Chapter 69 The New Jerusalem
The eighth and final major section of Revelation deals with the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:9 to 22:5. The 4-2-1 principle applies to this part of Revelation as well. The first four describe the city and the conditions in the city: walls, dimensions, materials the city is constructed with, and the conditions in the city. The fifth and sixth describe the sources of water and food, and the climax, the seventh part, describes life on Earth and in the city in the forever after.
In the introduction John is taken in vision onto a high mountain, and observes the city descend from heaven to Earth:
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
The city is called the bride of Christ. We have seen that the bride of Christ is the 144 000 (chapter 15). How can both the 144 000 and the city be the bride of Christ? The city will contain all the saved, not just the 144 000. Once God has created the New Earth, after the fires of hell have gone out, the saved will each have an estate outside of the city. The 144 000 will not have estates outside because they will live in the city with Christ, just like the Levites had no land but lived in the cities. With that in mind, the New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ because it will house the 144 000. The rest of the saved will gather in the city to worship every Sabbath and every new moon but will not have permanent housing in the city.
We mentioned in the previous chapter that the New Jerusalem descends from heaven before the final judgement and hellfire. Hellfire will surround the city, but it will not be touched. Once the fires have gone out, God will created a new heaven and renew the Earth. The laws of decay that exist throughout the universe will be changed to a steady state existence, not an entropical one. The physics of the new heaven and Earth will be changed back to what it was before the fall.
The city is absolutely beautiful. Jasper is a bright white gem. Revelation then goes on and describes the city, first the walls of the city:
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The city is square, and each of the four walls have three gates, and the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are written on the gates respectively. The city has twelve foundations and on these are the names of the 12 apostles. The leaders of the Old Testament and the New Testament feature on the foundations and gates. We will elaborate on this concept in the next chapter.
The measurements of the city are described next:
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
What is the meaning of measuring? In Ezekiel chapters 40-42 the temple is measured in much detail to show the exiles in Babylon that the temple was to be literally restored. The measuring of the New Jerusalem is likewise to show that it is a real city where the saints will reside. The measurement of the temple in Rev 11 is to indicate the early Close of Probation where the 144 000 are sealed (chapter 7).
The city is cubic. It has a length, breadth and height of 2 400 km (1 500 miles). It is massive. The amazing thing is its height. The tallest, gravity-defying buildings on Earth today are around 1 km high. The materials of the New Jerusalem will be super strong to stand 2 400 km tall and not crumble under the weight. The thickness of the walls of the city is about 50 meters.
The materials the city is made of is described in the third section:
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
In the introduction the city is described as jasper. The walls are jasper, a white precious stone. The city is made of gold, including the streets. Gold is a beautiful metal, and chemically inert. The city is designed to last forever. The gold is transparent. That means we can see through the structures in the city. It reflects God’s character because God is transparent. He is what He says He is. He is the great I AM.
Each of the foundations of the walls of the city are decorated with precious stones, one type of gem for each foundation. All the listed gems polarise light, giving it more beauty. That is why diamonds, for example, do not feature here because they do not polarise light.
The gates are made of massive pearls, one pearl per gate. Pearls are made when a grain of sand gets into an oyster, or abalone. To neutralise the irritation of the sand grain, the abalone covers it with layers of a material that forms a pearl. Could it be that Christ made these twelve gates when He covered the blight of sin with His righteousness, making beautiful massive pearls.
The fourth part describes conditions in the New Jerusalem:
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
We have already studied the fact that there is no temple in heaven, contrary to what some believe. The antitype to the temple on Earth is a sequence of events in salvation history, not a literal temple in heaven (chapter 11).
Even though there will be a sun and moon in the New Earth, the city will not need their light because God is its light. There will be days and months because we will go to Jerusalem every Sabbath and every New Moon, bringing honour to God and Christ for their great salvation.
The universe will be cleansed of all evil, so there won’t be a need to shut the gates of the city.
