Wednesday, June 30, 2010
A Divine Revelation Of Heaven
My friend, eternity is a very, very long time. If YOU Died TONIGHT, would you go to Heaven? NOT SURE? LET ME QUICKLY SHARE WHAT THE BIBLE READS:
1. ROMANS 3:23 – “We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
2. ROMANS 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.”
Romans: Chapter 10 verse 9-10-13
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be Saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be Saved…….
Eternal Life and your ticket to Heaven is a prayer away,
PRAY THIS PRAYER OUT LOUD TO GOD:
“Heavenly Father, I know that I have broken
your laws and my sins have separated me
from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want
to turn away from my past sinful life
toward You. Please forgive me, and help
me avoid sinning again. I believe that
Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins,
was resurrected from the dead, is alive,
and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to
become the Lord of my life, to rule and
reign in my heart from this day forward.
Please send your Holy Spirit to help me
obey You, and to do Your will for the rest
of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
Did you say the prayer from YOUR heart? Then, congratulations YOUR name has been written in Heaven’s Book of Life and YOU are saved from an eternity in The Lake of Fire (Rev: 20:15)! If YOU died today, Heaven would be your new home!
If you have received Christ into your heart, I welcome you to the Kingdom of God. All the angels in Heaven rejoice whenever one soul is saved. Now, your job as a Christian is to learn about God, and obey Him. Read your Bible every day, and you will be like a tree planted by a spring, never thirsting. You will grow in knowledge and wisdom, and your relationship and closeness with your God will become the meaning of your life. Please, find a good church, and get baptized in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit immediately. Learn the teachings of Christ, and follow Him everyday. Remember, loving God and loving people is a Christian’s role in this dark and hurting world. We are commanded to go into
all the world and preach the gospel to save souls.
Communion The Meal That Heals
Of course THE MOST IMPORTANT thing is to make sure that you WILL go to HEAVEN when you DIE and the ONLY WAY that leads to Heaven is to put your FAITH in JESUS CHRIST! Therefore if you are NOT already SAVED you MUST SAY realize that the Holy Bible says;
Romans: Chapter 10 verse 9-10-13
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be Saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be Saved…….
“Father, I know that I have broken your
laws and my sins have separated me
from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want
to turn away from my past sinful life
toward You. Please forgive me, and help
me avoid sinning again. I believe that
Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins,
was resurrected from the dead, is alive,
and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to
become the Lord of my life, to rule and
reign in my heart from this day forward.
Please send your Holy Spirit to help me
obey You, and to do Your will for the rest
of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
If you have received Christ into your heart, I
welcome you to the Kingdom of God. All the
angels in Heaven rejoice whenever one soul is
saved. Now, your job as a Christian is to learn
about God, and obey Him. Read your Bible every
day, and you will be like a tree planted by a spring,
never thirsting. You will grow in knowledge and
wisdom, and your relationship and closeness with
your God will become the meaning of your life.
Please, find a good church, and get baptized in
the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy
Spirit immediately. Learn the teachings of Christ,
and follow Him everyday. Remember, loving God
and loving people is a Christian’s role in this dark
and hurting world. We are commanded to go into
all the world and preach the gospel to save souls.
Do not delay, save today!
Here is a link to a resource for you to use as you go and win souls for the Lord Jesus Christ; http://home.flash.net/~evt/script.htm
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The New Jerusalem
F.M. Riley (27 May 2010)
"New Jerusalem"
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New Jerusalem
The Eternal “Home” of the Bride
By Pastor F. M. Riley
May 26, 2010
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
Revelation 21:1-3
INTRODUCTION
As a young man I left home when I was only 17 years of age and went into public work. Three years later I married a precious young lady from my hometown and we began the process of establishing our own home as expected of young people. We lived in many different places over the years, brought our children into the world, and established our own family and home. But until both sets of our parents died we were always eager to return “home” to see and visit with our loved ones again. How precious are the memories of our return trips “home.” Whether we were approaching our hometown from the east or the west [no highways to the north or south], we could reach a certain hilltop along either highway and see “the lights of home.” How it thrilled our hearts to know that in a few more miles and a few more minutes we would be “home” again with our loved ones to once more enjoy a time of love and fellowship and sharing. As the old hymn says, “Precious memories, how they linger.” Glory to God!
Many years have come and gone since then. My parents, my wife’s parents, and most of the friends we once grew up with are gone, having passed into eternity. The wife of my youth is also now with the Lord. I no longer make the trip back to my hometown for there is nothing left there for me. Even the house I grew up in has now fallen into ruins.
Folks, I am “homesick!” I am more than ready to go “home!” I mean to my real eternal “home” which the Lord has “prepared” for me, and for all true believers, John 14:1-3. In this present world we true believers are only “strangers and pilgrims” having no certain dwelling place, but we seek one to come, Hebrews 11:8-16; Romans 4:1-16; Galatians 3:6-7. Well I have “good news” for every true believer…..
Just as I once could top a certain hill in days long past and see “the lights of home” in the distance, so even now by the grace of God and through the “…sure Word of prophecy…” [2 Peter 1:19] I can again see “the lights of home” [my eternal home] beckoning in the distance. Heaven is calling! I have a great host of loved ones and friends there in glory, including many brothers and sisters in Christ whom I have never met. They are all waiting for me, and for all of the Lord’s people, to come “home.”
In this study I now want to tell our readers about our “eternal home” in glory which the Lord has “prepared for them that love Him,” John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. Let’s just take a mental and spiritual visit to our eternal “home”…….
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IDENTIFYING OUR HOME
What is New Jerusalem? Many of God’s people never study the Scriptures carefully enough to realize that New Jerusalem is “the Father’s house.” This is the exact statement the Lord Himself used in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions [abiding places]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Notice that the word “house” in this passage is singular. It is not plural. Each time the “house” of the Father in Heaven is referred to in the New Testament, it is always spoken of in the singular. See such passages as Matthew 10:25, 24:45, Luke 12:42, Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 2:19, and 2 Timothy 2:19-20.
I am emphasizing this to point out a truth in Revelation 21 – 22 that is generally overlooked or ignored. There is ONLY ONE BUILDING in New Jerusalem. I know this will upset some of the grandiose artist conceptions picturing a great golden city with thousands of “mansions” for all of the redeemed, but I have no apology to make to anyone. I am going to be true to what the inspired Word actually and literally says, rather than what someone would like to make it say. New Jerusalem is “the Father’s house.” In that great golden “house” there is an “abiding place” for every one of His children, and a very special place the Lord has “prepared” for His “bride.”
Now be honest with yourself! Would you rather dwell all alone in some great “mansion” in glory, or would you rather dwell with your “family” [your brothers and sisters in Christ]? Regardless of your answer, it won’t change God’s Word one iota. New Jerusalem is “the Father’s house,” and therefore it is the eternal “home” of all of God’s children. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
The Lord Jesus Christ many centuries ago explicitly told Peter and the disciples, “…I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Matthew 16:18. In John 14:2 the Lord said, “…I go to prepare a place for you.” In 1 Corinthians 3:9 the inspired Apostle stated to the Lord’s church, “For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” In Ephesians 2:20-22 the Lord’s church is told, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
It is then obvious from these Scriptures and others that could be cited, that the Lord is now, and has been all through the centuries of this dispensation, in the process of building His church. Further more, He is building it “a spiritual house” after “the patterns of things in the heavens,” Hebrews 9:23. See also Hebrews 8:5. In other words, the Lord’s church is being built in the likeness of New Jerusalem, the great “pattern” or “example” [type] in the heavens. Glory to God!
Just as New Jerusalem is built of many “precious stones” [Revelation 21:11; 21:19], so the Lord has been building His church throughout this dispensation using “living stones” redeemed by His own precious blood.
“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto
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you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed,” 1 Peter 2:4-8.
Now notice that seven times in the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is referred to as “the head of the corner” or “the chief corner stone.” See Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11, Luke 20:17-18, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and 1 Peter 2:6-7. Both expressions mean basically the same thing in the Greek text. They literally mean that the Lord Jesus Christ is both the “corner stone” and “the head” or “capstone” of the building that is being constructed. Remember that this “spiritual” building being constructed is based on the “pattern” of New Jerusalem in the heavens. Now what type of architectural building is there in the world in which the “corner stone” is also the “capstone” of the building? Well…??
