My friend Annette emailed me yesterday from California with an interesting passage that she had just read. It's the story of the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, which occurred after extensive repairs had been made by those that had arrived back in the city after their exile to Babylon. God had instructed these people to renew their covenant faithfulness to Him. With the city wall completed, a ceremony was begun:"And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres... Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks... And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader... And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away." (Nehemiah 12: 27-43)
My friend said these verses reminded her of heaven, and what we'll experience when the New Jerusalem is brought into existence (see Revelation 21). I loved Annette's assessment of this passage:
"In verses 31-43 is the picture of 2 great choirs proceeding into the temple and singing. Man, I'll bet it was something. And better still, will be something."
Amen, sister!
Rev. 21 is such a visual picture of brilliance, God's glory v22-24 captures the Glory that will now longer blind us but will surround us, be us how exciting! 22 says; "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are it's temple. v23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lanb is its lamp. And v24 The nations will walk by its light, and Kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it." If one goes back to v5-7 is a promise from God that we can stand firm on, though we have learned to dis-trust promises made by man who can so easily dismiss their importance of security, we can trust God for He NEVER breaks a promise; and the promise from the Almighty seated on the throne is~~"I am making everything new!" He even told John to "WRITE IT DOWN,for these words are trustworthy and true. Verse 7 is what should keep us clinging to His word and Our Savior, "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." Someday all the saints will shine in His glory I look forward to meeting all of them and I look forward to sharing a banquet with you Annette! DS
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