The fifth part shows us the river of life flowing from the throne of God in the city out into the countryside. The nations will quench their thirst from God’s water in the river:
Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The sixth part describes the tree of life that grows on both banks of the river of life, with its two trunks converging above the river. Every month of the year it will bear another fruit. Its leaves will also be edible and serve to heal the nations. What does that mean in a perfect world? We will probably all grow to the stature of Adam and Eve. We will probably also gradually become a homogeneous race without losing our personal identities. God made a variety of languages and races at the tower of Babel to disperse the rebellious people, but in heaven that will be gradually reversed. Only God knows what the heavenly human race will look like. I am sure it will be far superior to any race on Earth today:
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The climax of this eighth and last main part of Revelation is the seventh subsection, and shows what life will be like into eternity:
3 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:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
God cursed the Earth when Adam and Eve sinned, and Adam was subjected to labour to produce food. This will be removed in heaven, and Edenic beauty and bounty will be restored.
God moves His throne from heaven to the New Earth to live with us, and we will see Him face to face in His holiness. In the city where God and Christ are enthroned, there will be no darkness or night.
The last part of verse 5 probably talks about the 144 000 who will also live in the city, and reign over the nations. Not everyone can reign, because you cannot have rulers without subjects.
Whether we are part of the 144 000, reigning with Christ and God, or whether we have homes in the countryside, visiting the city on Sabbaths and New Moons, it does not matter. What does is living in Edenic beauty with all the saved and the Father and Son and all the angelic hosts forever. Make sure to secure that relationship which begins now. Eternal life begins now. Commit yourself as a child of God. This is His desire and He has engineered your salvation through His Son.
The eighth and final major section of Revelation deals with the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:9 to 22:5. The 4-2-1 principle applies to this part of Revelation as well. The first four describe the city and the conditions in the city: walls, dimensions, materials the city is constructed with, and the conditions in the city. The fifth and sixth describe the sources of water and food, and the climax, the seventh part, describes life on Earth and in the city in the forever after.
In the introduction John is taken in vision onto a high mountain, and observes the city descend from heaven to Earth:
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
The city is called the bride of Christ. We have seen that the bride of Christ is the 144 000 (chapter 15). How can both the 144 000 and the city be the bride of Christ? The city will contain all the saved, not just the 144 000. Once God has created the New Earth, after the fires of hell have gone out, the saved will each have an estate outside of the city. The 144 000 will not have estates outside because they will live in the city with Christ, just like the Levites had no land but lived in the cities. With that in mind, the New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ because it will house the 144 000. The rest of the saved will gather in the city to worship every Sabbath and every new moon but will not have permanent housing in the city.
We mentioned in the previous chapter that the New Jerusalem descends from heaven before the final judgement and hellfire. Hellfire will surround the city, but it will not be touched. Once the fires have gone out, God will created a new heaven and renew the Earth. The laws of decay that exist throughout the universe will be changed to a steady state existence, not an entropical one. The physics of the new heaven and Earth will be changed back to what it was before the fall.
The city is absolutely beautiful. Jasper is a bright white gem. Revelation then goes on and describes the city, first the walls of the city:
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The city is square, and each of the four walls have three gates, and the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are written on the gates respectively. The city has twelve foundations and on these are the names of the 12 apostles. The leaders of the Old Testament and the New Testament feature on the foundations and gates. We will elaborate on this concept in the next chapter.
The measurements of the city are described next:
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
What is the meaning of measuring? In Ezekiel chapters 40-42 the temple is measured in much detail to show the exiles in Babylon that the temple was to be literally restored. The measuring of the New Jerusalem is likewise to show that it is a real city where the saints will reside. The measurement of the temple in Rev 11 is to indicate the early Close of Probation where the 144 000 are sealed (chapter 7).
The city is cubic. It has a length, breadth and height of 2 400 km (1 500 miles). It is massive. The amazing thing is its height. The tallest, gravity-defying buildings on Earth today are around 1 km high. The materials of the New Jerusalem will be super strong to stand 2 400 km tall and not crumble under the weight. The thickness of the walls of the city is about 50 meters.
The materials the city is made of is described in the third section:
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
In the introduction the city is described as jasper. The walls are jasper, a white precious stone. The city is made of gold, including the streets. Gold is a beautiful metal, and chemically inert. The city is designed to last forever. The gold is transparent. That means we can see through the structures in the city. It reflects God’s character because God is transparent. He is what He says He is. He is the great I AM.
