Future-Town - Part 1 - Part B

One minute after you die, so this this city could be composed of 396,000 stories 20 fee per story with each area as big as one half of the United States divided into separate condominiums. You have plenty of room for all those who have ever been redeemed since the beginning. Picture this cube shaped city that hovers the year mostly made of precious jewels and allowing for vertical and horizontal travel. It sounds like something from science fiction doesn't today on connect with skip-Skip shares of its actually going to be your future home first Skip wants to invite you to connect with them on social media*appear if you want to stay up-to-date on the latest from this ministry follow at Skip Heitzigs it on Facebook, twitter and Instagram that Skip HEITZI now we're in Revelation chapter 21 as we dive into her study with Skip HiTec. This is John's description visually. The city is breathtaking. Also, I would say this is a description metaphorically not hear me in the Bible. The closest relation on earth is a marriage relationship for people really get to know one another in the most intimate way and so very often. Paul included would describe the relationship of God's people. The church is a bride and the bridegroom. Second Corinthians 11 verse two writes for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy.

Brian betrothed you are engaged you to one husband, that I might present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. I think a few weeks back, we told you that there's three different phases to the old Jewish weddings. First was the betrothal last of the year was the engagement process at the end of that year at some point, though they did know exactly when the groom would show up at the bride's house unexpectedly make his announcement and take her from her house to his house which brought us to the third phase that was the wedding ceremony and then the marriage feast. Right now we as the church is God's people are in phase 1, were spoken for, were engaged at the moment of our conversion we are engaged to Jesus Christ and we are waiting for him to literally sweep us off our feet at any moment and something called the rapture of the church will take us to heaven to his kingdom. So this is the courtship phase were getting to know him and I will be honest with you my own courtship was not the model you want to follow. I dated my wife for a couple months would really sure about the relationship I mean I was Joe's single I just was a mess and I flicked out of the relationship and really communicate adequately with her. I distorted and caller disorder walked out the face of the map, left wondering and after a couple years went by, the relationship was kindled up again and I asked her to marry me and even that didn't go very well. I was like that Mr. romantic. I remember when I asked her to marry me.

I was talking really weird like you know life is many roads and there's green lights and red lights you know if he should turn right or left and she's thinking what on earth is he telling me and then she discovered. I think he's about to asked me to marry now. I never remember plopping the question honestly. She said I did, but I do remember asking the question what I do remember is kind of an interruption.

She said Skip Skip I said yes I said what he does asked me to marry you and I said yes I will marry you and I this. I remember I said now wait a minute.

This is a huge decision we have to talk about this when I was so flaky. I guess I'm bringing myself up as the negative example to say Jesus Christ is in flaky, he's absolutely sure he certain you're the bride for him and he knows all about you and you still want you that's beautiful.

That's love.

Here's my question. Do you have a personal close relationship with your groom to be like a bride-to-be should have all ask it in another way, are you flirting with the world. Are you going out on Jesus. Is there something in your life that needs to be eradicated, removed, cut out, you need to return to your first love. The first love of the spousal so I think this meaning here of the bride is simply to say in this city future town.

Your love with Jesus and for Jesus will be real fresh and absolutely complete best description as a bride adorned for her husband could enter verse 11. Let's read a few verses and note now the magnificence of the city notice having the glory of God and her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great high wall with 12 gates 12 angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the 12 tribes of Israel before sides three on each side, three gates on the east three gates on the north three gates on the south three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and on them names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. As I worked my way to the passage which I did. I noted some very descriptive adjectives like holy glory great high clear pure precious magnificent.

I never forget my first view of New York City. I was in Hoboken New Jersey ever seen the view from Hoboken looking toward Manhattan at night. It was 1 o'clock in the morning. Wow, it was really magnificent sparkling in verse 11 it says having the glory of God. This I believe is the most significant feature of future town of new Jerusalem. This is the most striking an overarching characteristic God's glory. Is there a John obviously wants to tell us about the light is notice he says, and her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal by reading that I don't think you understand what he saying I want to help you.

The word light here is the Greek word for stair which means an illuminator or get this a source of light source of light. Light is emanating from it.

It's something in which light is concentrated and from which light is pouring out of the sunlight while here some really cool and lights bouncing off of it. Ambient light from another source.

John wants you to know that it's like this huge diamond with light cascading out of it emanating from it, noticed it says it's like jasper that I may not help us if your gemologist will be a bit confused because modern jasper is an opaque stone and notice what he says. It's like jasper stone, clear is what crystal this is clear. So, most commentators will say probably what John was describing is a diamond because it's clear as crystal, that in ancient jasper was very different than a modern one, or is simply an ancient description of what would be a diamond. It's clear as crystal of the best diamonds are the clearest diamonds I've had a little education over the years, you know, being married the first diamond I ever bought was our engagement ring.

