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Our Mission: Revelation 14:6-12
If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 96
The
New Jerusalem
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Let's pray together:
Father,
Your prophetic Word has shown us that, after the Last Judgment, Your faithful people will
inherit a magnificent dwelling place, the New Jerusalem.
May this lesson help us to learn more about this wonderful city, and cause us to work more
ardently in Your harvest.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.
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When God created the earth, it was perfect.
And on this perfect earth, in the garden of Eden, He placed the newly created man and
woman, so that they might enjoy all the wonders surrounding them.
Unfortunately, because they chose to disobey their Creator, they were no longer allowed to
stay in Eden.
But, in His infinite love, God set up His plan of salvation in Jesus Christ, so that they
might, one day, return to paradise.
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John 14:2,3
In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I
would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
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.
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Jesus repeated that promise: there really is a place prepared for
those who follow God, a place where they will spend eternity.
It is, therefore, reasonable to allow one lesson simply to have a better knowledge of the
place where we could spend eternity!
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Hebrews 11:9,10,14,16
By faith [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise as in a
foreign country, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
(...)
For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. (...)
Now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
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Abraham, his household, and his descendants knew that their homeland wasn't this world, but rather the heavenly city which God has prepared for His people.
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Philippians 3:20
For our citizenship is in heaven.
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Hebrews 13:14
For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
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Hebrews 12:22
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.
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The New Testament also confirms that God has prepared a glorious heavenly city for His people.
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Revelation 21:2
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
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Isaiah 65:18
Be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
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This heavenly city is the New Jerusalem.
After the Last Judgment and the final destruction of the wicked, the city will descend to
the new earth.
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Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from 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 will be with them and be their God.»
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Exodus 25:8
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
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Like the earthly sanctuary, built by Israel so that God might dwell among His people, the New Jerusalem will serve as a tabernacle, an eternal and perfect sanctuary, in which God will dwell with his people forever.
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The New Jerusalem will be the eternal home of God and His people:
«The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His
servants shall serve Him. (...) And they shall reign forever and ever.» (REVELATION
22:3,5)
«I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with
them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst
forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they
shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My
sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.» (EZEKIEL 37:26-28)
«And He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the
soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel
forever."» (EZEKIEL 43:7)
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Revelation 21:9,10
«Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.»
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
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Daniel 2:35,44
The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and
filled the whole earth. (...)
The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom
shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
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The New Jerusalem is the great mountain mentioned in the prophecy of Daniel chapter 2.
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Revelation 21:11
And her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
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Isaiah 54:5,12
For your Maker is your husband. (...)
I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of crystal, and all your walls of
precious stones.
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Prophecy goes on with the description of the New Jerusalem's
architecture.
Our imagination can't possibly conceive the sublime beauties this city will display for
the happiness of God's people living there.
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Revelation 21:15
And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
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Revelation 11:1,2
Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel
stood, saying,
«Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave
out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to
the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city under foot.»
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Unlike the temple and its outside court trampled under foot, which were measured with a plain reed, God's holy city is measured with a gold reed.
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Revelation 21:16
And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great
as its breadth.
And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs.
Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
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Since a furlong is equal to 606 feet (185 metres), 12,000
furlongs represent 1,379 miles (2,218 kilometres).
So the New Jerusalem covers a huge area, and rises to the same height, like an immense
mountain, shining and glorious.
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Revelation 21:16,18
And the city is laid out as a square. (...)
And the city was pure gold.
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1 Kings 6:19,20
[Solomon] prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple, to set
the ark of the covenant of the Lord there.
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high.
He overlaid it with pure gold.
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Being square-shaped and overlaid with pure gold, the New Jerusalem, which is God's temple, is like the Most Holy place of the earthly sanctuary.
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Revelation 21:12,17
Also she had a great and high wall. (...)
Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of
a man, that is, of an angel.
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Revelation 7:4
And I heard the number of those who were sealed.
One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were
sealed.