Each of the foundations of the walls of the city are decorated with precious stones, one type of gem for each foundation. All the listed gems polarise light, giving it more beauty. That is why diamonds, for example, do not feature here because they do not polarise light.
The gates are made of massive pearls, one pearl per gate. Pearls are made when a grain of sand gets into an oyster, or abalone. To neutralise the irritation of the sand grain, the abalone covers it with layers of a material that forms a pearl. Could it be that Christ made these twelve gates when He covered the blight of sin with His righteousness, making beautiful massive pearls.
The fourth part describes conditions in the New Jerusalem:
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
We have already studied the fact that there is no temple in heaven, contrary to what some believe. The antitype to the temple on Earth is a sequence of events in salvation history, not a literal temple in heaven (chapter 11).
Even though there will be a sun and moon in the New Earth, the city will not need their light because God is its light. There will be days and months because we will go to Jerusalem every Sabbath and every New Moon, bringing honour to God and Christ for their great salvation.
The universe will be cleansed of all evil, so there won’t be a need to shut the gates of the city.
The fifth part shows us the river of life flowing from the throne of God in the city out into the countryside. The nations will quench their thirst from God’s water in the river:
Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The sixth part describes the tree of life that grows on both banks of the river of life, with its two trunks converging above the river. Every month of the year it will bear another fruit. Its leaves will also be edible and serve to heal the nations. What does that mean in a perfect world? We will probably all grow to the stature of Adam and Eve. We will probably also gradually become a homogeneous race without losing our personal identities. God made a variety of languages and races at the tower of Babel to disperse the rebellious people, but in heaven that will be gradually reversed. Only God knows what the heavenly human race will look like. I am sure it will be far superior to any race on Earth today:
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The climax of this eighth and last main part of Revelation is the seventh subsection, and shows what life will be like into eternity:
3 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:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
God cursed the Earth when Adam and Eve sinned, and Adam was subjected to labour to produce food. This will be removed in heaven, and Edenic beauty and bounty will be restored.
God moves His throne from heaven to the New Earth to live with us, and we will see Him face to face in His holiness. In the city where God and Christ are enthroned, there will be no darkness or night.
The last part of verse 5 probably talks about the 144 000 who will also live in the city, and reign over the nations. Not everyone can reign, because you cannot have rulers without subjects.
Whether we are part of the 144 000, reigning with Christ and God, or whether we have homes in the countryside, visiting the city on Sabbaths and New Moons, it does not matter. What does is living in Edenic beauty with all the saved and the Father and Son and all the angelic hosts forever. Make sure to secure that relationship which begins now. Eternal life begins now. Commit yourself as a child of God. This is His desire and He has engineered your salvation through His Son.
Chapter 69 The New Jerusalem
The eighth and final major section of Revelation deals with the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:9 to 22:5. The 4-2-1 principle applies to this part of Revelation as well. The first four describe the city and the conditions in the city: walls, dimensions, materials the city is constructed with, and the conditions in the city. The fifth and sixth describe the sources of water and food, and the climax, the seventh part, describes life on Earth and in the city in the forever after.
In the introduction John is taken in vision onto a high mountain, and observes the city descend from heaven to Earth:
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
The city is called the bride of Christ. We have seen that the bride of Christ is the 144 000 (chapter 15). How can both the 144 000 and the city be the bride of Christ? The city will contain all the saved, not just the 144 000. Once God has created the New Earth, after the fires of hell have gone out, the saved will each have an estate outside of the city. The 144 000 will not have estates outside because they will live in the city with Christ, just like the Levites had no land but lived in the cities. With that in mind, the New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ because it will house the 144 000. The rest of the saved will gather in the city to worship every Sabbath and every new moon but will not have permanent housing in the city.
We mentioned in the previous chapter that the New Jerusalem descends from heaven before the final judgement and hellfire. Hellfire will surround the city, but it will not be touched. Once the fires have gone out, God will created a new heaven and renew the Earth. The laws of decay that exist throughout the universe will be changed to a steady state existence, not an entropical one. The physics of the new heaven and Earth will be changed back to what it was before the fall.
