In this sermon, the preacher discusses the delights of the city as described in the book of Revelation. The sermon begins by highlighting the incredible foundations and structure of the city, emphasizing its significance and importance. The preacher then focuses on the centrality of Christ in the city, highlighting his role as the faithful mediator in heaven and the supreme ruler on earth. The sermon concludes by emphasizing the paradise-like nature of the city, where there is no sin, curse, night, or death, and where believers will experience eternal blessedness in the presence of the Lamb.

Tonight we are turning to Revelation chapter 22. Praise the Lord. Just going to read the first five verses. And he showed me a pure river of water, of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and forever. Here we are in the final chapter of this book, indeed the final chapter of the canon of scripture. And it's the ultimate scene that is open to our view, and what a scene it is. As someone has put it, it is like the finale of some great concerto, in which the themes that have surrounded throughout it, are all gathered up in the last majestic, melodious clash. And how fitting that is. And as we approach it, it's good to be reminded, the key to understanding this book of the revelation, is in the very first phrase of the first chapter. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The book is all about him. And I trust that when we are reading this book, we don't miss him, as we try to come to terms with so many of the symbols that are within the book. He is the one by whom all things were created, that are in the heavens and that are in earth, visible and invisible. All things were created by him and for him. And so it is appropriate in this final book, from the first to last, he is central. And that must ever be his place in our lives, and in our homes, and in our business, and in our assembly, wherever. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the one around whom our entire lives revolve in captivated love and wonder. Hallelujah. The centrality of Christ. Now will you observe him with me in three distinct sections here. In chapters one to five, you see him central to faithful mediation in heaven. John has this vision of the glorified Son of Man. And he is relating in the second and third chapters to the churches upon earth, because he is the mediator. And in chapters four and five, of course, we see him there on that throne, the lamb that had been slain, but was alive again. So he is central to faithful mediation in heaven. From chapter six to chapter twenty, he is central to the supreme rulership on earth. And this is where you see all those activities, particularly the judgments that take place, until we come right up to the millennial reign of Christ and the ultimate great white throne. Then in the final two chapters, he is central to that perfect happiness, right through eternity, of those, of course, who are the redeemed. And it's not without significance that in each of these kind of movements, these three sections, he is seen in that centrality as the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God. In the first, it is the worship of the Lamb. That worship, of course, that is being sought, having a people who are in a right place with him, the dealings with the churches, are to bring him into a place where they can be an eternal praise and glory to him. He might receive worship, not just lip, but in lives that are truly honoring him. And so in the first section, it's the worship of the Lamb that is sought and then secured. In the second section, it's the wrath of the Lamb and it's poured out without mixture, from which, as you will read at the end of chapter six, all unclean souls are unsuccessfully seeking, hiding. They flee to the rocks and the mountains and call upon the rocks to cover them from the face of the Lamb. They're terrified because they're an unclean as they know they are now subjects of his judgment. But in the final movement, these last couple of chapters, it's the wife of the Lamb that is received in an everlasting glory, which Christ endows her with. She is seen pure and white, absolutely clean. She could not be, of course, apart from him in that eternal day when that which is perfect is come. The wife of the Lamb will be radiant in the splendor of this imputed righteousness. We'll never boast of anything that we are or have. We will just glory in him. And so she is looking upon his face. She bows in adoring worship. She reigns with him. The one whom Sidlo Baxter describes in such a beautiful way. The Lamb, he says, enthroned as king of the new heaven and new earth, as the utter all-eclipsing everlasting guarantee in all worlds to all creatures that the sovereignty of God is an all-supreme government of holy love. Yeah, oh how wonderful he is. Now looking at this chapter then, it becomes evident that there is the ratification and the endorsement or the enforcement of all that the book has been unveiling right through its, I was going to use the term glut, because it's profuse. The sites, the symbols, all this that concerns God's eternal and redemptive purpose. Man made in the image of God to be blessed in God and God to be glorified in all those whom he has sovereignly restored. And he who declared right there in the first chapter, fear not, I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead. Behold I'm alive forevermore and have the keys of death and of hell. Now right at the end of the book he gives his final verdict on things. And again he affirms right in this last chapter, I am alpha and omega. I am the root and the offspring of David. I am the bright and the morning star. He is all glorious and everything is secured by his sovereignty and that's what keeps us in perfect peace. That's what enables us to sleep at night. The sovereignty of God, the absolute sovereignty of God. He's got it all in control. All in control. I feel like Campbell Morgan. I read this quite some time ago. I made a note of it. There is no book, says Campbell Morgan, there is no book in the Bible to which I eagerly turn in hours of depression than this. With all its mystery, all the details which I do not understand. I go back to it, to the throne, to the lamb as it had been slain and my puzzled mind and troubled heart feel the healing virtue