REVELATION 21-22:5
NEW JERUSALEM
THE ETERNAL HOME OF THE SAINTS
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THE VISION OF JESUS CHRIST IN ETERNITY
And: 'you, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak you will fold them up, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will not fail'
From this point on in Revelation, our Lord will give us a bit of a tour ... a bit of a glimpse beyond our present world and its universe to a city he has been preparing for us (John 14:13). Here in chapters 21 and 22, that city is described. It is the same city that Abraham and all the people of God have been looking for, for centuries. As you have it in Hebrews 11:10, (speaking of Abraham's hope),
...for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
He will also show us something of the new earth upon which it will set.
So, what we are about to read is very special. Our Lord has given this to us to whet our appetites a bit until we are actually home there. The city of which we are about to read already exists ... right now today. However, its final location will be on the new Earth that is yet to be created.
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Rev. 21:1-5
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I [NU omits: John] saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,. 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' Then he who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And he said, [NU omits: to me] "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
21:1
In this new vision, John says he saw a new heaven and a new earth. In many ways, the new creation will be quite different from the present one in which we now live. In other ways, we will likely find it quite similar. The first difference that caught John's eye caused him to exclaim ... there was no more sea. That would certainly be striking, would it not? If you are wondering, Why is there no sea? The explanation probably lies in two areas. First, there is the issue of practical usability. About seventy-five percent of this present Earth is covered by water which rendering it virtually unusable. But that will not be the case with the new Earth. Its landmass will be very much available for use. Second, much of the vast oceans of our present Earth are left over waters from the judgment of the Flood that occurred in Noah's day. Therefore, our seas are grim and constant reminders of judgment. As Peter put it,
For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Second Peter 3:5-7
Doubtless, Earth's original seas were far less extensive than those that exist today. Oceans, then, are vivid reminders that God once judged our world by water. Every wave that roles upon the shore mutters that there is a righteous and Holy God who rules over men and who does not allow evil and wickedness to go unchallenged and unchecked. I believe this is the main reason why God's new Earth will have no sea. It would not fit the history of the new world. As he puts it here, the former things have passed away.
In August of 2009, my wife and I took an Alaskan cruise and were privileged to see the famous Glacier Bay. It was wonderful to take in the vastness and grandeur of that part of the world. One morning, as Carol and I were eating our breakfast and enjoying the vista of amazing mountains and forests passing by ... the new earth, that we are reading about here, came to mind. It occurred to me that one of the hallmarks of that new creation will doubtless be its size. Judging from some of the descriptions here in ou text, the new earth will be a good deal larger than our present earth. In fact, I suspect it will be immensely larger ... perhaps as much as a billion or more times larger than our present world. If that is the case, exploring it will be an eternal fascination for God's saints. Our God is a very big God and his works are great and amazing.
Now, if you are a water lover like me, you will be delighted to learn there will be an abundance of water on the new earth. Doubtless, its rivers, streams, and lakes will magnify its beauty to far surpass that of the old earth ... rendering it a verdant and wonderfully appealing place. Its unsurpassed beauty will, no doubt, be a source of enjoyment for the people of God for all eternity. Can you picture its vast canyons, dells, glades, forests, prairies, hills, streams, rivers and lakes? If you like the outdoors, as I do, you're going to love the new earth. This will be the location and final resting place of our eternal home, the New Jerusalem. At that time, our Lord's words from Matthew 5:5 will be abundantly fulfilled.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
21:2
Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. Suddenly, John saw a sight extraordinaire! An immense, sparkling, and luminous cube shaped entity ("city" fails to adequately describe it) was descending ... down ... down ... down ... to rest upon the new earth. The greatest thing about the new heavens and the new earth will most certainly be this place. Jesus told his disciples he was going away to prepare a place for them (John 14:12). This is that place. Its name is New Jerusalem. It will be the centerpiece, main attraction, and greatest treasure of the new heavens and the new earth. What a sight it will present to the eyes of any sojourner in that day, when they come into sight of this immense, luminous, magnificent city. As John watched, it continued its descent down to the earth. He says it reminded him of a bride adorned for her husband. That certainly is an apt comparison, don't you think? On her wedding day, a bride is one of the most beautiful things that we humans observe down here. This is the simile that the Spirit uses to describe the wondrous beauty of the eternal home our Lord has prepared for his saints and is waiting for us.
