[Ben Light] Well, as we started this story of this Feast of Tabernacles, you know, we took the opportunity on the opening day message to explore the conditions that have brought us to this point. You might say, the events of the prologue, so to speak, that which came prologos, so before the return of Jesus Christ. And what we saw when we examined that is we saw a certain pattern throughout human history, that after creation, it took only approximately 1,600 years for God to determine that mankind saved Noah and his family was a total loss. It didn't take long. And as time went on and His subsequent generations of people were born, and they lived, as a result of Satan's ongoing presence in the proclivity of man's hearts to incline himself to satan and his temptations, things didn't improve. In fact, the story of humanity has largely been one of disobedience. It's been one of a hardened heart and a blindness to God's way. And this core issue in the heart of man, this issue that we brought out and we talked about in the first message, really was the underlying theme of the prologue of the story thus far, is that man is in need of a new heart. And that has led to systematic oppression. It has led to corruption and to some of the greatest atrocities of human history. You know, the numbers don't lie. 1.5 million people died in the Armenian Genocide, 1.5 million in the Armenian Genocide.

Seven million were dead in the forest famines that were led by Joseph Stalin. Three hundred thousand died in Nanking. Six million died in the Holocaust. Two million as a result of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Eight hundred thousand died in Rwanda. Two hundred thousand in Bosnia Herzegovina. And that is just the genocides that are recognized and that occurred during the 20th century. It doesn't include the millions that died in the Congo Free State in the late 1800s. It doesn't include the third of the population of Algeria that was killed in the conquest of Algeria, the people of colonial Namibia, or things that happened a little bit closer to home, like Wounded Knee and the Trail of Tears. It doesn't include those things. It also doesn't tell the story of the 620,000 people that died in the U.S. Civil War, the 16 million that died in World War I, or the 70 to 80 million that died during World War II. It doesn't tell that story either. Armed conflict, poverty, and oppression has punctuated human history down until today. I saved you the trouble, I did some quick math. Just those conflicts mentioned, just those conflicts, resulted in over 115 million people. In just 200 years of human history, approximately one-third of the population of the United States in 200 years.

The story of mankind and humanity so far has been one of agony. It's been one of loss. It's been a story of pain and suffering, and of the need of a new heart. And that heart is one that is needed to be malleable and responsive, ultimately, to God and to His way of life. Now, don't get me wrong. There have been some shining spots of obedience and righteousness in this prologue. There have. There have been some wonderful people throughout history that we read about in Scripture, that some of you know you've attended Feast of Tabernacles with. There have been bright lights of obedience and righteousness in the prologue. People who knew God's plan, people who had God's Spirit, and were really afforded to become a part of God's Kingdom as one of His firstfruits. But the vast majority of those who had lived to this point either through, again, ignorance or willful disobedience, did not live God's way and or circumcise their hearts.

Now the story that was provided to us this week since that prologue, the picture that's been painted is endeavoring to show us how God will take care of this problem and this particular issue in man. We've heard about how the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of God and of Christ. We've heard how Christ will rule the earth with righteousness and justice for 1,000 years. We've heard how the saints will serve alongside Jesus Christ as kings, and as priests. We've heard about how Satan's influence will be removed, how the earth will begin to be healed, creating incredible abundance on this earth, like we've never seen before. We've heard about how the issues that this world experiences, whether they're in our physical health or our environmental health, or our mental health, these things will all be healed.

We heard about how all things will be restored. We know God's Word goes out to the world. It covers the earth as the waters cover the sea and God's Spirit will be poured out upon the people of the Millennium. They will begin to understand and through the help of the saints will begin to learn to live God's way. Without Satan's influence to counter that instruction, great gains will be made. It'll be an incredible time as these generations continue throughout the Millennium. And things will progressively and slowly but surely, at first, begin to improve. But despite all of these improvements, despite the abundance, the restoration, and the pieces we heard also, at the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released for a time. He will deceive the nations before ultimately being put away forever. The dead will rise in a second or general resurrection and be given an opportunity to live in accordance with God's teachings, in accordance with God's way. Events again that we're here to symbolize, in part today on this Eighth Day. These individuals who lived and didn't know God will have the same opportunity to run their hearts with the help of God's Spirit and enter into covenant with Him. These 115 million people that we talked about in just the last 200 years, innocent men, women, children, just wanting to live a good life and were punished ultimately for the sins of their leaders. Victims of genocide, of war, of massacres, of atrocities, will all have the exact same opportunity which has been afforded to all of us.

