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Revelation 21.9-end
July 1st 2018
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Okay, I said a few weeks ago that Revelation 21 can be broken up into three parts:
Verses 1-8 we called the “All things New” part (which we have covered)
Then verses 9-21, I labeled the New Jerusalem Part – which we are going to cover today in conjunction with part 3, which I called the Glory of the New Jerusalem.
So let’s read the Second Part of Revelation 21 (located in verses 9-21) which describe the “New Jerusalem” saying:
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, “Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 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.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Last week we covered the first five verses of Revelation 21, giving special attention to the imagery of a new heaven and a new earth (“for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away”), and the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven.
My conclusion is that John was being shown the final transition from the Old Covenant age to the New Covenant age (exclusively and in fullness) in 70 AD.
In other words, the New Jerusalem came down from heaven 1) at that time, and 2) is a present reality now, and 3) just as the author of Hebrews also said in Hebrews 8:13 and 12:22-24).
The events of 70 AD demonstrated decisively that the kingdom no longer belonged to the Jewish nation (as it once exclusively did), but to a new holy nation born at Pentecost, made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers, male and female, bond and free, who enter God’s kingdom on an equal basis not founded on blood, or heritage, or works-righteousness, but on faith.
I sort of skipped over verse 8 which says:
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake of fire that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Now remember, death and hell have been cast into the Lake of Fire, and the Great White Throne Judgement has occurred, and most importantly that chapter 21 is describing the age post all of that – post all of that – post all of that . . .
. . . post . . . all . . . of . . . that.
I emphasize this to show that after the wrapping up of all things of the former age, which was absolutely necessary for the new age to fully enter and exert itself, is over at this point past in the Revelation neverhtheless there continues to be, since the 70AD wrap-up, a reason to share Jesus, to be faithful, to live in righteousness by the Spirit, because there will be an afterlife assessment of all human-beings and the lives they have freely chosen to live.
In Revelation 20:14, with regard to the Great White Throne Judgment, the Lake of Fire is mentioned and where, according to that passage, death and Hades was thrown, along with anyone whose name was not found in the book of life.
Steve Gregg makes a very interesting observation of something here in Chapter 21. It’s pretty darn cool in my estimation and what he says is one way of understanding the structure of these final two chapters is to see verses 1-8 as serving as an outline or summary of the remaining portion of the book.
In other words, a remarkable correspondence exists between the progression of thought in these first eight verses and in the remaining chapters.
So let’s go to the board so I can explain how this looks.
Mentioned Described
Overall Point in Verses 1-8 In Chapter in
21 Revelation
Overall Depiction of what is coming Verse 1 21-22
New Jerusalem Verse 2 21:9-21
God dwells among men Verse 3 21:22-27
Renewal of the world Verse 5a 22:1-5
“These words are true and faithful” Verse 5b 22:6-10
Work completed: “I am Alpha and Omega” Verse 6a 22:11-15
Final blessing: water of life to all who thirst Verses 6b – verse 7 22:16-17
Final curse upon the rebellious Verse 8 22:18-19
Revelation 21:1 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. (AS DESCRIBED IN THE REST OF THE TWO CHAPTERS)
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (THE NEW JERUSALEM 21:9-21)
3 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. (GOD DWELLES WITH MEN 21:22-27)
4 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. (RENEWAL OF THE WORLD 22:1-5)
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (TRUE AND FAITHFUL WORDS 22:6-10)
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. (WORK COMPLETED BEGINNING AND END 22:11-15)
(6B) I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (WATER OF LIFE TO ALL WHO THIRST 22:16-17)
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (FINAL CURSE ON THE REBELLIOUS 22:18-19)
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, “Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
Okay so let’s hit verse 9 where
John is now taken to see “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb,” by one of the same seven angels who held the bowl judgments.
This angel seems to be the same one who showed us the great harlot in Revelation 17:1 and it appears this provides us what we might call “a structural link” in placing the whore in contradistinction with the bride.”
We actually made this comparison back in chapter 17 when we studied it.
Verses 10-11
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
We recall that the descending of “the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” was also shown to John in verse 2.
Her attire seems to be significant as she seems to have or be clothed in the Glory of God (verse 11 actually says, “Having the glory of God . . .”
At this point the Shekinah glory that once rested upon the temple in earthly Jerusalem has totally departed from that institution and come to rest upon the church, the new temple of the Holy Spirit and the new City of God.
It is perfectly fitting as the inheritance and hope of the New Testament believer is repeatedly said to be the hope of obtaining the glory of God.
As Romans 2:7 says “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.”
