New Heaven New Earth Part 3

Revelation 21

The Capital City

New Jerusalem

The New Jerusalem will not have a temple.

All of heaven is currently contained in the new Jerusalem.

Jesus said he was going there to prepare a place for us.

Believers who die go to the “heavenly Jerusalem,”

This heavenly Jerusalem will descend into the New Earth.

It will serve as the dwelling place of the redeemed for all eternity.

A bride

The wedding imagery

The city is pictured as a bride because it contains the bride and takes on her character.

The imagery is drawn from a Jewish wedding, which typically had three parts.

First Stage

The first stage was the betrothal, which was like a modern engagement, but more legally binding.

The betrothal of the Lord’s bride took place in eternity past when God pledged to His Son a redeemed people.

Second Stage

The second stage was the presentation, a time of celebration and feasting leading up to the actual wedding ceremony.

The presentation of the bride took place following the Rapture of the church, when believers are taken to heaven.

Third Stage

The third stage was the ceremony, which for the Lord’s bridebegan at the marriage supper of the Lamb and stretched through the millennial kingdom.

Revelation 19:7 (NLT) — 7Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.

Revelation 19:8 (NLT) — 8She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

Revelation 19:9 (NLT) — 9And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

Final Stage

The final stage was the consummation.

The eternal state – The rest of eternity

“Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

The bride is expanded beyond the church.

All the redeemed

Supreme Glory

The Tabernacle of God

Revelation 21:3 (NASB95) — 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,

The greatest blessing of heaven will be unhindered fellowship with God himself.

The goal of God’s covenant, “God with us.

Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) — 14All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

(The worst part of hell is the absence of God.)

Tabernacle means “tent” or “dwelling place”.

God pitches his tent.

God will pitch His tent among His people; no longer will He be far off, distant, transcendent.

No more will His presence be veiled in the human form of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 17:2 (CSB) — 2 He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light.

Or even in His millennial majesty.

Or in the cloud and pillar of fire.

Or inside the Holy of Holies.

The amazing reality that “the pure in heart … shall see God” (Matt. 5:8) will come to pass.

There will be “no temple in [heaven], for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”.

Their presence will permeate heaven and will not be confined to one place.

“So staggering is this truth that the heavenly voice repeats it several ways.”

Revelation 21:3–4 (NLT) — 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

This the culmination of all the promises record in the God’s Word.

The hope above all human hope.

Living with God

Divine presence

What will it be like to live in God’s glorious presence in heaven?

First

First, believers will enjoy fellowship with Him.

The imperfect, sin-hindered fellowship that believers have with God in this life will become full, complete, and unlimited.

Second

Second, believers will see God as He is.

1 John 3:2 (NLT) — 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Such an unveiled view of God is impossible for mortal men.

No living person has ever seen God in the fullness of His glory (John 1:18; 6:46; 1 John 4:12)

He is invisible

He dwells in unapproachable light. 1 Tim 6:16

No one can see God and live.

Exodus 33:20 (NIV) — 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

It’s the pure in heart that shall see God.

Matthew 5:8 (ESV) — 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Third

Third, believers will worship God.

Every glimpse of heaven in Revelation reveals the redeemed and the angels in worship (4:10; 5:14; 7:11; 11:1, 16; 19:4).

Fourth

Fourth, believers will serve God.

Revelation 22:3 (NIV) — 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

Finally

Finally, and most astounding of all, the Lord will serve believers.

Luke 12:35-40 is a parable of Jesus warning his disciples to be ready.

Luke 12:37 (CSB) — 37 Blessed will be those servants the master finds alert when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.