Folks, there is only one kind of architecture in the world where the “corner stone” of a building is also the “capstone” of the building. That kind of building is A PYRAMID. Is it then just coincidence that every single Satanic, demonic, pagan, religious organization throughout human history, including even the Illuminati today, have always been involved with pyramids? Why? Because evil spirits KNOW that the capitol city of Almighty God, New Jerusalem, from which He rules all of His creation, IS A GREAT GOLDEN PYRAMID. The wicked and rebellious have attempted again and again through the centuries to “counterfeit” New Jerusalem, and replace the “capstone” on the pyramid with an evil capstone of their own design. See the U.S. one dollar bill for an example of this very truth. Now my question to every reader is, “If the wicked can see this truth and have repeatedly attempted to counterfeit it, then why is it that those who claim to be true believers cannot see it even though it is repeatedly set forth in God’s Word?” Well…??
Folks, the architectural design of New Jerusalem, the eternal “home” of every true believer, is A GREAT GOLDEN PYRAMID with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself being the “head [stone] of the corner,” Matthew 21:42. Read Revelation 21:11 and 21:23, and let the glorious truth stated there permeate your heart and your mind. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
THE PRESENT LOCATION
New Jerusalem is already in existence! This statement will probably invoke the righteous indignation of some “scholars.” Some will insist that there is no mention of New Jerusalem in God’s Word until Revelation 21 - 22, therefore it cannot already be in existence. Pardon me! New Jerusalem is God’s “house” in the heavens. Almighty God is not simply “camping out” on some planet in the universe.
The inspired Word explicitly states, “The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try the children of men,” Psalm 11:4. This Scripture explicitly states that He is “in His holy temple,” and that His “throne is “in heaven.” So where are His Temple and His throne?
Psalm 103:19 explicitly states, “The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.”
Psalm 8:1 says that the Lord “…hast set Thy glory above the heavens.” Our readers will find a similar statement in Psalm 57:5, 57:11, 108:4-5, 113:4, and 148:13. See also Ephesians 4:10. These passages make it clear that somewhere out in the vastness of space, the “heavens” that men see today do end and there “above the heavens” is located New Jerusalem. In it is the “temple” and “throne” of Almighty God from which He looks out over and rules the entire universe.
This truth is verified by the inspired Apostle in Galatians 4:26 which explicitly says,
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“But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Glory to God!
Further, during the 56 years that I have been in the Lord’s ministry, I have met several
of God’s people who have had “death” or “near death” experiences who have shared with
me their personal testimonies of visiting New Jerusalem, and who were then sent back to finish the work that the Lord had for them. I am not talking about religious “nut cases.” I am talking about solid, sound minded, dedicated Christian people whose testimonies I have no reason whatsoever to doubt.
THE PRESENT PURPOSE
The eternal souls of every deceased true believer from Adam to the present are now abiding in that beautiful city of God. This is the city that the eternal soul of every saved person ascends to upon the death of their physical body. Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-9.
At the “appointed time” for the resurrection and rapture of New Testament believers to occur, the Lord will take His children directly from earth to that beautiful city of God. There in that glorious golden city, we will literally see and experience for ourselves the events recorded by John the Revelator in Revelation 4 – 5 and subsequent passages. New Jerusalem will be the eternal “home” of the “glorified saints,” and the “headquarters” to which we will return again and again during the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom.
What many of God’s people do not realize is that New Testament believers are a special “species” of human being; a completely “new creation” in Christ Jesus. See James 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 3:27-28, 6:15, and Colossians 3:11. Through the process of the “new birth” [John 3:3-7] God is creating a new species of mankind within which He places His own “divine nature,” 2 Peter 1:4. This is why over and over again New Testament believers are referred to as “sons of God.” We New Testament believers are being “created in Christ Jesus” for the specific purpose of taking charge of the role which the angels of God presently fill.
Any true believer who has ever seriously studied the role of the angels know that all of God’s creation was originally placed under the administration of the angels, with the “anointed cherub” of Ezekiel 28:11-19 being the angel in charge. But the “anointed cherub,” through his own “free will” and PRIDE in himself, rebelled against God and led one-third of the angelic hosts into rebellion with him. Yes, he is the one we know today as “Satan,” Revelation 12:7-9.
But because of this angelic rebellion, Almighty God determined to remove the administration of the earth and all of His creation out of the hands of angels and place it under the authority and administration of God’s own “sons.” Read Hebrews 2:5-10, Psalm 8:1-9, Romans 8:9-23, and Philippians 3:20-21, and let the truths stated there permeate your very hearts, minds, and souls. Then lift up your hearts to the Lord in prayer and THANK HIM for the marvelous GRACE that he has bestowed upon true New Testament believers who were once only totally undeserving sinners. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Thank you Lord Jesus! Praise You Holy Father!
Now at this present time Almighty God is only awaiting His own “appointed time” to bring New Jerusalem down out of the heavens and dwell with men. Read Ephesians 1:3-12 and rejoice!
THE APPOINTED TIME
It is glaringly obvious from a simple study of the context that New Jerusalem comes “down from God out of heaven” AFTER the 1,000 years Millennial Kingdom, AFTER Satan has been cast into the lake of fire, and AFTER the great white throne judgment is over. This will be the beginning of the Eternal Age. Why at that particular time? Because it is at that time that all SIN and REBELLION will have been totally removed
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from the Kingdom of God.
When the Tribulation is brought to an end by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ back to the earth, there will be people who have survived the Tribulation. This truth is made plain by “The Judgment of the Gentiles” recorded in Matthew 25:31-46 [and other Old Testament prophecies]. The people gathered before the Lord at this judgment will be people still alive in their natural bodies. The result of that judgment will be that those who are determined to be wicked and unbelieving will be cast “into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” 25:41; 25:46. But the “sheep” on the Lord’s right hand [25:31-34] will be Gentile survivors of the Tribulation who will have received the Lord as Savior when they see Him coming in the clouds of heaven at the end of the Tribulation, Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7. These “sheep” Gentiles will then enter the Millennial Kingdom in their natural bodies, 25:34; 25:46.
Here I want to point out a truth that most of God’s people either overlook or ignore in studying this subject…..
The Jewish Remnant…….The “sin nature” will be totally removed from the redeemed Jewish “remnant” who survive the Tribulation, and they will enter into the Millennial Kingdom in their natural bodies no longer having a “sin nature.” Scriptural proof of this is given over and over again if God’s people would seriously study the prophetic Word.
In Jeremiah 31:33-34 the Scriptures explicitly state, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” See also Hebrews 8:10-12.
SIN and the “sin nature” are real! This is not just a “theological” term men use to describe conduct unacceptable to society. SIN is presently in the blood stream of humanity! In the process of procreation the “sin nature” is “passed” from the father to his offspring, Romans 5:12.
Now look at what the Scriptures explicitly state about the Jewish “remnant” who will turn to the Lord with their whole heart during the Tribulation, Zechariah 13:8-9. In Joel 3:20-21, “But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.” At the end of the Tribulation when that Jewish “remnant” turns to the Lord with their whole heart, even the “sin nature” will be removed from their natural bodies FOR EVER. They will be restored to the same “sinless state” that Adam and Eve were in before the fall, having NO SIN NATURE!
Listen again to what is explicitly stated about the Jewish remnant in Zephaniah 3:13, “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Glory to God! Praise the Lord!
In Isaiah 60:21 it is explicitly stated, “Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.” Glory to God! Praise the Lord!
The Gentiles…….On the other hand, the redeemed Gentiles who survive the Tribulation will still have a “sin nature” remaining in their natural bodies. Their “sin nature” will not be removed at the end of the Tribulation. They will enter into the Millennial Kingdom saved by God’s grace, but still possessing a “sin nature.” During the 1,000 years of the Millennial Kingdom they will procreate, thereby passing their “sin
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nature” on to their children, Psalm 92:12-14; Isaiah 60:22. Then under the most ideal conditions physically, mentally, environmentally, and spiritually, which have ever existed in human history, with the Lord Himself ruling and reigning over humanity in Jerusalem, some of the offspring of these surviving Gentiles will still absolutely refuse to turn to the Lord for salvation. This should give God’s people some insight into just how very real and evil is the heart of unredeemed men, having a “sin nature” which they have no power to control. Read Jeremiah 17:9 again. This truth is made quite clear in Isaiah 65:20 where the Scripture explicitly states, “…for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.” In other words, during the Millennial Kingdom the unsaved will be allotted 100 years to turn to the Lord for salvation. If they refuse to do so within that 100 year period, their life will be “cut off” and they will spend eternity in hell. Read Revelation 2:26-27, 12:5, and 19:15.
