Personally speaking, in such a time as this, with more division and disagreement than ever before, wallowing in self-pride, unsupported demonic insight, going left instead of right, speaking instead of listening, judging instead of agreeing to disagree, the city of gold, clear as glass, no sun, no moon, no night - could never materialize soon enough.
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
9 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. 12 The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).
18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.
22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Enough said already?
Not even close, so let us consider a certain golden nugget of eternal Good News, a message proclaiming how WE THE PEOPLE, as in those who do, or can know Jesus, belong to this NEW WORLD—from every nation, tribe, language, and people.
Take P.J., or Princess Julie for example, she has already taken up residence in the City of Gold, Clear as Glass - No Sun, No Moon, No Night, where time doesn't exist, and more perfect in every fashion, from head to toe, than the world she left behind could ever have seen her or imagined; priceless in Christ!
Sure missed my little princess (20 years as personal assistant), upon her passing into freedom and perfection, literally. But this world as we know it, responsible for her MS challenges throughout life, although braving it like a champion, was unworthy of her presence; her weekly pharmaceutical guinea-pig dosette, along with billions of others, was proof of one of the biggest crimes against humanity every committed ... and so shall all money-hungry drug-pushing satanists playing God, rot in the eternal fiery pit of punishment in hell.
God, not me!
Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.
Lamb's Book of Life
Anyone whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life , at death, enters the real deal, the City of Gold in the blink of an eye from hell on earth to an indescribable paradise - an unimaginable spiritual bliss or divine-like euphoriant of hope confirmed and fulfilled to overflowing as promised.
THE POWER OF CHOICE - FREE WILL
And because time does not exist in the City of Gold, a world apart from the world we know, means I too, in a matter of speaking, am already enjoying the company of my friend, P.J/Princess Julie in heaven, as are you and all brothers & sisters in Christ who exercised the power of choice - free will - another gift - to believe or not to believe.Let me explain that one!
In our reality, if we haven't died in the natural, here on earth, then obviously we're not in the supernatural and timeless eternal City of Gold (Heaven), as promised right?
However, in said supernatural eternal City of Gold where time doesn't exist, we're in fact already there with everyone in heaven whose names are found written in the Book of Life - because God who knows all things before they happen, and predestined all of us to know Jesus as Savior, also proclaimed "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End," confirming He already knew/knows the end before He started.
To clarify, if I died in the natural here, as did my friend P.J., everyone in Christ is there in heaven with us also, the old earth being history. Until death, we see it as it is, as two different places, awaiting the return of Jesus (The Rapture), here on earth where time still exists, while anticipating or contemplating heaven/paradise, where time doesn't exist.
How does one get into the Book of Life?
That's the easy part, literally. Paul teaches in Romans 10:9 "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
That's it! By grace through faith alone, we place our trust and believe in Jesus as our Savior who died for the forgiveness of our sins - and voila - we are in the Book of Life.
Saved is also known as 'Born-Again.'
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee, who questions how to be saved, is shared in part in John 3:3-8
"3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit."By faith alone, no hoops, no tricks, no gimmicks, no works?
Exactly! No works, because when faith is real, the works come naturally, automatically, as we move forward fulfilling God's purpose within us; some as Pastors, some as laypeople, some as brick layers, taxi/bus drivers, educators, care-givers, custodians, insurance personnel, etc.
Not everyone is called to be a frontline teacher of the Gospel, but rather and always, as humanly possible, as a keeper of the inerrant and infallible truth, setting the example Jesus set for us, no matter what our occupation is during our brief lifespan here on earth.
In other words, 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
Crucial, absent, and key verse for today's Christian, new & seasoned, is given to us by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 that teaches "Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth."
Lastly, 2 Timothy 3:16, key word 'ALL' teaches "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right."