The Capital City of Heaven

Introduction:

On the night before His death, the Lord Jesus made a wonderful promise to all of those that would every believe in Him.

John 14:1–2 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

Place the first century flyover video

Revelation 12–22: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 19: The Capital City of Heaven (Revelation 21:9–22:5)

The “Father’s house” Jesus referred to is the New Jerusalem, where God will live with His people forever. It is the present heaven where God dwells with the holy angels, and where the redeemed go when they die.

Revelation 12–22: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 19: The Capital City of Heaven (Revelation 21:9–22:5)

Just as a person preparing to travel to a foreign country desires information about that country, so believers long for a glimpse of that glorious place where they will live eternally. Knowing their eager sense of anticipation, God has provided believers with a description of heaven. Though only a select few details are given, they are staggering, mind-boggling, and overwhelming.

As the vision of the New Jerusalem unfolds, history has ended, and time is no more. John and his readers are transported to the eternal state. Having described the fearful eternal destination of the damned, the lake of fire (v. 8; 20:14–15), the vision takes the beloved, exiled apostle to the blissful eternal resting place of the redeemed. Because it is the capital city of heaven and the link between the new heaven and the new earth, the New Jerusalem is central to the vision and is described in far more detail than the rest of the eternal state.

The book of Hebrews also mentions the glorious capital city of heaven. Describing Abraham’s faith, the writer of Hebrews stated that

by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Heb. 11:8–10)

In the next chapter, the writer penned the following description of the New Jerusalem:

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. (Heb. 12:22–24)

As he closed out that epistle, he reminded his readers that “here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come” (Heb. 13:14).

Show the “Golden City of Revelation” Slide

John describes this city for us by using four features: The Cities Demeanor, The Cities Design, The Cities Distinctions and The Cities and the Cities Destiny.

I. The Cities Demeanor (vs. 9-11)

Revelation 21:9–11 AV

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

Once again, as in other portions of the text in Revelation, we see the angels having a role in this great prophetic conclusion.

This angel that had appeared to John a thousand years earlier was seen by John as being one of the angels that held the vials of the seven last plaques.

That would be a reference to the Seal Judgments, the Trumpet Judgments and the Bowl judgments; all in sevens.

One of these angels appear again to speak with John.

This angel talks with John and tells John that he is going to show him the Bridge of the Lamb.

Now, as noted back in our studies of verse 2, the New Jerusalem is called the Bride as a reference to her occupants; namely, believers.

Because the New Jerusalem will house the redeemed for all eternity, it is likened as unto a bride.

This is the angels way of saying, “come here, John, and let me show you the New Jerusalem”.

John tells us in the text that he was “carried away in the spirit....”

Revelation 21:10 AV

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Revelation 21:9 AV

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

Indicated that John may have been back on earth on the Isle of Patmos

Now, remember that the Isle of Patmos was a rocky, volcanic island that was approximately 10 miles long and 6 miles at its widest point.

The Isle of Patmos was 63 miles from the closest Church that John wrote (that being Ephesus) and 183 miles from the farthest Church (that being Laodicea).

And that John was exiled there during the 14th year of the reign of Domitian.

It seems that when John was back on Patmos, that he was taken away again in the spirit or translated to a holy mountain and shown the Holy City.

Now, keep this in mind.

John says, in verse 10, that he show the “Holy City, New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God”.

Now, this may be sort of simplistic to say, but I want you to keep in mind that the New Jerusalem is Not heaven.

It is a separate city that will be located on the New Earth.

This cities origin is from God and John is going to describe for us the best he can the appearance of this city.

Revelation 21:11 AV

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

The most distinguishing demeanor of this city is that since it is the place where God’s eternal throne will be, it is going to be filled with the glory of God.

Revelation

The Glory of God will be unrestricted and unconfined and it will reflect throughout of this beautiful city.

Glory is the sum and total of all of God’s attributes.