Notice that Zechariah 14:16-19 makes it obvious that “some,” even during the Millennial Kingdom, will attempt to resist and disobey the Lord.
This same truth is verified yet again in Revelation 20:7-9, where at the end of the Millennial Kingdom Satan is loosed and deceives the unsaved people of Gog and Magog into following him, “…the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” I would point out that during the Millennial Kingdom anyone a hundred years of age or under will be regarded as a mere “child,” and that every “sinner” [unsaved person] will be “cut off” when they reach 100 years of age, Isaiah 65:20. It is then obvious that this final Gog – Magog rebellion led by Satan AFTER the Millennium will be a youth movement. Sic! Satan has always chosen the young, impressionable, minds of the youth to deceive and carry out his evil purposes. Read Proverbs 22:15 and take it to heart!
I have pointed out these truths to emphasize THE HOLINESS OF GOD. Almighty God [God the Father] is “…of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…,” Habakkuk 1:13. The absolute “holiness” and “purity” of Almighty God is why He turned His back on His own beloved Son as He hung on the cross, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Christ was being made “SIN,” and His Father refused to look upon Him as He suffered, bled, and died, bearing OUR JUDGMENT in His own body. Read Psalm 22:1-3 and Isaiah 38:17. The Father in Heaven deals with mankind ONLY in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who became man to deal with “sin” in man on our behalf. Read John 14:6 again, and this time let the truth stated there soak in. The ONLY WAY the Father in Heaven will ever look upon sin is in anger, wrath, and judgment, Revelation 14:7; 14:9-10; 15:1; 16:1-21.
This is the reason why the Father will not “come down” out of Heaven until AFTER SIN has been totally removed from the earth. The Scripture explicitly states that the Lord Jesus Christ “…must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,” 1 Corinthians 15:25-28. Therefore it will ONLY be when all sin and rebellion on the earth has been totally subdued, conquered, judged, and removed by our beloved Savior, that New Jerusalem will come “down from God out of Heaven” and “God Himself” shall “tabernacle…with men.” Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Thank you precious Lord Jesus!
THE FUTURE LOCATION
New Jerusalem, contrary to what is “traditionally” taught, WILL NOT sit on the surface of the earth. Rather, it will come down out of the heavens far enough to settle into a fixed orbit above the earth, eternally hovering right over earthly Jerusalem and the land of Israel as it orbits the earth. There are several reasons for this, all of which are
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explicitly stated, explained, or clearly implied, in the inspired Scriptures.
The Dimensions…….First, notice the size and dimensions of New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:16 states, “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.” I have already pointed out in this study that New Jerusalem will be a GREAT GOLDEN PYRAMID. It should be easy for any reader to understand how the length, breadth, and height of a pyramid can all be exactly the same dimensions.
The Weight…….Second, the Scriptures also state, “…and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass,” 21:18. Gold is one of the heaviest metals known to mankind. Even gold “purified” to this extent would still have to be tremendously heavy, considering the dimensions of New Jerusalem.
Look up these measurements and the weight of gold in a good reference book and calculate this for yourself. Yes, I most certainly do take the dimensions given for this city and the statements made about the material from which it is constructed as literal truth. I find no Scriptural reason for doing otherwise.
New Jerusalem will be approximately 1,500 MILES in length, breadth, and height, each measurement being exactly the same. Since gold is one of the heaviest metals known to man, the weight of the city is incalculable.
It is then obvious that there is no place on the surface of the earth which would support the weight of such a building. In addition the height of the city, if it were to set down on the earth, would throw the entire earth out of balance as it revolves on its axis, causing the earth to leave its orbit and go careening wildly through space. I don’t believe for a moment that the Lord ever intended for New Jerusalem to sit down on the surface of the earth, and no where in this inspired description is it ever stated or even implied that it does sit on the earth.
John’s View…….Third, Revelation 21:2 states, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Then in 21:10 John says, “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”
Both of these passages make it clear that John could see New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven towards the earth. The latter passage states that John was taken up into a “high mountain” to view the city descending. Why was John taken to a “high mountain”? Most artist conceptions of this Scripture show John standing on a high mountain looking down on New Jerusalem sitting somewhere [?] on the earth. Pshaw! That IS NOT even what this Scripture says! John explicitly said that from his vantage point on the high mountain, he saw the city “descending.” John was obviously looking UP! Some folks need to learn to read, or at the very least to pay attention to what they are reading. God have mercy!
Now why was John taken to a “high mountain” to view this scene? Obviously for the same reason that almost all observatories are built on high mountains today; in order to escape as much interference as possible from earth’s lights and atmosphere. This enables astronomers to see more clearly as they study the heavens. John, standing on that “high mountain” above the lower atmosphere and humidity of the earth, could see more clearly New Jerusalem as it descended towards the earth from the heavens above. Glory to God!
The Light…….Fourth, notice the statement in Revelation 21:24, “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it…” This clearly implies that New Jerusalem will be like “a second moon” in the sky, shining its light down upon the earth. Am I reading an “opinion” into this Scripture? Let’s just see…..
In Isaiah 60:19-20, when speaking of the earthly Jerusalem and the land of Israel, the
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Scriptures explicitly state, “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” These inspired Scriptures DO NOT say that the sun and moon will go out of existence. That would not be in harmony with other inspired Scriptures which clearly state that the sun and moon will endure for ever. What these Scriptures DO SAY is that the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem will no longer receive their light from the sun by day and the moon by night. New Jerusalem will be in a “fixed orbit” in the heavens above the land of Israel, and that entire land will be lighted by “the glory of God” shining down upon it both day and night. Praise the Lord!
All of these Scriptural truths taken together should make it clear to any honest reader that the future location of New Jerusalem will be above the earth in plain visible sight of those dwelling upon the earth, and it will literally come to pass that “the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it,” Revelation 21:24. Glory to God!
Further, the glorified “sons of God” who will be ruling and reigning on the earth with the Lord Jesus Christ, shall then go back and forth between earth and New Jerusalem, even as the angels of God do today, reporting to and worshipping Almighty God, and bringing into New Jerusalem “the glory and honor of the nations” over which they are reigning, Revelation 21:26. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Glory to God!
THE BEAUTY OF OUR ETERNAL HOME
New Jerusalem is the dwelling place of God Himself, and therefore it is the most beautiful city that God Himself is capable of creating. I remind our readers that no letter or book ever written, not even the personal testimony of an eye witness, nor even a photograph, can ever adequately convey the reality that comes when we actually see and experience a thing for ourselves. God’s wonderful inspired Word is but His own “love letter” to His people, describing to them the wonderful “home” that He has prepared for all those who love Him in truth. No matter how well the beauty of New Jerusalem is described by John, nor how well I describe it for our readers, the reality of seeing that city with our own eyes and entering into it for ourselves will cause these written descriptions to pale into insignificance. But I will try…..
The Glory of God…….The very first thing John saw and spoke of in describing the beauty of New Jerusalem is that “the glory of God” radiates forth from that celestial city, Revelation 21:11. The Greek word translated as glory in this verse literally means “shining radiance.” In other words, the entire city will radiate light outward from the glory of God Himself. I might add that this same “shining radiance” will shine forth from the “glorified body” of every true believer following the resurrection and rapture of God’s people. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Thank you Lord Jesus!
Notice that John describes the “glory of God” emanating from New Jerusalem as being like “light” from “a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” The jeweler’s manuals which I have consulted show various colors for Jasper stones according to the quality of the particular stone. However, all of the manuals I consulted agree that a top quality Jasper stone is a beautiful BLOOD RED stone. In other words, the light shining forth from this city will be “blood red,” yet clear as crystal. And why should it be otherwise? In 21:23 John explicitly says that “the Lamb is the light thereof.” In other words, “the light” that lights up this entire city shines forth from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The color of that light will serve as an eternal reminder to
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every person who enters there that their access to New Jerusalem was purchased for them by the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to God! Thank you Lord!