21:3
Suddenly, a great voice spoke out of Heaven. I believe majestic voice to be of our Lord Jesus Christ. You will remember that when John heard him speak back in chapter one, he said his voice sounded like the sound of many waters. The loud voice declared Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. That certainly cut right to the heart of it, did it not? Wow. You see, as New Jerusalem is the best thing about the new heavens and the new earth ... the best thing about New Jerusalem is that we will have unbroken, intimate fellowship with our God for all eternity. Isaiah spoke of it this way,
And in this mountain The LORD of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees. And he will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of his people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isaiah 25:6-9
21:4
The Lord's powerful voice continued, reiterating again his words again through Isaiah his prophet, And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. One day, God's own hand will wipe away every tear from every tear-stained face of every one of his dear children. Amazing statement, is it not? See how he loves you and me, beloved. Have you been able to believe and accept his great love for you? You certainly will at this time and in this city. Our Lord further assures us that in our new home there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. The ravages of sin will no longer exist in that happy place. Our deliverance from its very presence will then be complete. It is the yet to be experienced installment of the great salvation that is ours in and through our blessed Lord Jesus.
21:5
Following those extraordinary words, the Throne-Sitter spoke, adding, Behold, I make all things new! The significance of these words will be extensive and, no doubt, beyond our present expectation or ability to comprehend. I believe it will extend far beyond our wildest and fondest imaginations. For example, you will remember that with the second Bowl judgment all of the remaining creatures of the sea were destroyed. Today, many species which God originally created have long ago become extinct because of man's neglect and destructive practices. Now, think a minute about our Father's words here. What did he say he would make new? All things ... did he not? Based on that statement, I believe we can fully expect that every single thing our Lord made in the old creation will be restored in the new. I don't believe one single thing will be missing ... plant, mineral, or animal ... from the minutest sea creature to the largest dinosaur, to your and my old family pet! What a place that will be, aye? More important, you and I will share in that newness as well. Dr. McGee says that he believes this will be a time and place where each individual child of God will blossom to their fullest potential. Truly, none of us have been what we would have liked to have been ... as a man or woman, father or mother, husband or wife, friend or child ... and certainly not as a Christian and servant of Christ. Am I right? But in that day, in that place, our God is going to make you and me new as well. I'm up for that, how about you?
The Father's voice continued, Write, for these things are faithful and true. Again, we not only have his spoken word about this, but we have God's written Word on these things as well. The Father's statement here reminds me of what a wonderful thing it is that he has seen to it that his words are written down and preserved. As we have it in First John 5:13,
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
The written Word of God is the source of all truth, faith, fellowship, and sanctification for the people of God. Have you been reading it? Is it a habit? It is the source of blessings untold, beloved. Don't forget to read your Bible.
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Rev. 21:6-8
And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
21:6
Here, in verse six ... just one sentence away from the Lord's command for John to write ... the Father now proclaims:
It is done. This is an extremely important pronouncement because ... when he said that I believe he was referring to the completed revelation of himself as contained in the written Word of God ... the Bible. With this book of Revelation, God is saying that his Word to man is finished and complete. In the Greek, he uses the same word that Jesus exclaimed on the cross when our snidest had been paid; the same word that he used when he pronounced that his judgments were finished back in 16:19 ... Γέγοναν (tegonan). In my opinion, this is solid evidence that the canon of scripture is closed. God has said all that he has to say and all that he needs to say for us to hear. History bears this out as well. Revelation was the last book of Scripture to be written. It was given and written down around AD 96.
I am the Alpha and the Omega. This is the same title he used when we first began to read Revelation back in chapter 1. It reminds us afresh that our great God is everything. He is the A and the Z, the Beginning and the End, and everything in-between. Apart from him, there is nothing. He is our all in all and our every sufficiency. Every breath we take comes from him.
