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"There she is!"

"There she is!"

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.

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: 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.

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. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. (Revelation 14:1-5)

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. (Revelation 21:3)

Who, or what, is the eternal dwelling place of God?

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.(Revelation 21:2)

The new Jerusalem is the eternal dwelling place of the God of Heaven. The Lamb, plus His Bride, are the eternal house of God.

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21,22)

I wonder if we ever will outgrow the idea that being saved means we will go to Paradise in the spirit world and recline in our mansion for eternity. As far as I know, every pastor and evangelist teaches that we are saved to go to Heaven. This doctrine is totally self-centered, isn't it?

The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation tells us clearly what the eternal destiny of the Christian Church is. It is to be the dwelling place of God and the Lamb.

God and the Lamb, through Their dwelling place, which is the new Jerusalem, preside over the people whom God has saved from the nations of the earth. The new Jerusalem is the home of the Royal Priesthood, the true, eternal Israel, the Bride of the Lamb.

Because the destiny of each of us who is part of the Wife of the Lamb, we have to be trained rigorously so we can represent people to God and God to people. We, as did the Apostle Paul, reconcile people to God.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (II Corinthians 5:20)

That the people whom God has chosen to live on the new earth will need the ministrations of the Royal Priesthood, is reflected in the following verse:

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:15)

It seems that when we come down from Heaven through the new sky, and then throughout eternity, we of the Royal Priesthood will have plenty of work to do. We will not be reclining at our ease in our mansion.!

If it is true that our eternal destiny is to be one of reconciling God's creatures to Himself; if this is the reason that the Christian Church is an elect, separated out from the nations to be more holy that the remainder of mankind; then we need to be oriented differently to our salvation instead of believing that God has saved us to live a life of ease in our mansion.

Not only are we to be teachers of the saved peoples from the nations, we are to be trees of life, growing on the banks of the River of the Holy Spirit, which is in the new Jerusalem. We ourselves are to be life-giving spirits, a source of life and healing for whoever will come and partake of that which is flowing from our personality.

The purpose for the two thousand years of the Church Age has been to call out from mankind a people who will belong especially to God. These are the sons and daughters of God; the wife of the Lamb. Their destiny is to be a house and resting place for God, and a location for His Throne.

Next Part Such is the new Jerusalem.

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