The Wall…….The next thing John mentioned is the wall which surrounds the city on all four sides, 21:12-14. John said that the wall is “great and high,” 21:12. The height of this wall is given precisely in 21:17 as being “a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of man, that is, of the angel.” It is interesting that John specified that the cubit used here is according to “the angel” that was speaking with him. Study this carefully! The angel [angelos…messenger] that was speaking with John was a man. In fact, he was one of the prophets of God. Compare 21:9 and 22:8-9. Which prophet? I don’t know! But I accept God’s Word as literal truth.
A fact not well known, but which can be easily documented, is that the Jews had a “sacred cubit” which was used in constructing the Tabernacle, and later Solomon’s Temple. Their “sacred cubit” was 25 inches to a cubit. Now multiply the 144 cubit height of this wall by 25 to determine the height in inches and then divide by 12 to determine the height in feet. This “wall great and high” around New Jerusalem is then 300 feet high. Isn’t it interesting that this was the height of the wall around ancient Babylon, the pagan city of Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar? Obviously these wicked ancient pagan kings tried to “counterfeit” the wall around the city of God, just as the wicked have tried through the centuries to “counterfeit” nearly everything God has done.
I would remind our readers that around the ancient Jewish Tabernacle there was a courtyard with a wall made of curtains or “hangings….. of fine twined linen,” Exodus 27:9-19. These curtains were five cubits in length or a little over ten feet in height when hung on their pillars. The same truth also applied to the Temple built by Solomon. There was a wall around the courtyard of the Temple, 1 Kings 7:12; 2 Chronicles 4:9. These walls prevented anyone on the outside from seeing what was occurring on the inside. If one wanted to know what was going on inside those walls, then they had to enter into the courtyard through the ONLY entrance. The entrance was 20 cubits in width hanging on four pillars covered by three curtains of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework, Exodus 27:16. “20” is the Bible number for “redemption.” “4” is the Bible number for “humanity.”
The entrance typified the “humanity” of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ in eternity past emptied Himself of His position with His Father in Heaven in order to become human, Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:14-15; John 17:5. Christ was [and still is] the sinless “man” who could and did pay the sin debt of humanity which no fallen man was able to pay. He is therefore God’s ONLY way of salvation, John 14:6. Anyone who then enters within the wall around New Jerusalem will only be privileged to do so through having personally received salvation through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that brings us to the COLOR of the wall.
The wall around New Jerusalem is entirely composed of JASPER STONE, 22:18. In other words, the color of the wall is BLOOD RED. Just one glance at this beautiful wall will remind every believer who enters that city, that they do so because Christ LOVED US enough that He was willing to shed His precious blood to obtain our eternal redemption. Glory to God! Praise the Lord! Thank you precious Lord!
The Foundations …..But John wasn’t through with the wall yet….. In 21:14 he states that the wall rests on “twelve foundations.” In each of these foundations are engraved for all eternity “the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Remember that New Jerusalem is the special “home” of the bride of Christ; the Lord’s church, John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:2; 21:9-10. Now go back and read Ephesians 2:19-22. Doesn’t this passage explicitly state that the Lord’s church is “…built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone”? You know it does! Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
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I make no claim to knowing how these foundations are arranged, and the inspired Word doesn’t tell us. But it appears to me that the foundations underlie the wall arranged as steps leading up to the gates, each foundation resting on top of the preceding foundation. The reason I am emphasizing this is because of John’s description of the foundations. In 21:19 John states “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper…” There is that COLOR again…..BLOOD RED!
Folks, what all of this portrays is that New Jerusalem is typically covered from above by the precious blood of Christ through the light radiating forth from the city, is typically surrounded by the precious blood of Christ through the wall surrounding the city, and is typically protected from beneath by the precious blood of Christ through the first foundation upon which the wall of the city rests. How much more secure can God’s people be who will call this city their eternal “home”? What a glorious “memorial” to the precious blood of Christ! Glory to God! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
The Gates…….The next things mentioned by John are the 12 gates in the wall, three gates in each of the four sides of the wall around New Jerusalem. Standing at each of these gates is an angel, apparently either as the present guardian of the gate or as the angel who in the future will greet believers as we enter into the city. Praise the Lord!
These gates have to be majestic and magnificent in beauty. In 21:21 John says that “…the twelve gates were [are] twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl…” Notice that in this sentence John emphasized this statement TWICE. Each of these gates are constructed of ONE GIGANTIC PEARL. Ho boy! Men claim this is impossible! Have you read Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37, or 18:27 lately? Almighty God created the oyster, so He is perfectly capable of creating the pearl, Genesis 1:20-23. Glory to God!
Any reader who has ever studied the process by which pearls are formed should know that pearls are formed of living organic tissue from the body of the oyster itself in an attempt to alleviate the pain and suffering caused by foreign matter entering into the oyster’s shell. This foreign matter, such as a minute pebble or a grain of sand enters the shell of the oyster, and causes great irritation and pain to the oyster. In an effort to alleviate the pain, the oyster begins to wrap layer after layer of its own living tissue around the foreign particle. As time passes the layers build up and become hard, thus forming a pearl. Now read Psalm 103:13-14 and let the truth stated there soak in. The Lord was not satisfied with the fallen condition of mankind. Our fallen condition caused Him great anguish and pain. So in order to alleviate that pain in His own body, He made the sacrifice required to make every true believer a part of His own body, 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:15-16. Glory to God! Praise the Lord for His mercy!
These pearls from which the gates are constructed must be the most perfect, PURE WHITE, pearls which will ever be seen by redeemed mankind. This speaks of the absolute “purity” of all who enter through these gates into New Jerusalem, for the Scriptures explicitly state that without “holiness…..no man shall see the Lord,” Hebrews 12:14, 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,” Revelation 21:27. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
Notice also that on or above every gate is engraved the names of one of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, 21:12. This is to remind every true believer that God called and chose the nation and people of Israel to reveal His glory to the other nations of the earth. Read Romans 11:29. Every blessing of God that has ever come to us Gentile believers has come to us through the Jewish people. Some of God’s people today need to be reminded again of this truth. Had not the Lord found “a remnant” in Israel that was willing to follow the Lord with their whole heart and be used of Him to give His Word to
mankind, we Gentiles might already be in the depths of hell today. Yes, I love the Jewish
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people! In His humanity my Savior was a Jew. How could I then not love and pray for the salvation of “His brethren”? Read Psalm 122:6.
The Street…….Now we believers have entered in through the gates into the city. So what do we see? According to John we see a “street” that is “…pure gold, as it were transparent glass,” Revelation 21:21.
Notice that the word is “street” [singular]. It is not “streets” [plural]. Apparently there is only one “street” which appears to be located at some point between the wall and the base of New Jerusalem which goes completely around the city on all four sides. Due to the size of the city itself, I can only presume that there are dozens or even hundreds of doorways or openings into the city from off the street.
The composition of the street is “pure gold” which has been purified to the point of transparency. In other words, this is a street of gold which will never blind the eyes of those who walk upon it with GREED. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
The Tree of Life…….The street going around New Jerusalem also apparently has spaces in the midst of the street where trees are planted. It is explicitly stated in 22:2 that “the tree of life” will grow “in the midst of the street…” What a beautiful street this must be, with these lovely trees [and probably many beautiful flowers] growing in the midst of the street, and yielding their fruit to God’s people every month. Remember that the very first promise given by our Lord to the “overcomer” in Revelation 2:7 says, “…To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
The “tree of life” is the same “species” of tree which the Lord planted in the Garden of Eden some 6,000 + years ago, Genesis 2:8-9. Not only will God’s people find “the tree of life” growing in New Jerusalem when we are resurrected and caught up to glory, but AFTER the Tribulation is over “the tree of life” will once more be planted on the earth itself during the Millennial Kingdom, Ezekiel 47:12.
Following the Tribulation the surviving people on earth will be contaminated and sick, and they will need “healing.” It is then more than coincidence that the Hebrew word translated as “medicine” in Ezekiel 47:12 literally means “healing.” But following the Millennial Kingdom the people living on earth will no longer be sick. Read Isaiah 33:24. All they will need is something to maintain their health. It is then no coincidence that the Greek word translated as “healing” in Revelation 22:2 literally means “health.”
Hallelujah! Our Lord and our God miss nothing in providing for the eternal welfare of those who truly love the Lord, 1 Corinthians 2:9.
