Thesday, December 16, 2008

And the city has no need of sun or moon in order that they might give it light, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And Her Gates Will Never Ever Be Shut by day, for there will be No Night There. Rev. 21:23-25.

Sometimes the positives in life are so overwhelming that you can describe them only in negatives. That's the way it is with the New Jerusalem. The reality of the New Jerusalem is indescribable. We learn  that it will have shut. Its inhabitatns will never have to deal with tears, death, mouring, crying or pain(Rev. 21:4). The first taste of Paradise is an experience check: "Oops, no more death, no more night. Oops, no more locked doors. Oops, no more pain. This place is great!"

It reminds me of Nevember 9, 1989. At 7:00 p.m. the East German Politburo responding to weeks of peaceful demonstrations, announced that all citizens could leave East Germany at any crossing "immediately." After marking this announcment they notified Harald Jager, head of passport contral at the Berlin Wall's Bornholmer Strasse checkpoint, that no one was to pass through unless they had the proper documentatation.

Having faithfully watched over his border crossing for all of its 28 years of existence. Jager determined to continue doing his duty this evening. But by 11:00 p.m. things began getting out of control. A crowd of 20,000 people pressed against the crossing, demanding to be allowed through, but most had not yet been able to secure the proper documents.

The crowd began to chant, "Open the gate! Open the gate! Open the gate!"

Jager's men looked to thim for instructions. But he had no orders for such a situation. He didn't know what to do. The border guards became insistent: "Tell us what to do!" Jager haeld the fate of 20,000 people-yes, even a whole country-in his hands.

"What shall I do?" hd implored his men, "Order you to shoot?" Jager knew that the only way he carry out his orders was through bloodshed. 

Shortly after 11:00 p.m he  told his men at the gates, "Open them all!" By dawn an estimated 100,000 delirious East Germans had slippied past him on their way to a raucous celebrationin West Berlin. Over the next few days revelers from both Eastand West hammered away at the symbol of Soviet communist oppression and toasted their freedom. For them the symbol of hoped- for paradise was "Her gates will never ever be shut" again!  .

Lord, I thank You that none of the things that trouble or destroy today will long endure. give me patience to wait for Your glorious liberation.

If we draw near to God, He will put a word in our mouth to speak for Him, even praise unto His name. He will teach us a strain from the song of the angels, even thanksgiving to our heavenly Father. In every act of life, the light and love of an indwelling Saviour will be revealed. Outward troubles cannot reach the life that is lived by faith in the Son of God.(TFMB 86).