I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. Isn't he gracious!? A lawyer once asked Jesus, Master, what must I do to inherit life everlasting? We read of Jesus' answer as follows,
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me." Mark 10:17
Little did that lawyer know he was talking to his God that day and had he followed Jesus he would have been obeying the greatest commandment, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deut. 6:5). Do you want to know how to have eternal life, dear friend? Come to Christ. He will freely give it to you. His invitation is so open, wonderful, and warm. He says, I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. Are you thirsty? One time, Jesus stood up in the temple and cried out,
If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:37
Don't you know he got some looks as the echo of that cry died out! What a claim! What an invitation! I am sure the Jews in the temple that day said, Say, what!? They could not have escaped who Jesus was claiming to be ... for he had cried out Jehovah's words from Isaiah 55:1-3,
Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you; the sure mercies of David.
I ask again, Are you thirsty? Jesus has living water for you. Won't you go to him and get it? Come, he says. It's not complicated. He is the Savior. We are lost, needy, thirsty sinners. He is the source of fountains of living waters. As he said in John 4:14,
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (KJV)
John writes in his Gospel,
But as many as received him (Jesus), to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13
In John 10:27-28, Jesus said,
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.
The Spirit of Christ cries out in Isaiah 45:22,
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Soon, this present age of grace will end, and every human being will have made their choice. Tragically, multitudes will have failed to come to Christ. A while back, when I was ministering in Oregon, the brother of a lady in my church came up from California to visit her. She was deeply concerned about his salvation and shared the good news of Jesus Christ with him while he was there. She asked him if he would like to receive Christ and be saved but he said ... Not right now. He put it off. Tragically, on his way home back to California he was killed in a terrible automobile wreck. I don't know if he ever came to Christ. If he did, he is now with the Savior in his Father's house (John 14:13). If not ...? Don't delay. The Bible says today is the day of salvation (Hebrews 3:7-8). If you have not yet come to Christ and you can hear the Spirit of God inviting you to come, do it right now. Just talk to him. He will know why you have come. Tell him you want to believe in him. He is the Savior. He will hear.
...him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:36b (KJV)
21:7-8
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. Then he added, But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will be consigned to the Lake of Fire which is the second death. This unvarnished description of the unbeliever's lifestyle is right on. Unbelief is always confirmed by ungodly choices. The opposite is also true. Real faith always produces righteousness in a life. It is imparted to God's children through the process of sanctification ... which begins the hour one first believes. The Lord makes it crystal clear here that there are only two eternal possibilities for men and women ... those who will come and partake of the water of life (Christ) and be transformed (Second Corinthians 5:17) and those who continue in their stubborn unbelief, while clinging to their ungodly lifestyle until they find themselves, one terrible day, in the Lake of Fire.
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Rev. 21:9-14
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came [NU omits: to me] and talked with me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the [NU omits: great] city, the holy [NU adds: city, Jerusalem], descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the [NU adds: twelve] names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
21:9-10
Following the Lord's invitation to life, one of the angels of the Bowl judgments approached John and said, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. John says, he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Taken to a high mountain where he could observe the Lamb's wife as she descended majestically down to the new earth below, John witnessed this future event in 3D! What a panorama it must have afforded. I like mountains, by the way. They are one of my all-time favorite places. I like their smells and the sound of the wind through their trees. I'm glad they will be a part of the new earth. I suspect that we will be able to climb this very mountain where John stood and looked upon our eternal home. From his mountain vantage point, John was able to view the extensive nature of the eternal home of the saints. Beautiful and dazzling she was. Keep in mind, at that point in time all of the Church was in her as she descended to her new and eternal resting place on the new earth ... including John, by the way. This is why the angel could say he was showing John, the Lamb's wife. Indeed, inside this great city, every member of the Church of Jesus Christ was present and accounted for as John witnessed its descent down to its beautiful and permanent home. I suspect that when this actually occurs, we saints who are in New Jerusalem will be lining its walls to get a first look at the amazing New Earth upon which we will dwell, aye?
