The last two chapters of The Revelation of Jesus Christ are about "new"
things. We have a "new" heaven (21:1), a "new" earth (21:1) and a "new" Jerusalem. What has been a nearly
continuous dialogue of depressing judgments now turns into colorful
images depicting abundance both physically (21:9-21)
and spiritually (21:22-27).
There are many inferences to Old Testament passages as Alan F. Johnson
in his book, "Revelation" points out:
"Most of John's imagery in this chapter
reflects Isaiah
60 and 65 and Ezekiel
40-48. John weaves Isaiah's vision of the New Jerusalem together
with Ezekiel's vision of the new temple. The multiple Old Testament
promises converging in John's mind seem to indicate that he viewed the
new Jerusalem as the fulfillment of all these strands of prophecy.
There are also allusions to Genesis
1-3: the absence of death and suffering, the dwelling of God with
men as in Eden, the tree of life, the removal of the curse, etc.
Creation is restored to its pristine character."
One concludes that we are being shown the eternal dwelling place of
believers (overcomers) who are the bride of Christ. Jesus said He was
going to prepare this place (John
14:1-4); now we get to imagine it first hand. The redemption of the
present day heaven and earth from the sin curse is completed. The Devil
and all evil have been consigned to the lake of fire. Let us now
imagine the "new" eternal life we will experience!
1 Then I saw
a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
Then I saw a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH,
From the rest of this chapter's descriptions of the NEW JERUSALEM, we
understand that this is "NEW" as in a "NEW" kind of HEAVEN and
EARTH. This "NEW" HEAVEN and EARTH are not tainted by evil (2
Peter 3:8-13-13). The NEW HEAVEN and NEW EARTH may not even obey
the current laws of physics. The theoretical physicist, Dirac, in 1928
proposed the existence of a positively charge particle, named positron,
which was the opposite of a negatively charge electron. In 1932,
Anderson experimentally observed the conversion of a photon into an
electron and a positron pair. In 1955, an antiproton was produced in
experiments with high-energy particles from accelerators. With
these experiments which showed the existence of "antimatter", one could
speculate all matter has an antimatter form, and that this antimatter
if collected into a region in the universe could make up antimatter
galaxies, for example. One should not go too much beyond this
"antimatter" thinking, however, as verse 17 points
out, we (and the angels) still are making measurements on a current
human scale.
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
As Isaiah
24:1-5-6 shows us, this first heaven and first earth are
polluted. They contained and were contaminated by evil. For this
reason, the first heaven and first earth had to flee away from a pure,
righteous God (Revelation 20:11).
and there is no longer ANY SEA.
The NEW EARTH will NOT have a SEA or place for evil to live. In an
interesting extension, this implies that the NEW HEAVEN and NEW EARTH
are not in our solar system. The Mars Rovers have proven that there
is/was
water on Mars, and water has been speculated for other moons orbiting
other planets. One concludes then that the last two chapters of
Revelation are almost entirely spiritual. However, since John SAW this
NEW HEAVEN and NEW EARTH, it must have some physical dimensions (see
verses 16,18,and
21).
Often in our earlier discussions, we have pointed out that water is the
container of spirits. If one adds in the blood, we find that these
three, the Spirit and the water and the blood, bear witness to Jesus
Christ (1
John 5:6-11) and His ability to give us eternal life (or access to
this NEW HEAVEN and NEW EARTH). There are two kinds of water.
There is Good Water (Revelation 22:1) and
Evil Water (Revelation
12:10-17). Let's look at a few examples of the relationship
between water and spirit(s):
Example of
water and spirit relationship.
Kind of Water
References
At creation, the Spirit of God
was moving over the surface of the waters. Heaven is formed in the
expanse between the waters.
Those who are anointed or chosen
of God are protected from coming into contact with water.
a) The chosen people leave Egypt through the Red Sea on
dry land; pursuing Egyptians drown.
b) The chosen people entering into the Promised Land
crossing the Jordan River.
c) Elijah and Elisha cross the parted Jordan River.
This is not an exhaustive list where water is referred to in spiritual
overtones. As you study the Word of God, you will find many references
to water and its uses in judgment. You also will find good water put to
use; although, those references are rarer.
2I saw the Holy City,
the
new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride
beautifully dressed for her husband.
I
saw the HOLY CITY, the NEW JERUSALEM,
From the previous verse, we can imply that this is a
NEW kind of JERUSALEM from the NEW HEAVEN. The term, HOLY CITY, denotes
that it will be the center of spirituality. In the previous earth,
JERUSALEM also was referred to as the HOLY CITY, but it had one thing
wrong with it. It was tainted by evil. It was where prophets were
murdered (Luke
13:31-34-35), it was where Jesus Christ was crucified (Luke
23:26-28-31), and it was where the two witnesses were killed (Revelation 11:8).
This is the place where believers are housed eternally forever (Hebrews
12:18-22-29). What distinguished this NEW JERUSALEM is that John
saw it
coming down out of HEAVEN from GOD,
This HOLY CITY is pure and righteous. In fact, it is pure enough for
God Himself to live in (next verse). This HOLY CITY
was the place Abraham by faith was looking for (Hebrews
11:8-10-16-22). And this HOLY CITY is
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
This is Dad's wedding gift to His son. We studied about the marriage
supper (Revelation
19:1-10), and now this is the permanent address for the HOLY
Couple. Much of the rest of this chapter (verses
9-27) will describe Dad's gift in more detail.
3And I heard a loud voice from
the
throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live
with
them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be
their God.
And I heard a loud voice from the THRONE saying, "NOW
To hear a loud voice from the THRONE indicates that this message has
the full authority of GOD. In this verse and the next verse, our
citizenship in the new earth and new heaven is confirmed (Philippians
3:17-21). Even with this very directed message from the THRONE, we
are
encouraged, yes, even demanded to listen up because the word, BEHOLD,
precedes the message.
the
DWELLING of God is with men,
This is a continuity verse inasmuch that we see the
TABERNACLE again here in the new earth. God is never changing; so the
earthly TABERNACLE described to and set up by Moses (Exodus
25-31,35-40) is patterned after the one in heaven at creation time.
This same TABERNACLE will be around for eternity.
Having said this, the TABERNACLE is clearly spiritual in
nature. It,
over all time, defines where we worship and serve God. It is
exclusively for our SPIRITUAL MAN, and as we will see later in verse
22, it is equal to GOD Himself.
and he will LIVE with them.