and I hear the song and I'm ready for another day's fighting for I know that Jesus shall reign. That's it. That's it. What do we have then in this chapter 22? Well we're truly in the paradise of God and we are struck between this description here and the garden of Eden where our first parents dwelt. Where we know of course they disobeyed and thus from which they were expelled in shame and and inconceivable loss. I'm not going to take the time tonight to make the comparisons to go back there but here we are in a new paradise. No sin, no curse, no night, no death, no imperfection, no separation and thank God friends no end to such blessedness in the presence of the Lamb. Hallelujah. Forever and forever. Praise God. The best peer into insignificance and then that one never ends. Goes on and on and on and on and on forever and forever. Let's look at it then. We're dealing tonight with the delights of the city. The delights of the city. And in these first five verses we we come from without the city uh viewing its incredible foundations and and structure. We come to the city center. Have you driven into capital some or into some strange place town city and on the outskirts you wonder which way do I go to get to the center and then you see a sign city center. Well John says here it is city center. Hallelujah. And every every detail is conveyed to us by an overlord John. We we see him in this chapter down to verse 9. He is falling down in worship mistakenly at first of course before the feet of the angel. The one who showed him these things and the one who quickly directs that worship to the only one who is worthy of it and the only one who must have it. The angel said worship God. And here John taking us into that city. Every detail emphases the life that the redeemed will have entered into. The source of it comes out from the throne of God. The the quality of it, the fullness of it, the variety of it. As we will mention in a moment you think of of a tree bearing fresh fruit every month. There's freshness about heaven. There's variety about heaven. 24 manner of fruit and the eternity of it. This life. Was it not Jesus who came to give us this life? John 10 and verse 10. There is one who comes he says he's a thief. He's a destroyer. The thief comes not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. And thank God friends that you know we have already entered into that in a measure now. We're enjoying abundant life. Abundant life. But then, then with what transcendence? Think of the best time of blessing you've ever had. Multiply that a billion times and you might be getting somewhere near it. Hallelujah. Simply because we are finite you see. We can't, we can't, we haven't got the capacity to to to apprehend all things. Let alone comprehend all things. But then, then he will have made us fit to be able to take it in and to enjoy it as he intended. And this is what God intended when he made man. This chapter 22. This is what he intended. But man forfeited it all. So instead of life he knew death. But thank God as we've already intimated Jesus came to bring about the great change for us. And through him we partake of eternal life. We do now partake of eternal life. 1 John chapter 5 and verse 11 down to verse 13. 1 John 5 11. This is the record that God has given to us. God hath given to us. God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things that are written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. Hallelujah. We have it. When Paul writes to the Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 1 he says and you who are sometimes dead in trespasses and sins yet now hath he quickened together with Christ. Hallelujah. He has made us alive. Oh yes we may yet physically die. But the Lord does not take us up in the rapture. For even though we are Christians we await a day when 1 Corinthians 15 54 says death shall be swallowed up in victory. That will be brought to pass when this mortal will put on immortality and this corruption will put on incorruption. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory. Hallelujah. What a day that will be. And as I just mused upon it I thought about all the pent-up feelings and longings to express the fullness of his life in us now. They will be released with such profusion and that is what John signifies here. Here is life. All the delights of this city. And I can only briefly comment on three things tonight. First there is the river of life. Because the chapter commences he showed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. So there you have its source. It comes from God. Proceeds out from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Ezekiel saw a river that flowed out from the altar. This flows out from the throne. And it's interesting to observe some scriptures. A few scriptures that indicate of the symbolic meaning of rivers. Just look at them with me. Psalm 1 and verse 3. Speaking of this righteous man. This man blessed because he's walking and delighting in the law of the Lord. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. So there is that which is drawn from this river that makes for spiritual prosperity. Hallelujah. In chapter 36 or Psalm 36 and verse 8. I read verse 7. How excellent is thy loving kindness O God. Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. In another of the Psalms it says in thy presence there is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. There's a river that flows that has within it every delight to satisfy the heart. Hallelujah. And in Psalm 46. Before I read verse 4 let me read the previous verses. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore will not we fear. Now mark this though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried in the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof there is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God. So in contrast to the earthquakes and cataracts and and cosmic convulsions that are mentioned there in those opening verses there's a wonderful peace. Hallelujah. There is a river that makes glad the city of God. Tranquility and serenity you know life life in that celestial city is characterized by these things but a further description shows the difference between that day and this day where the the godless prosper. This is what troubled David didn't it? One of his psalms. He got all uptight. He saw the the the godless prospering and he he nearly just gave up. Let's just have a look at that. Psalm 73 isn't it? He says but as for me my feet were almost gone. Psalm 73 verse 2. My steps had well nigh slept for I was envious at the foolish. Now notice this. He calls them foolish after he's had a revelation. He didn't think of them as foolish at first. He was envying them. It is after he had a revelation that he recognized that with all their prosperity with all that they had accumulated with all that they were enjoying they were fools because their whole lives were bound up in those material things and they pass away. I was envious of the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked and he just tells us listen it's just not fair. It's crosses for the righteous and it's crowns for the godless. Everything is going their way. I've believed in vain. Verse 18. When I thought to know this it was too painful for me until I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I their end. Oh yes friends but the godless in our time they have their day of prosperity. They prosper, they have pleasures and very often it seems that many of them are free from trouble and trauma but notice this river of life. It says he sees this river of life it's a pure river clear as crystal. Let me say to my friends that's what makes the difference between our life and the life of the godless because this life that we have in Christ is pure pure. Sin's pleasures are what? For a season. Oh yes there's pleasure in sin but it's for a season because for everything that is impure there is a use by date on it it's destined to perish but the things of God are stamped with eternity upon it. Praise the Lord because it's pure that's why his throne stands because it's founded in establishing righteousness it's the throne of holiness that's why it stands. Men's thrones they collapse they perish empires pass away because of corruption because of sin. Thank God friends we are partakers of a life tonight that comes from the throne of God it's a pure life. Hallelujah and then of course because this is speaking in terms of a future day this is where it's seen in all its fullness whatever we are enjoying tonight it's going to be consummated with far greater reality and abundance in that day. There's the river of life. In verse 2 we go on to the tree of life the tree of life in the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river was there the tree of life which bear 12 manna fruits and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Now this may pose a bit of a problem to us but this is a different scene now to the scene in that garden of Eden. There Adam put out of the garden cherubim with flaming sword was put so that they would not have access to the tree of life but here none of the righteous are debarred from it no cherubims will guard it with flaming sword access is for all as it graces the celestial paradise of God what a tree what a tree we can't imagine this because the way it's expressed indicates it's something that we've never ever seen it appears to line the banks of the river and it adds further splendor and beauty to the central boulevard of this celestial capital it's an amazing an amazing tree it says it bear 12 manner of fruits so here is life in its utmost variety and vigor hallelujah the question is shall we eat in heaven well why not Jesus ate after the resurrection well if we do then it will not be just for sustenance it'll be for enjoyment remember what Jesus said to the church at Laodicea he said Bjorn I stand at the door and knock if any man will open the door I'll come into him and sup with him and he with me there's something very beautiful about having a meal together with people isn't there there's such beautiful communion there there's fellowship there there's warmth there there's love there there's generosity there there's satisfaction there something beautiful about having a meal together can you imagine what it's gonna be like in heaven 12 manner of fruits if we eat it will not be just to sustain us we don't need food we'll have eternal life hallelujah but oh the blessedness of of being there enjoying heaven for it in its fullness and it says a variety of fruit each month that is there's such continuous blessing a supernatural supply with with simply no end to it well that's understandable because you can't enjoy all of heaven all at once there will be new expectations to kindle the heart there will be inexhaustible riches that will be net that never will be diminished in a billion eons we'll only have just started if you go back to john's gospel i i was struck with what jesus said in chapter 14 verse 21 he said he that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and i will love him and will manifest myself to him and friends if if he will do that now do you think it's going to be any less or different in glory never there will be perpetual and renewed manifestations of the very heart of god and of the lamb to to ravish the life of affection and aspiration because friends i i think i might have mentioned before when we are there you know it doesn't we don't just don't come to a stop there and say well you know i lived my christian life on earth here we are in heaven feet up let's rest and from our labors and there'll be there'll still be that craving for god to know him i'll talk about that shortly that there will be perpetual renewed manifestations of the heart of god to us we feast on him don't think this is just in some physical sense i think there is a spiritual sense in particular here we are going to feast hallelujah it talks about leaves for the healing of the nations now this may indicate because in this last chapter you know because we have got a summation of many things that have gone before it could be just going back to that millennial period or after the millennium because it talks about the nations it says the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations we said last week that word nations is just a word for peoples so whether these are peoples on the new earth or just peoples within the city it doesn't really matter the the word for healing is interesting it's the word therapeia from which we have our word therapeutic you see when we talk about it for the healing there's no sickness in that city