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Thru the Bible Daily
Revelation 21:19-21
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What will heaven be like? Let’s begin our exploration with the twelve foundation stones on which the names of the apostles will be etched. These precious stones will include sapphires, jasper, diamond, emeralds, topaz. Just imagine how our new home...
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How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord is made for your faith in his excellent way.
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What's more beautiful than a rainbow arcing across the sky after a summer shower? In this study on through the Bible, our teacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee tells us that a rainbow gives only a faint impression of the beauty of the New Jerusalem, the city of light and color. I'm Steve Schwetz welcoming you aboard the Bible Bus as you find your seat and settle in for another great time of Bible study. If you brought your copy of God's Word along, well then turn it to Revelation 21. If you've missed any of these lessons or you want to share them with a friend, download our app or visit ttb.org where you can listen for free to all of our studies. Now, another great way to study with us is to download our free Bible Companion for Revelation. It's got an excellent synopsis of Dr. McGee's teaching, as well as prompts to both listen to Dr. McGee's message and read the Scripture for yourself, as well as some pretty great questions for reflection. Or better yet, form a group and go through them together again. It's available for free download in our app or@ttb.org or call 1-865-Bible to to purchase a print edition for yourself or your entire small group. Now's the time. If you know someone that you'd like to introduce to God's word, visit ttb.org today and check out the many ways that you can share our journey through the Bible. Now, to encourage you, let me share a few recent letters from listeners whose lives have been changed by joining us on the Bible Bus. First, we got a letter from a listener in Iraq. I've been listening and studying the Book of Zechariah and I can truly say it has transformed my understanding. For the first time in my life, I'm learning the Bible in such depth and clarity. Each episode opens my eyes to new spiritual truths and touches my heart with practical lessons for daily life. I've started sharing many of the episodes with my friends and fellow believers, and together we are growing in our faith. The richness of the teaching, the spiritual insight, the way God speaks through every message has truly blessed us. I can't express enough how deeply grateful I am. This journey through the Bible has drawn me closer to the Lord and strengthened my walk with Him. Well, isn't that an encouraging letter? Remember, Iraq is a Muslim dominated country where most Christians have fled and those that remain still fear attacks and oppression because of their faith in Christ. Next is a note from Andre in Romania who says this. I found your program because I was curious not about the Bible, but about why so many young people were following you and talking about the Bible. What was so special about it? So I watched some of your short videos. I wasn't religious, but I really liked how direct and sincere they were. Soon I started watching your full length videos too. I was writing down my thoughts and questions. I was actually spending time thinking about the Bible when I wrote asking for recommendations about where to start reading the Bible for myself. I didn't expect a friendship to develop. We started talking and I shared things with you that I never thought I would share with anyone. Things about my life, how I've suffered, my fears, my These conversations brought me peace I hadn't felt in a long time. I still don't really consider myself a religious person, but something inside me has changed. Now I listen to through the Bible on my way to work and sometimes again before bed. Since I've been studying the Bible with you, I feel like life has meaning. I've even started going to an in person Bible study to learn more. Wow. You know, that's what this ministry is all about, isn't it? God's word is so beautiful and it really does change lives and and we get to participate together. Here's another one. This one's from Robert in Virginia. I've been on the bible bus since 1997 and at 73 years old am still learning lots. I pray throughout the day mainly for one. The many many workers the Lord has called making this ministry possible.
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The interpreters of the foreign broadcast and the follow up behind the scenes. 3. The salvation of many who are in darkness, especially on foreign soil.
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The many home Bible study groups. The Bible is the complete package. We can learn God's word, know his will and be blessed as we fling the seed. Watching God work wonders. Well thanks for writing Robert. What's written in Isaiah 55:11 about God's word not returning void really is true, isn't it? So let's take Robert's lead and boldly together proclaim and share God's Word today. And if you'd like to be on the team that prays for Dr. McGee's vision of taking God's whole word to the whole world, then join our World prayer team@ttb.org let's pray together now. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we come to you with willing hearts. Help us to hear your voice as we study and then stir the hearts of those who don't yet know you. In the precious name of Jesus, we ask. Amen. Well, we're off to Revelation 21 on through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McKee.
