Sermons

“OURANOS”
(Rev. 21: 1-8)
Rev. Luis S. Notario

“OURANOS “ refers to HEAVEN, a place where all true Christians will spend eternity!
Statistics show that 78% of Americans believe that there is heaven and that they all believe that they are going to heaven. They believe that all who gave their trust to the LORD JESUS CHRIST will go to heaven.

Let us have a glimpse of heaven:

1. Description (v. 5) – everything is new. “ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new…” This is a new act of creation, just like in Genesis 1:1. This is not a renovation of heaven and earth, for this earth shall be destroyed by fire. (2 Peter 3:10).
2. Differences in Genesis and Revelation regarding heaven and earth :
In Genesis 1:10, God created the Seas. “And God called the dry land Earth and the gathering of the waters he called Seas…” in Revelation 21, there was no more sea (v. 1) “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
In Genesis 1 the heavenly bodies, including the sun and the moon were created to give light to the earth: “And God said, Let there be light in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.” (vv14-16); Revelation 21:23 says “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the LAMB is the light thereof.”
In Genesis pain and suffering began when Adam and Eve sinned; “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen. 3:19) in Revelation 21:4 it says: “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 anymore pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Also in Revelation 21:2 there is a new Jerusalem, called the holy city. “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Compared with the old Jerusalem, this is a much better place because it is a beautiful city, beyond compare, it is a Divine City.

1. The Church (we believers) will populate the new city of Jerusalem.
2. Idea of permanence – marriage is designed for permanence. The new Jerusalem is our permanent place of abode in Heaven. Remember, Christians are not permanent citizens of the earth;
3. On the wedding day, the new Jerusalem will be totally beautiful as described in vv 11-14 & 18-21: “Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; on west three gates.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
(v. 18) “And the building of the wall of it was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
(v.19) And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
(v.20) The fifth sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst..
(v.21) And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl and the street of the city as pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”
The new Jerusalem is being constructed in Heaven and not here on earth.
4. The new Jerusalem is pure. In v. 27 “ And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Are you sure your permanent home will be in Heaven?