Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:1-8 can be divided as follows:
ad. 3. The New Atmosphere
Revelation 21:4
21:4. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
The new atmosphere is that there is no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain.
1 John 3:14
3:14. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
It is the same as having the atmosphere of loving one another, namely we love others; even we can love our enemy.
It means that we love God too.
1 John 4:20-21
4:20. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
4:21. And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
The atmosphere of love is the one of bride. The bride's love is able to move us from the atmosphere of death to the one of bride. It means making us perfect, so we become the heavenly bride.
The example is Esther. She was threatened by the death, but she could become the queen.
Esther 2:7
2:7. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
Esther 4:14
4:14. "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
The process of moving from the death to the heavenly bride is as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 21:1-8 can be divided as follows:
- [verse 1] A new heaven and a new earth.
- [verse 2-3] The new man.
- [verse 4-8] The new atmosphere.
ad. 3. The New Atmosphere
Revelation 21:4
21:4. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
The new atmosphere is that there is no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain.
1 John 3:14
3:14. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
It is the same as having the atmosphere of loving one another, namely we love others; even we can love our enemy.
It means that we love God too.
1 John 4:20-21
4:20. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
4:21. And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
The atmosphere of love is the one of bride. The bride's love is able to move us from the atmosphere of death to the one of bride. It means making us perfect, so we become the heavenly bride.
The example is Esther. She was threatened by the death, but she could become the queen.
Esther 2:7
2:7. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
Esther 4:14
4:14. "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
The process of moving from the death to the heavenly bride is as follows:
- Receiving the calling of the King/God. It refers to the court of the Tabernacle, namely salvation and righteousness.
Esther 2:1-2
2:1. After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
2:2. Then the king's servants who attended him said: "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king;
The church of God who is called is just the one who is beautiful spiritually.
Proverbs 31:30
31:30. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
It means as follows:- The church of God who has the fear of God.
Proverbs 8:13
8:13. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Having the fear of God means hating the sins up to perverse mouth, so we live in righteousness. We repent as well as enter the water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism, so we receive a new life, namely life in righteousness. We are saved and blessed by God. - Keeping the simplicity that is in God.
2 Corinthians 11:1-4
11:1. Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly--and indeed you do bear with me.
11:2. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virginto Christ.
11:3. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
11:4. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!
We keep holding fast to one true teaching Word. It is the same as keeping the virginity.
Revelation 14:4-5
14:4. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
14:5. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
We are not defiled by the false teaching--the other woman. We do not give a chance to hear the other teaching.
Revelation 2:20-24
2:20. "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
2:21. "And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
2:22. "Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
2:23. "I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
2:24. "Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.
1 Timothy 2:9-14
2:9. in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,
2:10. but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.
2:11. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.
2:12. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.
2:13. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
2:14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
The teaching of Jezebel allows woman to teach and has authority over man. The woman becomes the head of man, so Jesus cannot become the head in the marriage and congregation, but wolves and birds, namely the spirit of uncleanness and evil. The death enters the marriage and congregation.
Revelation 17:4-5
17:4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
17:5. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLONTHE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
The teaching of Babylon is the false teaching that teaches about the physical prosperity and entertainment but without the true teaching Word and purification, so it leads to the uncleanness.
- The church of God who has the fear of God.
- Being chosen and devoted. It refers to the Holy Place.
Esther 2:3
2:3. "and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women's quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them.
Hegai refers to a shepherd. The shepherding is entrusted by God to a shepherd who is faithful, true, and good. We must be shepherded well and correctly up to perfection.
The duty of a shepherd is being the extension of the hand of God through preaching the Bride Tidings or the repeated teaching Word to make the congregation become as follows:- The priests and kings or the shining star.
- God's bride who is perfect.
- We are firm in the sheepfold, namely the perseverance in committing the three kinds of main service to Godas follows:
- The Golden Candlestick refers to the perseverance in committing the General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His anointing and gifts up perfection, namely a garland of twelve stars.
