...The New Heaven
...The New Earth
...The New Jerusalem
The New Jerusalem descending down from
Heaven to rest on the New Earth.
~ A massive cube with an equal distance on each side. ~
{1,400 miles long...1,400 miles wide...1,400 miles high}
Welcome back friends to the 7th and final leg of our prophetic relay race to the end of time...as we know it.
In the last piece we examined the bēma, which represents the ”Judgement Seat of Christ” (the rewards ceremony) where all believers are rewarded for their faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His work on earth i.e. the work of His kingdom...which is us...striving to do His will on earth, as it is being done in heaven.
These studies were based upon 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, Romans 14:10-12, and 1 Corinthians 4:5 and demonstrate how much the Lord Jesus loves us and how He delights in this time. This is “the when and the where” He shows His appreciation for us through eternal rewards (and His intimate fellowship), that can never fade away or be lost. This is where He will make us feel how special we are to Him, as He personally hands out these awards (John 5:22-23)!
I don’t know how we could feel any more special and important to Christ than we felt, that moment we realized what He did for us on that cross, but He will add His divine icing to His righteous and holy cake...with and through these eternal awards.
This is why Paul challenged us (urged us, exhorted us, appealed to us) in 2 Timothy 2, to follow his example, in being a good soldier of Jesus Christ and a spiritual athlete who competes according to the rules and a faithful farmer, who does the hard work necessary for a bumper crop (of eternal awards).
Practicing these three (3) disciplines will ensure that we reap so many blessings in this life and glorious rewards in our eternal existence, while accomplishing the most important goal of all...pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ and being a blessing to Him now!
Therefore, in this last leg of our prophetic race, we will now see linear time as we know it, transition into eternity, as God creates the New Heaven and the New Earth and the New Jerusalem...as we watch.
We did not get to watch the supernatural and powerful work of God’s first creation of the Heaven (the Cosmos) and the Earth, but we will get to watch His 2nd work of our glorious future home...in the New Jerusalem...on the New Earth...in the New Heaven. We will watch the last two chapters of Revelation 21 & 22 materialize before us. Then we get to move into our new home!
Note: This time, that closes out history, is so significant! It is only the second time that God has ever created something. The first time was when He created the original universe (cosmos) with the angelic class and the earth, the sun, the moon, and all the stars. And He created us of course...His human beings...made in His image.
Now we are at the point where He will create for the second time (and we will get to see it happen). At this time, He will dissolve the original material universe and He will then create the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem. BUT, He will not create any new life forms...no new angels or human beings.
If you have had the pleasure of reading through the entire Bible, beginning in the Book of Genesis and finishing in the Book of Revelation, you know what a joy it is to finally read that last paragraph in Revelation 22.
You realize how you, by the grace of God, just finished reading His-story, given to us through the 39 Books of the Old Testament and the 27 Books of the New Testament. The Bible has taken you from the original creation and the fall of man into sin and separation from God...into the formation of God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
You witnessed the development and spread of nations and people groups throughout the world. You also saw, that from the various people groups that emerged from generation to generation, God supernaturally raised up His chosen nation...Israel...to birth the Messiah and Savior into the world...the Son of God...the Lord Jesus Christ.
As you kept reading, you had a ring-side seat to watch the gospel begin its spread throughout the world. AND since the Apostle John penned the Book of Revelation, between 100 AD and 120 AD, the rest of history shows us how we got to where we are today...in these last days and last times.
When you read that last paragraph of Revelation 22, you completed your journey through HIS-STORY...the divinely inspired and recorded WORD OF GOD. Now it’s time for each of us to rejoice and start our pilgrimage over again in Genesis One...as we read through His-Story again for knowledge, fellowship, edification, and we never want to stop this cycle until we find ourselves in heaven.
Note: In this piece, we will see the process of this transition into eternity, by focusing on Revelation 21, which is labeled in the title as Part A. Next time in Part B, we will see the process of transiting into eternity completed by focusing on Revelation 22.
But before this happens, we will watch our sovereign God remove the existing heaven and earth, that we know and live in. WHAT A SCENE it will be!
When thinking about these things and how the power of God will accomplish them, I thought about how people are so amazed, when they watch a great magician make things seem to disappear and other things appear...while you watch. So, I wanted to insert here, a few of David Copperfield’s tricks, over the last 40 years, that blew the minds of those watching.
