- [Narrator] The heavenly city. All over the world, there
are many beautiful cities. However, we have yet to find
a city that we would prefer to the one that we will return
to at the end of our journey. The word city appears
11 times in Revelation in chapters 21 and 22. It is a place where God and
his people will coexist, and because we will be living in that city in our physically resurrected bodies, we will require a
physical city to live in. It's not some fantastical
place. It's not just an idea. It's a real place. The city of heaven, Jerusalem, is a city. This should not come as a
surprise, given that the desire for a city has existed
since the time of Abraham. In Hebrews 11, we read about Abraham looking for a city whose
builder and maker was God. In Hebrews chapter 12,
the Hebrew Christians were told to come to
Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Paul mentions this city in
his letter to the Galatians. He refers to it as the Jerusalem above, and it is referred to
as the city of my God and the New Jerusalem in Revelation 3:12. The New Jerusalem, also known
as the tabernacle of God, holy city, city of God,
celestial city, city foursquare, and heavenly Jerusalem, is a
heavenly paradise on Earth. The Bible mentions in in various passages, such as Galatians 4:26 and Hebrews 11, 12, and 13. However, it is most extensively
described in Revelation 21. There is an end to recorded
history in Revelation 21. All of the ages have come and gone. The tribulation has passed. The battle of Armageddon
has been fought and won by our lord Jesus Christ. Satan has been chained for the 1,000 year reign
of Christ on Earth. A new glorious temple has
been established in Jerusalem. The final rebellion against
God has been quashed, and Satan has received
his just punishment, an eternity in the lake of fire. The great white throne
judgment has taken place, and mankind has been judged. The New Jerusalem is a
city that is in heaven. Revelation 21:1-2. Then I saw a new heaven and a new Earth, for the first heaven and the
first Earth had passed away, vanished, and there was no longer any sea, and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride
adorned for her husband. We see in Revelation 21:2 that
this holy city was made ready and it came down out of heaven from God, and the phrase made ready
implies that the New Jerusalem has already been completed by this time. John does not say that he saw
the New Jerusalem created. He claims to have seen the New Jerusalem emerge from the heavens. Revelation 3:12 calls it again, him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God,
and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon
him the name of my God and the name of the city of my
God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out
of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name. The idea of a new Earth with
a new atmosphere and sky is a familiar theme in the scriptures. Many of the prophets, both
Old and New Testaments, spoke of this new heaven and new Earth. Isaiah 65:17-18. Behold, I am creating new
heavens and a new Earth, and the former things of life will not be remembered or come to mind, but be glad and rejoice
forever over what I create. Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicing
and her people a joy. 2 Peter 3:13. But in accordance with his
promise, we expectantly await new heavens and a new Earth
in which righteousness dwells. The ancient Greek word
translated new here, kaine, means new in character, fresh. It doesn't mean recent or new in time. This isn't just the next
heaven and the next Earth. This is the better
heaven and better Earth, replacing the old. The first Earth had passed away. The holy city, New Jerusalem. This is the Jerusalem of
hope, the Jerusalem above, the place of our real citizenship. Hebrews 12:22. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels
in festive gathering. The city is set apart by
its holiness and newness, making it unique from
any other earthly city. The name Jerusalem gives
it continuity with Earth, especially with the
place of our redemption. The fact that this magnificent abode of God and his followers is referred to as the holy city holds great importance. Cities are places with many people and people interacting with each other. This isn't isolation, but a perfect community
of the people of God. Throughout history, humans
have never experienced a community that is
entirely free from sin. Adam and Eve only knew
a limited community, and community in a larger context only came long after the fall. In the New Jerusalem, we have
a completely unique community, one that is sinless, pure, and righteous. It is a holy city. Problems arise when believers expect this kind of community now. This city cannot be attributed
to human achievement, but rather is a gift from God. Revelation 21:3-4. And then I heard a loud voice
from the throne, saying, see! The tabernacle of God is among men, and he will live among them,
and they will be his people, and God himself will be
with them as their God, and he will wipe away
every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be death. There will no longer be
sorrow and anguish or crying or pain, for the former order
of things has passed away. John overhears a proclamation from heaven that the tabernacle of God is with men, and that he will dwell among them. Because they are God's chosen people, they will have a level
of closeness with him that they could never
have dreamed possible. God will be present with them. The tabernacle that Moses
built was meant to depict the dwelling place of God here on Earth. That was past of the representation of the dwelling place of God. This tabernacle of God is
the reality of his presence. He will set up residence among them, and they will serve as his people. This beautifully condenses the core of both God's desire and man's purpose. Simply said, God's objective
is to live in close fellowship with man, and man's purpose
is to be a people unto God. We read that the former
