There's No Place Like Home

We all have different ideas of what home is. For some, it brings back memories from childhood. There are different smells, sounds, and sites that trigger the part of our mind that is full of past memories. Many of us long to go back to that ideal memory of home.

For others, home is whatever is currently taking place in our lives. Home is a place where there is a family, or maybe where one used to be. Time may have taken it’s toll, but there is still no place like home.

Still others may wonder what a home must really be like. Is there truly a safe and protective haven? Is there such a thing as a refuge? Is there actually a place where you can find acceptance and love that is unconditional?

In this message, we are going to look at what the home for the Christian is going to be. In this passage, there is an incredible amount of imagery taken from Isaiah and Ezekiel. In addition, there are many Old Testament types or shadows, that we see as we read about the stones, the cube, the numbers, etc.

My friends, I want to give you some information that is guaranteed from the Bible.

The Christian can know that we will have a home that is out of this world. We will look first at the citizens of the holy city. Next, we will spend some time dealing with the surroundings of the holy city. Finally, we will touch upon the services of the holy city.

The Citizens of the Holy City—21.1-8

The next thing in the vision is that John saw a new heaven and a new earth. The word for new does not simply mean a replacement. The new heaven and the new earth will be a new kind of heaven and earth. It is perfect and it will be eternal. There will have been nothing like it ever before.

The old order of things is indeed passed away, or no longer. So what exactly happened to the old earth and the old heaven? 2 Peter 3:10 and 1 John 2:17 gives us insight. We discover that what we know today as earth and heaven will be destroyed by fire. 2 Peter 3.10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” 1 John 2.17 “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

There is not going to be any sea in the new earth, as well. This is a major change, since currently, the earth is about 3/4 covered by water. Evidently, land will cover the entirety of the earth.

Is there any significance about the fact that there will be no sea? You may recall in chapter 13, where John shows the sea as the source of the antichrist or the beast. Chapter 20:13 describes it as a place of the dead. The symbolism of no sea on the new earth, is the reality that there will be no evil or evidence of it anywhere in this new world.

There will be a new Jerusalem, known as the Holy City. God has prepared it, and it is coming down out of the new heaven. This is heaven’s capital; an actual city. The beauty of it was astounding to John. This city is unlike the previous Jerusalem’s, just like everything else is unlike anything we know from this life. This Holy City is what Jesus was describing in John 14:2–3, when he spoke of preparing a place for us.

A voice, most likely God’s voice, explains the wonderful relationship that is going to be. God and humanity will live together forever. By the very fact of God’s presence, there will not be any tears, death, mourning, crying or pain. Why not? Things are no longer the way they used to be. Sin is no longer a part of the picture. Thus, there will be no negative that could cause heartaches.

This implies that we will have a completely different perspective. We will not have a sin nature which can cloud our minds, thoughts, or emotions. Nor will the results of sin, such as death and the unfairness of life, distort our understanding.

God gives an overview in these verses about what the kingdom of God is. As the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He defines Himself further. He is eternal. He is without beginning. He is without end.

He is also the only one who can provide eternal life. He provides the Living Water, of which Christ spoke of while He performed His earthly ministry. The one who follows Jesus as Savior, and who lives for Him, thus proving sonship, will get to experience this great reward. Every possible need that a person might have, is going to be met fully in Christ.

Is this not the very core of salvation? To be on an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ is always the goal.

However, there is a list given in verse 8, that is a clear reminder to all of us today of those who will not enter into heaven. They include the cowardly. This would involve those who are fearful; meaning they had feared the cost of following Jesus Christ.

In addition, are the unbelieving people, which is the natural progression for those who were afraid of placing their faith in Jesus. The vile individuals are those who have chosen idolatry instead of Christ. Since this would be acceptable to this world standards, it is an easy trap into which people fall.

The murderers will not enter into heaven. They are the ones who killed the followers of Jesus.

The sexually immoral will be prevented entrance into heaven. Those who practice magic arts are not permitted into heaven. Idolaters and all liars conclude this list. These describe those who, by rejecting Christ, chose to follow the idolatrous ways of the world. My friends, everyone worships someone or some thing. If it is not Jesus Christ, then it is idolatry. That is unacceptable to our Lord.

If these people are not in heaven, then what is their destination? The Bible calls this the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.

As I review this, I am reminded of the reality that I am a brand new creation. God will not simply take a sin-scarred individual and repair that person or do a makeover. Everything which sin has impacted must be destroyed. It must be made new. Just as the effects of sin have ravaged the earth, so we also have been corrupted. Nothing short of a new birth in Jesus Christ will make us acceptable to God. Nothing short of a new heaven and new earth, untainted by Satan and sin, will be acceptable to God. As Paul wrote, “therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, behold, all things have become new.“

Decisions made on this earth right now will affect where a person spends eternity. For those who belong to Jesus Christ, we will experience the new heaven and the new earth. However, for those who reject Christ, their destination will be hell; eternal torment away from God’s presence.

The Surroundings of the Holy City—21.9-27

This section begins the next vision in a fascinating study of what heaven will be like. Even with the thoroughness of the description, our minds cannot fathom it.

