You have posted regarding catechisms of the Missouri Synod. I draw your attention to three versions of a brief statement: 1897, 1922 and 1932.

 

Many people contribute research, ideas, and findings. Below is an extensive lesson on the Brief Statements of the LCMS. I have permission to copy and paste it.

***

Dear Pastor Jackson,

You have posted regarding catechisms of the Missouri Synod.  I draw your attention to three versions of a brief statement: 1897, 1922 and 1932.  Franz Pieper was primarily responsible for the first two and perhaps for the third, as far as I know.

The 1897 brief statement lacks universal justification.  It says, “faith in Christ as the only way to obtain salvation, the Scripture sums up in the article of justification.” It quotes John 3:36. And, “alone by grace, on account of the perfect merit of Christ, He justifies them, i.e. He regards as righteous all those who believe in Christ, i.e., who believe on the authority of the Gospel, that for Christ’s sake their sins are forgiven them.”  Furthermore, it says, “this doctrine we hold, in harmony with our fathers, that it is the principal article of the Christian doctrine.”

I know universal or objective justification was held and debated before 1897, such as in the 1872 conference when the Synodical Council was formed.  Yet, it doesn’t appear in this brief statement.

The 1922 brief statement inches closer.  It says, “Since all mankind is reconciled with God through Christ’s vicarious life and passion, and God has the reconciliation brought about through Christ proclaimed in the Gospel that it might be believed by men; hence, for all men faith in Christ is the only way to obtain forgiveness of sins and salvation, as the Scripture of the Old and New Testament teaches (Acts 10:43; John 3:17, 17, 36). Under faith in Christ we understand faith in the Gospel, that is, faith in the forgiveness of sins purchased by Christ, not the human attempts, to fulfill God’s Law.”  Under justification, it says, “For the Christian religion is the faith that we have forgiveness of sins and salvation through faith in Christ without [our] own works and worthiness.”

I think these statements could be understood without universal justification in mind or with universal justification in mind, depending on the understanding of reconciliation and “faith in the forgiveness of sins.”  Note that there is no mention of 2 Cor. 5:19.

The 1932 brief statement, as you know, brings universal justification into full bloom, but without as much emphasis and defense as in later statements, especially the 1983 theses.  Of reconciliation under the topic of redemption, it says, “In this manner God reconciled the whole sinful world unto Himself, Gal. 4:4, 5; 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19.” It repeats this under “Faith in Christ” and says, “faith in Christ is the only way for men to obtain personal reconciliation with God, that is, the forgiveness of sins, as both the Old and New Testament Scriptures testify, Acts 10:43; John 3:16-18, 36.”  Note the creation of a world justification and a personal justification.

Under “Justification,” it builds to a crescendo. “Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom 4:25; . . . He justifies, that is, accounts a righteous, all those who believe, accept, and rely on, the fact that for Christ’s sake their sins are forgiven.”

I don't understand how the whole world is righteous on the one hand, and God accounts as righteous all who believe (presumably without holding unbelievers as righteous).

Note the addition of the Romans and 2 Corinthians “sedes doctrinae” for universal justification.  Of course, by this time, Franz Pieper (1852-1931) had already produced Christian Dogmatics ca. 1917.  It is a surprise that the 1922 statement did not treat universal justification more thoroughly.

                          1897

A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod by F. Pieper, 1897

Of Faith

Since Christ by His vicarious life, suffering, and death is the sole Redeemer of men, and since God has the salvation, which was wrought out by Christ, proclaimed to men through the Gospel, to the end that they may believe this salvation, and thus become sharers therein, we profess that faith in Christ is the only way for men to obtain salvation, as Christ Himself testifies: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” John 3, 36.

However, by faith in Christ we understand faith in the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake, i.e., this confidence of the heart, that God by grace, for Christ’s sake, without our works, forgives all our sins, and receives us to everlasting life.

Of Justification

All its teachings regarding the love of God to a sinner-world, regarding the salvation wrought out by Christ, regarding the insufficiency of all men to acquire salvation through themselves, and regarding faith in Christ as the only way to obtain salvation, the Scripture sums up in the article of justification, by which it teaches the reason why, and the manner in which, a person is accounted righteous before God, and received unto eternal life. Holy Scripture, namely, teaches that God does not receive men on a basis of their own work and their own merit, as the blind world and nominal Christians imagine Him to do, but that without the deeds of the Law, alone by grace, on account of the perfect merit of Christ, He justifies them, i.e., He regards as righteous all those who believe in Christ, i.e., who believe on the authority of the Gospel, that for Christ’s sake their sins are forgiven them. Thus the Holy Spirit testifies through St. Paul: “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Rom. 3:22-24. And again: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law,” Rom. 3,28.

