Redeemed Entering the Open Gates of the Holy Cityby CBPepper
21:25Revelation 21:25
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
The gates of the holy city stand continually open by day and are never shut because there is no night there, for the city needs no sun or moon but is lit always by the glory of God and the Lamb shining through its open gates. This belongs to the vision of the holy city coming down from heaven to settle upon the earth at the close of the thousand years after Christ's second advent, where endless morning has dawned with no more tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain when those who sleep in Jesus are raised to die no more. Nothing defiling, abominable, or false can enter, but only those written in the Lamb's book of life, the nations that kept the truth as God's loyal, obedient, commandment-keeping people who were tried and love Him supremely. Christ Himself opens the gates and welcomes the redeemed with blessing, placing crowns of glory upon them and receiving them to remain forever in praise and song where no one can bar free access to the royal presence. The prospect of entering through the open gates calls every believing soul to seek earnestly for eternal life by forming a character fit for heaven, laboring together with God in kindness and faithful service and working determinedly so families enter together and are not separated.
Open Gates Without Night
The gates of the holy city are never shut by day but stand continually open, because there is no night there. They remain open in unbroken light, and the city is continually secure and accessible. Its gates stand open by day and admit only the saved, whose loyalty to God has been witnessed on earth. The saved nations walk in that light and bring their glory and honor into the city, but nothing defiling, abominable, or false may enter, only those written in the Lamb's book of life. Those given to Christ are with Him where He is to behold His glory.
There is no night because the city needs no sun or moon. It is continually lit by the glory of God, and the Lamb is its light. That light is the glory of the Redeemer, the brightness of heaven, the glory before which angels cover their faces. Glory shines through its open gates, as in a sunset glimpse of the gates left ajar pointing to the heavenly home and the rest awaiting faithful workers with assurance of unfailing care.
The verse belongs to the vision of the holy city descending from heaven and settling on the earth at the close of the thousand years after Christ's second advent. No night there means the former things have passed away. Tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain will be gone, and these promises are true and will be fulfilled for Christ's faithful, obedient children in their future home. Endless morning has dawned for the saints in the city of God where night never comes, when those who sleep in Jesus are brought by Christ from the grave at the sounding of the trump, awakened to life to die no more.
Those Who Enter In
Nothing defiling or abominable or false can enter the city, but only those written in the Lamb's book of life. The saved nations walk in its light and bring their glory and honor into it, and the kings of the earth bring theirs as well. Its broad streets are paved with gold and are far more attractive than earthly cities with their beautiful grounds and broad, safe streets, and nothing that defiles enters there. The nations that have kept the truth enter and are welcomed into the kingdom of glory.
Those admitted are the nations that kept the truth, God's loyal, obedient, commandment-keeping people whose faithfulness was witnessed on earth. Entrance is connected with bearing God's signet, living by pure principles, and remaining loyal to His law and covenant, and no one enters without that faithful allegiance. Those welcomed are obedient keepers who have been tried and love God supremely, including the meek and lowly rather than those bearing symbols of power. The open gates do not mean the disobedient will be admitted, for there will be no second rebellion.
Christ Himself opens its pearly gates after the resurrection and the nations that have kept the truth enter. He throws back the gates, puts a crown of glory on the heads of His people, and pronounces His blessing on them as they enter. They cast their glittering crowns at His feet, touch golden harps, and fill heaven with rich music and songs to the Lamb, remaining there forever to give praise and thanksgiving and glory to Christ and to the Father. There they live as one happy, united family under no other law than the law of heaven, clothed with garments of praise and thanksgiving, while the morning stars sing together and the sons of God shout for joy. Once inside, God welcomes the redeemed and no devil will tempt them, and the portals stand open with free access to the royal presence that no one on earth can bar.
Entrance through the gates is given to those who overcome and have a right to the tree of life. It is given to those faithful in service during the conflict, who overcome at last and win the crown of life eternal. Those whose hearts have been submitted to be refined and purified partake of the divine nature having escaped worldly corruption, have the peace of Christ, have names registered in the book of life and title bearing the royal signet, and no one dare question their right to enter. The city opens its gates to welcome the one who on earth learned to lean upon God for guidance and wisdom and for comfort and hope in trouble and amid loss and affliction, who lived for God unmoved by censure and unperverted by applause. Such a one shall abide forever with God, with God's everlasting arm passed for protection around him, however feeble, because he turned to God for aid, while only the pure in heart can see God and those who reject warning and live selfishly could not endure heaven's purity and glory.
