Revelation: 21:1-4
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Vacations are a great time to get away; to relax; to decompress. Recently my wife and I returned from a week in Paradise. The Riviera Maya is the stretch of white sand beaches south of Cancun, Mexico filled with all-inclusive resorts.
Staying at one of these resorts is a life of luxurious living where you are pampered by staff whose only goal is to serve you. The food is gourmet; the architecture is elegant; and the setting is ideal with palm trees, a pristine beach, never-ending sunshine and crystal clear blue water.
But the problem with going on a vacation like this is that eventually you have to return to reality; and reality can you hit like a sledge hammer.
Upon our return, instead of laying in the sun with 85 degree temperatures, we bundled up with winter coats in 35 degrees. Instead of enjoying the warm summery breeze of the Caribbean, we were buffeted by North wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. Instead of taking a leisurely walk down the beach with waves gently washing over our feet, we battled the commuter traffic for 45 minutes each way. Welcome home!
The New Jerusalem that John writes about in these few verses sounds like Paradise. And actually… it is.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. NLT
The new order means living in the presence of God.
“Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They are his people, he is their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” MSG
What sounds better to you, a temporary vacation only to return to the daily struggles of life? Or a permanent vacation in Paradise, living in the presence of our loving God? Immanuel: God with us.
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