2022-03-26
Revelation 21:5 NIV
In the book of Revelation, John wrote: ‘I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is… among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true”‘ (v.2-5 NIV).
As redeemed children of God, we’re assured of having an eternal home in heaven and the promise of being citizens of ‘the new Jerusalem’. John continues, ‘The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city’ (v.15 NIV). The city is a square of about fourteen hundred miles (see v.16 NIV). As a rough idea of its size, imagine a square stretching from London all the way across Europe to Russia’s western border, down to the Egyptian and Libyan coasts, then back up to London. It’s approximately twenty-one times the size of the UK, or ten times the size of France. And that’s just the ground floor! It’s as tall as it is wide; six hundred thousand storeys high. That means there’s more than enough room for billions of people.
We may not know all the details of what heaven’s like, but we can be sure that if we believe in Him, God has a place there for us.
Job 29-31; Luke 20:1-8; Ps 38:13-22; Pro 8:24-26
Revelation 21:5 NIV
John the revelator wrote: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is… among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true'” (vv. 2-5 NIV).
When an atheist died and his friends filed by his casket, one of them remarked, “How sad – all dressed up and nowhere to go!” Not so for the believer! As a redeemed child of God, you’re assured of a home in heaven and citizenship in “the new Jerusalem.”
John continues, “The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city” (v. 15 NIV). The city is an exact square of about fourteen hundred miles (See v. 16 NIV). It would stretch from the Carolinas to California and from Canada to Mexico. It’s approximately forty times the size of England, ten times the mass of France, and bigger than India. And that’s just the ground floor! It’s as tall as it is wide; six hundred thousand stories high – more than enough room for billions of people to come and go. So here is the question: When you die, will you go to heaven?
Soul food: Job 29-31; Luke 20:1-8; Ps 38:13-22; Pro 8:24-26
Openbaring 21:5 NLV
Johannes het geskryf: ‘Ek het ook die heilige stad wat aan God gewy is, die nuwe Jerusalem, van God af uit die hemel sien neerkom. Die nuwe Jerusalem was soos ‘n bruid wat vir haar eggenoot mooigemaak is. Ek het toe ‘n kragtige stem van die troon af hoor sê: ‘Kyk, die tentwoning van God is nou onder die mense opgeslaan. Hy sal by hulle bly, en hulle sal sy volke wees en God sal self by hulle wees as hulle God. Hy sal elke traan van hulle oë afvee en die dood sal glad nie meer bestaan nie. Ook hartseer of smartkrete of pyn sal glad nie meer bestaan nie. Die ou dinge het eenvoudig verbygegaan.’ Hy wat op die troon sit, het toe gesê: ‘Kyk, Ek maak alle dinge nuut.’ En Hy sê verder: ‘Teken dit aan, want hierdie woorde is geloofwaardig en betroubaar’ (verse 2-5 NLV).
As verloste kind van God, word jy van ‘n tuiste in die hemel en burgerskap in ‘die nuwe Jerusalem,’ gewaarborg. Johannes gaan voort: ‘Die engel wat met my in gesprek was, het ‘n goue meetstok vasgehou. Die doel was om daarmee… die stad self… te meet’ (vers 15 NLV). Die stad is ‘n presiese vierkant van meer as 2 200 kilometers (sien vers 16 NLV). Dit sal dus ongeveer veertig keer die grootte van Engeland, tien keer so groot soos Frankryk en groter as Indië wees. En dis net die grondvloer! Dis so hoog soos wat dit wyd is; seshonderd verdiepings hoog – meer as genoeg plek vir biljoene mense om in te woon. Hier is egter die vraag: Wanneer jy sterf, sal jy hemel toe gaan?
Sielskos: Job 29-31; Luk 20:1-8; Ps 38:13-22; Spr 8:24-26
2022-03-25
1 Johannes 1:9 NLV
Die verhaal van Dawid en Batseba is die tipe storie waarvan rolprente gemaak word – wellus, owerspel, buite-egtelike swangerskap, moord en ‘n toesmeerdery. Dit het ook gelyk of Dawid met alles wegkom, behalwe vir een belangrike detail: ‘…Maar die Here was baie ontevrede met dit wat Dawid gedoen het’ (2 Samuel 11:27 NLV).
In die Bybel, verwys God na Dawid as ‘…’n man na sy hart…’ (1 Samuel 13:14 NLV), maar ons lees ook in dieselfde Bybel: ‘…Weet dan dat julle sonde aan die lig sal kom’ (Numeri 32:23 NLV). God het dus die profeet Natan gestuur om vir Dawid te sê: ‘…Ek het jou tot koning van Israel gesalf… Hoekom het jy dan die woord van die Here geminag…?’ (2 Samuel 12:7,9 NLV). Toe het God sy oordeel gevel: ‘Omdat jy dit gedoen het, sal Ek, die Here, toesien dat jou eie huis ellendes oor jou bring… Ek sal dit openlik voor die hele Israel doen’ (2 Samuel 12:10-12 NLV). Van daardie dag af het tragedie en onrus Dawid se familie geteister.
God sal in sommige gevalle jou vrede wegneem sodat jy jou sonde moet erken. Dit het ‘n onbeplande swangerskap, die moord van ‘n onskuldige man, ‘n kind se dood, ‘n profeet se oortuiging en die oortuiging van die Heilige Gees geneem voor Dawid se hart sag geword het en hy erken het: ‘…Ek het teen die Here gesondig…’ (2 Samuel 12:13 NLV). ‘As ons egter ons sondes bely, Hy is betroubaar en regverdig om ons sondes te vergewe en ons skoon te maak van elke verkeerde optrede’ (1 Johannes 1:9 NLV).
So lank as wat jy aanhou om jou sonde te verskoon, te verdedig en te rasionaliseer, kan God niks vir jou doen nie. Die oomblik wat jy dit egter teenoor Hom bely, sal Hy jou vergewe. Is dit nie wonderlik nie?
Sielskos: Job 24-28; Luk 19:41-48; Ps 38:1-12; Spr 8:22-23
1 John 1:9 KJV
The story of David and Bathsheba sounds like the plot of a film or the script of a TV soap – lust, adultery, premarital pregnancy, murder, and cover-up. And it looked like David would get away with it – except for one important detail: ‘The thing that David had done displeased the LORD’ (2 Samuel 11:27 NKJV).
In the Bible, God calls David ‘a man after his own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:14 NLT), but the same Bible says, ‘Be sure your sin will find you out’ (Numbers 32:23 KJV). So God sent the prophet Nathan to tell David, ‘I made you king… So why have you treated the word of God with… contempt?’ (2 Samuel 12:7, 9 MSG). Then God passed sentence: ‘Because you despised me… I am going to bring calamity on you… before all Israel’ (2 Samuel 12:10-12 NIV). From that day on, tragedy and turmoil plagued David’s family.
The Bible says, ‘those who can’t be trusted are on the road to ruin’ (Proverbs 13:15 GNB). Sometimes God takes away our peace so that we’ll acknowledge our sin. It took a whole catalogue of disappointments, difficulties, mistakes, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit before David’s heart softened and he admitted, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’ (2 Samuel 12:13 NIV). And when he prayed those words, God treated David’s sin the same way He treats ours: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9 KJV).
As long as we carry on excusing, defending, and rationalising our sins, we can’t move past them or begin to grow in our relationship with God. But as soon as we confess our sins to Him, in His grace He’ll forgive us.
Job 24-28; Luke 19:41-48; Ps 38:1-12; Pro 8:22-23