All of the attributes of God; His love, His grace, His sovereignty, His holiness, every attribute that He possess is the sum and total of the fact that He is full of glory.

In the book of Exodus when Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory, God likened His goodness and Sovereignty to His glory.

Exodus 33:18–19 ESV

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Notice, it you will, in our passage that the name of God is, L-O-R-D.

Whenever you see the name LORD in all caps that is another way of saying God’s most proper name; and that is Jehovah.

This is also known by the name of God, Yahweh.

Now, as we have studies before this name possibly has a dual meaning.

This word, Jehovah and Yahweh, speaks of God’s self-existence.

That is to say that God needs no one or nothing for Him to have His being.

That His being and who He is, is wrapped up in Himself alone.

So whenever you see L-O-R-D in the Scripture, you will know that this is God’s most proper name and that it speaks about His existing within Himself alone.

But LORD also carries another possibly meaning and that is to speak about His covenant relationship with His people.

And every time a Jew would say that name Jehovah or Yahweh, he was reminded of the covenant relationship that God has with Israel.

And every time we see those words we are reminded of God’s covenant relationship with us through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Everything that God is is wrapped up in His glory.

And John says that the new Holy City is filled with the Glory of God.

The Glory of God blazes in brilliant light.

Whenever the Scriptures speak about the Glory of God (; and ), it speaks about blazing light all around God.

In , when Jesus Christ speaks about His coming in great glory, He says that the light will shine from the east to the west.

You remember the Transfiguration that took place in .

The bible says, the best that Matthew could describe as was given to Him (remember he was not there, personally but was told by Peter, James or John), that the fact of Jesus Christ shone like the sun.

Revelation 12–22: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Its General Appearance

Radiating from the New Jerusalem will be the brilliance of the full manifestation of God’s glory, so much so that “the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (v. 23).

Isaiah foresaw this reality:

Isaiah 60:19 ESV

The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

John, then gives is a description of the light.

Revelation 21:11 AV

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

“Light” is the Greek word “φωστήρ”.

And it speaks about that which radiates light.

It is used in the Septuagint (the OT in Greek) in and 16 to denote anything that bears light.

The best way that John can describe this light is that it is like some kind of expensive, brilliant stone or like a Jasper he goes on to say.

You remember back in 4:3 that John records that when he saw the very throne of God, that it had the appearance of a jasper stone.

This was a reflecting stone and John uses this imagery because it is the best way that he can describe that absolutely brilliance of the Glory of God.

As if it is shinning through a quartz stone that is crystal clear and that the brilliance is blinding it is so bright.

In this passage, Jasper is best to be understood like a diamond.

Very costly because it is unblemished and crystal clear.

If you have ever tried to look into reflected light, say from a mirror, you know how blinding that light can be.

The Glorious light of God will be reflected throughout all the Holy City, in a blinding way if we would not possess glorified eyes.

Try to wrap your minds around the brilliance this way.

The moon.

I can recall many walks on the beach with my wife and the only light that was needed was the light from the moon.

I have been in the moonlight so brilliant at times, that I believe that I could have read a book by that light.

And I bring that up because just as John seems to be trying to describe this light was the use of a reflecting item, so the moon is a reflecting object.

It reflects the light of the sun.

And then think of those very bright moon lite nights knowing that that is reflected light.

Yet, as bright as it can be, Scientist say that the moon only reflect 3 to 12 percent of the sunlight that hits it.

Now if the moon can seem that bright only reflecting 3 to 12 percent of sunlight, image the light of the Holy City that will perfectly reflect the absolute Glory of God.

The Holy City is seen as one gigantic light bulb.

Revelation 12–22: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Its General Appearance

Heaven’s capital city is thus pictured as a huge, flawless diamond, refracting the brilliant, blazing glory of God throughout the new heaven and the new earth.

It is difficult, if not downright impossible for us to image such brilliance.

But the capital City of heaven will be filled with the reflecting Glory of God.