21:11
The first thing that impressed John about New Jerusalem was the fact that it was lighted by the glory of God. You and I haven't seen this yet ... but we shall. We know from Scripture that mere light and the glory of God are two very different things. The glory of God is a lighting thing, but light is not the glory of God. John likened it to a jasper stone, which is crystal clear. I guess we are just going to have to wait and see it for ourselves. By the way, did you know that one of Jesus' great desires is for you to see his glory? When he was praying for us in John 17, he said,
And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was. John 17:5
"Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me; for you loved me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24
What a wonderful prayer request. Can you hear how Jesus' heart longs to have you and me with him to enjoy his fellowship and see his glory? Our home will be illumined by it for all of eternity.
Next, notice that there are a lot of familiar things in that future creation and place ... things that are we already find familiar and warm. Our Lord could have made it otherwise, but he chose to make our eternal home both warm and familiar. Therefore he has incorporated many of the things that we are comfortable and acquainted with now. Let's look at them.
21:12-13
New Jerusalem:
...had a great high wall. New Jerusalem's wall is gigantic and magnificent. Its wall speaks of the fact that it is an exclusive place. Also, it is a reminder of God's safekeeping of his people and the security that we have in him. All within will be truly and utterly secure in our Father's house. As you have it in First Peter 1:5,
...who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
...had twelve gates. John counted them ... three gates on each side. The fact that New Jerusalem has gates, by the way, speaks of the fact that its occupants are free to roam and that there will be coming and going there. This means that the personal freedom that we enjoy as God's creatures now, will continue there as well. When God created you and me, he created us creatures with freewill and choice. That will not change in the new heavens and new Earth and the New Jerusalem.
...had an angel was posted at each gate. Fascinating. I believe they will be stationed there to wish us, Good journey!, as we leave as well as to greet and welcome us as we return.
...had the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on each gate. Amongst other things, this will ever remind us that our salvation came through the Jews (John 4:22). It also indicates that Israelites have access to the city and, no doubt, is their home as well. And, since these gates are individually named, I suspect they will be useful for orientation purposes ... departures and meeting places, and such like. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel will also be inscribed on the gates of Jerusalem during Christ's millennial reign on Earth, by the way. Ezekiel 48:31-34 lays them out for us. The order given there will likely carry over to New Jerusalem as well. Ezekiel tells us they will be labeled as follows. The:
North gates ... Reuben, Judah, and Levi
East gates ... Joseph, Benjamin and Dan
South gates ... Simeon, Issachar and Zebulon
West gates ... Gad, Asher and Naphtali
One time or another, you may have heard a brother or sister say, I'll meet you at the Eastern Gate! (referring to meeting them in Heaven one day). Next time someone says that to you, you could answer, Which one, Joseph, Benjamin or Dan?
21:14
...had twelve foundations and on them were the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. In Ephesians 2:19-20, we read,
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone,
All who come to this great city will marvel at the foundations of its wall and will see the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb inscribed upon them. Their names will forever be there. I believe that's to remind us that our faith is built upon the sacrifices and teachings of these twelve great and dear men of God and the huge role they played in the laying the foundations of the Church. We owe a great deal to them. They gave their lives for Christ, his gospel, and for you and me, his Church. So when we enter or leave our city, we will ever be reminded of these men within who were so instrumental in bringing us the Word of God and in building us up in our most holy faith.
Now, there is something in the text here that I believe solves an old problem from Acts 1. There, at Peter's suggestion, the 11 Apostles chose an apostle to replace Judas. You will remember they selected a man named Matthias ... using the Old Covenant method of casting lots to discern God’s will (not prescribed under the New Covenant which they were under). And it says he was numbered with the eleven apostles (Acts 1:15-26). Some think that, although this was logical and they thought they were acting on scriptural grounds, it was not a Spirit-led decision. So, they conclude that Mathias was not a real Apostle. I agree. The wall of New Jerusalem has twelve foundations ... each one is inscribed with the name of one Apostle. There are only twelve. And, since the New Testament is full of evidence confirming Paul to be a Christ ordained Apostle, I take this to be evidence that Mathias, though doubtless a wonderful and great brother in the Lord, was not technically an Apostle even though the other Apostles thought him to be so (Acts 1:26).