things have passed away. The New Jerusalem is distinguished
by what it does not have. No tears, no sorrow, no death or pain. Later, it will be shown
that the New Jerusalem has no temple, sacrifice, sun, moon, darkness, sin, and abomination. We read, God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes. The phrase, God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes, is not meant to imply that there will be tears shed in heaven. Rather, it is a poetic
way of expressing the idea that there will be no tears, death, sorrow, or crying for
God's people in heaven. These hardships will be
permanently eliminated. The one who sits on the throne
will make all things new. His words are true and faithful and will surely come to pass. We then read an authoritative announcement coming from the throne of God itself. This is one of the few times in Revelation where we clearly see God speaking
directly from his throne. Revelation 21:5-8. And he who sits on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. Also, he said, write, for these
words are faithful and true. They are accurate,
incorruptible, and trustworthy. And he said to me, it is done. I am the alpha and the omega,
the beginning and the end. To the one who thirsts, I will give water from the fountain of the
water of life without cost. He who overcomes the world
by adhering faithfully to Christ Jesus as lord and savior will inherit these things, and I will be his God,
and he will be my son. But as for the cowards and
unbelieving and abominable who are devoid of character
and personal integrity and practice or tolerate
immorality and murderers and sorcerers with intoxicating
drugs and idolaters and occultists who practice
and teach false religions and all the liars who knowingly
deceive and twist truth, their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death. We read all things new. At this point in his plan of
the ages, the plan is complete. All things are new. Our instinct is to
romantically consider innocence as man's perfect state and wish Adam would have never done what he
did, but we fail to realize that redeemed man is
greater than innocent man, that we gain more in Jesus
than we ever lost in Adam. God's perfect state is one of redemption. Before I go any further, allow me to paint a picture for you. It will be the most incredible city that anyone has ever, ever imagined. This is the city that
the lord was referring to when he told his disciples, John 14:3, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. What is the lord Jesus up to lately? He's working on our place. Some people refer to it as a mansion. Call it what you will, but
it is a part of God's future for us that is currently being built, and when it is finished and
ready to be put into action, we will learn how it
will all come together. First and foremost, I'd like to discuss the size of this city with you. Has anyone ever said to you, how on Earth is heaven
ever going to be big enough for all the Christians from
all time to live there? It's going to have to be a big place. So let me impress this upon
your mind and heart today. Heaven, the city of God, will be the most incredible
place you've ever heard of. In Revelation 21:15-16, and he that talked with
me had a golden reed to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof, and
the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth, and he measured the city with
the reed, 12,000 furlongs. The length and the breadth and
the height of it are equal. One of the reasons that many
people try to spiritualize and dismiss this city is
because of its enormous size. It is a city that goes above and beyond what you can imagine. Now, if you work that
out, to give you an idea that each one of the
walls and the cube of it, they're all 1,400 miles, between 1,400 and 1,500 miles, and the ground floor square mile is 2,250,000 square
miles on the first level. Did you ever hear it like that? London covers an area of 140 square miles. The city foursquare is
2,250,000 square miles on the first floor. This city is 20 times as
big as all of New Zealand. It's 10 times as big as Germany. It's 10 times as big as France. It's 40 times as big as all of England. It is ever so much bigger than India. Why, it's an enormous
continent all by itself. And it's even more wonderful
still. Look at this. Working it out on the basis
of the number of people to the square mile in the city of London, the population of the city foursquare comes out at 100,000 million, 70 times the present
population of the entire globe. So if almighty God
saves his best for last, and his final creation is this new city, wouldn't you expect it to be the most spectacular
thing you could imagine? How is God going to drop a city like that out of heaven, someone asks. With the same power that he possessed when he spoke a word and
the world was created. The same power he possessed when he spoke and the creation was born, and if he says in his word
that he'll do it, he'll do it. So let's talk about the inside
of the city for a moment, and I'd like to briefly
touch on the things that John tells us in these two chapters. First and foremost, it is a holy city, according to verse 2 of chapter 21. Then I, John, saw the holy city. The chief characteristic of this city into which we will one
day move is it's holy. It is described as follows in
the Wycliffe Bible Commentary. The holy city will be one in which no lie will be
uttered in 100 million years. No evil word will ever be spoken. No shady business deals
will ever be discussed. No unclean picture will ever be seen. No corruption of life
will ever be manifest. It will be holy because
everyone in it will be holy. You can't get into the holy city unless you are born again
and you've gone to heaven. Heaven is the place of the holy city. Not only is it a holy
city, but the Bible says it's a place where the
gates are made out of pearl. You know, we didn't just make
this up. This is not folklore. This is right from the Bible. Notice verse 12 to 21 in
