Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

THE INTERNATIONAL CITY

This entry was posted on 07-03-2009 and is filed under HEAVEN.

"The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it...The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it" (Rev. 21:24, 26 NIV).

My friend Jim Tune preaches in Toronto, Canada, "the world's most culturally diverse, religiously pluralistic city" (Christian Standard, July 12/19, 2009). The church is winning many people from many nations to Christ right in Toronto. I am sure that when they reach Heaven some day they will feel right at home because Heaven is truly "The International City." Today's text tells us that the nations will walk by the light of the temple, i.e., God and Christ (see v. 23). Isaiah prophesied, "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn...to you the riches of the nations will come" (Isa. 60:3, 5).

Heaven will be the most spiritually cosmopolitan city you have ever seen. The "new song" praises Jesus "...because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God..." (Rev. 5:9, 10). Then comes another great scene. "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb" (Rev. 7:9, 10). I have brothers and sisters in Christ whom I have met in nations like India, Russia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Canada, Mexico, et al, and it will be wonderful to see them in Heaven some day! In the meantime, let us be diligent to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I [Jesus] have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19, 20).