⇒ In 1981, David seemed to have made a Learjet disappear.
⇒ In 1983, David seemed to have made the Statue of Liberty disappear and then reappear.
In an October 2023 interview with TODAY, David said he was working on his new really big magic trick of making the moon disappear sometime in 2024. Here is part of his statement.
“It’s taken 30 years of work. That’s literally 30 years of our lives to develop it. Rehearsals are already underway. They’re going well. In fact, I’ve been testing them the past few months and people have reported seeing strange things in the sky at night all around the country. So, if anybody [at] home sees anything weird up in the sky, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook. We’re going to have a contest for people to actually win a chance to see the moon vanish...live and in person...and we’ll reveal more about that over the next few months on my social platforms.”
https://www.today.com/popculture/david-copperfield-moon-disappear-rcna122466
You may not get to see David’s moon disappearance trick, but if you are a child of God, you will get to see God make our existing heaven and earth disappear and our new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem appear right around us. You will see it and may hear it and feel it.
2 Peter 3:10-12: The heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
In this piece, we will see the contrast of the:
The First Paradise.................The Garden of Eden
~ With ~
The Second Paradise............The New Jerusalem
Summary of Revelation 21 & 22
Genesis 1 & 2
{The introduction of the Bible}
Revelation 21 & 22
{The completion of the Bible}
The Original Creation of Heaven & Earth
The Re-Creation of Heaven & Earth
The beginning of life and the universe.
God finishes human history and begins His eternal Kingdom.
*Dry land & the seas
*Light & darkness
*All the food sources
*Sun & moon
*Days, weeks, months, & years
*All of the flying creatures
*All marine life
*All the land animals & creatures
*Man & Woman
*Sabbath Day of Rest
*Garden of Eden
*Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil
*We live by linear time (clocks/calendars)
*Adam & Eve sin.
*God’s curse falls upon all of humanity and the creation itself.
*Life spans are reduced from 100’s of years to an average of 70 years.
*Death becomes a part of life.
*All of humanity becomes vulnerable to sickness, disease, and frailties of every kind.
*The new heaven & new earth
*The new Jerusalem on the new earth
*God begins living with His people
*These things will absent in (on) the new
> No more oceans or seas.
> No more night or darkness.
> No more death.
> No more mourning or sadness.
> No more weeping or crying.
> No more pain or suffering.
> No more curse upon human life or the creation or the environment we will be living in.
> No more aging!
*Free food & water that sustains us forever.
> The pure river with the water of life – clear as crystal - flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb (Jesus)...and the Tree of Life.
*Each person has their own home.
> No mortgage > No taxes
> No maintenance > No utilities
Beginning here, we will study Revelation 21 & 22 - one section (group of verses) at a time. After each section, there will be additional notes, illustrations, and applications. This piece will cover chapter 21 and the next and last piece will cover chapter 22.
Examination of Revelation 21:1-3
Revelation 21:1-3: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for Her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”
In Revelation 21, the Apostle John outlines the sequence of events in two main categories:
> The New Heaven and the New Earth
> The New Jerusalem and the Bride of the Lamb
The Outline
*The first heaven and the first earth pass away. They are dissolved by the power of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:15-17: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Christ all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
*The new earth has no sea or oceans. The days of deep sea fishing, yachting, cruising, and scuba diving are over. You would not have an interest or time for these things anyway.
*The New Jerusalem is lowered down out of heaven by God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband.
...The city is identified in feminine terms as the bride of Christ, because Jesus Christ has prepared this city for His bride – the church and all children of God throughout history, who will be living there forever.
...The city is also identified as “the holy city”, because its builder and maker is God. Can you imagine living in a place that is physically and spiritually pure and perfect in every possible way? Just drive around any city in the world now and compare it to our eternal city.
*The New Jerusalem is a city with gates made out single pearls, with streets of pure gold, built on eternal foundations.
The nearly 75-pound pearl was found 10 years ago inside a clam. Approximately 2 feet long by 1 foot wide, it is valued at $100 million. (Photo c@ Aileen Cynthia Amurao) Each gate is made out of a single pearl.
https://sketchesontheway.blog/2023/01/21/gods-microscopic-light/
The streets will be made of pure gold, like transparent glass.