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Rev. 21:15-21
And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Psalm 18:19, comes to mind here.
He also brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.
... it's big ... very big! This is what the Lord wanted us to know by getting John to measure it. John found it to be 12,000 furlongs on a side and 12,000 furlongs high. In shape then, New Jerusalem it is a cube. The word translated furlongs ... is the Greek word σταδίων (stadion). It is the word from which we get our word stadium. A stadia was approximately 606 feet long. So, the outside dimension of New Jerusalem is approximately 1377.27 miles on a side and 1377.27, miles high. Its inside dimensions, then, are over two billion, six hundred twelve million, five hundred twenty-one thousand, three hundred eighteen cubic miles ... 2,612,521,318! That's a lot of room to roam, brother and sister. Our future home contains over two and a half billion cubic miles! And, since its exact height is given, I believe we are to picture it in layers. C. S. Lewis envisioned it that way in his Narnia Tales when his fictional inhabitants called delightfully to one another, higher up and farther in.
I once took a course in college titled, Population Problems. It was designed to demonstrate how overpopulated the world was and what might be done about it. However, to the professor's credit, he pointed out that if you dug a hole, one mile square and one mile deep, you could put every living human being on Earth at that time into it with room to spare! I bring this up to reinforce how large our New Jerusalem is. I repeat, it contains 2,612,521,318 cubic miles!
21:17
... its wall is around 216 feet high. The NIV says, thick, but it's footnotes say that it could also mean "high". I don't think the Lord would describe a wall to us by merely telling us how thick it was.
21:18-20
... the city, wall, and all are breathtakingly beautiful. John says its wall was constructed of jasper and the city itself of pure gold, clear like glass.Apparently, in the new creation, gold will have more of a diamond-like quality but with a golden clarity. Further, he says that the foundations of the wall were encrusted with all kinds of precious stones. Were you or I to decide, one day, to walk completely around New Jerusalem's perimeter, we would walk for over 5,500 miles before we returned to the point from where we started. And, all along the walk ... mile after mile ... the jewels of its foundations would be refracting the light of the glory of God outward and around us! Can you imagine what kind of beauty that might be? The twelve stones in its foundations are given to as follows:
jasper ... green
chrysolyte ... blue-green
sapphire ... blue
beryl ... yellow-green
chalcedony ... green
topaz ... apple-green
emerald ... green
chrysoprasus ... blue
sardonyx ... red and white
jacinth ... violet
sardius ... golden yellow
amethyst ... purple
21:21
... its gates were twelve pearls. Each of New Jerusalem's gates are constructed from a single pearl. That's a mighty big pearl! Not possible!, someone might say. I hear you. But it is what it is. There are no pearls that big!, you say. Oh? And God couldn't make a pearl that big? Hmm.
...the street of the city was pure gold. First, notice there is only one street in New Jerusalem. The Greek word used here is singular. One broad and magnificent ... golden walkway ... has been prepared for your feet and mine in New Jerusalem. I can see it in my mind's eye, winding its way upward, upward, mile after mile, level upon level, throughout the city. I picture it as ever inviting its inhabitants onward and upward to the high throne of the Father and the Lamb. John says it was made of pure gold, like transparent glass. So, to walk upon that street, I suspect, will be to experience sites and shadows of things below as well as things above, adding greatly to the delightful sights.
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Rev. 21:22-27
But I saw no temple [NU omits: in it,] for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations [NU omits: of those who are saved] shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything [NU adds: profane, nor one who causes] an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
21:22
...its a place of unbridled fellowship with God and his Son. There is no temple there. No designated place of worship because there is no need for it. The Greek word used here for temple is ναὸς (naos). It is the word that designated the Holy of Holies (that most sacred inner room of the temple) where God dwelt and contained the Ark of the Covenant with its covering, the Mercy Seat. New Jerusalem has no such place. From gate to gate, wall to wall, top to bottom and side to side ... the whole city is the naos because God and his Lamb reside there, you see. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple, our text reads.
