Let's Study Revelation (Chapter 21) by E. G. Cook

CHAPTER 21     When we come to this chapter we find that which is not only debatable, but which has been debated through the centuries. There are those who contend that this earth is to be completely annihilated, and that God will then create a new earth. Then there are those who contend that the earth will be part of the "all things" that will be restored in the coming day, Acts 3:21. God created man in His own image, but man fell into sin and lost that image of God. But God set His hand to restore man. Salvation is just the initial stage of that restoration. The final stage will be when we no longer have these fallen sinful bodies, but rather when we have those glorified bodies like unto His glorious body, Philippians 3:21. There have been times when it seemed that God's justice would require the extermination of the entire race. Even God's own chosen people of Israel went so far that it seemed that God was ready to completely destroy them and start over. But in Psalms 106:23 we see that Moses stood in the breach and turned away the wrath of God, thereby, saving the children of Israel from destruction. Our Lord stood in the breach of the Cross of Calvary and turned the wrath of God away from His elect people, thereby, saving them from the lake of fire.
    Not only did our Lord die to redeem His elect people but He died to redeem the earth as well. If old Satan has brought this earth to the place where it must be annihilated and a new one created in order to have one like Adam originally lived on, then someone should hold Satan's hand up high and proclaim him the victor. But I do not believe God will ever permit Satan to be ultimately victorious in any of his undertakings. I am aware that II Peter 3:10 sounds as if this earth is to be consumed. But the New English version says, "the earth with all that is in it will be laid bare." In Psalms 102:25-26 we read, "Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed." There we are told that they (the earth and the heaven) shall perish, but in Scriptural usage the word "perish" certainly does not mean annihilation. In II Peter 2:12 we see some people who are to "utterly perish in their own corruption," but certainly no one would say that these wicked people are to be annihilated. Something much worse than annihilation awaits these people. Then in our reference in Psalms we are told that the earth and the heaven "shall be changed." In I Corinthians 15:51 we read, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." And in Philippians 3:21 we see what that change is to be. There we read "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body." When Adam fell into sin our bodies became subject to pain, suffering, heartache and even to death itself, but in that soon coming day these vile bodies of ours will be made like unto our Lord's glorious body.
    So with this old sin cursed earth. When Adam fell the earth was cursed. In Genesis 3:17 God said to fallen Adam "Cursed is the ground for thy sake." And in the next verse we see this cursed earth bringing forth thorns and thistles, but in Isaiah 55:13 we read, "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree." And not only has this old earth been infested with such things as thorns, thistles, nut grass and cockleburs, but, much worse it has been infested with sin. Old Satan has been permitted to infest every nook and cranny of this earth with sin. There is no place to be found on the earth that sin is not already there. But when Satan along with all the wicked of all the ages, has been cast into the lake of fire for ever, when Hades, the place where the wicked dead have been confined, is literally flung into this lake of fire with them, this sad condition can no longer be tolerated. So this earth you and I know must be fumigated thoroughly. All traces of sin must be eradicated for all time. We are told in Psalms 102:25-26 and again in Hebrews 1:10-12 that this earth "shall be changed." When we are changed and given that wonderful glorified body, our Adamic fleshly nature will be forever left behind. So when this earth is changed, all traces of sin will be forever left behind. It will indeed be a new earth. But let us remember, "Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever ," Psalms 104:5. Yes, the foundations of this earth are eternal. They will not, in fact, they cannot be removed for ever, because God's Word says they won't.
    We are also told that there is to be a new heaven. Some great Bible scholars who have written on this subject go so far as to have the entire universe, including the sun, the moon, the planets and the stars, being completely annihilated. If they are right, I sure am wrong. In Isaiah 24:23 I read, "Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously," but nowhere have I been able to find that all these heavenly bodies are to be annihilated. Yes, the sun and the moon have cast their wonderful light upon the crooked and perverse generations so long that when righteousness reigns on the earth, the moon will blush for shame and the sun will be ashamed.
