Do not live in fear, little flock, it has pleased the Father to give you the Kingdom. Luke 12:32.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
There is great reward for living your purpose and plan in both time and eternity.
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:9-11.
In fact what I have prepared for those who love Me is beyond all you can ask or imagine. It is a very great reward. And it is forever yours. And it is threefold: eternal life, joint heirs with Christ, and the Kingdom.
First, let us talk about eternal life.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:11-13.
You are so used to hearing about having eternal life that you do not really ponder the enormity that you have in this promise. I promised you eternal life before the world began and even though you murdered that life by replacing the incorruptible, imperishable seed of truth with which you were formed with the corruptible, perishable lie that brought you down to the dust of death I never left you but provided you a way back from death to life.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30.
Yes, I myself will shepherd My sheep. I sent you the great good Shepherd, whom I the LORD whose plans for you are shalom and not evil for an eternal future and the certainty of the hope that does not disappoint, raised from the dead by the blood of the eternal Covenant to equip you for every good work and to give you eternal life.
Adam was judged and condemned, sentenced to mortality and decay but Jesus took that judgment on Himself and paid it for you and satisfied your sentence. Your sins are gone as if they had never been, borne by Him who knew no sin but became sin for you all. All you have to do is receive what He has done for you as My gift to you. And when you do that you are born again from above and become a joint heir with Christ.
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST. Romans 8:14-16.
And I have given Him the double portion of everything. Think about that.
Next let us talk about the Kingdom.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2.
But before centering on My heavenly city Jerusalem landing on earth, let Me talk about the realm of Heaven, for it encompasses the entire universe but is as close to you as your heart.
Heaven. It is My Kingdom, but I designed it with you in mind. “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 25:34. Just as a father prepares a home for his children and a bridegroom prepares a home for His bride, so I have prepared a home for you with Me. I prepared it for My Son and His bride and the children He has given Me. “But as many as received Jesus, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13.
I prepared the Kingdom for you, and you can feel very special and honored by that, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9. But I have revealed them to you who believe through My Spirit; for the Holy Spirit searches all things, even My very depths. That is why Jesus told His disciples the night before He gave His life so that you would have eternal life in My Kingdom, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” John 16:12-15.
I have prepared a place for you, My children, My people, My friends, My beloved. And Jesus as well has been preparing with Me, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. I go and prepare a place for you, and I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.
Jubilee was but an earthly shadow of what you come to possess in My Kingdom. Your true inheritance is in Heaven and you are joint heirs with Christ as His bride and His brethren. “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.” Hebrews 2:13.
“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:13-16.
And thus all things are also for you who are in Him.
I tell you many things about Heaven in the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and Jesus and My apostles tell you a great deal about that glorious place in the New Testament (New Covenant). Jesus preached the good news of the Kingdom. “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 4:17. And often Jesus would tell you parables, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like . . .” a treasure, a pearl, a sower sowing seed, a harvest, a marriage feast for the King’s son, talents and business affairs.
And I have told you about angels, myriads of them in festal gathering, about My Holy Mountain of grace, about a crystal clear river of living water and the delights and the abundance of My house, about the joy of a rich feast, and a city with foundations stones of precious jewels, gates of pearl, streets spun of gold, and walls that shine like crystal, a place of splendor and majesty like you have never known, filled with song, music, and fellowship and colors beyond the spectrum you see now in the world.
And I have told you about My throne of grace, where you are most welcome, in fact I have seated you there already in the spirit in Christ. And I have told you of the rainbow shining around My throne and engulfing all in that glorious splendor. And there is no corruption or impurity there, there is no curse there. And there are amazing creatures and lovely terrain. It is vast and peaceful, a wealthy place in which there is never any shortage. It is My home and I have opened it to you to be your own home too. I have made you a co-owner, a joint heir with Christ, in whom it PLEASED Me to give you the Kingdom. I made it so beautiful for you it will deeply grieve Me if you choose to reject it. Just as the King was so grieved in the parable My Son told you when no one that was invited came to the great marriage feast He had prepared for His Son.
