed us, has paid the purchase price, redeemed us, satisfied the debt to the justice of God. He's redeemed us from the curse of the law. What's the curse of the law? The soul that sins, it shall die. That's the curse of the law. He has redeemed us, His people, from the curse of the law. How has He redeemed us from the curse of the law? by being made a curse for us, by being made a curse as our substitute, by being made a curse in our place, that we don't have to bear that curse because He has already borne it. It's like the fire in the forest. Do you know the safest place in a forest fire? We read a lot with the climate zealots about forest fires becoming more common and so on and so forth. Do you know what the safest place is in a raging forest fire? It's where the fire's been and has gone out, because it won't burn there again. And if you stand where Christ has borne the justice of God for your sin in your place, that justice of God is not going to fall on you anymore, because there is no more material to burn, for Christ has burned it all up. He is the Lamb, as Revelation 13 verse 8 says. He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The justice of God is satisfied. You're standing on burnt ground. So for the multitude of every tribe and tongue and kindred, which are the people of God, for the multitude who, as Jeremiah says, are loved with an everlasting love, for the objects of divine grace, you say, well, this isn't fair, is it? Why punish people for being what they can't help being? Well, let me just respond with this. There's an open door. There is. There's an open door. Look, turn over a page in your Bibles to Revelation 22 and verse 17. You see, you're saying, well, I can't believe this because I might not be one of the elect. You tell me anything in this verse that keeps you out. The Spirit and the bride say, come. The church tells you to come to Christ. And let him that heareth say, come, come. And let him that is athirst, come. Athirst for what? The life of God. The forgiveness of God. Acceptance with God. Athirst for the truth of God. Let him that is athirst do what? Come, come. Just come to Christ. And whosoever will. Do you will? Do you want to be in God's kingdom? Whosoever will, Let him take of the water of life freely. Let him come. There's nothing keeping you out. If there was no other text, you're without excuse. But listen, there's plenty more. Isaiah 55 verse 1. Ho, everyone that thirsts, come to the water. Come, buy without money and without price. There, open door. Nothing keeping you away. The election of God isn't keeping you away. If you hear it, what do you do? Come. Come. How do you come? By face. By looking. by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter 11, verse 28, Jesus himself, the man, said this. He said, my yoke is easy, my burden is light. He said, come unto me, all you who labor under heavy laden. With what? With sin. And with your knowledge that you must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. If you're heavy and laden and burdened with sin, ho, come to me, all that labor and are heavy laden with sin, and what? I, Jesus says, I will give you rest for your souls. I'll take that burden away from you. And he has on the cross. In John chapter six, turn over to John chapter six and verse 47, look, Verily, verily, says Jesus, I say unto you, truly, truly, I say to you, he that believeth on me has everlasting life. What, is that all? Yes, that's all. He that believes on me has everlasting life. He that trusts me and seeks to follow me. Go over a chapter, chapter seven of John, verse 37. He said, there in Jerusalem, in the midst of that feast, in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, for what? If any man thirsts for righteousness, for acceptance with God, for the forgiveness of sins, if any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly, out of his inner being, shall flow rivers of living water. This is the life of God in the soul of man. If you come repenting of sin and believing on Christ for salvation, trust and follow him. and you'll show that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, because as Paul said to the Thessalonians, we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, beloved of God, for God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. How do I know you're chosen of God? You believe the gospel of grace. By belief, by trust, by following and obeying the gospel call, Saints make their calling and election sure, that's what Peter says. You rest confident that your name is in that blessed book of the Lamb, that you will not hear the curse. In Matthew 25, in Matthew 25 and verse 41, Let me just turn there, Matthew 25 and verse 41. Then shall he say unto them, he's talking about dividing the sheep from the goats. He says to the sheep, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. But to those who are on his left hand, the goats, he says, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. If you follow Satan's deception, if you shrug all of this off, as many do, you know, it's been going on right since the foundation of the world, since the fall. Hear what Job says. Job is probably the oldest book in the Bible. In Job 21 verse 14 and verse 15, he talks about people who disbelieve God. He says, they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what profit should we have if we pray unto him? But if you hear and believe the testimony of God's Son from heaven, you will not rest until you're certain that your name is in that Lamb's Book of Life. Because judgment is certain, and judgment is coming soon. In John chapter 5 and verse 28 and 29, we read this. marvel not at this for the hour is coming this is Jesus he says this marvel not at this don't be amazed for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice God's voice and shall come forth They that have done good, and what is it to do good? It's to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Unto the resurrection of life. And they that have done evil, what is it to do evil? It's to not believe on the Son of God. Unto the resurrection of damnation. So what awaits the sheep? That's pretty severe, isn't it? And don't worry, we're coming back to spend a lot more time in the next two or three weeks until we've finished Revelation. But I want to just finish by lifting your spirit, believer, with chapter 