I spent a whopping 82, $300 for and it it had a diamond on it. They told me did I know the future KM a little microscope or even little glass you could see the diamond was there but if you if you put under microscope as I sought sometime later it wasn't clear was more yellowy and a little bit opaque and they told me wasn't a great time and I believe he had been educated diamonds that are good are clear and the clearer they are the better they are and more expensive they are, so I've got an education. Since then, verse 12 that speak at this magnificent notices 12 gates, 12 foundations, and an angel posted at each gate of the angel wasn't to guard the bad guys. There are none present in the gates are never shut. It will tell us later on. I see these angel sort of like ushers passing bulletins out greeting you as you leave, a welcome home to come there. If you're leaving for the day, or for millionaires. Have a nice trip but there's 12 gates and is 12 angels so you get to know these guys pretty good are these beings pretty well now gets gets more wild begin with me in verse 15 and I want you now to consider the measurement. How big is this place let's look at verse 50 and he who talked with me had a gold read as a measuring stick to measure the city and its gates and its wall and the city is laid out as a square marked the word squirrel get back to its length is as great as its breath, and he measured the city with the reed 12,000 furlongs or study in Greek. Its length, its breath and its height are equal.

So it's a cube and then he measured the wall hundred and 44 cubits, according to the measure of a man that is of an angel. So obviously the spirit of God wants us to know how big it is because were given an exact measurement and notice it says it square. The Greek word is to provide bonus or four cornered a perfect cube at tetra gone perfect cube now Furlong is 600 feet or 1/8 of a mile 12,000 furlongs is 1500 miles.

So he's looking at something in his vision that the angel says any tell you how big this baby is its 1500 miles wide. It's 1500 miles deep and it's 1500 miles tall. It's a perfect cube. I was starting the Old Testament little bit this week and I discovered that the the cube goes all the way back. Alisa my thinking to a little room in the tabernacle called the holy of holies.

It too is a perfect cube the holy of holies, where the ark of the covenant was where God dwelt with his people was 15 feet wide 15 feet deep and 15 feet high. This is like that on steroids. 1500 miles is acute noticed the walls. Verse 17 the turn out to be 72 yards or 216 feet. Now notice it doesn't say that's how high they are. They may be that high. Or they may be 216 feet thick, deep trouble is a 1500 mile city 216 foot thick walls is not a big deal.

Why are they there for production no. You don't need any protection. I think for adornment, not for security but for beauty walls look cool the whole point of this is if I can be so basis. To paraphrase it. John is saying God's town is really huge were given the measurements 1500 miles in a fire that is that's from Maine to Florida. That's from Dallas to Philadelphia. That's from Albuquerque to Spokane if you were to drop this city given its measurements in the United States.

It would go from Canada to Mexico. It would go from the appellation Mountains to the border of California. Absolutely huge. There would be 2,250,000 mi.². That's just the first level and its high as well as that deep. It would be 40 times the size of England 10 times the size of France or Germany 15,000 times bigger than the City of London. And that's just the first level you put all the levels together.

You have something the size thereabouts of our moon. It's huge urban lecturer who wrote a book, one minute after you die said this at this city could be composed of 396,000 stories at 20 feet per story with each area as big as one half of the United States as each level divide that into separate condominiums. You have plenty of room for all those who have ever been redeemed since the beginning of time. James McDonald, who did a little thing in heaven, said if today we went by the modern grid 10 to 12 city blocks per mile.

Ms. all supposition. It's fun to go with a standard grid 10 to 12 city blocks per mile means you could have 45 million miles of road. That's just the first level, that means you have 675 billion miles of streets and don't worry, these are safe streets. These are clean streets. Verse 21 there of gold are clean. Let's talk mansions from a majority. Let's say you have four mansions to a street because everybody gets a corner when the corner lot get a view you have more than 1 billion mansions on the first level dyslexia get to have a God like the mansion tour we could go to Beverly Hills when thick the mansion tour it that I want take the mansion tour.

Well, if you saw 60 mansions in our 12 hours a day would take you 6 million years stick get the mansion to so I think Jesus knew he was talking about is that in my father's house there are many mansions for not so I would've told you hit all this in his mind and he gives it to John in the book of Revelation, and that's not meaning that were all gonna be there all at the same time because there's gates and people coming and going.

There's a whole new earth and new heaven and were to be in new bodies and if you remember back in that study were able to move not just horizontally but vertically so guys like Henry Morris, a scientist assumes that with this cube configuration is to be vertical as well as horizontal passageways. Let's close this off verse 18 to 21 with the materials of the city is what John is saying this is so cool and the construction of the wall was of jasper that's clear as crystal like a diamond in the city was pure gold, get this, like clear glass.

If you're having trouble like I am and have been trying to get my mind around this description, but it defies description and the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third Chalcedonian, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonic specific sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eight barrel the ninth Topaz the 10th.