During this current period of grace on this earth,
Jesus Christ is our mediator (1
Timothy 2:1-5-7). Now in the new earth,
He is one of us as our
sibling; and DWELLING among "them"/us makes this His kingdom (Psalm
145:8-13, 146:8-10) for ALL who are His. Furthermore, this is Jesus
Christ serving men (Luke
12:35-40) and men serving Jesus Christ; in
other words, this is an eternally pure SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP!
They will be HIS PEOPLE,
This has always been true for the sons of Israel
(Ezekiel
43:6-7-9), but in this context, "they" means all who are heirs
with Jesus Christ of this new earth (Romans
8:12-17).
and God Himself will be with them and be their
God.
With evil totally vanquished from this new heaven and
new earth, GOD HIMSELF can be right among us (Leviticus
26:1-11-12-13).
This thought just totally overwhelms our comprehension because we see
it and understand(?) it with sin-tainted minds and hearts. In this new
earth environment, we will experience what Adam and Eve experienced in
the Garden of Eden (Genesis
3:8-13), and what the disciples and all
those who came in contact with Jesus Christ when He walked among men on
this present earth (Colossians
2:8-9-15) experienced.
Only now can we see Jesus' teaching "Blessed are the
PURE in heart, for they
shall see God" (Matthew
5:1-8-12) fulfilled.
4 He will wipe every tear from
their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away."
He will wipe EVERY TEAR from their eyes.
We are seeing the effect
of sin and evil when we see tears. It is a wonder in our eternal state
that Jesus Christ is able to remove EVERY TEAR for each sin or
evil committed by us (Romans
3:21-23-30) or by someone dear to us. It shows that Jesus' earthly
sojourn and the price He paid on Calvary truly was for eternity.
This phrase confirms the promise made to the tribulation
saints (Revelation 7:17).
Carrying on our theme of the role of water, the absence of
EVERY TEAR confirms that there is NO WATER in which evil could possibly
dwell in the new earth.
There
will be no more DEATH or
Sin no longer exists in
the new heaven and new earth, so there are no wages to be paid (Romans
6:15-23). Christ paid the wages that were due for us (Ephesians
2:1-10). Furthermore, where there is DEATH, by definition, there is
no eternity or forever.
MOURNING or
CRYING or PAIN,
The pain starts at
childbirth (Genesis
3:16). We continue to experience it throughout our present earthly
life. In the new earth and new heaven, these are removed. This brings
us to an interesting observation: what if mourning, or crying, or pain
were removed from our present earthly life. What would we have left?
For the unbeliever, there is a void. Perhaps that is the
reason the unbeliever searches for that mind bending high, for that
adrenaline rush, or for that supposed solace of suicide.
For the believer, there is an EXTREME JOY (1
Peter 1:3-8-9). There is a HOPE (Titus
3:1-7-8) for life in the new earth. There is a PEACE (Revelation 6:4, Ephesians
2:11-14-22). If you claim to be a believer and you are not
experiencing this JOY, HOPE, and PEACE, please reexamine your faith and
commitment to Jesus Christ.
for the OLD ORDER of THINGS has passed away."
The OLD ORDER of THINGS is changed when evil and sin are gone (verse 1).
Even before their downfall in Eden, Adam and Eve were still within "the
OLD ORDER of THINGS". While they walked and talked with God, they still
had
the possibility of temptation and sin (Genesis
2:7,8,15-24). Now in the new earth and new heaven with the OLD
ORDER of
THINGS passed away, there is no possibility of evil or sin. We will be
living in transformed spiritual bodies (1
Corinthians 15:35-57) that will inherit the imperishable.
5He who was seated on
the
throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this
down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
He who was seated on the THRONE said, "I am making EVERYTHING NEW!"
When the first heaven and earth were created, everything God did was
GOOD (Genesis
1:1-4-10-18-21-25-31). It was, in fact, "very good" until
evil entered in. God in His purity and righteousness would not permit
evil to go on forever, and thus He destroyed the first heaven and earth
(Revelation 20:11 and Revelation
21:1). God is making EVERYTHING NEW. We know this is God doing it
because He is the one sitting on the THRONE.
This is not a refurbishing of the first heaven and earth
because the Greek word used for NEW, kainos,
'involves not only newness in time but also the freshness of having a
completely different character.'aThis
implies a new set of physical laws where entropy is set aside. ALL
these NEW THINGS will last forever.
It is interesting to note that just as physicists and mathematicians
have put forth a unified
String Theory which is purported to describe how the first earth
and heaven (universe) are put together, God will make a NEW CREATION.
In Genesis, when the unified people wanted to become noted, they were
scattered (Genesis
11:1-9).
Then He said, "WRITE THIS DOWN, for these words are TRUSTWORTHY
and TRUE."
This is a reminder of the first time John was told to "WRITE" (Revelation 1:11). Even as that "WRITE" was
to the seven churches, this "WRITE", since it is in the same book of
the Revelation of Jesus Christ, remains for the churches. One gets the
sense that John, even though he probably knew Jesus better than anyone,
is so amazed at this NEW creation, he must be reminded to "WRITE".
While this MAKING-EVERYTHING-NEW concept is difficult for us to grasp,
it is
confirmed that the concept/reality is TRUSTWORTHY and TRUE. The new
heaven
and earth will exist after all the tribulation judgments are done (Revelation
6-18), the 1,000 years reign of Christ is finished (Revelation
20:4-6), and all will have faced the great WHITE THRONE (Revelation
20:11-15).
One last observation: those whose names are in the Book of Life somehow
are moved from the old earth to the new creation. Given that things of
a spiritual nature do not have the physical movement restrictions we
all know in this present earth, one can argue that this is entirely a
spiritual creation. However, the new earth will have a dimensioned NEW
JERUSALEM (Revelation
21:9-21). It apparently doesn't revolve around a NEW sun for there
is
no night there (Revelation
21:22-27). This implies that there is no
concept of time; time is meaningless in eternity. TRULY, this is a NEW
THING! a "What the Bible Teaches", Volume 10, Jim Allen,
page 508
6 He said to me: "It is done. I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is
thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water
of life.
He said to me: "IT IS DONE.
From the previous verse, we know that the 'He' speaking here is the
Lord God, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8 and
Revelation
4).
'IT IS DONE' signifies that the transition from the old earth/heaven to
the new earth/heaven is DONE (verse 1). Just like the
old creation was DONE (Genesis
2:1-3) and the work of redemption on the old earth is DONE (John
19:28-30), now the transition from old earth/heaven to new
earth/heaven is DONE.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the BEGINNING and the END.