They will have a chance to be a part of God's family. They'll have an opportunity to become a part of the family of God. And that is probably one of the most incredible truths that God has revealed to us when you think about all the different things that God has revealed to us, and has shown us, and has built us up for, for the fulfillment of His plan, how incredible is it to know that no one is going to slip through the cracks. No one is going to slip through the cracks. I described this man to you when we were talking in the prologue. From that man that was rolling himself around on a skateboard in the streets of Lagos, with his legs all twisted and gnarled from polio, he's going to have his chance. From the person who's sleeping under the overpass with undiagnosed and untreated mental issues, they're going to have their chance. Go through, you look at the Queen of England, you look at, you know, world leaders of the Free World, they're going to have their chance too. All of those who ever lived, regardless of race, regardless of station, wealth, or the period in which they lived, could make for some interesting stories at the resurrection. And if you ever thought about that, they'll have a chance to hear the truth. They'll have a chance to also then make their choice as well. They are not condemned to an eternity of torment in hell because they were born too early in human history. Never had an opportunity to hear the name of Jesus Christ and to learn about God's ways.

They're not condemned because they were born on the wrong continent to hear the gospel. They're not condemned because they were born a Buddhist or a Muslim. They will all have a chance to learn God's way and have a chance to make a decision and a choice for themselves. Now through this incredible blessing, through this incredible opportunity that God has provided mankind, the ultimate goal of the epilogue, of, frankly, the entire story… If you had to boil down… If somebody said to you, "What is the point of the Bible?" Boil it down to the point of the Bible and what is it? God wants a family. When it comes down to it, everything in Scripture has built to that point. And the beauty of the epilogue is that it's finally realized. That is the beauty of the epilogue, that it is finally realized. That ultimate goal of this entire story is fulfilled and it is carried forward into eternity. We mentioned in the message on the first day that the word epilogue is made up of two Greek words, epi, which means in addition to, and logos, which means word or saying. So an epilogue, by definition, is that which is in addition to the word, that which is in addition to the word. And when we think about the plan of God and its entirety, today's the last day of the Holy Days that are contained in that plan. We've made it. We're here, right? This is the last of the Holy Days that is contained in that plan. It represents the culmination of the entirety of the plan of God in everything.

All that we go along and we commemorate throughout the year, during the holiday seasons, it all builds to this, to the symbology of this day and what this day represents. And, you know, Mr. Rowland spoke on it this morning, it was brought out that this is a day of judgment. It's a day of mercy. It's a day when everyone will have their chance to be a part of God's family. And it's kind of interesting, the Eighth Day is an interesting one because you can stand on the cusp of this day and pier off the edge and you're peering into eternity. You're peering into forever. That's incredible. You know that is seriously incredible. Now, what do we know about this? What do we know about this time? Well, we understand the physical world is coming to a close, that there will be a spiritual realm that's brought into being. We have an understanding that the Kingdom of God will be forevermore. So what is the epilogue to the story from this week? Who or what is in addition to the logos, in addition to Jesus Christ during this time? When we examine Scripture and when we take a look at this particular timeframe, there are two incredible promises that are contained in this timeframe that fulfill the epilogue, that are in addition to the word. Let's go ahead and turn over to Revelation 21. In case you hadn't guessed already, the title for the message today is “Epilogue.” Surprise. Surprise. Revelation 21. We went here this morning in the message, but I learned from Mr. Kubik that I get to repeat Scriptures. He said so on his sermon.

So I'm going for it. Revelation 21. We'll take a look here at this particular passage. And this passage follows immediately on the heels of that which is recorded in Revelation 20. And so we went through a little bit of that this morning. Some of it was discussed by Mr. Rowland and contains, generally, a description of the events that kind of close out the Millennium, and largely fulfill the symbolism in the events of the Eighth Day. But in Revelation 21, after John was given the ability to see the resurrection of the remainder of the dead after he saw the rebellion of Gog and Magog, the Day of Judgment via this prophetic vision, he was instructed to record Revelation 21.

