Who Cannot Enter The Promised Land?

In the previous blog, we saw that only those whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life shall enter the promised land which is the New Jerusalem. Today we are going to look at those who the Bible says cannot enter into the promised land:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death

Revelation 21:8 (KJV)

And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 21:27

So, who cannot enter into the New Jerusalem?

1. The fearful

This refers to Christians who do not have faith in following Jesus. They are timid and fainthearted (cowardly) and fall short in following Christ as Lord. Being a follower of Christ requires courage and anyone who is cowardly will easily give up in the face of persecution however we know that:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

2. Unbelieving

These are those without faith and trust in God. The unbelieving refers to those who refuse to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, (John 20:27); or those who refuse belief in the gospel, (2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14), or Christians themselves who depart from the true faith, (2 Timothy 2:18), or those without trust in God:

Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”

Matthew 17:17

3. Abominable

Abomination or abominable is something that is detestable, unlawful or repulsive to God. There are many things that are abominable to God:

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren

Proverbs 6:16-19

From this list, we can see that the things God detests are very close to us. How many times have we had a proud look or sowed discord and disunity among our brethren?

Click here for a full list of what the Bible says about abomination.

4. Murderers

A Murderer is not just one who kill someone physically. The Bible says that if you hate your brother you are also a murderer:

Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him

1 John 3:15

5. Whoremongers

A whoremonger is a male prostitute or a fornicator, i.e. anyone engaging in sexual immorality. The Bible tells us to flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18):

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)

6. Sorcerers

Sorcery is the use of drugs, magic, spells and witchcraft:

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NKJV)

7. Idolaters

An idolater is a worshipper of false gods. It can be even a Christian who participates in the worship of another god (1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 10:7). We know that anything we place before God is an idol. A covetous man who is greedy of gain is also an idolater:

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God:

Ephesians 5:5

8. All liars

Anyone who believes and says things that are false, deceitful, untrue, wicked are all classified as liars. We also saw earlier that lying is an abomination to God:

You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man

Psalm 5:6

9. He that Defileth

Sin is spiritual filth and committing sin is smearing a person’s garments with spiritual filth. When Joshua the High Priest stood before the Angel, Satan stood at his right hand to oppose him because Joshua was clothed with filthy garments which represents iniquity (Zechariah 3:3). God had to command His Angels to take the filthy garments from him and God removed his iniquity and clothed him with rich robes (Zechariah 3:4). As Christians we are told to keep ourselves pure from the defilement of sin:

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:4

So, who cannot enter into the New Jerusalem?

1. The fearful
2. Unbelieving
3. Abominable
4. Murderers
5. Whoremongers
6. Sorcerers
7. Idolaters
8. All liars
9. He that Defileth

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me not to do the things that will prevent me from inheriting the Kingdom of God. Please give me courage and faith to serve You. Help me to stay away from things that You detest, and not to hate my brother which is murder in Your eyes. Please help me to avoid sexual immorality and all forms of sorcery. Help me to not place anything before You and to avoid the temptation to lie. Please help me not to defile my conscience or garments with sin but to live in love and purity. All this I ask in Jesus name, amen.

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Who Can Enter The Promised Land?

In the past few weeks we have been studying the book of Joshua and learning about how God used him to lead the children of Israel into their promised land.

We have learned that as followers of Jesus Christ, our promised land is not on this earth, but it is the New Jerusalem which is coming down out of heaven from God.

Today’s scripture tells us those who will enter into the New Jerusalem:

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 21:2, 27 (NKJV)

What is the Book of Life?

In the New Testament the Book of Life refers to God’s list of those destined for eternal life. Believers are written in the Book of Life from eternity:

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is

Revelation 17:8

Who can enter the New Jerusalem?

Only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter the New Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that on the Day of Judgment everyone will stand before God, both great and small and the books will be opened. And another book will be opened, which is the Book of Life. Everyone who is not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12, 15).

How can we be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

We can only be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life when we have washed our robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb:

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb

Revelation 7:13-14

Why must we wear robes?

A robe is a long-fitting gown that is worn as a mark of dignity. A robe is worn by kings (Jonah 3:6), priests, and persons of rank: Mark 12:38; Mark 16:5; Luke 15:22; Luke 20:46; Revelation 6:11; Revelation 7:9, 13, 14. As believers in Jesus the Bible tells us that we are kings and priests before God:

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

Revelation 1:5-6

How do we wash our robes in the Blood of The Lamb?

Firstly in order to wash our robes in the Blood of the Lamb, we must believe that while we were yet sinners Jesus Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Before we accepted Jesus, our own righteous acts were like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). Once we accept Jesus we exchange these filthy rags for the robe of righteousness as we develop a right relationship with God and we become the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour it is His Blood that cleanses us from all sin:

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin

1 John 1:7

Secondly we must repent from our sins knowing that the Kingdom of God is at hand:

Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Matthew 3:2 (NLT)

Why white robes?

White represents purity. When we accept the death of Jesus on the Cross and repent of our sins and follow His way, it makes our garments white because our conscience is clear and our soul becomes pure:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool”

Isaiah 1:18

To enter the Promised Land, we must do the following:

1. We must exchange our filthy rags for the robe of righteousness. In other words, we must have a right relationship with God which is through Jesus Christ;
2. We must wash our robes in the Blood of Jesus by believing that Jesus came to die in our place and that Blood cleanses us from all our sin;
3. We must make Jesus the Lord in our lives. Believe alone is not enough, because even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19), we must completely surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and make Him Lord over our lives (Acts 16:31);
4. We must repent from our sins and turn to God because the Kingdom of God is near (Mark 1:15)

Prayer:

Dear Father, I come to You now in Jesus name. I want to make the New Jerusalem my eternal home. I repent of all of my sins and I know that You are faithful and just to forgive me of all my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please help me to daily wash my robes and make them white in the Blood of The Lamb. Please write my name in the Book of Life and if there is anything in my life that will prevent me from inheriting eternal life please remove it with the Blood of Jesus, in Jesus name, amen.

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