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The city's wall measures 144 cubits, that is, 210 feet (64
metres).
This reminds us of the 144,000 faithful ones who make up the Israel of God.
In fact, this isn't the only feature of the city's wall which calls to mind the 144,000...
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Revelation 21:12,13
Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
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Ezekiel 48:31-34
The gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel, the three gates northward (...); on the east side, (...) three gates (...); on the south side, (...) three gates (...); on the west side, (...) three gates.
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Just like the 144,000 who are taken from the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve gates of the city are named after the twelve tribes of Israel!
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Revelation 21:21
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl.
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Matthew 13:45,46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
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The gates of the New Jerusalem, each being composed of one pearl, recall this parable of Jesus, teaching us that no sacrifice is too great to obtain our eternal home in the glorious city of God.
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Revelation 21:14,19
Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were
the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (...)
And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious
stones.
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Isaiah 60:18
You shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.
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The twelve foundations of the wall, made with various precious
stones, are also named after victorious people: the twelve apostles.
Why did God choose these names for the twelve foundations of His city?
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1 Corinthians 3:10,11
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise
master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.
But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
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Ephesians 2:20
(...) having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.
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God chose these names for the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem because the apostles, resting on the chief cornerstone which is Jesus Christ, founded the Church.
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The foundations of the city recall the breastplate of the high priest:
«The first foundation was |
«You shall make the breastplate. (...) It
jasper, the second sap- | shall be doubled into a square.
(...) You
phire, the third chalce- | shall put settings of stones in it, four rows
dony, the fourth emerald, | of stones: The first row shall be a sardius,
the fifth sardonyx, the | a topaz, and an emerald; this shall
be the
sixth sardius, the sev- | first row; the second row shall be
a tur-
enth chrysolite, the | quoise, a sapphire, and a
diamond; the third
eighth beryl, the ninth | row, a jacinth, an agate, and an
amethyst;
topaz, the tenth chryso- | and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a
prase, the eleventh ja- | jasper. They shall be set in gold
settings.
cinth, and the twelfth | And the stones shall have the names
of the
amethyst.»
|
sons of Israel, twelve according to their
(REVELATION 21:19,20) | names.» (EXODUS 28:15-21)
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Revelation 21:23
And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light.
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Isaiah 60:19
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.
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The glory of God and eternity will make the heavenly bodies unnecessary, since the sun and moon were «for seasons, and for days and years» (Genesis 1:14).
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Revelation 21:25
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
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Isaiah 60:11
Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession.
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Since evil will be banished forever, the city's gates will always
be open.
And now, what does the coming of «the wealth of the Gentiles and their kings in
procession» mean?
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Revelation 21:24-26
And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light,
and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
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Isaiah 60:3
The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
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In our lesson «The Loud Cry», we have seen that, before the close of probation, a last evangelical work will present the light of truth with power, as never before, leading a great multitude to accept God's call to salvation.
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The nations who follow the light on earth will also follow it in eternity:
«The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the
brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather
together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be
nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell
with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the
Gentiles shall come to you.» (ISAIAH 60:3-5)
«All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of
the nations shall worship before You.» (PSALM 22:27)
«Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall
be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all
nations shall flow to it.» (ISAIAH 2:2)
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But God's City cannot receive those who rejected the light on earth:
«But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or
causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of
Life.» (REVELATION 21:27)
«Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor
sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will
inherit the kingdom of God.» (1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10)
«No fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ and God.» (EPHESIANS 5:5)
«Outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and
whoever loves and practices a lie.» (REVELATION 22:15)
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Revelation 21:27
Only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life [shall enter].
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Revelation 20:14,15
This is the second death.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
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Revelation chapter 21 ends just like chapter 20, by showing the
sad consequences of not having one's name in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Then, for all those who accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord of their lives, Revelation
chapter 22 gives more details about the reward which awaits them...
