Disciples Digital Library

In his letter to the Romans , Paul declares there is “ now no condemnation ” for anyone who is “ in Jesus .” This happy condition now exists because the “ law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set them free from the law of sin and of death .” And he also links the salvation of believers to the inheritance of Christ and the redemption of the creation itself.

If anyone fails to keep the words of the book, he will be excluded from citizenship in the city of New Jerusalem  – Revelation 22:6-21.  The book of   concludes with an epilogue that recalls the earlier promises to “ overcoming saints ,” reiterates warnings against faithlessness, summons believers to render homage to God alone, and calls for Jesus to “ come quickly .” Testimony from uncontestable sources attests to the trustworthiness of the “ words of the book .”

New Jerusalem is populated fully in fulfillment of the covenant promise to Abraham to bless all the nations  – Revelation 21:24-22:5.  The city of “ New Jerusalem ” with its massive dimensions has been  unveiled, and it will take far more than a tiny remnant of surviving “ saints ” to populate it. John next sees the “ city ” inhabited by the “ innumerable multitude ” of men and women redeemed from every nation -and ethnic group by the “ Lamb ,” including some if not many of the “ kings of the earth .”

The church at Laodicea receives no commendation, only corrections, and warnings. Its hope lies in becoming “gold refined by fire”  –  Revelation 3:14-22 .  Laodicea was founded on the site of an older village named  Diospolis , meaning the “ city of Zeus .” It was sixty-five kilometers southeast of Philadelphia and one hundred and sixty kilometers east of Ephesus. Because of its location at the confluence of three major trade routes, the city depended heavily on trade with its neighbors and the rest of the region.

Revelation looks forward to the reign of Jesus in the New Creation, a reality inaugurated by his Death and Resurrection .  In his letter to Laodicea, Jesus is declared the “ beginning of the creation of God .” In his death and resurrection, he inaugurated the New Creation. In the same sentence, and in the present tense, he also is called the “ Amen ,  the faithful and true witness ,” appellations applied to him previously in the book’s prologue.

The land of Canaan was an early stage in the greater redemptive plan of Yahweh, one that  ALWAYS  envisioned something beyond the nation of Israel or the territory of Palestine. In the New Testament, the covenant promises find their fulfillment in the “ true seed of Abraham ,” Jesus Christ, including the New Creation - the “ new heavens and the new earth .”

The arrival of Jesus in glory will usher in the Day of the Lord, the final judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth .  The Apostle Peter addresses the growing weariness of some Christians due to the apparent “delay” in the “ coming ” of Jesus, an open door for false teachers and critics to exploit. Instead of predicted terrestrial and cosmic upheaval, daily life continues as it always has.

At the heart of the salvation provided by Jesus are the resurrection and new creation at Christ’s arrival in glory .  Central to the doctrine of salvation is the promise of  REDEMPTION . God will not abandon what He created. And “ redemption ” means recovering that which was enslaved by sin and sentenced to decay and death.

There is no life without the Spirit of God, and His Spirit creates, animates, sustains, and restores all life .  Jesus declared that “ the Spirit makes alive  [‘quickens’] . The flesh profits nothing. The words which I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life. ” His words echo the scriptural principle that life and the “ Spirit ” are inextricably linked. The “ flesh ” is not inherently evil, but it has no life without the spirit given by God.