Cornerstone
Though there were many factors that led the Jewish people to
reject Jesus as their Messiah,
it can be stated simply: they did not believe in Him because
they did not want to believe.
It is the same reason most people throughout history
have rejected Jesus as Messiah.
It is not that they could not believe, it is that they wouldnot believe.
It is not that people need more evidence, it is that they do not
act upon the evidence that they have.
The religious leaders at the time of Jesus were corrupt.
Their leadership was indicative of the spiritual state of the people.
Though the people went through the proper rituals
that God had commanded,
their hearts were not in them.
They were not that interested in the
truth of God.
The New Testament provides many such
examples of the religious leaders
attempting to suppress the truth of God.
A case in point is that of Lazarus. In the presence of the religious rulers,
Jesus brought back Lazarus from the dead
after Lazarus
had been dead four days.
One would think that such a miracle would at least
make them consider believing in
Jesus as the Messiah,
because from their own testimony
they never saw anyone do such miracles. But discussing about
what to do with Jesus, they decided to kill Him.
Rather than causing belief, it made them want to get rid of Him.
But it was not only Jesus that they wanted to kill.
Lazarus was walking around alive,
a living testimony
to the power and credentials of Jesus.
Therefore, the religious leaders wanted to kill Lazarus also!
But the chief priests took counsel that they might also
put Lazarus to death, because on account of him many
of the Jews went
away and believed in Jesus
(John 12:10,11).
Jesus, in speaking to His disciples, summed up the state of the people:
"Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear,
nor do they understand"
(Matthew 13:13).
The basic reason that the majority of the
nation Israel rejected Jesus
is simply because they did not want to believe.
John The Baptist Acknowledged Jesus
As The Messiah
John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ,
pointed Jesus out as the Messiah.
John clearly identified Jesus as the Messiah.
Yet we have the later account of John being
put in prison by King Herod.
The Baptist then sent two messengers to Jesus
asking Him if He were the Christ or if they should look for another.
Jesus answered in such a way that left no doubt
He was the Messiah.
Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:
that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them
(Luke 7:22)
John certainly would have understood this message,
for the signs
Jesus was performing were the credentials
of the Messiah.
But why did John originally ask the question?
Had he been mistaken about Jesus?
Had Jesus let Him down?
Had John wavered in faith?
There is a better answer than assuming John had doubts
about Jesus' identity
or that he was in some sort of depression while in prison.
The answer would seem to lie in the circumstances of the nation Israel.
Jesus came into the world when Rome ruled the Jewish people with an iron hand. There were many in Palestine who were proclaiming that the coming kingdom, predicted in the Old Testament, would
come by means of a military overthrow.
Jesus came upon the scene and proclaimed God's kingdom
was at hand
but said it would belong to the meek, not the strong.
His ministry was one of mercy, not judgment.
John was probably wondering
how the kingdom could be established in the manner Jesus prescribed.
His question contains the idea that Jesus was not going about it fast enough.
Jesus' answer indicates that the program was underway,
but according to His schedule and not John's.
The day of vengeance is something still awaiting
the unbelievers in the future.
It seems best to take John's question as one concerned more with
the tactics of Jesus in establishing His kingdom, rather than
John questioning Jesus' identity as Messiah.
He Had The Wrong Expectation
There is also the matter of the type of Messiah they were expecting.
Matthew made it clear the purpose of Jesus' coming:
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins
(Matthew 1:21)
Jesus claimed to be the promised Messiah
but was rejected by His people.
The hearts of the people were hardened to the truth.
In addition, there was a corrupt religious leadership who
would not receive his claims.
Therefore it was the sin of the people that kept them from
accepting Jesus as the Promised One.
Although John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Messiah
he sent two of his messengers
to Jesus to ask if He were indeed the Christ.
Jesus was not moving forward with establishing the kingdom
like John wanted.
Jesus told the messengers that he was indeed the Messiah
but not
the type most people were expecting.
I’ve said before that the problem with religion is that
it’s easier than following Jesus.
It is usually a given that something is wrong with us, wrong with the world, perhaps critically or else just a little off, but most people agree that something must be done because all is not right in the world as it is.
Religion, in most cases, offers us the chance to do something.
If we read the right book, say the right things, act right, talk right and treat each others the right way we can “fix” what is wrong.
Religion, as such, is worthless. But what could I mean that
Jesus was not religious?