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Revelation 22:1
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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Revelation 7:17
The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and
lead them to living fountains of waters.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
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First, all those who have not forsaken God, the Source of living water, will be allowed to drink at the pure river of water of life, which will flow through the New Jerusalem.
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Revelation 22:2
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life.
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Revelation 2:7
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
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Then, just as Jesus promised to him who overcomes, the people of
God will regain access to the tree of life.
And why do we say «regain» access?
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Genesis 3:22-24
Then the Lord God said,
«Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put
out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever» - therefore
the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was
taken.
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a
flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
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Man will regain access to the tree of life, because this tree of life was in Eden, out of which man was driven because of his sin.
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Revelation 22:2
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was
the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
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Malachi 4:2
But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.
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Since illness will be no more, the «healing» provided by the tree of life is the light and the life which Jesus, our Sun of Righteousness, will give us.
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In brief, the New Jerusalem contrasts considerably with Babylon:
Babylon (Revelation 17 and
18) | New Jerusalem (Revelation 21, 22)
====================================|====================================
It is the great harlot (17:1). | It is the Lamb's
wife (21:2,9).
It is the dwelling of demons (18:2).| It is the tabernacle of God (21:3).
Its gold contains filthiness (17:4).| It is made of pure gold (21:18).
It is full of abominations (17:4). | Abomination can't enter it (21:27).
It is the mother of harlots (17:5). | Sexually immoral don't enter(21:8).
Light doesn't shine anymore (18:23).| God's glory gives it light (22:5).
It is deprived of fruits (18:14). | It has the fruit of life (22:2).
It is made desolate, naked (17:16). | It is adorned for God (21:2,10).
The kings destroy it (17:16). | The kings bring their
glory(21:24).
It shall be found no more (18:21). | It will stand forever (22:5).
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Revelation 12:1
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
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We have often seen in our lessons that the number 12 symbolizes
the eternal covenant between God and men.
So the description of the New Jerusalem, sign of the eternal covenant between God and His
people, uses the number 12 many times...
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The twelve «12» of the New Jerusalem, the sign of the perfect covenant!
1. The 12
gates | «She had 12 gates...» (REVELATION 21:12)
2. The 12 angels | «...and 12 angels at the gates...»
(REV. 21:12)
3. The 12 tribes | «...the names of the 12 tribes...»
(REV. 21:12)
4. The 12 foundations| «The city had 12 foundations.» (REVELATION 21:14)
5. The 12 names | «On them were the 12 names...»
(REV. 21:14 NASV)
6. The 12 apostles | «...the 12 apostles of the Lamb.» (REV. 21:14)
7. The 12000 furlongs| «...12 thousand furlongs...» (REVELATION 21:16)
8. /The two «12»s of | «He measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four
9. \ the 144 cubits | cubits.» (REVELATION 21:17) [12 x 12 = 144]
10. The 12 stones | The stones are listed in Revelation 21:19,20.
11. The 12 pearls | «The 12 gates were twelve pearls.» (REV.
21:21)
12. The 12 fruits | «The tree of life... bore 12 fruits.» (REV.
22:2)
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Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
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Revelation 7:14,15
There are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and
washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night.
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It is high time we reserved our place in God's City.
How?
We must wash our robes in the Lamb's blood, that is, allow God to purify our hearts
through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, and then follow Him until the end.
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Revelation 2:7; 3:5,12; 21:7
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. (...)
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from
the Book of Life. (...)
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no
more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the
New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. (...)
He who overcomes shall inherit all things.
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Jesus will help us to overcome, if we entrust our lives to His
hands.
It is ours to decide.
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Let's pray together:
Our Father in heaven,
Your promise is so wonderful that we may find it difficult to believe. Yet Your Word says:
«Behold, I make all things new. Write, for these words are true and faithful.»
(Revelation 21:5).
We truly desire that our names be written in Your Book of Life.
Please help us to faithfully follow You with perseverance until the end, until the day You
give Your people the New Jerusalem for their inheritance.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 96 is waiting for you!