And Revelation 21 is probably one of the most hopeful and just comforting passages in the entirety of Scripture. And it is one of those… we used the tradition for a long time had been at many of the Feast sites that you attend, you'd sing “New Heaven and New Earth,” which is the big grandiose choir piece, you know. And I loved it and I hated it. And I loved it and I hated it because the song is beautiful. The meaning is absolutely true. I can't get through it without choking up. I cannot… You hit that section where everybody hits the high note and I'm like… I’m just done because I am so just overwhelmed with the emotion of what is recorded in this passage. This passage is incredible. Revelation 21, we'll pick it up in verse 1. It says, "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And also, there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city in New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

You know, these passages here in Revelation 21 and 22 are some of the only clues that we have in Scripture of what post-millennial eternity is going to look like. You know, we get little bits and pieces here and there. We get a hint here, we get a hint there. But this is one of the only places that we really have that shows a visual description of this time. In these two chapters of Revelation, God gives John a visual to record for us throughout time so that we can know these things as well. He describes this existence of a coming new heaven and a new earth. He goes on to record that the heaven and the earth that we know, the sky, I don't know how many of you spent time this piece looking up at the stars, but the sky that we gaze up into, the ground that we tread upon, will have passed away at this point.

Then instead, there's something new. There's no more sea. And so John records the vision of this coming of the holy city of New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven prepared as a bride for the bridegroom, the City of God, the dwelling place of the ecclesia of God, the Bride of Christ. He continues in this passage again, just so hopeful, so comforting. He goes on in verse 3, and he says, "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. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’" Verse 4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there’ll be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, that these things have been done away… There'll be no more pain for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these things are true and faithful.’" In other words, you can take it to the bank. These things are going away, pain, suffering, death, sorrow, crying, they will be gone. And they will be gone for good.

It's a description of a time that is coming in the future when tears and sorrow that has been shed for so many millennia on the things that man has done to one another will be finished. The weeping widows and the orphans of these victims of genocide and war, for the fathers that didn't come home, you know, for the women and children that didn't survive the chambers, nothing like it will ever happen again. Death is put away. The final enemy is conquered, eternal life is realized. We see in verse 6 “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.’” Verse 7, “He who overcome shall inherit all these things or all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son." Now this passage, quite literally describes what comes on the tail end of the Millennium. It describes, you know, the literal events of the epilogue, so to speak. But it also describes and answers the question that we asked earlier, who and what is in addition to the Word at this time? Who and what is there? And the answer is twofold. In addition to Jesus Christ, God the Father dwells with men. And too many brethren join the family of God.

In addition to Jesus Christ, in addition to the Word, epilogos, God the Father dwells with men. And many brethren join the family of God. We talked about it earlier. You know, if you were to boil the Bible itself down, the theme of the story is that God desired a family. And from the very beginning of creation, God intended for mankind to become like Him. He had a specific process for this to occur. But it was His intention for man to become spirit beings with all the rights and all the privileges contained therein. Not only did He desire that man would become like Him, He desired that man would become His children entering into this familial relationship with Him through adoption into the God family.

You know, it's interesting to consider this was not something that was offered to the angels. This is not something offered to the angels. In fact, I'm going to run off on the speculation train here just a little bit. So I'm going to ID that right now. We're speculating a little bit but is it possible this was one of the reasons for the rebellion of Lucifer and the third of the angels? That lowly man would eventually rise above the angels in dominion and become a part of God's family, become like God Himself, an opportunity not provided to them, an opportunity that was not given to them. This may have been too difficult for Lucifer and a third of the angels to accept. Again, we can't be certain but stands to reason. Hebrews 2, if you want to turn over there real quick, actually kind of hints at this a little bit, as it outlines man's place in the story and ultimately contrasts it to the place of the angels.

Hebrews 2, we'll pick it up in verse 5. Hebrews 2:5. I'm in Timothy, that's not going to do us any good. It would have been vastly different than what you have in front of you. Hebrews 2, and we'll pick it up in verse 5. Hebrews 2:5 says, "To which of the angels did He ever say…” That's 1:5, I'm sorry, let me go down to 2 verse 5, there we go. "For He has not put the world to come,” Kingdom of God, the world to come, “of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying,” he's quoting here from Psalm 8, "What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You've made him a little lower than the angels; You've crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him."

Verse 9, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." In this world to come, that we've been here talking about this week was never intended to be subjected to angels or to be subject I should say to angels. It's always been intended the transfigured man would rule alongside their elder Brother, Jesus Christ. That's been the plan from the beginning. Goes on in verse 10, "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

Verse 11, "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren." He's not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. Jesus was the firstborn Son of God. He was the begotten of the Holy Spirit. He was the captain of the salvation of these many sons, of these brothers and the sisters. Man was intended to be a part of God's family from the get-go. In fact, we see the things that God provided for man, even in the beginning, kind of helped to set that plan into motion. Man was created in the image and the likeness of God. Man was given dominion over the creation of responsibility that would eventually extend to the world to come. We were set into a familial structure here on this earth that reflected the familial structure of the family of God. Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world to reconcile us to God and bridge the gap that would be created by our sin. All of these things prepared man for the eventuality of being a part of God's family. But it was God's great love for man that set His plan into motion.