The religious leaders of his day were the Pharisees, and a careful reading of
the Gospels shows that
Jesus never really had much good to say about them.
He was always willing to share with anyone
seeking to understand the truth
(i.e. Nicodemus),
but as a group Jesus was most likely to call them hypocrites, false teachers, spiritually blind, and sometimes worse.
The Pharisees were the ruling sect of Judaism, and had
studied the Law and Prophets well.
But they were sort of like lawyers of their religion.
God had given Moses the Law, certainly, but it was
in order to teach people what God was like.
What kind of God would give a command for his people not to kill each other? Jesus condemned the Pharisees for keeping the letter of the Law but not
the spirit of the Law.
They were so legalistic they had missed God.
He reminded them on one occasion that the Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath.
The religious leaders were very religious, but were
not teaching the people
how to find God.
They were pushing the rules, like first century hall monitors.
Jerusalem was the religious capital of the Jewish world,
but Jesus is seldom there.
It is debatable how much time he spent in Jerusalem
(we know he entered the temple on occasion, and certainly attended all the required – and some optional – Jewish festivals)
but most of the Gospel stories take place on
a mountain somewhere, in the wilderness, on the Sea of Galilee,
in some tax collectors home,
in a cemetery, or else in Samaria of all places.
Jesus went up to Jerusalem from time to time, but those were
usually not happy visits.
If Jesus had been interested in religion, he would spent a lot of time in the Jerusalem temple. The Pharisees would have all been his pals.
Jesus was not interested in religion, nor
how religious a person could be.
He wanted people to know that
God wanted a relationship with his people.
Jesus said that God’s people would worship Him
in spirit and in truth,
not on this mountain or in that temple.
Jesus turned the religious world of the Pharisees upside down
with his sermon on the mount.
He challenged their notions about tithing with his
observation of the widow’s mite.
Jesus broke the Sabbath laws,
ate without washing his hands,
and had disciples that did not fast.
But he knew more about God
than the Pharisees had learned in
4,000 years.
Listen to what Jesus is telling us, and
strive to have the mind that he had.
He lowered himself in humility to become
not only a human being,
but one that was obedient even unto death.
All so that we could know God.
If we have seen Jesus, we have seen God.
Are we trying to see Jesus?
It’s not about what we do,
it’s about what
Jesus has already done.
That’s the Gospel message.
This is the good news!
The indignation of the religious leaders towards
Jesus during His time is undeniable.
They hated Him so much to the point that they
arrested Him, tried Him, and brought Him to Pilate for a death sentence.
But what made them so angry at Jesus that they wanted Him dead?
Jesus made several outrageous claims about
Himself.
One of which was His claim that
He was the Messiah.
By claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah,
He was saying that His authority
outweighed their authority.
The religious leaders did not believe any of Jesus’ claims
and were angry at the people who believed.
The leaders accused the people of believing Jesus out of ignorance.
They were also jealous of the attention that Jesus was getting from the people. The claims Jesus made caused the religious leaders of His day
to be indignant towards Him.
John 8:58-59
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
before Abraham was, I AM.”
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but
Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple,
going through the midst of them, and
so passed by.
When Jesus pointed out their hypocrisy in connection to their practices, the religious leaders saw Him as a threat. On two different occasions, Jesus entered the temple precincts and drove out those who were buying and selling
(John 2:13-17).
Jesus angered the religious leaders with His claim of authority over the temple. Before Jesus came into the picture, the religious leaders were the respected authority in overall activities in the Temple. They could do all they wanted without anyone questioning their actions. Jesus’ arrival threatened their religious system and angered them to the point that they wanted Him dead.
One of the things that triggered the religious leaders’ hatred towards Jesus was His lack of respect for their religious traditions. Either Jesus ignored these traditions or He deliberately broke them. This is because He knew that these were man-made and not from God.
One common practice that Jesus violated which caused the most outrage was regarding the Sabbath. God had commanded the Sabbath to be a day of rest from labor. Yet the religious leaders added all kinds of restrictions which made it difficult and impossible to observe.
Jesus was grieved and angry at the way they had perverted the Sabbath observance. He asked the religious leaders several specific questions.