21 and the first few verses that were read to us earlier on. That judgment is finished and now in John's vision. This is eternal reality that's revealed to him. I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. This, that we see now, will be rolled up, it says, as a scroll. Just like you roll up a scroll of paper and put it away. God will roll up this creation. Oh, it's too big for God. God's so much bigger than anything we can see. The first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. Why is this creation being rolled up? Romans 8.22 tells us that the whole creation groans with longing to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, the corruption of sin in this world. It longs for it to come so that there'd be a new creation. This is a vision of a new creation. There's no trace of the old creation left. And look what else. There is no more sea. What is the sea? Do you remember chapter 13 and verse 1? John saw a beast. coming up out of the sea. What was the sea? It was symbolical. It was symbolical of the turmoil of sinful humanity. The beast is the kingdom of Antichrist, the kingdom of Satan, coming up out of the sea of sinful humanity. But there's no more sea of sinful humanity. What else is the sea? It's a picture of that which separates us. We've got deer, Believing friends in Australia and the United States, and we're separated by an awful lot of sea. There's an awful lot of sea between us, but it's going to be taken away. God's people are not going to be separated from one another. That sea is going to go. There's a new heavens and a new earth, as we read at the start, in which dwells righteousness. It's as promised in Isaiah 65 verse 17. Even there, 800 years before Christ came, God said, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. This isn't a new idea. There's a new Jerusalem. A new Jerusalem. Remember, this is vision. New Jerusalem is the church of God. It's the bride of Christ. It comes down as a bride adorned for her husband. This is the redeemed people of God. The multitude which no man can number. I saw Much people in heaven, says John in chapter 19 of Revelation, verse 1. This is that people of God. This is Zion, city of our God. Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God. It's what Galatians 4.26 calls Jerusalem, not that pile of bricks and stones in the Middle East. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all. It's that city that was sought by believers from Abraham. Abraham looked for a city. He came out of his birthplace and he went to the place that God told him to go to. And he looked for a city, not a physical city in this world, but a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He came to the heavenly Jerusalem. You're not come to Mount Sinai, says Hebrews 12, you come to the heavenly Jerusalem. A city pictures a place of permanent residence, with many people, of security and safety. And here's a bride, which is that same people, made ready and adorned with righteousness, which again we saw in chapter 19. Remember, these are different perspectives of exactly the same thing. In electing, redeeming, regenerating grace, coming from her father's house, out of heaven, The Lord comes with 10,000 of his saints, says Jude, to be permanently united with the Son. In Hebrews 2 verse 13, Jesus is heard saying, Behold, I and the children which God hath given me. and with God forevermore. Verse 3, I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 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. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, with God forever. Now our experience as believers in this world is fleeting because all is marred by sin in the flesh, but God makes his abode with the believer. It's not always felt, but then in heaven, when we get there, It will be uninterrupted. It will be on a level that's beyond anything we can imagine. Perfect communion, unmarred by sin. Beloved, says John in his epistle, his first epistle, now are we the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. This will be eternal bliss. Look at verse four. Look at verse four. in this veil of tears, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." What a glorious picture. What a glorious truth. Can you see, can you feel something of that, the promise of God? The patriarchs, the Old Testament patriarchs, saw it by faith. Hebrews 11 is all about them looking beyond their current experience. And terrible things happened to them in this flesh, but they all set their hearts on that glorious situation. Anyone feeling the curse of sin, and just condemnation hopes for this situation. There is no purgatory, that's error. There are no degrees of reward. There is no sorrow over loss. There is no looking back. There is nothing but everlasting glory and joy. And how do we know? Because it's promised by God. Verse 5, And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, For these words are true and faithful. This is God who made you. He's telling you that this is the truth. You say, is it all too good to be true? You have God's solemn word of truth, that everything John saw is true. It's as good as done. He's the Alpha and the Omega, verse 6. We've run out of time, but we'll come back to it again, obviously. But this is such a glorious prospect. There's a judgment coming, and that's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Our God is a consuming fire. but he has a people, and he has the door wide open. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What is it to do the will of God, the work of God, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? In this life, we're all of us in the midst of death. Some feel it closer than others, but it's near to all of us, from the oldest of us to the youngest of us. You have to admit that that is true. Will you take this seriously? You know, there are things in this life that you value very highly and you put a lot of store upon them and a lot of, you want to protect them and keep them and you value and treasure them. Oh, my friends, the day will come, the day will come when the things of this life will be of absolutely zero value to you whatsoever. And the only thing that will matter is my name written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Is it written there? Prove that it is. Make your calling and election sure. Come to Christ. Believe on him.