Lesson 13 – The Celestial City - CPAD.pptx

Lesson 13 – The Celestial City
SBS – Sunday Bible School
Adult Bible Lessons 2nd quarter 2024 CPAD
MAGAZINE: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Reach Heaven
Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes
Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon
Renewed in Grace

1. The Celestial City Adult Bible Lessons 2nd Quarter 2024 CPAD, Magazine: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of salvation, holiness and perseverance to reach heaven. Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon June 30, 2024 Lesson 13

2. But our city is in heaven, from where we also await the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil 3.20) GOLDEN TEXT 2

3. The heavenly city is the target of our entire journey that began with the New Birth and will be consummated with the entry through the heavenly gates. PRACTICAL TRUTH 3

4. Second - Lc 23.46; 2 Cor 12.2-4 Paradise as the dwelling place of God, the angels and the saved Tuesday - Rev 3.12 The New Jerusalem, the city that will come down from Heaven Wednesday - Col 1.20 The reconciliation of everything on Earth and in Heaven Thursday - John 4.10 The river of water of life will flow abundantly Friday - Phil 3.20 Our true home is in Heaven Saturday - 2 Co 5.8; Phil 1.21,23 The sincere hope of every Christian pilgrim DAILY READING 4

5. BIBLE READING IN CLASS 5

6. BIBLE READING IN CLASS Revelation 21.9-14; 22.1-5 Revelation 21 9 - And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke to me, saying: Come, I will show you the wife, the wife of the Lamb. 10-And he carried me in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, which came down from God out of heaven. 11 - And he had the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, like a shining crystal. 6

7. 12 - And there was a great and high wall with twelve gates, and in the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 - On the east side, there were three doors; on the north side, three doors; on the south side, three doors; on the west side, three doors. 14 - And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 7

8. Revelation 22 1 - And he showed me the pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 - In the middle of its square and on either side of the river, there was the tree of life, which bears twelve fruits, yielding its fruit from month to month, and the leaves of the tree are for the health of the nations. 3 - And there will never be a curse against anyone again; and there will be the throne of God and of the Lamb, and his servants will serve him. 4-And they will see his face, and his name will be on his forehead. 5 - And there will be no more night, and they will not need a lamp or sunlight, because the Lord God gives them light, and they will reign forever and ever. 8

9. INTRODUCTION Christians who have knowledge of the Holy Scriptures know that they were not destined to live only in this world. Here, we are pilgrims and strangers (1 Peter 2:11). Soon the heavenly gates will open and we will leave to live eternally with the Father, in our heavenly homeland (Phil 3.20). Therefore, we will study about the Eternal Paradise, the Celestial City, the Eternal State in which we will enjoy the presence of God and how the Scriptures teach what our final glorification will be like. Here is what awaits us at the end of our Christian Journey. 9

10. Keyword : City 10

11. 11 I – ETERNAL PARADISE

12. I – ETERNAL PARADISE 1. What is Paradise? A definition that we can mention of paradise is Heaven as the abode of God, the angels and the saved (2 Cor 12.2-4). When he was on the cross, our Lord made a promise to the repentant thief: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). This promise was promptly fulfilled, because, at the time of his death, the body of the Lord Jesus went to the grave, but his spirit to the Father, that is, to Heaven, the dwelling place of God (Luke 23:46). There is no way to measure the thief's joy upon hearing from Jesus the promise of a meeting in Paradise. This place is the expression of the entire sum of the blessedness in Christ. The apostle Paul was caught up and taken to Paradise (2 Cor 12:4), which is the same place that appears in Revelation 2:7. 12

13. 2. What is the Eternal City? After the final judgment, after the Millennium (Rev 20), and the purification of the Earth through fire (2 Pe 3.10), the New Jerusalem will emerge, which appears as the Eternal City of God (Rev 3.12; 21; 22). When he was in this world, the Lord Jesus assured that he would prepare a place for the saints (John 14:2,3). The New Jerusalem, created during the purification that took place on Earth (2 Peter 3.10), has its origin in Heaven, and will also be earthly, since it will replace the old city that was contaminated; she will descend directly from Heaven (Rev 21.1-3). On that occasion, the saved will be citizens of that city, enjoy eternal blessings and inhabit it with their bodies transformed into a glorious state (1 Cor 15.54). 13