This looks like a conundrum: the new earth/heaven is eternal with no
BEGINNING and no END, and yet we have a reference to a 'BEGINNING' and
an 'END'.
What we are seeing is that what Christ did in the old earth/heaven (Revelation 1:8) will transition through to
the new earth/heaven. Our redemption did not stop when the old
earth/heaven did (next verse). PRAISE
HIS NAME FOREVER, AMEN!
From old earth physics, we know of 4 dimensions: 3 of length and 1 of
time. Clearly in verse 1, we see the transition of
the 3 length dimensions. And here we can say that we see the transition
of time from finite (Alpha - Omega, BEGINNING - END) to the
infinite. Only God who is infinite knows how this happens; we can only
experience it (and I can't wait).
To him who is THIRSTY I will give to drink without cost from the
spring of the WATER OF LIFE.
This is the same kind of THIRST described in Psalm
42:1-2. It is a THIRST for the GOOD WATER OF LIFE provided by Jesus
Christ (1
John 5:6-12 and John
4:7-24). We see a connection to the presence of the Holy Spirit in
this GOOD WATER OF LIFE. Only in this chapter and in the next (Revelation
22:1,17) do we find reference to this WATER OF LIFE. Generally, the
WATER OF LIFE is withheld from old earthlings except for those
overcomers (next verse) who
accept Jesus Christ's redemptive work. This will be the most
precious commodity in the new earth/heaven on the other side of the
transition.
When one takes a broad look at this verse, we see confirmation of the
HOLY TRINITY in the new universe. We see the Lord God, the Almighty, as
speaker; Christ as Alpha and Omega; and Holy Spirit within the WATER OF
LIFE.
"to him I will give some of the
hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written
on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it."
Even Christ has a name which no
one know except Himself (Revelation 19:12)
"to him, I will give the
authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron,
as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have
received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning
star."
"(he) shall thus be clothed in
white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life,
and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
White garments denote purity and
righteousness....this is appropriate dress for bondservants who will
serve him forever. (Revelation 22:3)
"I will make him a pillar in the
temple of My God, and he will not go out anymore; and I will write upon
him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new
Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name."
The new dwelling place that we
will have still contains the Throne, and we will be happy to serve God
and the Lamb (Revelation 22:3)
and I will be
his God and he will be My son.
The transition is complete with every believer, Jew and
non-Jew, moving from the old earth/heaven to their new home. With this
simple phrase, we become part of the eternal family just as the Bible
said we would (Romans
8:12-17, Galatians
4:1-7, and 1
Peter 1:3-4-9). We finally will experience the completion of our
faith (Romans
3:21-30), will get to see God (John
1:14-18), will be able to look at His Face (Psalm
24:3-6), and will be able to revel in His Presence (this verse).
8But the cowardly, the
unbelieving,
the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic
arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery
lake
of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
"But
This preposition indicates that the list which follows does not include
any of the OVERCOMERS in the previous verse.
Furthermore, this list is associated with seven demonic realms as
detailed in Revelation 13:1.
the COWARDLY,
The Amplified Bible expands this with 'ignoble, contemptible, cravenly
lacking in courage, and cowardly submissive'. We can see how this is
tied to unbelievers (next item in the list), but most likely applies to
nominal Christians also (Mark
8:31-38).
'Depraved and defiled with abominations' is how the Amplified Bible
expands this class. The abominable are described in Titus
1:15-16. Furthermore, there was nothing good about the great harlot
whose cup held abominations (Revelation 17:4).
the MURDERERS,
Since this is the final list of those who will experience the second
death, the broad definition of murder as John writes in an earlier
letter (1
John 3:11-15-24) should be used.
the SEXUALLY IMMORAL,
The Amplified Bible calls this group 'lewd and adulterous'. This group
is the only one where their sin is sexual in nature. Given how much is
written about sexual sins in the Bible, it is rather surprising that
this is only a small part of the condemned.
those who practice MAGIC ARTS,
'Practicers of magic arts' is how the Amplified Bible identifies
SORCERERS. Here's what God thinks about this group (Deuteronomy
18:9-13).
the IDOLATERS and
With a broad brush, the Amplified Bible says this group are 'those who
give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God'. The test
for an idolater is found in 1
Timothy 4:1-10. If you don't have the word of God in you or don't
practice an extensive time in non repetitious prayer, you are
susceptible to IDOLATRY and LYING (next item in the list).
ALL LIARS --
their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the
SECOND DEATH."
This is probably the saddest list in the Bible for this SECOND DEATH is
a permanent and everlasting forever death. You may have heard the
expression, "He died a slow death"; while this is forever longer a slow
death. Imagine all the evil that you can and then think how you would
live within that evil (and much worse) forever. The alternative, asking for forgiveness for your sins and accepting
Jesus Christ as your Master, would seem to me to be a better choice.
9 One of the
seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues
came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the
Lamb."
One of the seven ANGELS who had the seven bowls full of the seven
LAST PLAGUES came and said to me,
How interesting these ANGELS are! They are temple ANGELS (Revelation 15:1) and have had to deal out
the worst PLAGUES upon the old earth, and yet, they are also privileged
to show John the best of the new earth/heaven, the BRIDE. These ANGELS
must be unique in appearance inasmuch that John recognizes this one as
one of the seven ANGELS. We know that celestial creatures have unique
appearances even as the four living creatures looked different from
each other (Revelation
4). The implications here is that even the created ANGELS have some
sort of genetic code.
"Come, I
will show you THE BRIDE, the WIFE OF THE LAMB."
Even in the new earth/heaven system, one is invited "Come". Jesus
in His old earthly ministry invited, "Come to me, all who are weary and
heavy-laden, and I will give rest....for your souls." (Matthew
11:25-30). So here the ANGEL is going to show John these 'souls who
are resting.' They are none other that those whose names are found in
the book of life (Revelation 20:15), who
have been blood-bought (Hebrews
9:11-22) and who have overcome (verse 7).
Using the term 'WIFE' indicates that the relationship between the LAMB
(Jesus Christ - Revelation 5:6) and the
BRIDE has matured. The LAMB and His WIFE will live together FOREVER;
there is no more DEATH to ever terminate the relationship, because
DEATH has been thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation
20:14).
10And he carried me away in the
Spirit
to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem,
coming
down out of heaven from God.