Call to Seek Entrance
The open gates picture part of the glories that await the saved in the city of God, where those made fit by obedience to all the commandments meet as members of the royal family and know no more partings. The representation belongs to the redeemed, God's commandment-keeping people, and should lead every believing soul to seek earnestly for eternal life. It is part of the solemn view of eternal life and heaven set before the final choice between the righteous and the wicked. Only the pure in heart can see God, and those who reject His warnings and live selfishly could not endure heaven's purity and glory.
The prospect of entering through the pearly gates calls for forming characters fit for heaven. Keeping the eyes on God and laboring together with Him brings entrance through the pearly gates and a welcome, for the gates of the heavenly kingdom remain open and there is no night. That fitness is built by kindness, encouragement, helpfulness, and careful speech, beginning in family life, which creates a little heaven on earth in preparation for the heavenly home. The never-shut gates and life free from night set the city toward which hearts and conduct are to be directed, and looking through its open portals is reason to stand courageously for Christ.
The description of the beautiful new earth calls for working for one another and working determinedly to bring up youth in a right manner so they receive the crown of life and become overcomers. Angels assist in schools in educating boys and girls, and the Holy Spirit works with all human effort to save souls, with fathers and mothers taking hold of the work. The gates of the city stand open for its people to enter, and those brought up to love and serve God may enter together, faithful parents and children welcomed by Christ to receive the crown of eternal life and not be separated.
A glimpse of the gates left ajar with the glory of heaven shining through points to the heavenly home and the rest awaiting faithful workers, bringing encouragement and assurance of unfailing care. The heavenly city stands open and filled with light, its gates ajar and glory shining through, yet though the light is near, attachment to the world and evil inclinations blind people to it. Spiritual sight is needed to recognize standing on the threshold of eternity.
The gates of the holy city stand continually open by day and are never shut because there is no night there, for the city needs no sun or moon but is lit always by the glory of God and the Lamb shining through its open gates. This belongs to the vision of the holy city coming down from heaven to settle upon the earth at the close of the thousand years after Christ's second advent, where endless morning has dawned with no more tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain when those who sleep in Jesus are raised to die no more. Nothing defiling, abominable, or false can enter, but only those written in the Lamb's book of life, the nations that kept the truth as God's loyal, obedient, commandment-keeping people who were tried and love Him supremely. Christ Himself opens the gates and welcomes the redeemed with blessing, placing crowns of glory upon them and receiving them to remain forever in praise and song where no one can bar free access to the royal presence. The prospect of entering through the open gates calls every believing soul to seek earnestly for eternal life by forming a character fit for heaven, laboring together with God in kindness and faithful service and working determinedly so families enter together and are not separated.
Open Gates Without Night
The gates of the holy city are never shut by day but stand continually open, because there is no night there. They remain open in unbroken light, and the city is continually secure and accessible. Its gates stand open by day and admit only the saved, whose loyalty to God has been witnessed on earth. The saved nations walk in that light and bring their glory and honor into the city, but nothing defiling, abominable, or false may enter, only those written in the Lamb's book of life. Those given to Christ are with Him where He is to behold His glory.
There is no night because the city needs no sun or moon. It is continually lit by the glory of God, and the Lamb is its light. That light is the glory of the Redeemer, the brightness of heaven, the glory before which angels cover their faces. Glory shines through its open gates, as in a sunset glimpse of the gates left ajar pointing to the heavenly home and the rest awaiting faithful workers with assurance of unfailing care.
The verse belongs to the vision of the holy city descending from heaven and settling on the earth at the close of the thousand years after Christ's second advent. No night there means the former things have passed away. Tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain will be gone, and these promises are true and will be fulfilled for Christ's faithful, obedient children in their future home. Endless morning has dawned for the saints in the city of God where night never comes, when those who sleep in Jesus are brought by Christ from the grave at the sounding of the trump, awakened to life to die no more.