The city is absolutely beautiful. Jasper is a bright white gem. Revelation then goes on and describes the city, first the walls of the city:
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The city is square, and each of the four walls have three gates, and the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are written on the gates respectively. The city has twelve foundations and on these are the names of the 12 apostles. The leaders of the Old Testament and the New Testament feature on the foundations and gates. We will elaborate on this concept in the next chapter.
The measurements of the city are described next:
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
What is the meaning of measuring? In Ezekiel chapters 40-42 the temple is measured in much detail to show the exiles in Babylon that the temple was to be literally restored. The measuring of the New Jerusalem is likewise to show that it is a real city where the saints will reside. The measurement of the temple in Rev 11 is to indicate the early Close of Probation where the 144 000 are sealed (chapter 7).
The city is cubic. It has a length, breadth and height of 2 400 km (1 500 miles). It is massive. The amazing thing is its height. The tallest, gravity-defying buildings on Earth today are around 1 km high. The materials of the New Jerusalem will be super strong to stand 2 400 km tall and not crumble under the weight. The thickness of the walls of the city is about 50 meters.
The materials the city is made of is described in the third section:
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
In the introduction the city is described as jasper. The walls are jasper, a white precious stone. The city is made of gold, including the streets. Gold is a beautiful metal, and chemically inert. The city is designed to last forever. The gold is transparent. That means we can see through the structures in the city. It reflects God’s character because God is transparent. He is what He says He is. He is the great I AM.
Each of the foundations of the walls of the city are decorated with precious stones, one type of gem for each foundation. All the listed gems polarise light, giving it more beauty. That is why diamonds, for example, do not feature here because they do not polarise light.
The gates are made of massive pearls, one pearl per gate. Pearls are made when a grain of sand gets into an oyster, or abalone. To neutralise the irritation of the sand grain, the abalone covers it with layers of a material that forms a pearl. Could it be that Christ made these twelve gates when He covered the blight of sin with His righteousness, making beautiful massive pearls.
The fourth part describes conditions in the New Jerusalem:
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
We have already studied the fact that there is no temple in heaven, contrary to what some believe. The antitype to the temple on Earth is a sequence of events in salvation history, not a literal temple in heaven (chapter 11).
Even though there will be a sun and moon in the New Earth, the city will not need their light because God is its light. There will be days and months because we will go to Jerusalem every Sabbath and every New Moon, bringing honour to God and Christ for their great salvation.
The universe will be cleansed of all evil, so there won’t be a need to shut the gates of the city.
The fifth part shows us the river of life flowing from the throne of God in the city out into the countryside. The nations will quench their thirst from God’s water in the river:
Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The sixth part describes the tree of life that grows on both banks of the river of life, with its two trunks converging above the river. Every month of the year it will bear another fruit. Its leaves will also be edible and serve to heal the nations. What does that mean in a perfect world? We will probably all grow to the stature of Adam and Eve. We will probably also gradually become a homogeneous race without losing our personal identities. God made a variety of languages and races at the tower of Babel to disperse the rebellious people, but in heaven that will be gradually reversed. Only God knows what the heavenly human race will look like. I am sure it will be far superior to any race on Earth today:
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The climax of this eighth and last main part of Revelation is the seventh subsection, and shows what life will be like into eternity:
3 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:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
God cursed the Earth when Adam and Eve sinned, and Adam was subjected to labour to produce food. This will be removed in heaven, and Edenic beauty and bounty will be restored.
God moves His throne from heaven to the New Earth to live with us, and we will see Him face to face in His holiness. In the city where God and Christ are enthroned, there will be no darkness or night.
The last part of verse 5 probably talks about the 144 000 who will also live in the city, and reign over the nations. Not everyone can reign, because you cannot have rulers without subjects.
Whether we are part of the 144 000, reigning with Christ and God, or whether we have homes in the countryside, visiting the city on Sabbaths and New Moons, it does not matter. What does is living in Edenic beauty with all the saved and the Father and Son and all the angelic hosts forever. Make sure to secure that relationship which begins now. Eternal life begins now. Commit yourself as a child of God. This is His desire and He has engineered your salvation through His Son.
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