Revelation chapter 21. It has a massive and high
wall with 12 large gates and at the gates were stationed 12 angels and on the gates, the
names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel were written. On the east side, there were three gates, on the north three gates,
on the south three gates, and on the west three gates,
and the wall of the city had 12 foundation stones,
and on them the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb, Christ. The one who was speaking with
me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city and
its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, its length being the same as its width, and he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia, about 1,400 miles. Its length and width and height are equal. He measured its wall also, 144 cubits, about 200 feet, according
to man's measurements, which are also angelic measurements. The wall was built of jasper,
and the city was pure gold, transparent like clear crystal. The foundation stones
of the wall of the city were adorned with every
kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was
jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, yellow topaz, the eight beryl, the ninth topaz, the 10th chrysoprase, the 11th jacinth, the 12th amethyst, and the 12 gates were 12 pearls. Each separate gate was
of one single pearl, and the street, broad way of the city, was pure gold, like transparent crystal. We read, she had a great and high wall. The wall was not needed for defense, because there were no more enemies, but the great and high wall
gave the city definition and shows that some will
be excluded from the city. Only the righteous can
enter, and John sees the entire wall as a
gleaming diamond bracelet. He says, the construction
of the wall was jasper, and the city was pure
gold, like clear glass. So if you saw it from afar, it would just sparkle and
shine as it turned around, and the colors of the city's
glory would be so overwhelming that it would take your breath away. The city is laid out as a square. The New Jerusalem has equal
length, height, and width, which indicates that it is
either a cube or a pyramid. If it is a cube, it would resemble the holy place of the tabernacle, implying that the entire
city is a sacred space. The size of the New Jerusalem is enormous. 12,000 furlongs equals 1,500
miles, 2,400 kilometers. This is the same distance
from Maine to Florida. The square footage would
approximate the size of the moon. We read that the construction
of its wall was of jasper. We can gain a brief
glimpse of what John saw, but we can't even begin
to see it in fullness until we see it with our own eyes. Jasper, sapphire, chalcedony. The precise identification
of these gemstones in modern terms is difficult, but the impression is of
unending, staggering beauty. We also read of clear glass,
like transparent glass. A Bible commentator noted, the constant mention of
transparency indicates that the city is designed
to transmit the glory of God in the form of light without hindrance. We'll walk through the pearl gates, reminded that we're only there because of the lord
Jesus' suffering and pain, who paid the wound for us so
that we might be redeemed. So it's a holy city with pearly gates, and the Bible then tells us
that the city's foundations are made of precious stones. The first was jasper, the second
sapphire, the third agate. All of these are purely Greek terms that have been translated into English to describe all of the colors and hues of the rainbow that we know today, and the Bible says that
this great foursquare city that descends from heaven
will be built upon, and you will see it, a 12 layer foundation with each layer containing
a different beautiful stone such as emeralds and diamonds, as well as all of the
other beautiful stones found throughout the universe. Each of the foundations will be unique. As a result, when you see
the city's foundation, you'll be overwhelmed by the beauty of all of the gemstone foundations beneath this massive city of God. Rather than being 12
individual foundations separated from each other, they
are packed upon each other, and you see them all together in little ripples of
gold and precious stones. The Bible then says it's
not only a holy city with pearly gates and a
foundation of precious stones, but it also has streets of gold. I know that some of you
think that's a folklore, too. You hear all about the
streets of gold in heaven. We're going to walk on streets of God. It's in all of the old negro spirituals. It's in all of the old gospel
songs, the streets of gold. Are there really streets
of gold in heaven? Is it true that there are
streets of gold in heaven? Look down at verse 18 then
again at verse 21 of chapter 21. And the construction of
its wall was of jasper, and the city was pure
gold, like clear glass. And notice verse 21. The 12 gates were 12 pearls. Each individual gate was of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I can't imagine it. Once again, can you
imagine seeing the city as you approach it, observing
the city from a distance? The gold on the outside,
the precious stones on the foundations, and
this lovely sense of light that emanates from the throne
of God out of the city. This is the New Jerusalem
spoken of in the Bible. It is a fulfillment of
the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 60 and verse 19. The sun shall no longer
be your light by day, nor for brightness shall
the moon give light to you, but the lord will be to
you an everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. When the Bible says that
this city reflects light, it is not from any material combustion. It is not from any consumption of fuel. The light of the world
comes from the lamb himself, and he will be the light
of the city at that time. No wonder Paul described
our future in this way. In 1 Corinthians 2:9,
he said, it is written. Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has
prepared for those that love him. The New Jerusalem will
be fantastically huge. It is lighted by the glory