21:23
...it has no need for the sun or of the moon to shine in it. There is no need for external sources of light in New Jerusalem. The glory of God illumines it and the Lamb is its light. That does not necessarily mean that luminaries will not exist in God's new creation, however. They will just not be needed within our great glory-lit city. You will remember, back in chapter one, when John first saw the glorified Christ, he said, his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
21:24
...nations shall walk in its light. New Jerusalem is a place for any and all ethnic groups to feel welcome and comfortable for our God is hospitable to all and is no respecter of persons.
...kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Verse twenty-six also states, they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Who do you think these kings and their nations might be? And, who do you think "they" are in verse twenty-six? These statements, coupled with 22:5 where it says that the saints shall reign forever and ever, make it clear that the New Earth will be a populated place. We are not told who "they" will be, however. Will they be a brand-new race of beings? Perhaps. It hasn't been revealed yet. But "they" will be there. That's exciting, don't you think? Living for eternity in the new heavens and the new earth and reigning with Christ there is certainly not going to be dull, brother.
21:25
...its gates will never be shut at all nor will there be any night there. No one will ever have to wait for New Jerusalem to open. It's open for business 24/7. The significance of not having any night there indicates that in our glorified bodies we will not need rest nor recuperation like we do now. That will certainly be different, aye? Down here, a third or more of our lives are spent sleeping. But that will not be the case there.
21-26-27
...there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles. Only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life can enter New Jerusalem. These scriptures, and also 22:15, are not speaking about sin or evil existing in the new heavens and the new earth. They are referring to the fact that New Jerusalem exists right now today. No one who has not been washed in the blood of the Lamb will ever have access there. As you have it back in verse ten, it is holy Jerusalem ... a holy place for holy people. Ephesians 5:25-27, says,
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Every child of God has been washed by the Word of God and the blood of the Lamb and has been fitted for the New Jerusalem. They heard the Word. They obeyed, trusting in Christ. They were made holy. This is each and every believer's standing before God. These are facts. Facts are to be believed. Our citizenship is in Heaven, where our Lord is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. When we arrive there, the present foreign land in which we now live will vanish from our memories like a wisp of steam in a windstorm. Isaiah 65:17-19a, says,
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, not come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people;
Is your focus more there than down here, beloved? We believers need to be a Heavenly minded people. The description of our eternal home here is given to help us to be so.
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3
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Rev. 22:1-5
And he showed me a [NU omits: pure] river of water of life, clear as crystal, from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
22:1
Chapter 22 continues the description of New Jerusalem. However, now it will give us something more of the warmth and softness of our great bejeweled city.
We read:
...And he showed me a river of water of life... New Jerusalem has water and trees and fruit. John says that he saw a magnificent river of water of life there. Can you see it? Smell it? Flowing from its source at the high throne of God, this amazing river cascades down through thousands and thousands of miles of the city. Along the way, doubtless it takes on all the interesting and lovely forms that such waters manifest down here on Earth and, probably, much more. I can picture its rapids, waterfalls, emerald pools, and meandering streams, can't you? Psalm 46:4 speaks specifically of it saying,
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
I like that word, streams, don't you? I am hoping that one will run right through my backyard! A similar river will flow from the throne of Christ on Earth during his 1000-year reign. It is described to us in Ezekiel 47. The reality of it was brought home to Ezekiel when he was instructed to wade in it. Beginning at its source at the Lord's temple, Ezekiel began wading and wading and the further he went, the deeper it got. We read there,
And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles . Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters: the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen this?' Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. Ezekiel 47:3-10
That certainly will be an amazing and wonderful river that flows from our Lord's throne during the Millennium. It will be so enticing ... so life giving! Wherever its waters go, it will produce abundant life. What then, do you suppose its final and permanent version in New Jerusalem will be like? I guess you can tell that I'm a sucker for rivers. As a boy, I waded, fished, or floated, just about every inch of the Rio Grande River from Elephant Butte Lake to Caballo Lake ... approximately 20 miles. Every river and stream I have ever been around fascinated me ... from the delightful little stream at Wall Lake in the Gila wilderness of New Mexico to the mighty Columbia River where I used to live in Oregon, I loved them all. Where rivers and streams are, there is life. New Jerusalem's river will be sourced from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. One can only imagine what that water might be like and do.