> Hebrews 11:10: For Abraham was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
When you look back at the various types of architecture over the centuries...like classical, baroque, colonial, Victorian, gothic, renaissance, Romanesque, oriental, Greek Revival, etc...it is fascinating to think how the Trinity will be showing us the divine style. Somewhere in there is your room or apt or condo or home or estate and it’s all paid for.
*The significance of the New Jerusalem is found in verse 3.
Revelation 21:3: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
This city is where God will live (dwell/reside) with His people. As God’s people (His children), we will never be separated from God again. That separation brought about in the Garden of Eden (by sin) will be dissolved forever.
Concept: The Biblical concept of being spiritually lost is related to separation.
Before I met Jesus Christ personally at the age of 23, the absolutely worst thing that I felt within my lostness, was my separation from God. I knew I was lost. I knew I was separated from God. That really scared me and drove me crazy. I did not want to die and go to Hell, but I did not know what to do about it (which is a part of the lostness). And more than that, I wanted to know God. This desire to know Him personally became my all-consuming desire...it was all I cared about. I wanted to know Him and I did not want to be separated from Him anymore. BUT all I knew to do about my condition, was to cry out to God! So, that is what I did, day and night...Lord save me...Lord save me...Lord save me...until He did! And the moment I got saved, that gnawing feeling of separation went away. I knew I was no longer spiritually separated from God. Oh what a relief! Oh what a blessing! Oh what a joy to know and feel...that I would never be spiritually separated from God again. And now, I am only temporarily separated from God physically, until I die and wake up in heaven or I am raptured to heaven. PRAISE GOD!
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be with us. There will never be a time when we won’t be able to see and feel the Triune God. You maybe able to remember some of the separation anxiety you experienced growing up, which manifested itself in fits of crying, screaming, clinging, or trying to run off.
Circumstances that can cause separation anxiety
...When your parents dropped you off at a school or church or a baby sitter’s home.
...When you as a husband and wife had to say good bye to each other, as one of you left for a work responsibility or a tour of military duty or an educational opportunity.
...When you lost a beloved family member or friend.
...When you or your parents went through a divorce.
...When you had to move and/or change environments.
| Inward and outward symptoms produced by separation anxiety | |
|---|---|
| → Intense Distress | → Nightmares |
| → Constant Worry | → Panic Attacks |
| → Loneliness | → Various Phobias |
| → Sleeplessness | → OCD Behaviors |
These things can lead to clinical depression.
The Lord declares that we will never be separated from Him again. This truth can bring so much joy and peace and assurance in this life, as we grasp the reality of...no more separation in heaven!
Romans 8:35-39: Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long”. We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Havenlight.com
*The first thing God will do in our eternal home is celebrated in verse 4.
Examination of Revelation 21:4
Revelation 21:4: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of thing has passed away.
How special will this be, when you see the Lord’s sovereign, but compassionate hand moving toward your face, to personally wipe away every remnant of grief and every tear of past heartbreaks and every sigh from past pain...that you have carried in your mind and heart over the years?
These emotions sprang from real and serious life experiences, but after the Lord removes these from your spirit, you will neither remember, nor feel any of these distresses (from your past life), because it has all past away.
After God has dealt with the “OLD” in verse 4, He compares what happens to those who trusted in Christ (as Lord & Savior) with what happens to those who said “no to Christ” in verses 5-8.
The Believing Ones Get:
The Unbelieving Ones Get:
...Free water from those eternal springs that will refresh you and sustain you forever.
(See food & drink in heaven below)
...Jesus Christ acknowledging He is your Lord and you are His child His disciple, His servant, and His friend.
...The Second Death.
...Eternal existence in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (brimstone).
*Cannot be extinguished.
*Smells like rotten eggs.
*FIJI Water move over.
*You will never be thirsty or hungry in heaven, but you will be able to enjoy and experiment with the finest of culinary delights anytime you want...for the rest of eternity.
*How could we describe these heavenly delights with no calorie counting then?
⇒ gastronomic adventures
⇒ culinary explorations
⇒ gourmet delicacies
⇒ epicurean pursuits
★ Remember how our Heavenly Father kicks off the Church’s (the Bride of Christ) celebration of eternity with Him at the MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB? This takes places right after we are raptured to heaven. We will be enjoying this feast, as the tribulation period takes place on earth. What kind of divine menu has our Heavenly Father planned for this feast?
