This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

Old Testament scholar Sandra Richter writes:

[E]verything that lies in between Eden’s gate and the New Jerusalem, the bulk of our Bibles, is in essence a huge rescue plan. In fact, we could summarize the plot line of the Bible into one cosmic question: “How do we get Adam back into the garden?” In Genesis 3, humanity was driven out; in Revelation 21-22, they are welcomed home.

The Garden of Eden is a temple where humans enjoy face-to-face friendship with their creator. The Fall results in human banishment from Eden and a divinely prescribed distance between holy God and sinful people. Even Moses, the great lawgiver, is forbidden to see the face of God because God has declared, “No one may see me and live” (Exod. 33:20 NIV). Moses is allowed only to see God’s back as he passes by (v. 23). In the ancient world, criminals are banished from the presence of the king and not allowed to see his face, an apt picture of our separation from God (Esth. 7:8; cf. 2 Sam. 14:24).

John asserts that no person has seen God at any time. Even so, Jesus has declared God as deity veiled in human flesh (John 1:18). Jesus teaches that only the pure in heart will see God (Matt. 5:8). So, consider the transformation that takes place when the redeemed in eternity see God face-to-face and become like him (1 John 3:2).

Tabernacle and temple

After the Fall, God provides a tabernacle, and then a temple, where he meets behind a veil with representatives of sinful humans. Ultimately, God himself tabernacles with us in the person of Jesus (John 1:14). Finally, perfect fellowship is restored as the throne of God comes down out of heaven. The Lord resides once again with redeemed people in a restored Eden. 

The answer to “How do we get Adam back into the garden?” is Jesus. From the Fall in Genesis 3 to the new heavens and earth in Revelation 21-22, we see God’s rescue plan in action. That plan focuses on the eternal Son of God. He’s in the garden as creator (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17). He’s the promised redeemer when mankind falls (Gen. 3:15). He appears numerous times in the Old Testament to inform, deliver, and judge as the angel of the Lord. 

Further, he’s the focus of some four hundred Old Testament messianic prophecies and foreshadows. He’s the God-Man who pitches his tent with people (John 1:14). He’s the Suffering Servant who bears our sins on the cross (Isa. 53:3-6; John 19:17-30). He’s the resurrected and exalted king who holds the keys of death and hades(Rev. 1:18). He’s the King of kings who returns in power and glory to set things right and make all things new (Rev. 19:11-16; 21:5). 

The bridge

Jesus is the bridge connecting fallen Eden and Eden restored. Notice how John captures this truth in Revelation 22.

Jesus restores the pure waters of Eden. “Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1). In the beginning, there’s a river that waters Eden (Gen. 2:10-14). Adam and Eve may refresh themselves in it until they sin and are banned from it. But Jesus promises living water to those who come to him – a preview of the Holy Spirit and the guarantee of everlasting life (John 7:37-39). 

Jesus restores human access to the tree of life. “The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month” (Rev. 22:2). Because Adam and Eve partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they are denied access to the tree of life (Gen. 2:9; 3:22-24). But Jesus dies on a tree, bearing humanity’s sin debt. The innocent and immortal life Adam and Eve enjoy before the Fall is regained  (John 11:25; 14:6; Gal. 3:13).

Jesus restores the perfect health of Eden. “The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations” (Rev. 22:2). There is no sickness in Eden, but banishment from the garden exposes Adam and Eve to every kind of physical, emotional, and societal malady. But Jesus comes as the great physician who provides wholeness in body, soul, and spirit (Luke 4:18-19; cf. Isa. 53:3-6; 61:1-2). 

Jesus restores the throne room of Eden. “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him” (Rev. 22:3). Direct access to the triune Godhead is lost in the Fall. God’s throne withdraws to the unseen realm. But Jesus leaves the throne room of heaven on a mission to restore our broken relationship with God. He wears a crown of thorns and a borrowed robe as he is mocked as a presumptuous king. But truly he is King of kings and Lord of lords, returning to the throne at his ascension and bringing the throne back to earth at his return (John 3:13; 19:2, 5; Rev. 19:16). 

Jesus restores the intimacy of Eden between God and people made in his image. God’s servants “will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Rev. 22:4).  After the Fall, walking with God in the cool of the evening is a pleasure denied Adam and Eve. But Jesus comes to a fallen earth as God incarnate (John 1:1-18; 14:9). Eyewitnesses see him in his humanity – and  Peter, James, and John see him in glorified humanity on the mount of transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8; 1 John 1:1-3). One day, we will see him face-to-face, as Adam and Eve did in the garden (1 John 3:2). 

Jesus restores the divine light of Eden. “Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5). Separation from God, bondage to sin, and the work of the evil one are associated with darkness throughout Scripture (e.g., Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Acts 26:18; Eph. 5:8; Col. 1:13). But Jesus came as the light of the world – a light that shines in darkness (John 1:5; 8:12; 1 John 1:5). 

Jesus restores mankind’s dominion over the earth. God’s servants “will reign forever and ever.” Adam and Eve lose dominion over the earth when they rebel against God, seeking to become the masters of their own fates. But Jesus comes to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for us (Matt. 20:28). Because of this, redeemed people are more than bond-servants of Christ; we are adopted sons and daughters of the Father, and joint heirs with Jesus of the perfect world to come (John 13:1-17; Rom. 8:17). 

Jesus restores Eden as God’s dwelling place. “Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them” (Rev. 21:3). Sin results in banishment from God’s presence for Adam and Eve – and for all human descendants. But the Son of God takes on human flesh and tabernacles with us so we might live forever with him (John 1:14; 14:1-13). 

Jesus restores the proper balance of Eden between God and people. “They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God” (Rev. 21:3). God withdraws his presence from Adam and Eve after they sin. But Jesus leaves heaven in a mission from heaven’s throne room to be with us, and he promises to prepare a place for us there (John 14:1-3). He takes us to heaven upon our physical death, and then returns with us to dwell in the newly minted heavens and earth (Rev. 19:11-16; 21-22).

Jesus destroys the bonds of sin and restores the sinless perfection humans once enjoyed in Eden. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). Outside Eden are a thousand sorrows. But Jesus identifies with us in our sin-wrecked world, becoming “a man of sorrows … acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3 KJV). He weeps over the tomb of Lazarus and the city of Jerusalem. Sin and its consequences break his heart (Luke 19:41-44; John 11:35; 16:33). So, he dies that we might live; suffers so we might be secure; bears our shame so we might enjoy honor in his kingdom. 

Jesus is the bridge between fallen Eden and Eden restored. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He is the door (John 10:7). He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). He is our Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev. 21:6). He is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20). He is the Son of God and Son of Man (Matt. 3:17; 18:11 KJV). He is the Root and descendant of David, the bright morning star (Rev. 22:16). He is the one seated on the throne who declares, “Look, I am making everything new” (Rev. 21:5). 

Restored, not rewound

Before closing this post, we should be clear that Eden restored is not Eden rewound. We do not erase thousands of years of human history and go back to an age before fire was discovered, the wheel was invented, and great cities were built. The new earth is not a “do-over” going back to Eden’s original paradise. It’s much better than that.

There’s a historical link between the pre-fallen and post-fallen worlds. History won’t start over with the new heavens and earth any more than history began again when Adam and Eve were banished from the garden. In the age to come, there is continuity between the present heavens and earth and the new heavens and earth. The former is purged of sin; the new retains the purified best of the old. 

As Randy Alcorn writes:

Culture won’t regress to Eden, where musical instruments hadn’t yet been invented or where metalworking and countless other skills hadn’t yet been developed (Gen. 4:20-22). The fact that God mentions in Scripture these and other examples of technological progress suggests that he approved of the use of creativity and skills to develop society, even though people were hampered by the Curse.