Those Who Enter In
Nothing defiling or abominable or false can enter the city, but only those written in the Lamb's book of life. The saved nations walk in its light and bring their glory and honor into it, and the kings of the earth bring theirs as well. Its broad streets are paved with gold and are far more attractive than earthly cities with their beautiful grounds and broad, safe streets, and nothing that defiles enters there. The nations that have kept the truth enter and are welcomed into the kingdom of glory.
Those admitted are the nations that kept the truth, God's loyal, obedient, commandment-keeping people whose faithfulness was witnessed on earth. Entrance is connected with bearing God's signet, living by pure principles, and remaining loyal to His law and covenant, and no one enters without that faithful allegiance. Those welcomed are obedient keepers who have been tried and love God supremely, including the meek and lowly rather than those bearing symbols of power. The open gates do not mean the disobedient will be admitted, for there will be no second rebellion.
Christ Himself opens its pearly gates after the resurrection and the nations that have kept the truth enter. He throws back the gates, puts a crown of glory on the heads of His people, and pronounces His blessing on them as they enter. They cast their glittering crowns at His feet, touch golden harps, and fill heaven with rich music and songs to the Lamb, remaining there forever to give praise and thanksgiving and glory to Christ and to the Father. There they live as one happy, united family under no other law than the law of heaven, clothed with garments of praise and thanksgiving, while the morning stars sing together and the sons of God shout for joy. Once inside, God welcomes the redeemed and no devil will tempt them, and the portals stand open with free access to the royal presence that no one on earth can bar.
Entrance through the gates is given to those who overcome and have a right to the tree of life. It is given to those faithful in service during the conflict, who overcome at last and win the crown of life eternal. Those whose hearts have been submitted to be refined and purified partake of the divine nature having escaped worldly corruption, have the peace of Christ, have names registered in the book of life and title bearing the royal signet, and no one dare question their right to enter. The city opens its gates to welcome the one who on earth learned to lean upon God for guidance and wisdom and for comfort and hope in trouble and amid loss and affliction, who lived for God unmoved by censure and unperverted by applause. Such a one shall abide forever with God, with God's everlasting arm passed for protection around him, however feeble, because he turned to God for aid, while only the pure in heart can see God and those who reject warning and live selfishly could not endure heaven's purity and glory.
Call to Seek Entrance
The open gates picture part of the glories that await the saved in the city of God, where those made fit by obedience to all the commandments meet as members of the royal family and know no more partings. The representation belongs to the redeemed, God's commandment-keeping people, and should lead every believing soul to seek earnestly for eternal life. It is part of the solemn view of eternal life and heaven set before the final choice between the righteous and the wicked. Only the pure in heart can see God, and those who reject His warnings and live selfishly could not endure heaven's purity and glory.
The prospect of entering through the pearly gates calls for forming characters fit for heaven. Keeping the eyes on God and laboring together with Him brings entrance through the pearly gates and a welcome, for the gates of the heavenly kingdom remain open and there is no night. That fitness is built by kindness, encouragement, helpfulness, and careful speech, beginning in family life, which creates a little heaven on earth in preparation for the heavenly home. The never-shut gates and life free from night set the city toward which hearts and conduct are to be directed, and looking through its open portals is reason to stand courageously for Christ.
The description of the beautiful new earth calls for working for one another and working determinedly to bring up youth in a right manner so they receive the crown of life and become overcomers. Angels assist in schools in educating boys and girls, and the Holy Spirit works with all human effort to save souls, with fathers and mothers taking hold of the work. The gates of the city stand open for its people to enter, and those brought up to love and serve God may enter together, faithful parents and children welcomed by Christ to receive the crown of eternal life and not be separated.
A glimpse of the gates left ajar with the glory of heaven shining through points to the heavenly home and the rest awaiting faithful workers, bringing encouragement and assurance of unfailing care. The heavenly city stands open and filled with light, its gates ajar and glory shining through, yet though the light is near, attachment to the world and evil inclinations blind people to it. Spiritual sight is needed to recognize standing on the threshold of eternity.