This doctrine we believe with all our heart, and pray God to graciously preserve us and our posterity in the same. For this doctrine Christ is given the honor due Him., viz., that by His life, suffering, and death He is our only Redeemer, and only by this doctrine poor sinners receive this abiding comfort, that God is assuredly gracious to them. Regarding this doctrine we hold, in harmony with our fathers, that it is the principal article of the Christian doctrine;” this doctrine is the real secret of Scripture, by which Scripture is distinguished from all false books of religion; for only Scripture teaches this article, that men are saved by faith in Christ crucified, and not by their own works. We also profess that only where this article has entered into a heart by faith there are Christians, and there is the Christian Church found, while all men who do not believe this article must be numbered with the unbelieving, even though they are found in external communion with the Church.

 1922

The 1922 Brief Statement, F. Pieper

Of Redemption [final sentence]

This divine wonder of the incarnation of the Son of God occurred to the end that He might be the Mediator between God and man, viz., that [He] might fulfill the divine Law in man’s place, suffer and die, and in this way reconcile all mankind with God.

Of Faith in Christ

Since all mankind is reconciled with God through Christ’s vicarious life and passion, and God has the reconciliation brought about through Christ proclaimed in the Gospel that it might be believed by men; hence, for all men faith in Christ is the only way to obtain forgiveness of sins and salvation, as the Scripture of the Old and New Testament teaches (Acts 10:43; John 3:16, 17, 36). Under faith in Christ we understand faith in the Gospel, that is, faith in the forgiveness of sins purchased by Christ, not the human attempts, to fulfill God’s Law.

Scripture teaches, viz., that God does not accept men on the basis of their own works, but without the works of the Law by grace alone for the sake of Christ’s perfect obedience does He justify all of them, that is, He reckons righteous those who believe in Christ, that is, believe that they are forgiven for Christ’s sake.

Of Justification

Thus the Holy Spirit testifies through St. Paul: “there is no distinction; they are altogether sinners and lack the glory, which they should have in God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption effected through Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23, 24).

And again: “so we now maintain that man is justified without the works of the Law, only through faith” (Romans 3:28). Only through this doctrine will Christ be given His glory that He is our Savior through His holy life and His innocent suffering and death, and only through this doctrine do poor sinners have continual comfort that God is truly gracious. We reject all doctrine in which human works and worthiness are mingled with Justification before God as apostasy from the Christian religion. For the Christian religion is the faith that we have forgiveness of sins and salvation through faith in Christ without [our] own works and worthiness.

                            1932

Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod (Adopted 1932)

Of Redemption

8. We teach that in the fulness of time the eternal Son of God was made man by assuming, from the Virgin Mary through the operation of the Holy Ghost, a human nature like unto ours, yet without sin, and receiving it unto His divine person. Jesus Christ is therefore “true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary,” true God and true man in one undivided and indivisible person. The purpose of this miraculous incarnation of the Son of God was that He might become the Mediator between God and men, both fulfilling the divine Law and suffering and dying in the place of mankind. In this manner God reconciled the whole sinful world unto Himself, Gal. 4:4, 5; 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19.

Of Faith in Christ

9. Since God has reconciled the whole world unto Himself through the vicarious life and death of His Son and has commanded that the reconciliation effected by Christ be proclaimed to men in the Gospel, to the end that they may believe it, 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Rom. 1:5, therefore faith in Christ is the only way for men to obtain personal reconciliation with God, that is, forgiveness of sins, as both the Old and the New Testament Scriptures testify, Acts 10:43; John 3:16-18, 36. By this faith in Christ, through which men obtain the forgiveness of sins, is not meant any human effort to fulfill the Law of God after the example of Christ, but faith in the Gospel, that is, in the forgiveness of sins, or justification, which was fully earned for us by Christ and is offered by the Gospel. This faith justifies, not inasmuch as it is a work of man, but inasmuch as it lays hold of the grace offered, the forgiveness of sins, Rom. 4:16.

