The New Jerusalem

What is the New Jerusalem?
When will it be established or has it already been established?
When will it come to earth?
Where will it come to earth?
Who is the city?

Let us consider the passage of Revelations 21 and see what it says. Perhaps we can understand it without our preconceived ideas of eschatology. I know its hard, its taken me almost 30 years to unlearn what I learned in my first 4 years in Christ.

When I read this passage I stop to think, what did this mean to the intended audience?Remember this book of revelation was addressed to the existing churches in Asia Minor. The time frame given to them as to when these things would happen was "soon", not thousands of years in the future, nor some future generations, but soon to them. The call to the churches was to be prepared, be ready to stand firm in the faith, be an overcomer. This is what I read, and what I now accept to be the full truth. No twisting of words and definitions, just a plain, simple reading of what was written.

Lets look now at what this city is. Two allegories are used in this passage. One is a city, the other is a bride. This is not a physical city that is the bride of Christ. That makes no sense at all. A stone city, set on foundations of gem stones, with gates made of pearl being a bride of God? Since this makes no sense, and since this revelation comes from Jesus himself, then it must mean something. Which of course it does.

The city is a representation, an allusion, an allegory of what the bride is like. It represents the functioning relationship of the bridegroom with the bride. It represents facets of the brides character. It represents God's work in obtaining the bride for his Son to marry. Many things are represented here, some I may not have thought about yet. Lets look at the description of the city, the New Jerusalem.
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The New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven and God.

Rev 21

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea no longer is.

And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, having been prepared as a bride, having been adorned for her Husband.

And I heard a great voice out of Heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God with men! And He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no longer, nor mourning, nor outcry, nor will there be pain any more; for the first things passed away.

Here John describes what is being shown to him in this vision. A new heaven and a new earth, with no sea, can mean many things. It definitely means a great change in the state of things. In the Old Testament this same language is used for the change of a kingdom. So this can represent the change from the kingdom age ruled by the Mosaic Law and temple practice to the kingdom age of grace in and ruled by Christ Jesus.

Then John sees the New Jerusalem, lets look at what John tells us about this city.
1. It comes down from heaven.
2. It is coming down from God
3. It has been prepared as a bride is prepared for her husband.

Here is a most interesting fact, it correctly identifies who and what this city is. John hears a voice coming to him from where the city came from, down out of heaven from God. This voice of God says,
1. "Behold, the tabernacle of God with men!"
2. "And He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His people, and "
3. "God Himself will be with them as their God."
4. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
5." And death shall be no longer, nor mourning, nor outcry, nor will there be pain any more; for the first things passed away."

The city is the tabernacle of God with men. The first tabernacle, then the temple of Solomon, then the temple of Herod were in the past times, the tabernacle of God with men. He dwelt in those tabernacles, his glory rested upon the mercy seat in the holy of holies in those tabernacles. But a change has taken place, a great change, like to the heavens and earth being rebuilt, as they were in creation. A new order has taken place. God will no longer dwell in houses made with the hands of men, but instead he will dwell in this new tabernacle, this new city of Jerusalem, this bride of Christ. This city, bride, tabernacle is where God dwells with men, this bride/city/tabernacle is a people whose God is God (YahVeh).

Can you see? This passage is not talking about a real physical city, it is talking about the people of God and his relationship with them. This is new order, a new age, no not that New Age which is all the rage among some who think themselves spiritual, but a true new age. The age of Moses and the children of Abraham is over. God's people are now a new people.

The Old Jerusalem is to be destroyed, the old tabernacle to be done away with, the old people to be replaced and a New Jerusalem made by God comes down from heaven, this city represents a new people created by God in Christ Jesus, with in these people God dwells as in a tabernacle. All things are in deed made new!

The one sitting on the throne speaks. And the One sitting on the throne said, Behold! I make all things new. And He says to me, Write, because these Words are faithful and true. And He said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending.

To the one thirsting, I will freely give of the fountain of the Water of Life. The one overcoming will inherit all things, and I will be God to him, and he will be the son to Me. But for the cowardly and unbelieving, and those having become foul, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the lying ones, their part will be in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

See the enthroned Christ Jesus clearly says that he makes all things new. The old order is out, the ways taught by Moses in the Law has been done away with. No longer will sacrifices be made in the temple. No longer will the glory of God be present in the holy of holies, no longer will the priests do their bloody work. That age is over, all is new.

A new order has been instituted by the one on the throne. An angel shows John the bride, the wife of the Lamb, the city.

And one of the seven angels came to me, he having the seven bowls being filled with the seven last plagues, and spoke with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.

And he carried me in spirit onto a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, holy Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, having the glory of God.

And its light was like a very precious stone, as a jasper stone, being clear as crystal, and having a great and high wall, having twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates and names having been inscribed, which are of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.

From the east, three gates; from the north, three gates; from the south, three gates; and from the west, three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Again John sees this city coming down from heaven, from God. This shows that this work has nothing to do with the works of men, but is solely the work of God. This is not a man made religion, or religious work. No man conceived of this work, no, this is part of God's creation work, part of his eternal plan. In eternity past he conceived of this bride, this city. It came down from heaven because this is where it has dwelt, in the heart of God since before the start of creation.

This bride was planned from eternity past, before the foundations of the world, just as the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. This has always been God's plan. Remember we have said that the city represents ideas about the bride, who is the people of God in Christ Jesus.