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a MOUNTAIN GREAT and HIGH,
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a study in contrasts. We know of the
Holy Trinity (God, the Father; Jesus, the Son; and the Holy Spirit)
from the New Testament. Here in Revelation, we have been introduced to
the Unholy Trinity (the Devil; the AntiChrist; and the False Prophet).
Even as John was transported to a wilderness (assumed flat and arid
land) to see the harlot and her undoing (Revelation
17:3), here we see John transported in the Spirit to a GREAT and
HIGH MOUNTAIN.
This is much more spiritual than physical; however, it is real and not
imagined for John wrote what he was shown. It reminds us of Psalm
121 where when we lift our eyes to the mountains, we receive help
forever. We find an equivalence between the mountains and God. So, too,
in this verse, the same equivalency exists.
and showed me THE HOLY CITY, JERUSALEM, coming down out of HEAVEN from
GOD.
John has already been given a preliminary view of this HOLY CITY in verse 2. From the vantage point, now, of the HIGH
MOUNTAIN, John will get a more detailed view. And he describes that
view in
the verses that follow. It is an interesting exercise to compare
this description to the one Ezekiel gives of 'the temple' (Ezekiel
40-44).
It is THIS HOLY CITY that Abraham was looking for (Hebrews
11:8-12). It is a HOLY CITY and the "capital" of the new heaven and
new earth, for it retains the name, JERUSALEM, of the former heaven and
earth. This is a pure city even as GOD is pure, and those who dwell in
it will be pure because of Jesus Christ (Hebrews
2:10-13).
11It shone with the glory of
God,
and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a
jasper,
clear as crystal.
It shone with THE GLORY OF GOD,
John understands what the angel (verse 9) is showing
him. During John's old world life, he had seen this happen to Jesus,
God's Son while up on a mountain top (Matthew
17:1-2-8). For a moment, Jesus went beyond his old earth appearance
into a transformed state, When God is pleased, His GLORY blossoms
forth. For example, at the announcement of Jesus' birth to the
shepherds (Luke
2:8-9-20), they were frightened by the GLORY of the Lord that
surrounded the angels.
and its BRILLIANCE was like that of a very precious jewel, like a
JASPER, clear as
crystal.
The 'its' here refers back to the Bride (verse 9).
And describing the Holy City with the BRILLIANCE attribute shows the
equivalency
of the Bride with Christ. She truly has become Christ's WIFE (verse 9). We are seeing the glorification of the
believers in the new earth/heaven/Jerusalem just as Paul in says would
happen. That we are heirs of God and fellow
heirs with Christ becomes visually apparent. However, we are reminded
that this came at a 'very costly' price, the
price of Christ's death and resurrection, is signified by this
stone of crystal-clear JASPER.
A side thought: In physics, BRILLIANCE is associated with a lot of
energy. If Einstein's concept that the ratio of energy to mass (matter)
is the square of the speed of light (E/m = c2) is true, then
the Bride here is a very much transformed body (old earth mass) to a
bundle of energy (new Jerusalem BRILLIANCE). Paul describes this in
another way in Philippians
3:17-20-21.
12It had a great, high
wall
with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates
were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
It had a GREAT, HIGH WALL
A GREAT, HIGH WALL indicates the new Jerusalem will provide supreme
protection for Christ and His Wife. The size of the wall is given in verse 17. It sounds like a GREAT WALL, and yet in
comparison to the size of the city (verse 16), the
GREAT WALLS are relatively small. In previous verses, the new Jerusalem
was depicted more in spiritual terms, e.g. the holy city (verse
10) and {the city} having the GLORY of GOD (previous
verse).
When one reads Zechariah
2:1-5-5, it appears as though the prophet Zechariah is seeing the
same thing that John is describing here. However, in Zechariah's
description, the WALL is the Lord himself and the WALL is described as
a WALL of fire. This description fits very nicely with the BRILLIANCE
of the previous verse.
with twelve GATES, and with twelve ANGELS at the GATES. On the
GATES were written the names of
the twelve TRIBES of ISRAEL.
GATES are the places where people intermingle as some are entering the
holy city, while others are leaving the holy city. It might seem
strange to have ANGELS at the 12 GATES as gatekeepers. In the Old
Testament, it was considered an honor to be counted as one of the
gatekeepers. These ANGELS were specifically assigned one to each of the
12 TRIBES of ISRAEL. This shows us that the covenant
made with Abram (Genesis
12:1-3) is an everlasting covenant and has carried through to the
new Jerusalem. GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES!
Angels also are messengers. At the beginning of this study, we found
that ANGELS were messengers, one assigned to each of the seven churches
(Revelation 1:20). In this verse, we may
wonder what kind of messages are these ANGELS carrying? With the
foundations of the WALL allocated to the 12 apostles (verse
14), perhaps the angels are sharing the love of God between the
Jews signified by the twelve TRIBES of ISRAEL and the
non-Jews signified by the twelve apostles. Personally, as a non-Jewish
believer, I would very much like to know about the covenant that the
Jews have with God. It is unique. Just listen to the evening news, and
you soon realize that the world understands the significance of ISRAEL
too.
GATES also appear to have a special meaning to God. In Psalm
87:2, we see that the Lord loves the GATES of Zion, and in Psalm
118:19-21, the GATES are GATES of RIGHTEOUSNESS. The new Jerusalem
is a place of RIGHTEOUSNESS that the Lord loves. In Ezekiel
48:30-35, Ezekiel calls the city, "The Lord is there" (see previous verse - 'having the GLORY of GOD"), and
Ezekiel gives the specific names for each of the GATES.
13There were three gates
on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the
west.
There were
three GATES on the east,
three on the
north,
three on the south and
three on the west.
Here we sense vaguely the way the tribes of Israel where encamped
around the tabernacle (Numbers
2). The tribe of Judah was one of those on the east side. Jesus
Christ is from the tribe of Judah (Revelation
5:5) and that is perhaps why the three GATES from the east are
listed first. Otherwise, the east, north, south, and west listing may
only indicate that if you are a resident of the new Jerusalem, you can
enter it from any direction. In other words, all true believers (the wife of Christ in verse 9) are welcomed into the
city.
Spiritually, with the angelic gatekeepers representing the 12 tribes of
Israel (previous verse), we all, Jew and
non Jew, enter only in light of the eternal covenant God made with
Abraham. The passport for each of us, formerly dead as Ephesians
2:1-10 puts it, is issued written in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus as the firstborn from the dead (Revelation
1:5) is the only one who can grant us that privilege. So even here
in the 12 GATES we see another side of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
14The wall of the city
had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb.
