New
Jerusalem - The New
City
Our life in Christ, by being made
anew, by His Word, though Regeneration by the Spirit before We
can receive the truth, It is solely a work of the Spirit.
Romans 9:13-16 As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is
there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For He saith to Moses, I
will have mercy on whom I will have Mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (KJV)
Paul says that it is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth; these phrases speak of human effort. Salvation is of
God with human volition being a secondary activity on the part of man.
In regeneration, God
supernaturally works in a man's heart to give him
new life, so that he who was blind is able to see, and he who rebelled
against God is made willing to do His will.
Rom
4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our
father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not
to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith.
Our
Father of faith, and Sarah, the New Jerusalem, Mount Zion (Heb 12:22)
Gal
4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a
bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23
But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh; but he
of the freewoman was by promise.
24
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants;
the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to
Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26
But Jerusalem which is above
is free, which is the
mother of us
all.
27
For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break
forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many
more children than she which hath an husband.
28
Now we, brethren, as
Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that
was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30
Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and
her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of
the freewoman.
31
So then, brethren, we
are not children of the bondwoman, but of
the free.
Gal
5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
John
12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me.
John
6:44 No man can come to me,
except the Father which hath sent me
draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Mat
25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from
the goats:
33
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the left.
34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world:
Heb
13:28 Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let
us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear:
29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Heb
11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.
Heb
12:22 But you have come to
Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to myriads of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are
enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of
righteous men made perfect,
Heb
13:14 For this world is
not our home; we are looking forward to
our city in heaven, which is yet to
come.
2
Cor 4:16 Therefore we
do not lose heart, but though our outer man
is decaying, yet our inner man
is being renewed day by day.
17
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal
weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but
the
things which are not seen are eternal.
Phil
3:20 For our citizenship is
in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait
for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21
who will transform the body of
our humble state into conformity
with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has
even to subject all things to Himself.
Col
3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the
things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on
earth.
3
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be
revealed with Him in glory.
2
Pet 3:13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he
has promised, a world where
everyone is right with God.
14
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to
happen, make every effort to
live a pure and blameless life. And be at
peace with God.
Heb
9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of
many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to
sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Joh
14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4
"And you know the way where I am going."
Which
I believe is the New Jerusalam, the Church In Jesus. The Kingdom of God
in Christ.
1Th
4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those
who have fallen asleep.
16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead
in Christ shall rise first.
17
Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall
always be with the Lord.
18
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
2Th
1:5 But God will use this persecution to show his justice. For he will
make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering,
6
and in his justice he will punish those who persecute you.
7
And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and
also for us when the Lord Jesus
appears from heaven. He will come with
his mighty angels,
8
in flaming fire,
bringing judgment on those who don't know God
and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.
9
They will be punished with everlasting destruction, forever
separated from the Lord and from his glorious power
10
when he comes to receive glory and praise from his holy people.
And you will be among those praising him on that day, for you believed
what we testified about him.
11
And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you
worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his
power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds.
12
Then everyone will give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus
because of you, and you will be honored along with him. This is all
made possible because of the undeserved favor of our God and Lord,
Jesus Christ.
2Th
2:1 1Jn 3:2 Yes, dear friends, we are
already God's children, and we
can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do
know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he
really is.
Rev
1:7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see
him--even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the earth will
weep because of him. Yes! Amen!
1
John 1:7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His
Son cleanses us from all sin.
9
If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and righteous to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1
John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our
heart, and knoweth all things.
1
Cor 4:4 For I know
nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby
justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who
both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make
manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have
praise of God.
6
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to
myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to
think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed
up for one against another.
7
For
who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou
that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost
thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
1
John 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome
them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
John
10:29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
30
"I and the Father are one."
31
The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
32
Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the
Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?"
Jer
17:10 "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to
give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his
deeds.
Gal
2:16 And yet we Jewish Christians know that we become right with
God, not by doing what the law commands, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
So we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted by God
because of our faith in Christ--and not because we have obeyed the law.