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Now we are still talking about the new Jerusalem and I don't think it's waste of time. Although we arrived at the end of the five year program. We certainly ought to conclude it by looking at this home that we're all going to. People sing a great deal about heaven, they talk a great deal about heaven, but actually very few seem to know much about heaven. Well, let's face it, very little is said about it in scripture but what is said. We ought to pay attention to it. It does make sense. Now I'm going to begin reading at verse 12 of chapter 21 of the book of Revelation and I'm going to read my translation. I'm still sticking with it. I don't recommend it, not to anybody. Will you notice, Speaking now of the new Jerusalem, it's having a great wall and high, having 12 large gates and at the gates 12 angels and names are written thereon which are names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east the dayspring were three gates and on the north three gates and on the south three gates and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city and and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof, and the city lieth foursquare and the length thereof is as great as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed 12,000 furlongs, the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal. In other words it's a cube. That is these dimensions that are given are a cube. The shape of this city is really difficult to describe. I think due largely to our inability to translate our concepts from a universe of time to the new creation of eternity. And in the message that I have at the end of the book of Revelation, the second volume on the subject, the shape of things to come, I have something to say about this and I'm going to turn now to that and pass on to you this information relative to the size and shape of the city, the foundations you notice and we'll come back to that if you'll just hold that for a minute. I want to notice the measurements and try, if I possibly can, by radio. This is the only place in this entire five year program that I wish that I could do it on TV because then I could illustrate it as I'd like to illustrate it. Will you notice the measurements of the city have given rise to all sorts of conceptions as to the size and shape of the city. I think first of all we ought to examine the size of the city. 12,000 furlongs are given as the measurement of each side and the height of it. And that's 12,000 stadia in the text. Which means about 1500 miles. That's a big city. That city is bigger than Los Angeles. Remember that during the war one of the jokes going around out here was that one of the pilots stationed in Alaska, his plane went down. He didn't know where he was, and way up in Alaska and he started finding his way out. And he came to a sign. It said Los Angeles City Limits. He said he knew that he'd made it, but it'd be a long ways to get in to the city. Well, that's true. Los Angeles covers a whole lot of territory. But this is a city that's 1500 miles on each side and going up. How can you fit this in to our concept today? Now, this figure is corroborated by Dr. Seiss, Walter Scott and others. The amplitude of the city is astonished when first considered, but is commensurate with the importance of the city. Certainly God is creator and can never be accused of stinting, economizing or doing things that reveal littleness. If you notice that you go down to the beach, he put plenty of sand down there, plenty of water in the ocean, made the mountains just about right. And rocks, he's just put them everywhere. Anything God does, he sure does it in abundance. Now, with a lavish hand he garnished the heavens with stellar bodies. Now this city bears the trademark of its maker, the Lord Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth is the one who built this city. Now consider with me the shape of the city. The city lieth four square. That's the simple declaration of scripture. Now that would seem to indicate that the city is a cube with 1500 miles on the side. And Dr. Seiss sees it as a cube. Dr. Ironside saw it as a pyramid. And still others interpret these measurements in as many geometric figures that you can conceive. Now, it's difficult for us to conceive of either a cube or pyramid projected out in space. We're accustomed to think of a sphere that is a ball shape object hanging in space. Because that's the general shape of the heavenly bodies. And as far as we know, there are none out there in space that are square like A cube or like a pyramid. And cubes and pyramids are appropriate for Earth's buildings, but they're impractical for space as spheres are impractical for earthly buildings. Yet it is definitely stated that the city is four square. Now, I think the difficulty resolves when we think of the city as a cube within a crystal clear sphere. And what you have are the inside measurements. Because I think of it as a big plastic ball. When I used to illustrate it, I had a big plastic ball and I had put in it a cube that touched all four corners. Well, more than that, the eight corners of a cube touching all of the spheres. And I think these are the measurements. In other words, it would give you a sphere in space. And this is not plain geometry, by the way. This is mathematics that I couldn't figure out. And so I went to my brother in law who was head of math