The WALL of the city had twelve FOUNDATIONS,
This FOUNDATION was talked about when Jesus directly addressed Simon
Peter, one of the apostles, in Matthew
16:13-18-20. It gives support to the concept that the new Jerusalem
is a collection (city) of souls (church = bride, verse 2).
and on them were the NAMES of the twelve APOSTLES of the LAMB.
One can have a disagreement over exactly whom these twelve APOSTLES are
(Acts
1:15-26). However, there is no argument that they belong to the
LAMB (bridegroom = husband, verse 2).
Interestingly, the twelve NAMES will be shown in full view. Earlier in
our discussions (Revelation 20:15), we
have shown our genetic makeup is what makes us unique. And with the
twelve NAMES of the apostles shown, their spiritual genetics, if you
will, are made known. We, as soul occupants in the new Jerusalem, will
understand our "relatedness" to our husband, Jesus Christ, through the
testimony of the twelve apostles.
Also, prior to the new Jerusalem, the names of believers, the bride,
were kept hidden (Revelation 2:17), but
one must be aware of the parallel to this verse inasmuch as the
'hidden' name, too, was written on a white STONE. STONES, particularly
FOUNDATION STONES, indicate permanence or in our spiritual language,
everlasting or eternal life.
15The angel who talked
with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and
its walls.
The angel who talked with me had a MEASURING ROD OF GOLD
GOLD stands for divinity or royalty, and it is the only appropriate
material for this MEASURING ROD. This is especially true since it will
be used to measure the dimensions of a city having the GLORY of GOD (verse 11). The angel holding it is John's city guide (verse 9).
to
measure
the CITY,
its GATES and
its WALLS.
Clearly here we are looking at the exterior of the new Jerusalem. Later
scattered throughout Chapter
22, we get just a few glimpses of what's inside.
Using the MEASURING ROD of GOLD, we will be given the actual dimensions
in
the next two verses. The other time in the Revelation (Revelation
11:1-2) when the temple of God was measured during the tribulation
period, we weren't given the dimensions. This is consistent with the
devil not being allowed to have either our "spiritual names" or the
measurements of "spiritual places". Now that the devil is put away
permanently (Revelation 20:10), it
actually is neat to show him how many souls (city residents) he was not
able to subvert. Furthermore, with GATES and a WALL, this city is not
approachable unless you are a bona fide resident. Amazingly, you can reserve your place in this new
Jerusalem, TODAY!
16The city was laid out
like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the
rod and found it to be 12,000 stadiain length, and as wide
and high as it is long.
The CITY was laid out like a SQUARE, as long as it was wide. He
measured the CITY with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in
length, and as WIDE and HIGH as it is LONG.
This cubic city reminds us of the inner sanctuary of Solomon's temple
(1
Kings 6:14-20-22). It was 20 cubits on all three dimensions. It is
appropriate for the new Jerusalem to be this shape too, for even as God
filled the sanctuary of the Old Testament tabernacle (Exodus
25:1-8-9),
He also fills the new Jerusalem (verses 11and 3).
From crystallography, we know the cubic-structured molecule is one of
the most stable and stackable structures in our current world. Our
common table salt is one such cubic molecule, and in an interesting
sense, this gives us a whole new way of looking at what Jesus said
about salt (Matthew
5:13-16) or what a believer is like. Since God saw
that what He had made in the current world was "very good" (Genesis
1:1-31-31), He apparently saw fit to continue the pattern, into the
new
Jerusalem, the CITY which contains the essence of believers (verse 2).
From a spiritual viewpoint, many of us have a difficult time accepting
the real physical dimensions of our "transformed" bodies (Philippians
3:17-21-21). But do not forget that after Jesus was resurrected, He
showed Himself to have real physical dimensions (Luke
24:36-43 and John
20:19-31). The CITY, the new Jerusalem, is a real dimensioned CITY.
17He measured its wall
and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was
using.
He measured its WALL and it was 144 CUBITS thick,
We assume that this is the thickness of a wall that reaches from the
foundation to the top of the new Jerusalem (verse 12).
While most commentaries dwell on the physical dimensions of the new
Jerusalem, the importance of the theological symbols must not be
overlooked. In the previous verse, we showed that
the new Jerusalem is a view of the most holy place in the temple, That
is, a covenant was established between God and a chosen people (verse 12 and Genesis
17:1-8); our Savior, Jesus Christ, came from this chosen people (Luke
2:1-7); and this Jesus Christ's teachings (theology) was spread
around the world by the apostles (verse 14). All who
are residents of this new Jerusalem are there because of a SPIRITUAL commitment they made to Jesus Christ.
Now to the wall, in particular, we know that the wall is for
protection. The wall must be made up of a select group of spiritual
entities that will protect the new Jerusalem. In Revelation
7:1-8, we find a select group of servants sealed for God. While
nowhere is it explicitly stated that the wall is the residence of the
144,000 servants, but inasmuch as the gates through this wall have
the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel (verse
12), this may be the case.
by man's measurement, which the angel was using.
As for the human and angelic measurements being the same, we probably
are shown the 'after resurrection equivalency' (Revelation
20:5 and Revelation 21:8) between
angels
and the redeemed (Luke
20:27-36-40) remains the same.
18The wall was made of
jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
The WALL was made of jasper,
That the New Jerusalem exists and has substance is given by the
expression "the WALL was made". Yet, imagine the difficulty this
presented to John when he was shown what the GLORY of GOD looked like (verse 11). John is consistent with his previous
description of the One who sits upon the THRONE (Revelation 4:3). None of us, neither the
readers nor this author, has experienced our transformed body, so we
have a difficult time 'seeing' what our true and pure spiritual nature
is (Philippians
3:17-21).
Jasper was a revered gem in ancient times. It is mostly unknown to us
in modern times. It is clear, however, that jasper represents the
righteousness and purity of God. Given that all of us are living with a
sin besmirched mind, we cannot possibly understand this purity (1
Corinthians 13:1-12-13).
and the CITY of
PURE GOLD, as pure as glass.
The CITY is, in fact, the one that the angel is showing John (verses
9 - 11) and is the BRIDE of Jesus Christ. PURE GOLD is a way to
show the purity and blamelessness of the inhabitants of the CITY (Ephesians
5:22-27-33). Furthermore, GOLD is aligned with both deity and
royalty as of a kingdom. We are told that we are a kingdom in Revelation 1:6.