For no one will ever be saved by
obeying the law."
Joh
3:29 The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom's friend
rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom's friend, and I am filled with
joy at his success.
30
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and
less.
The restored temple and
city would only survive and be blessed when populated by people with
restored obedience. Because God’s blessing is always related to his
personal presence, the restoration of Jerusalem by Nehemiah is a
foreshadowing of the ultimate restoration of the city by God’s own
creative hand.
The heavenly Jerusalem will
descend from heaven and God
will openly dwell among humanity. The temple, which was only a
small
building in the original city, will be replaced with the infinite
presence of God himself (Rev. 21:3). The new Jerusalem will come from
heaven prepared by God himself (Rev. 21:2). And the population of that
city will live in perfect obedience and happiness (Rev. 21:3-27).
John
14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John
14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye
see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in
me, and I in you.
21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I
will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Psa
23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff
they comfort me.
5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Hosea
6:3 "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going
forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth."
Mat
18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.
John
20:19 That evening, on the first day of the week, the disciples
were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish
leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! "Peace
be with you," he said.
1
Cor 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are
gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
1
John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto
you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4
And these things write
we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Heb
3:4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built
all things is God.
Isa
14:32 What should we tell the enemy messengers? Tell them
that the LORD has built Jerusalem, and that the poor of his people will
find refuge in its walls.
2
Cor 5:5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with
our house which is from heaven:
3
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
4
For we that are in this
tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not
for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might
be swallowed up of life.
John
17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be
with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast
given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have
known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that
the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
John
14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of
myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Col
1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness
dwell;
Psa
128:5 The LORD bless you from
Zion, And may you see the
prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6
Indeed, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon
Israel!
Zec
2:5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round
about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
Zec
10:12 And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk
up and down in his name, saith the LORD.
1
Th 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves
know that we are appointed thereunto.
4
For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we
should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
2
Th 1:4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the
churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all
your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
5
This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that
you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed
you are suffering.
6
For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction
those who afflict you,
7
and
to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty
angels in flaming fire,
8
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those
who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9
And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from
the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
10
when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to
be marveled at among all who have believed-- for our testimony to you
was believed.
Rev
21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God.
4
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 any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the
fountain of the water of life freely.
7
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son.
Rev
21:27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter--no one who practices
shameful idolatry and dishonesty--but
only those whose names are
written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Heb
13:14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are
seeking the city which is to come.
15
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of
praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Heb
11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.
Heb
12:27 This means that the things on earth will be shaken,
so that only eternal things
will be left.
28
Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be destroyed,
let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear
and awe.
29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Psa
84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had
rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the
tents of wickedness.
11
For the LORD God is a sun and
shield: the LORD will give grace
and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Mat
6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Acts
20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the
ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the
gospel of the grace of God.
Phil
1:20 According to my
earnest expectation and my hope, that in
nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always,
so
now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life,
or by death.
1
Th 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our
affliction and distress by your faith:
8
For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
9
For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the
joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
10
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might
see your face,
and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
Heb12:18
You have not come to a physical mountain, to
a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the
Israelites did at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws.
Rom
6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not
under the law, but under grace.
2
Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but
of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Acts
26:22 But God protected me so that I am still alive today to tell
these facts to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach
nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen--
Acts
3:23 Then Moses said, 'Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet
will be cut off from God's people and utterly destroyed.'
Rom
11:22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe to
those who disobeyed, but kind to you as you continue to trust in his
kindness. But if you stop trusting,
you also will be cut off.
Isa
65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create:
for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19
And I will rejoice in
Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the
voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
Isa
66:10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye
that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
Joel
3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in
Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall
no strangers pass through her any more.
18
And it shall come to pass in that day, that
the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with
milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and
a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and
shall water the valley of Shittim. ( which is Jesus)
19
Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate
wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because
they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20
But Judah shall dwell
for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to
generation.
21
For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the
LORD dwelleth in Zion.
