Eternity, Eternal, Forever and Ever
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13, NKJV)
“Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”” (Revelation 21:5, NKJV)
The New Year
As we enter another new calendar year, it is quite obvious that most of us are making plans for this next year. We are hearing sermons that are relevant but mostly deal with the here and now instead of eternity.
I find the concept of eternity hard to grasp. That it is real, no matter if you one is religious or atheistic or agnostic, seems fairly evident. Something apparently goes on after we die; and even if we really do dissolve into nothingness, that nothingness goes on into infinity. Thank God I am not one of those who believe that this life is all that there is. I believe in eternal life which is a life from eternity that fits us for eternity.
After This
Most people tend to believe that death is an unknown state to us here on earth. But the Bible lays out the future fairly clearly for those of us who read it. I know of no other source of information that has internal proofs of its truth (fulfilled prophecies) that we can go to for information on what happens after we die. The Bible says clearly that after death there is judgment. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” I believe the unbeliever will be judged in their sins for their unbelief. I believe that those who are believers will be judged for their faithfulness to the Lord after they were saved. Regardless of the interpretation one gives to this verse there is an “after this.”
The City Foursquare
For those of us that are saved, our future involves a place in the Father’s house. John 14:1-3 assures us of that. Where is this Father’s house? I believe it is the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven in Revelation 21. John records, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:9-10 NKJV).” This city was in heaven and is the bride or the church and is now ascending to earth, apparently during the thousand year reign of Christ. Those of us who believed in the Lord during this day of grace, are already there. We have either been raptured or we have died and “gone to heaven.” But either way, we are going to be in a new place prepared just for us.
This city is foursquare. It is as wide as it is deep. It is the same height. It is either 14 or 15 hundred miles high, wide and deep. It is big. Imagine, if it actually sits on the earth (probably where Jerusalem now stands), it will extend upward 14 or 15 hundred miles. That puts the top into what we call space. It will be larger than the distance from the Mississippi to one of the coasts. It is a city of no more’s. No more sea, tears, or death or even pain. There is no night there. It is going to be something because the Lord will be the light of that place. And while it has boundaries and limits as to its size, it appears to be big enough for everyone who wants a reservation. I suspect there will always be room for one more.
New Homes
We just about sold our home this year and moved to a new one. Our new home would have been smaller but it would have been less costly and it would have been more conveniently located. Our sale didn’t work out. The new home that the Lord is preparing for me cost the Lord everything and was offered to me as a free gift. It is that eternal life that I referred to at the beginning of this meditation. Just one thing was required of me to know that I am going to be in that city foursquare. That one thing is faith in the Lord Jesus. I believe His word when he says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting (eternal) life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36 NKJV).”
Bruce Collins
No December 25 Meditation
Meditation for the week of January 1, 2023