    John says "I saw a new heaven." He did not say heavens. There are three heavens. In II Corinthians 12:2 Paul speaks of his being caught up to the third heaven, and since there is a third heaven there must of necessity be a first and a second heaven. The first heaven consists of the atmospheric circle about the earth, that is, the sphere in which the birds fly. The second heaven takes in that part of the universe in which the heavenly bodies are located. And the third heaven is the place where God's throne is located.
    And since the purpose of the new heaven (that is, in quality) is to eradicate all traces of sin, the first heaven is the one that must be dealt with. When Lucifer fell and became old Satan he was cast out of the third heaven. And since there was nothing in the second heaven that was of interest to him due to the fact he could not lead the sun, the moon and the stars in a rebellion against God, he set up his throne in the first heaven. From that vantage point he has operated through the centuries.
    In Ephesians 2:2 he is called "the prince of the power of the air." I once thought that Satan's sphere of operation was way up yonder somewhere, but I have long since come to see that his abiding place is much nearer his prey. This word "air" is from the Creek word AER which means the dense air below the mountain tops ,"not just around the tree tops," but around our very heads. If he seems to get in our hair sometimes it is because he does get in our hair. So the heaven that is to be made new in quality as the Wuest version puts it, is the first heaven that has been contaminated by Satan's operations.
    Then John says "and there was no more sea." The word "sea" THALASSA usually means a literal sea as the Red Sea, or the sea of Galilee, but it is also used to express the chaotic conditions in the world. When John saw a beast (who is a man) rise up out of the sea, in Revelation 13:1 it is not speaking of a sea of water, but rather of the chaotic conditions of the world. So, if someone contends that John means there won't be any oceans or seas of water in the new earth, I won't argue with him, but I won't believe him. There is one thing I will contend for, and that is the fact there will be no more chaotic conditions in the world. So, to me, the sea here in verse 1 speaks of the chaotic conditions that have gone from the scene forever when this time comes. Our rulers for the last 35 years have been experts when it comes to producing chaotic conditions. But when the Lord of glory begins to reign upon this earth, these conditions will be gone forever.
    We shall deal with verse 2 in connection with verse 10.
    In verse 3 John hears a great voice out of heaven. A voice out of heaven can always be expected to say something of great import. So let us notice carefully what this great voice is saying. It is so easy for us to jump over great facts found in the Scriptures, and we often times do it ,without our being conscious of the fact that we are doing it. In my younger days I got the impression from somebody somewhere that saved people would spend eternity in heaven with God. And for many years after I was saved I still had that conception. If I got that idea from the Bible I have forgotten where I found it, and I certainly cannot find it any more. I do find where we are to be "caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." We are not told that we are to be carried into heaven. I assume that we are, but I cannot prove it. Then in Zechariah 14:5 and I Thessalonians 3:13 we see our Lord coming down to the earth with His saints. If we are to ever return to heaven after that, I find no mention of it in the precious Book. But this great voice does say, "Behold, (or just look), the tabernacle (or dwelling place) of God is with men, and He will dwell (just be at home) with them." This old earth may be a shame and a disgrace today, but when God has restored its pristine nature and beauty, and when He has come down and made Himself at home upon this earth, all that shame and disgrace will be gone and forgotten. This earth will really be something in that soon coming day. Talk about heaven on earth, we will really have that very thing when this time comes.
    In verse 4 we see God wiping "away all tears from their eyes." This goes beyond our poor finite minds to understand. When we have heaven here on earth, who will be shedding tears, and why will they be shedding them? In Zechariah 12:10 we see the Jews mourning "as one mourneth for his only son," and in Matthew 24:30 we see all the tribes of the earth (the Jews are the tribes) mourning when they see "the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." All this mourning takes place a thousand years before the new heaven and the new earth come into view. In Isaiah 66:13 we see our Lord comforting these Jews. There we read, "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you: and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." In Isaiah 25:8 we are told that "the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces," but this too takes place at His second coming.
