Immanuel: The Dwelling Place of God is with His People (Revelation 21:1-6a, 22-27)

The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green;
The trees of nature fruitless be,
Compared with Christ the Apple Tree.

His beauty doth all things excel,
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see,
In Jesus Christ the Appletree.

For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought;
I missed of all but now I see
‘Tis found in Christ the Appletree.

I’m weary with my former toil—
Here I will sit and rest awhile,
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the Appletree.

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the Appletree.

—“Jesus Christ the Appletree”

The Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:1-10)

“That feast will be, like most other marriage suppers, the fulfilment of long expectation. Our Lord has waited long for his perfected Church. He espoused himself to her before ever the earth was; but there was much to be done ere she was prepared for the marriage. The Bridegroom, too, had to leave his Father, and become one with his Bride by taking upon himself our humanity. For our sake, he did quit the thrones and royalties of heaven that he might be bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh; and here was he born, and here he lived, and here he died.”

—Charles Spurgeon

The People of God (Revelation 7:9-17)

“Maker of the sun, He is made under the sun. . . .
In [the Father] He remains,
From [His mother] He goes forth.
Creator of heaven and earth,
He was born on earth under heaven.
Unspeakably wise, He is wisely speechless;
filling the world, He lies in a manger;
Ruler of the stars, He nurses at His mother’s bosom.
He is both great in the nature of God,
and small in the form of a servant,
but so that His greatness is not diminished by His smallness,
nor His smallness overwhelmed by His greatness.”

—Augustine of Hippo

Fulfillment of the Promise (Revelation 7:9-17)

“Now as man could not live in society without truth, so likewise, not without joy.”

— Thomas Aquinas

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. “

— The Apostle Paul to the Galatians

The Image of the Lamb (Revelation 5)

“Repeated crimes awake our fears, and justice armed with frowns appears. But in the Savior’s lovely face, sweet mercy smiles, and all is peace, all is peace .... He lives! The great Redeemer lives! What joy the blest assurance gives! And now, before His Father, God, pleads the merit of His blood. He lives! The great Redeemer lives! What joy the blest assurance gives! And now, before His Father, God , pleads the merit of His blood. He lives, oh, He lives.” — Anne Steele, He Lives