Mark 3:4-5
Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
In the presence of the religious leaders, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. This healing that Jesus performed on the Sabbath was more than the leaders could endure. Thus, they were convinced that Jesus had to die.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were filled with pride and arrogance. They were particularly proud of not mingling with the outcasts of society. It’s because they did not believe that the Messiah would be with such a crowd. A Pharisee went nuts at the sight of Jesus allowing a woman to wash His feet.
Luke 7:39
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying,
"This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
The religious leaders thought of themselves as righteous men who must never associate with sinners. Seeing Jesus socializing with these kinds of people infuriated the proud Pharisees and other religious leaders.
Jesus Performed MiraclesThe miracles Jesus performed before them and many on-lookers also angered the religious Jews. After witnessing the healing of a demon-possessed man, some of the multitudes questioned if Jesus could be the Messiah. But the leaders accused Jesus of
casting out demons by the power of a demon.
Matthew 12:22-24
Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind, and mute; and He healed him so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
The miracle was undeniable!
The man who was not only deaf and mute
but also demon-possessed was healed.
But rather than believing Jesus to be the Messiah,
these religious leaders attributed
His power to the devil.
Since their official explanation for what Jesus did was that His power came from the devil, then He must die.
The religious leaders’ motive for wanting Jesus dead was not anything godly or righteous. They hated Jesus and wanted to put Him to death because of the above-mentioned reasons.
In the end, it was their pride, arrogance, and hypocrisy that caused them to bring Jesus before Pilate to be crucified. They did not want to hear the truth from God.
Jesus was hated by the world and did not receive Him (John 1:11). And He warned us that because they hated Him first, they would also hate us.
John 15:18-19
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Many religious people today are easily triggered when a “redeemed”
believer dares to point out their wrong beliefs and practices.
They tend to become defensive and hostile when told the truth
about salvation by grace and not by works.
But no matter how people with a different worldview despises your faith in Christ as your Savior, be patient with them. Keep trying to reach out to them and share God’s gift of salvation. Most of all, keep loving them and praying that they too would come to faith in our Lord Jesus.
Jesus emptied Himself or made Himself nothing. He left His high rank in heaven to become a humble, human servant. He set aside His rights and privileges as God to live a life of humble service and obedience, even to the point of dying a horrible death on the cross for sinners.
As a result of Jesus Christ’s self-emptying and self-humiliation,
God exalted Him
to the highest place of honor.
Jesus, who stooped down low,
was raised
by the Father to His glorious position
in heaven.
The name that is above all names is the supreme name--
the divine name Lord. This name acknowledges
Jesus Christ’s absolute lordship as divine King of the universe,
and it brings with it the right to be worshiped.
It was humbling for the Son of God to become a man.
Taking on the character of a servant was even
more humbling.
But Jesus went a step beyond.
He was willing to die one of the most disgraceful forms
of execution as a condemned criminal on a cross.
Following His humiliation and obedience, God elevated
Jesus to His rightful place of glory.
After Christ’s victorious resurrection from the dead,
God bestowed honor upon His humble, obedient Son:
“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross,
disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the
place of honor beside God’s throne”
(Hebrews 12:2, NLT).
every living thing, both in heaven and on earth,
will honor Christ.
The exalted Christ,
who sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand
(Colossians 3:1)
is Lord over all (Acts 10:36; Romans 10:12).
He has the supreme Name; He is Lord of lords and King of kings
(Revelation 17:14; 19:16).
He is the one Lord,
"Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created,
and through whom
we live”
(1 Corinthians 8:6, NLT).
Jesus is Lord of both the dead and the living
(Romans 14:9). He is the Lord upon whom the church calls (1 Corinthians 1:2). Jesus is our Mediator (Hebrews 3:1–6; 8:6; 9:15; 12:24),
Intercessor (Hebrews 7:24–25; Romans. 8:34), Reconciler
(Ephesians 2:12–17; Romans 5:1), and the
One who gives us entrance into the
Kingdom of Heaven
(Hebrews 4:1, 11; 6:19–20).
Jesus has the name above all names because
Jesus Christ is Lord!
This name,
given to Him by the Father,
affirms His divinity and supreme authority.
Hebrews 1:3
He is the radiance of the glory of God
and the exact imprint of his nature,
and he upholds the universe by the
word of his power.
After making purification for sins,
he sat down at
the right hand of the Majesty on high,
John 14:6 Jesus said to him,
"I am the way, and the truth, and
the life.