Micah
4:4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the
mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of
the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people
shall flow unto it.
2
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up
to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and
he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the
law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke
strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift
up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
2
Cor 5:16 Therefore from now on we recognize no man
according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to
the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old
things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18
Now all these things are from
God, who reconciled us to Himself
through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
Rom
13:6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For
government workers
need to be paid so they
can keep on doing the
work God intended them to do.
7
Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import
duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.
Psa
25:8 The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper
path to those who go astray.
9
He leads the humble in what is right, teaching them his way.
Prov
4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
Zec
14:6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine,
7
yet there will be continuous day! Only
the LORD knows how this could happen! There will be no normal day
and night, for at evening time it will still be light.
<>Jer
23:20 "The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has
performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days
you will clearly understand it.
Dan
8:19 Then he said, "I am here to tell you what will happen later
in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of
time.
Rev 10:7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when
he is about to sound, then
the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the
prophets.
Hab
2:3 But these things I plan
won't happen right away. Slowly,
steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be
fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take
place. It will not be delayed.
4
"Look at the proud!
They trust in themselves, and their lives are
crooked; but the righteous
will live by their faith.
Rev
11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices
in heaven, saying, The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Isa
45:25 In the LORD shall all the seed of
Israel be justified, and
shall glory.
(What
do we have that we
haven't received.)
All that the believer has must
come from Christ, but it comes solely through the channel of the Spirit
of grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus flow to you through the Holy
Spirit, so also no good thing can come out of you in holy thought,
devout worship, or gracious act, apart from the sanctifying operation
of the same Spirit.
Even if the good seed be sown in you, yet it
lies dormant except He worketh in you to will and to do of His own good
pleasure.
Do you desire to speak for Jesus-how can you unless the
Holy Ghost touch your tongue?
Do you desire to pray?
Alas! what dull
work it is unless the Spirit maketh intercession for you!
Do you desire
to subdue sin? Would you be holy? Would you imitate your Master?
Do you
desire to rise to superlative heights of spirituality?
Are you wanting
to be made like the angels of God, full of zeal and ardour for the
Master's cause?
(You cannot without the Spirit-"Without me ye can do
nothing." O branch of the vine, thou canst have no fruit without the sap!)
O child of God, thou hast no life within thee apart from the life which
God gives thee through His Spirit! Then let us not grieve Him or
provoke Him to anger by our sin. Let us not quench Him in one of His
faintest motions in our soul; let us foster every suggestion, and be
ready to obey every prompting.
If the Holy Spirit be indeed so mighty, let
us attempt nothing without Him; let us begin no project, and carry on
no enterprise, and conclude no transaction, without imploring His
blessing.
Let us do Him the due homage of feeling our entire
weakness apart from Him, and then depending alone upon Him, having this
for our prayer, "Open Thou my heart and my whole being to Thine
incoming, and uphold me with Thy free
Spirit when I shall have received
that Spirit in my inward parts."
God
plans all things for his Glory, he frustrates the plans of men.
Heb
13:18 You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place
of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did
at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws.
19
For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice with a
message so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.
20
They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal
touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death."
21
Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am
terrified and trembling."
22
No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to thousands of angels in joyful
assembly.
23
You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children,
whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself,
who is the judge of all people. And you have come to the spirits of
the redeemed in heaven who have now been made perfect.
24
You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant
between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives
instead of crying out for vengeance as
the blood of Abel did.
25
See to it that you obey God, the one who is speaking to you. For
if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to
Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we reject the
One who speaks to us from heaven!
26
When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but
now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the
earth but the heavens also."
27
This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that
only eternal things will be left.
28
Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be destroyed, let us
be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
29
For our God is a consuming fire.
(1
John 3:1 NASB) See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon
us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For
this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
1
Jn 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of
God. And everyone who loves the
Father loves his children, too.
Isa
56:5 I will give them--in my house, within my walls--a memorial and a
name far greater than the honor they would have received by having sons
and daughters. For the name I give
them is an everlasting one. It will
never disappear!