The CITY is as pure as glass meaning that it is totally transparent or
in a different way of looking at it, the glory of God (verse
11) shows through and throughout the CITY. There is no privacy in
the new Jerusalem, There is no need for it. For that matter, even today
you and I are totally transparent to Jesus (Hebrews
4:12-13). I don't know about you, but sometimes I wish it were
different. However, I sure am glad that Jesus constantly forgives my
"iniquities" in order to get me ready for this transparent new
Jerusalem!
19The foundations of the
city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first
foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the
fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the
sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth
topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth
amethyst.
The FOUNDATION of the city walls were decorated with
every kind of precious stone.
We come to an interesting view of the new Jerusalem. Given that the
city is the bride of Christ (verse 9), this is John's
attempt to describe the colors reflected by the transformed believers.
This is an odd concept, for how many of us are able to describe our own
spiritual side (or color)? We use terms like saved, born-again, or
believer to describe the actual time in our spiritual walk when the conversion to believing in Jesus Christ
took place. But how would you color the fruits of the Spirit, for
example? What color is kindness? What color is purity (jasper - see previous verse)? And so on.
The first FOUNDATION was jasper,
and second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the
seventh
chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth
chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
From a spiritual viewpoint, the FOUNDATION signifies basic tenets of
the believer's faith or our relatedness to
Jesus Christ (verse 14). Many commentators
feel the FOUNDATION is related to the 12 stones on the
breastpiece of the High Priest (Exodus
28:15-30 and Exodus
39:8-21). There is some merit to that relationship given our
priestly status (Revelation 1:6).
However, since the FOUNDATION is directly related to the
apostles who were chosen as Jesus Christ's followers, it is more
appropriate to say that the FOUNDATION is a reflection of the
groom/husband Jesus Christ. Just as you can't tell the color of a stone
in a completely dark room, so too, it takes light to show the colors of
these FOUNDATION stones. Jesus said He is that Light (verse
23).
Ella A. Rust clearly denotes each of these FOUNDATION STONES as
reflections of Jesus Christ:
The Twelve Foundations*
"The first foundation was jasper: . . . " This
jasper is light, clear as crystal and is emblematic of Jesus Christ in
His Divine Glory. He is God. John
10:30, "I and my Father are one." John
14:9. When only in a measure God's glory is manifested and filled
the tabernacle and the temple, even men of God could not enter because
the brightness was so great. Believers are founded on God.
". . . the second sapphire; . . . " The pure blue
sapphire presents to us in symbol Jesus Christ as the Truth. John
14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father but by me." I
John 5:20.
". . . the third, chalcedony; . . ." The chalcedony
in color is grey, blue, purple and yellow. We believe that it is an
emblem of "grace and truth." John
1:14, ". . . full of grace and truth." John
1:17, ". . . grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Rom.
3:24, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus."
Grace is the favor and free pardon of God through
the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Purple is a sign of royalty and yellow,
resurrection. As Son of God, He arose triumphant in His Godly power,
and grace and truth are extended in Him in His resurrection glory. Eph.
2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God." Col.
1: 13, 14, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins." In Jesus Christ we have the unmerited favor and
pardon of God in His love and mercy.
Grey and blue joined together bring into our minds
the thought of a dove.
". . . the fourth, an emerald;" Rev. 4:3,
". . . and there was a rainbow round his throne, in sight like unto an
emerald." Ezek.
1:28, "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the
Lord." The rainbow is a token of mercy. The emerald in its beautiful
green represents the great mercy which is extended toward the saints in
Christ Jesus. I
Tim. 1:2, "Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus
Christ our Lord." Titus
3:5, ". . . according to his mercy he saved us, . . ." James
5:11, ". . . the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."
"The fifth, sardonyx; . . ." Sardonyx stones are
bluish white. Jesus Christ is Truth and in that Truth, or in Himself He
is the spotless Lamb of God. Exod.
12:5. II
Cor. 5:21, ". . . who knew no sin; . . ." Heb.
4:14-16, ". . . yet without sin." I
Peter 2:22, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."
". . . the sixth sardius; . . ." The sardius, a
blood red stone typified the Lamb of God on the cross for our sins. I
Peter 2:24, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree, . . ." Heb.
9:22 Rev. 1:5,
"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."
". . . the seventh, chrysolyte; . . ." Purple and
green in color the chrysolyte sets forth our Saviour and Lord as the
merciful Son of God, the Prince of peace. Isa.
9:6. Rom.
5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
". . . the eighth beryl; . . ." A beryl is bluish
green. Green is also an emblem of life and fruitfulness. Jesus Christ
is Life in Truth, or in Himself and the Life-giver by the Word and the
Spirit. John
14:6, ". . . I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh
unto the Father but by me." John
5:26, "For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath he given to
the Son to have life in himself;" I
John 5:12, "He that hath the Son hath life; . . ." John
10:27-30, "And I give unto them eternal life; . . ."
". . . the ninth, a topaz; . . ." Because golden in
color, a topaz symbolizes our Lord and Saviour as the precious Rock,
everlasting, unchangeable, and incorruptible, Gold is unchangeable. Heb.
13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever."
"--to the ages to come--." --Scofield. Heb.
7:24, "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an
unchangeable priesthood." Ps.
103:17, "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to
everlasting."
"It is impossible so to crush an amethyst that it
loses its structural pattern. All you can do is to make of an amethyst
many smaller ones.
This same fact is noted in the case of all the other
precious stones as well. No matter what their pattern may be, it
remains all through the crushing process, with the geometric perfection
thereof unimpaired." --Harry Rimmer.
Jesus Christ never changes. He is the same
Foundation from everlasting to everlasting.
". . . the tenth, a chrysoprasus; . . ." This stone
is bluish, green, and yellow. Ps.
68:13, ". . . yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with
silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." We believe that these words
refer to the resurrection of the Jews as a nation. They shall yet mount
up with wings through the redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ
and in His worth.
Yellow, undoubtedly, is an emblem of Christ's
resurrection in His Godly power. Blue, truth, and green, life have
risen again from the tomb. Resurrection was possible because the grave
could not hold His body. He was sinless, pure as the purest gold, and
precious. John
15:15-17, In His own Godly power He lay down His life and He took
it again. Acts
2:24, "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death;
because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Rom.
4:25, "Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for
our justification."