14. 3. When will eternity begin? According to a careful study of Revelation, after the Rapture of the Church, the Great Tribulation will occur for a period of seven years, then our Lord will return gloriously and triumphantly on the occasion of his Second Coming and will implement the Millennial Kingdom. After the Millennium, we will enter the glorious Eternal State (Rev 21; 22). Here, we must be careful not to confuse the Millennium with the Eternal State. This characterizes the endless eternity we will spend with God; that is a period in which Jesus will reign for a thousand years on Earth and, at the end of this period, people will be judged before the White Throne, the Final Judgment (Rev 20.11-15). Let us piously await the Eternal Kingdom, the New Heaven, the New Earth and the New Jerusalem! 14

15. Paradise and the New Jerusalem as eternal realities of Heaven. SYNOPSIS I 15

16. 16 II – THE ETERNAL AND PERFECT STATE

17. 17 II – THE ETERNAL AND PERFECT STATE 1. The perfect state in the light of biblical doctrine. From Genesis to Revelation, there is a divine purpose in the consummation of the centuries, where everything will occur on the occasion of the Second Coming of Christ Jesus, after the Millennium, in which a New Heaven and a New Earth will be established (Rev 21.1). At that time, God's original purpose will be fulfilled and the entire Earth will be filled with his glory. As the apostle Paul wrote, there will be a general reconciliation of all things, in which Heaven and Earth will be the same flock (Col 1:20). Therefore, the perfect and eternal state is described in the Bible as a beautiful place, of holiness and perfection, because the old order, in which the nature of sin prevailed, was abolished and gave way to a holy, pure and perfect place.

18. 18 2. The perfect state in light of Revelation 22.1-5. The book of Revelation contains some symbols that more vividly describe the divine perfect state of all things. These are symbols that communicate the uniqueness of this new state: a) a river; b) the tree; c) the absence of evils; d) the presence of God . a) Eternal life described as a river. The apostle John describes this eternity as a river of life that flows from the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev 22:1). Here, the symbolic aspect of the river is present as a symbol of life, which the Lord Jesus mentioned on several occasions as the water of life (John 4:10; cf. Ps 46:4; Ez 47:1-12).

19. 19 b) Eternal life described as a tree. The tree of life dates back to the book of Genesis (Rev 22.2; cf. Gn 2.9; 3.22). Its 12 fruits, from month to month, and its leaves symbolize the life that triumphed over illness and death. There will be no more pain or illness, because in the eternal divine state, death will no longer prevail. c) Eternal life without evil. There will no longer be a “curse against anyone” (Revelation 22:3). The problem of the human heart will be forever resolved, as evil will be completely eradicated. There, the throne of God and the Lamb will be centered in the heart of the human being. d) Eternal life in the presence of God. We will behold God face to face (1 Cor 13:12), and his presence will be our light forever (Rev 22:4). What unspeakable joy! We will worship by looking directly at Him. His glorious presence will make it so that there will be no more night, no more darkness, and we will forever reign with Him.

20. Eternal life is described in the Bible as a river, a tree, a place without evil and the eternal presence of God. SYNOPSIS II 20

21. 21 III – THE FINAL STATE OF ALL SAINTS

22. 22 III – THE FINAL STATE OF ALL SAINTS 1. What should every saved believer expect? The saints of God, both in the Old and New Testaments, never lived on this Earth with the idea of ​​remaining on it eternally. The patriarch Abraham lived in it with the hope of the Celestial City, whose builder is God ( Hb 11.9,10; Gl 4.26; Hb 11.16). Moses passed through it with the same intention, he left Egypt and its glory because he was aware of something better, the glorious reward ( Heb 11.24-27). Therefore, the Christian who lives in this world knows that, here, he is a pilgrim on this journey, as he is aware that his home, his true city, is the heavenly one where our great and wonderful God dwells (Rev 21.3, 22; 22.3).

