<< Previous | Index | Next >>"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5) INTRODUCTION 1. Chapter twenty-one of Revelation began with a vision of "all things made new"... a. A new heaven and new earth - Re 21:1 b. With a holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven - Re 21:2 c. And two proclamations from heaven and the One who sat on the throne - Re 21:3-8 2. Chapter twenty-one and chapter twenty-two continue with more detail about... a. The holy city, New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven b. In which God and the Lamb will dwell with the redeemed in Christ [We continue our study of the eternal destiny of the redeemed by noticing what is further said about...] I. THE NEW JERUSALEM (9-21) A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT... 1. John is shown the holy city - Re 21:9-11 a. By one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the last plagues 1) Who offered to show John "the bride, the Lamb's wife" 2) Who carried him away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain b. He sees the great city, the holy Jerusalem 1) Descending out of heaven from God 2) Having the glory of God 3) With light like a jasper stone, clear as crystal 2. The construction of the city and its wall - Re 21:12-21 a. It had a great and high wall with twelve gates 1) With twelve angels at the gates 2) With the names of the twelve tribes of Israel 3) With three gates each on the east, north, south, and west 4) With twelve foundations, on which were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb b. The measurement of the city, the gates, and the wall 1) The angel had a golden reed to measure them 2) The city is a cube: length, breadth, and height are each 12,000 furlongs (i.e., 1500 miles) 3) The wall is one hundred and forty-four cubits high (i.e., 216 feet) c. The construction of the city: the wall, foundations, gates, street 1) The wall was of jasper; the city was pure gold, like clear glass 2) The twelve foundations of the wall were adorned with precious stones: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, amethyst 3) The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate one pearl 4) The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass -- The imagery is uncertain, but the city may be depicted as hovering between heaven and the new earth B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION... 1. Try to visualize this holy city in your mind! a. 1500 miles (2414 kilometers), the distance from Orlando to Denver, in length, breadth, and height! b. The rainbow-like colors of the wall, the foundations, the city, the gates, and the street c. The colors, with varying shades of green, red, blue, gold, and clear crystal! 2. What is this glorious city meant to represent? a. Most say it is a picture of heaven itself, and yet: 1) Three times the city is described as "coming down out of heaven" - Re 3:12; 21:2,10 2) It comes down to the "new earth", promised by God - Re 21:1; cf. 2Pe 3:13 3) Viewed by John from a "great and high mountain" - Re 21:10 4) Thus clearly distinguished from heaven itself, the present dwelling place of God b. Some say it is a metaphor for the church, the people of God, because: 1) The city is described as a bride, the Lamb's wife - Re 21:2,9-10 2) The church is described elsewhere as the bride of Christ - 2Co 11:1; Ep 5:25-32 3) The wall has as it twelve foundations the twelve apostles - Re 21:14 4) The church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets - Ep 2:19-22 5) Yet in the vision there is a distinction made between the city itself, and the saved a) The "nations of the saved" shall walk in its light - Re 21:24 b) The "gates will not be shut at all by day" - Re 21:25; cf. Isa 60:11 c) Suggesting people going in and out of the city itself c. I am inclined to view the city as that which is "faithful and true" - cf. Re 21:5; 22:6 1) A prophecy that is trustworthy and which pertains to what will be reality 2) Like the new heaven and new earth, the city whose builder and maker is God - cf. He 11:10,16 3) The city we seek, which now is in heaven, but is yet to come - cf. He 12:22; 13:14 4) Perhaps even the "place" of which Jesus spoke to His disciples - cf. Jn 14:1-3 -- I view it is a city which is now in heaven, but will come down "out of heaven" to be a part of the new earth where God and the Lamb will dwell with the redeemed for eternally! - cf. Re 21:3 [The glorious majesty of this city which will come down "out of heaven" is described further as we continue...] II. THE GLORY OF THE HOLY CITY (22-27,1-5) A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT... 1. Illuminated by the presence of God and the Lamb - Re 21:22-23 a. Its temple are the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb b. It is illuminated by the glory of God and the Lamb 2. Enhanced by those who enter it - Re 21:24-27 a. The nations of the saved shall walk in its light b. The kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it c. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day, and there is no night there d. The nations shall bring their glory and honor into it 1) Nothing that defiles, causes an abomination or a lie, shall enter it 2) Only those written in the Lamb's Book of Life enter it 3. The river of water of life - Re 22:1 a. John sees a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal b. It proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb 4. The tree of life - Re 22:2 a. On either side of the river was a tree of life b. The tree bore twelve fruits, yielding fruit every month c. The leaves were for the healing of the nations 5. The throne of God and of the Lamb - Re 22:3-5 a. There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it b. His servants shall serve Him 1) They shall see His face 2) His name shall be on their foreheads c. There shall be no night there 1) They need no lamp nor light of the sun 2) For the Lord God gives them light d. They shall reign forever and ever -- An amazing depiction of glory for both the holy city and its occupants! B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION... 1. The temple in this glorious city are "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb" - Re 21:22 a. There is no temple, unlike there was in heaven described earlier in Revelation - Re 7:15 1) For that described earlier in chapter 7 depicted the blessings of the intermediate state 2) But here in chapter 21 depicts the blessings of the eternal state b. Thus in the eternal state, the idea of a temple (i.e., a dwelling place where God dwells, cf. 1Co 3:16) is replaced by God & the Lamb themselves dwelling among the saved - cf. Re 21:3 2. There is no need for the sun or moon to provide illumination - Re 21:23 a. As foreshadowed by Isaiah's prophecy - cf. Isa 60:19-20 b. For the glory of God and the Lamb illuminates it 3. The glory of this city is enhanced by the kings who bring their glory and honor into it - Re 21:24 a. Perhaps referring to such righteous kings like those of Judah (e.g., David, Hezekiah, Josiah) b. Perhaps those who reigned with Christ for a 1000 years - cf. Re 20:4-6 c. Perhaps all the redeemed, who will reign together with Him throughout eternity - cf. Re 22:5 4. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day, and there is no night there - Re 21:25 a. The twelve gates of pearl shall remain open constantly b. Perhaps implying that the redeemed will actually live outside the city, though with free and constant access to the city because the gates are forever open c. No night there, for the glory of God and the Lamb Himself is its light - cf. Re 21:23; 22:5 5. The nations shall bring their glory and honor into it - Re 21:26 a. Glory and honor to be added to the glory of God and the Lamb - cf. Re 21:23 b. Perhaps glory and honor they themselves received at the coming of the Lord - cf. 2Th 1:10-12 6. Nothing that defiles shall enter it - Re 21:27 a. None that cause an abomination or a lie, shall enter it - cf. Re 21:8 b. Only those written in the Lamb's book of Life enter it - cf. Re 3:5; 20:15 7. The redeemed provisioned for everlasting service - Re 22:1-5 a. With the water of life - Re 22:1 1) A pure river, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2) Promised to those who thirst (for righteousness) - cf. Re 21: 6; 22:17; Mt 5:6 b. With the tree of life - Re 22:2 1) In the middle of the street (it was in the garden of Eden, but now in the city of God!) 2) Straddling the river of the water of life (from which it gets its nourishment?) 3) Bearing twelve fruits, yielding fruit every month (perpetual provisions for the redeemed!) 4) With leaves for the healing of the nations (no more death for the nations!) 8. The reign of His servants - Re 22:3-5 a. The curse which made work difficult is no more - cf. Gen 3:17-19 b. The throne of God and of the Lamb is present (God's reign continues!) c. His servants serve Him (there will be work, but it will not be laborious) d. They shall see His face (like the angels, they will enjoy His presence) - cf. Mt 18:20 e. His name will be on their foreheads (they shall be designated as His) - cf. Re 3:12 f. There shall be no night, no need of lamp nor light of the sun (for God is the light) g. They shall reign forever and ever (the exalted nature of our service!) - cf. Mt 25:21 -- A glorious city with glorious provisions to enable glorious service for a glorious eternity! CONCLUSION 1. Granted, we are dealing with a book that contains highly figurative passages... a. John was shown that which is to come in symbols - cf. Re 1:1 b. We must be careful not to strain the figures beyond their intended purpose c. We should be humble and not overly dogmatic in our interpretation of them 2. And yet we have considered things that may be intended to be taken more literally... a. Twice it is stated: "These words are faithful and true." - Re 21:5; 22:6 b. "Faithful" means trustworthy, "true" can mean that which pertains to reality 3. Even if Re 21:1-22:5 are figurative, how shall we envision the hope that we have in Christ...? a. With images of our own imagination? b. With those from uninspired sources (novels, TV, movies)? c. Or with those provided by Jesus Himself, to comfort and encourage His servants! 4. As we look for the city to come (cf. He 13:14)... a. A city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God - cf. He 11:10 b. A city prepared by God, who is not ashamed to be called our God - cf. He 11:16 ...may we who are disciples of Jesus Christ allow the vision shown by Jesus and seen by John, to excite and encourage us to remain faithful, until we walk through those pearly gates into the glorious city which comes down out of heaven into the new heaven and new earth!<< Previous | Index | Next >>
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