In 22:14 the Lord Himself also pronounced this blessing, “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Read John 14:21 and 14:23-24. Glory and praise to the Lord! Thank you Lord Jesus for your great mercy in saving my soul!
The River of Life…….There is also in New Jerusalem “…a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,” 22:1. This “river” will apparently flow along side of the “street” in New Jerusalem, and on either side of the river will also grow “the tree of life.”
Has any reader ever experienced a greater sense of peace and tranquility than while sitting or lying down on the bank of a bubbling stream, under the shade of a beautiful tree, with lovely flowers sprinkled here and there in the grass, and listening to the sound of the stream and the singing of birds in the trees? Think about it! Now magnify this scene a thousand times and possibly it will come close to the peace and tranquility we believers will find in New Jerusalem as we walk the golden street, or just sit by the river, and praise and worship our wonderful Lord. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
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In Addition…..
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God,” 21:3.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away,” 21:4.
“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it,” 21:22.
“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,” 21:23.
“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there,” 21:25.
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him,” 22:3.
“And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads,” 22:4.
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever,” 22:5.
Conclusion
“And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as His work shall be.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last,
Blessed are they that wash their robes [LTTrA], that they may right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city,” 22:12-14.
“I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I AM the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star,” 22:16.
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” 22:20.
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NOTICE: Permission is granted to any true believer or any Bible believing Christian ministry to reproduce this study to share with others, or to quote from it in context as written.
Please address all comments, questions, and correspondence to: Pastor F. M. Riley, Last Call Gospel Ministry, 184 County Road 108, Harrisburg, Missouri 65256.
My email address is: fmrglbd5@yahoo.com or fmr7sngn@centurylink.net
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21.
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"New Jerusalem"
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New Jerusalem
The Eternal “Home” of the Bride
By Pastor F. M. Riley
May 26, 2010
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
Revelation 21:1-3
INTRODUCTION
As a young man I left home when I was only 17 years of age and went into public work. Three years later I married a precious young lady from my hometown and we began the process of establishing our own home as expected of young people. We lived in many different places over the years, brought our children into the world, and established our own family and home. But until both sets of our parents died we were always eager to return “home” to see and visit with our loved ones again. How precious are the memories of our return trips “home.” Whether we were approaching our hometown from the east or the west [no highways to the north or south], we could reach a certain hilltop along either highway and see “the lights of home.” How it thrilled our hearts to know that in a few more miles and a few more minutes we would be “home” again with our loved ones to once more enjoy a time of love and fellowship and sharing. As the old hymn says, “Precious memories, how they linger.” Glory to God!
Many years have come and gone since then. My parents, my wife’s parents, and most of the friends we once grew up with are gone, having passed into eternity. The wife of my youth is also now with the Lord. I no longer make the trip back to my hometown for there is nothing left there for me. Even the house I grew up in has now fallen into ruins.
Folks, I am “homesick!” I am more than ready to go “home!” I mean to my real eternal “home” which the Lord has “prepared” for me, and for all true believers, John 14:1-3. In this present world we true believers are only “strangers and pilgrims” having no certain dwelling place, but we seek one to come, Hebrews 11:8-16; Romans 4:1-16; Galatians 3:6-7. Well I have “good news” for every true believer…..
Just as I once could top a certain hill in days long past and see “the lights of home” in the distance, so even now by the grace of God and through the “…sure Word of prophecy…” [2 Peter 1:19] I can again see “the lights of home” [my eternal home] beckoning in the distance. Heaven is calling! I have a great host of loved ones and friends there in glory, including many brothers and sisters in Christ whom I have never met. They are all waiting for me, and for all of the Lord’s people, to come “home.”
In this study I now want to tell our readers about our “eternal home” in glory which the Lord has “prepared for them that love Him,” John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. Let’s just take a mental and spiritual visit to our eternal “home”…….
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IDENTIFYING OUR HOME
What is New Jerusalem? Many of God’s people never study the Scriptures carefully enough to realize that New Jerusalem is “the Father’s house.” This is the exact statement the Lord Himself used in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions [abiding places]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Notice that the word “house” in this passage is singular. It is not plural. Each time the “house” of the Father in Heaven is referred to in the New Testament, it is always spoken of in the singular. See such passages as Matthew 10:25, 24:45, Luke 12:42, Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 2:19, and 2 Timothy 2:19-20.
I am emphasizing this to point out a truth in Revelation 21 – 22 that is generally overlooked or ignored. There is ONLY ONE BUILDING in New Jerusalem. I know this will upset some of the grandiose artist conceptions picturing a great golden city with thousands of “mansions” for all of the redeemed, but I have no apology to make to anyone. I am going to be true to what the inspired Word actually and literally says, rather than what someone would like to make it say. New Jerusalem is “the Father’s house.” In that great golden “house” there is an “abiding place” for every one of His children, and a very special place the Lord has “prepared” for His “bride.”
Now be honest with yourself! Would you rather dwell all alone in some great “mansion” in glory, or would you rather dwell with your “family” [your brothers and sisters in Christ]? Regardless of your answer, it won’t change God’s Word one iota. New Jerusalem is “the Father’s house,” and therefore it is the eternal “home” of all of God’s children. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
The Lord Jesus Christ many centuries ago explicitly told Peter and the disciples, “…I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Matthew 16:18. In John 14:2 the Lord said, “…I go to prepare a place for you.” In 1 Corinthians 3:9 the inspired Apostle stated to the Lord’s church, “For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” In Ephesians 2:20-22 the Lord’s church is told, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
It is then obvious from these Scriptures and others that could be cited, that the Lord is now, and has been all through the centuries of this dispensation, in the process of building His church. Further more, He is building it “a spiritual house” after “the patterns of things in the heavens,” Hebrews 9:23. See also Hebrews 8:5. In other words, the Lord’s church is being built in the likeness of New Jerusalem, the great “pattern” or “example” [type] in the heavens. Glory to God!
Just as New Jerusalem is built of many “precious stones” [Revelation 21:11; 21:19], so the Lord has been building His church throughout this dispensation using “living stones” redeemed by His own precious blood.
“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto
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you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed,” 1 Peter 2:4-8.
Now notice that seven times in the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is referred to as “the head of the corner” or “the chief corner stone.” See Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11, Luke 20:17-18, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and 1 Peter 2:6-7. Both expressions mean basically the same thing in the Greek text. They literally mean that the Lord Jesus Christ is both the “corner stone” and “the head” or “capstone” of the building that is being constructed. Remember that this “spiritual” building being constructed is based on the “pattern” of New Jerusalem in the heavens. Now what type of architectural building is there in the world in which the “corner stone” is also the “capstone” of the building? Well…??
Folks, there is only one kind of architecture in the world where the “corner stone” of a building is also the “capstone” of the building. That kind of building is A PYRAMID. Is it then just coincidence that every single Satanic, demonic, pagan, religious organization throughout human history, including even the Illuminati today, have always been involved with pyramids? Why? Because evil spirits KNOW that the capitol city of Almighty God, New Jerusalem, from which He rules all of His creation, IS A GREAT GOLDEN PYRAMID. The wicked and rebellious have attempted again and again through the centuries to “counterfeit” New Jerusalem, and replace the “capstone” on the pyramid with an evil capstone of their own design. See the U.S. one dollar bill for an example of this very truth. Now my question to every reader is, “If the wicked can see this truth and have repeatedly attempted to counterfeit it, then why is it that those who claim to be true believers cannot see it even though it is repeatedly set forth in God’s Word?” Well…??
Folks, the architectural design of New Jerusalem, the eternal “home” of every true believer, is A GREAT GOLDEN PYRAMID with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself being the “head [stone] of the corner,” Matthew 21:42. Read Revelation 21:11 and 21:23, and let the glorious truth stated there permeate your heart and your mind. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
THE PRESENT LOCATION
New Jerusalem is already in existence! This statement will probably invoke the righteous indignation of some “scholars.” Some will insist that there is no mention of New Jerusalem in God’s Word until Revelation 21 - 22, therefore it cannot already be in existence. Pardon me! New Jerusalem is God’s “house” in the heavens. Almighty God is not simply “camping out” on some planet in the universe.
The inspired Word explicitly states, “The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try the children of men,” Psalm 11:4. This Scripture explicitly states that He is “in His holy temple,” and that His “throne is “in heaven.” So where are His Temple and His throne?
Psalm 103:19 explicitly states, “The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.”