Life in the new heavens and earth is not a return to the way things were at the beginning. Rather, it’s a restoration of God’s “very good” creation, including the retention of all that is good and holy. Albert Wolters provides keen insight:

Were the new creation to exclude the diversity of the nations and the glory of the kings of the earth, it would be impoverished rather than enriched, historically regressive and reactionary rather than progressive. To express the point in the form of a question: is it likely that the music of Bach and Mozart, the painting of Rembrandt, the writing of Shakespeare, the discoveries of science, etc., will be altogether lost upon life in the new creation?

This by no means minimizes the value of Eden. In fact, it may be said that Eden anticipates the new earth. Consider just one example: the onyx stone. Pishon is the first of four rivers sourced from the river in Eden, and it flows through the land of  Havilah, where there is pure gold, bdellium (an aromatic resin), and onyx. Onyx also is in Eden (Ezek. 28:13). 

In the history of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the giving of the law, God commands the high priest to wear two onyx stones with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on them. The Lord refers to the onyx stones as “a reminder” (Exod. 28:9-12). But what do the stones memorialize? Eden.

The onyx stones borne by the high priest remind God’s people of the perfect world that once existed, and spur the people to anticipate God’s promise of Eden restored. In Eden, Adam and Eve lived in face-to-face communion with God. In the Eden to come, that special intimacy is revived. 

The final biblical reference to onyx stones, and the only New Testament reference, tells us onyx stones grace the foundations of New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:19-20 KJV; “sardonyx” in CSB). “The onyx of Eden and on the high priest’s shoulders – representing two places where God dwelled with his people – will be displayed in the Holy City, where God will live forever with his people.”³⁵ The onyx adorning the high priest’s garments and the foundations of New Jerusalem simultaneously point us to our past in Eden and our future in the new earth. 

Though we live in a fallen world, it retains much of the beauty of God’s original design. Majestic snow-capped mountains, thundering waterfalls, lush rain forests, and diverse creatures of all kinds take our breaths away. In the world to come, these stunning beauties are not lost; they are retained, redeemed, restored, and revived for our everlasting pleasure. Further, the advancements God has encouraged in human beings will serve as the launching pads for untethered exploration and discovery throughout all eternity. 

Truly, in the new heavens and earth, we do not return to the good old days of Eden, but understand that the best is yet to come.

Next: “I Am Going to Prepare a Place”

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 13: Your Names Are Written in Heaven: Luke 10:20.

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you. However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:17-20).

At first, it sounds like a buzzkill. Jesus has sent out seventy-two disciples to every town and place he is about to visit. He authorizes them to perform miracles and proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom. They are ecstatic when they return: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (Luke 10:17). 

After acknowledging the damage their spiritual offensive has done to Satan, Jesus seems to let the air out of the room. He tells his followers, “[D]on’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you” (v. 20). Say what?

But Jesus isn’t trying to harsh their mellow. Rather, he takes this opportunity, while they’re at a spiritual high point, to tell them true joy should not be grounded in missionary endeavors but in the ultimate gift of God: eternal life. “[R]ejoice that your names are written in heaven,” he tells them – and us. 

This is the only place in Scripture where the phrase, “your names are written in heaven” appears. Even so, this serves as another key biblical reference to divine books in which the names, words, and deeds of all people are kept. In this case, Jesus assures his followers that the recording of their names in heaven equates to everlasting life.

Let’s begin with a closer look at this passage. Then, we’ll explore in more detail what it means for believers to have our names written in heaven.

Sending seventy-two

The beginnings of Luke 9 and Luke 10 are similar. At the start of Luke 9, Jesus summons the twelve apostles, grants them authority over demons, and sends them out to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God. They are to travel light, stay in homes that welcome them, and shake the dust off their feet when leaving communities that reject them. 

So, the twelve trek from village to village, proclaim the good news, and heal the sick. When they return, they report their victories to Jesus.

Now, at the beginning of Luke 10, we read that Jesus appoints “seventy-two others” – likely a group that excludes the twelve apostles – and sends them ahead of him in pairs to “every town and place where he himself was about to go” (v. 1). He tells these disciples to expect a great harvest of souls, yet they are to consider themselves “lambs among wolves” (v. 3). The evil one and his minions are sure to oppose them as they proclaim the kingdom of God. In other words, the Jesus they herald is the King of kings, and his kingdom is expanding to embrace them as the Lamb eliminates Satan’s home-court advantage.

Like the twelve apostles, the seventy-two are to travel light. Each pair is to seek food and shelter in the home of a “person of peace” (v. 6). The Lord’s instructions are simple: “Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you’” (v. 9). While many towns are expected to welcome them, others are sure to send them away, inviting a day of God’s wrath when it is “more tolerable for Sodom than for that town” (v. 12).

Jesus then issues a series of woes on the cities that reject him and his messengers:

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades. Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Luke 10:13-16).

As R. C. Sproul notes about this oracle:

The greater judgment comes with the greater light. The more light you have been given of the things of God, the more information you have been given about the kingdom of God, the more liable you are for your response to that message…. If you reject the Apostolic testimony, you reject the Christ who authorized it, and if you reject the Christ who authorized it, you reject the One who sent Christ – the Father.

Now, in Luke 10:17, the seventy-two return. We’re not told how long they’re gone, or the number of towns they visit. But their mission is completed, and the results far exceed their expectations. “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name,” they report exuberantly. Luke writes that the disciples return with “joy.” 

The Greek word translated “joy” is chara, and Luke employs it often. Trent Butler notes this is the same joy (chara) promised Zechariah at the birth of his son, John the Baptist (Luke 1:14). It’s the same joy announced to the shepherds at Christ’s birth (2:10); the same joy with which we should welcome God’s Word (8:13); the same joy heaven expresses when one sinner repents (15:7, 10); the same joy that news of Christ’s resurrection brings (24:41, 52); and, it’s the same rejoicing (chairo) the disciples are to exude in knowing they have eternal life (10:20).

Trent Butler writes, “The greatest source of joy has nothing to do with earthly events. The greatest joy comes in knowing your name is written in God’s heavenly book, that you are assured a place in his eternal kingdom.”

The disciples are sent to heal the sick and declare the kingdom. They seem surprised that demons submit to them in the name of Jesus. Perhaps their eyes are opened to the scope of Satan’s reach into the bodies of his subjects, tormenting not only their minds and spirits, but the earthly temples that house them. 

Often in the New Testament, we see Satan and evil spirits cause personal, physical harm. For example, Jesus heals a Gerasene man, sending a host of demons out of his body and into a herd of swine (Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39). Later, the Lord heals a woman “disabled by a spirit.” When the synagogue leader rebukes Jesus for healing the woman on the Sabbath, Jesus replies, “Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for eighteen years ​— ​shouldn’t she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” (see Luke 13:10-17). Satan and unclean spirits work in tandem to inflict all manner of sickness on the helpless citizens of the evil one’s rebel kingdom.

Fall from heaven

In response to the disciples’ report of their God-given authority over demons, Jesus remarks, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18). What does the Savior mean with these words? And when does the evil one fall? Is this a reference to Satan’s original rebellion, which likely occurred during the week of creation? Is it a consequence of God’s curse of the serpent after he enticed Adam and Eve to sin (Gen. 3:14-15)? Is it a preview of the war in heaven that John records in Revelation 12:7-12? 

While Jesus’s words may be tied in some way to these events, it appears more biblically faithful to understand Satan’s fall as occurring at the moment the Lord speaks. Jesus has come, as the incarnate Son of God, to invade Satan’s rebel kingdom. 

