Kingdom Come — Andrew Forrest

REVELATION 21:1-8

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trust- worthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

The Kingdom has come, and with it comes the reality that there will never again be any bad thing.

From the opening message to the Ephesian church (chapter 2) all the way through, John’s vision is showing the churches what it looks like to conquer, namely to stay faithful to Jesus no matter what, even to the point of death. Why? Because when the Kingdom comes, it will all be worth it.

Note that:

“8 the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Why is that? Why can’t unrepentant sinners be included?

Because the New Creation is perfect, and people who refuse to accept God’s rule over their lives, admit that they need mercy, and repent from their ways can’t be part of what will happen, because they would bring sin with them.