so you don't need to take the leaves of the tree to heal some sickness there is no sickness it simply means there will be the enjoyment of continuous health we shall enjoy a rich fulfilling and enriching life and that's why tonight friends the delights of of glory are beyond our wildest dreams hallelujah praise the lord the tree of life quickly on to the verses three to five we have the continuity of life because notice some of the things that are said here that in this paradise of god there's no curse there's no more curse now this is one of the most wonderful truths about our future for the curse that was there in that first paradise is not only overturned it's gone forever with all its painful and detestable ramifications that awful sequel to sin will never stalk us again because here is the the the truth that just about blows our mind that will never stalk us that curse is finished because there is nothing within our disposition to ever ignite resentments in the heart of our heavenly father so as to draw down any divine displeasure we will be perfect not simply that the curse has gone that had been there but there will never be another curse uttered no more curse no more cursing hallelujah i believe in eternal security praise the lord you see if there's perfect purity there's perfect life of communion with him hallelujah so there is this continuity of life we talked about this last week we will never be out of his presence we will be enveloped with his presence the glory of god fills the city that's the light he is the temple we have this this spontaneous access to him nothing will ever shade the brow of god as he looks upon us because there's something questionable something not quite right there will never be a blush there'll never be an embarrassing moment there'll never be a stumble and trying to pick yourself up again oh praise the lord it says there shall be no more curse for the throne of god and the lamb shall be in it that means friends there is going to be perfect obedience rendered to him who sits upon that throne now let's let's be honest it's not quite like that now is it very often we we we repeat a totally inconsistent phrase we say no lord you can't say no lord you can only say yes lord if he is lord if he is lord there are times when we are not obedient when we do the things which we know are not right but in that day the throne of god and the lamb shall be in it one of the reasons for the fact there is no curse because there's no disobedience in the first paradise there was disobedience there was a curse here see adam he he says you said i shall not but i will i'm not going to bow to your throne it was willful sin is the transgression of the law all sin is willful remember that all sin is willful you don't go oops i'd send sin is never accidental it's always willful but in that day the will is totally subordinate to the will of god the father the throne of god and of the lamb shall be in it perfect perfect allegiance to the lamb of god hallelujah we're gonna follow the lamb wherever he goes you won't have to look behind to see if we still follow we'll be there his servant shall serve him now this is priestly service here priestly service the word is the true priestly service this will be the highest life of service but not some fatiguing drudgery that many might know on earth oh yes we are bond servants his servants it's bond servants it's the doulos the bond the slave glad to be the slave but serving him friends is not a drudgery thank god we will be eternally occupied in that delightful ministry of worship what does the priest do he brings sacrifices and as hebrews tells us we are a spiritual house to offer up spiritual sacrifices we'll be occupied in that delightful ministry of worship and there it will be perfect worship no we're saying the music is dominating or the musicians are dominating worship is going to be absolutely perfect no complaints in that day i'm waiting to get what i tell you praise the lord his servant shall serve him and and they shall see they shall behold they shall look upon looking into his face his countenance will shine upon us will fill us with great joy as well as with awe surely this will be the ultimate in glory for us when we gaze upon him the unutterable interchange of holy benediction we will bless him as we look into his face he will bless us as he looks into our face where we will reflect something of that glory that is upon him and inherent in him there is here an intimacy of communion we never never knew the depths of in time the heart aglow with fruitful contemplation and thank god without any distraction to hinder the blessedness of it how many of you have left us for five minutes tonight did i did i lock the front door did i secure the garage before i came what a marvelous thing friends when we are there no distractions we won't we won't want to be distracted we will want to look upon his face you see it's no longer faith then it's sight and what a sight now we see as it were through a glass darkly but then face to face as our wonderful hymn has it face to face shall i behold him farther beyond that starry sky face to face in all his glory glory oh i shall see him by and by i was stimulated in my thinking by reading and dr tozer when he when he wrote about going after god he's got a book written that he wrote it's a compilation of articles i think actually um the pursuit of god and and he's got a chapter in there called the gaze of the soul and and in that he defines faith because he's speaking now about gazing upon him now in time by faith where we behold him but i thought he said something there about faith that that just stimulated my thinking particularly as i recalled it uh whilst meditating here about us then in that eternal day literally actually gazing upon looking into our savior's blessed face concerning faith he said faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving god it is a redirecting of our sight a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting god into focus sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self regarding and belief was put self where god should be but then he goes on to say when the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of god looking in heaven has begun right here on this earth and that just seemed to project itself a bit further into my