Of Justification

17. Holy Scripture sums up all its teachings regarding the love of God to the world of sinners, regarding the salvation wrought by Christ, and regarding faith in Christ as the only way to obtain salvation, in the article of justification. Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25; that therefore not for the sake of their good works, but without the works of the Law, by grace, for Christ's sake, He justifies, that is, accounts as righteous, all those who believe, accept, and rely on, the fact that for Christ's sake their sins are forgiven. Thus the Holy Ghost testifies through St. Paul: “There is no difference; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Rom. 3:23, 24. And again: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law,” Rom. 3:28.

18. Through this doctrine alone Christ is given the honor due Him, namely, that through His holy life and innocent suffering and death He is our Savior. And through this doctrine alone can poor sinners have the abiding comfort that God is assuredly gracious to them. We reject as apostasy from the Christian religion all doctrines whereby man's own works and merit are mingled into the article of justification before God. For the Christian religion is the faith that we have forgiveness of sins and salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, Acts 10:43.

19. We reject as apostasy from the Christian religion not only the doctrine of the Unitarians, who promise the grace of God to men on the basis of their moral efforts; not only the gross work-doctrine of the papists, who expressly teach that good works are necessary to obtain justification; but also the doctrine of the synergists, who indeed use the terminology of the Christian Church and say that man is justified “by faith,” “by faith alone,” but again mix human works into the article of justification by ascribing to man a co-operation with God in the kindling of faith and thus stray into papistic territory.

Yours in Christ,

The Chief Article of the Christian Religion - Justification by Faith

  

Father Hesburgh has passed into his papal doom. John Howard Yoder is ... never mind.
The one in the middle is still teaching the Chief Article of the Christian Faith - Justification by Faith.

An Honest Catechism for Objective Faithless Justification - 

By Gregory L. Jackson, STM (Yale) and PhD (Notre Dame)

I am not going to repeat the methods of those who oppose Justification by Faith, the Chief Article of the Christian Faith - which is not simply the Chief Article of Lutherdom. This is a battle against all the denominational errors - the Church of Rome, Calvinism, Pietism, and the Baptists. I have not heard anyone from the OJ side define Justification by Faith, so I will have to balance the topic for everyone by showing what they teach, even if they are terribly lax with the facts. 

Some History, Pietism, Halle University, and Syphilis

The devotees of Objective Faithless Justification would like to start with the prolific writings of CFW Walther, but that would not be honest. The leader of the Saxon Migration was Pastor Martin Stephan, a Pietist pastor of a Pietist congregation, the land donated by a Pietist, Nicholas Zinzendorf. Stephan was trained at Halle University, which became known as the mothership of Pietism, which changed into rationalism.

Stephan was well known in the region for being a Pietist and later on for taking long walks at night with young, single women. CFW Walther group of Pietists had a very demanding leader who moved away and died. Looking for a replacement, they contacts Stephan and began associating with him, who became the leader for them. Walther was consumed by Pietistic vigor and almost ruined his health through various exercises in self-denial. Stephan's letter to him, concerning Justification brought great relief, and that sense of salvation stayed with him the rest of his life. That is documented in the festschrift for Dr. Robert Preus.

Pastor Stephan's popularity was so great that the non-members were greater in number than the parish members. This also created conflict over money and outside contributions. Various conflicts led to plans to leave Europe for America, which became real when Stephan was tried for his use of money and young women and found guilty in a house arrest. This was the trigger for the journey to America, with a large group of people eager to leave and many residents eager to see them go. Stephan was the overall leader and Walther led his circle, even though his older brother was part of that group.

Stephan did not take his wife and children along on the trip - only his eldest healthy son and his mistress. Symptoms of syphilis became troublesome on the trip and became more obvious - a truly horrible disease. He was already going to spas in Germany for treatment, taking his mistress with him and telling his wife she was not needed at the spa.

When they landed in New Orleans, Stephan told his clergy to designate him as their bishop, and they signed the document, including CFW Walther. The group started out toward St. Louis and eventually bought overpriced land in Perryville, Missouri, with some of them staying in St. Louis. The Stephanite migration was the source of outrage because the bishop's reputation preceded them through German newspapers.

CFW Walther organized a mob to get rid of Stephan, taking St. Louis people who agreed with him down to Perryville to have a well organized riot. They forced Stephan out of his house, took all of his gold, books, and personal possessions, even the special communion chalice given to their bishop. He was forced at gunpoint across the river (another felony) and became the first bishop in Illinois. Stephan served a church there and his long-time mistress moved in with him. The Stephanites refused to return anything to their former bishop through the courts.