Simply put Heaven is the place in which I dwell. “The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” Psalm 115:16. The first heaven is the atmosphere around the earth, the racquia (firmament) as it is called in Hebrew as when I created it. It surrounds the earth and sustains and protects your mortal life. There you see blue sky and wonderful clouds and rainbows. The second heaven is that beyond the atmosphere that surrounds the earth, it is what you call outer space, the place of planets, stars and solar systems. And then there is the third Heaven and it is the place where I dwell. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. It is the glorious place of My dominion authority and I am love. It is a place where there is only love, and it pervades the entire atmosphere of Heaven, the sweetness of love is the fragrance of Heaven and you are literally bathed in love as when the sun shines on your back on a cold day, filling you with absolute wellbeing, peace and health. It is a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
And actually the Heaven in which I dwell is very close to you. It is of the Spirit and there is no time or distance there. It is very real and very tangible but Jesus told you that it is accessible within you by the Holy Spirit. You all have access to Me by the One Spirit. I am as close as your heart when you seek Me with your heart.
If you recall, even under the Old Covenant, Heaven was close to them. Abraham talked with Me personally as I walked with him and he with Me. And I called to him from Heaven, “But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Genesis 22:11. And he was not the only one I called to, “God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.” Genesis 21:17. And Abraham’s grandson Jacob had a dream, and “behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Genesis 28:12.
And later Moses talked with Me and I came down and fought for My people Israel to deliver them and redeem them from slavery. I dwelt among them in the tabernacle of the testimony to lead them to the promised land where I desired to give them days of Heaven upon the earth. And I sent supplies from Heaven, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction”. Exodus 16:4. Food that sustained them in perfect health for over forty years in the wilderness of a substance unknown on the earth that has not appeared again.
You can taste My goodness while still on earth and that goodness is a taste of Heaven and the great things I have prepared for you. You are loved beyond love in the Kingdom, and even now are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who gone before you are fought the good fight of faith and are enjoying Heaven even now, but there is so much more to come when I created new heavens and a new earth and establish My kingdom with your ruling and reigning with Me in Heaven and upon the earth.
In Heaven you will experience the fullness of love without hindrance. The love in Heaven is tangible and embraces your eternal existence at every moment holding you up and raising you ever higher in the understanding and living of that love, for it is not nebulous but a Person, three Persons in One Godhead to be exact. All know Me and all experience My love in Heaven and the love that flows from Me also activates the love in you that was unable to reach its full potential on earth for during your sojourn on the earth as it is now in the corrupted state that sin subjected it to, My love is a treasure poured in your earthen vessels which do not have unlimited capacity to love and be loved as you do in your glorified bodies. There are no hindrances to the clearness of your sight and understanding in Heaven as there are on earth. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
It is a place where there is no corruption, sickness, pain, divisions, disabilities or death, and hence there is no darkness, no loneliness, and no confusion. It is the place I planned for you in perfect SHALOM. No one missing, no one broken, and no one alone. It is your home. When you enter Heaven you breathe a sigh of relief and are inundated with peace for you have at last found where you belong, where you were made to be, and where all is prepared for you to delight you and fill you with joy unspeakable filled with glory forever. Wonders without number that never cease.
In Heaven, all is in the LIGHT. And that LIGHT is eternal life for I AM LIGHT AND I AM LOVE. You cannot in your present state even begin to imagine the glory of Heaven. It is absolute goodness with no evil there at all. It is an everlasting Kingdom, vast and peaceful but very full of fruitful and awesome activity. Depending on your life upon the earth and how you lived out the assignment given you, your role in My Kingdom will be defined but everything is increase and promotion, pure joy and unending beauty of holiness. In Heaven you are already known and loved and your arrival is eagerly anticipated. And you will meet all the wonderful men and woman, as well as the angels, you learned to love as you read the history of salvation, the Bible. And your life, at least the one I prepared for you, was all written on My scroll before one day of it existed, it was prepared before I even formed you in your mother’s womb. And it is all designed for you to come to your true home forever. Do not neglect so great a salvation
Just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.
Even now, you know from what I showed to My beloved John on Patmos what is to come. But have you thought about the immensity of it all? Let us go into some details now of where you will be and what you will experience.
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Revelation 21:10.
But that is just the beginning. I take you into much more. I mean the divine dimensions and what is in there and from what it is built. Let us start with the dimensions because I think it will surprise you at its size for one city of the Kingdom. It may make you think again about the reward to the good and faithful servant of ruling over ten cities in My Kingdom.
The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. Revelation 21:15-17.
