Nearer, My God, to Thee - King’s Heralds and Del Delker Homesick for Heaven - King’s Heralds and Del Delker

Nearer, My God, to Thee - King’s Heralds and Del Delker Homesick for Heaven - King’s Heralds and Del Delker

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Voice Of Prophecy

H.M.S. Richards

New Jerusalem


Nearer to thee, nearer to thee, Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee, Even though it be a cross that raiseth me, Still all my song shall be, Nearer, still nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee. Be. There let the way of peace steps up to him, all that thou sendest me, in mercy give. And I'll sing again.

Angels to beckon me, Nearer, my God, to thee. Nearer, my God, to thee. Nearer to thee. To thee. To thee.

To thee. For if on joyful week, joyfully gleaming the sky. Sun, moon, and stars for God's love were I fly. Still all my song shall thee. Nearer, my God, to thee.

We're happy to be with you for this worship service, and I'm sure that you'll enjoy the interesting subject that my father, HMS Richards, will be presenting on the New Jerusalem. You know the Bible says a lot about that New Jerusalem, and of course today we've heard a lot about the Old Jerusalem. May the Holy Spirit bring you much encouragement and a real blessing as you listen now to my father HMS Richards, His subject, the New Jerusalem. When 1 stops at Marizaian Cornwall on Mount's Bay, he has a lovely view of St. Michael's Mount, its rocky height rising from the midst of the waters.

1 never tires of it, so beautiful and picturesque it is. For long centuries this was a fortress against invaders, a place of worship for the Christian faith. When you express your pleasure in the view, a resident may immediately speak up and say, Wait until you see the other side. You won't think this is so beautiful then. It's 1 mass of flowers over there.

You must go across and see the other side. So it is with all of us in the heavenly land. Some of us are too well satisfied with here and now. What we need is a view of the other side. We need to see with the eye of faith the things which God has prepared for them which love Him.

Suppose now we just let the Bible talk. God will tell us in His own inspired words what the New Jerusalem is like. First, Revelation 3.12, Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from God. And I will write up 1 in my new name.

Here the New Jerusalem is called the City of God. It is now in heaven. It will descend to this earth, be the capital of the earth made new. We should read all of the 21st chapter of Revelation. What a wonderful description it is.

But we shall read only verses 10 to 16. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal, and had a wall great and high, and had 12 gates, and at the gates 12 angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. And the east 3 gates, the north 3, the south 3, the west 3 gates. The wall of the city had 12 foundations, in them the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.

Neither talked with me at a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth 4 square, and the length is as large as the breadth. And He measured the city with the reed, 12, 000 furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. It's a perfect square, 12, 000 furlongs about it.

Reckoning 8 furlongs to the mile would give 1, 500 miles for its circumference or 375 miles on each side. Its mighty transparent walls surround an area greater than that of the combined territory of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, or larger than the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois combined. The statement that the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal, no doubt, refers to proportion rather than size. It is in perfect proportion. We are told that the light of the city is like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

We read in verse 19, the foundations of the wall were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The prominent colors of the various stones mentioned here are green and blue, the colors of the earth and sky. Jasper, a beautiful sea green. Sapphire, a stone of a very lovely sky blue color. Third, chalcedony, a species of agate or onyx, usually pale blue, rare, seldom discovered.

Fourth, the emerald, very bright green stone. Fifth, Sardonyx, species of agate, sometimes red. 6. Sardius, blood red color. 7.

Chrysolite, transparent stone, golden in color, sometimes mixed with green, called the gold stone. 8. Barrow, very hard, transparent gem, usually bluish green. 9. Topaz, wine yellow color, 1 of the 12 stones on the high priest's breastplate.

10. Chrysophysis, green of color, inclining to gold. 11. Jason, stone of a dead red color. 12.

Amethyst, beautiful gem, usually purple or violet. Looking over these stones carefully, we notice the first 4 to be of a greener bluish cast, the fifth, sixth red or scarlet, seventh yellow, eighth, ninth, and tenth of different shades of lighter green, 11th and 12th scarlet or violet. This brings an arrangement much like that of the rainbow, more complex. Let us not try to spiritualize these foundation stones or the gates of pearl. We visited the Tower of London once, there, sparkling before our eyes, were the crowned jewels of the British Empire.

There is nothing just like them in all the world. As we stood looking at them, we said to ourselves, these are only chips of the great foundation stones of the City of God. On each foundation course is the name of 1 of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. Those young peasant mothers of Galilee never dreamed that the names they gave to their babies would shine forever on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, did they? We read here that the Lamb, that is, Christ, is the light of the city, and for that reason there is no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it.