We see this in numerous places in the Gospels. For example, in Matthew 12, after the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul – that is, Satan, ruler of the demons – Jesus likens himself to one who has come to bind “the strong man” (Satan) and plunder his goods (see Matt. 12:22-32). A few chapters later, Jesus stands at the vortex of idolatry – the very gates of hades at the base of Mount Hermon – and picks a fight with the evil one (Matt. 16:13-20). 

Jesus’s carefully timed miracles – healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons – demonstrate his authority over the evil one. And his sinless life, sacrificial and substitutionary death on the cross, burial, and resurrection conquer Satan, sin, and death on our behalf. 

So, in a very real sense, Jesus’s declaration, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning,” reveals that it’s the beginning of the end for “the accuser of our brothers and sisters” (Rev. 12:10). Like the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, or the island-by-island rout of Japanese soldiers in the Pacific from 1942-1945, Christ’s commissioning of his disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons doesn’t end the long war with Satan, but it marks the beginning of the end.

From the moment rebellion rises in his heart, Satan is a fugitive. He finds himself in an ever-shrinking field of freedom, with the hound of heaven in hot pursuit. Unable to return to the scene of the crime, where he once served as the Lord’s anointed guardian cherub (Ezek. 28:14), Satan battles God’s agents in the heavenlies and carries out a scorched-earth policy in the physical realm. Justice is closing in. Time is short. And the evil one rages against the inevitable day of his demise, when he’s cast into the lake of fire, a place God has specially prepared for him (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10).

Like Luke, Paul comes to understand that God successfully “disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him [Jesus]” (Col. 2:15). Even the prospect of the cross brings Jesus joy, as the writer of Hebrews notes: “For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Satan’s imminent defeat brings Jesus joy, and the disciples get a foretaste of God’s triumphant kingdom in the miracles they’re empowered to perform.

Jesus’s words in Luke 10:18, “I watched,” are in the imperfect tense and may be translated, “I was watching.” As one paraphrase puts it:

I was beholding Satan as lightning falling from heaven. I followed you on your mission, and watched its triumphs; while you were wondering at the subjection to you of devils in My name, a grander spectacle was opening to My view; sudden as the darting of lightning from heaven to earth, lo! Satan was beheld falling from heaven!

To the casual observer, a few itinerant preachers perform some miracles and proclaim a kingdom throughout the scattered villages of ancient Israel. But in their miracles – and especially in their message that the kingdom is here, and the King is about to visit your town – Jesus sees that Satan has suffered an irreversible defeat. 

Satan may continue to prowl the earth like a ravenous lion (1 Pet. 5:8), but he’s defanged and tethered on a short leash. He holds no sway in heaven, and his salad days on earth are coming to an end. His rebel kingdom is receding. His destiny in the lake of fire is assured. All that remains is God’s timing for the final battle. 

Next: Snakes and Scorpions

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In the midst of John’s blissful vision of the new heavens and earth, he records these simple but profound words: “and there will no longer be any curse” (Rev. 22:3). What’s the curse to which John refers? And who or what causes the curse to end?

John’s reference to the curse takes us back to Genesis 3 and the Fall. There, Adam’s sin plunges all creation into a morass of death and decay. John also whisks us through the pages of the Old Testament, where we see the parallel tracks of sin’s destruction and God’s promise of a virgin-born redeemer.

And he reminds us of the New Testament truth that Jesus of Nazareth burst onto the scene two thousand years ago, divinely conceived, perfect in humanity, and sent into a world sagging beneath the weight of sin. The Messiah’s sinless life and finished work on the cross conquer Satan, sin, and death, and his promise to return enables us to rest in the certainty that the curse cannot last forever. 

Now, John’s vision of the new heavens and earth shows us in stunning detail that Christ has ended the curse and reversed the effects of the Fall. Satan, evil spirits, and rebellious humans are banished to the lake of fire. The created order, which for centuries has groaned beneath the weight of sin (Rom. 8:22), is finally liberated. Sin and its stain are purged from the earth, sky, and space. And, true to his promise, Jesus makes everything new (Rev. 21:5).

Very good indeed

To better understand the curse, we should go back to the beginning. After declaring all creation “very good indeed” (Gen. 1:31), the Lord lays everything before Adam and invites him to enjoy it. But the creator places one restriction on the new administrator of the earth: “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Gen. 2:16-17). Put another way, the Lord warns Adam of severe consequences for disobeying the creator – a curse, if you will.

Adam rejects God’s counsel; he takes matters into his own hands. And the curse materializes – though subtly at first. Adam isn’t struck dead, but he comes to understand he’s a condemned man who died spiritually on the day he disobeyed God. He’s in the process of dying in his conscious being (his soul). And, in the future, he will die physically, although hundreds of years later. Adam and Eve realize they’re naked, which they’ve always known. But now they’re ashamed, and they cover themselves. Next, they hide from God among the trees and talk to him from what they perceive to be a safe distance.

When the Lord questions them about their actions, Adam blames his wife and implicates the Lord himself: “The woman you gave to be with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12, emphasis added). In a similar manner, Eve points to the one who conned her: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen. 3:13). 

The Lord turns first to the serpent and curses him. No longer free to move between the unseen realm and the Garden of Eden, the anointed guardian cherub (Ezek. 28:14) is sent to the underworld, where he’s associated with death. We later learn that a special future home is prepared for him: hell (Matt. 25:41). Further, the Lord declares there is to be hostility between the evil one’s children and Eve’s children, and that a special “offspring” of Eve will strike the head of Satan, although at great personal cost (Gen. 3:15). 

The protoevangelium

For Adam and Eve, this must be good news. A future redeemer is coming to rescue them. This is the protoevangelium – the first gospel, the beginning of roughly four hundred prophecies and foreshadows of the coming Messiah. But until Eve’s special descendent comes and sets things right, the curse remains on human beings and the created order. There is pain in childbearing for women, rancor in the marriage bond, a cursed ground that grudgingly yields food, exhausting labor required to eke out a living, and, ultimately, a return to the dust from which God made Adam. 

Further, Adam may no longer eat freely from the tree of life. This appears to be an act of mercy on God’s part, for partaking of the tree now presumably would have made Adam live forever in his sinful state (Gen. 3:22).

From Eden, the curse spreads outward. The first couple is exiled from the garden. The first son, perhaps thought to be the promised redeemer, turns out to be a murderous rebel, and one of his descendants becomes the first polygamist. The first case of sexual misconduct involving fallen angels results in a violent race of giants that persists until the days of King David. 

Human wickedness is so widespread, and the Lord is so grieved, God sends a global flood in judgment. The survivors descend quickly into mischief, building a tower to span the gap between earth and God’s throne, and engaging in perverse behavior that calls down fire and brimstone on their communities. 

The Lord calls out a special people for his own and miraculously delivers them from bondage in Egypt, but they bring divine wrath on themselves and discredit him before the pagan nations around them. The Shekinah glory leaves the temple, never to return – until a virgin-born son, the fulfillment of the protoevangelium, is born in a village outside Jerusalem. 

In the Incarnation, Christ comes as the last Adam, to set us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2). He unravels the damage the first Adam wrought (Rom. 5:15-19; 1 Cor. 15:22, 45). Through his sinless life, Jesus succeeds where Adam fails. Then, by way of the cross and the resurrection, Christ makes a way to restore fallen people to a right relationship with God, and to restore the Eden in which God and the first humans walked side-by-side in the cool of the evening. 

Christ redeemed us

But this great reversal comes at a price. As Paul writes, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (Gal. 3:13; cf. Deut. 21:23). It is precisely because Jesus bears our sins on a tree – the cross – that access to the tree of life is restored to mankind. God the Father lays our curse on the shoulders of his Son. Jesus becomes a curse in our place. And because of this, innocence and immortality, which the tree of life provides, are restored as the curse of sin is lifted forever. 