Although the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has fashioned itself as congregational, it would be more honest to say they rejected the leadership of a bishop and accepted a pope, CFW Walther. Once the situation settled down to some extent, Walther took over every aspect of the growing denomination. The Stephanites had millions (in today's money) in gold stolen from Stephan, his purloined library, his confiscated 120 acres, and a location which funneled German migration to Missouri. Before the going away party, the Stephanites were almost bankrupt.

The Dogmatic Disaster

The Objective Justification of Missouri, WELS, the ELS, and CLC is not at all from Luther and the Book of Concord. but from Halle University Pietism. The term Orthodox is strangely applied to their groups, certainly a term so badly used that it should be dropped. Even worse is Confessional, which  comes from people who deny the Confessions - the Book of Concord, where Objective Justification is completely absent and Justification by Faith is taught throughout. Dr. Lito Cruz has said, "How can they be Confessional when they disagree with the Confessions?"

Bishop Martin Stephan did not invent Objective Justification, but he certainly promoted it, based on his own education (Halle) and others who taught it. Rambach is pictured above with a glowing quote from Tom Hardt, another Objective Justification devotee.

Knapp's book in English is tedious, but it was a best seller for 90 years in American libraries. The note is from the Calvinist translator, and the terms Objective and Subjective. Pastoral papers have noted that Walther liked and used those terms, which apparently reached Germany as well. 

Walther did not know the Biblical languages but felt comfortable in Latin and German. His description claims that all sins were forgiven when Jesus rose from the tomb.

The members of Missouri, WELS, ELS, and the CLC seem to be drilled in the concept of Jesus forgiving all sins the moment He rose from the tomb, although some seem to make the crucifixion the moment of world absolution.

The 1 Timothy 3:16 passage is used to produce the confusion.

KJV 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: 

• God was manifest in the flesh, 
• justified in the Spirit, 
• seen of angels, 
• preached unto the Gentiles, 
• believed on in the world, 
• received up into glory.

This should not be difficult for anyone, if they look at the concept of forensic, that is, from a judicial point of view. "Justified in the Spirit" does not mean that Jesus was finally declared innocent, which is absurd, since Jesus was without sin from conception. The very act of rising from the dead means He alone of all humans was innocent, not made innocent. If an individual is arrested and brought before an earthly judge, innocent of all charges, the judge declares him innocent, not made innocent.

This confusion comes from the merging of Pietism and rationalism, revealed when people simply rage against Justification by Faith, clearly taught throughout the Scriptures, the Book of Concord, and Martin Chemnitz' great works.

Robert Preus moved toward Justification by Faith, although his final book is somewhat mixed between clear and foggy statements, the outcome of late dogmatics compared to the Book of Concord, Chemnitz, and Gehrhard.

 This is a very clear statement - my apologies to the OJ crowd.

This is a bit confused, the victim of dogmatics.

 Try teaching that in confirmation class.

This is clearer, but I think the wording is more of a Latin dissertation.

Part Two - The Misinterpretation of Supposed OJ Passages

The most tattered declaration in Objective Justification is "You are making faith a work of man!" That is expressed with great force but without any Biblical support. The clearest answer is obvious. 

KJV John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 

Those dedicated to Objective Justification have an astonishing reaction against faith in the Savior, but Jesus' response dismantles the warning. Faith in Him is primary - not treated as a sin.  In fact, a parallel absurdity is offered an excuse against faith.

Robert Preus quoted this statement from Edward Preuss, who was a professor in the Missouri Synod when he wrote this, leaving to join the Church of Rome. The declaration is absurd and yet is held up as the clearest expression of Objective Justification - all Creation is justified, without faith.

David Scaer follows the logic of Eduard Preuss, but not the Scriptures. It is easy to see how the errors of Pietism pile up. Once this dogmatic statement is published as truth, error will follow. That explains how the most Objective Justification statements come from the LCMS, leading professors and seminarians to the Church of Rome - or Eastern Orthodoxy - as an outcome of their studies. The Wisconsin Synod has compiled over 760 papers in their Essay File link here, exalting the Objective Justification assertations. I know of one WELS pastor who joined Eastern Orthodoxy, but many follow the Enthusiasm of Fuller Seminary and its clones. 