★ Please see the additional list of verses in Footnote 1, regarding Scriptural references to the consumption of food and drink in heaven.
Examination of Revelation 21:5-8
Revelation 21:5-8: He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Next...Jesus identifies Himself as:
The Alpha (the Beginning) and the Omega (the End)
...and everything in-between.
Jesus was a part of anything that ever happened to you. He was there in it with you, just like He was in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Book of Daniel! As the Alpha and the Omega in (of) your life, He is the eternal “I Am” in your life...always present.
Note: In the Greek alphabet, alpha (α) is the first letter and omega (ω) is the last letter...like A to Z in English. Notice how Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary illustrates the comprehensive nature of a to z, which would also apply with α to ω.
...From beginning to end (in your life)
...Including everything (in your life)
...In every particular (of your life)
...In every way (of your life)
...In all aspects (of your life)
Hence: Because Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega in (of) your life, you are assured that all things are worked into good for you, because you love Him and are called according to His purpose...Romans 8:28.
The first letter of the Greek alphabet, Alpha as a Greek numeral, came to represent the number 1. Therefore, Alpha, both as a symbol and term, is used to refer to the "first" or "primary" or "principal" (most significant) occurrence or status of a thing.
{Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.}
Note: If the Lord Jesus Christ is the Alpha in (of) your life, then He is the "first", the "primary", and the "principal" (most significant) reality in (of) your existence. If He is not first and primary and the principal, then He is not really your Lord. So, please do what Paul urged each of us to do in 2 Corinthians 13:5: Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith...examine yourselves!
Omega...in the Greek numeric system "Isopsephy" (gematria), has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" (ō mega...mega meaning "great"), as opposed to the Greek letter omicron, which means "little O" (o mikron, micron meaning "little").
Note: The Lord Jesus Christ, as the Omega (the “great O”) of your life, will be the “dominant” factor in your day to day living...and this will be evident to all. Many church goers and professors of Christianity want Christ to be their "little O" (o mikron...micron meaning "little"), which means they want “spiritual fire insurance”. They want Jesus to be their Savior (and take them to heaven), but they do not want Him as their Lord. The Bible is clear that eternal salvation does not come without Lordship.
Luke 6:46: Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and (but) do not do what I say?
Think about (below) the concept of your life line...with the Lord Jesus as your Alpha (the Beginning) and your Omega (the End)...and everything in-between.
Your Life Line
Your conception…Alpha (Α, α)
Your birth
Your early years of growing up
Your teenage years
Your years as a young adult
Your years as a middle-aged adult
Your years as an older adult
Your last years
Your death...Omega (Ω, ω)
The Alpha & Omega in Christianity is a package deal. If you want Jesus Christ to be your Omega (the author & finisher of your faith that receives you into His eternal kingdom the moment you take your last breath), then He must be your Alpha...the first, the primary, and the principal during your Christian life.
Remember how Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, that not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
Lordship is proven in (by) doing the Father’s will, not our own will (our own idea of what is right or spiritual). Jesus said in Luke 6:20, that we shall be recognized (known), as genuine servants of Christ, by our fruit...doing the Father’s will...not our own, no matter how noble our own ideas or values or ministries may be.
Jesus went on to explain how many are spiritually deceived. They think that just by doing their own ideas of ministry and/or living a good life, they will go to heaven when they die.
To translate that into 21st century verbiage, these people believe that if they get baptized, go to church faithfully, take communion, be nice to their neighbors, pay their taxes, and on and on...living out their own idea of good works...they will earn their right to heaven.
These are the modern day professors, representing those in Christ’s day, who said to Him in Matthew 7:22-23, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Titus 3:5-7: He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth (being born-again) and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
One must know Jesus Christ personally and must have surrendered his/her life to the Lordship of Christ.
~ Is Christ your Alpha and your Omega? ~
Do you remember what the repentant thief, who was dying on the cross next to Jesus, said to Christ in Luke 23:39-43? He groaned through his pain, “Lord remember me when you come into Your kingdom”. He did not say “Savior remember me when you come into Your kingdom”. When Jesus heard him say, “Lord...remember me...”, Christ told the dying sinner, that he would be with Him in His paradise that same day. That dying thief had come to realize in those hours, watching and listening to Jesus on His cross, that He was the Lord (the Son of God), who could save him. That is very deep!