The city's walls are crystal clear. The light of the city shines through them. Being crystal clear speaks of the purity of the bride and the way she shows forth the light that comes from within her. Later we see that the lamb himself is that light. So the bride, (people) show forth the glory, the light of the Lamb who rules within her (them).

In this city's walls are twelve gates, each one named for the twelve tribes of Israel. This represents the way of salvation that was prepared by the work of God in the twelve tribes of Israel. For it was his plan in the choosing of Abraham to bring forth a great tribe, that would then be used to bring forth God's plan of salvation to the whole world. The twelve children of Jacob/Israel were the way that God chose to bring salvation to the world. He used them to represent the sinfulness of men, to shadow salvation in the sacrifices, to act as a wife to him, until the proper time, when he would bring forth the bride he had chosen from eternity past.

And he speaking with me had a golden reed, that he may measure the city, and its gates, and its wall.

The twelve gates are three on each wall, facing each of the four cardinal directions, north, south, east, west.

This represents that the way of salvation is open to all people in every corner of the earth. And the gates are open, not closed, all many freely enter into it, except those who are "profaning may not at all enter into it, or any making an abomination or a lie;" these are kept outside by the angels stationed at each gate.

Only "the ones having been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb" may enter, as we shall read at the end of this passage.

Also notice that the city has twelve foundations, each after the twelve apostles of Jesus. This shows that the people, the bride is founded on the teaching of the twelve apostles. The city described further.

And the city lies four cornered, even its length as much as the width also. And he measured the city with the reed at twelve thousand stadia; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty four cubits, a measure of a man, which is of an angel.

And the structure of its wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like pure glass.

And the foundation of the wall of the city having been adorned with every precious stone: The first foundation, jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, hyacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; respectively each one of the gates was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as transparent glass.

This city measures as perfect cube. I'm not sure what the measurement represents, but the cube is a perfect geometric structure, having four equal sides, with length, width and height all being the same. To me this speaks of the perfection of the saints, a perfection made by God.

Again we see that the walls are made of pure jasper, or crystal, also pure gold like glass. Gold is an interesting metal, it can be made so thin that you can see through it, it can be made a clear as glass. And gold is one metal that never corrodes. As such it is considered the most noble of the noble metals.

The foundation stones are all gemstones. The same gemstones as in the ephod of the priests. Each stone represents a tribe of Israel, as well as the twelve apostles. Again this represents the earthly foundation of salvation being found in Israel and taught by the apostles.

These gems and the gold also represent something else, the bride price of Christ. Within the marriage custom of the Jews, was a bride price. Each husband to be had to pay the bride's family a ransom, this payment paid to the bride's parents secured the marriage covenant. A very wealthy husband would pay a very rich ransom. In this case a whole city's foundation worth of precious gem stones, walls of purist crystal, and streets lined with gold. A very rich sum indeed, one fit for the King of Kings and his bride.

Another aspect of the bridegrooms wedding preparation was that after the bride price was paid, the groom went to build a house for them to live in. After this house was built and the father of the groom approved it, the bride was sent for. This city would be that house. But as I have said, this city is also the bride.

Most interesting. The temple of the New Jerusalem.

And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, even the Lamb.

And the city had no need of the sun, nor of the moon, that they might shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, even its lamp is the Lamb.

And the nations of the ones saved will walk in its light; and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. And its gates may not at all be shut by day, for no night will be there. And they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

And all profaning may not at all enter into it, or any making an abomination or a lie; but only the ones having been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.

Now we come to the end of the discription of the city of the New Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb. We see that there is not temple in the city, in this New Jerusalem, as there was in the past Jerusalem.

The old temple is destroyed, it is gone. Its work is finished, it was to forshadow the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, and that purpose is fulfilled. There for as a master craftsman puts away the scaffolding, tears down the supporting walls from the building he was building, the old temple was destroyed and is no more.

In this new Jerusalem, there is not temple and no need for one. For God/Christ dwells in and amidst his people. God, even the Lamb is the temple, he himself. Not some edifice made of stone by human hands. Nothing in this new city contains the glory of God. His glory is not hid behind a heavy veil and behinds closed doors. NO, it is in the open, for all his people to see and enjoy. And more than that, since the walls are crystal clear, like glass, the light of his glory shines out from this city to all the surrounding country side.

This speaks of God dwelling in his people. That the Lamb is the light of the world, and shines in his people, changing their lives from ones of darkness to ones of light, which is love, truth, and life.

It is clear to me that this city is a real and present reality. For if it is not, then what do we who are in Christ dwell in now? We are not in darkness, but in light, the teaching of the NT is clear in this point. The bride of Christ is not some future reality, it is here and now. We are the bride of Christ. He lives in us, his people, a tabernacle made by God not by human hands.

Peter also uses this analogy of a building in referring to believers. He says that we are as living stones, built up on that one living corner stone which is Christ.

We are those living stones, clear as crystal, that make up the city of the New Jerusalem, we show forth the glorious light of God and the Lamb. We do this now, this is not some prediction of what will come, but a description of the present reality in Christ Jesus.

I know there are many eschatological schemes out there in the Christian world. But this is what I read and see. It is a simple and clear understanding of this chapter. --------------------

Body Servant, IHMS
in Cape Coral, FL