And so, Revelation 22:3 tells us “there will no longer be any curse.” When Christ returns to set things right, he not only casts Satan into hell (Rev. 20:10; cf. Gen. 3:15); he reverses the curse that resulted from the sinister partnership between the serpent and earth’s first human beings. 

Adam and Eve are the only humans to experience the earth as God created it – pristine, perfect, very good indeed. They watch the earth – and themselves – shrivel beneath the curse, and every human being who has followed them has dragged the ball and chain of the curse behind them. 

But God does not leave us helpless or hopeless. Even fallen people are created in the image of God. Even the cursed heavens and earth we inhabit bear testimony of a divine designer. And the promise of restored humanity and a renewed heaven and earth have their seeds in the Garden of Eden after the Fall: God is sending an offspring of Eve to crush the head of Satan, banish the curse, and restore the universe to sinless perfection. 

Next: The Restoration of Eden

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from the beginning of Section III: The Book of Life in the New Testament.

This post begins excerpts from Section III of The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed. Our focus in this section is on references to the book of life in the Gospels and epistles.

The New Testament offers numerous references to the book of life, and it specifically identifies the book of life as belonging to the Lamb. As we read the Gospels and epistles, we come to understand more clearly that the book of life is the registry of the redeemed – a record of those who have trusted in the Lamb of God for salvation.

Here’s a summary of future posts:

Chapter 13 explores the encouraging words of Jesus to his followers that their names are “written in heaven” (Luke 10:17-20). In chapter 14, Paul writes about his coworkers, “whose names are in the book of life” (Phil. 4:3). Chapter 15 examines what the writer of Hebrews means by “the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven” (Heb. 12:23). 

Chapter 16 focuses on Jesus’s promise to the conquerors at Sardis that he will never erase their names from the book of life (Rev. 3:5). Chapters 17-18 revolve around the biblical application of the phrase “from the foundation of the world” in Revelation 13:8 and 17:8; they also look to eternity past and God’s work of redemption before the creation of all things.

Chapter 19 examines the “lake of fire” into which those whose names are absent from the book of life are cast (Rev. 20:11-15). Chapter 20 surveys Scripture passages that clearly speak of those banished from God’s presence, but without reference to the book of life, or to being “blotted out” or “erased.” The importance of works in final judgment – not to determine where we spend eternity, but how – is the focus of chapter 21, with a particular emphasis on the judgment seat of Christ.

Chapter 22 compares the “first resurrection” and “second death.” Chapter 23 offers an exegesis of Revelation 21:27 with respect to New Jerusalem: “Nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Chapter 24 asks a very personal question: “Is your name written in the book of life?” For readers with any doubts, God offers a simple plan of salvation.

The final chapter, Closing Thoughts, offers a summary of biblical truths about the book of life.

Next: Your Names are Written in the Book of Life

Read Part 1 – Are There Aliens Among Us?; Part 2 – Who Are These Guys?; Part 3 – UFOs and Alien Theories; Part 4 – What the Bible Says about Alien Encounters; Part 5 – Alien Encounters in Scripture.

The 2002 sci-fi thriller “Signs” features one family’s encounters with aliens, whose global invasion of Earth includes the Hess family farmhouse in Pennsylvania. Mysterious greenish-gray creatures, who can change their skin color to match the environment, emerge from cornfields, stand on rooftops, and lurk outside the Hess’s barricaded home. 

These terrifying creatures have mayhem in mind, but they retreat when humans discover that dousing the aliens with water produces a toxic allergic reaction. The Hess family discovers this by accident, although a baseball bat to one alien’s head proves equally deadly.

In the end, the aliens depart, and the world survives, but the haunting memories of a little gray man crashing a children’s birthday party in Brazil and another threatening a captive boy with deadly gas emitted from his wrists make “Signs” an unforgettable blockbuster. 

Even more frightening is the similarity between the aliens in “Signs” and alleged sightings of little gray men in real life – including little gray men who abduct people.

It’s difficult to determine how many people have experienced alleged alien abductions. According to one poll, it’s 3 percent. Nearly all abduction reports come from people under the age of 30.

The “grays”

What do these little gray men look like? Sightings in the U.S. generally describe aliens as short (three to four feet tall); weighing about 40 pounds; with large heads featuring heavy brow ridges; round eyes without pupils; apertures rather than ears; small, indistinct noses; small slit-like mouths without ears; slender torsos and long, thin arms; and grayish, reptilian skin. A common name for these beings is “grays.”

The most-reported scenario involves abduction experiences. Witnesses describe being paralyzed in their beds or vehicles, then transported – often through walls or closed windows – into circular craft. There, they report cold, sterile examination rooms with bright lights and medical equipment.

The grays communicate telepathically rather than verbally. Experiencers often describe medical procedures: physical examinations, extraction of tissue or reproductive material, and the implantation of small devices. Some report being sexually assaulted. Later, many report missing time – gaps ranging from minutes to hours. In most cases, the experiences result in profound psychological trauma. 

Because there are so many reported encounters, and they share common traits across varied locations and cultures, they can’t all be dismissed as dreams, visions, or wild imaginings. So, who are these little gray men?

The most biblically faithful answer is that they’re demons. In biblical accounts of human encounters with fallen angels, we see their malicious intent to possess people, torment them, bring about physical ailments like blindness, and, above all, a strong desire to manifest in the physical realm. The are especially active in circles where idolatry and sexual immorality run rampant.

While demons, in Scripture, do not appear in the same way holy angels do – as men who communicate verbally with humans – they can exert some control over the physical world: making sounds, speaking through possessed people, and making brief appearances. Recall Matthew’s account of the disciples seeing Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee and thinking he’s an apparition (Greek: phantasma; Matt. 14:26)? That assessment, no doubt, is based on the disciples’ belief that inhabitants of the unseen realm sometimes break into the physical world.

People who engage in the occult, New Age, witchcraft, and other activities the Bible explicitly prohibits open themselves up to alien encounters, which turn out to be demonic confrontations.

So, what can we do if the grays appear? 

First, repent of any unbiblical activities that invite demonic oppression and trust in Christ, who has defeated the evil one and his minions. The likelihood of demonic encounters is greatly reduced when we obey God’s commands to stay away from pagan practices that invite demons to the table. 

Next, call on the name of Jesus. UFO researchers Joseph Jordan and Wes Clark say they have verifiable evidence that alleged abduction experiences – sightings of “grays,” temporary paralysis, levitations, probes, etc. – are reliably halted by calling on the name of Jesus. 

Jordan claims there are as many as 400 such documented cases where speaking Jesus’s name caused the “grays” to flee or the symptoms to subside. Many of these eyewitness testimonies are featured in Piercing the Cosmic Veil: You Shall Not Be Afraid of the Terror by Night by Joseph Jordan and Jason Dezember.

Then, understand that merely using the name of Jesus isn’t a silver bullet. Grays often return to torment people who have ordered them to depart in the name of Jesus, particularly when these people don’t know Jesus as Savior. Remember the sons of Sceva in Acts 19 who try to cast out demons in Jesus’s name, only to be sent fleeing naked and wounded. The name of Jesus isn’t a talisman to be worn around the neck.

What’s needed is true conversion – repentance from sin and trust in Jesus, who conquered Satan, sin, and death on the cross. Jordan and Clark say those who truly are converted to Christ report no further visits from the little gray men. 

Finally, for some, counseling may prove beneficial. Christian counselors who understand the effects of demonic oppression may be able to help those who struggle with its aftereffects.

This concludes our series on UFOs and aliens.

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In the previous posts (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3), we explored some key features of New Jerusalem. We conclude this study now.

