Before the heavens and the earth were created God saw in His mind the new heaven and earth, and the new Jerusalem. When God created the first heavens and earth and all of earth's inhabitants, including man, God knew every event that must transpire before it would be possible for Him to bring forth the actual heaven and earth He had in mind, and a government that would bring righteousness, peace, and joy to the peoples He had created.

After all had been finished in timeless vision, God rested. Our sole business in life is to enter that rest, that finished work of the Lord God and His Christ.

Each human being is occupied with creating heaven and earth according to his own desires, fashioning himself and his destiny as he sees fit. But God invites us to enter His rest, that is, into the heaven and earth God has chosen. Also, God knows what our destinies to be. All God asks is that we cease from our own works and receive the heaven and earth, and the personality and role, He has chosen for us.

The Book of Revelation is unique in at least two ways. First of all it is presented as a direct revelation of God to Christ.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Revelation 1:1)

Although every book of the Scriptures is inspired of God and is to be received as the Word of God, none except Revelation is presented as a direct vision of God given to Christ. For this reason the Book of Revelation is to be regarded by every member of the Body of Christ as being absolutely binding upon all that will transpire in the universe.

The second element of uniqueness is the curse that has been issued concerning changing the text of the Book of Revelation.

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18,19)

In the day in which we are living, every truth by which men guide their behavior is being challenged. One is considered to be sophisticated if he views with disdain any attempt to maintain a standard of behavior. Included in the disregard of moral law is the concept that man's pleasures and desires are the most important aspect of the universe.

The visions of Revelation cut to the heart of such man-centeredness. God tells us what will take place—that which cannot be changed by any authority or power in the heavens, on the earth, or in the regions of spiritual darkness under the surface of the earth.

To be continued.