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Sharing in God's victory doesn't mean getting revenge on our enemies or finally proving we were right all along. It means entering into a reality where the things that separate us from God and from each other no longer exist.

One of the most significant details in John's vision is often overlooked: the New Jerusalem doesn't stay in heaven—it comes "down out of heaven from God." This isn't about believers going up to God; it's about God coming down to believers.

"See! I am making all things new." This declaration from the one seated on the throne is one of the most hope-filled statements in the entire Bible. But it's important to notice what it doesn't say.

This is one of the most beloved promises in all of Scripture, and for good reason. It speaks to the deepest longing of the human heart: the desire for an end to suffering and loss, pain and tears.

When a lot people read about the New Jerusalem with its pearly gates and streets of gold, they picture something like a divine gated community, an exclusive eternal resort where the righteous get to enjoy luxury accommodations forever. But this misses the point entirely.

Everyone thinks they know what heaven looks like - there will be golden streets, pearly gates, and massive mansions. But what if our entire understanding of our eternal reward has been completely backwards? What if the real treasure waiting for us isn't about luxury real estate, but something infinitely more valuable that changes everything about how we live today?

Whatever you're facing right now, whatever is making you want to give up, remember John's message: Don't give up on God, because God always wins.

If you find yourself in a situation where you're tempted to "flip the board"—to walk away from faith, to blame God for problems you've contributed to, to choose anger over acknowledgment—stop and consider whether this might be an opportunity for repentance instead of rage.

In the middle of this chapter about divine judgment, we find this statement about God's character: "You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; 6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

This stubborn refusal to acknowledge God even when faced with the results of rejecting him represents what theologians call apostasy, which is not just walking away from faith, but hardening one's heart against it completely.