own heart as i pondered it can you take it in tonight when time is no more and we are in his immediate presence no longer what torza was talking about grappling with with self's infirmities which presently stumble us no projection of self to command attention no twisted vision of self to demand recognition there's going to be the ultimate perfection of our intimacy in communion gazing upon him with no thought of self just filled with him let's face it friends our puppets are full of performance these days god save us god help us it's the projection of self it's the high profile what's all the choreography for hello there is going to be perfect simply humbly but actually looking into his face with love and deep longing to know him more than ever and to ascribe to him every vestige of glory and honor and praise you can't look at you can't think of yourself when you're looking into the face of jesus accepting now to be conscious of our own unworthiness and to admit that we are sinful but there is going to be ultimate satisfaction for us listen and for him because he has us there ultimately glorified oh do you know one feels they just want to stay right here for the face is the index to the character and distinctive attributes they they are represented by the face just turn back to psalm 34 i've heard a few preachers these days talking about david being a manic depressive all the preachers are saying it these days my word they're reading different sounds to me hmm god help us here's a man friends who knew god and listen to what he says in verse 15 the eyes of the lord are upon the righteous in other words he's looking at us the eyes of the lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry isn't it right you you hear better when you look at someone talking to you so the eyes and the ears when it comes to beholding others very very important they come together and here david puts them together then he says the face of the lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance them from the earth the face and to look into his face are to look upon his face is to know him for who he is and that eternal gaze upon him does imply as i intimated just a little earlier an eternal unfolding of his glory to the redeemed soul i see that day friends i see that day being full of delightful excursions into the unfathomable dimensions of the knowledge of the holy hallelujah oh who wants to go on vacation my word and that is why the privilege belongs only to those who are pure in heart it's the pure in heart who shall see god and it's not simply friends just looking upon the lamb looking upon our redeemer looking upon our god looking upon his face there's there's a communication here there's a communion here there there is a revelation here there is an impartation here looking into the face of jesus let's just proceed because out of just about out of time his name shall be in their foreheads that means there's no mistaking of their identity and no denying of their authority his name is upon them the the name when we talk about the name of god we think in terms of all the infinite perfections that belong to him so when he puts his name in our foreheads there's the imprint of his perfections upon us forever it's in a word the beauty of holiness hallelujah like the high priest in the old testament holiness unto the lord and that will be open and that will be visible you see there's nothing hidden up there there's nothing veiled nothing clouded and his name upon us will confirm that we are his possession and we are his forever there's a perfect eternal union hallelujah well it says there shall be no night there what a marvelous thing the sun never sets so all the things that we have just mentioned in brief and they could be amplified and expounded far beyond what we've done tonight but you know they will never come to an end we're gonna we're going on a day out that's never going to come to an end we're never going to pack up the picnic things and say listen it's time to go home we will be home there's no night there no night there nothing just to bring its its darkness over the joys that we share and things to be enveloped and shrouded in that no everything is glorious and forever and forever and forever there's no night there we won't be thrown out of that paradise and they shall reign forever and forever with him forever and forever reigning reigning i don't know what that means altogether we've tried to put all kinds of little sentimental things to reigning upon earth say oh one day i may be in 10 downing street or i might be in the white house or you know and the kremlin reigning oh dear i don't know what it means altogether all i know is that he is the sovereign who will have the entire universe at his command and there are purposes that we can never even speculate about where the bible is silent we've got to learn to be silent all i know it's going to be with him forever and reigning and that's why friends cheer up when you're going through times of difficulty because we're training for reigning that's what it is if we suffer with him we shall reign with him the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory they shall be revealed in us they shall reign forever and forever oh well whatever else might be said and a lot more can be said notice that the recurring word throughout our meditation has been that word perfect there's perfect life perfect peace perfect sustenance perfect enjoyment perfect health perfect communion perfect purity perfect sight perfect union perfect illumination perfect dominion i tell you friends heaven is a wonderful place there's no place that compares to the paradise of god hallelujah someone said to me don't mention your names it's a few weeks ago do you really think this is all literal yeah i believe heaven is literal the real place now how much of some of these things is symbolic and that well i don't i'd like to think it's it's so literal it means exactly what it says there is a street of gold and there are gates of pearl and there are foundations of jasper and saturnix and beryl and topaz and chrysopolis all the rest of it and a city that has no night and doesn't need the sun or the moon where the glory of god just fills it and he is the temple we can't take it in but i'm going in praise the lord jesus is wonderful let's stand and worship him