Heavenly Jerusalem

2024-01-08

Heavenly Jerusalem, or New Jerusalem, is the city of God that has built. In the future, God will create a new heaven and earth, and this city will come down from heaven to earth.

The chronology of events as follows, all in the future: the seventieth week of Daniel, the millennial reign of Christ, the battle of Gog and Magog, the great white throne judgment, and then the creation of the new heaven and earth, including this New Jerusalem.

Here are some of the traits of this Heavenly Jerusalem:

  1. Heavenly Jerusalem is where God dwells with humankind. Revelation 21:3.
  2. There is no death, sadness, or pain there. The effects of the Fall are gone. Revelation 21:4.
  3. All previous pain and sorrow is removed there. Whatever pain that was known in the old earth will be gone in the new. The memory of the old is gone forever. Isaiah 65:19; Revelation 21:4.
  4. Wickedness does not enter there. Revelation 21:8, 27; 22:15.
  5. The city is the bride of the Lamb. “Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:31-32). The bride of Christ is the church, so this is the future dwelling of the church. Revelation 21:9.
  6. The city is holy. Revelation 21:10.
  7. It will descend from God and will have the light of His glory. Revelation 21:10-11.
  8. It will have high walls, 12 gates guarded by 12 angels, labeled with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. It is well guarded. There is a tribute to the 12 tribes of Israel. Revelation 21:12-13.
  9. It will have 12 foundations labeled with the names of the 12 apostles. The city is well grounded. There is a tribute to the 12 apostles there. The city reflects truth from both the Old Testament and the New.
  10. The city is huge. The length, width, and height are all between 1,200 and 1,500 miles, requiring a new heaven and earth. The walls are 216 feet thick. Revelation 21:15-17.
  11. The foundations have precious stones on them with gates of pearl and streets of pure gold. What is so precious in this life is ubiquitous in New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:18-21.
  12. There is no temple. Jesus fulfills everything the tabernacle and the temple represented. God is the only Temple in New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:22.
  13. There is no need for any other light source because God dwells there. The Father lightens the world with the Son, who is the Light, fulfilling the roles of the sun and the moon. The light of the city lights up the nations of the world. There is no longer any night. Revelation 21:23-25.
  14. The saved nations of the world honor in New Jerusalem. Kings of nations will pay homage to the King at New Jerusalem. Who these are and how this works, I have no idea, but it will be a reality in the new creation. Isaiah 66:23; Revelation 21:24-26.
  15. The gates never shut. No more siege-induced famines, like in the preexilic times. No need to close the gates for nighttime because there is none. Christ is the Sabbath, so they would not need to close the gate then, like in Nehemiah’s day (Nehemiah 13:19). Revelation 21:25.
  16. Only those written in the Lamb’s book of life may enter. Revelation 21:27.
  17. It has a pure river of water of life that issues from God’s throne. This is the first of a few attributes that resembles the Garden of Eden. Like a river that came forth from Eden and watered the world, there is a river from New Jerusalem. Revelation 22:1.
  18. The tree of life is there. The tree of life will have 12 types of fruit, which come in every month with leaves of healing. There is no tree of knowledge mentioned. Revelation 22:2.
  19. There is no curse. The curse that came from the fall or any other curse will no longer exist. Revelation 22:3.
  20. The throne of God is there. As humankind walked with God in Eden, they will again in this City. Revelation 22:3-4.
  21. The name of God shall be on their foreheads. Like others who had the mark of the beast on their foreheads during his reign, the residents of this city will have His name on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4.
  22. God will reign forever there. Revelation 22:5.
  23. Those that do God’s commandments enter into the city. Revelation 22:14.
  24. Those who alter the prophecy of Revelation forfeit their right to enter the city. Revelation 22:19.
  25. It is a place of rejoicing. Isaiah 65:18.
  26. It is a place of freedom. Galatians 4:26.

New Jerusalem is the fulfillment of everything the original Jerusalem was supposed to be but could never be. It was only a shadow of the new city to come. Clearly in its beauty and purity it shall reflect God’s glory. No more wicked kings ruling over His people. No more sin, pain, death, crying, curse, and all things that ruined humanity. It is a complete starting over of creation, and this creation will be eternal and always honoring God.