of God as we see in verse 23, and the street will be made of pure gold. The New Jerusalem will be a
place of unimagined blessing. The curse of the old Earth will be gone. Revelation 22:3. There will no longer exist
anything that is cursed because sin and illness
and death are gone, and the throne of God and
of the lamb will be in it, and his bond servants
will serve and worship him with great awe and joy
and loving devotion. In the city are the tree of life, for the healing of the
nations, and the river of life. The New Jerusalem is
the ultimate fulfillment of all God's promises. The New Jerusalem is God's
goodness made fully manifest. The tree of life is first portrayed in chapter 2 verse 9
of the Book of Genesis as being in the midst
of the Garden of Eden with another divine tree called the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was planted by God. As a result of his disobedience,
Adam lost his eternal life. The tree of life in Eden must
have had some role to play in maintaining the life of Adam and Eve. The only place in the New
Testament where the tree of life is mentioned is in the Book of Revelation, and each time it is mentioned, the phrase does have a cosmic
and spiritual significance. A promise is made in Revelation 2:7 that the one who overcomes
will eat from this tree, which is said to be situated
in the paradise of God. In the new Earth, we will freely eat the fruit of the same tree
that nourished Adam and Eve. After describing the river of
life in the Book of Revelation the apostle John goes on to mention another remarkable aspect of the scene. Those who avail themselves
of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross will be resurrected to see the tree of life again, for it stands in the
middle of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, where
it bears 12 crops of fruit. The Bible opens with a
description of a tree of life. Now we see the tree of life again. It's a little difficult to picture this picturesque scenery in our minds. It's possible that when John
talks about a large street, he's referring to one that has a river running down the middle of it and that there's a large
tree or series of trees that grow with their roots
on either side of the river. The reappearance of the
tree of life is indicative of the complete restoration of all things. The leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations. The word for healing
in Greek is therapeian, and it is from this word that we get the English word therapeutic. The Greek word is almost directly transliterated into English. In the eternal state, the
curse will be no more. Access to the tree of
life will be restored, and darkness will be gone forever. Eden will be restored. In heaven, there is no more curse. Since the fall, man
and creation have lived with the effect of the curse
described in Genesis 3. In the new heaven and new Earth, they are done away with forever. In place of the curse, the throne of God and of
the lamb shall be in it. That is one interesting exchange. Heaven will be where God's people can continue serving and working for him. On the other hand, this
depicts the pure blessedness of service rather than the
laborious curse-stained toil. Heaven will be a location
where the people of God are able to see God's face,
a place where they can have a close, personal fellowship with God. Although Moses did not
have the opportunity to see God face to face,
everyone who reaches heaven will eventually be able to do so. Heaven is going to be a
place where God's people will be identified with their
God, and there will never be any question about whether
or not they belong to him. Heaven is a place of light. The light does not come
from an artificial source, not even the sun. Rather, the light comes from God himself. Heaven will be a location where the people of God
will enjoy an eternal reign. In contrast to the limited
duration of the millennium, it will go on indefinitely. Once more, human beings will draw their strength and
vitality from this tree. The tree will yield not just
one crop but 12 altogether. The fruit is not merely to
be admired but consumed. Wisdom is depicted as a tree
of life in the Book of Proverbs and thus a source of life to
those who follow after it. The term tree of life occurs thrice in Proverbs chapter 11, 13, and 15. Each time, the phrase functions as a poetic metaphor for life itself. In each case, it would seem
man is vitalized and renewed. Death has been the dominant force in all of history ever since Eden. On the other hand, in the new Earth, we will once again have unfettered access to the tree of life. It is important to note that
there is no reference made to a tree of the knowledge
of good and evil to test us. We see the tree of life in
the Book of Revelation. Why? The main goal was not to reveal a timetable for future events but to prepare people
for what would happen. Who are the residents
of the New Jerusalem? The father and the lamb are there. Revelation 21:22. I saw no temple in it,
for the lord God almighty, the omnipotent, the ruler of all, and the lamb are its temple. Angels are at the gates, but the city will be filled with
God's redeemed children. The New Jerusalem is the righteous counter to the evil Babylon,
destroyed by God's judgment. The wicked had their
city, and God has his. To which city do you belong, Babylon the great or the New Jerusalem? If you believe that Jesus, the son of God, died and rose again and
have asked God to save you by his grace, then you are a
citizen of the New Jerusalem. God raised you up with Christ
and seated you with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. You have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. If you have not yet accepted
Christ as your savior, we encourage you to do so. You are invited with open arms,
as it says in the scripture. The spirit and the bride say, come! And let the one hears say, come! Let the one who is thirsty
come, and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
