Living in the Last Days (22)

“What Heaven will be like Part II”

Revelation 21:17-22:5 “And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. A…”

I. Intro

Last week, we discovered heaven will be totally new in nature and quality. It will also be home for both new and old covenant saints. This is revealed in the fact it will have twelve gates bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve disciples. Heaven will also have room for all believers because it will be a 1,380 mile cube that could contain over 200 billion inhabitants.

II. It will have dazzling beauty (21:17-21)

The New Jerusalem, or heaven, is surrounded by a beautiful wall that is also 1,380 miles tall. How many cubits thick is it according to verse 17? Revelation 21:17 “And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.” A cubit is about 18 inches. Therefore, the wall is 216 feet thick. Attempting to describe the indescribable, John writes the building material is like jasper. Jasper is a transparent, diamond-like stone that comes in a variety of colors, including green, red, and yellow. John also tells us the city, or New Jerusalem, is pure gold, like unto clear glass. So, it is transparent with a gold color. The gold with which we are familiar is not clear. This might cause concerns for some about privacy. However, heaven will be like the Garden of Eden before the Fall. Therefore, there will be nothing to hide, and no need for privacy. Back in verse 11, John tells us the glory of God shines brilliantly like jasper through the New Jerusalem. The wall of the city is built on twelve foundations garnished (inlaid) with every kind of jewel. The precious stones mentioned in verses 19-20 correspond with those on the breastplate of the high priest, though in reverse order. Exodus 28:17-20 “And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.” We cannot identify all the stones, but they were all obviously very precious gems in John’s day. Heaven will have twelve gates. What are they made of? Revelation 21:21 “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” There is a reason the gates are made of this particular material. Of all the precious metals and stones, these are the only ones produced by suffering. They are formed when a foreign object is introduced into a mussel or oyster. The animal coats the irritant with a substance called ‘nacre’ (nay-ker) the same material from which its shell is made. Over time, the layers of nacre build up to form a pearl. The longer the irritant remains, the more layers of nacre and the better quality of pearl. Today, most pearls are cultured (made with the assistance of man) to make them more affordable. However, natural pearls are still very expensive. For example, a sixteen-inch strand of South Sea pearls from near Australia or Indonesia retails for about $50,000. The twelve gates of gigantic pearls are reminders of Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” The streets of heaven are pure gold, as it were transparent glass. Today, transparent, or clear glass is affordable to everyone. However, in John’s day, glass was usually cloudy and filled with flaws. Only kings and very wealthy people could afford pure, or clear glass. John’s description of heaven’s streets as being pure gold, as it were transparent glass indicates the inhabitants of heaven will have access to far more than the wealthiest human who has ever lived.

III. It will have no need of natural or artificial light (21:22-27)

John sees no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Because of God’s presence, there is no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Remember, God destroyed the old heavens and old earth and created a new heaven and new earth. He did not create a new sun or a new moon because there is no longer a need for them. In heaven, the nations will walk by the light of God’s presence. The word translated ‘nations’ (ethnos) [eth-nos] is the word from which we get our word “ethnic.” It means that in heaven, there will be people from every tribe, people group, including Gentiles. Even the kings of the earth, who experienced power and glory in this world, will simply bring their glory into it. This could refer to absolute equality in heaven. Romans 2:11 “For there is no respect of persons with God.” The gates of the eternally-illuminated city are never shut by day and there is no night. Revelation 21:25 “And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.” Apparently, we will have unlimited access to the new earth. It could be that the New Jerusalem will be our residence, and the new earth our place of service. There is no danger within or without the gates of heaven. Therefore, the gates are entrances, not barriers. The residents of the New Jerusalem shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. As with the kings, all earthly prestige and glory will be surrendered to God and to the Lamb. John writes there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie. This has already been discussed in Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Who are the only ones allowed to enter the New Jerusalem? Revelation 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

IV. It will be paradise restored (22:1-5)

Next, the angel shows John a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. This isn’t water as we know it; it is symbolic of salvation. Jesus described this kind of water in John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” The fact this water flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb means it is the exclusive source of eternal life. This scene is reminiscent of the river in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:10 “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.” In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. There is no end to its fruit-bearing, as the tree of life provides variety and delight to the inhabitants of the city. Since there is no time in heaven, the term ‘month’ doesn’t refer to a period of time. It refers to the never-ending fruit of the tree of life, which is also reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. After driving Adam and Eve from the garden, God placed at the east of the garden Cherubims and a flaming sword. Genesis 3:24 “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” The leaves of the tree are for healing of the nations. This seems a little confusing since there will be no sickness in heaven. The explanation lies in understanding the word translated ‘healing’ (therapeia) [ther-ah-pay-ah]. It is the word from which we get our word “therapeutic.” The Greek word could be translated “life-giving” or “health-giving”. Our existence in heaven will be totally dependent on God’s life-giving provisions, just as God provided for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. John explains: And there shall be no more curse. This takes us back to paradise lost, when God said to Adam, “cursed is the ground for thy sake.” As a result, thorns and thistles came into existence. Before the Fall, Adam clearly didn’t tend the garden with any form of labor. He apparently had the voice of command. He could simply speak, and the garden would be tended as he desired. It appears that power, which was lost in the Fall, will be regained in Heaven. The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in the New Jerusalem, and his servants shall serve Him. We will spend eternity serving and worshipping the Lord, not floating around on a cloud playing the harp. They shall see His face means we will enjoy personal, intimate fellowship with Him, far beyond what we can experience in this life. His name will be on our foreheads, which eternally identifies us as belonging to God. In this context, we shall reign forever and ever with God as our light. This truth is expressed in Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”