    So, could it be that what we see here in this verse is not in chronological order? We know there are many instances in the Scriptures where the events mentioned are not in chronological order. In Luke 4:16-27 we have the record of our Lord's first sermon preached in His home town. And if you notice, He read as His text from Isaiah 61:1-2. But you will see that He stopped reading at the middle of verse 2, closed the book and handed it to the one in charge of the service. There are those who object to your reading just a part of a verse, but you will notice that our Lord did just that in this case. Now why did He do that? Simply because those things He did read had to do with His first coming. He was present on the earth at that time in the flesh for the purpose of bringing to pass those predictions which He read. But the two predictions He did not read at that time, "the day of vengeance of our God: to comfort all that mourn" did not pertain to His first coming in any way. They have to do with what will come to pass when He comes the second time. So here we see things that come to pass some two thousand years apart being separated only by a little comma.
    So, with that in mind, could it be that the tears are wiped from their eyes at the very beginning of the thousand year reign of our Lord and then a thousand years later the other things mentioned in this verse come to pass? It can only be in the new earth, in what we call the ceaseless ages of eternity, that there will be no more death, suffering, crying, sorrow or pain because when that time comes all these things will have passed away "so far as we are concerned."
    In verse 5 our Lord says, "Behold, I make all things new", that is He makes all things new in quality. If a man is saved today he becomes a new creature, but still his friends who see him tomorrow will recognize him as the same fellow they knew last week. He is a new creature in quality, but it does not alter his natural features. In Isaiah 65:17 speaking concerning the new heavens and new earth we are told "and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Won't it be wonderful when the time comes that we no longer think about the awful chaotic conditions that prevailed during the last few years before our rapture? In the next verse in Isaiah 65 we are told to "be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create." How we will do just that in the coming day.
    In verse 6 our Lord says, "It is done." In Revelation 16:17 when the last bowl of God's wrath has been poured out upon this sin cursed earth, we hear this same expression, "It is done." There the great voice seems to be proclaiming the fact that the awful tribulation time had now come to an end, that God's righteous wrath had accomplished its purpose. In John 19:30 when our Lord's enemies had fulfilled every prophecy pertaining to His suffering and death in our behalf, we hear Him as He says, "It is finished." Now, here in Revelation 21:6 when all the wicked of all the ages have been consigned to the lake of fire, when Hades, their present place of confinement has been flung into the lake of fire with them, when all traces of sin have for ever been wiped out, when old Satan has been for ever and completely put out of circulation, when the earth and the heavens above it have been restored to their pristine character, that is, when this earth has become a veritable garden of Eden, we hear the great voice again saying, "It is done." Oh, how we should long for, and how we should pray for that wonderful time to come.
    Then our Lord says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." In our English language He is saying "I am A and Z, the beginning and the end." In Isaiah 9:6 He is called the Wonderful Counsellor. In the counsel halls of the eternity of the past He was there. That was when He chose us (John 15:16). That is when the Father gave us to Him (John 17:6). And that is when plans were made for Him to die for us (Revelation 13:8). Then He is called the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. This He will be while the ceaseless ages of eternity roll on and on for ever and ever.
    Then He says that He will give the water of life freely to those who thirst. The religious world gives this statement a universal application. Then they go about creating an artificial thirst for this water, but theirs is a lost cause. It is impossible for a dead person to thirst for anything. And every lost person is dead in trespasses and sins until our Lord in His marvelous grace quickens, or makes alive, this dead person. When this takes place the person who has been quickened begins to thirst immediately for the precious water of life.
