Village of Eternity

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Revelation 22:1-21

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him (Revelation 22:3).

British journalist Tracey Lawson visited Campodimele, Italy, and dubbed it the “Village of Eternity.” The 1,000-year-old town rests like a crown atop a mountain, and the average resident lives 95 years. The locals eat well—mostly simple, fresh food. According to Lawson, the village is a “little cluster of medieval houses [with] olive trees on the slopes in the background.” The main piazza boasts a panoramic view of the Liri Valley, and twilight patrons of the Moonlight Café can sit outside and watch the moon ascend like a slow-moving lantern.

So what’s to stop us all from buying one-way tickets to Campodimele? The promise of someplace even better. This divine venue of the future in Israel and is called “the New Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:1-2). In this place . . .

We will interact directly with God (Revelation 22:3). “The throne of God . . . will be there, and His servants will worship Him” (Revelation 22:3). The word worship in this verse could be rendered serve. Either way, our acts of honor will be performed face-to-face with our Creator (Revelation 22:4).

We will experience God’s glorious light (Revelation 22:5). One day we’ll live in His radiance, which will negate the need for lamps, light bulbs, and even the sun!

We will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:5). Our lives will go on indefinitely without the threat of evil (Revelation 22:15). We’ll finally experience the wonder of the words: “Everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Christian writer C. S. Lewis said, “If I [have] a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the [best] explanation is that I was made for another world.” Do you desire limitless time and the continual joy that comes from God’s presence? (Psalm 21:6). If so, you were made for God’s “village of eternity.”

—Jennifer Benson Schuldt  

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Read Revelation 21:10- 12 to learn more about the New Jerusalem. Read Ezekiel 1:26-28 to see the prophet’s description of God’s glory.

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What does God’s presence mean to you as you consider the concept of eternity? How might the prospect of an eternity spent apart from God influence your concern for unbelievers?

 

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