Her Gates are always Open

by George Sidney Hurd
 
The following is an excerpt from the book, The Triumph of Mercy.
 
Revelation chapter 20 ends with the Great White Throne Judgment, where the dead are judged according to their works, and all whose names are not found written in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire. From the traditional point of view, the eternal destiny of every rational being will then be eternally sealed without any further possibility of salvation for those not found written in the book of life at that time. In chapter 21, after the judgment, we see the New Jerusalem descend from heaven upon the new earth. The rest of the chapter is a description of this heavenly city. Until one comes to the end of the chapter, one might think that as the door of Noah’s ark, so also the door of opportunity is forever closed for those outside who might wish to enter. And that is what tradition teaches us. Nevertheless, from verse 24 onwards, we see that the gates of the New Jerusalem are always open and will never be shut to the nations:
 
“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 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. 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev 21:24-22:3)
 
There are several things in these verses which indicate there will be restoration beyond the Great White Throne Judgment. In the first place, we see in verse 8 of chapter 21 that those sentenced in the judgment will receive “their part” in the lake of fire. Since they are not found written in the book of life they will be judged and sentenced, each one according to his works. This in itself implies a measured sentence that has an end. In the same way that the words of Jesus: “you will not get out until…, and “many stripes…few stripes,” necessitate a sentence of limited duration; the expression “their part” also implies a measured punishment of a limited time. “Many stripes” cannot mean “eternal stripes” any more that “many ages” can mean eternity. That which is measured is not infinite.
 
In regard to those who are not found written in the book of life, there is nothing in all of Scriptures that indicates that one’s name cannot be written in it at a later time. Indeed, we see that in Christ, all without exception will be made alive, each in his own due time (1Cor 15:22-23). In fact, we do see mention of the book of life after the White Throne Judgment. No one will be able to enter the gates of the New Jerusalem unless their names are found written in the book of life (21:27). If there were no possibility of leaving the lake of fire and having one’s name subsequently written in the book of life, why would the book of life be mentioned with reference to entering the gates of the New Jerusalem? For a further consideration of the book of life, see my article The Book of Life. 
 
In the last verses of Revelation, after the Great White Throne Judgment in the new earth, we see that the invitation is still open for all those who desire, to enter into the gates of the New Jerusalem and drink of the water of life freely:
 
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Rev 22:14-15)
 
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev 22:17)
 
Here we see the Spirit and the bride giving the invitation to “whoever desires” to “wash their robes” and have their names written in the book of life so as to be able to enter through the gates and drink freely of the water of life. At that time, in the new earth, the Church is the Bride, the wife of the Lamb, who dwells with Him in the New Jerusalem. The water of life flows from the throne of God in the New Jerusalem, forming the river of life, with the tree of life on either side, which tree is for the healing of the nations (22:1-2). Psalm 87 also seems to refer to a yet future time when the nations will enter the gates of Zion in which we see springs of living water (verse 7). In verses 5 and 6 we see that they will have their names recorded as having been spiritually reborn there.
 
None of the details of this invitation by the bride in Revelation 22 would have had any application to the old pre - White Throne Judgment earth. Prior to the Second Coming, the Church was not yet the Bride - the Wife of the Lamb, but here it is the Bride who says “come.” The New Jerusalem didn’t descend upon the new earth until after the White Throne Judgment, and therefore there was no place on the pre-judgment earth where one could enter the gates and partake of the tree of life and drink from the river of life. These are new earth conditions and yet we see that there are still those outside being invited by the Lamb’s wife to enter and drink freely from the river. If the lake of fire is eternal and hidden away in the core of the earth, then where do these unclean sinners come from that need to wash their robes? Traditionalists have great difficulty explaining how people can still be present on the new earth in need of cleansing and healing after all the unjust have already been cast into the Lake of Fire following the Great White Throne Judgment, but it harmonizes perfectly with the final universal restoration of all.
 
It is my conviction that the lake of fire is not a geographical lake in a literal sense any more than it is a literal sea out of which the beast arises in chapter 13 (13:1). Neither do I believe it is literal fire and brimstone.
 
“…He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night.” (Rev 14:10-11)
 
In the description of the judgment declared against Edom by the prophet Isaiah, we see a very similar description which few would take in a literal sense:
 
“Its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone; its land shall become burning pitch. 10 It shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall ascend forever (olam). From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever.” (Isa 34:9-10)
 
These expressions are very graphic and obviously hyperbolic. Their streams and land did not literally turn to pitch, or their dust into sulfur, and their smoke isn’t still ascending today. It says that no one would be able to pass through Edom continually from generation to generation, but one can pass through Edom without any problem today. Also, we see that Isaiah’s prophecy, although it singles out Edom, is directed against all nations in verses 1-3:
 
“Come near, you nations, to hear; and heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. 2 For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. 3 Also their slain shall be thrown out; their stench shall rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.” (Isa 34:1-3)
 