Psalm 8:1 says that the Lord “…hast set Thy glory above the heavens.” Our readers will find a similar statement in Psalm 57:5, 57:11, 108:4-5, 113:4, and 148:13. See also Ephesians 4:10. These passages make it clear that somewhere out in the vastness of space, the “heavens” that men see today do end and there “above the heavens” is located New Jerusalem. In it is the “temple” and “throne” of Almighty God from which He looks out over and rules the entire universe.
This truth is verified by the inspired Apostle in Galatians 4:26 which explicitly says,
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“But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Glory to God!
Further, during the 56 years that I have been in the Lord’s ministry, I have met several
of God’s people who have had “death” or “near death” experiences who have shared with
me their personal testimonies of visiting New Jerusalem, and who were then sent back to finish the work that the Lord had for them. I am not talking about religious “nut cases.” I am talking about solid, sound minded, dedicated Christian people whose testimonies I have no reason whatsoever to doubt.
THE PRESENT PURPOSE
The eternal souls of every deceased true believer from Adam to the present are now abiding in that beautiful city of God. This is the city that the eternal soul of every saved person ascends to upon the death of their physical body. Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-9.
At the “appointed time” for the resurrection and rapture of New Testament believers to occur, the Lord will take His children directly from earth to that beautiful city of God. There in that glorious golden city, we will literally see and experience for ourselves the events recorded by John the Revelator in Revelation 4 – 5 and subsequent passages. New Jerusalem will be the eternal “home” of the “glorified saints,” and the “headquarters” to which we will return again and again during the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom.
What many of God’s people do not realize is that New Testament believers are a special “species” of human being; a completely “new creation” in Christ Jesus. See James 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 3:27-28, 6:15, and Colossians 3:11. Through the process of the “new birth” [John 3:3-7] God is creating a new species of mankind within which He places His own “divine nature,” 2 Peter 1:4. This is why over and over again New Testament believers are referred to as “sons of God.” We New Testament believers are being “created in Christ Jesus” for the specific purpose of taking charge of the role which the angels of God presently fill.
Any true believer who has ever seriously studied the role of the angels know that all of God’s creation was originally placed under the administration of the angels, with the “anointed cherub” of Ezekiel 28:11-19 being the angel in charge. But the “anointed cherub,” through his own “free will” and PRIDE in himself, rebelled against God and led one-third of the angelic hosts into rebellion with him. Yes, he is the one we know today as “Satan,” Revelation 12:7-9.
But because of this angelic rebellion, Almighty God determined to remove the administration of the earth and all of His creation out of the hands of angels and place it under the authority and administration of God’s own “sons.” Read Hebrews 2:5-10, Psalm 8:1-9, Romans 8:9-23, and Philippians 3:20-21, and let the truths stated there permeate your very hearts, minds, and souls. Then lift up your hearts to the Lord in prayer and THANK HIM for the marvelous GRACE that he has bestowed upon true New Testament believers who were once only totally undeserving sinners. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Thank you Lord Jesus! Praise You Holy Father!
Now at this present time Almighty God is only awaiting His own “appointed time” to bring New Jerusalem down out of the heavens and dwell with men. Read Ephesians 1:3-12 and rejoice!
THE APPOINTED TIME
It is glaringly obvious from a simple study of the context that New Jerusalem comes “down from God out of heaven” AFTER the 1,000 years Millennial Kingdom, AFTER Satan has been cast into the lake of fire, and AFTER the great white throne judgment is over. This will be the beginning of the Eternal Age. Why at that particular time? Because it is at that time that all SIN and REBELLION will have been totally removed
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from the Kingdom of God.
When the Tribulation is brought to an end by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ back to the earth, there will be people who have survived the Tribulation. This truth is made plain by “The Judgment of the Gentiles” recorded in Matthew 25:31-46 [and other Old Testament prophecies]. The people gathered before the Lord at this judgment will be people still alive in their natural bodies. The result of that judgment will be that those who are determined to be wicked and unbelieving will be cast “into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” 25:41; 25:46. But the “sheep” on the Lord’s right hand [25:31-34] will be Gentile survivors of the Tribulation who will have received the Lord as Savior when they see Him coming in the clouds of heaven at the end of the Tribulation, Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7. These “sheep” Gentiles will then enter the Millennial Kingdom in their natural bodies, 25:34; 25:46.
Here I want to point out a truth that most of God’s people either overlook or ignore in studying this subject…..
The Jewish Remnant…….The “sin nature” will be totally removed from the redeemed Jewish “remnant” who survive the Tribulation, and they will enter into the Millennial Kingdom in their natural bodies no longer having a “sin nature.” Scriptural proof of this is given over and over again if God’s people would seriously study the prophetic Word.
In Jeremiah 31:33-34 the Scriptures explicitly state, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” See also Hebrews 8:10-12.
SIN and the “sin nature” are real! This is not just a “theological” term men use to describe conduct unacceptable to society. SIN is presently in the blood stream of humanity! In the process of procreation the “sin nature” is “passed” from the father to his offspring, Romans 5:12.
Now look at what the Scriptures explicitly state about the Jewish “remnant” who will turn to the Lord with their whole heart during the Tribulation, Zechariah 13:8-9. In Joel 3:20-21, “But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.” At the end of the Tribulation when that Jewish “remnant” turns to the Lord with their whole heart, even the “sin nature” will be removed from their natural bodies FOR EVER. They will be restored to the same “sinless state” that Adam and Eve were in before the fall, having NO SIN NATURE!
Listen again to what is explicitly stated about the Jewish remnant in Zephaniah 3:13, “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Glory to God! Praise the Lord!
In Isaiah 60:21 it is explicitly stated, “Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.” Glory to God! Praise the Lord!
The Gentiles…….On the other hand, the redeemed Gentiles who survive the Tribulation will still have a “sin nature” remaining in their natural bodies. Their “sin nature” will not be removed at the end of the Tribulation. They will enter into the Millennial Kingdom saved by God’s grace, but still possessing a “sin nature.” During the 1,000 years of the Millennial Kingdom they will procreate, thereby passing their “sin
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nature” on to their children, Psalm 92:12-14; Isaiah 60:22. Then under the most ideal conditions physically, mentally, environmentally, and spiritually, which have ever existed in human history, with the Lord Himself ruling and reigning over humanity in Jerusalem, some of the offspring of these surviving Gentiles will still absolutely refuse to turn to the Lord for salvation. This should give God’s people some insight into just how very real and evil is the heart of unredeemed men, having a “sin nature” which they have no power to control. Read Jeremiah 17:9 again. This truth is made quite clear in Isaiah 65:20 where the Scripture explicitly states, “…for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.” In other words, during the Millennial Kingdom the unsaved will be allotted 100 years to turn to the Lord for salvation. If they refuse to do so within that 100 year period, their life will be “cut off” and they will spend eternity in hell. Read Revelation 2:26-27, 12:5, and 19:15.
Notice that Zechariah 14:16-19 makes it obvious that “some,” even during the Millennial Kingdom, will attempt to resist and disobey the Lord.
This same truth is verified yet again in Revelation 20:7-9, where at the end of the Millennial Kingdom Satan is loosed and deceives the unsaved people of Gog and Magog into following him, “…the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” I would point out that during the Millennial Kingdom anyone a hundred years of age or under will be regarded as a mere “child,” and that every “sinner” [unsaved person] will be “cut off” when they reach 100 years of age, Isaiah 65:20. It is then obvious that this final Gog – Magog rebellion led by Satan AFTER the Millennium will be a youth movement. Sic! Satan has always chosen the young, impressionable, minds of the youth to deceive and carry out his evil purposes. Read Proverbs 22:15 and take it to heart!
I have pointed out these truths to emphasize THE HOLINESS OF GOD. Almighty God [God the Father] is “…of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…,” Habakkuk 1:13. The absolute “holiness” and “purity” of Almighty God is why He turned His back on His own beloved Son as He hung on the cross, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Christ was being made “SIN,” and His Father refused to look upon Him as He suffered, bled, and died, bearing OUR JUDGMENT in His own body. Read Psalm 22:1-3 and Isaiah 38:17. The Father in Heaven deals with mankind ONLY in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who became man to deal with “sin” in man on our behalf. Read John 14:6 again, and this time let the truth stated there soak in. The ONLY WAY the Father in Heaven will ever look upon sin is in anger, wrath, and judgment, Revelation 14:7; 14:9-10; 15:1; 16:1-21.
