The nations of the saved, the people outside the wall surrounding the holy city, will understand that if they sin they cannot enter through the gates into the city and partake of the Life of God.

Also, there is the prospect that if they continue in their transgressions they may be cast into the Lake of Fire.

No individual who practices abominable behavior, who dabbles in occult practices, who is morally unclean, who is full of rage, who worships gods other than the Lord, or participates in any other form of the great lie that is Satan, will ever be allowed to enter the city of God and be renewed in eternal life.

The goal of the Lord is not to make all new things but to make all things new. All to which we are accustomed, all that is worthy, is not destined to be destroyed but to descend into death and then to be raised in Christ.

Humanity and its activities throughout the endless ages of eternity will have the same form as today. The difference is, the curse will be gone. God will be on the earth instead of being hidden in the spirit realm. The royal priesthood, the Israel of God, will have bodies like the body of Jesus. The nations will be compelled to live in righteousness.

Life will continue as today, but the dread, sadness, and pain will be gone forever.

The members of the royal priesthood have been selected from among mankind to be a firstfruits to the Lord, a special possession of God. We must exercise patience in the present hour because the bondage of Satan is being removed from us. As soon as wickedness has been destroyed from our personality, through the Lord Jesus, we then will be able to bring righteousness, peace, and joy into the whole earth.

A few more faithful steps, a few more days of living by faith, and then we shall be raised to meet Jesus and to return with Him.

After that, a thousand years of the marvelous glory of serving Jesus in a glorified body.

And after that! Glory after unbelievable, heavenly glory as we live as part of God, dwelling in the Divine Light, eternally full of love, joy, peace, faithfulness, patience, kindness, and every other aspect of godliness in an eternal body that never can become weary, never can become ill.

Our task for eternity will be to serve God by representing Him throughout His universe, being channels of His judgment, wisdom, love, and blessing wherever His creatures are found.

The eternal source of all glory, love, joy, peace, and renewal will be located in the holy city. Every individual who practices righteousness will be able to enter through the gates of the city to drink of the River of Life and eat of the Tree of Life.

The Glory of the Lord will fill the earth in the ages to come. What we think of as Heaven will be found in Zion, in Jerusalem, in the holy mountain of the Lord. It is not enough to die and pass into the spirit realm. Our objective is to enter through the gates into the city of Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem will be all we mean by the term "heaven." (from Entering Through the Gates)