Examination of Revelation 21:9-14
Revelation 21:9-14: One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Here we see a description of the eternal city we will get live in with the Lord and all believers. You will have your own private residence and your own unique address...somewhere in this NEW JERUSALEM.
John 14:2-3: In My Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
Isaiah 65:17-19: See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people. The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.
When God finished creating the original heaven and earth in 6 days, He looked at it and declared it was “good” (perfect). Your private residence will also be “good” (perfect). You will love God’s handiwork in every way and you will be living in an environment of complete safety and peace. You will never lock your doors again or turn on your alarm system (there won’t be any).
The city is described in several ways:
⇒ It is identified as the wife of the Lamb.
...Jesus owns the city and it houses His people.
⇒ It is called the NEW JERUSALEM.
...The Old Jerusalem represents the history of God’s people and how salvation came into the world, through Jesus Christ.
...The New Jerusalem represents the eternal future of God’s universal family.
...The New Jerusalem will have no hospitals, no crime or law enforcement, no traffic or traffic lights, no smog, no banks, no grocery stores or restaurants, no schools, no construction zones, no cemeteries, etc...
⇒ It is characterized by its purity...the Holy City. The new Jerusalem personifies everything that our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are by nature.
...Isaiah 1:26: The city will be called the City of Righteousness.
...Isaiah 52:1: Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city.
...Zechariah 8:3: Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.
...Revelation 3:12: I will write on them the name of my God and the Name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God...
★ No one will ever want to sin in this city. Can you imagine the inward blessing each of us will experience, not ever wanting to sin again? Can you imagine the outward blessing each of us will experience, when no one else ever wants to sin against us again?
⇒ It is illuminated by the glory of God.
...The city has no temple or sanctuary. Jesus Christ is the center and object of worship.
...But the apostle Peter could also be implying in 1 Peter 2:5, that we – as born-again believers – cleansed and saved through the precious blood of Christ - would be seen as “living stones”, which adorn the NEW JERUSALEM and glorify Jesus.
⇒ The city’s ambience is defined as a jasper clear as crystal.
The jasper stone John saw refers to a clear jewel, which portrays God's absolute purity and perfection.
The city has very specific physical characteristics. We won’t be floating around on some cloud forever. The New Jerusalem will come down and sit (rest) on the new earth.
- The city has the shape of a perfect cube with 4 equal sides.
- Each of the 4 sides has 3 gates going into the city (12 gates in all).
- Each gate is made out of a single pearl.
- Each gate is named after one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Each gate has its own powerful gate attendant...a holy angel of God.
- The city is surrounded by a very high wall with 12 foundations.
- The twelve foundations are named after one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb...
The following graphic was created by Dr. Robert D. Luginbill.
Each of the 12 stones, which will be used as the material for the New Jerusalem, are anistropic. They don't lose their color (Revelation 21:19 and Revelation 21:20). The bible tells us that the stones are anisotropic, but no one knew that back then, except for God of course.
- ISOTROPIC materials are arranged as direction independent (same in all directions).
- ANISOTROPIC materials are arranged as direction dependent (different in all directions).
When looking through a gemstone, you will see one of two things:
- A distorted image (isotropic) or Multiple images (anisotropic)
Each gate has its own powerful gate attendant.
~ a holy angel of God ~
Examination of Revelation 21:15-21
Revelation 21:15-21: The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 1,400 miles in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 216 feet thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. *SEE BELOW SAMPLE PICTURES OF EACH OF THE 12 PRECIOUS STONES.
The interior of the city is made of transparent gold.
Verse 18b: The city of pure gold
This would seem to imply that each of our private residences will be made of pure gold. If you were never privileged to own much gold or silver in this life, don’t worry. You will be walking on it and sitting on it in your heavenly pad.
With the size of this city, I would reasonably think that the city's major avenues will have an abundance of open space. Today, open spaces are being strategically planned into our 21st century cities, because research shows how people who live near parks and green spaces, have lower rates of depression and anxiety than those who don’t. It’s also been shown that spending time in natural settings can improve your mood and even boost your productivity at work. As always, God is always way ahead of us.
As you would think, the throne of God will be in the “perfect center” of the New Jerusalem. Based upon these verses in Revelation 5 & 7, a lot of space will be needed to accommodate the great number of angels and people doing things around the throne of God.
