Revelation
21:9-27 – New Jerusalem
John experienced one of the 7 angels
who had the 7 bowls of plagues call him to come and he would show him the wife
of the Lamb. At this point the marriage
had already taken place. John was
carried away in the Spirit to a mountain where he saw the Holy City of
Jerusalem coming down from heaven. The Lamb’s wife represents God’s city. I’m sure John had a hard time describing what
he saw with human words. He said it
shone with the glory of God. It had
brilliance like precious jewels, clear as crystal. It had a high wall with 12 gates with 12
angels at the gates. On the gates were
written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel.
Three gates were on the east, three on the north, three on the south and
three on the west. The city wall had 12
foundations with the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. (Rev. 21:9-14) The Lamb’s
wife is described as the new city of Jerusalem.
This is where the bride of Christ, the church will live forever.
Scenes that described of John
being “in the Spirit”:
Revelation 1:19-20 – John
was told to write what he saw and send it to the 7 churches.
Revelation 4:1-11 – John
saw the throne in heaven where God was being worshiped.
Revelation 17:1-6 – John
saw the punishment of the great prostitute.
Revelation 21:9-14 – John
saw the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 17:1-6 and
Revelation 21:9-14 are different. In
Revelation 17 we see the evil Babylon ruling over the earth and wanting
to destroy God’s people. While Revelation
21 we saw the Holy City, Jerusalem after all evil has left the world
forever.
This world is not our home. Our home is in heaven. There is nothing like going home. There is no place like home. There is a peace, joy, rest, tranquility, and
a sense of belonging. The best part is
that Jesus will be there with us. That
is what heaven will be like. John gives
us a beautiful description of our heavenly home.
John describes details of the New
Jerusalem:
The city was laid out in a
square, as long as it was wide. It
measured 12,000 stadia in length, wide, and high. Its wall was 144 cubits thick and made of
jasper. The city was made of pure gold
as pure as glass. The foundations of the
walls were decorated with all kinds of precious stones – jasper, sapphire,
chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz,
chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. The
12 gates were pearls. The streets were
pure gold like transparent glass. (Rev. 21:15-21)
The significance of all the
jewels in the New Jerusalem is not a drab, dull, boring city, because it
radiates God’s glory. The 12 stones on
the high priest’s breastplate in Exodus 28 were for the 12 tribes of
Israel. The number 12 is considered a
perfect number indicating completeness and symbolizes God’s power and
authority. There are 12 tribes of
Israel, 12 apostles, Jacob had 12 sons, the woman in chapter 12 wears a crown
with 12 stars, the Holy City has 12 gates with 12 angels, and 12 precious
stones mentioned here. The 144,000 we
saw sealed in chapter 12 is 12,000 cubed.
A stadia or furlong is about 1,200 miles in length. The city then is approximately 1,200 miles
times 12,000 on each of its 4 sides so there is plenty of room for billions of
God’s people who are not limited by gravity.
I love how the Bible ties everything together in a neat bow. God leaves nothing to chance or
coincidence.
I looked up what all these
precious stones were:
Jasper = Diamond
Sapphire = Brilliant blue stone
Chalcedony = Sky blue with
colored stripes
Emerald = Bright green stone
Sardonyx = Red and white striped
stone
Carnelian = Various shades of Red
Chrysolite = Transparent gold or
yellow
Beryl = Shades of green, yellow
and blue
Topaz = Yellowish green
Chrysoprase = Gold tinted green
Jacinth = blue or violet colored
Amethyst = Purple stone
God and His eternal plan are
portrayed in the description of the city.
Precious stones like these are highly treasured and sought after. God treasures His people. We are precious to Him and He seeks after us.
John didn’t see a temple, because
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. It didn’t need the sun or the moon for the
glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. It’s never nighttime. The Lord’s glory will illuminate the
city. This city is full of the glory of
God. At no time will be gates be closed,
because there will be no enemy to enter.
Nothing impure will ever enter it, only those whose names are written in
the Lamb’s book of life. (Rev. 21:22-27)
There are passages about the
temple throughout the Bible ...
1 Kings 8:21 – Here the
temple is an actual building that housed the Ark and inside was the presence of
God.
John 2:19-22 – Jesus
referred to the temple as His body.
1 Corinthians 6:19 – Our
bodies are referred to as a temple.
These verses refer to God’s
light…
Exodus 13:21 – By day
the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide the people and He was
pillar of fire by night.
Psalm 119:105 – His
Word in a light to our path.
John 8:12 – Jesus
said He was the Light of the world.
This is not a city that we can really
understand. Even John probably had a
hard time describing it in human language.
The city is very large. It would
have to be since it is a place for all of God’s people. It will be the center of the new earth and a
place where the Lord will be the King over all nations. He has already dealt with the unholy and only
clean and good will exist there.
Do you want to live there? I sure do.
It will be a place of rest, a place of complete security, a place of
refreshment for God’s people, a place without fear, a place of true worship,
and a place of joy and holiness. God
will provide security and stability and lavish provisions for His people. We will enjoy its beauty and unity with other
believers for eternity. We will walk in
His presence. We will have unending
fellowship with Jesus. Hallelujah!
John’s revelation says eternity
is real! Believers will go to an eternal
heaven forever, but unbelievers will go to eternal punishment forever.
Principle: Just like to precious stones in the New
Jerusalem we are treasured and precious to God.
Revelation 22:1-5 – The River of
Life
The angel showed John the River
of life. It was as clear as crystal that
flowed from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the
street. On each side was the Tree of Life
bearing 12 crops of fruit yielding fruit every month. The leaves are for the healing of the
nations. There will no longer be any
curse. The throne of God and the Lamb
will be in the holy city and servants to serve Him. They will be able to see His face. His name will be written on their
foreheads. There will be no more night
nor a need for light for the Lord God will give them light. They will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5)
Have you received new life by believing
in Jesus as Savior? What a great honor
to carry His name. It is thrilling to be
identified with Him. He promises a
glorious future of hope, peace and security for all who believe in Him.
The Tree of Life has not been
mentioned in the Bible since Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned in the
garden. If you remember, God provided
all they needed and told them they could eat of any tree in the garden except
the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If
they ate from that tree, they would live forever in their sin. However, they disobeyed God and He kicked
them out, cursed them, and banned them from the garden. They could no longer eat from the Tree of Life. Because of their sin, they would have to work
for their food. That Paradise is now
restored. All that was lost is redeemed
by the Lamb.
We are the servants. We will have the honor of serving Him. The Bible tells us no one can see the face of
God and live, but in the New Jerusalem we will have glorified bodied and we
will be able to see His face. There we
will be in His presence all the time and can look on His face anytime. This will be the greatest blessing.
Jesus is the source of all
light. The sun and moon will have no
purpose. His presence is all we will
need. His Kingdom has no end.
Principle: God will live with His people forever in the
new heaven and new earth.
Next week we will continue the study
of Revelation. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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