Ro
8:14,15,18 Ga 3:26 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the
Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
Ps 31:19 Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings
for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come
to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
20
You hide them in the
shelter of your presence, safe from those
who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from
accusing tongues.
Ro
8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will
give us later.
1Co
2:9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen,
no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for
those who love him."
1
Co 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we
will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is
partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely,
just as God knows me now.
2Co
4:17 For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long.
Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last
forever!
9
"WHAT": Ps 17:15 As for me, I shall behold Thy face in
righteousness; I will be satisfied
with Thy likeness when I awake.
Ro
8:29 1Co 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthy,
we shall also bear the image of the
heavenly.
Php
3:21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity
with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has
even to subject all things to Himself.
2Pe
1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent
promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by
lust.
Ps
17:15 Ro 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined
to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the
first-born among many brethren;
30
and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom
He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified,
these He also glorified.
31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is
against us?
1Co
15:49 Php 3:21 He will take
these weak mortal bodies of ours and change
them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power
that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere.
2Pe
1:4 And by that same mighty
power, he has given us all of his rich and
wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence
all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his
divine nature.
Mat
13:43 Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the
kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mal
3:2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when
He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
3
"And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will
purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that
they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
Col
3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is
revealed, then you also will be
revealed with Him in glory.
Heb
9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
shall (appear) a second time for salvation
without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (
because we know all things work to good to them that know God)
"APPEARS":
G5319. phanerow, from G5318; to make visible, make
clear:-- appear(1), appeared(6), appears(3), become visible(1),
becomes visible(1), disclose(1), disclosed(1), displayed(1), made
evident(2), made known(1), made manifest(2), make clear(1),
manifested(18), manifests(1), revealed(7), show(1), shown(1).
(1
John 3:3 NASB) And everyone[1] who has this hope fixed on Him
purifies[2] himself, just[3] as He is pure.
1
"EVERYONE": Ro 5:4,5 Col 1:5 2Th 2:16 Tit 3:7 that being
justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life.
Heb
6:18 in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is
impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who
have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.
Ac 15:9 and He made no distinction between us and
them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
10
"Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the
neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been
able to bear?
11
"But we believe that we are
saved through the grace of the Lord
Jesus, in the same way as they also are."
2Co
7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God.
Heb
12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which
no one will see the Lord.
2Pe
1:4 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be
diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
15
and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also
our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to
you,
3
"JUST": 1Jn 2:6 4:17 And as we live in God, our love grows more
perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can
face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this
world.
Mt
5:48 Lu 6:36 "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Heb
7:26
(Acts
2:23 NASB) this Man,
delivered[1] up by the predetermined plan
and foreknowledge of God, you[2] nailed to a cross by the hands of
godless men and put Him to death.
1
"DELIVERED": Ac 3:18 "But the things which God announced
beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should
suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
Ac
4:27 "For truly in this city there were gathered together against
Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius
Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
28
to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur.
Ac
13:27 15:18 Ps 76:10 Isa 10:6,7 46:10 Declaring the end from the
beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying,
'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good
pleasure';
11
Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from
a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.
Da
4:35 35 "And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as
nothing, But He does according to His will in the host
of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one
can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What hast Thou done?'
Ro 4:17 (as
it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the sight
of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls
into being that which does not exist.
Ro
11:33-36 1Pe 1:20 2:8 Jude 1:4 I say this because some godless people
have wormed their way in among you, saying that God's forgiveness
allows us to live immoral lives. The fate of such people was determined
long ago, for they have turned against our only Master and Lord,
Jesus Christ.
Rev
13:8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose
name has not been written from the foundation of the world in
the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
9
If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
Gal
4:21 Listen to me, you who want to live under the law. Do you
know what the law really says?
22
The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his
slave-wife and one from his freeborn wife.
23
The son of the slave-wife was born in a human attempt to bring
about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn
wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise.