As Romans 5:1 says “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
As Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
As Paul said to the Saints at Thessalonica
1st Thessalonians 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
2nd Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1st Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
This glory is the very likeness of Christ Himself that was seen upon His people then and I believe will continue to be seen upon His people today.
“and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;”
In other words the light radiating from the glorious bride-city is compared to the radiance of a most precious stone, called a jasper stone, clear as crystal which probably refers to a diamond.
In Malachi 3:16-17, we read that those who fear the Lord and meditate on His name, “‘shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels.”
I suggest that the context of the Malachi passages [specifically Malachi 3:16 – 4:6] suggests that the reference there is to the Jewish believers in Christ, who escaped the desolation of the capital city in A.D. 70.
Here we also find some grounds for seeing the bride as the surviving church at the time of the destruction of the Jewish polity.
Continuing to describe the New Jerusalem verse 12-13 say
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
The “city” is described as surrounded by a great and high wall and this is easily applicable to the body of Christ as a spiritual city even today.
In speaking of the spiritual Jerusalem, God predictably said “and you shall call your walls Salvation” (Isaiah 60:18) and also, “I…will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst” (Zechariah 2:5).
If therefore, “salvation” is the wall—indeed, God Himself is the wall (our salvation)—of the city, then the city and its wall appear to be spiritual in nature.
This would be a figurative means of expressing the reality of the believer’s security in the City of God.
The wall of the city John sees has twelve gates which fittingly have written upon them the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
In Isaiah, the same passage that calls the city’s wall “Salvation” goes on to say, “And your gates [shall be called] Praise” (Isaiah 60:18).
The most important of the twelve tribes was Judah, whose name means “Praise.” In Isaiah, the city’s gates are named after this tribe; in Revelation, the gates bear the names of all twelve tribes.
There may be no conflict here, since in Judah, that is, in Christ, who is of that tribe, all the “twelve tribes” of the “spiritual Israel” are included.
The attachment of the tribal names to the gates may suggest that through Israel God made a way for the world to enter the City of God, for “salvation is of the Jews” (as it says in John 4:22).
In other words this is just another way of saying that salvation is through Jesus Christ, who sprang from the Jewish race…
Another observation concerning the 12 gates with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel is that this parallels Ezekiel’s vision, where he saw the same thing (in Ezekiel 48:30-34).
Writer Steve Gregg says:
It is expedient that there should be three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west (v. 13), to speak of the universal access into the church, for Jesus predicted in Luke 13:29 that “They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.”
In the passage we just read from Luke 13, we should note that just before Jesus said these words, He also said to the unbelieving Jews that they would be cast out of the kingdom of God and would experience weeping and gnashing of teeth while the patriarchs, prophets, and many Gentiles would find entrance.
This mirrors what Jesus said in the Parable of the Tenants in Matthew 21:43-44 where He said
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
At verse 14 we read:
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Here we have more evidence for identifying the new heavenly city with the church because in the city foundations that have upon them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Remember, Paul directly said that the church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” (Ephesians 2:20).
This is the city for which Abraham looked and the writer of Hebrews wrote (11:10): “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
Duncan McKenzie comments, “A physical structure (a city) is being used here as a symbol to portray the totality of God’s people, just as God’s people are likened to a physical structure (a temple) in Ephesians 2:19-22—notice that both “structures” are built on the foundation of the apostles” (as evidenced by Ephesians 2:20 and Revelation 21:14).
Verse 15
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
In Ezekiel 40:3, an angelic messenger carried a measuring line and a reed to measure the gates and walls of “something like the structure of a city” (Ezekiel 40:2) and the temple in it.
We automatically might want to appeal to this as a type for what John sees here.
And while it might show us that there was the act of measuring cities in the Old Testament, there is a major difference between Ezekiel’s account and Johns as
In John’s there is no temple but in Ezekiel’s a great deal of time is dedicated to the temple.
In Philip Mauro’s 1922 classic work, “The Hope of Israel,” he said that the promises given through Ezekiel were conditional (as proven by Ezekiel 43:9-11), and that his visions had to do with the return from the Babylonian captivity some five centuries before Christ and with some foreshadowing of Christ and the coming Church age. (verse 16-21)
We are now given the physical description of the holy city. Futurists, premillennialists in particular, see this as a literal description of a future, physical city to be enjoyed during the eternal state following Christ’s millennial reign.
On the other hand, as I think we will see, there is scriptural support for seeing this forthcoming description as depicting the glories of the New Covenant church in this present age through the symbolism that John’s visions typically present. So let’s re-read it quickly:
16 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.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
So the “city” lies foursquare meaning its length, width and height are the same.
And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia [which is about 1,380 miles]. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.
The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass, so meaning completely pure as that is how purified gold looks when melted.