The glorious light from the throne of God reflects back from the walls and the buildings and forms a glorious rainbow encircling the throne. The Prophet Isaiah seemed to have a view of this when he wrote, Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of 7 days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Isaiah 30, verse 26. There will be no fog or smog to darken the air but a crystal atmosphere. We cannot imagine the beauty as flower and field and forest are bathed in the sun's rays in the City of the Living God.

Yes there will be light in the City, glorious everlasting light, for there shall be no night there, we read in Revelation 22.5, no night there. There will be music too, For at their great gatherings the redeemed will 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. Revelation 15.3 When sick and worn out, grand old Haydn was carried into the music hall for the last time to hear his own great oratorio, The Creation. The record says that when the orchestra came to the passage, Let there be light, the whole audience stood and cheered.

Haydn arose, and waving his hand toward heaven, said, It comes from there, it comes from there. He was overwhelmed by his own music. When he came to the doors, they carried him out in his chair. He turned back and extended his hand toward the orchestra as if in benediction. Without a doubt, such music as his did come from heaven, But the best of earth's music is only the echo of the heavenly harmonies.

In Revelation 21, we are told that the 12 gates were 12 pearls, every several gate was 1 pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. No wonder the ancient prophet declared, Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Isaiah 62.3 The Apostle John closes his vivid description of the City of God by saying, "...that the nations of the saved shall bring their honour and glory into it. This they do when they come from all parts of the redeemed earth to worship God and the Lamb. Then they will know each other as they are known, and their communion with 1 another and with the holy angels will form the whole family in heaven and earth.

As Paul tells us in Ephesians 3.15, there will never be the nagging thought in the back of one's mind, it will end soon, is too good to be true, it won't last. The Revelator concludes his description of the New Jerusalem by referring to the tree of life and the river of life within the paradise of God. He says, 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 on either side of the river, was there the Tree of Life, which bear 12 manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. This is the same Tree of Life that was in God's original Eden, in which after man's sin was protected by a flaming sword which turned every way, so that sinful human beings could not partake of it, and so live forever in sin.

When the City of God descends from heaven to earth, the Tree of Life will be restored through redeeming grace. It bears its fruit every month, and this fact reminds us of the prophecy of Isaiah 66, verse 22. For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from 1 new moon to another, and from 1 Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. From month to month the redeemed of earth will come up to the glorious city to partake of the fruit of the tree of life.

What a meeting that will be! There by the banks of the river of life, and from 1 Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. That will be a new experience for many Saints of God who never kept God's true Sabbath on earth. They lived up to all the light they had, but never had the Sabbath truth. But, friends, they will keep it there.

All flesh will keep it. A constant memorial of the creative and redeeming love and power of God throughout the ages of eternity. But there is more, much more about the city. Read these 2 great chapters for yourself, Revelation 21 and Revelation 22. Read them and think about them and pray about them.

But we must close our message for today as the Prophet closed his message of old. His last appeal was this, verse 17 of the 22nd chapter, verse 17, The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Are you thirsty? Will you come? That's the last appeal of the Bible, come, Come, come, 3 times. Entering a crowded bus, a young minister with a Bible under his arm became the brunt of sneering remarks and wisecracks from a group of young fellows aboard the bus. This kept on for quite a while until, as the young preacher began to walk down the aisle to leave the bus, 1 youth asked in a loud voice, "'Say, mister, how far is it to heaven?' And the Christian replied, "'It's only a step, won't you take it now?

So why resist God's appeal any longer? Why not make your surrender today, just now in fact? Why not make it this very moment? The Church of God and the City of God, the Bride and the Holy Spirit plead with you and say, Come, this is your invitation. Make your calling and election sure, make it certain today.

It's only a step. Will you take it now? Aren't you really homesick for heaven? Over the sea, entrancing the senses like sweet melody, Till the voice of the angels born soft on the air. For me they are singing their welcome I hear.

On the banks of old Jordan, here gazing I stand, and earnestly longing, I stretch forth my hand. I stretch forth my hand. Send a convoy of angels, dear Jesus, I pray. Let me join that sweet music, come take me away. Come take me away.

Though dark are the waters and rough is the way, For the heavenly music that ravished me so. I must join in that chorus, I'll go, let me go. What Heavenly music steals over the sea, Entrancing the senses like sweet melody. Sweet melody. Tis the voice of the angels, born soft on the there.

For me they are singing, their welcome might be. Come, my dear

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