24
Now these two women serve as an
illustration of God's two
covenants. Hagar, the slave-wife, represents Mount Sinai where
people
first became enslaved to the law.
25
And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she
and her children live in slavery.
26
But Sarah, the free woman, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. And
she is our mother.
27
That is what Isaiah meant when he prophesied, "Rejoice, O
childless woman! Break forth into loud and joyful song, even though you
never gave birth to a child. For the woman who could bear no children
now has more than all the other women!"
28
And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise,
just like Isaac.
29
And we who are born of
the Holy Spirit are persecuted by
those
who want us to keep the law, just as Isaac, the child of
promise, was
persecuted by Ishmael, the son of the slave-wife.
30
But what do the Scriptures say about that? "Get rid of the slave
and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the family
inheritance with the free woman's son."
31
So, dear friends, we are not children of the slave woman,
obligated to the law. We are children of the free woman, acceptable to
God because of our faith.
Gal
5:1 So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free,
and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.
(See
Him)
Mat
23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth,
till ye shall say, Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord.
John
8:21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye
shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
24
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if
ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
56
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and
was glad.
Gal
3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are
the children of Abraham.
8
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee
shall all nations be blessed.
9
So then they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham.
John
14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and
yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
19
Yet a little while, and
the world seeth me no more; but ye see
me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me,
and I in you.
2
Cor 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day
remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old
testament; which veil is done away in Christ.
15
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon
their heart.
16
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be
taken away.
17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty.
18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as
by the Spirit of the Lord.
John
6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I
speak unto you, they are spirit, and
they
are life.
1
Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man
Adam was made a
living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Psa
51:12 Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me
willing to obey you.
13
Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to
you.
Isa
61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath
anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to
bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of
vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees
of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be
glorified.
4
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the
former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the
desolations of many generations.
Rom
8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made
me free from the law of sin and death.
15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but
ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God:
Gal
4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit
of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
2
Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2
Cor 5:6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing
that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--
7
for we walk by faith, not by sight--
Col
3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then
you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Eph
4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption.
Eph
1:14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us
everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own
people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
John 14:16 And I
will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever—The first part of John 14 focuses on God as man’s
habitation; the second part (beginning with verse 16) centers on man’s
becoming God’s habitation. In the first part of the chapter, Jesus
revealed his relationship with the Father because
the disciples needed
to see that their union with the Son meant union with the Father—for
the two are one.
In the second part Jesus revealed his relationship
with the Spirit because his union with the Spirit is the Son’s way of
indwelling the believers. Jesus himself provides man
with the way to
access to God, and the
Spirit gives God a way of access to man.
Therefore, indwelling the Son equals indwelling the
Father, and
being
indwelt by the Spirit equals
being indwelt by the Son. In 14:16 Jesus
said that the Father would give the disciples another Comforter.
The expression another Comforter (Gk., allon
paraklÎton) means “another
comforter of the same kind as the first.” This, of course, implies that
Jesus was the first Comforter (see 1 John 2:1), and the Spirit would be
the same kind of Comforter. Although it is difficult to reproduce in
English the Greek word paraklÎtos,
it fundamentally denotes the office of one who comes to the aid of a
person in need (lit., “one who comes to [our] side when called
upon”—from para [by the side] and klÎtos [called]. Properly speaking,
this is the office of an Advocate; but this title hardly suits the
context of John 14 (cf. 1 John 2:1, where the title Advocate is very
fitting). Titles like
Comforter, Helper, Counselor, or Consoler fit the
context of John 14; but neither one by itself seems to be adequate
because a Paraclete does more than comfort, help, counsel, and
console—he also advocates, exhorts, and teaches.
Even the Spirit of
truth; whom . . . ye know . . . for he dwelleth with you and shall be
in you—In this verse Jesus identifies the Comforter. He is the
Spirit of truth,—or better, the Spirit of reality—inasmuch as he is
the Spirit who reveals the reality about God (cf. TEV). The world
cannot receive (or accept) this Spirit of reality because the world
does not see him or know him. And then Jesus declares, “you know him
[lit., ‘it’], because he abides with you and shall be in you.”