- The Table of Showbread refers to the perseverance in committing the Bible Study Service with Holy Communion. We have fellowship with the Son of God in the teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ. We experience the redemption or purification from the sins up to the peak until there is no more lie. We cannot commit sin like Jesus. It means the perfect redemption, namely the moon under our feet.
- The Golden Altar of Incense refers to the perseverance in committing the Prayer Service. We have fellowship with Father God in His love up to the perfect love, namely the clothes of the sun.
34:1. Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went outto see the daughters of the land.
34:2. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violatedher.
Dinah liked to walk about. Consequently, she was violated. It means being torn by the wolves, so she lost the virginity or holiness, and committed sin. She lost the true teaching Word, and moved to the false teaching or gossip. Consequently, she had the atmosphere of death and tears.
The sheepfold is the place to make our virginity or holiness firm. - The Golden Candlestick refers to the perseverance in committing the General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His anointing and gifts up perfection, namely a garland of twelve stars.
- Obedience.
Esther 2:15
2:15. Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.
We can obey the shepherding Word. The Word becomes food and command.
Let us make the sheepfold become the most pleasant place--Nain. There is the revelation of the Word, and the doors are opened for us. We also experience the spiritual growth to the perfection as well as the physical growth.
John 10:5
10:5. "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
If we follow the strange voice, we will not grow spiritually but keep becoming a child who is easily deceived. It continues until we die spiritually. We just commit sins, so we are swallowed by the death up to perdition forever. The physical thing is also hampered.
Leviticus 21:12
21:12. 'nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
If we are firm in the sheepfold and hear the shepherd's voice, we will be devoted to become the apple of God's eye.
Esther 2:12
2:12. Each young woman's turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months' preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six monthswith oil of myrrh, and six monthswith perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.
Being sanctified for two times six months means being sanctified by the sixty-six books in the Bible.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12. for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
We live in holiness, so we are equipped with the ministry and Holy Spirit's gift. We are appointed as the priests and kings to be used in the building of the body of Christ, starting from marriage, shepherding, and inter-shepherding.
Revelation 12:1
12:1. Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moonunder her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
We become the light of the world, namely the heavenly bride or the queen.
Esther 2:17
2:17. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queeninstead of Vashti.
But, we still face Haman who wants to kill the Jews. It refers to the difficulties in the world, including evil, uncleanness, and the false teaching until the Antichrist reigns over the world for three and a half years.
That is why we must be devoted to become the apple of God's eye. We cannot be touched by anything.
- The priests and kings or the shining star.
- Fasting. It refers to the Most Holy Place.
Esther 4:10-11,14-16
4:10. Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:
4:11. "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."
4:14. "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
4:15. Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:
4:16. "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fastfor me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"
Fasting is the process to accelerate the crucifixion or the tearing of the flesh with all of its lust, interest, fear, and sorrow, so we can become obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore. We can love God more than anything. We totally surrender to God. We stretch out our hand of faith to God, and He will stretch out the golden scepter, namely His mercy, power, and glory.
God's miracle happens.
As a result, God gives us the two wings of a great eagle to evacuate us to the wilderness, far from the eyes of the Antichrist who reigns over the world for three and a half years.
Revelation 12:14
12:14. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
God's glory renews us.
Esther 5:1-2
5:1. Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, across from the king's house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.
5:2. So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
1 Peter 4:14
4:14. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
We become strong and of good courage. We do not get disappointed and desperate as well as leave God in facing anything. We just trust and hope God. We just cry out God's name.
God is able to protect and take care of our life abundantly although we are powerless in the midst of the difficulties in the world. We always give thanks to God, and become the blessing for others.
All of impossible problems will be finished by God. We have the beautiful and successful future in due time. We are happy even in the suffering. It continues until Jesus comes a second time that we are changed to become as perfect as He is.
God blesses us.