The angel speaks about showing John the bride of Christ. We know the bride to be the church, according to Ephesians and other portions of the Bible. Where is the location of the bride? It appears that the church will dwell within the new Jerusalem. As it was coming down, implying a visible, gradual descent, John sees the incredible beauty that it projects. Whether or not it lands, or simply hovers in the air, there is no certainty. I tend to believe that it will reside upon the new earth, for there will be foundations. However, you must realize I am thinking as a person who knows only what I currently know and see. My mind is currently limited to time and space. In eternity, there is no limitations. There will be a glorious, radiant, glowing from the New Jerusalem. In fact, the Bible states that “her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.“ This stone actually seems to refer to something like a diamond, which is crystal-clear and without any flaws.

Those who will live in heaven are those who belong to God. Hebrews 12:22-24 give some insight about the inhabitants. Hebrews 12.22-24 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” They would include angels, the church, Old Testament saints, along with the Godhead.

As we read about the wall, we understand that it must be incredible, with its 12 gates guarded by 12 angels. The description is quite literal and should not be reduced to looking for obscure meanings. There were three gates on all four sides. There are seen 12 foundations under the wall with the inscription of the 12 apostles of Christ. We can assume that Matthias is the replacement for Judas from reading in Acts. The 12 gates have the 12 tribes mentioned, also. It is a significant thing to note that there is a differentiation between the two. God’s chosen people are the Jews. Yet, the 12 apostles represent the church built upon the gospel of Christ as taught by the apostles. We too are God’s chosen people, but we are chosen in Christ.

Then the angel provides measurements. The best way to picture this might be like a cube. The height, width, and length of this was approximately 1400-1500 miles. Just how big would this be? It would cover the area from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, and from Colorado to the Atlantic Ocean. The height is staggering, especially when you consider that a jet flies a little under 7 miles high. The commonly accepted distance to the boundary between earth’s current atmosphere and space is 62 miles. It has been estimated that if only 25% of this space was for homes, 20 billion people could live there. Henry M. Morris conjectures that each person could have about 75 acres on each side of them.

The cube and its perfection, is symbolic of the most holy place in the tabernacle and temple as seen in the Old Testament. Here was no particular place of worship to be found. There was no need for that, since God himself dwelt there. Since there is no sin, there is no need for a separated place to worship.

The thickness of the wall was about 216 feet thick. The R-value would be around 9,590. The wall consisted of Jasper. The city itself was pure gold. It was not the yellow gold or white gold we know of today. It did not have any impurities within it, making it as clear as glass. The foundations, upon which the apostles names were written, were “adorned with every kind of precious stone.“ The 12 gates were 12 pearls. The amazing thing was that each gate was “a single pearl.“ This had to be created by God, for we could not imagine an oyster that would produce pearls of that size.

The street was pure gold, as well. Being pure, it will be completely clear. There was no need for false lighting or even what we would call natural lighting. Why? the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The Bible states the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it.

There is a curious comment about nations and kings of the earth in verse 24. Some suggest a very bustling, active community. These are those who have followed Christ.

The gates are going to be open always. There is not any night, nor are their enemies. “Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.“

So, my friends, if you wish to be a citizen of this glorious kingdom one day, you must decide to follow Christ today. For after you are dead, there are no second chances. For those of us who have already surrendered our lives to Christ, this is what we have waiting for us.

The Services of the Holy City—22.1-5

John sees the river of life that originates from God’s throne. It flows from there, down the middle of the street. Since there is no sea, we could possibly understand this river of life as what Jesus described when referring to eternal life. On each side of the river, there are 12 different trees with a variety of fruit. Again, we cannot think of months here, as a unit of time, because there will be no more time. It simply shows the incredible provisions offered to us.

We might find ourselves wondering, why are there leaves for “healing of the nations“? If, in fact, there is no curse, why is there a need for healing? Many scholars would describe this as life-giving. Again, some of this harkens back to the Garden of Eden before sin entered into this world.

In the light of our Glorious Savior, we will serve Him as we reign with Him, forever, and ever. For the believer, this ought to cause excitement. Those who belong to Jesus Christ should want to serve him even today. Yet, often we meet opposition and become discouraged. However, one day, we will have complete freedom to serve him. Plus, that freedom will never end.

Conclusion

In that classic movie, “the Wizard of Oz,“ Dorothy experienced all kinds of different environments and situations in her imagination. She would experience the wonders of the land of Oz, plus the horrors of those opposed to life in Oz. Yet, she came to the same conclusion that she had been considering all the time. The best place for her to be was at home in Kansas with her family. It was there she felt security and love. It was there where everything would be made right in the end. Thus, we were reminded that there’s no place like home.

For the Christian, we are also on a journey, though it is not imaginary. On this journey, we engage daily in a battle to bring lost souls to Jesus Christ for salvation. Yet, whatever this world may offer us, whether good or bad, we come to the same conclusion. There is no place like home, and our home is to be with God forever and ever. Our home will be the holy city, the new Jerusalem. It is there where we find perfect security and love. It is there where we can worship and serve our Lord forever.

Where is your home? If it is in this world, recognize that it will be destroyed one day. But if this world is just part of your journey, and you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then you can know that you will have a home that is out of this world.