Revelation 5:11-14: Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation 7:9-12: After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
Have you thought about (yet), how you will feel living around angels and other heavenly creatures we do not know much about now? Notice the descriptions of these creatures in the passage below...highlighted in blue text.
Revelation 7:9-12: Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (the “I AM”)
Remember above, the angel with a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls? What carpenter would not enjoy using a measuring tape made of pure gold?
Measuring this city would take a lot of tape, but the angel’s measuring rod was equipped to do it. He probably had an angelic laser distance measuring tool (that he got at Home Depot. Aren't you glad we will not need home improvement stores in the New Jerusalem!) The angel probably already knew the measurements. The angel also used human measurements (not some unknown angelic system), so we could easily understand.
The angel measured the dimensions of the entire city, which is in a cube shape.
- The length > 1,400 miles
- The width > 1,400 miles
- The height > 1,400 miles
With these dimensions, the New Jerusalem will be larger than the current nation of India. The size is estimated at 2.5 million square miles. At 1,400 miles high, it would go beyond the current earth’s atmosphere, into space. One gentleman calculated, that if some building in any city today were this tall, it would have over 600,000 stories, allowing 12 feet per story.
It is obvious how God wanted us to be able to grasp the size of this place, that we will live in. When families go out to search for a new home in a new city, one of the most important questions is always, “How big is the new home and how big is the city?” Well...we know how big our city will be, but we don’t quite know how big our personal residence’s will be yet.
Go back to this site for more information and some really good artistic renderings:
https://fxa.tfa.mybluehost.me/eternal-heaven/new-jerusalem/size-of-new-jerusalem/
Examination of Revelation 21:22-27
Revelation 21:22-27: I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
The New Jerusalem has no temple or church of any kind. There is no need for any, because we are with God Himself...the fulness of the Trinity...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are used to going to a building to worship God and to be taught more about God, but in the New Jerusalem, God is with us. The Lord Jesus is with us. The Holy Spirit is with us. We see, we hear, and we feel the presence of God. This kind of presence will empower us to worship the Trinity continually.
God’s glory and the light that glory creates, will be saturating our spirit, our soul, and our body. Through the brilliance of His glory (and the light), we will feel the holiness of God, the love of God, the mercy of God, the truth of God, the power of God, and all of His other attributes. They will permeate our lives and every inch and corner of the New Jerusalem.
Isaiah was overwhelmed by God’s glorious light, as he stated in Isaiah 60:19-20: No longer will you need the sun or moon to give you light, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and He will be your glory. Your sun will never set. Your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end!
We will worship Him continually in awe and in the deepest reverence, because we will see the Father. We will see Jesus Christ. And maybe we will see the Holy Spirit. We don’t know for sure, but I think we will, based upon this analogy.
When a Christian dies right now, the spirit and soul of that person, go immediately into the presence of God in the 3rd heaven, that Paul got to visit and wrote about in 2 Corinthians 12.
The physical body of a Christian who dies now, is traditionally buried in the ground here on earth, unless cremated. But the spirit and soul (the real substance and essence of a human being) of that Christian will be living in heaven, without his or her physical body (earth suit), until he or she is resurrected...at which time his or her body will be reunited with his/her spirit and soul.
At that point, this Christian is a complete package again, with his/her spirit and soul living in a resurrection body (new earth suit...just like Christ has since His resurrection.
The point being, the spirit and soul of the Christian in heaven (used as an example above) has his/her same identity, as he/she had during their life on earth. The spirit and soul of this person has some sort of recognizable form (even without their physical body), which allows them to know others in heaven (who got there before they did) and to be known by those...who knew them before here on earth.
If your father and mother were born-again Christians when they died, they are in heaven now with the Lord and with all of the other believers who have gone before us. When you die and wake up in heaven, your parents will recognize your spirit and soul, and you will recognize them.
The same will be true of all of the others you knew and had relationships with, who died and went to heaven before you...like a child you lost or a best friend you lost or a co-worker you lost, etc... You will all recognize each other and know each other.
Therefore, the Holy Spirt has spiritual substance and form, just as our Heavenly Father does. The Holy Spirt is spirit in nature of course, but He has His divine mind, will, and emotions and His divine personality.
My point being...we may be able to see the spiritual form of the Holy Spirit and the Father, just as those believers in heaven now, who knew each other on earth, can recognize each other...even though they do not have their physical bodies back yet (their previous “earth suits” carrying around each’s spirit and soul).