New Jerusalem features a river, a broad street, a tree, and a throne (Rev. 22:1-5).

The first five verses of the final chapter of Revelation describe four prominent objects in New Jerusalem. 

A river

First, the river of living water. John describes the water as “clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s main street” (vv. 1-2). Just a few verses earlier, the one seated on the throne says, “I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life” (Rev. 21:6).

This promise draws deeply from the Old and New Testaments and speaks of eternal life received by God’s grace through faith. The Greek word potamos is translated “river,” “flood,” or “stream” and is used metaphorically in John 7:38 to describe the blessing of eternal satisfaction found in Christ.

The river John sees in Revelation 22 calls to mind the river in Eden (Gen. 2:10), as well as prophetic references to water flowing from the temple in Ezekiel 47 (see also Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8). John borrows from this prophetic imagery and applies it to the restored Eden in the new heavens and earth. Perhaps most significant is John’s observation that the river flows from the throne, indicating both its source and its power to slake our spiritual thirst forever. 

While these waters may be understood literally, a more fitting understanding is that this river signifies the third person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit, who authors the words of life in Scripture; regenerates the dead spirits of unbelievers and grants them faith to trust in Jesus; indwells, seals, baptizes, and guides them, ensuring that these children of God grow to full maturity and attain glorification at the resurrection of the just.

Joseph Seiss writes that the river “is the Holy Ghost for that celestial Tabernacle, as God and the Lamb are the Temple of it. It is the divine emanation from the Father and the Son which fills and cheers and forever rejoices the dwellers in that place.”

Robert Mounce writes that the central affirmation in this passage is that “in the eternal state the faithful will live at the source of the life-giving stream that proceeds from the very presence of God. In the hot and arid climate of Palestine this figure would hold special appeal.”

A broad street

The second object of note in John’s vision is “the broad street of the city” (Rev. 22:2 HCSB). Revelation 21:21 tells us the street is pure gold, transparent as glass. The term “broad street” also may be translated “public square,” indicating a place of gathering, fellowship, and worship. Perhaps this square is what John describes earlier as resembling “a sea of glass, similar to crystal” (Rev. 4:6).

In any case, this broad street or public square accommodates a large number of people, who stand before the throne of God and enjoy the pure refreshment of the Holy Spirit as he moves among them. 

Note that the street is broad, airy, and inviting – an especially welcome respite from the persecution so many believers suffer on earth. Its location before the throne and alongside life-giving waters make it an integral part of the new city. Its appearance as pure gold reflects the idea of purity, accessibility, and immense value. And its wide expanse stands in contrast to the narrow way by which it is accessed. Jesus tells us we enter the kingdom only through “the narrow gate” (Matt. 7:13-14), and then he reveals himself as that exclusive way (John 14:6). Only those who entrust their lives to Christ stand on the broad streets of the heavenly city.

A tree

The third object is the tree of life. We first read of the tree in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9). Adam and Eve eat freely from this tree until they fall into sin. Then, they are banished from the garden. The Lord stations cherubim and “the flaming, whirling sword east of the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen. 3:24). Having lost immortality and innocence, the first humans are barred from partaking of the tree and thus locking themselves into a never-ending fallen state. This reflects the mercy of God as well as his divine wrath.

Now, however, we see in Revelation 22 that access to the tree is restored. Immortality and innocence are returned to God’s imagers.

The tree of life represents eternal life or immortality in both Genesis and Revelation. Non-biblical Jewish portrayals of paradise feature the tree of life, the fruit of which enables partakers to live forever (e.g., 2 Enoch 8:3-4). In the garden, after Adam and Eve disobey God, they are denied access to the tree of life and thus experience spiritual death (immediately), death of the soul (slowly and continuously), and physical death (ultimately). The sacrificial system God introduces after the Fall enables sinful people to experience atonement for their sins and retain fellowship with their creator – although it’s not the intimate, face-to-face fellowship enjoyed in the garden (see Gen. 3:21; 4:3-5).

All of this points to the promised Lamb of God who, being hanged on a tree and becoming a curse for us, takes away our sins and enables us to enjoy an unbreakable, intimate, and everlasting covenant relationship with God. In Revelation 2:7, the Spirit tells the church at Ephesus, and in effect all redeemed people, “I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Eating is a key component in establishing a covenant, and perhaps the fruit of the tree of life is a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises.

John tells us the leaves of the tree of life are for “healing the nations” (Rev. 22:2). Perhaps the best way to understand this is that the leaves are always present on the tree, a reminder of God’s faithfulness, or eternal life, and an assurance that the fruit is produced continuously. Leaves tells us a lot about the health of a tree, in addition to adding beauty and form. Further, as leaves are used today as nutrients, health supplements, and even medicines, the leaves of the tree of life assure us of continued physical and spiritual health throughout eternity. 

A throne

The fourth object John sees in his vision is the throne of God and of the Lamb. The Book of Revelation mentions a heavenly throne about forty times, leading some commentators to conclude that there are many different thrones in heaven. For example, we see the high and lofty throne Isaiah encounters (Isa. 6:1ff); the judgment seat of Christ to which Paul refers (2 Cor. 5:10); the dazzling rainbow-shrouded throne John sees in Revelation 4-5; the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15); and the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:1-3). Other commentators see a single throne from which God rules during different phases of human history. The manner in which these thrones appear and are experienced reflects the purpose for which God meets with people.

In Revelation 22:1-3, John sees servants of God around the throne. These servants behold God’s face, serve him in the never-ending light of his glorious presence, and reign with him forever. John also notes that these servants bear God’s name on their foreheads, just as the 144,000 bear the name of Jesus and of the Father on their foreheads (Rev. 14:1). This likely does not mean God has physically branded his people. Rather, it seems to signify two truths: (1) God knows his people and has marked them by his Spirit as his own; and (2) God’s people know him and joyfully keep him forever at the forefront of their minds. 

Long ago, Fanny Crosby wrote a hymn entitled My Savior First of All. Included are these words, which describe the blessedness believers experience when they pass through the portals of heaven:

When my lifework is ended, and I cross the swelling tide,

When the bright and glorious morning I shall see;

I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,

And His smile will be the first to welcome me.

Through the gates to the city in a robe of spotless white,

He will lead me where no tears shall ever fall;

In the glad song of ages I shall mingle with delight,

But I long to meet my Savior first of all.

Next: Lifting the Curse

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 12: Rosh Hashanah and the Book of Life.

Rosh Hashanah is one of the seven major feasts of Israel, occurring on the first day of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish lunar calendar – September or October by Western reckoning. While the biblical and modern-day observances of Rosh Hashanah differ, the holiday plays a significant role for the book of life. 

Let’s begin with some background. In Scripture, Rosh Hashanah is referred to as Zikhron Teruah (“Memorial of Blowing [of trumpets],” Lev. 23:24) and Yom Teruah (“Day of Blowing [of trumpets],” Num. 29:1). Because of these biblical descriptions, Rosh Hashanah often is called the “Feast of Trumpets.” It’s a day of sounding trumpets in the Temple and throughout Israel. Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year.” 

This holiday marks the first day of the Jewish civil New Year. However, this designation only came to be after the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. Since there was no longer a central place of worship and an altar of sacrifice – that is, at the Temple in Jerusalem – the observance necessarily had to change. Today, the emphasis is on the Jewish New Year rather than the blowing of trumpets. 

The biblical observance 

Scriptural references to the Feast of Trumpets are simple and straightforward: Israel is commanded to memorialize the day by blowing trumpets and keeping the day as a Sabbath (Lev. 23:23-25; Num. 29:1). 

