Journey through the Revelation15(final)

Journey through the Revelation

PART 15

“The New Heaven and New Earth”

Last time we saw what the one thousand year Millennium would be like. And we closed out with the sobering Great White Throne Judgment and what has been called “the saddest verse in the Bible.”

“If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”—Rev. 20:15

Chapter 20 spells the end of all civilizations. The final judgment has taken place, and we stand on the brink of a brand new day.

The final two chapters of John’s Revelation describe the Celestial City, as John Bunyan called it, “the glowing and glorious capital of the Universe,” and the place with heavenly mansions, dwelling places Jesus has gone to prepare for His own.

Like one taking a time trip into the future and into eternity, the New Heaven and New Earth are now unveiled before the aged Apostle’s eyes. Forty times in the Revelation, John states that these were things that he saw.

Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

There will be no sea on the New Planet Earth, neither a vast expanse of water, as now with island continents, nor a foaming sea of wicked humanity, which Isaiah spoke of: “For the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest.”—57:20

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Vs.2

All things are created brand new. A genuine new creation occurs. John said, “The new Jerusalem…”

Suddenly, a great voice speaks out of heaven:

“3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

John sees that God will dwell with us, just as He did before the fall in the Garden. In fact, in the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 3, man loses his walk with God and the glories of the Garden of Eden. In the end of the Bible in the last two chapters, man’s walk with God is fully restored and the equivalent of the Garden of Eden is restored. Man’s history has now come full circle.

The saved of all the ages, including those people who are loyal to the King and do not yield to Satan’s seductive last temptation we saw last time in 20:7-10 and may live on the New Earth.

“4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

The sickness, disease, sorrow and death ushered in upon mankind at the fall are gone now. Next, the voice from heaven says in John’s hearing:

 5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

And John did just that—he wrote down what we hold in our hands in the Holy Bible.

6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Overcomers, true believers in Christ, will inherit all things—all of God’s vast and infinite universe. By contrast, all of the wicked shall remain forever in the lake of fire, which is the second death.

From verse nine through verse twenty-seven an incredible description of the New Jerusalem unfolds before John’s eyes.

“9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”

From the summit of a great and high mountain, John beholds the descending city. One commentator surmised that the New City will float above the New Earth, rather than rest upon it.

For the record, the famous “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 is primarily a chapter that focuses on the saints of old looking for this city, and that is why their faith is commended.

13All these people (O.T. saints) were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”—11:13-16

John describes it:

11It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”

The City in which the redeemed of the ages will dwell shall shine and shimmer with a supernatural radiance. It will glow with the glory of God like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

“12It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

Surrounding the cosmic metropolis will be a wall jasper, adorned with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This fact intimates that God’s covenant people—the Jew—will have access to the city to worship Jehovah God and the Lamb.

Spiritual Nugget: God will never forget His covenant people, the promise he made as far back as Genesis 12.

15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).”

Just how wide and how high this urban center will be is difficult to comprehend. It will be 1,400 miles long, wide and high.

NOTE: This is not all of heaven, but rather the City of God.

Whether it is somewhat like a cube or a pyramid is a matter of conjecture, but it will have ample space for multiplied millions of the redeemed from all ages. Twelve is the number for government in scripture—twelve tribes, twelve apostles, etc.—therefore this is the eternal center of divine rule.

John continues:

18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones:[e] , the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprasus, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

Jasper is like light blue quartz

Sapphire is deep blue

Agate can be light brown or white

Emerald is rich gramethyst. Is milk-white with reddish stripes

Carnelian is flesh colored

Chrysolite is golden yellow with some green

Beryl is aquamarine

Topaz is pale green

Chrysoprasus is golden green like an apple

Jacinth is a gorgeous violet

Amethyst is deep blue and red combo with flashes of purple

AS if that weren’t enough, John says that:

 “21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.”

(PLAY HOWARD’S AUDIO)

22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.

No need for electricity, street lights, security lights, sun, moon or stars. For the glory of the Lamb literally lights up the city!

24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there.”

Because there is no more crime, there is no need for locks or to shut the gates securely. Night time does not exist.

26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

The saved and faithful Gentiles of the millennial age, as well as the Israelites, are brought to this New Earth. None but the saved shall ever enter. There will be no second chance.