Apr. 21, 2024

                                                       Revelation 21:22-22:5

                                                          “Heading Home”

April 21, 2024                                                                                                  Dr. Don Bazal

           “As I speak to you of Heaven, I feel, when I attempt to describe it, as one 

    who goes forth with flickering and feeble candle to illuminate a sunset, as one  

    who toils with a wheelbarrow to haul away in one day all the golden wheat of 

    all the Western plains, as one who with a teacup works to catch and hold 

    Niagara’s waters, as one who with a mirror attempts to catch and reflect the 

    wonders of a mighty ocean.  The woeful sense of inadequacy.”  Bishop Bacon

THE PERFECTION OF HEAVEN:  21:22-23

 John 8:12 –  Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

 Isaiah 60:1,19-20 – “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. . . “No longer will you have the sun for light by day,
Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory. ²⁰ “Your sun will no longer set,
nor will your moon wane; for you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
 and the days of your mourning will be over.

 THE PEOPLE OF HEAVEN:  21:24-27

 Isaiah 60:1,3-5 – “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. . . “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. ⁴ “Lift up your eyes round about and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms. ⁵ “Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you,
 The wealth of the nations will come to you.

 Haggai 2:7 –  I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.

 Titus 3:5 – He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

THE PROVISION OF HEAVEN:  22:1-2

Genesis 2:8-10 – The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. ⁹ Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ¹⁰ Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers.

I Corinthians 13:12 – For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 – I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

Genesis 2:11-15 – The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. ¹³ The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. ¹⁴ The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. ¹⁵ Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

Ezekiel 47:1-5 – Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. ² He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. ³When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. 

 ⁴ Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching  the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water 

reaching the loins. ⁵ Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded.

 John 4:7-14 –  There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹ Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” ¹¹ She *said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? ¹² You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” ¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

 Isaiah 55:11 – So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not 
 return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding 

in the matter for which I sent it.

 Revelation 2:7 – He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

 Isaiah 2:4 – And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and 
 never again will they learn war.

 Revelation 7:17 – for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

 Revelation 21:3-4 – I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, ⁴ and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

THE POSSESSION OF HEAVEN:  22:3-4

 At least four times previously:  2:17; 3:12; 7:3; 14:1

THE PROMISE OF HEAVEN:  22:5