Saturday, the seventh and last day of Revelation, constitutes the whole period of eternity following the final judgment of mankind. It begins with the creation of a new universe and continues forever with God dwelling among his people in perfect fellowship, joy, and harmony.
It is mentioned in three of the seven accounts of Revelation -- twice in one of them -- so that the total number of independent descriptions is four. All four of these descriptions are parallel and should be considered simultaneously in order to gain a complete picture of the new universe. However, such an approach would require us to read everything before discussing anything.
So we shall begin our study by looking only at the chronology depicted in the last, the longest, and the most detailed description of Eternity. Then later, as the occasion warrants, we will insert the other parallel passages to clarify the picture.
According to the seventh Account of Revelation, Saturday begins with the creation of a new heaven and a new earth:
VII
REV 21:
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The fact that "all things are made new" (21:5) suggests not only that this creation constitutes the beginning of a new universe but that the whole structural foundation of this universe is different from our own. Apparently, this is a supernatural universe in which the impossible occurs with regularity and contradictions are completely irrelevant. But before we discuss the supernatural aspects of this new universe, let us take a look at some of the events that follow immediately after its creation.
The first major event following the new creation is that of God wiping away the tears from the eyes of the saints (7:17, 21:4). Some of these tears are almost certainly the result of having watched loved ones cast into the lake of fire at the end of Friday. Other tears may be a consequence of the preceding judgment against our shameful deeds in this life.
But regardless of the reason for the tears, the fact that they persist beyond the beginning of the new creation demonstrates conclusively that we Christians will enter the new life with our memories intact. In other words, we will not automatically forget our friends, relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances that we knew in our previous life who are now in eternal torment. Nor will we forget about the consequences of our own sinful actions and the sorrow and pain those actions inflicted upon others, including God.
In fact, the guilt and sorrow carried over from the previous Day would seem to be so overpowering that some, if not all, Christians are completely overwhelmed. They simply do not have the power within themselves to stop their lamentations. Even the splendor of the new creation is inadequate to lift their heavy hearts. Therefore, God himself shall gently and miraculously wipe away their tears.
Exactly how he does this, the Bible doesn't say. But it does say our sins are removed (PSA 103:12), forgiven (COL 2:13) and forgotten (HEB 10:17). And, since Christ has already paid the price of our sins (ROM 5:6-11), the guilt, pain, and sorrow are banished forever from our hearts and minds[1]. Then and only then, after the tears are miraculously wiped away, can we put the past truly behind us and start looking forward to the glorious future that lies ahead -- a time and place that contains no death, sorrow, crying, pain, hunger, or thirst. Only joy, gladness, peace and contentment shall stir our emotions from this time forevermore. Amen.
The second major event following the new creation concerns the "wife," the "marriage," and the "marriage supper" of the Lamb (19:7-9). Previously we briefly mentioned some of these items, but we never actually considered any of the possible interpretations of their meanings. Nor did we discuss the possible time frame associated with any of them. So let us do this now, beginning with the "wife" (or "bride") of Christ.
In this case, there seems to be no question but that she represents the saints of God. After all, she is wearing the clothing of the saints (9:8) and she is associated with both Judaism (21:14) and Christianity (21:15). Furthermore, there are biblical passages outside of Revelation that clearly identify the Church as being the wife or bride of Christ.[2]
The wedding or marriage, therefore, must symbolize the event or ceremony in which this bride is united with the Groom immediately before their most intimate fellowship. But when does this ceremony take place?
Certainly it could not have occurred before the Rapture because, until then, the Church was not complete (19:7). Surely the Rapture itself was not the marriage -- not with Christ descending to the earth to destroy sinful mankind. Nor is there any hint of a wedding taking place during the period of judgment when Christ is ruling with a rod of iron.
Only after the judgment, and the wiping away of tears, are Christ and his bride finally able to join together and establish the type of perfect union that was intended from the foundation of the world. Therefore, the marriage ceremony of Christ would seem to take place at the beginning of Saturday as the beautiful bride of Christ descends majestically to the new earth (21:2):
VII
REV 21:
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Notice that the New Jerusalem is identified as both the bride and the wife of the Lamb (21:9), that she is beautiful beyond description (21:11), that her gates contain the names of the twelve tribes of Israel (symbolizing all Jews) (21:12), and that her foundation contains the names of the twelve apostles (symbolizing all Christians) (21:14). Clearly the bride of Christ is composed of all the Jews and Gentiles who ever belonged to Christ -- the complete and united Church of God -- and is beautiful beyond measure in the sight of our Lord and Savior.
In fact, the beauty, majesty, splendor and glory of the New Jerusalem so overwhelmed St. John that his description raises more questions than it answers. We do not even know how much of this prophecy should be taken literally and how much should be interpreted figuratively.
Nevertheless, one aspect of the vision is quite clear: When Christ finally is united ceremonially with his bride, all will be perfect according to the standards of God. This places everything so high above our own intellect that even if words could properly describe the literal situation, our finite minds could not possibly comprehend the reality.