    In verse 7 we learn that those who overcome are to inherit all things. Here again the religious world makes it appear that the lost person has it in his power to overcome and to inherit all things. And we must admit that this Scripture does not point out that there are those who cannot overcome. There is no need for that because the ones who are unable to over come, do not want to overcome anyway. In I John 5:5 we read, "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"
    So this limits the number who overcome. It is only the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Again, the religious world says that everyone can do that. But the Scriptures say (Acts 13 :48b) that the ones who believe are those who were ordained, or appointed to eternal life. In the eternity of the past God made an appointment with every one of His elect people. Then when the appointed time comes (Galatians 1:15) He gives them faith (Ephesians 2:8) and they believe. In that way "He shall choose our inheritance for us," Psalms 47:4. When this takes place, He shall be our God, and we shall be His children.
    In the latter part of verse 6 and all of verse 7 we see that which applies to every age, but when we come to verse 8 we see that which can only apply to the time before the great white throne judgment. At the time of this awful judgment all the wicked of all the ages will be cast into the lake of fire. After this judgment we see the new heaven and the new earth in which, according to verse 4, there will be no more death. But in order for a person (other than the beast and the false prophet) to be cast into this awful place it requires two deaths, first his natural death, then his being cast into this lake of fire which is his second death. So we must conclude that this verse has to do only with the time up to the white throne judgment.
    In verses 9 and 10 one of the angels who had one of the bowl judgments came to John and said, "Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." Then this angel showed John a great city, the holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven. At first, this may puzzle us somewhat. The angel says. I will show you the bride, but when John looks for the bride, he sees the holy Jerusalem. If the angel had said, I will show you the cities of the world, and John had seen this great city coming down from heaven, he would have been puzzled himself. If you and others are discussing the great cities of the world and someone mentions Rome, you immediately think of Rome as being the capital city of Italy. But if you are discussing religion and someone mentions Rome, you do not think of the capital city of Italy. You think of the Catholic Church. When religion is the subject, Rome and the Catholic Church are one and the same thing. It isn't necessary for the speaker to stop and say, I mean by Rome the Catholic Church.
    So it is with this holy Jerusalem and the bride of Christ. If the bride is the subject under discussion and someone mentions the holy Jerusalem, it should not be necessary for the speaker to stop and say I mean the bride of Christ. We should be as familiar with the holy Jerusalem and the bride in the field of eschatology as we are with Rome and the Catholic Church in the field of religion. And the fact that we, as a whole, are not as familiar with this wonderful subject as we should be must be laid on the doorsteps of our preachers and teachers. A thing that is as important to our dear Lord as His precious bride and her wonderful abiding place that He has gone to prepare for her should be given much more prayerful study and consideration by His servants.
    Let us notice, the angel did not say I will show you all the saints. He said I will show you the Bride. So I contend that no one but the bride will occupy this wonderful city. From my observations it would appear that at least 99 per cent of our Lord's own people believe that this New Jerusalem will be the abiding place for all the saints of all the ages. And I can assure you it is no fun to differ with so many of the saints. I rejoice in my differing with the religious world, but when it comes to differing with our Lord's own people, that is an altogether different thing. But, if I do not contend for my convictions, then I should not have any convictions.
    In Hebrews 11:10 we learn that Abraham "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," and he will see that city. But still Abraham will not be part of the Bride of Christ. I know that the popular thing to do today is to teach that the moment a person is saved he or she, automatically becomes a part of the Bride. It is also popular in Baptist circles to hold to the view that you are a part of the Bride if you have been saved and have joined a Baptist Church. That was my view for many years. But I have come to believe that the Bible does not support either of the above theories. After a little more careful study on the subject I am persuaded that our Lord is more particular about who makes up His Bride than I once thought He was.