No one comes to the Father except
through me.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
and for
training in righteousness,
1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess,
is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
Romans 9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race,
according to the flesh,
is the Christ, who is God over all,
blessed forever. Amen.
Matthew 4:4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him
who was seated on it.
From his presence earth and sky fled away,
and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead,
great and small, standing before the throne,
and books were opened.
Then another book was opened, which is the book of life.
And the dead were judged by what was written in the books,
according to what they had done.
And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades
gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged,
each one of them, according to what they had done.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 3:21 The one who conquers, I will grant him
to sit with me on my throne,
as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them,
for he
who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he
always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active,
sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of
soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow,
and
discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and
by whom all things exist,
in bringing many
sons to glory, should make the
founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time is coming when people will
not endure sound teaching,
but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves
teachers to suit their own passions,
1 Timothy 6:15 Which he will display at the
proper time--
he who is the blessed and only Sovereign,
the
King of kings and Lord of lords,
Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence
with the glory that I had with you before
the world existed.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 1:4 In him was life, and the life
was the light of men.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear
what the
Spirit says to the churches.
To the one
who conquers I will grant to eat of
the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God.’
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us,
so that
we may have confidence for the day of judgment,
because as he
is so also are we in this world.
1 John 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he
rewards those who seek him.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there
is one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus,
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things,
and in him
all things hold together.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him
who strengthens me.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to
the power
at work within us,
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come,
God sent forth his Son, born of woman,
born under the law,
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him
we might become the righteousness of God.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own order:
Christ the first-fruits,
then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him
in order that we may also be
glorified with him.
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery
to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,
by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God
is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Acts 1:11 And said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said,
“It is finished,”
and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me,
may be with me where I am,
to see my glory that you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
John 14:30 I will no longer talk much with you,
for the ruler of this world is coming.
He has no claim on me,
John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and
you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 14:1-3 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;
believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again
and will take you to myself,
that where I am you may be also.
John 10:30 I and the Father are one.”
John 8:58 Jesus said to them,
"Truly, truly,
I say to you, before Abraham was,
I am.”
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying,
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
will not walk in darkness, but will
have the light of life.”
John 5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also
the Son gives life to whom he will.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life;
whoever does not obey the Son shall
not see life,
but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
John 1:13 Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man,
but of God.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 5:1-7:29 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain,
and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ...
Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on
the pinnacle of the temple ...
Matthew 3:16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately
he went up from the water, and behold, the
heavens were opened to him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
coming to rest on him;
Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Isaiah 64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Isaiah 26:19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew
of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Psalm 91:1-16 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord,
“My refuge and my fortress, my God,
in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and
under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness
is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ...
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psalm 23:1-6 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ...
Job 19:25-27 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last
he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold,
and not another. My heart faints within me!
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you
about these things for the churches. I am
the root and the descendant of David,
the bright morning star.”
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,
so that they may have the right
to the tree of life and that they may
enter the city by the gates.
Revelation 22:12-13 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.”
Revelation 22:4 They will see his face, and his name
will be on their foreheads.
Revelation 22:2 Through the middle of the street of the city;
also, on
either side of the river,
the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit,
yielding its fruit each month.
The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the
river of the water of life,
bright as crystal,
flowing from
the throne of God and of the Lamb
Revelation 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it,
nor anyone who does
what is detestable or false, but only those who are
written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the
first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power,
but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they
will reign with him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were
those to whom the authority to judge was committed.
Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God,
and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image
and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4-6 Then I saw thrones, and seated on
them were those to whom the
authority to judge was committed.
Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for the testimony
of Jesus and for the word of God,
and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image
and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They came to life
and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!
Revelation 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a
white horse!
The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he
has a name written
that no one knows but himself.
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which
he is called is
The Word of God.
And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,
were following him on white horses.
From his mouth comes a sharp sword
with which to strike down the nations, and he
will rule them with a rod of iron.
He will tread the winepress
of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ...
Revelation 19:10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”
For the testimony of Jesus is the
spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying,
“Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Revelation 13:14 And by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth,
telling them to make
an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Revelation 13:13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,
Revelation 12:11 And they have
conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
and by
the word of their testimony,
for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Revelation 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been
slain for the word of God and for the witness
they had borne.
Revelation 5:13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing
and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and eat with him,
and he with me.
Revelation 3:5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.
I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
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