". . . the eleventh, a jacinth; . . ." The jacinth
is violet or red with a mixture or yellow. The sacrifice on the cross
and love are inseparable, and red represents both. Without love our
redemption would never have been accomplished. John
15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his
life for his friends." Rom.
5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us." In His resurrection glory He still
loves us, because His is a Godly and an everlasting love. Song
of Sol. 8:7, "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the
floods drown it: . . ." Christ's love cannot be broken. Rom.
8:35-39, ". . . shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
". . . the twelfth, an amethyst." The amethyst is
purple in color and represents royalty. Jesus Christ is the Royal Heir
to the throne of David and the Royal Elder Brother to His saints. He is
the only begotten Son of God and through faith in Him, we become God's
sons.
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus." Rom.
8:14-17, As children of God, we are joint-heirs with Christ and we
shall reign with Him. Rev. 1:6,
"And hath made us king and priests unto God and his Father; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen." Because Christ is the
rightful King, He has the power to make us kings and priests.
In these marvelous foundations Jesus Christ is
symbolized in twelve different aspects. He is God, Truth, Grace and
Truth, The Mercyseat, the spotless Lamb, the Sacrifice, the Prince of
Peace, Life, the Rock, the Resurrection, Love, and the Royal Heir. On
this Foundation the New Jerusalem is built safe and sure.
< end of quote >
One final thought: a rainbow of colors in the new Jerusalem is to
eternal life as the rainbow promised to Noah (Genesis
9:8-17) is to continuing life on earth.
*Rust, Ella A., B.Th., B.D., Th.D., "An Exposition of The Revelation of
Jesus Christ", 1939
21The twelve gates were
twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of
the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
The twelve GATES were twelve PEARLS, each GATE made of a
single PEARL.
Over the centuries of present earth, the PEARL has been revered as much
as precious metals. Many cultures
in ancient writings extol the PEARL and its value
Jesus equated PEARLS to that which is sacred and holy and truthful. On
this earth, we are to be careful with whom we share these TRUTHS (Matthew
7:1-6-6). In the new Jerusalem, nothing but truth will reside
within the city. One can look at it as though the GATES, although they
are never closed, are there to filter out any untruth which may try to
enter. The twelve PEARLS visually describe what Jesus said about
Himself in John
14:1-6-7-11. Jesus is the WAY (the STREET (singular), here), the
TRUTH (the PEARLY GATES, here) and the LIFE (the new Jerusalem is
ETERNAL LIFE here). As Jesus said, "...no one comes to the Father but
through ME (the GATE). With the names of the tribes of the sons of
Israel associated with the GATES (verse 12), every
believer should be thankful for our relationship with our Jewish
brothers.
The GREAT STREET of the CITY was of PURE GOLD,
like transparent GLASS.
The Greek word for STREET as used here is Plateia. Some translators
indicate rather than being translated as STREET (singular), it actually
is more like a wide open space. One can then visualize that this open
area can accommodate the River of the water of LIFE (Revelation 22:1), the Tree of LIFE (Revelation 22:2), and the Throne of God (Revelation 22:3). Recall that before the
Throne in Revelation
4:1-6 was a sea of GLASS like crystal which fits the description
given here. Again the GLORY of GOD gives the STREET (area) a GOLDEN hue
of purity and righteousness.
From Physics, one learns that electrons of materials when they change
orbital energy levels often emit electromagnetic radiation in the
visible range. This is how the Mars rovers, for example, can identify
the materials in the Columbia Hills and on the outcroppings around
craters. The spectrograph for the STREET in the new Jerusalem emits
light (verse 23) that indicate it is like PURE GOLD.
22I did not see a
temple
in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
I did not see a TEMPLE in the city, because the Lord God ALMIGHTY
and THE LAMB are its TEMPLE.
It is amazing to me the continuity within just this one book of the
Bible. After all the visions and judgments, we are consoled that the
Lord God who is in control at the beginning, still is in control here
at the end. We find the use of the Lord God's full title here,
ALMIGHTY, just as we were greeted with this title at the beginning
of the Revelation (Revelation 1:8).
In this verse, we find John looking for the TEMPLE and not finding it.
If one has traveled any around the world, no matter what country you
are in, you recognize the places of worship rather quickly. It doesn't
matter whether you are in a Moslem country, a Christian/Catholic
country, or Buddhist country. The 'temple' is usually easy to spot.
Here, however, John can't find the TEMPLE. Apparently, John didn't
realize that the residents themselves are the TEMPLE (1
Corinthians 3:16-17 and 1
Corinthians 6:12-19-20).
In a way, when John originally wrote that Christ is the true vine (John
15:1-17), John didn't fully comprehend what "abiding in" meant. It
appears to be such a fundamental concept of the new Jerusalem that it
may be one of the foundation stones in verse 14. In
this sin-tainted present earth age, we certainly don't understand this
union. It remains for us to reach the new Jerusalem before we will
understand what it means to be fully integrated. We are in Christ.
Christ is in us. This is just as it should be between a husband and
wife (verse 9 and Genesis
2:18-23-24-25).
23The city does
not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives
it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
THE CITY does not NEED the SUN or the MOON to shine on it,
Here we see a clear difference between the old Jerusalem (present
earth) and the new Jerusalem (CITY). Presently, the earth needs
SUNlight
for its existence and our survival. The MOON really isn't needed for
survival except perhaps for romantics.
Even before the present sun and moon were created (Genesis
1:14-19), there was light (Genesis
1:3-5). Similarly, there may have be a light for the new Jerusalem,
but as this verse shows, there is NO NEED for the SUN or the MOON as
far as a light source.
for (1) the GLORY of GOD has
gives it light, and
We know from this verse that the GLORY of GOD (Revelation
21:9-11) is sufficient to illuminate the CITY. Symbolically, the
GLORY of GOD is sufficient to illuminate our spiritual man.
(2) THE
LAMB is its lamp.
When Jesus walked on this earth, He clearly states the He is the LIGHT (John
8:12-20). Not only that, true followers of Jesus will have the
LIGHT of life. Paul confirms that believers on this earth when they
walk as children of light, expose the darkness (evil) to what is the
fruit of the light consisting of all goodness and righteousness and
truth (Ephesians
5:1-8-14). When these children of light are translated to the new
Jerusalem (CITY), they as the Bride (verse 9) will
continue to glow with the Light of Life (John
8:12).
From this verse, one could almost think the CITY is really one massive
light source. Yet we know that it has physical dimensions (verse 15).