    In II Corinthians 11:2 Paul says, "I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." This word "chaste" is from HAGNOS which means pure from every fault. So Paul is to present our Lord's Bride to Him as a virgin who is pure from every fault. But in respect to what, is she to be pure from every fault? It cannot be that she is to be sinlessly perfect. Some twenty-five years after he was saved on the road to Damascus Paul said in Romans 7:18 "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." So, since Paul himself could not be a sinless person, he certainly had no hopes of presenting others to Christ who were sinless. But I believe we can find a clue to the Bride's purity in I Corinthians 1:10. There Paul says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." There is absolutely no room here for tolerance and compromise. Those who make up the Bride of Christ must believe and teach the same thing. She must accept all that is taught in the Bible. She must believe Acts 13:48 and at the same time she must believe John 3:16. She must believe Ephesians 1:4 and at the same time she must believe Revelation 22:17. She must believe John 5:21 and at the same time she must believe Acts 16:31. We do not have to understand all the great doctrines in our Bible (no one does that), but we do have to accept them. I do not believe that a person can rebel against any clear teaching found in the Bible and at the same time be a part of the Bride. There can be no contradictions in the Bible, therefore, those who make up the Bride of Christ will believe it all.
    But we notice that when John looked for the Bride he saw the holy Jerusalem. Just as the Catholic Church and Rome are synonymous terms, so the Bride and the holy Jerusalem are synonymous terms. That being true, we are forced to believe that only the Bride dwells in this city. So, as a result of that, we must either accept the teaching that the Bride is made up of all the saved or else try to find a dwelling place for the saved who are not in the Bride. So turn with me to John. 14:2 where we read. "In my Father's house are many mansions (dwelling places): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." We want to notice, Jesus told His disciples that there were already many mansions in the Father's house. But He makes it clear to them that the mansions that were already there at that time were not for them. Rather He says, "I go to prepare a place for you." I know of no Scripture that teaches there can be only one city in the eternal state.
    Then is verse 11 we see that this holy Jerusalem has the glory of God about it, and her light will be as clear as crystal. In verses 12-14 we see a great high wall around this city which speaks of separation. The Bride of Christ will have the privacy becoming her in that day. Then we see twelve gates in this wall which may very well speak of governmental completeness. And then we see an angel at each gate. Nothing is overlooked as to the safety and well-being of our Lord's precious Bride. On each gate we see the name of one of the tribes of Israel. In Matthew 19:28 we learn that when our Lord sits upon the throne of His glory the twelve apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. So it would appear that each apostle is assigned a gate, and that the name of the tribe that he is to judge has its name inscribed on his particular gate.
    And not only does this wall have twelve gates, it also has twelve foundations. And in these foundations are to be seen the names of the twelve apostles. We see the names of the twelve tribes written on the twelve gates because these tribes are to be judged by the twelve apostles. But we also see the names of the twelve apostles in the twelve foundations of the wall. Now why are these names found in the foundations of the wall? If we turn to Ephesians 2:19-20 we hear Paul saying to the church at Ephesus "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God: and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." Catholics (and I am sorry to say others also) hold that the church is built upon Peter. Then there are others who hold that the church is built upon Peter's faith. But just think what would have happened to the church on that awful night if it had been built upon either Peter or his faith. Can you not see how the church would have reeled and rocked, and how it would have utterly collapsed while Peter was denying his Lord three times, and even using profanity in an effort to make his denial stick? It's true that in one sense the twelve apostles made up the foundation of the church. In I Corinthians 12:28 we are told that they were the first ones to be put in the church. Therefore, their names are inscribed upon the foundations of the wall of the holy city. But, let us never forget that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone of the church. That is the thing that gives it stability. That is what kept it from reeling and rocking on that awful night. And that is why He could say "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
    In verses 15-16 we see that this wonderful city is as broad as it is long and that it is also as high as it is long. It is twelve thousand furlongs each way. And since 8 furlongs make a mile we can divide 12,000 furlongs by 8 and find that this city is 1500 miles each way This old world has never dreamed of such a city. Just think, if this holy Jerusalem were to be set down upon our continent, it would reach from New York City to over about Salt Lake City, and from the Gulf of Mexico to the middle of Hudson Bay in Canada. Our Lord's precious Bride will not be cramped up in a slum pocket in that wonderful day.
