Revelation 21:12

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.”

The title of this amazing book is “revelation” which means “reveal.” I love that.

Sight is a very precious gift of God, especially so in this particular circumstance in which John found himself. John wanted no speculation or promises, he needed to see with his own eyes. In my experience I am impressed by what happens when we actually see, especially something that we had doubts about.

All of us believers live in hope and are blessed with promises, are drawn by God’s love.  But now and again our spirits sing a new song, shout a new hallelujah because, “Now I see!”

This is a recurrent theme in the Bible. Abraham saw a new land while still in Ur. Jacob saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth with angels going up and down. Joseph saw famine coming.  Ezekiel, Daniel, Nehemiah, and many others all saw living reality. And so on.

We are blessed by the testimony of others who tell us of something they saw.  But nothing changes us as much as something we actually see for ourselves, “with our own eyes,” we say. One of the privileges of a follower of the Lamb is to see for himself or herself.

Seeing breaks through all haze.  When I first came to Christ I saw him offering me full forgiveness.  I saw it!

I am astounded, even now, by the miracle of being able to see!  As I grew up I heard people say, “I will believe it when I see it.”  God knows that so he opens our eyes to see marvelous things that encourage us to go on.

What did John see that so built his faith?  He saw a new heaven and a new earth. He wrote, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven.”  This is God’s doing.  In no way could we build a temple that rises into heaven.  No. The new heaven comes down from heaven, attractively clothed as a beaming bride. I note that she is prepared in heaven with heavenly clothing and jewels, no doubt prepared with all the artistic talent of heaven. She is lovely, pure, all-loving and full of grace and truth. It all goes back to what we have already seen, the result of the victory of God’s precious Lamb, Jesus Christ.