Let's turn over to 1 John. We'll go to 1 John 3. 1 John 3 and we'll begin in verse 1. 1 John 3:1, it says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, or it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." And in verse 3, "Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Stop for a moment and consider the magnitude of that statement. Think about the magnitude of that statement. The Creator of the universe, Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, a being that is all-powerful, all-knowing, He looked down on this creation, and out of the seven-and-a-half billion people on this planet chose you. He looks down, and He saw you, and He wanted you. Not that guy across town. Not that person living in Madras, though I'm sure they're a wonderful person. He wanted you and He wanted me. And I'm sure if you're like me, you've asked the question a couple of times of why right? Some of you smile. Of course, you have, right? But you know what the answer is? It doesn't matter why? He picked you. He chose you.

Not only that, I'll take it one step further. Romans 8 says, not only are you called, you're called “according to His purpose.” That He has a reason for selecting you. We may not know what it is, but it wasn't random. He didn't roll the dice. He didn't flip a coin. He chose you. He selected you according to His purpose, His brethren. That is our destiny. That is what we have been called to. We have been chosen for a very specific purpose. This is not just the church you attend. It's not the little corner church down the road that you go, "Oh, I got to got to church today. I'll go down here." You have a purpose. You have a calling. You've been called, you've been chosen to become like Him.

Let's go to 1 Peter 2. I admittedly got a little nervous over the last couple of days. We went here a couple of times in a couple of messages leading up here to the last day. 1 Peter 2, like I said earlier, Mr. Kubik gave me permission to use it again, and again, and again. I'm taking that one to the bank, by the way, for many, many years. Now, let's go to 1 Peter 2. You know, 1 Peter 2 is a book of the Bible that was written to the pilgrims of the diaspora. You know, at the time of Christ due to the diasporas of Israel and Judah, their captivity and their ultimate kind of maneuvers outward and around Jerusalem. Some commentators have actually gone as far as saying that, by this point in time, there were more Jews living outside of Jerusalem than they were actually living in Jerusalem. I don't know if that's the case. I haven't verified that fact. But it's certainly possible. Regardless, individuals were spread throughout a number of the cities of Asia Minor, and likely they were cities that Peter had kind of already visited in some of these locations.

In 1 Peter 2, and we'll pick it up in verse 9, again, writing to these individuals at this time, he says, "But you are a chosen generation, you are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Brethren, God picked us up out of darkness and offered us eternity. He offered you and He offered me an opportunity at eternal life. And we see in verse 10, there's another section here that honestly feels, at least at first glance, almost a little out of place. In verse 10, it doesn't necessarily follow the word that He was saying here in 9, but it says, "Who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."

We heard this morning about the important role that mercy is going to play in this day and time going forward. Peter makes the point here that these individuals were a chosen generation, that God had selected them, that they were a royal priesthood in the holy nation. They were His own special people. But what is he getting out here in verse 10? What's he getting out here in verse 10? Well, he's referencing the book of Hosea. And the instructions that God gave Hosea as part of His prophetic message to Israel, which were a little bit of difficult set of instructions for Hosea. He was told to go and join himself to a harlot and named his children specific prophetic names in order to instruct Israel as to God's judgment upon the nation.

We see Hosea takes Gomer as his wife. Why don't you go ahead and start turning over to the book of Hosea? We're going to be there here in just a second. Just giving you the intro to the story here. He gives birth… She gives birth to three children. He was there too. But she gives birth to three children, Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi were the names that he was instructed to give them. Lo-Ruhamah means no mercy. Lo-Ammi means not my people. And so when Peter is referencing this to those who are receiving his epistle, those who were of a Jewish persuasion in those groups would have immediately recognized his reference. It's somewhat lost on us because we don't always have that backdrop. But what he's essentially saying is that Israel and Judah were once not a people. They were once Lo-Ammi.