Chris appraised the 11th adjacent the 12th amethyst and the 12 gates were 12 pearls, each individual gate was of one pearl in the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass well obviously human language comes short in describing our eternal dwelling interviews Greek or Aramaic or Hebrew English or Spanish or German human language fall short. As we saw the look like to him.

This is sorta hard to figure out right deliver this city was pure gold, like clear glass does make sense.

Everything gold like that gold is opaque. You can see through it has a very dense high specific gravity, but it's like clear glass. This is translucent or even transparent glass. You might hear that a complaint and there is no privacy in heaven like you have anything to hide in heaven.

You won't care. You'll be in a brand-new environment with a new resurrected body to some of the stone sapphire blue, I just listen to this description.

Chalcedonian is greenish blue emerald a deep green sardonic's is white with reddish brown streaks going through sardius is blood red chrysolite yellow barrel is see green topaz yellow-green. Chris appraised is a golden apple green beautiful Jason. This deep violet amethyst are rich but lighter purple just it's it would make the rainbow look dull. So magnificent. Keep in mind light is emanating from the city. Verse 21 is where we close. Once you get this.

The 12 gates were 12 pearls elicit each individual gate of one pearl the streets of the city. Pure gold, like transparent glass. No doubt verse 21 is where we would get the whole idea of the pearly gates of heaven, but these are just pearly gates each gave it a solid pearl.

Now let's just say that walls are 216 feet high 72 yards, which is take that as that's how high they are mansion a pearl 216 feet high. Must've been some big oyster course this is a God made new creation not. I looked at this and I thought you know there could be no more perfect symbol to represent the entrance into God's presence than a pearl. And here's why your heart. Pearl is formed form by an irritant. The foreign body gets into an oyster like a little piece of sand and it irritates the oyster and the oysters response to the irritation, is a pearl. It sends out this fluid called nectar and ACR E and it covers the sand and it covers it again with that luminescent flash that hardens into a beautiful pearl so pearl is a precious stone formed by suffering because from an outside source that's inapposite, apt emblem, is it not of entrance into the eternal city is what injure Jesus Christ our sin. We are the irritant that God made beautiful so that going in and going out of that city for ever and ever. We will be reminded of this truth that access to glory is only through Calvary only by the cross only by our sin, which irritated him. That is been cleansed, we may beautiful to stand in his presence, by the way, it's the only way you get into heaven is with that truth's only way you see the kingdom of heaven. There is nobody in heaven who is never come to a place with this that I'm a sinner and I need forgiveness of my sins and I need salvation that comes to the blood of Jesus Christ. There's nobody proud in heaven. Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn over their sin bears they will be comforted as a little boy. He was obnoxious, precocious bug. His mom one day his mom to sit like how you expect ever to get into heaven, he said well thought about it I was to go in and out and in and out in and out. Keep slamming the door. Every time I go in and out and some is to say either stay in or stay out now get in.

There's a lot of people who think getting to heaven is that easy actually for us is very easy for him. It was very costly thing that makes it hard for us as we have to humble ourselves and admit my sins are in irritant they need to be forgiven.

I need to be cleansed. I must come to Christ is way that maps of Skip a text message from the series from the edge of eternity right now want to share about an exciting resource that helps you navigate your life circumstances racial God-given potential. I've enjoyed watching the growth in the ministry of my friend Levi Lustgarten this month's connect with Skip resource. Take back your life new book by Levi Lesko usually bided tell you about it, it's all around this idea. Taking back your life is a 40 day interactive journey thinking right so you can live right and this can be really powerful and specializing some people to have this not only as an hardcover, which just makes me happy because I never had a booklist hardcover but has a ribbon so you really keep track of your progress through these 40 days. It would be an incredible gift to someone who is looking to grow in their faith or for any of us you want to maybe conduit and oil change for your heart. Check online on your wellness and where you're at pillow deal with internal difficulties and help you deal better with external circumstances there challenging as we explore how we can get to the very best version of ourselves that we are meant to be. Get the book. Take back your life with a donation of $35 to connect with skip: 1-800-922-1888 online and connectwithskip.com this hardcover book by Levi Lesko will help you take back your life.

It's a 40 day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right 1-800-922-1888.

Thank you for tuning in today come alongside believers who may be struggling in their walk with God, and you can be a part of getting them back on track and growing stronger in their faith. When you get a gift to help keep these teachings on me and just how 819 to 892 or connectwithskip.com/download connect with it.com/standing tune into my Skip talks about an aspect of heaven. Some people aren't excited for Dave somehow don't like the idea. This would be this big city. All I can say that as God would disagree because it's going to be there and the obvious point, perhaps, is that heaven is going to be a very social place to be a restored new community where we interact with God and interact with each other so Skip presentation of connection communications through