Here is an exciting thought!
As we enjoy our eternal life in the New Jerusalem on the new earth. I sincerely believe we will have ongoing interaction with the Trinity. I believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be hands-on with us...the children.
There is no place in Scripture that indicates or implies, that the members of the Trinity will be glued to their thrones throughout eternity. When the Lord Jesus was on this earth for 33 years, He was a hands-on person...in every way He could be.
The concept of the members of the Trinity, sitting stoically on their thrones for all of eternity, does not fit the personalities of each member of the Godhead...expressed throughout the Biblical revelation. God created people to enjoy them and for people to enjoy God.
He created a family! Therefore, I believe the spirit of Scripture, the testimonies in Scripture, and the nature of God revealed in Scripture...point toward the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being up and off their thrones mingling amongst the children, whenever they want to.
This would mean that we see these holy beings up close. We touch these holy beings. We talk and interact with each of these holy beings. There should be hugging, laughing, and rejoicing, while all the time...we are in a spirit of deep reverence and worship.
Then, there will always be those times of congregational type gatherings around the throne (where all of that open space is utilized), with corporate worship and praise and singing and fellowship and rejoicing. Can you imagine the awesomeness of millions or billions of redeemed children of God...praising God together and loving one another?
The bottom line is this:
⇒ We will see God in all of His fulness and in all of His holiness and glory.
⇒ We will understand (to some extent) and worship the Trinity.
⇒ We will love and worship our Father in all of His uniqueness.
⇒ We will love and worship our Savior in all of His uniqueness.
⇒ We will love and worship our Holy Spirit in all of His uniqueness.
Within these relationships, we will experience what heaven and eternal life are designed to be. Through these relationships, we will experience the supernatural joy and pleasure God has always wanted for us!!! Peter put it like this in 1 Peter 1:8-9...“Joy unspeakable and full of glory”.
The experience of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus is another example in Luke 9:28-36. Peter, John, and James, who were with Jesus, could recognize Moses and Elijah, even though they had never seen them before. Elijah’s human body never experienced physical death. He was picked up by a fiery chariot, which came down from the 3rd heaven, and taken back to God (what a great taxi or Uber service).
Deuteronomy 34:5-6 notes how Moses died in the Land of Moab at the age of 120. God Himself buried Moses in a secret place. But when Moses appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, he had a spiritual form, which allowed Peter, John, and James to recognize him.
So again, it appears to me that each of us will have some sort of unique spiritual form, that is recognizable during that interval period, when we are in heaven without our physical bodies. Our bodies will be in some stage of decay (“dust and ashes”) on earth, but our spirit and soul are alive and well in heaven.
Samuel the prophet is another example of this. King Saul commanded the Witch of Endor to bring Samuel down from heaven and back from the grave, so he could asked for Samuel’s advice. When the Lord allowed Samuel to go back, it freaked out the witch, but more important is that Samuel’s presence was in a spiritual form (not his full-fledged fleshly body...earth suit) that was recognizable by King Saul and the witch.
Note: God forbade, outlawed, and condemned witchcraft throughout the Bible. It was a sin that required capital punishment, if caught. So, when God allowed Samuel to reappear to King Saul, God was not compromising His own commandment or law. The witch of Endor really had nothing to do with Samuel’s reappearance. It was God that sent Samuel back, to show the witch what she was messing with, and to show King Saul he was about to die.
Deuteronomy 18:10-14:
10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.
13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.
14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
Also see: Leviticus 19:31, Leviticus 20:6-27, Revelation 21:8, and Galatians 5:19-20.
The New Jerusalem has an open door policy. Believers (you and I) can come and go as we please, anytime (there will be no time, no clocks, no calendars, no night or day, no days of the week, no months of any year, no seasons...just perfection). AND it appears there could be much to explore, with all of the open space inside and outside the city. With no crime or threats of invasion, there is no need to ever close the city gates, and we will be safe wherever we go.
One of the most encouraging aspects of our lives in the New Jerusalem is getting to live without the presence or the practice of any kind of moral impurities or uncleanliness to tempt us or defile us. What a joy!
No one who would do any kind of shameful or deceitful things will be there, which makes perfect sense, when only those who are saved can live there. Who are the saved? Those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Is your name written in the Lamb's book of life (yet)?