This is the reason why the Father will not “come down” out of Heaven until AFTER SIN has been totally removed from the earth. The Scripture explicitly states that the Lord Jesus Christ “…must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,” 1 Corinthians 15:25-28. Therefore it will ONLY be when all sin and rebellion on the earth has been totally subdued, conquered, judged, and removed by our beloved Savior, that New Jerusalem will come “down from God out of Heaven” and “God Himself” shall “tabernacle…with men.” Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Thank you precious Lord Jesus!
THE FUTURE LOCATION
New Jerusalem, contrary to what is “traditionally” taught, WILL NOT sit on the surface of the earth. Rather, it will come down out of the heavens far enough to settle into a fixed orbit above the earth, eternally hovering right over earthly Jerusalem and the land of Israel as it orbits the earth. There are several reasons for this, all of which are
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explicitly stated, explained, or clearly implied, in the inspired Scriptures.
The Dimensions…….First, notice the size and dimensions of New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:16 states, “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.” I have already pointed out in this study that New Jerusalem will be a GREAT GOLDEN PYRAMID. It should be easy for any reader to understand how the length, breadth, and height of a pyramid can all be exactly the same dimensions.
The Weight…….Second, the Scriptures also state, “…and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass,” 21:18. Gold is one of the heaviest metals known to mankind. Even gold “purified” to this extent would still have to be tremendously heavy, considering the dimensions of New Jerusalem.
Look up these measurements and the weight of gold in a good reference book and calculate this for yourself. Yes, I most certainly do take the dimensions given for this city and the statements made about the material from which it is constructed as literal truth. I find no Scriptural reason for doing otherwise.
New Jerusalem will be approximately 1,500 MILES in length, breadth, and height, each measurement being exactly the same. Since gold is one of the heaviest metals known to man, the weight of the city is incalculable.
It is then obvious that there is no place on the surface of the earth which would support the weight of such a building. In addition the height of the city, if it were to set down on the earth, would throw the entire earth out of balance as it revolves on its axis, causing the earth to leave its orbit and go careening wildly through space. I don’t believe for a moment that the Lord ever intended for New Jerusalem to sit down on the surface of the earth, and no where in this inspired description is it ever stated or even implied that it does sit on the earth.
John’s View…….Third, Revelation 21:2 states, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Then in 21:10 John says, “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”
Both of these passages make it clear that John could see New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven towards the earth. The latter passage states that John was taken up into a “high mountain” to view the city descending. Why was John taken to a “high mountain”? Most artist conceptions of this Scripture show John standing on a high mountain looking down on New Jerusalem sitting somewhere [?] on the earth. Pshaw! That IS NOT even what this Scripture says! John explicitly said that from his vantage point on the high mountain, he saw the city “descending.” John was obviously looking UP! Some folks need to learn to read, or at the very least to pay attention to what they are reading. God have mercy!
Now why was John taken to a “high mountain” to view this scene? Obviously for the same reason that almost all observatories are built on high mountains today; in order to escape as much interference as possible from earth’s lights and atmosphere. This enables astronomers to see more clearly as they study the heavens. John, standing on that “high mountain” above the lower atmosphere and humidity of the earth, could see more clearly New Jerusalem as it descended towards the earth from the heavens above. Glory to God!
The Light…….Fourth, notice the statement in Revelation 21:24, “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it…” This clearly implies that New Jerusalem will be like “a second moon” in the sky, shining its light down upon the earth. Am I reading an “opinion” into this Scripture? Let’s just see…..
In Isaiah 60:19-20, when speaking of the earthly Jerusalem and the land of Israel, the
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Scriptures explicitly state, “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” These inspired Scriptures DO NOT say that the sun and moon will go out of existence. That would not be in harmony with other inspired Scriptures which clearly state that the sun and moon will endure for ever. What these Scriptures DO SAY is that the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem will no longer receive their light from the sun by day and the moon by night. New Jerusalem will be in a “fixed orbit” in the heavens above the land of Israel, and that entire land will be lighted by “the glory of God” shining down upon it both day and night. Praise the Lord!
All of these Scriptural truths taken together should make it clear to any honest reader that the future location of New Jerusalem will be above the earth in plain visible sight of those dwelling upon the earth, and it will literally come to pass that “the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it,” Revelation 21:24. Glory to God!
Further, the glorified “sons of God” who will be ruling and reigning on the earth with the Lord Jesus Christ, shall then go back and forth between earth and New Jerusalem, even as the angels of God do today, reporting to and worshipping Almighty God, and bringing into New Jerusalem “the glory and honor of the nations” over which they are reigning, Revelation 21:26. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Glory to God!
THE BEAUTY OF OUR ETERNAL HOME
New Jerusalem is the dwelling place of God Himself, and therefore it is the most beautiful city that God Himself is capable of creating. I remind our readers that no letter or book ever written, not even the personal testimony of an eye witness, nor even a photograph, can ever adequately convey the reality that comes when we actually see and experience a thing for ourselves. God’s wonderful inspired Word is but His own “love letter” to His people, describing to them the wonderful “home” that He has prepared for all those who love Him in truth. No matter how well the beauty of New Jerusalem is described by John, nor how well I describe it for our readers, the reality of seeing that city with our own eyes and entering into it for ourselves will cause these written descriptions to pale into insignificance. But I will try…..
The Glory of God…….The very first thing John saw and spoke of in describing the beauty of New Jerusalem is that “the glory of God” radiates forth from that celestial city, Revelation 21:11. The Greek word translated as glory in this verse literally means “shining radiance.” In other words, the entire city will radiate light outward from the glory of God Himself. I might add that this same “shining radiance” will shine forth from the “glorified body” of every true believer following the resurrection and rapture of God’s people. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Thank you Lord Jesus!
Notice that John describes the “glory of God” emanating from New Jerusalem as being like “light” from “a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” The jeweler’s manuals which I have consulted show various colors for Jasper stones according to the quality of the particular stone. However, all of the manuals I consulted agree that a top quality Jasper stone is a beautiful BLOOD RED stone. In other words, the light shining forth from this city will be “blood red,” yet clear as crystal. And why should it be otherwise? In 21:23 John explicitly says that “the Lamb is the light thereof.” In other words, “the light” that lights up this entire city shines forth from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The color of that light will serve as an eternal reminder to
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every person who enters there that their access to New Jerusalem was purchased for them by the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to God! Thank you Lord!
The Wall…….The next thing John mentioned is the wall which surrounds the city on all four sides, 21:12-14. John said that the wall is “great and high,” 21:12. The height of this wall is given precisely in 21:17 as being “a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of man, that is, of the angel.” It is interesting that John specified that the cubit used here is according to “the angel” that was speaking with him. Study this carefully! The angel [angelos…messenger] that was speaking with John was a man. In fact, he was one of the prophets of God. Compare 21:9 and 22:8-9. Which prophet? I don’t know! But I accept God’s Word as literal truth.
A fact not well known, but which can be easily documented, is that the Jews had a “sacred cubit” which was used in constructing the Tabernacle, and later Solomon’s Temple. Their “sacred cubit” was 25 inches to a cubit. Now multiply the 144 cubit height of this wall by 25 to determine the height in inches and then divide by 12 to determine the height in feet. This “wall great and high” around New Jerusalem is then 300 feet high. Isn’t it interesting that this was the height of the wall around ancient Babylon, the pagan city of Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar? Obviously these wicked ancient pagan kings tried to “counterfeit” the wall around the city of God, just as the wicked have tried through the centuries to “counterfeit” nearly everything God has done.
I would remind our readers that around the ancient Jewish Tabernacle there was a courtyard with a wall made of curtains or “hangings….. of fine twined linen,” Exodus 27:9-19. These curtains were five cubits in length or a little over ten feet in height when hung on their pillars. The same truth also applied to the Temple built by Solomon. There was a wall around the courtyard of the Temple, 1 Kings 7:12; 2 Chronicles 4:9. These walls prevented anyone on the outside from seeing what was occurring on the inside. If one wanted to know what was going on inside those walls, then they had to enter into the courtyard through the ONLY entrance. The entrance was 20 cubits in width hanging on four pillars covered by three curtains of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework, Exodus 27:16. “20” is the Bible number for “redemption.” “4” is the Bible number for “humanity.”