This
statement indicates that (1) the Spirit embodied in Jesus was then and
there abiding with the disciples, and (2) the same Spirit of
Jesus would, in the future, be in the disciples. In other
words, the one who was with them would be in them.
Notice the shift of pronouns from verse 17 to verse 18: “He shall be in
you . . . I am coming to you.” Who is the “he”? The Comforter, the
Spirit of reality. Who is the “I”? Jesus, the Son. Thus, Jesus
through
the Spirit would be coming to the disciples and indwelling them.
(Notice that in verse 20, the Lord says, “I in you.” Compare this with
verse 17 where Jesus said that the Spirit “shall be in you.”) When we
put all these statements together, it should be clear that the coming
of the Comforter is none other than the coming of the Lord in the
Spirit.
Several commentators have remarked on this wonderful truth.
Leon Morris said, “He [Jesus] comes in the coming of the Spirit.” A.B.
Simpson said, “The coming of the Comforter is just the coming of Jesus
himself to the heart.” And Watchman Nee affirmed the same: “This
Comforter, Who is the Holy Spirit, is just the Christ that will
dwell in you.” The Spirit did not come as the Son’s replacement or
representative, but as the Son himself in his spiritual form.
And R.C. Moberly remarked, “It is not for an instant that the disciples
are to have the presence of the Spirit instead of having the presence
of the Son.
But to have the Spirit is to have
the Son.”
Not all exegetes will agree
with the interpretation presented above, especially those who do their
utmost to distinguish the persons of the Trinity. Yet it must be
admitted that according to Christian experience, there is no
distinguishable difference between the experience of Christ and the
experience of the Spirit. The two are one and the same. Paul’s
practical theology affirms this (see Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor.
3:17-18), and so does John’s (see 7:37-39; 16:11-13; 20:22). The unity
between Jesus and the Spirit is essential to the proper interpretation
of the Lord’s last discourse, and specifically to the verses (16-18) we
have been discussing. One final citation, from Eric L. Titus, certifies
this view:
A tendency
to make a distinction between Jesus and the Spirit has been
responsible, in part, for failure to recognize the unitive
function which this doctrine of the Spirit provides. The references to
the Spirit and to the Paraclete in the discourses become meaningful
only when they, together with Jesus, become identified as the same
thing. This is done in one passage: “I will ask the Father, and He will
give you another Helper [Paraclete], that He may be with you always,
the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he abides with
you, and he is in you” (14:16-17). This is like saying, “I, Jesus,
will ask God for another Paraclete to be with you after I am gone. The
world cannot recognize this Paraclete, but you are able to recognize
him for I am talking about myself dwelling in your midst, and I will be
with you as the indwelling Spirit of Truth.” To say that the
Father
“will send another Paraclete” is the same as saying, “I will come to
you,” a statement which Jesus makes in the verse immediately following
the above quoted passage (14:18).
18 I will not leave you
comfortless—lit., “I will not leave you orphans.” I will come
to you—lit., “I am coming to you.” After Jesus told the
disciples that the Spirit’s coming would be his coming to them, he told
them that he would not leave them as orphans; he would father them.19
This coming would be but in a little while, during which time
he would be crucified, buried, and resurrected. The world would never
see him again, but they would see him in his resurrection
appearances
(see 20:20, 26; 21:1, 14). John 16:16-23 makes it more than clear that the
little while indicates the span of time between Christ’s death
and resurrection. In resurrection, the living One would become the
disciples’ life because they would become united to him like
branches in the vine. because I live [timeless and
absolute], ye shall live also—Each believer’s life is
intrinsically dependent on Christ’s life.
20 In that day,
the day of resurrection, the disciples would come to know (or,
realize) that the Son is in the Father, and they are in the Son, and
the Son is in them: I am in my Father, and ye in me,
and I in you—This
is the climax of John 14 because the mutual indwelling is made complete.
