No Entrance

The angel spoke to me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. 

There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:9-14)

Revelation also continues with the following (25-27): “…During the day its gates will never be shut, and there will be no night there. The treasure and wealth of the nations will be brought there, but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any[one] who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” 

These passages provide a description of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven under the symbols of a new heaven and a new earth.  It’s good to know the gates to heaven will never be closed to us.  However, there is a condition!  We are denied entry when we are unclean and do abominable things – when we tell lies.  With these conditions I suspect most of us won’t find our names written in the “Lamb’s book of life.”  The 12 angels at the 12 gates will bar our entry.  For those of us who put a lot of stock in Revelation, our fate seems sealed.

Nevertheless, when we eventually knock on the door to heaven, we will receive mercy and forgiveness, provided we ask for them.   Unfortunately, our hard hearts and mean-spirited behaviors will be obstacles for passage through the gates.  It’s time to change our ways.  It’s never too late for us to repent.

Deacon David Pierce