September 20th 2026 Revelation 21 7- 14
Verse 7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Who is the overcomer? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (see 1 John 5:4). Oh, be sure of your salvation, because the next verse mentions a motley group of sinners who miss the eternal paradise upon earth.
Verse 8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
This text plainly states that those who were condemned at the judgment of chapter 20, verses 11-15, have been cast into the lake of fire, or Gehenna. They were not given a reprieve, a commuted sentence, or a second chance, as some sentimentalists teach. Revelation 21 is the eternal state. No more changes are possible. Those who stood before God's Great White Throne did not make it. Who were they?
The fearful-those who rejected Christ to escape the ridicule of men. The unbelieving-those who rejected the doctrine of Christ's deity and shed blood as the only means of obtaining eternal life.
Jesus said, Ye shall die in your sins... if ye believe not that I am he [or that I am God] (John 8:24).
In John 5:40, the Saviour again said, Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
The abominable-those who engaged in wicked practices.. They spoke the language of a Christian but never lived it: They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (Titus 1: 16). The murderers-including those who carried hatred within their hearts and minds for others. If you don't believe it, listen to the following: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15).
The whoremongers-those who engaged in fornication (premarital sex), adultery (extra marital flings), or perverted sex. The sorcerers-those who practiced drug usage for "kicks" and "highs."
The idolaters-those who worshiped or revered anyone or anything other than the living and true God, or who used idols in worship. Remember God's warning, Little children, keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21). All liars-those who deceived others, distorted the truth, and destroyed mankind by lies.
Verse 9: And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Here one member of the angelic host which administered the final seven judgments now speaks to John, saying, "Come here. I want to show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife, the one who made herself ready [in] fine linen, clean and white (chapter 19, verses 7 and 8) and who returns with Him for the 1,000-year honeymoon (chapter 19, verses 11 through 16)."
At this point the Bride is envisioned in her final resting place.
Verse 10: And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
The Bride is pictured as the city of the New Jerusalem because a city is composed of people. Buildings, streets, and light are but aids to the residents. For example, one refers to a city as "clean" or "wicked." Why? Because of its people. Now, as John views God's heavenly creation, he is impressed by
(1) the brilliance of the city (verses 9-14),
(2) the size of the city (verses 15-17), and
(3) the beauty of the city (verses 18-21). He describes the city as...
Verse 11: Having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Verse 12: And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Verse 13: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Verse 14: And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
In Bible times walls were erected for protection. However, since war is forever finished, you may question the presence of this wall in the New Jerusalem.
The answer? It serves as a reminder that the God of love protected His people while on earth.
This wall is an eternal memorial to the fact that our lives have been hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
The city also has twelve gates, each inscribed with one of the names of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel.
The gates are staffed with angels who welcome those possessing the right and privilege of entering the city (chapter 22, verse 14). The twelve angels standing at these entrances are possibly those who worked jointly with each tribe during the earthly sojourn of the people of Israel.
We also note that, just as the gates are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes, the foundations of the wall itself contain the names of Christ's twelve apostles.
News from the Church
New dates
27th September……….Harvest Festival 6-30pm
7th October..………Friendship Group, (this covers all ages and the lonely people)
21st October ……. Knit and Natter group, all welcome, bring your own project or come to learn a
new one. Starts at 1 pm, come along any time after that
ANSWERS TO 13th September QUESTIONS
1) A record in order of their events 2) Thought to be Ezra 3) 1 Chronicles 1 v 25 4) On Mt Moriah
5) Solomon 6) A threshing floor 7) David 8) Yes 9) Because he was a man of war, having blood on his hands 10) David 11) Hiram king of Tyre 12) Rehoboam 13) Solomon 14) He willingly offered himself to the Lord 15) 200,000 of Amasiah’s army 16) ch 7 v 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Bible Quiz this week’s Quiz is about Ezra and Nehemiah
1 How long was Israel captive in Babylon?
2 who wrote the book of Ezra?
3 What is Ezra most famous for?
4 Which Persian king captured Babylon?
5 Who was king of Babylon?
6 How many jews returned after being held captive?
7 Did they bring back the Temple vessels?
8 Which King stopped the work at Jerusalem?
9 Which king restarted the work?
NEHEMIAH
10 Who wrote the book of Nehemiah?
11 What is the theme of the book?
12 Who was Sanballat?
13 Where in Nehemiah does he say “the people had a mind to work”?
14 Who was Gashmu or Geshem ?
15 What did the people do when Ezra read the book of the Law?
16 Did the Levites pay a Tithe ?
God Bless