Scandalous Use of the Scriptures

The Greek word scandalon does not mean trap, but the trigger of the trap seizing the prey. Following are the passages used to support Objective Justification but fail in the attempts.

The Brief Statement of 1932 is so precious that the LCMS publishes it verbatim on the web. However, the justification section tries to promote the idea that the last verse of Romans 4 supports Objective Justification. This must be so, because Pastor Rolf Preus has repeated that many times over the years, but not lately.

KJV Romans 4:25 has this incomplete sentence "25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." That implies that the resurrection of Christ justified the world.

But the whole statement - in a chapter about Abraham and faith - says this:

KJV Romans 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

This clear passage about the faith of Abraham is summarized the beginning of chapter 5. The chapter and verses came later in the publishing of the New Testament, but the structure is quite clear. 

KJV Romans 5:5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The entire Objective Justification enterprise is wrecked by Romans 4 and 5, and yet there is more mischief in their assertions, or rather - their follies.

The latest NIV, possibly the worst Bible ever paraphrased, gave the Walther synods a gift of magic in Romans 3.

KJV Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

This is a brilliant passage on Justification by Faith, so take note of the latest, always changing NIV -

NIV Romans 3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 

"All are justified" (the text does not include "all") - this means that every single person in the world has already been declared righteous and free of sin, without the Word of the Gospel, without faith, without grace. The Scriptures clearly teach the this without any hesitation or magical wands - faith in Jesus Christ gives us access to God's grace. WELS and Missouri have embraced the NIV. That is based on bad "translation" and horrible text mutilation (thanks to the Vatican and Tischendorf).

This has reached 16 typed pages, so I will stop for now. This is linked in the left column on Ichabod, with the heading - The Big Five. I expect to add and amend.

 

 The Augsburg Confession did not reveal Objective Justification.
Later, people found OJ with Pietism and Halle University.

Part Three

Corinthians And Other Triggers in the Big Five's Search 

For Their Faithless Objective Justification

The problem comes from people forcing their false agenda on Biblical expressions, with help from the Bad Bible salesmen who impose Dynamic Equivalence paraphrases from Nida and the Bible societies. One example is the Atonement, Christ dying on the cross for our sins, which they turn into the absolution of the entire world. That is a good reason for ELCA to agree. The experts in the largest failing synod - ELCA - argue that there is nothing but grace. That was articulated in anger back in the LCA when a lecturer said, "The Evangelicals have no grace!" which meant that faith matters in the divine equation, anathema to the apostates. No one should wonder today that the Big Five all work together through Thrivent - they agree in dogma and where that is going.

KJV 2 Corinthians 5 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing [counting] their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Those forever stuck in the rationalistic Pietism of Halle University ignore and scorn the simple relationship between faith and grace. We have a section in Romans focused on Abraham as the Father of Faith, concluding he is the father of all that believe (Romans 4:11). 

Faith in Jesus Christ gives us access to grace - 

KJV Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

They need to be unstuck by the simple formula - the bright (very clear) passages of the Bible shine a light on the more difficult passages. The more difficult sections give us problems at first, like the Canaanite woman being rebuffed by Jesus, so we see by study and prayer how clear the Word is. Nevertheless, the devotees of their individual sects use their prized passages against the clearest ones, revealing hardened hearts and blindness to the Gospel. 

"One does not simply absolve the entire world."

One LCMS-ELS-LCMS pastor was always saying - to enforce Faithless Objective Justification -  John 1:29 "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!" That means the entire world was counted righteous, even before the cross. 

Because the Big Five do not teach or even understand the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace, the pastors do not connect the power of the Holy Spirit always at work in the Word - and never without the Word. Reconciliation is what Paul preached, in other words, the Gospel. 

In contrast, Pastor Wayne Mueller (WELS) told a convention of youth, "Evangelism is easy. Just go around saying You are already forgiven." That has not worked well for WELS or the rest of the Big Five. They are so blinded by their shopworn synodical statements that they cannot do anything except condemn and expel the faithful pastors.

Victims of the Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) should realize that they are being taught Fuller Seminary management programs, not the Gospel. Notice how comfortable the managers are with unLutheran, antiLutheran, and just plain destructive plans. They have no grace because they have no faith in the genuine Scriptures and Gospel established for all ages.

 

 

Revelation 21

21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

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

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 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.

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

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

Note Daniel's Vision 7, Compare to Revelation 21

7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.

2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

Revelation 20.

  

20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

[Satan bound for 1,000 years]

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.