The height, length, and depth of the city is 1,500 miles (12,000 stadia). The distance from the West Coast to the East Coast of the United States at its longest point is about 2,800 miles. But this City is much wider and higher (from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico is just over 800 miles). It is 1,500 miles in height just for its wall. Your atmosphere around your planet only goes up to 62 miles and you are off into outer space. The tallest mountain on earth, Mt. Everest, is just 5.5 miles. The heavenly city, the heavenly Jerusalem is just one city of heaven but within its walls and gates is the heavenly Mt. Zion, which is the highest point in the city with the homes and other buildings terraced around it and the wall has to be at the height of 1,500 miles to reach that.
Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1.
It is no wonder I have to create new heavens and new earth to accommodate the joining with earth with My heavenly city which is at the entrance way to the Kingdom, which is vast and peaceful.
And how do you know that in the heavenly Jerusalem is Mt. Zion within the city walls?
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal garments, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:22-24.
And this is confirmed in the Old Testament as well.
Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King. Psalm 48:1.
When I refer to My Kingdom of Heaven it is always directed to the north and the world to the south. That is why the Bread of My Presence (Face) on the golden table was on the north side of the Tabernacle of Moses, symbolizing the Bread come down from Heaven for a man to eat and never die, and the golden lampstand (Menorah) on the south side, symbolizing Jesus as the Light of the world.
My face shines upon you from the heavenly Zion, the church of the firstborn.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. Psalm 50:2.
And I have seated Jesus there in My sanctuary as King of kings and Lord of lords and you there with Him in spirit and in truth.
“But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” Psalm 2:6.
And you come with confidence to the throne room on Mt. Zion.
They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD— Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, and they will never languish again. Jeremiah 31:12.
And your life should be directed and headed towards My glorious Kingdom where Jesus is preparing a place just for you. He paid the ransom for you all to open the heavenly Zion to you.
And the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful singing and shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:10.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Psalm 48:1.
Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; declare among the peoples His deeds. Psalm 9:11.
Now let us look deeper into what is going on in this city and its beauty. People try to draw it as a cube, all shut in, but that is not the case. The walls are square in length, width and height, giving square footage in 3D as 3,375,000,000 square miles, but, as you see it in Revelation 21, it contains the crystal clear river of life, streets, trees, and the immense throne room at the top of Zion as well as many homes. It is a busy, thriving metropolis.
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5.
So you see the scenic beauty and that there is no corruption, death, or pain. No poverty. All is full to the maximum with healing and illumination.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4.
It is self-illuminated by My glory.
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:22-27.
A place of light and honor, a place of instruction and it is only for those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life.
For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:3.
Now let us look at the beauty of this magnificent city created for you. And you will live there for Jesus is preparing a mansion for you. This city is My home and in My house there are many mansions and much lovely spacious gardens and lands.
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places (moné (μονή): dwelling, abode, mansion, permanent abode); if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.
It is Jesus who takes you there. He knows those who are His own. Your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
It is a beautiful city, its brilliance is of precious stones and jewels, spun gold, and pearls of enormous size.
Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Revelation 21:11-14.
And let us continue to look more closely.
The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:18-21.
These are jewels and pearls like you have never seen in the earth. But you will see them and you will find them lovely and so common in the heavenly cities that no one need take them or covet them. Your own home is adorned with them as well. Truly you will have there what I once promised the Israelites but had so much trouble trying to make them go to take them.
“Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied.” Deuteronomy 6:10-11.
And let Me give you one more glimpse of the heavenly Zion where you are all inivited to gather with Me everyday at the throne of grace:
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Revelation 4:1-4.
And what else do you see there? Magnificent choirs and worship from grateful hearts to be there.
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12.
And amazing places.
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Revelation 8:3-5.
Glorious scenes of splendor.
And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. Revelation 15:2-3.
Do you remember what Paul said? I had taken him up and showed him the Kingdom of Heaven located in the Third Heaven.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Do not grow weary in well doing in due season you will reap your reward. I have already given you the Kingdom. It is yours and your entrance assured as soon as you finish your fourfold ministry on earth. Delight in it for it is obtaining for you faith’s goal—a Kingdom where you are with Me forever. Do not neglect so great a salvation, do not be deceived by the pressures and enticements of the world. Nothing here is worth losing the lasting Kingdom over.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:21-23.
I love you. Be careful to always consider where you are looking, what you are seeking, and where you are going. You are headed home into My everlasting arms.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:8-10.
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16.