22:2
...And on either side of the river, was the tree of life. Lining the banks of the river of life, the tree of life grows. Apparently, it expands along the banks of the river and in the midst of the street like a giant Banyan tree in Africa. It is just one tree, not trees. If I understand the Banyan tree correctly, it just keeps putting down roots from its branches above and those roots eventually becomes a trunk and thus the tree continuously expands and spreads itself. Wikipedia says one famous banyan tree was planted in 1873, in Lahaina's Courthouse Square in Hawai'i and has now grown to cover two-thirds of an acre. All along the banks of the river, and in the midst of the street of New Jerusalem, the tree of life grows. And, month by month, it produces twelve kinds of fruit. These fruits were promised to, and reserved exclusively for, Christ's overcomers back in 2:7,
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
This tree was also in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). So, it is found in the first book of the Bible and we don't run into it again until we get here in the last book of the Bible. Adam and Eve were barred from it after they had sinned so that they could not eat from it and live forever (Genesis 3:22). You will remember that God stationed Cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to it after the fall (Gen. 3:24). The Tree of Life, in the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, is no myth. It was a real tree and I, for one, am looking forward to eating its fruit one day, how about you?
Also, notice it says that its leaves are for the healing of the nations. This refers to the people who will live on the new Earth in that future day. The word healing is a poor rendering. There will be no sickness in God's new creation. The Greek word here is θεραπείαν (therepian), from which we get our word therapeutic. The idea is that the leaves of the Tree of Life will be gathered for their invigorating qualities by the Earth-dwellers of that yet future creation. Perhaps they will eat them, rub them on the skin or possibly use them in beverages. In any case, they will be delightfully invigorating and people will probably travel great distances to come into the city to pick them.
22:3
...there will be no more curse. You will remember that the curse referred to here was imposed upon our parents, Adam and Eve, because of the fall. It turned the earth into a non-productive and difficult place to grow food. We read in Genesis 3:17-19,
Then to Adam he [God] said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.
It is because of that curse that the earth is very reluctant to yield its fruits to man. Instead, weeds grow. That will no longer be the case in the new heavens and the new earth. There, all will be right; all will be in harmony.
...and his servants shall serve him. I like that. New Jerusalem is a place of wonderful service and activity. Have you ever wondered where the idea came from that picture's eternity as a place where people listlessly float around on little clouds clutching their harps ... which, of course, only have three or four strings? That sounds more like Hell, does it not? Our eternal home will be a place that is far from idleness. Glory to God, his servants shall serve him ... a place of real, significant, and fulfilling service for the Savior. Reminds me of that old song, There is joy in serving Jesus. Amen!
22:4
...and they shall see his face. Now, there is a mountaintop experience worth waiting for! Amen? We will see his face. I don't think we will ever tire of looking upon him, do you? When this becomes a reality, repeatedly Jesus' words from Matthew 5:8 will be fulfilled in us...
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
...and his name shall be on their foreheads. This identifying mark will proclaim to all intelligences for all time ... who we belong to. May I ask you a question? How do you think of yourself? Do you say, I'm a child of God, I belong to Christ!? If so, good for you. Those who see themselves that way are right where they ought to be.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. First Corinthians 6:19-20
22:5
...there is no night there, no need for a candle or sun ... for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Again, we are reminded that New Jerusalem and the New Heavens and the New Earth will be a place of dominion with Christ. There are many scriptures that back this up. Here is one of them,
This is a faithful saying: for if we died with him, we shall also live with him. If we endure, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. Second Timothy 2:11-12
Right before Jesus left our world, he said he was going away to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3). Here in Revelation 21 and 22 he has given us the thrill of a mini tour of it. It has been wonderful, has it not? We found it to be a very large, very warm, and very familiar place, with incredible beauty. But best of all, it is a place where we will experience wonderful intimacy with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and his Father. Blessed indeed are they who have the right to enter the gates of this city.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.