Israelites carry out a special burnt offering, consisting of a young bull, a ram, and seven lambs. They also sacrifice a kid goat as a sin offering. These offerings are in addition to the required daily sacrifices (Num. 28:1-8), as well as those for the new moon, which also are offered on that day (Num. 28:11-15). 

Rosh Hashanah is the only Jewish holiday occurring on the first day of the month, when the moon appears as a thin crescent. Just as the seventh day and seventh year are holy according to Mosaic law, so is the seventh month, considered the Sabbath of months (Exod. 20:8-10; Lev. 25:4). Jews in ancient Israel announced the new moon with short blasts of a trumpet, but the new moon of Tishri was announced with long blasts, setting it apart. 

The type of horn used for the Feast of Trumpets is the shofar, a curved trumpet made from a ram’s horn. This is different from the hatzotzerah, the silver trumpets priests blew to announce the beginning and ending of the Sabbath, and with sacrifices. 

During the Feast of Trumpets, a priest is chosen to sound the shofar. He stands in a row of priests with silver trumpets facing the altar. The shofar sounds long blasts while the silver trumpets sound short blasts over the sacrifices of the day. 

Besides the sacrificial ceremony, the trumpet had many uses for Israel: 

• To gather an assembly before the Lord (Num. 10:2-4) 

• To sound a battle alarm (Num. 10:9) 

• And to announce the coronation of a new king in the cases of Solomon (1 Kings 1:34, 39), Jehu (2 Kings 9:13), Joash (2 Kings 11:12-14), and Absalom (2 Sam. 15:10) 

The modern observance 

The observance of Rosh Hashanah today bears little resemblance to the biblical Feast of Trumpets. Since there’s no temple in Jerusalem in which to gather for the blowing of the shofar and to offer sacrifices, the feast has taken on other features more in line with a new year’s celebration.

Days of Awe

Jewish tradition holds that the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur – sixth of the seven major feasts – are the “Days of Awe.” It’s believed that God reviews the books of judgment on Rosh Hashanah and delivers final judgment on Yom Kippur. These ten days are considered the last chance for a person to repent before God’s judgment falls, possibly resulting in the death of the disobedient in the coming year. 

According to the Talmud, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism, God inscribes everyone’s name in one of three books on Rosh Hashanah: 

(1) The book of life for the righteous. Those whose names are entered here are granted another year of life and prosperity. 

(2) The book of death for the wicked. If a person’s name is entered here, judgment is final and that person’s life is cut short in the coming year. 

(3) The book of the in-between. Those whose names are written here have their lives hanging in the balance. If they sincerely repent during the Days of Awe, tradition holds that God grants them life until the following Yom Kippur. 

There’s a biblical origin of this tradition (Exod. 32:32-33; Ps. 69:28), but Jewish tradition has greatly embellished it. The Days of Awe are so solemn, weddings and other festive occasions are postponed until after Yom Kippur. 

The Days of Awe are crucial for observant Jews. On Rosh Hashanah, their names are written in the books, and on Yom Kippur, their names are sealed. 

The rabbis say there are three ways for those in the book of the in-between to change their destiny. First, there is teshuva, which literally means to “respond” or “return.” People may atone for their sins by returning to what is right and good. This involves deep and transformative introspection. Second, there’s tefillah, or prayer. These are penitent prayers called selihot (forgiveness). Third, there’s tzedakah, or charity. As one rabbi puts it, “Here is the idea: by carrying out a holy deed or act of life-sustaining charity, you redeem a spark from the evil forces and thus increase your own holiness.”

By engaging in any of these three practices – repentance, prayer, or charity – people may be forgiven of sins and perhaps have their names inscribed in the book of life.

Other activities mark the modern-day observance of Rosh Hashanah.

Prayers of repentance

Faithful Jews recite penitent prayers throughout the week leading up to Rosh Hashanah. 

The casting ceremony 

On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, observant Jews gather near a body of water to recite the Tashlikh (“cast off”) prayer. In Israel, this may take place on the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea or at the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. Several Hebrew Scriptures make up the prayer (Mic. 7:18-20; Pss. 118:5-9; 33; 130; and often Isa. 11:9). After the prayer, worshipers may shake their pockets, or throw breadcrumbs or stones into the water, symbolically ridding themselves of sins. 

The sounding of the shofar

Jewish tradition holds that on Rosh Hashanah, Satan appears before God to accuse Israel as God opens the books for judgment. The Jews blast the shofar on this day to confuse Satan, so he might believe Messiah has come and ended Satan’s reign on earth. It’s customary to sound one hundred shofar blasts on each day of the Rosh Hashanah synagogue services. 

These services are lengthy, lasting five or more hours, and are focused on God’s kingship. The prayers and readings emphasize God’s majesty, the remembrance of his everlasting covenant with Israel, and the key role of the shofar in the history of the nation. The benediction speaks of the end of days, in which God reveals himself, sounding the shofar and sending the promised Messiah (Zech. 9:14). 

The Jewish New Year

Rosh Hashanah has its festive moments as well. Since it’s identified as the start of the civil New Year, Jews often send festive cards to family and friends, wishing them Shanah tovah, “a good year.” They also dress in new clothing and eat special foods, like apples dipped in honey and oval-shaped loaves of hallah bread, which remind them of crowns and God’s kingship. 

The Talmud suggests the world was created in the month of Tishri. Other rabbinic authorities say Rosh Hashanah was the day on which man was created. This ties the feast to the Garden of Eden, where Yahweh and humans made in his image enjoyed intimate fellowship.

Because sin ruined that intimacy and resulted in banishment from Eden, Rosh Hashanah is “a signpost for Israel,” according to Aaron Shaw. “It’s like an invitation to turn away from the voices of the world that shame and threaten and, instead, to turn our attention toward God to remember who we already are – beloved, beautiful, and very good (Gen. 1:31).” 

Because the Messiah has come, we know Jesus invites all people to trust in him and thus return to the intimacy of Eden. He calls us to embrace our true identities as citizens of his kingdom, and to join him in his future reign over a restored earth. 

Fulfillment

Israel’s four springtime feasts – Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost – were fulfilled in the first coming of Messiah, most notably, his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. The three fall festivals – Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles – are fulfilled at Messiah’s second coming. 

For Israel, fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets will be a dark day. Just as Rosh Hashanah occurs at the new moon, when the sky is darkest, Israel’s prophets warn of a coming day of judgment for the nation. For example, Amos 5:18-20, Zephaniah 1:14-16, and Joel 2:31 all speak of a future day when the Lord turns off the heavenly lights, pours out his wrath on the wicked, and brings Israel to repentance and into the new covenant. 

Ancient Jewish tradition held that the resurrection of the dead would occur on Rosh Hashanah. As a result, many Jewish grave markers feature a shofar. 

In at least two New Testament passages, Paul ties God’s last trumpet to the resurrection of the dead. And he sees Jesus’s kingship most clearly realized in his victory over death:

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – “Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.”
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

The reasons for trumpet blasts in the Old Testament are the same as those in the days to come: to gather an assembly before the Lord (the resurrection of the church); to sound a battle alarm (God’s final engagement with Satan and his rebellious followers); and to announce the coronation of a new king (Jesus the Messiah, who sits on the throne of David as King of kings and Lord of lords). 

While the Talmud and Jewish traditions have led to the belief in a book of death and a book of the in-between, in addition to a book of life, Scripture makes no mention of the first two. Nor does the Bible suggest that people’s acts of penitence or charity contribute to their standing before God. Salvation always has been the gracious work of God. The entrance of one’s name in the book of life comes through faith in the Lamb of God – foreshadowed in the Old Testament sacrificial system and fulfilled in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. 

Next: The Book of Life in the New Testament

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In the previous posts (Part 1; Part 2), we explored some key features of New Jerusalem. We continue this study now.

