THE NEW JERUSALEM

But there is not only to be a New Heaven (the word Heaven is singular) and a New Earth, there is to be a New City. This City is the place Jesus said He was going back to Heaven to prepare for His Chosen race, the Jews. John 14:2-4. Jesus is talking directly to his disciples, as we know they (the apostles) will make up the heads of the 12 tribes in the New City (Luke 22:28-30 & Matthew 19:28).

It is just such a place as we would expect the Divine Architect to design and build. The description of it is surpassingly grand. It is of Celestial origin. It is not Heaven itself, for it comes down "out of Heaven." No mortal hands are employed in its construction. It will take up its abode on the New Earth, and we see in this why this present Earth will have to be renovated by fire, and why there shall be "no more sea," for the New City is 12,000 Stadia square. Revelation 21:16. (A 'stadion' is a distance which stands or is established, being 600 Greek feet or 625 Roman feet or one eighth of a Roman mile. This is in modern day equivalent to 606.75 English feet. This would make the city approximately 1379 miles along each of its 4 sides, covering an area of about 1,901,641 square miles.

We are told that the length and breadth and the height of it are equal. This does not necessarily imply that it is a Cube, for there is another geometrical figure that has equal dimensions, and that is a Pyramid. The pyramid is a more probable form, for a wall 144 cubits, or 216 feet thick, could not support a wall 1400 miles high, and a wall that high would hide the City from view. The pyramid is also a shape that has connections with God. The Great pyramid at Giza is said to have been built by Job (see the study on the Great Pyramid) and Lucifer uses the pyramid a the symbol in his 'Great work to be done' on earth. ( The back of the $1 Bill is the secret symbolism of this - look at the New World Order in Washington DC study.)

The 144 cubits (Revelation 21:17) then must refer to the "height" of the wall. In this wall are 12 gates, 3 on each side, each gate of one Pearl, and these gates are never closed. The wall itself is of jasper, and the foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones. The foundations contain the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, and over the gates are the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. What a magnificent spectacle such a city must present from a distance with its pyramidal top surmounted by the light of the "Glory of God."

"For 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." Revelation 21:23. "And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be No Night There." Revelation 21:25.

This refers to the City only, and not to the outlying parts of the New Earth, for there will be day and night wherever the light of the City does not reach. The Pyramidal part of the City will doubtless be in the centre of the City, and probably not occupy over one-half of the surface area, leaving the remainder to be divided up into boulevards and broad avenues, with numerous parks and residential sections. We are told that the City itself is of Pure Gold, Like Unto Clear Glass. Revelation 21:18. If this refers to the houses and homes of the inhabitants, then the redeemed are to live in palaces of Transparent Gold, and the streets are to be of the same material. Revelation 21:18, 21. We can not imagine a city with such dwellings and streets to be unclean or lack beauty.

The streets are to be lined with trees, as are also the banks of a wonderful river. These trees are not mere shade trees, but beautiful Fruit Trees, called the "TREE OF LIFE," that bear Twelve Kind of Fruit, a different kind each month. The fruit of these trees is for Over comers Only. It is interesting to note there are 12 kinds of fruit and twelve Jewish nations. This does point to the fact that the Jews will be the sole recipient of the New Jerusalem.

"To him that over cometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." Revelation 2:7. This could be a literal tree where God allows people to eat or it could be symbolising the gift of the regeneration, the resurrection of the frail mortal body to its original state as in the Garden of Eden. The original plan God had for humans, and not the secondary plan caused by mankind sinning. The Over comers are those who have endured the Tribulation and Millennium times and been judged worthy by God to enter Eternity with him. The key word here being ENDURED. This is not a word connected with the Christian, our salvation is not one granted because we endured to the end it was bought by Christ on the cross and given to us by the grace of God. Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace ye are saved…".

Who then is saved by endurance, this can only be the Jews that keep true and the people who refuse the mark of the beast and during the millennial reign love and follow God, for as we know at the end of the millennial reign is another war. However the City was promised to Israel and the Jews, not to the gentile nations or the Christians (Christ's body). God promised the Jewish nation a city, which has not been fulfilled but will be with the New Jerusalem. (Hebrews 11:10, 12:22)

The Christians or the body of Christ, who were called out at the Rapture (Christ's appearing) will have access to the City, but being spiritual creatures they will not need a physical place of residence. They will be heavenly creatures doing the administration of the will of God both on earth and in heaven. The Christian inheritance is a heavenly one, a spiritual goal of our faith, all of our faith is spiritual and our inheritance is one of a spiritual existence with Christ. Revelation 21:9 speaks of the New Jerusalem as the Bride, the Home of Israel and Revelation 12:1-2 speaks of Israel as a woman. As the Christians are the bride of Christ so the Jews are the bride of the Lamb.

The leaves of the trees are for the Healing of the Nations that shall occupy the New Earth. Revelation 22:2. Not that there will be any sickness, but to preserve them in health, as Adam would have been preserved in health if he had eaten of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3: 22-24. Of course this picture could be purely symbolic of regeneration, as mentioned earlier with the Tree of Life. After all if there is no death how can a person starve.

The wonderful river is called the River of the "Water of Life," because of its "life giving" properties. Earthly streams have their source in some mountain spring, but the "River of Life" has its source in the Throne of God. Revelation 22:1. Somewhere on that "Pyramidal Mountain" in the centre of the City, probably on its summit, will rest "The Throne of God," from under the seat of which shall flow down in cascades, from terrace to terrace, the crystal stream that shall feed that wonderful "River of Life."

Whoever heard of an earthly city without some place of worship, be it heathen or Christian, but the wonderful thing about the New Jerusalem is, that it has no Temple. Why need a Temple when the object of worship is present, for "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb Are the Temple of It."