Sidenote: It is no accident that Einstein's ratio of energy to mass is
proportional to the speed of LIGHT squared. While we can't say that the
CITY adheres to "Einstein's physics", it is obvious that there is a
relationship between matter and energy even in the new CITY. After all,
it is the same GOD who made both the old earth and the new earth (verse 1).
24The nations will walk
by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into
it.
THE NATIONS will walk by its light,
The angel (verse 9) had directed our attention to new
Jerusalem, THE CITY, and we became so involved that we have forgotten
all about the new earth. Suddenly, John says that there are NATIONS.
And these NATIONS shall walk or go about their business by the light of
THE CITY. Considering how large THE CITY is (verse 16),
it is understandable that a lot of light is given off especially since
it is GLORY-OF-GOD powered (verse 11).
Now let's look at whom are THE NATIONS? Several commentaries point out
that the root word here translated as NATIONS often is translated as
'Gentiles'. It is unclear whether 'Gentiles' here means non Jewish or
non CITY residents. And where did these Gentiles come from? It is
not told here what the origins of THE NATIONS might be. Purely by
speculation, one could make an argument that the population at the end
of the Millennial period who did not become deceived by the devil (Revelation 20:7,8)
are translated to the new earth from their Millennial homes. Recall,
the deceived people were burned (Revelation
20:9). These people are "saved" ones but not in the same sense as
the BRIDE (the church) (verse 9).
and THE KINGS of the earth will bring their splendor into it.
The leadership among the populace of the new earth are here denoted as
KINGS. It is not clear what 'their splendor' might be. Perhaps, in a
sense, we are seeing the garden of Eden all over again as it was BEFORE
Adam and Eve fell for the devil's ploy (Genesis
2:4-15-25). One can assume that nakedness on the new earth will be
OK too. As in the garden of Eden before the fall, there is nothing to
be ashamed of in the new earth either (Revelation
3:18). It is left to the reader to determine what the opposite of
ashamed is. Whatever that is, that is what THE KINGS bring into THE
CITY. This verse calls it 'their splendor'. There are clues in Revelation
4:8-11, Revelation
5:8-14, and Revelation
7:9-12-17.
One last thought: read Isaiah
60 and see how much of this verse you see in that chapter?
25On no day will its
gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
On no DAY will its
GATES EVER be shut,
The GATES being open perpetually show that there is no evil around.
Furthermore, there is free access to THE CITY by "new earthlings"
(nations - next verse). On this present earth, we
have become so used to evil being around, we have difficulty imagining
THE CITY without evil. Walk around your house. How many things do you
have (locks, surveillance cameras, alarm systems, safes, bars on
windows, security fences, firearms, and so on) to thwart evil?
Open GATES also indicate unhindered communication with God. There will
not be any "withstanding" like the messenger faced in Daniel
10:10-13-17. There is no need to shut these GATES. The interesting
question then is what will you and I say to God at that time? Consider
your present prayers; how will they change in the presence of God?
Maybe we ought to be practicing praying now like we will communicate
with God in THE CITY. It's just a thought.
for there will be NO NIGHT THERE.
We are back to THE CITY once again; previous verse
and next verse relate to what is outside THE CITY.
But we now return to THE CITY.
Imagine no darkness ever in THE CITY. That is what this verse
indicates. Symbolically, darkness (or no night), while not
intrinsically not evil itself, has been used to denote the absence of
the presence of God and His blessings (John
9:1-4-12, John
12:27-35-36, and 1
Thessalonians 5:2-4-11). The idea that there is NO NIGHT THERE
apparently is so amazing to John that he repeats it in Revelation 22:5. There is an interesting
sidelight to the absence of NIGHT. In effect a perpetual day removes
the concept of time. On present earth, we set time by the earth's
rotation in and out of the sun's light. Even the Jewish Sabbath starts
at sundown. However in THE CITY, it is always noon! This confirms that
THE CITY is an eternal, forever and ever, CITY.
26The glory and honor of
the nations will be brought into it.
THE GLORY and HONOR of THE NATIONS
will be brought into it.
Oh my, the answer to the question posed in verse 24
is found right here. The opposite of ashamed is THE GLORY and HONOR.
While verse 24 clearly states that the kings
brought THE GLORY into THE CITY, here THE NATIONS is generally
interpreted
as the total populace of THE NATIONS. Now THE GLORY and HONOR
admittedly are very spiritual items, but then THE CITY is a very
special spiritual place.
On a more theological vein, some scholars point out that in order for
THE NATIONS to bring THE GLORY and HONOR into THE CITY, they must
pass through THE GATES (Jewish nation - verse 12).
This may be what Zechariah's final prophesy is all about (Zechariah
14:16-21). It also explains why a country as small as Israel holds
such a commanding place in world news. Even mere earthlings today sense
the importance of Israel.
27Nothing impure will ever
enter
it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only
those
whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Nothing IMPURE will ever enter it,
Other translations use the word 'defiled' instead of IMPURE; so let's
look at what 'defiles' a man:
nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,
Out of the list of persons who are in the fiery lake burning with
sulfur (verse 8), the shameful (vile in verse
8) and deceitful (liars in verse 8) are
singled out here. This shows these two kinds of sin are especially
abhorrent to God. The shameful show by their deeds that they don't
believe in Jesus Christ (Titus
1:15-16). The deceitful because they are the opposite of THE TRUTH
(one
of the names of Jesus Christ - John
14:1-6-11) can't come anywhere near to 'IT', the new Jerusalem (THE
CITY). THE TRUTH and His wife live in the new Jerusalem (verse
2).
but only THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE WRITTEN in
the Lamb's BOOK OF LIFE.
It is appropriate here to restate our understanding about the BOOK OF
LIFE. Everyone's name is written into the BOOK OF LIFE at the
conception of that unique life. As that life is lived, sin is committed
by that life (Romans
3:21-23-31). The Lamb then erases that life's name from the BOOK OF
LIFE (Revelation 3:5). The life, when it accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and
holds (overcomes - verse 7) onto that commitment,
has that life's name restored to the BOOK OF LIFE by the Lamb. It is
our choice to be in the BOOK OF LIFE; it is Christ's choice of your
eternal residency, all because of where your NAME is written. If your
name is NOT in the BOOK OF LIFE, you are doomed (Revelation 20:15). If your name is in the
BOOK OF LIFE, you are a resident (inheritor - verse 7)
of the new Jerusalem, THE CITY.