One key comparison to take note of is the fact that the holy city in John’s vision is cube-shaped.
Guess what else was cubed shaped in scripture? The holy of holies in Solomon’s temple was (see Ist Kings 6:20).
Symbolically, Solomon’s holy of holies was overlaid with pure gold, while the holy city in John’s vision is entirely made of pure gold – which is a great symbol and type – one overlaid, one pure – which to me also says, one material, one spiritual.
Since John sees no temple in the city (it says this in verse 22), perhaps the whole city is the temple (or more specifically, the holy of holies). Verse 11 tells us that this is the place of the glory of God.
Ephesians 2:20-21; Ist Tim. 3:15; Hebrews 3:6; and Ist Peter 2:5) tell us that this is where God resides, where He communes with men.
Now, part of the adorning of the bride of Christ is her jewelry… And here the walls, foundations, and gates of this city all made of great gemstones.
This harks back to a prophecy in Isaiah 54:11-12 concerning the church where he wrote:
“O you afflicted one, tossed with the tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of crystal, and all your walls of precious stones”
Because of the representation of the purified gold I cannot help but think this is symbolic of those who inhabit the city more than the visual description of an actual heavenly city. There is plenty of biblical language about the purification of souls as gold to support this view.
Then the “twelve gems” comprising the foundations call to mind the twelve gems worn upon the breast of the high priest, though the individual stones are not identical (see Exodus 28:15-21).
Since these same stones bear the names of the twelve apostles (as verse 14 suggests) I tend to think that this is representational of the High Priest distributing or delegating heavenly activities to the twelve, and the twelve furthermore delegating priestly heavenly administration to the 144,000.
That’s just me.
Finally, we read reference to the twelve gates were twelve pearls at verse 21.
The gates are the entrance into the heavenly city. We recall that Paul wrote in Act 14:22
“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
And I find the content of both the purified gold and “the gates made of pearl” to be symbolic of tribulation in the sense that pearls are the organic product from a grain of sand irritating and causing discomfort in the tissues of an oyster which results in the oyster secreting a substance that ultimately creates a beautiful pearl.
Therefore, the pearl gates may stand for affliction turned to benefit, even as silver and gold refined by fire are used in Scripture for the same concept.
Okay, final section – verses 22-27 where John continues to describe what he observes concerning the glory of the New Jerusalem.
No remember, this is the New Jerusalem which came down from heaven so it is spiritually both HERE and THERE as what John sees REPRESENTS this new age, this final eternal immoveable Spiritual Kingdom.
So, John writes:
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 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.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
A helpful way of treating this segment is to look at it alongside an Old Testament passage with which it coincides which is found in Isaiah chapter 60:
So let me read the comparative passages which describe the victory God has over the world as manifested in the New Covenantal Age.
(read comparisons)
Revelation 21:22-27
ISAIAH 60
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 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.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
AND
19 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.
20 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.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
21 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.
22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
As foretold by Isaiah and now described by John, the coming of the Gentiles into the church and the submission of kings to Christ has been in progress for nearly two thousand years now and will not stop.
To me the things highlighted in the paragraph above seem to be conclusive proof that these prophecies are not waiting a future dispensation or realm for fulfillment, but are indeed realities which have characterized the Body for nearly 2000 years.
But here’s the deal – it is happening OUTSIDE the parameters of what most Christians deem necessary.
God is reaching all through the victory of His Son. And it is NOT happening through the models of modern Evangelicalism any longer.
They play a part, but the door is wide open and never closes – never will again.
This brings us to the end of the chapter, in terms of looking at it verse-by-verse.
Along the way we’ve seen some parallels with the book of Ezekiel. We know that this is actually a very common pattern with the book of Revelation, and numerous scholars have recognized that John alludes to Ezekiel a lot.
Here is a brief summary of some of the parallels between Revelation 21 and various visions of Ezekiel:
Ezekiel is taken to a high mountain by angel and sees a city (40.1-3). John is taken to a high mountain by an angel and sees a city (21.10).
The first thing Ezekiel sees is the wall (40.5) that surrounds the city. The first thing John sees is the wall surrounding the city (21.12).
The first gate Ezekiel sees is the ‘east gate’ (40.6). The first gate for John is the ‘east gate’ (21.13).
Ezekiel sees the East, North (40.20-23) and the South (40.24-27), in that order. John follows the same order: ‘From the East gates, three; and from the North gates, three; and the South gates, three’ (21.13). (What is intriguing is that where Ezekiel does not mention a “West gate,” John does – which is symbolic of all nations now having access to the Kingdom.)