23. 23 2. We will all live in unity. When mentioning the inscriptions on the 12 gates of the city, which contain the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the foundations bear the names of the 12 apostles, it is evident that these are people from all ages (Rev 21.9-14). The people of both Israel and the Church will be gathered together, forming one Body of Christ, thus fully fulfilling what is written in Galatians: “in this there is neither Jew nor Greek” (Gal 3.28). We will live in the New City without any type of segregation, discrimination or class differences, as we will be one people in Christ Jesus.

24. 24 3. Finally home. We know that our final home is not here in this world, nor in the grave, proof of this is that we are called pilgrims and foreigners on this Earth ( Hb 11.13). The apostle Paul reminds us that our city is in Heaven (Phil 3:20). Christians who truly maintain communion with Christ and His Word cultivate in their hearts the desire to go home, as the apostle of the Gentiles longed for (2 Cor 5.8; Phil 1.21,23). This is our great reward when we finish our journey here on Earth. This is the blessed hope of every sincere Christian who desires to live in Heaven.

25. In the Final State, we will finally be able to say: we are home. SYNOPSIS III 25

26. 26 CONCLUSION Heaven is the final destination of a journey that began with the New Birth. From the beginning of the journey until the end, we will face enemies who try to divert us from the route to Heaven. Therefore, during the journey, all vigilance and zeal are necessary, knowing that He who began the good work will perfect it until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6). Therefore, let us set our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith, looking forward, for the Heavenly Canaan is right there.

27. 1. How can we define Paradise? A definition that we can mention of paradise is Heaven as the abode of God, the angels and the saved (2 Cor 12.2-4). 2. Where will the New Jerusalem come from? From the Heaven. 3. According to the lesson, how is the perfect, eternal state described in the Bible? The perfect and eternal state is described in the Bible as a beautiful place, of holiness and perfection, because the old order, in which the nature of sin prevailed, was abolished and gave way to a holy, pure and perfect place. Reviewing the content 27

28. 4. What symbols are presented in the book of Revelation that describe the divine perfect state of all things? These are symbols that communicate the uniqueness of this new state: a) a river; b) the tree; c) the absence of evils; d) the presence of God 5. What should sincere Christians cultivate in their hearts? Christians who truly maintain communion with Christ and His Word cultivate in their hearts the desire to go home, as the apostle of the Gentiles longed for (2 Cor 5.8; Phil 1.21,23). 28

29. 29 References CPAD. A CARREIRA QUE NOS ESTÁ PROPOSTA: O Caminho da Salvação, Santidade e Perseverança para Chegar ao Céu . Rio de Janeiro: Casa Publicadora das Assembleias de Deus (CPAD), 2024. (Lições Bíblicas, Adultos CPAD). KAPLAN, Aryeh (ORG.). Bíblia Antigo Testamento: A Torá Viva - Os cinco livros de Moisés e as Haftarot : uma tradução baseada em fontes judaicas tradicionais, com comentários, introdução, mapas, tabelas, gravuras, bibliografia e índice remissivo. 3a ed. São Paulo: Maayanot , 2000.

30. 30 SOCIEDADE BÍBLICA DO BRASIL (ORG.). Bíblia De Estudo Pentecostal - Almeida Revista e Corrigida . 6a ed. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: SBB, 2014. SOCIEDADE BÍBLICA DO BRASIL (org.). Bíblia De Estudo Plenitude Revista E Atualizada . Barueri, SP: SBB, 2005.

31. LESSONS: Lesson 1- The Beginning of the Walk Lesson 2 - The Choice between the Narrow Gate and the Wide Gate Lesson 3 - Heaven - the Christian's Destiny Lesson 4 - How to Conduct Yourself on a Walk Lesson 5 - The Enemies of the Christian Lesson 6 - Our Spiritual Weapons Lesson 7 - The Danger of Murmuring Lesson 8 - Confessing and Forsaking Sin Lesson 9 - Resisting Temptation on the Path Lesson 10 - Developing a Consciousness of Holiness Lesson 11 - The Biblical Reality of Hell Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian Lesson 13 – The Celestial City 31 SBS – Sunday Bible School Adult Bible Lessons 2nd quarter 2024 CPAD MAGAZINE: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Reach Heaven Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon Renewed in Grace

32. Obrigado Celso Napoleon 32 [email protected] Renewed in Grace https://www.facebook.com/renovadosnagraca