“and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.”
Ezekiel 48:35 or “The Lord is PRESENT”.
These are the very last words in the book of Ezekiel. It’s an encouragement that there is hope & restoration following God’s judgments on the sins of his people and the surrounding nations which have been prophesied by Ezekiel. God is merciful.
Ezekiel describes a future day when the temple is rebuilt and where God’s glory comes to dwell with them and which will remain forever. This time the glory of the Lord will not depart as it had in the past.
John also describes such a place in the last book in the bible, Revelation.
After God’s final judgments on Satan, the nations and sin, we have this beautiful picture of the holy city and that we will be with God forever…just as God always wanted it to be.
Complete restoration of Gods plan for mankind. Eternal Fellowship with Him. Eternity in His presence.
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
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.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:1-4
These verses speak of a future day & time which we look forward to but these words for me also sum up the ultimate desire of every Christian’s heart and I hope the desire of your heart. To be where God is present.
That is my goal, my vision..to be where He is. To be in His presence. There is no better place to be. There is no more loving & secure place. Not going ahead of Him, not behind but perfectly aligned with Him.
The good news that we declare and are witnesses of is that Jesus has made not only this future possible but also a present reality. The truth is that you can be where God is. You can have the confidence to know that you will be part of that glorious city. To be forever with God.
But the good news is also that you don’t just have to wait for that future day in eternity. You can also enjoy relationship with God right now in the present.
God can be present in your present.
You can enjoy a relationship now with God through Jesus his son. We can come boldly to Gods throne in prayer for help every day. You don’t have to be alone and without help. God can be your refuge and help in times of trouble. He will be your comforter.
“Seeing then we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
The reason Jesus came and died is so that we can be in right relationship with God. So we can be where God is present. There is no other way to get to the place where the Lord is. Jesus made the way.
We can’t get to God by our own efforts and good works alone because sin is the barrier to a holy God. We can only come through the cross by acknowledging our sins and receiving Gods forgiveness through Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus paid the price of sin by his death and took our sins on himself.
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6 –
God wants you to find Him while there is still time.
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah 55:6-7
In Revelation we are warned not to leave it too late. We read of those who won’t be allowed into this glorious place where God is forever present.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:8 –
“ 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. 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 21:25-27
“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. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Revelation 22:14-15
Is your name in the Lamb’s book of life?
Jesus is inviting you today to believe in Him and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. To follow Him. To add your name to the millions that are already written there. God wants to write your name too.
What does the bible warn about those whose name is not in the Book of Life:
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.
And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:11-15
That means going to a place where God is not present. A place where we do not want to be.
It is not Gods will that you go there. He does not want you to perish.
“ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:16-18
Please respond to the invitation to find God through Jesus His son before it is too late.
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:16-17
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