And they had not obtained mercy. They had not received… they were Lo-Ruhamah I should say. If we go to Hosea 1:10, we'll pick the story up because the beauty of this story and the reason that we're looking at it today is that this status of being not a people and without mercy was temporary. It wasn't permanent. It wasn't something that was going to be forever. You take a look at the story of Israel and Judah in the book of Hosea, it is the ultimate fulfillment of the core theme of this epilogue. It's the fulfillment of the core theme.

Verse 10, of Hosea 1, says, "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea,” this is Hosea 1:10, “which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them that, ‘You are not My people,’ there it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’ Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, they shall appoint for themselves one head; they shall come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel! Say to your brethren, ‘My people,’ and to your sisters, ‘Mercy is shown.’” You know, God reveals to Hosea the ultimate restoration of Israel and Judah. He describes a time when they show numbers as the sands of the sea and instead of hearing, again, "You are not My people," what do they hear instead? That they will be sons of the living God. They'll be gathered together. They will appoint for themselves one head. You know, the name Jezreel has a meaning as well. It means, "May God gives seed or God will sow," not a sweater but like seed. Okay?

Great is the day of Jezreel, great is the day in which God will sow seed. Because what God's sows, God also reaps. You know, the story of Israel and Judah here didn't end with God casting them off. It didn't end with them being forgotten and left in their graves. It didn't end with him being punished forever as a result of their disobedience. They will be a people again. In fact, they will be the sons of the living God. There will be mercy shown. We know there'll be brought up in that resurrection and given the opportunity to be a part of God's family. But it isn't just Israel and Judah, the Gentile nations. Ultimately, all who have ever lived will be given the same chance, that God has sown a substantial crop of people throughout the years. And a substantial crop leads to a bumper harvest. It leads to an absolute bumper harvest.

I did some research here to try to give some perspective. When you look at the totality of the individuals who have ever lived on this earth. According to an article on BBC News from February of 2012, okay, so it's dated slightly. The title of the article was, "Do the dead outnumber the living?” There's been some arguments about this through the years as to how many people have ever lived, etc. Well, there's a research group in Washington, D.C., called the Population Reference Group. And they crunch numbers on this kind of stuff, to try to figure out birth rates, death rates all around the world and try to come up with an idea of how many people have ever lived.

The number that they came up with, how many do you think? The number that they came up with was a total human population of 107 billion who have ever lived on this earth, 107 billion. Now they've done that based on birth rates, death rates, etc. Okay? Is that exactly what it is? Probably not. Again, it's an estimate. But they are estimating 15 dead for everyone living today, 7.5 billion. Brethren, this harvest is coming. This harvest of these individuals who have lived and died is coming. We've had the first of the firstfruits of that crop that's been harvested. It's been offered as our wavesheaf. We have the firstfruits of that crop now awaiting the harvest. Right? But following that Millennium, the people of Israel and Judah, the remainder of those who have lived the rest of that harvest will have their opportunity. Christ was the firstborn of many brethren. I think sometimes we get this picture in our head, that what's going to come out the other side is God and, like, 12 people who were righteous enough. God wins. Satan doesn't win. If Satan won, yes, the majority of man would end up in the lake of fire. But God wins. God wins. God wins. Which means that the vast majority of those who lived, I've got to think God is bringing them into His family. Will there be some that absolutely refuse it, the incorrigibly wicked that end up in that lake? Absolutely. Yes, there will be. But are they the majority? I don't believe they will be. I don't believe they will be because if it's the majority, has God truly won?

He wants all to come to repentance. God's not a failure. He wins. One of the central aspects to the epilogue of this story is the addition of the men and women who have lived throughout every age of history, who have lived every nation on the world, with their cultures, their languages, again, becoming one under God, the Father and under our elder Brother, Jesus Christ. In fact, there's a theme that runs throughout the entirety of Scripture, a phrase, turn of phrase, you might say, that you can find all over the place if you go looking for it. It is, we will be His people and He will be our God. That thread runs through the entirety of Scripture. And sometimes I think if we're not looking carefully and if we're not reading carefully, we blow right over the top of it. We don't even notice it sometimes, It's just one of those things. Yes. Well, here it is, again. It's in Exodus 29:45, Leviticus 26:12, Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 32:38, Ezekiel 37:26-27, Zechariah 8:8. It's all over the place. This has been a part of the plan since the beginning, that we will be His people, and He will be our God, over and over and over again. God told His people this. But brethren, during the epilogue, it comes to pass. It is fulfilled. It happens. God the Father dwells with men. Let’s turn over to  Revelation 22. We were just in Revelation 21 earlier. Let's go to Revelation 22. Revelation 22, we'll pick it up in verse 9 of Revelation 22. Revelation 22:9 says, "Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I'm your fellow servant." He tried to worship the angel here. And ultimately, it was kind of an issue at that point. Actually, Revelation 21:9 is what I want. I'm sorry.