"Then the Tabernacle of God shall be 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. 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." Revelation 21:3,4.

This means that Heaven shall have come down to Earth, and that this earth will become the RESIDENCE OF GOD. There will be a new heaven (singular, as opposed to the Genesis creation of heaven as plural or 3) with the new earth and these two will form one existence together just as our present earth has its own 'heaven', the atmosphere.

Outside the walls of this beautiful City, spread over the surface of the "New Earth," nations shall dwell, whose kings shall bring their glory and honour into it, but nothing that will defile or work abomination shall ever enter in through those "Gates of Pearl," for there will be no sin on that New Earth. Revelation 21: 24-27.

Who Are to Be the Happy Inhabitants of This New Earth?

The people who live outside the city I believe will be the people who came through the tribulation, not having the mark of the beast on their foreheads or hands and then entered the millennial reign of Christ and came out or endured to the end keeping that love and belief on God. They will be the people who through reason and probably some scriptural knowledge realise what is happening and decide to help the Jews, or are prepared to die for a belief in God. They will also be the people that have died over the years who have never heard the gospel but have been judged on their conduct and their own conscience. I am sure God's judgement will be fair but there are many people who have died over the centuries who have never heard or been given the option to come to God, but God can see into their hearts. It would be wrong to say that Christians have a monopoly on an eternity with God. These people will be able to carry on living on the earth having proved themselves worthy in Gods sight. They will make up the nations of the earth but not the dwellers of the Holy City. Whether these nations will reproduce is not made clear, whether the continuation of the plan of Adam will be served in these people is also not clear but if this is not God's plan then we have one type in the Scriptures that has no anti-type, for Noah's Ark, which is a type, has no anti-type unless it be this. The original plan God had for Adam was to populate the earth, Genesis 1:28, so there is no reason why this plan would not be instituted now sin and death had been irradiated.

It is clear from the Scriptures that God does not purpose to create a new race for the New Earth. His promise as to Israel is that the descendants of Abraham shall inherit this earth for a 'thousand generations," now this is not possible unless they are transplanted to the New Earth. And this is just what God has promised. The thousand generations may be a literal or figurative space of time, similar to the expression a day is as a thousand years. It denotes a length of time that is unmeasurable. It is also well to note that if the people do not die then a generation will last for an eternity.

"For as the New heavens and the New Earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall Your 'Seed' and Your 'Name' REMAIN." Isaiah 66:22.

It seems clear from the presence of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, that God intended the human race to populate the Earth, and when it became too thickly populated, to use the surplus population to colonise other spheres. Colossians 1:5, "we have an EXPECTATION which is RESERVED for us IN THE HEAVENS…". The two paramount events in universal history are the creation and resurrection of the Son of God. Through His death and resurrection He will more than restore the original lost creation. The cross was the basis which RECONSILIATION is built and the benefits it brought are not confined to the earth ot mankind, but include the celestial realms as well. Colossians 1:12-20. Our "Solar System" is only in its infancy. The Earth is the only one of its planets as yet habitable. Where are the inhabitants for the other planets to come from? Think you that the planets of our Solar System, and the planets of other solar systems, of which the stars are the suns, were made simply to adorn the heavens for our little earth? God does not plan thinks on a Small Scale, and it magnifies His power and wisdom to believe that He created man ins His own likeness, a created being higher than the angels, and gifted with the power of Procreation, that He might by means of him populate the, Universe. This magnifies the Scheme of Redemption. Think you that God gave His Son to die on Calvary just to redeem a few millions of the human race? Why He could have blotted them out, as He probably did the Preadamite race, and created a new race, and Satan would have laughed because he had the second time blocked God's plan for the peopling of this earth.

No, God will not permit Satan to block His plan for peopling this earth with a Sinless Human Race. The death of Christ was not merely to redeem a few millions of the human race, but to redeem the Earth, and the Race Itself from the curse of sin, and the dominion of Satan.

The Apostle James tells us that we are only the "First Fruits of His Creatures." James 1:18. What then must the HARVEST BE?

The Universe is young yet. We are only in the beginning of things, for "Of the increase of His government and peace THERE SHALL BE NO END." Isaiah 9:7.

When this Earth shall have gone through its "Baptism of Fire,"' and shall be again fit for the occupancy of man, the representatives of the "Saved Nations" (Revelation 21:24) will be men and women in whom no taint of sin will remain and who cannot therefore impart it to their offspring, who will be like the offspring of Adam and Eve would have been if they had not sinned. This magnifies the whole scheme of redemption, and justifies God in the creation of the human race.

The Great Abdication.

The "Millennial Age" and the, "Perfect Age" between which the Earth is Renovated by Fire, make up the "Age of Ages" which period is called the KINGDOM OF THE SON OF MAN. At the close of the "Age of Ages" when Christ shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under his feet, "then Christ as the Son of Man, shall surrender the Kingdom to God, that God may be ALL IN ALL. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. This is known as The Great Abdication.

There have been many abdications of thrones in the world's history, but none like this. Thrones have been abdicated for various reasons. Some have been forced, others voluntary. Some on account of physical infirmity, or to secure some particular successor. But Christ will not abdicate for, any of these reasons. He will abdicate because He has Finished the Work That Was Given Him to Do as the Son of Man. He will not surrender His Human Nature, but His title "Son of Man" will merge back into that of "Son of God" so that the Divine Godhead shall thereafter act in its Unity, and God shall be "ALL IN ALL." This will end what we understand as Time. Then the reconciled creation will at last enter into God's eternity, which will be divided up into the Ages of the Ages. Of its end and content there is no hint.