New Jerusalem lacks a temple, stellar lights, a closing time, and anything unclean (Rev. 21:22-27).

After a detailed description of New Jerusalem’s exterior, John turns his attention inside the city walls. He notes first of all the absence of a temple “because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (v. 22). 

Historical Jerusalem is known as the city of God because his presence resides there in the temple (1 Kings 8:10-13). The people of God approach him through a mediator, a high priest who offers atoning sacrifices for the peoples’ sins in the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. 

The atoning blood is carried through a thick veil and sprinkled on the mercy seat, above which the Shekinahglory blazes. There, the wrath of God is satisfied and his mercy is extended to sinful creatures. All of this activity inside the cube-shaped holy of holies bears forward-looking significance. The day is coming when God himself provides a sacrifice – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

When Jesus dies on the cross, the veil of the temple tears in two, from top to bottom, signifying that Jesus has fulfilled the types and shadows of the Old Covenant and now makes way for the New Covenant in his blood. The redeemed now have direct access to the throne of God without the need for a human mediator. John captures the richness of this imagery as he gazes inside New Jerusalem. The Father and the Lamb are the temple. 

The apostle further observes that the city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it “because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23). The light of God is distinct and divine, without earthly origins or natural explanation. We catch a glimpse at times: in the burning bush (Exod. 3), the pillar of cloud and fire (Exod. 13:21-22), the blazing heavenly chariot-throne (Ezek. 1:26-28), on the mount of transfiguration and the road to Damascus (Matt. 17:1-9; Acts 9:1-9), and in the fiery eyes of the glorified Christ (Rev. 1:14). 

As Joseph Seiss observes, the glory of God’s brightness envelopes New Jerusalem:

 … like an unclouded halo, permeates it, and radiates through it and from it so that there is not a dark or obscure place about it…. It is the uncreated light of Him who is light, dispensed by and through the Lamb as the everlasting Lamp, to the home, and hearts, and understandings, of his glorified saints.

There’s no closing time in New Jerusalem. No curfew. No curtain call. The city’s massive gates never close because daylight is continuous and darkness is dispelled. The kings of the nations walk the streets, bathed in divine light and leading their people to pay homage to the King of kings. 

There remain national and ethnic distinctions in the new heavens and earth as a tribute to the one who redeemed people out of every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). Their kings seek no personal gain nor political leverage. At the same time, the nations do not hunger for expanded boundaries or elite status. Instead, they are fully devoted to the one who calls them fellow heirs of the unfolding new creation.

While New Jerusalem is the capital city of the new heavens and earth, it is not the only city on the restored planet. The fact that nations and kings come and go demonstrates this fact. We should not presume to exclude those dwelling outside the city as lesser citizens of New Jerusalem. Perhaps the rewards Christ has granted them in judgment include ruling over cities and nations in other parts of the new world (see Luke 19:11-27). In any case, the city’s gates are always open to them.

Nothing unclean

But the open gates don’t beckon everyone. “Nothing unclean will enter it,” John writes, “nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 21:27). The people of God – joined under the Old and New Covenants – are safe in the presence of the Father and the Lamb. Those who have rejected the gracious revelation of God in creation, conscience, the canon of Scripture, and Christ have found themselves before a great white throne without excuse (Rom. 1:20; Rev. 20:11-15). 

The lost have made it clear they do not want a relationship with their creator; instead, they prefer to live now and forevermore independently of God. They have crossed a line and passed a point of no return known only to God but hinted at in the Scriptures as their limit of sins (see 1 Thess. 2:16). And now, because they have refused the gracious invitation to have their names written in the Lamb’s book of life, they find themselves in outer darkness. 

Like the rich man Jesus describes in Luke 16:19-31, they see a “great chasm” between themselves and those resting comfortably at Abraham’s side. And like the insolent guest at the wedding banquet in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 22:1-14, they find themselves bound, taken from the king’s presence, and cast into the darkness of never-ending night.

The gates of New Jerusalem are open, and it is daylight there forever. But unbelievers remain separated in outer darkness. Like the bound and bounced guest in Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet, perhaps they see the light from a distance, which makes their darkness more intense. Perhaps they hear the music of heaven’s choir but are forbidden from singing along. Perhaps they smell the aroma of heaven’s banquet table but can never taste its delicacies. The nearness yet inaccessibility of New Jerusalem twists the gut and makes the consequences of divine rejection a perpetual nightmare.

Next: Features of New Jerusalem: Part 4

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 11: A Book of Remembrance: Malachi 3:16.

In the previous post, we began to examine Malachi’s reference to “a book of remembrance.” We complete our study of Malachi 3:16 in this post.

At that time those who feared the LORD spoke to one another. The LORD took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the LORD and had high regard for his name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD of Armies, “my own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him (Mal. 3:16-18).

Attitude

Thankfully, there’s a second group of Israelites: those who truly repent, respond with reverent fear of the Lord, and highly regard his name. The primary difference between the first and second groups – the wicked and the righteous – is attitude. The wicked demand that God compensate them for their religious obligations. But the righteous understand that no external act merits God’s favor. Rather, the heart must first be tamed, and the will must be surrendered to divine commands. 

Malachi describes the righteous as those who “feared the LORD” (3:16). Three main Hebrew words are translated “fear.” First, there’s pachad, which means “to dread or fear.” Isaiah describes sinners in Zion as “afraid; trembling seizes the ungodly” (Isa. 33:14). 

The second Hebrew word is arats and means “to be terrified.” The Lord encourages Isaiah with these words: “Do not fear what they [the people of Israel] fear; do not be terrified. You are to regard only the LORD of Armies as holy. Only he should be feared; only he should be held in awe” (Isa. 8:12-13). 

The third Hebrew word – the term Malachi uses – is yare, which can mean “to fear” but also means “to show reverence or respect.” So, “those who feared the LORD” may be translated “those who showed reverential respect for Yahweh.”

The word yare appears elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures and helps us better understand the concept of humble respect for God. For example, in Deuteronomy 31:12, Moses instructs the leaders of Israel: “Gather the people ​— ​men, women, dependents, and the resident aliens within your city gates ​— ​so that they may listen and learn to fear [yare] the LORD your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law.” A proper fear of the Lord results in obedience to his commands.

In Proverbs 3:7, Solomon instructs us, “Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear [yare] the LORD and turn away from evil.” Reverence for Yahweh fuels a desire to turn from sin and thus please him. We find another example in Proverbs 9:10: “The fear [yare] of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” When we embrace a proper reverence for God, he endows us with godly wisdom. 

The wicked may fear the Lord in that they rue the day he brings the gavel of justice down on them. But godly fear – reverential awe that results in obeying God’s commands, turning from sin, and employing wisdom – leads to happiness now and rewards in the age to come.

The Lord takes notice

Notice what Malachi writes next: “those who feared the LORD spoke to one another” (Mal. 3:16). What do they speak? We’re not told specifically, but the implication is that those who fear the Lord begin to voice what yareproduces: repentance from sin, obedience to God’s commands, and true wisdom in words and deeds. These conversations outwardly demonstrate a genuine change of heart. 

As a result, “The LORD took notice and listened” (3:16). God is omniscient. He knows all things without exception, including the words we speak. But more than just being aware of what we say, he takes an interest in our words. He invests himself in our conversations. And for those who humble themselves before the Lord, and speak words of confession and encouragement to one another, he truly listens.  

And he responds: “So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the LORD and had high regard for his name” (3:16). The book of remembrance does not appear to be the book of life, in which the names of the redeemed are recorded, although there is, no doubt, consistency in cross-referencing the two scrolls. The names in the book of remembrance also appear in the book of life. 