Let me kickback over here to the other passage. I want to go here for now. Revelation 21:9, my apologies, it says, "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, ‘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, showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." It must have been a sight to see. I think of this description later on, it must have been something to see that. “Having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, 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, three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed: it was twelve thousand furlongs.” Greek word there is stadia. We'll come back to that in a second. Its length, its breadth, and its height were equal. So we're talking 12,000 furlongs this way, 12,000 furlongs that way, and 12,000 furlongs that way. You're thinking, "Great, what's a furlong?" Some of you might know. Some of the younger in the crowds are like, "A what? Never heard of a furlong.”

The word that's used is the Greek word stadia, and it's the equivalent essentially of a furlong, which is about an eighth of a mile, about an eighth of a Roman mile. Once again, I did the math for you, 12,000 stadia 12,000 furlongs is approximately 1,381 miles. We're talking a city that is 1,381 miles this way, 1,381 miles that way, and 1,381 miles this way. Let me give you a little perspective from bend Oregon to Minneapolis, “Minnesnowta” did I say that right Mr. Anderson? Yes. Got the thumbs up. It's 1379 miles as the crow flies, bend to Minneapolis. And then the other direction the same and then vertical. The beginning of "space" in our current earth is 62 miles above the earth's surface. So if this city were to reside in the current heavens, current Earth, a significant portion of it would be in space. In fact, 1,200 miles up, this is higher than 1,200 miles, by the way. This is 1,381, remember? But 1,200 miles up is the bottom end for medium earth orbit satellites. So those little pop-ups that you've been seeing at the nights, that's the tippy top of what is coming, potentially, at least in the earth that we will have will be slightly different. The description of this city is incredible. If you look at the precious metals and the beauty that's contained within it, the stones, the pearls, it's hard to fathom. I mean, really. Frankly, it's difficult for our minds to even process. But one thing I can assure you, it will be the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen. It will be absolutely gorgeous. It will have a luster, and a shine, and a sparkle to it, like nothing we have ever seen. But it has to be. Why does it have to be the most beautiful thing we've ever seen?

Because God the Father will dwell there. And His glory will be there. We'll continue on verse 22, "I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 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.” In light of that city is the glory of God. There's no need for sun, moon. There's no night. God's glory, the radiating the light of His presence illuminates the entire city. Once again, I've done the math for you. You're welcome. All 2,633,789,341 cubic miles of the city. Brethren, can you even imagine? It's incredible. But at long last, the Father dwells with men. The Being whom Christ came to reveal who was integral intricately, there's the word, involved in the execution of this plan from the very beginning. The Being that called the shots that provided Christ with His marching orders while He was here on this earth, the God of all comfort, and mercy, and peace, and love, the One who loved the world so much He gave His Son for you and for me, Finally, He will dwell on this earth. This earth will become the center of the universe, as it will be the dwelling place of God Himself, the location of His throne, of His government.

He'll be surrounded by His family and an innumerable multitude of God beings, which He is desired and planned for since time began. Story a man has been one of ups and downs, twists and turns, of difficulty, of agony, of despair, of trials. But throughout that story has been a thread of a promise that has been present since the very beginning. God has said, "I will be their God and they shall be my people." And finally, in the epilogue of the story, that promise is realized in its fullness. And it's easy to look at a book. You know, we read our novels today and the epilogue is the last chapter of the story. You know, that's it. That's all she wrote, right? The entirety of the story has been told, there's nothing more to say, but brethren, we're dealing firmly in the realm of eternity in this epilogue. We're talking about a Kingdom that goes on forever.

As mentioned earlier, it's not an ending. It's the beginning. It is the beginning of what God has planned for so very long. It's the closing of one chapter of the story and the beginning of something else. What exactly? I don't know for certain. We get hints. We know that of the increase of God's government, there will be no end. We know that we serve as kings and priests during this Kingdom. We know that the New Jerusalem contains the bride of Christ, beyond that. It's hard to declare with 100% certainty. I can't wait to find out. I can't wait to find out. What I can tell you with absolute certainty is that God the Father, Jesus Christ and His saints, His very sons, and daughters live happily ever after.