This prophecy is full of hyperbolic expressions of judgment which we understand as being symbolic and not literal, such as “the mountains will be melted with their blood,” “the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved,” “The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made overflowing with fatness,” “its streams shall be turned into pitch and its dust into brimstone” “its smoke shall ascend forever,” etc. Even taking this prophecy as a preview of an eschatological event, we would still understand these expressions as hyperbole, emphasizing severity of judgment and not literal. The mountains will not literally be melted by their blood; the rivers will not literally turn to pitch and their smoke will not literally ascend forever. Much less should we understand that every individual of these nations is burning and putting off smoke or will be doing so forever. The smoke arises from their cities and not the inhabitants, even as the unquenchable fire in Ezekiel 20:46-48 is “the forest of the South” and not its inhabitants. These expressions of judgment, even though they are graphic, do not ever speak of judgments that go beyond physical death and the destruction of their cities.
 
Also, we see later in the same book of Isaiah that the judgment against the nations is not eternal. In Isaiah 60 we see a clear reference to the healing of the nations who will be saved and walk in the light of the New Jerusalem and will enter her gates which will always be open, just as we see in Revelation 21 and 22:
 
“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night.” (Isa 60:1-5,11)
 
It is probable that the lake of fire is a spiritual condition rather than a geographical location, and those who are in it can see the New Jerusalem but will not enter until they have fulfilled their “part” or sentence in the lake of fire. The invitation of the Bride is extended to all, but it will be just as it is now; no one responds to the call until they are granted repentance and are drawn by the Spirit. Although they will see the light of the New Jerusalem and will hear the invitation of the Bride to enter, they will continue in the lake of fire until they repent of their sins and have been purified of their uncleanness by the purification of fire and sulfur. Another description of their spiritual condition in addition to the expression “lake of fire” is “the outer darkness.” Outer darkness is an expression which, if taken literally, is incompatible with literal fire, which always produces light, especially in dense darkness:
 
“And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 8:11-12, cf. 22:13; 25:30).
 
The symbolisms are utilized to express the experience of those who live in rebellion towards God, who is a consuming fire, and to describe how it is to live far from Him who is the Light. The lake of fire and sulfur emphasizes corrective punishment and purification, and the outer darkness emphasizes the separation away from the glory and radiance of His presence (“but outside are dogs…” Rev 22:15). I believe that the weeping and gnashing of teeth will be occasioned by observing from afar the joy of the saints in the New Jerusalem and not being able to enter until they have fulfilled their part in the lake of fire in outer darkness, and until the Spirit draws them into the New Jerusalem through the invitation of the Bride.
 
Another cause of their weeping and gnashing of teeth will be the result of being excluded from the wedding feast. They will never enjoy the privilege of being the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb. The marriage will have already been consummated in the Second Coming of Christ, when He comes for his Church. Christ will receive His Bride unto Himself to dwell with Him in the New Jerusalem, which He has prepared for His wife. From the heavenly New Jerusalem, she will reign with Him for a thousand years upon the earth.
 
At the end of the thousand-year millennium all the rest will be judged before the Great White Throne; God will make a new heaven and earth and then the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven upon the new earth. The rest “of the nations of those who are saved” will inhabit the new earth but not the New Jerusalem, which is the exclusive habitation of the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb: “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it” (Rev 21:24). The saved of the nations who are not the Bride - the Wife of the Lamb, will walk in the light of the New Jerusalem but they will not be of the New Jerusalem.
 
Those in outer darkness, in the lake of fire, suffering the second death, remain away from the presence of the Lord and His glory in the outer darkness. They can only see from afar, weeping and gnashing their teeth in the awareness of what they lost. Someday they will be granted repentance and their names will also be written in the book of life. Then they will be able to walk in the light of the New Jerusalem like the other saved individuals of the nations and enter through its gates which will never be shut, but they will never be the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.
 
Those who respond to the invitation and wash their robes will be able to enter through the gates and drink of the water of life and partake of the tree of life but, as I understand it, they will never enjoy the privilege of being the Bride - the Wife of the Lamb, who exclusively has the privilege of entering into the intimacy of the inner chamber of the Lamb. Until the end, we see the distinction between the Wife inhabiting the New Jerusalem and the nations who walk in her light. That is not to say that at the end of the ages, in eternity, this distinction will still exist, since by that time God will be all in all – all having become subjected to Christ (1Cor 15:28). However, for the ages of the ages (i.e. as long as time exists), the wife will continue inviting whoever wills to enter in and drink freely of the water of life until the last soul has been restored.
 
So, we see that the gates of the New Jerusalem in the new earth will never be shut. The invitation will continue to be extended to those who are outside to wash their robes and enter through the open gates to partake of the river of life and the tree of life for their healing. His mercy really does endure forever! Christ will reign until all are subject to the Father that He might be all in all. This would not be possible with a traditional model which doesn’t allow for another opportunity after the Great White Throne Judgment, but it harmonizes perfectly with Universalism which anticipates the eventual restoration of all, when in the fullness of time, all will be reunited in Christ, both those who are in heaven and those who are on earth (Eph 1:10).

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