Wednesday, September 27
The Ultimate Experience
EVIDENCE
Key Text: Revelation 21 and 22
As we read the last two chap-
ters of Revelation, we are pre-
sented with a picture—not of sym-
bols and representations—but of
reality. To the architect and car-
penter—the city described is real;
to the horticulturalist—the tree of
life is real; to the conservationist—
the river of life flows unpolluted;
to the jeweler and miner—the
streets of gold, foundations of pre-
cious stones, and the gates of
pearl are all so very real; to the
physician—the absence of sick-
ness and death brings wonderful
satisfaction, for there is health
and wellness for all time; to the
homeless—it is home; to the
lonely—it is a real family that
will be there forever. In all our im-
agination we cannot fully or ade-
quately project the grandeur,
beauty, and love that will be ours,
as God’s children, to enjoy—for
now we only see “through a glass,
darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12). Many
books have been written that
break down these chapters of Rev-
elation into a verse-by-verse study
providing a greater knowledge
than can be presented in this les-
son. Therefore, we choose to em-
phasize only a couple of aspects
taken from the Spirit of Prophecy
dealing with the unfolding of
knowledge throughout eternity
and God’s dwelling with the
saints.
1. For those who love knowl-
edge and learning, heaven will be
the ultimate experience. Not only
will you be able to seek knowl-
edge, but you will have under-
standing, as well. “All the treas-
ures of the universe will be open
to the study of God’s redeemed.
. . . They share the treasures of
knowledge and understanding
gained through ages upon ages in
contemplation of God’s handi-
work.” “Heaven is a school; its
field of study, the universe; its
teacher, the Infinite One.” “The
redeemed throng will range from
world to world, and much of their
time will be employed in search-
ing out the mysteries of redemp-
tion. And throughout the whole
stretch of eternity, this subject
will be continually opening to
their minds. The privileges of
those who overcome by the blood
of the Lamb and the word of their
testimony are beyond comprehen-
sion.’
2. “And I heard a loud voice
from the throne saying, Now the
dwelling of God is with men, and
he will live with them. They will
be his people, and God himself
will be with them and be their
God.’ ” “I did not see a temple in
the city, because the Lord God
Almighty and the Lamb are its
temple” (Rev. 21:3, 22, NIV).
Throughout time the taber-
nacle and Temple symbolized
God’s dwelling place among men.
It also represented the need for a
communicating link or mediator
on the sinner’s behalf—a ministra-
tion of redemption. In heaven
there will no longer exist sin or
sinner, and therefore the work of
by Lisa Legere and Debbie McCormick
Lisa Legere is a student at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medi-
cine, and Debbie McCormick is a student at Northeast Missouri State
University in Kirksville, Missouri.
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