I sure hope so!
In our next piece, and the last piece...in our prophetic relay race to the end of time...we will examine what Revelation 22 unveils to us in the restored Garden of Eden (so to speak).
This unveiling characterizes our living conditions in the New Jerusalem and will complete our transition into eternity. God has prepared all of this for us and wants us to anticipate being there and living there. Therefore, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit make one last urgent appeal...to all of humanity living on this present earth...to make sure we are ready!
Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th...That's all, folks!
PS: Not really...There will be one more piece on Revelation 22, which brings us to the end of time.
Till We See Ya in the New Jerusalem!
Yours in Christ,
Gene
Please send me your new address there, so I can look you up!
Footnote 1: Scriptural references to the consumption of food and drink in heaven.
Luke 22:14-20: When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Revelation 19:9: And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.
Matthew 26:29: I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Revelation 2:7: To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’”
Revelation 2:17: Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
Revelation 22:2: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Footnote 2: Additional Scriptural references to Jesus Christ, as our Alpha and Omega, along with the theological implications of these verses.
Revelation 22:13: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Revelation 1:8: I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 21:6-7: Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
Revelation 1:17-18: When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
Isaiah 44:6: Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.
Isaiah 48:12: Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.
Genesis is brought to completion in Revelation. What God began in Genesis in the Old Testament, He ends in Revelation. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created heaven and the earth”. But sin necessitated God’s plan of salvation. Through Jesus Christ's death on the cross, God brought these plans to fruition. (Source: pray.com)
The theological implications of the Alpha and the Omega include:
{From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/names-of-god/alpha-and-omega/}
- The comprehensiveness of God, as seen in Isaiah 44:6.
...I am the first and the last. - The eternal nature of God, as seen in Psalm 90:2.
...From everlasting to everlasting...thou art God. - The Lord as complete and steadfast, as seen in Exodus 34:6-7.
...The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation".
Summation: Since God is eternal and has no beginning or end, the spiritual meaning of the phrase is that He is the Beginner (the First) and also Ender (the Last). He will complete everything that will be completed, but He will never end.
The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament...defines Alpha and Omega this way:
The meaning of the expression ‘alpha and omega’ is explained by the accompanying words:
‘The beginning [arche (746)] and the end [telos(5056)], the first [protos (4413)] and the last [eschatos (2078)].’
The ‘first’ does not mean ‘the first created’, but rather the one who brought everything into existence . . .
Thus in Revelation, alpha indicates that He is the one who brought all things into existence, and omega that He is the one who will bring them to their determined end (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1).
The expression means that the whole of existence from beginning to end is attributable to God the Father or Jesus Christ...John 1:3, Rom 11:36, Eph 1:10, Rev 3:14...Spiros Zodhiates, 1992, p. 57.
The New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition, gives further information about alpha and omega:
The juxtaposition of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, corresponding to the Hebrew alep and taw, is used in Revelation alone as a self-designation of both God and Christ.
God: In Revelation 1:8, 21:6 where ‘the Alpha and the Omega’ are explained by the parallel ‘the beginning and the end’.
Christ: In Revelation 22:13 with the same parallel and the additional phrase ‘the first and the last’. In Revelation 22:13 the Son’s divinity is confirmed by applying to Him what is said of the Father.
- In each of these cases the term refers to eternal, dynamic, and comprehensive activity of God or Christ in creation and salvation.
- That is...the origin, preservation, and goal of all things are to be found in the Godhead. See Romans 11:36 (1982, p. 26).
Do you have some thoughts, feelings, or questions about what you read today in this specific devotional/commentary?
If you will submit those using the form below, Gene can read them, study them, and reply to them just as soon as possible.
Well, Gene, where do I begin? The opening cube image is so helpful. The charts are great and helpful. The fonts, colors, spacing throughout help so much. The images throughout are exciting and clear and thought provoking. I loved seeing photos of the gem stones. What an exciting and heartening devotional to read and think and pray through. Thank you! For your hours of prayer and preparation.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Gene:
Your commentary on the new heaven and the new earth is a master piece. Can I share this with other people so it to can bless them? I am going to a family wedding soon and I will be taking copies of it to bless others and let them know they can go to your webpage.
God bless you brother!
Philip
Phillip sounds like a good man and I agree with his assessment of your 34th Commentary! Kenneth