    In verse 17 we find that the wall was one hundred and forty four cubits, or 216 feet high. And in verse 18 we learn that this wall is composed of, or made of jasper, and the city itself is made of pure gold. Today jasper is usually red, brown, or yellow, but in ancient times a green colored quartz was called jasper. So it would appear that this wall will be a lovely green color, and the great city itself will be the beautiful yellow of pure gold. This will be one place that will be so perfect that this Bride will not find one single thing that she will want to change. She will not want this lovely place redecorated before she moves in.
    In verses 19-20 we are told that the foundations of this lovely wall are garnished, or adorned with all manner of precious stones. I often have trouble trying to match colors when I start to dress. But this One who has gone to prepare a place for His Bride never has any trouble with colors. When we see this lovely dwelling place I'm sure we will find that the colors of this lovely city, the beautiful wall and its foundations will blend to perfection. We won't find one single change we would like to make.
    In verse 21 the twelve gates in the wall are made of pearl, that is, each gate is made of one single pearl, and the pale, grayish white color of these pearls will blend in perfectly with all the rest of the city. Here we also see that the street, or broad avenue of the city is pure gold. Pure gold would not be suitable for building freeways in this old world. It would be too soft to stand up under the strain upon it, but there won't be any ten ton trucks traveling this lovely avenue.
    Then in verse 22 we are thrilled at the absence of something. Here in this life we are so thankful for our place of worship. It means so much to us. Like David of old we are glad when they say, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." But when that wonderful day comes we will have no need of a temple or sanctuary in which to worship our dear Lord. A young woman whose husband is away in the service of his country may keep his picture with her at all times. She may take it up every day, cover it with kisses, and clasp it to her bosom. But when her beloved husband is finally discharged, the moment he enters the door of his home the picture takes a back seat. Who needs a picture when the husband is home with her? So it will be with our Lord's Bride. When her beloved Bridegroom is there with her, she will have no need of a sanctuary. In 22:3 we see His throne in this wonderful city. So that is why John saw no temple.
    It may be that verses 23 and 24 have been sorely misinterpreted. In my younger days I got the idea from somebody, somewhere that there would be no sun or moon when this time comes. But I see nothing to substantiate that kind of thinking here. We are told that the city won't have any need of the sun and moon. In Matthew 17:2 Peter, James and John did not need the sun and the moon, but they were still there. So here the glory of God gives light to it, (the city). But that does not mean that the sun and the moon won't be around any more. In Isaiah 24:23 we are told that the "moon will be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion," but we are not told that they will disintegrate. Rather in Isaiah 30:26 we are told "the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven fold, as the light of seven days." This is to take place when our Lord binds up those whom He has smitten and heals those whom He wounded, that is, the Jews, but we are not told how long this will continue.
    Then we are told that the nations shall walk in the light of it. This is not necessarily physical light. In John 9:5 Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world." The nations did not walk in that light when He was here the first time. But when He sets up His throne here on the earth they will walk in that light. In verse 23 the word "light" means physical light, but in verse 24, it, in all probability means spiritual light. The expression "of them which are saved" must have sprung from the imagination of the translators. You won't find it in other translations.
    In this verse we also see the kings of the earth bringing their glory into it. This is the time when our Lord rules the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27, 12:5, 19:15), and whether these rulers are saved or lost they will do as they are told to do. I do not mean by this that lost people will have access to this city, but the glory of their kingdom can be brought into the city.
    In verses 25-27 we learn that the gates of the city will not be closed at all. Since the glory of the LORD lights the city there will be no night in it, because His glory never goes down. We are told again that the glory and honor of the nations are brought into the city. But, if you notice, we are not told in this verse that the rulers themselves do the bringing. We are told in verse 27, however, that no one but saved people will be permitted to enter it. Here in this life we must live in the midst of a crooked and perverse people. Every way we turn we hear and see all manner of vulgar and profane things. We are utterly unable to avoid much of it, because this old wicked world is just completely saturated with that which dishonors our precious Lord. But in that coming day everything we see and everything we hear in that wonderful city will be to the honor and glory of our dear Lord. May it please Him to hasten that wonderful day.