21-23 This mutual
indwelling is made personal in verses 21 through 23. To anyone who
loves the Lord, he would love him and manifest himself
to him (14:21). The Greek word underlying “manifest” means “to be
brought into light—hence, to appear, to be made visible.”
The word is
used in John 21:1 in connection with the Lord’s final resurrection
appearance. To the disciples the Lord manifested himself visibly and
physically; thereafter, to all his other lovers in his invisible,
spiritual presence (see 20:29; 2 Cor. 4:6). In verse 22, Judas
asked Jesus how he was going to manifest himself to the disciples
and not to the world.
The Greek word behind “to reveal,” as a
present active infinitive, denotes a continual act of manifestation,
revelation, and disclosure—not just a single event. Indeed, when the
Lord related how he would perform the manifestation, it was evident
that the manifestation is not once and for all. To the lover of
Jesus, the Son and the Father would come and make a permanent abode
with him (14:23). Note: it does not say, as might be expected by
the context of John 14, that the Father and Son make an abode in the
one who loves God—for that would implicate that the lover is but an
instrument, a vessel for God. Though it is true that the believers are
God’s vessels (see Rom. 9:21), the preposition para
is used here to indicate a side-by-side, mutual activity, as between
two lovers who make a home with each other. The RSV and NIV
capture
this thought with their rendering, “we will come to him and make our
home with him.” Earlier in
John 14 Jesus revealed how he and the Father
were a habitation for the believers; now each believer becomes a
dwelling place for the Father and the Son—and the Spirit (see 14:17,
18). The Triune God and the believers secure an abode in and with each
other.
26 See comments on
15:26 and on 16:13-15.
27 Peace I leave with
you, my peace I give unto you—Christ bestowed this precious gift of
peace on his disciples before his death and resurrection rather
than after it so that they would have no cause to become unduly
discouraged during the difficult hours that lay ahead. Though the faith
of the disciples faltered during Christ’s ordeal of suffering and death
(Matt. 26:56, 69-75; Luke 24:11; John 20:24, 25), his divine gift of
peace sustained them in a truly supernatural way during the ensuing
years of post-resurrection persecution (Acts 4:5-35; 5:26-42; 1 Pet.
1:2-8).
29 now I have told you
before it come to pass—True to Christ’s prediction, his disciples
did indeed remember Jesus’ prophecies of death, resurrection, and
ascension (cf. 14:19, 20) shortly after his resurrection (Luke 24:5-8,
44-48; cf. John 2:22). The total testimony of Christ—his predictions,
his miracles, his words of grace, and most of all his
resurrection—turned his disciples into burning witnesses for the
remaining decades of their earthly lives.
30,
31 Hereafter I will not talk much with you—In these verses Christ
shows that Satan’s role in the crucifixion was strictly subordinate to
the will of the Father and the voluntary submission of Christ himself.
No omnipotent devil terminated the life of the Son of God! Of his own
volition, operating in
submission to the Father’s will, the Son laid
down his
(John
14:19 NASB) "After a little[1] while the world will behold Me no
more; but
you will behold Me; because[2]
I live, you shall live also.
1
"LITTLE": Joh 7:33 8:21 12:35 13:33 16:16,22
2
"BECAUSE": 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has
come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true
God. And now we are in God because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He
is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
Joh
14:6 6:56-58 11:25 Ro 5:10 8:34 1Co 15:20,45 2Co 4:10 Always bearing
about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11
For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake,
that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
Col
3:3 For you have died and your life is
hidden with Christ in God.
4
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be
revealed with Him in glory.
Heb
7:25 1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear
witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the
Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye
also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Joel
3:20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation
to generation.
21
For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the
LORD dwelleth in Zion.
Isa
1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of
the land:
20
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword:
for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isa
40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and
hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the
rough places plain:
5
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isa
58:14 Then shalt
thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will
cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee
with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for
the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken it.
Back to Start