The entrance typified the “humanity” of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ in eternity past emptied Himself of His position with His Father in Heaven in order to become human, Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:14-15; John 17:5. Christ was [and still is] the sinless “man” who could and did pay the sin debt of humanity which no fallen man was able to pay. He is therefore God’s ONLY way of salvation, John 14:6. Anyone who then enters within the wall around New Jerusalem will only be privileged to do so through having personally received salvation through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that brings us to the COLOR of the wall.
The wall around New Jerusalem is entirely composed of JASPER STONE, 22:18. In other words, the color of the wall is BLOOD RED. Just one glance at this beautiful wall will remind every believer who enters that city, that they do so because Christ LOVED US enough that He was willing to shed His precious blood to obtain our eternal redemption. Glory to God! Praise the Lord! Thank you precious Lord!
The Foundations …..But John wasn’t through with the wall yet….. In 21:14 he states that the wall rests on “twelve foundations.” In each of these foundations are engraved for all eternity “the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Remember that New Jerusalem is the special “home” of the bride of Christ; the Lord’s church, John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:2; 21:9-10. Now go back and read Ephesians 2:19-22. Doesn’t this passage explicitly state that the Lord’s church is “…built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone”? You know it does! Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
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I make no claim to knowing how these foundations are arranged, and the inspired Word doesn’t tell us. But it appears to me that the foundations underlie the wall arranged as steps leading up to the gates, each foundation resting on top of the preceding foundation. The reason I am emphasizing this is because of John’s description of the foundations. In 21:19 John states “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper…” There is that COLOR again…..BLOOD RED!
Folks, what all of this portrays is that New Jerusalem is typically covered from above by the precious blood of Christ through the light radiating forth from the city, is typically surrounded by the precious blood of Christ through the wall surrounding the city, and is typically protected from beneath by the precious blood of Christ through the first foundation upon which the wall of the city rests. How much more secure can God’s people be who will call this city their eternal “home”? What a glorious “memorial” to the precious blood of Christ! Glory to God! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
The Gates…….The next things mentioned by John are the 12 gates in the wall, three gates in each of the four sides of the wall around New Jerusalem. Standing at each of these gates is an angel, apparently either as the present guardian of the gate or as the angel who in the future will greet believers as we enter into the city. Praise the Lord!
These gates have to be majestic and magnificent in beauty. In 21:21 John says that “…the twelve gates were [are] twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl…” Notice that in this sentence John emphasized this statement TWICE. Each of these gates are constructed of ONE GIGANTIC PEARL. Ho boy! Men claim this is impossible! Have you read Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37, or 18:27 lately? Almighty God created the oyster, so He is perfectly capable of creating the pearl, Genesis 1:20-23. Glory to God!
Any reader who has ever studied the process by which pearls are formed should know that pearls are formed of living organic tissue from the body of the oyster itself in an attempt to alleviate the pain and suffering caused by foreign matter entering into the oyster’s shell. This foreign matter, such as a minute pebble or a grain of sand enters the shell of the oyster, and causes great irritation and pain to the oyster. In an effort to alleviate the pain, the oyster begins to wrap layer after layer of its own living tissue around the foreign particle. As time passes the layers build up and become hard, thus forming a pearl. Now read Psalm 103:13-14 and let the truth stated there soak in. The Lord was not satisfied with the fallen condition of mankind. Our fallen condition caused Him great anguish and pain. So in order to alleviate that pain in His own body, He made the sacrifice required to make every true believer a part of His own body, 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:15-16. Glory to God! Praise the Lord for His mercy!
These pearls from which the gates are constructed must be the most perfect, PURE WHITE, pearls which will ever be seen by redeemed mankind. This speaks of the absolute “purity” of all who enter through these gates into New Jerusalem, for the Scriptures explicitly state that without “holiness…..no man shall see the Lord,” Hebrews 12:14, 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,” Revelation 21:27. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
Notice also that on or above every gate is engraved the names of one of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, 21:12. This is to remind every true believer that God called and chose the nation and people of Israel to reveal His glory to the other nations of the earth. Read Romans 11:29. Every blessing of God that has ever come to us Gentile believers has come to us through the Jewish people. Some of God’s people today need to be reminded again of this truth. Had not the Lord found “a remnant” in Israel that was willing to follow the Lord with their whole heart and be used of Him to give His Word to
mankind, we Gentiles might already be in the depths of hell today. Yes, I love the Jewish
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people! In His humanity my Savior was a Jew. How could I then not love and pray for the salvation of “His brethren”? Read Psalm 122:6.
The Street…….Now we believers have entered in through the gates into the city. So what do we see? According to John we see a “street” that is “…pure gold, as it were transparent glass,” Revelation 21:21.
Notice that the word is “street” [singular]. It is not “streets” [plural]. Apparently there is only one “street” which appears to be located at some point between the wall and the base of New Jerusalem which goes completely around the city on all four sides. Due to the size of the city itself, I can only presume that there are dozens or even hundreds of doorways or openings into the city from off the street.
The composition of the street is “pure gold” which has been purified to the point of transparency. In other words, this is a street of gold which will never blind the eyes of those who walk upon it with GREED. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
The Tree of Life…….The street going around New Jerusalem also apparently has spaces in the midst of the street where trees are planted. It is explicitly stated in 22:2 that “the tree of life” will grow “in the midst of the street…” What a beautiful street this must be, with these lovely trees [and probably many beautiful flowers] growing in the midst of the street, and yielding their fruit to God’s people every month. Remember that the very first promise given by our Lord to the “overcomer” in Revelation 2:7 says, “…To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
The “tree of life” is the same “species” of tree which the Lord planted in the Garden of Eden some 6,000 + years ago, Genesis 2:8-9. Not only will God’s people find “the tree of life” growing in New Jerusalem when we are resurrected and caught up to glory, but AFTER the Tribulation is over “the tree of life” will once more be planted on the earth itself during the Millennial Kingdom, Ezekiel 47:12.
Following the Tribulation the surviving people on earth will be contaminated and sick, and they will need “healing.” It is then more than coincidence that the Hebrew word translated as “medicine” in Ezekiel 47:12 literally means “healing.” But following the Millennial Kingdom the people living on earth will no longer be sick. Read Isaiah 33:24. All they will need is something to maintain their health. It is then no coincidence that the Greek word translated as “healing” in Revelation 22:2 literally means “health.”
Hallelujah! Our Lord and our God miss nothing in providing for the eternal welfare of those who truly love the Lord, 1 Corinthians 2:9.
In 22:14 the Lord Himself also pronounced this blessing, “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Read John 14:21 and 14:23-24. Glory and praise to the Lord! Thank you Lord Jesus for your great mercy in saving my soul!
The River of Life…….There is also in New Jerusalem “…a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,” 22:1. This “river” will apparently flow along side of the “street” in New Jerusalem, and on either side of the river will also grow “the tree of life.”
Has any reader ever experienced a greater sense of peace and tranquility than while sitting or lying down on the bank of a bubbling stream, under the shade of a beautiful tree, with lovely flowers sprinkled here and there in the grass, and listening to the sound of the stream and the singing of birds in the trees? Think about it! Now magnify this scene a thousand times and possibly it will come close to the peace and tranquility we believers will find in New Jerusalem as we walk the golden street, or just sit by the river, and praise and worship our wonderful Lord. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
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In Addition…..
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God,” 21:3.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away,” 21:4.
“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it,” 21:22.
“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,” 21:23.
“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there,” 21:25.
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him,” 22:3.
“And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads,” 22:4.
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever,” 22:5.
Conclusion
“And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as His work shall be.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last,
Blessed are they that wash their robes [LTTrA], that they may right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city,” 22:12-14.
“I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I AM the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star,” 22:16.
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” 22:20.
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NOTICE: Permission is granted to any true believer or any Bible believing Christian ministry to reproduce this study to share with others, or to quote from it in context as written.
Please address all comments, questions, and correspondence to: Pastor F. M. Riley, Last Call Gospel Ministry, 184 County Road 108, Harrisburg, Missouri 65256.
My email address is: fmrglbd5@yahoo.com or fmr7sngn@centurylink.net
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21.
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Rapture Of The Church On Feast Of Trumpets 2010
Yeshua IS coming to take ALL of his followers to Heaven SOON!!!
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