department and Texas when I lived there, and he figured it for me. And then I asked a man out here, an engineer who worked on these modules that went out in space, and he came up with the same answer. And that would mean that with 1500 miles on the cube inside of the sphere, why, it would mean that the circumference would be about 8,164 miles. Now the diameter of the moon is about 2,160 miles. And that of the New Jerusalem sphere is about 2600 miles. Thus the New Jerusalem will be about the size of the moon. In fact it'll be larger, but it'll be a sphere, as are the other heavenly bodies. And I personally believe that that is the picture that is given to us here. And one that I think we should pay attention to. My thinking is that we live inside of this sphere, not on the outside. Now here in the Earth we live on the outside. And that presents a few difficulties. The Lord had to make the law of gravitation to hold us on the Earth or we'd be flying out in space. Now this one will be a city in which you walk just the opposite of the way you walk. Here you walk on the outside, there you'll walk on the inside. Now it is said that it's crystal clear, that is emphasized again and again. And the foundations are given to us of this city. And I think that probably I ought to pass on those to you. And I'm going to ask that you follow your text. Now, beginning with verse 17. He measured the wall thereof 140 and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is of an angel. And the building of the wall of it was of Jasper. And the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. In other words, like clear plastic. And that means something. It means that from the inside the light will be shining outside. But this city has 12 foundations and the name of the 12 apostles on them. And that's important now for us to see. And I want to note that this city had 12 foundations. And the names of the 12 apostles are upon them. Now the church today is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Now that's what Paul said in Ephesians 2:20. Now Christ committed the keys into the keeping of the apostles. On the human level, the church was in the hands of these 12 men. The book of Acts gives the order. You remember that, Dr. Luke said the former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach until the day in which he was taken up. After that, he through the Holy Spirit had given commandment unto the apostles whom he had chosen. Now, I do not take Mattathias as the one who succeeded Judas. As many of you already know. I personally believe that it was Paul. Mattathias never mentioned. And remember, Simon Peter had that election to elect Mattathias before the Holy Spirit came. I don't think he was in the will of God at all when he had that election. And you never hear of anything Mattathias did. But you surely hear of Paul the Apostle. And I think he's the one now. I think he's the one that succeeded. Now to these 12 apostles were committed all the writings of the church. These men preached the first sermons, they organized the first churches, and they became the first martyrs. And it's not honoring to Scripture to attempt to minimize the importance of the twelve apostles. In a real sense, they were the foundation of the church. To them the Church shall be eternally grateful. And this is not to rob Christ of his place, but for he is the chief cornerstone. But the church is built upon the foundation that the apostles laid. That's the important thing for us to do. Now, these 12 foundations not only have the names of the 12 apostles, but they're 12 different precious stones. The most beautiful and costly articles known to man are precious stones. These stones express the human terms, the magnificence of the city. The superlative degree of gems is used to convey something of the glory of the city to those who now see through a glass darkly. We're going to see through it clearly someday. A close examination of these 12 stones in the foundation reveal a polychrome paragon of beauty. Varied hues and tints form a galaxy of rainbow colors. The stones are enumerated as followed. Now, I'm going to run through this list. I do not want to be wearisome, but this is important for us to see. Number one is the Jasper. Aspis is the Greek word. The color is clear. And as mentioned before, this is the diamond. It is crystal clear, a reflector of light and color. Dr. Seissen, speaking of the New Jerusalem, describes it as clean and pure and bright as a transparent icicle in the sunshine. And then the second foundation is a sapphire. That color is blue. The stone occurs in Exodus 24:10 as the foundation of God and that was under his feet, as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness. Now, Moffatt describes it as a blue stone. Planet describes it as opaque with gold specks, to which Petrie agrees. And then the third is chalcedony. The color is greenish. It's an agate. Pliny again describes it as a variety of emerald gathered on a mountain in Chalcedon. And Robeson says possibly a green silicate of copper. Then the fourth stone is emerald colors green. Roberson describes it as a green stone. And the fifth foundation is sardonyx. The color is red. And Robinson describes it as white with layers of red. The sixth foundation is Sardis colors fiery red. And Pliny says that it is a red stone from Sardis, and Sweet says that it's fiery red. The seventh foundation is chrysolite. The color is golden yellow. Moffett assigns it a golden hue. Robinson says it is a golden color like our topaz. And then the eighth foundation is burl and the color is sea green. And Pliny says it's sea green and it's like the emerald, says Robeson. And then the ninth foundation is topaz. The color is greenish yellow. Robson calls it a golden greenish stone. And the tenth stone is chrysoprasis. And the color is gold green. A golden leek. A leek colored gem is the way Robinson describes it. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia lists it as sea green. And then the 11th foundation is the jacinth, and the color is violet. It's the color of the hyacinth. And Clinic gives the color as violet. And the amethyst is the wealth foundation. And the color is purple. Although the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia lists it as a ruby. Robson gives the colors purple. Now, the foundations here of the New Jerusalem are Constructed of the flashing brilliance of rich and costly gems. Now, remember, on the inside is Jesus, who when he was here, was the light of the world. There he'll be the light of the universe. God the Father is there. And the light shining through that will light God's universe. And it just won't be, as they say, out in space, it's dark black. And that the only colors on this little earth today. But wait till you see the New Jerusalem. And it's going to light up God's new heavens and new earth as they've never been lighted before. I think it's going to be the most breathtaking scene that you've ever seen. And this New Jerusalem is a planet, you see, that comes down from God out of heaven. And everything is going to revolve around it. And the light will come from the. It will be Jesus Christ, the light and power company then. And the light will shine out and in all these brilliant and beautiful colors. I can't think of anything like this. And colors described to us today as dissected light. Pass a ray of light through a prism, and it's broken up into three primary colors. Red, blue and yellow. And from these three primary colors come all colors and shades of colors. Light is a requirement for color. Where there's no light, there's no color. Objects of color reveal color to the eye because of their ability to absorb or reject light rays. A red stone absorbs all the color rays except red. It rejects or throws back to the eye the red ray, which gives the color of red. Now, the New Jerusalem is a city of light and a city of color. God is light, and he's there. A city is described as a Jasper stone, as clear as crystal. And all of this color will be coming out and flooding God's universe. The New Jerusalem is there. The light shining from within through the Jasper stone acting as a prism would give every color and shade of color in a rainbow acting as a prison. But it would give every color and colors that you and I hadn't even thought of yet or couldn't even dream of. The New Jerusalem is a new planet. And it's inside a crystal ball. And that's where we're going to live. And the presence of the primary colors suggests that every shade and tint is reflected from this city. A rainbow that appears after a summer shower gives only a faint impression of the beauty in the coloring. The city of light. Oh, what a glorious place this is. Now, I probably have upset you a great deal in giving this type of interpretation because as far as I know, I'm the only one that follows this. Now, of course, if you want to follow all these other commentators and expositors, you'd sure be in good company. But if you want a new look at the new Jerusalem, I think you'd like to go along with me. At least I hope so. All right. Until next time. May God richly bless you, my beloved.
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We'll share more of this awe inspiring view of the great City of Light in our next study and we'll hear about a new relationship between God and man and the new creation. Be sure to hop aboard the Bible bus as it rolls along through all the pages of Scripture. Now we have only two more studies in Revelation and then we begin our five year journey all over again with guidelines for understanding Scripture before jumping right back into Genesis. So if you haven't yet downloaded your free digital copy of Dr. McGee's guidelines, get our app or make your way to ttb.org and look for how to understand the Bible. TTB.org is also the place to download Dr. McGee's notes and outlines for our study in Genesis. Coming up, look for Briefing the Bible. It's free. Get your download now in our app or@ttb.org or call 1-865-Bible and we'll send in a Bridge paperback copy by mail. And when you're in touch, be sure to tell us how you hear through the Bible. Whether you listen by app, online, on your favorite radio station or any of the other great ways through the Bible is available, this little bit of information really helps us to know. So thanks for your help. I'm Steve Schwetz thanking God for the privilege of traveling through His Word with you.
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Jesus made it all to be my home. Sin had left the Crimson sa.
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Our story on the Bible Bus today is just one step in a five year journey through the entire Word of God. Come along for the ride and you'll study both the Old Testament and New Testament, discovering God's great redemption story. Is this your story too?