New Jerusalem

2011-02-14

This study will survey the New Jerusalem as seen in Revelation 21-22. I will emphasize Revelation 21:9-27; 22:1-5 since this will be part of a lesson that follows these verses. Note that this will not reflect upon the Millennial Reign of Christ, where Jesus will reign on the current earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. The New Jerusalem is upon the new earth that God will create. This is a mysterious part of the Bible, and I am simply not clear on the significance of everything contained in these verses.

New Jerusalem: The Bride

This great city was “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). In verse 9, however, the angel brings John to see the city from a mountain, and refers to the city as the Bride of the Lamb. This mountain suggests that there is some sort of topography outside of the city. It is significant to say here, that in Ephesians 5:31-32, the husband-wife relationship is a model of Jesus Christ’s relationship to the church. There are some implications here by use of this terminology. First, Jesus Christ loves this city, or more specifically its inhabitants, like the husband is commanded to love his wife. Second, Jesus had originally left his father to cleave to the people for which he died. Third, Jesus and his people have become one, just as he prayed in the High Priestly Prayer (John 17:21).

The Purpose of New Jerusalem

This city has “the glory of God” (Revelation 21:11). It is likened to a precious stone and full of light. It has great high walls, and wide open gates with angels thereby. The names of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles are named on the city. The gates are pearls. So far it is the paragon of beauty and the epitome of strongholds. Now, as I have written previously, the inhabitants of this city are implied in this husband-wife relationship, but they are not explicitly mentioned yet. Why is this? This is the city that God built. It exhibits his glory, his power, and his royalty, as it is called holy Jerusalem in Revelation 21:10. The focus is not on people. It is the city that God built for him to dwell in among his creation. This order is important. God has preeminence, and then his subjects will be discussed.

The significance of the tribes and the apostles should not be ignored. The foundation, interestingly enough, is not the tribes, which preceded the apostles in history; the apostles are the foundation of this city, which is reminiscent of Matthew 16:18: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The Bible does not say that this holy city is a church per se, but a church is simply a word for congregation. Once again, there is an implication of inhabitants, but no mention of them as of yet. The twelve tribes signify the Jewish heritage of the Faith, and there will be a large number of Jewish people that will be a part of this new creation.

The Light of the Nations

There is no Temple in holy new Jerusalem. God Almighty and Jesus Christ are the temple. The temple in the Old Testament served as a picture of a heavenly reality--that blood sacrifice was required to purge sins and enter the holy of holies. But Jesus Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice replaced that whole system of sacrifice and the priesthood, so it only makes sense that there is no temple necessary. In addition, there is no sin anymore, so such an offering would be unthinkable.

Not only is God the Father and Jesus Christ the temple, they are also the source of light. No sun, candle, or other light source will be necessary. The essence of God is light, and there is no darkness in him (1 John 1:5). Nations of the world will walk in this light. Kings and peoples will bring honor to the King in Jerusalem. It appears that these nations dwell outside the city, but do enter it; this new world is populated. Just as the tribes came to Jerusalem three times a year for feasts (Exodus 23:17; Deuteronomy 16:16), it appears that the kings and nations of the saved will also make pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Nothing that defiles will enter this holy city; only those written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 22:14-15 says that without the city is all manner of sinners; this is true, but it appears that this is not the same as the saved nations who may be outside the city. The saved nations walk in the light of the city (Revelation 21:24), while the unsaved in the lake of fire are in outer darkness, which means they are nowhere near the city (Matthew 25:30).

Light allows us to see things clearly. In holy Jerusalem, we will never stop seeing things clearly, and darkness will be totally absent from the new creation.

A pure, clear river comes from the throne of God and the Lamb. The pureness of this city has its origin from God.

The tree of life is there, but there is no tree of knowledge of good and evil. The implication is that this is the eternal state. There will not be a way for people to fall away from God like Adam fell. The tree is reminiscent of Ezekiel 47:12, where the fruit of the tree is for food and the leaves for medicine. There is a problem, however, with equating the latter chapters of Ezekiel to this, because it speaks of sacrifices, a Levitical priesthood, and similar things that will not be operating in the new world.

Questions for thought

What is the significance of the New Jerusalem being the Bride of Christ? (Revelation 21:9-10)

Why the enumeration of the city’s physical characteristics? Do they have any significance other than what is apparent? Why the high wall and angels at the gates? Why the names of tribes and apostles?

Why is there little emphasis on the city’s inhabitants?

What is the significance of the light and the absence of darkness? (Revelation 21:23)

Why is there no temple, and more specifically, why are God the Father and Jesus Christ the temple? (Revelation 21:22)

Who are the kings and nations? Do they live in the city or outside the city? Does Revelation 21:24-26 imply people go in and out of the city? (Revelation 21:24-26)

There are three lists of types of people that will either be thrown into the lake of fire, not allowed to enter the city, or be denied access to the tree of life (Revelation 21:8; 21:27; 22:15). They all mention liars. Who will be able to enter the holy city?

The tree of life is in this city, like Eden. What tree is missing, and what does this suggest? (Revelation 22:2)

What are these leaves that are for the healing of the nations in 22:2? In 21:4, the Bible says that there will be no longer be any pain, death, crying or sorrow.

How do you think God’s servants will serve him? (Revelation 22:3, cf. Revelation 22:5)

What does it mean to have God’s name in their foreheads? (Revelation 22:4)