This book does not record the wicked acts of individuals and God’s judgments against them. The Lord does not appear to write or erase names from this book. Rather, it seems a recording angel takes note of the words and deeds of those who hold the Lord in reverential awe and hallow his name. 

In ancient times, royal officials kept records of decisions, actions, and memorable events for the sake of posterity. Kings often kept track of favors their subjects had performed so they might be repaid with kindness later (see Esth. 2:21-23; 6:1-3). In grander fashion, Malachi depicts the king of universe, seated on his throne, surrounded by heavenly servants who are instructed to record the noble words and deeds of the faithful.

It appears the Lord keeps two sets of books: the books of divine decrees and the books of human deeds. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility come together for a final review on the Day of the Lord. The book of life is of the first set. The book of remembrance to which Malachi refers is of the second set. And God’s faithful ones may rest assured that while he does not remember our sins, he takes note of our righteous acts, as well as our tears (Ps. 56:8; Isa. 43:25; Rev. 21:4).

The Lord keeps track of everything, including “every careless word” we speak (Matt. 12:36). But the book of remembrance is a shorter, happier, and mysterious volume. When followers of Jesus answer a false accuser with gracious words, a recording angel takes note, and the Lord remembers. When we winsomely share the gospel in the face of ridicule, a line is added to the book of remembrance. When we fall on our knees and plead with the Lord to blot out our rebellion, wash away our guilt, and cleanse us of our sins, he records our words and reads them back in mercy, although vengeance would have been justified (see Ps. 51). 

Malachi 3:17 offers profound comfort, for it looks forward to the coming Lamb of God: “They will be mine,” says the LORD of Armies, “my own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.” The Lord secures the possession of his people through the finished work of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. On the cross, “He [God the Father] made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

The Hebrew word translated “my own possession” in Malachi 3:17 is sgulla. It means “valued property,” or “a peculiar treasure.” It’s a word that describes a collection of jewels. In 1 Chronicles 29, David tells the Israelites he has done his best to gather provisions for the building of the temple. “Moreover,” he says, “because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures [sgulla] of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house.” This includes one hundred tons of gold and 250 tons of silver (1 Chron. 29:3-5). 

Just as King David has a private stash of gold and silver, the Lord tells those who fear him they are histreasured possession. As Robby Gallaty notes, “Can you feel the immense promise implied in that statement? The God of the universe would look at you as His private keepsake, as the item He values highly and protects next to His heart.”

In a sense, the book of remembrance is the registry of Yahweh’s most valuable possessions. Our righteous words and deeds are the effervescence of human jewels he holds securely in his hands. While the immediate context of Malachi indicates that the book of remembrance relates to God-fearing and repentant Israelites centuries ago, it implies that our omniscient God holds dear our faithful deeds, reviews them at his leisure on his heavenly throne, and one day rewards us accordingly at the judgment seat of Christ.

Next: Rosh Hashanah and the Book of Life

Read part 1 … part 2 … part 3 … part 4

Erich von Daniken’s Chariots of the Gods has sold more than 45 million copies since its release in the late 1960s. In his book and subsequent movies, von Daniken argues that the Ark of the Covenant was, in fact, a radio transmitter that enabled Moses to communicate with beings in a spaceship that guided the Israelites across the wilderness during the Exodus. 

No doubt, the ark is an object of curiosity throughout Scripture. It mystifyies – and even terrifies – some of the idolatrous enemies of Israel who come into possession of it. But is the ark, or any other biblical account of inexplicable phenomena, proof of alien encounters? 

The answer is no.

Let’s look briefly at several such marvels and seek to understand them in their biblical context.

Cherubim and seraphim. In Scripture, we encounter two peculiar types of heavenly creatures, who may be distinguished from angels. We may consider them hybrid beings in that they possess both human attributes as well as animal features. They sport wings. Cherubim have four faces, with human and bovine body parts. 

After the Fall, cherubim are placed at the boundary of the garden of Eden to keep Adam and Eve from returning. Cherubim also adorn the golden ark of the covenant, with their wings spreading across the mercy seat where the high priest sprinkles blood to atone for the people’s sins. 

The writers of Scripture sometimes refer to God as sitting, or enthroned, among the cherubim (Num. 7:89; 2 Sam. 6:2; Ps. 80:1). Seraphim are similar in description to cherubim and serve God as they proclaim his holiness (Isa. 6:1-3; Rev. 4:6-10). 

Cherubim and seraphim share certain features and carry out the same function: to guard the presence of God. This sometimes brings them into contact with people, but they are never sent to people as angels sometimes are. No biblical author ever depicts cherubim and seraphim as anything other than heavenly beings who serve God day and night.

Jacob’s ladder. In Genesis 28:10-22, Jacob dreams of a ladder, or stairway, stretching from the ground into heaven, with angels ascending and descending. The Lord stands beside Jacob and identifies himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac. Further, he reconfirms his covenant with Abraham to grant him countless children, land, and a global blessing through his offspring (the Messiah). 

When Jacob awakens, he declares, “Surely the LORD is in this place…. This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:16-17). 

Jacob’s experience involves the unseen realm of heaven, as well as angels, Earth, and an appearance of the preincarnate Christ, who is “the LORD.” Clearly, there are no elements in this event that suggest a portal between aliens and earth’s creatures.

The burning bush. In Exodus 3, Moses comes to Horeb, a mountain range. More specifically, he comes to the “mountain of God,” or Sinai, a particular peak in that range. Moses sees a bush ablaze with fire, yet it’s not consumed. Moses encounters both the Lord and the Angel of the Lord in the bush – two distinguishable divine persons. 

Later, Moses recounts the time when he met “him who appeared in the burning bush” (Deut. 33:16). The word “appeared” in Hebrew is shah-can, from which we get Shekinah, or the glory of the Lord. 

Moses recognizes the angel of the Lord as God and responds with appropriate fear (Exod. 3:6). The angel repeatedly identifies himself as God throughout Exodus 3-4, and he even reveals his unique name: “I AM WHO I AM.” The angel expresses foreknowledge, omniscience, and omnipotence – attributes of God (Gen. 3:19-22).

Later, that same Shekinah glory – the “name” or “presence” of God – is in the pillar of cloud and fire that accompanies the Israelites throughout their 40-year journey across the wilderness. It’s the same divine presence that comes down on Sinai at the giving of the law; at the entrance to the tabernacle; and residing above the mercy seat in the holy of holies in the tabernacle and, later, the temple.

Clearly, these many appearances of the Lord in fire are not alien encounters but theophanies, or special manifestations of the unseen God in the physical realm.

The cherubim-propelled chariot throne of Ezekiel 1. Ezekiel records the most elaborate theophany in the Old Testament, combining clouds, fire, flashes of lightning, and a human-like figure in the company of cherubim. In this otherworldly scene, Yahweh prepares a Judean priest for prophetic ministry and authenticates his message. Above all, this thundering charioteer displays his divine glory, while proclaiming imminent judgment and future deliverance. 

Despite claims that Ezekiel is an eyewitness to an appearance of a UFO, Scripture is clear that the preincarnate Christ is condescending to show his glory and reveal his purposes to sinful human beings. 

Mount of transfiguration. After confirming Peter’s claim that Jesus is the “Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16), Jesus takes his disciples to “a high mountain” and is “transfigured” in front of them. His face shines like the sun, and his clothes become as white as light (Matt. 17:1-2). 

This is not the revealing of a “space brother,” as some UFO proponents argue. It’s a rare glimpse of Christ’s deity shining through his sinless humanity.

While there are other curious events in Scripture, we should keep in mind that nowhere do Old or New Testament writers suggest that extraterrestrial beings have visited earth – or even exist.

Next: What about the little gray men?