Each gate/alcove for John and Ezekiel are ‘three’ (21.13; cf. 40.10) and each are being measured (21.15-ff; cf. 40.10-ff). John then measures the city itself and its foundations and then Ezekiel goes into the city and sanctuary and begins measuring their dimensions too.
Each gate (four in all, with three alcoves, giving a total of 12) are named after the tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 48.31). Same as John (21.12).
When we get into our last chapter of Revelation, the City has ‘living waters’ in verse 1 as does Ezekiel 47.1-ff.
I would suggest that we have not a fulfillment of chapter 21 as much as we are provided with a biblical model – in fact one of the ONLY biblical descriptions that definitively defines what Christianity should look like today – post return of Jesus Christ to the earth with judgment and reward.
Hyper full preterists views in my estimation are as failing as any futurists views as they fail to adequately provide a future understanding of what happens to the rest of us post 70 AD.
I have long held to the notion that what we read in scripture of that material nation was spiritually applicable to us today but have never had proof since the New Testament narrative speaks pretty much exclusively to those of that day and age.
After 98 weeks of sojourning through a verse by verse of Revelation I have been personally rewarded with a picture of God’s Kingdom post 70AD or the wrapping up of the former economy.
For me, the numerous puzzle pieces without a home have interlocked and the grand panoply of His victorious ways are now clear.
I am encouraged that along the way I have maintained views that have been challenged but I knew to have merit. A reasonable, contextual reading of chapter 21 has established my case ten thousand times over.
Let’s quickly summarize:
[1] In verse 7 of the first chapter of Revelation John’s vision involves Christ’s judgement of Israel which leads to the complete destruction of the Old and the in-flowing of the New Jerusalem bride (mentioned in Revelation 21:2).
Once the old city is destroyed in AD 70 all believers should expect the New Jerusalem to take its place. Indeed, the NT declares the heavenly Jerusalem is already present in Christianity, as over against Judaism as stated in Galatians 4:26 and Hebrews 12:22).
[2] John’s mental or spiritual source material is surely Isaiah 65:17–20 (especially in the LXX) which prophecy portrays the coming new covenant order established by Christ (see 2nd Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:10 and 4:24).
In this we see that “Heaven and earth are employed as figures to indicate a complete renovation or revolution in the existing course of affairs. With the advent of the Messiah, the blessing to be revealed through Him will in every sense be so great that it can be described as “the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.”
[3] The coming down of the new Jerusalem (21:2) leads to the loud proclamation from God’s throne: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.” This transpires in the first century, as a result of Christ’s victorious work and his pouring out God’s Spirit upon Man as a result.
Paul puts it this way in 2nd Corinthians 6:16:
“We are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
The fulfillment of this occurs once the last vestige of the Old Covenant fell – the temple.
[4] …The promise of the water of life without cost reflects Isaiah 55:1 and the offer of world-wide salvation established by Christ in the first century.
In his Gospel John speaks of the water of life flowing from Christ during his incarnation (4:10–14) and promises its fuller flow at his exaltation which was made complete at His coming.
[5] The twelve foundation stones of the city in 21:14 picture the historical church, which Paul presents as already “having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesus 2:20).
The totally new economy is the result of that church bride being and remaining pure at His coming.
[6] …John writes in 21:22: “And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.” (LISTEN NOW) This suggests a first century reality, for with Christ’s coming and death the temple is rendered unnecessary (see Hebrews 8:13), for he is the temple (see Ephesians 2:19–20) and is greater than the physical temple (see Matthew 12:6).
[7] Revelation 21:24 says that “the nations shall walk by its light” and while Nations is a translations from ethnos, it suggests that the nations (as separate national entities) will still exist in this completed age. Therefore, historical conditions still prevail, rather than radically new, eternal conditions of perfect union and the fading of all distinctions which are perpetrated my imaginative futurists.
[8] We note that the “unclean” and he “who practices abomination and lying” are not allowed in (Revelation 21:27). This implies a continued setting where sinners and the recalcitrant still exist. As a matter of fact, in the FINAL age described here and in chapter 22, the city contains the “tree of life,” which produces leaves “for the healing of the nations” (22:1–2) which clearly endorses a growing, thriving continual kingdom of good and evil, and therefore afterlife reward and judgment.
In other words, people are and have continued to be converted.
John deals with those who refuse His ways of love and light by referring to them as “dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying” and places them “outside” of the city – whether that is a permanent destination or not is not said.
So there it is, friends. John is picturing the glory of new covenant Christianity, which arises from the fallen ashes of collapsed Judaism.
Can you handle the truth?
There it is.
Two more weeks to cover Revelation 22 and after 100 teachings we have sufficiently and I believe fairly covered the contents of the Book of Revelation.
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