Clearly this is going to be one wedding that no one will ever forget!
Having identified the wedding as the ceremony in which Christ is united with the saints at the beginning of Saturday, let us now try to identify the wedding supper and determine when it occurs.
Surely it does not occur before the wedding. So it must occur sometime afterwards, probably immediately afterwards.
How long it lasts is not clear.[3] But we do know that all four of the descriptions of Eternity indicate that a fabulous celebration takes place immediately after Christ and the saints are united. We have already considered one of these descriptions. Let us now look at the other three:
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II REV 7: 9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. |
IV REV 14: 1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. REV 15: 1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. |
By harmonizing all four descriptions of the marriage supper, we can conclude that there will be shouting, singing, and musical instruments; that God, angels, elders, living creatures and the saints will all be present; that everything will be pure, beautiful, and majestic; and that the celebration will last day and night for an unspecified length of time. Perhaps the reason no food is mentioned is that Christ himself is the "Bread of life". But in any case, hunger, thirst, pain and sorrow will no longer exist and we shall dwell forever in the presence of the Lord.
The seventh Account ends its description of Eternity by mentioning both the river of life and the tree of life:
VII
REV 22:
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on 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.
3 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:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 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 for ever and ever.
We see that the river of life is beautiful, clear as crystal, and that the tree of life produces twelve fruits and has leaves that can heal the nations. But notice that neither the river, the tree, the fruit, nor the leaves are themselves the source of life from which they derive their names. The source of this life is the One who sits upon the throne; namely, the Triune Godhead -- the Father (Lord God), Son (Lamb), and Spirit (omnipresent) (7:10,17; 21:3,22; 22:1,3,5).
Somehow the mystery of the Trinity will not only be understood intellectually at that time, but it will be made obvious in its reality as God dwells with his people forever and ever.
As mentioned previously, the new universe appears to be completely new and different from this present age. In fact, when viewed from our current perspective, it looks like a totally supernatural realm, filled with impossibilities and contradictions. For example, how could God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit dwell as a single entity on one throne and still be omnipresent throughout the full extent of the new heaven and new earth?
How could people possibly breathe at the top of the New Jerusalem which extends 1500 miles (12,000 furlongs) high (21:16) into what should be the vacuum of space?[4]
How can the saints serve God day and night (7:15) when there is no night (21:22, 22:5)?
What kind of heaven will there be without sun or moon (21:23)? Will there also be no stars? Will the eternal heaven really be less impressive than our own?
How can there be a sea of glass mingled with fire (15:2) when there is no sea (21:1) and no heat (7:16)?
How can there be mountains (14:1, 21:10) and rivers (22:1) without water collecting at the bottom (21:1)? Does the river of life just wither up and die in some kind of desert?
How can there be healing (22:2) without sickness (21:4)?
How can gold be transparent as glass (21:21)?
Of course, none of these questions are of any real consequence when one remembers that God himself is present in the environment and quite capable of supplying all that is needed to make everything function together in harmony regardless of any apparent contradictions. But the point I am trying to make is this: the laws of nature will be different there and then from what they are here and now.[5]
Indeed, the whole structure of the new universe will be so wonderfully different, so amazingly supernatural that any attempt to understand it from this side of Eternity is doomed to failure. Perhaps that is the whole point of Revelation 8:1 where thirty minutes of silence follows the description of Eternity.
II
REV 8:
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
To me this passage suggests that at some point in the festivities the partying stops and worship begins. People suddenly become conscious of the unbelievable reality they are experiencing and begin to ponder the beauty, the wonder, the love, and the joy that surrounds them. In reverent silence they magnify the Lord God who made all these things possible.
Notice that the above passage says the silence lasts for ABOUT half an hour. Apparently no one is keeping time. And perhaps, just perhaps, some of us will need more time than others to ponder the full significance of the new reality and to express our appreciation in silent awe.
Truly, Eternity is going to be awesome!
[1]This is where God's grace really triumphs over justice. Justice demands that everyone be confronted with their sins on judgment day but, because of God's gracious gift of his only begotten Son, the saints in heaven never have to bear the consequences of their sins.
This is not the case for souls in hell. They do bear the consequences of their sins. Their guilt, pain, and sorrow remain with them throughout all eternity.
[2]Two such passages are John 3:25-30 and Ephesians 5:23-27.
[3]You don't suppose it lasts throughout the rest of eternity; do you?
[4]Conversely, if there is enough air to breathe at the top of the New Jerusalem, how could people possibly breathe under the immense pressure at the bottom?
[5]If I ever decide to study physics (the basic laws of nature) in this new universe, I'll have to start over completely from scratch. Everything I have learned here in this universe will be completely worthless. I suspect the same is true for whatever career, hobbies, or interests you have in this life. So don't plan to continue doing on the new earth what you are currently doing or what you would like to be doing on this earth. Eternity is not retirement, it is amazement.