Have you been at peace in the Lord during the past week? Today, the chapter of hope begins. Beginning of Eternity. So far, we have experienced judgment during various tribulations and have seen many miserable things that I do not want to hear about. Therefore, the purpose of living as Christians is to help at least one person receive salvation while we are living on this earth. As David said in Psalm 119, it is our mission to proclaim the word of God. I believe that the purpose of Christians living on earth is to proclaim the word of life. The age rapidly ends in Revelation Chapgter 20, and a new beginning unfolds in Chapter 21. The Bible can be viewed as an infinitely circulating book. The book of Revelation takes us back to Genesis again from chapter 21. There is no book in the world that has been written so mysteriously as the Bible. In Genesis we have the tree of life. The tree of life appears again in Revelation 22:2. Abel was slain as a lamb in Genesis, and in Revelation 21:23 we see the lamb again. In Genesis we see paradise lost, but in Revelation we see it restored. In Genesis 1:1, we read that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In 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. God begins with man in Genesis. And God ends with man in Revelation 22. The Bible is an infinite book, a written word with a complete cycle. So a man of limited intellect, that is, a man who has not been born again, can never understand the full scope of the Bible. This Bible is not a book like the Qur’an or other religious scriptures. We must know that the Bible is the only truly holy book and that it teaches the truth.
Let us continnue the study beginning with (Revelation 21:1 KJV) ¶ 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. The new heaven and the new earth are there, but the sea is gone. This sea is neither the Atlantic nor the Pacific Ocean on this earth. It is the great water we studied in chapter 4. This is expressed as the sea of glass. Job said the face of the deep is frozen. In (Job 38:30 KJV) It’s the waters above the heavens. It is the sea mentioned in Job 41:31-33. This body of water is so huge the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are considered as small pools. It is clearly testified in 2 Peter 3 and Hebrews 1:10-12 that this great body of water also disappears when God splits the atoms and the constituent elements disappear as the heavens are swept away being rolled up as a scroll. (Revelation 21:2 KJV) 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 is not the bride of God the Father. The bride of God the Father is Israel. New Jerusalem is the city prepared for the bride, who married his son, Jesus Christ. We get to see the New Jerusalem if we skip ahead to (Revelation 21:9-10 KJV) ¶ 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. 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, Holy Jerusalem is the New Jerusalem. There are three new things we need to note. A new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. If you want to know about the relationship between the New Jerusalem and the body of Christ, which is the church, you must know that the New Jerusalem is called the mother of all born again saints of the age of the church. Galatians 4:26 says the heavenly Jerusalem is our mother. Mysterious word indeed. There are also these three elements: the new earth has been prepared for the Jews, the new Jerusalem for the Christians, and the new heaven for many Gentiles. We must know that there are still three categories of people even in eternity: the Jews, Gentiles, and the Church that received Jesus Christ and became Christians. According to (1 Corinthians 10:32 KJV) Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: The word of God says that in Eternity there will only be Jews, Gentiles, and the Church of God, which is not of the white, asian or black races.
(Revelation 21:3 KJV) 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. There are several blessed words within the passge. God said the same thing to Israel in (Ezekiel 37:27 KJV) My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them. Yet there is no temple in the New Jerusalem, there may be a tabernacle in the new earth for the Jews in eternity, but there is no temple in the New Jerusalem for Christians. This New Jerusalem comes down and says that God will be with Israel on earth and will be their God, and Israel will be His people. Israel is by no means abandoned. For a moment, their branch was broken and the Gentiles were graffed in and became God’s children. The Bible warns the Christians For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (Romans 11:21 KJV)
(Revelation 21:4-5 KJV) 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. 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. Some preachers say we must read the original text because God’s words are allusive, symbolic, figurative, or incomprehensible, but this is absolutely not the case. God’s words are faithful and true. This passage is to see the conclusion of Christians. Without the book of Revelation, we wouldn’t know what happens to Satan. Satan is thrown into the lake of fire as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Have you ever thought of the Bible not containing the book of Revelation? Did you know that all the verses we love to quote about our heavenly home are found in the book of Revelation? No more sorrow, no more death, no more mourning, no more pain, no more tears of disappointment. It is possible to love without passion. Serving endlessly without knowing tiredness. Rejoicing to your heart’s content. No curses, only blessings. Life enjoyed without knowing death. No darkness, only light. No pain and full of strength. Reigning eternally. Fully satisfied without any deficiency. No tears, but full of praises. It’s just flawless beauty. There are only good friends. Wouldn’t you like to go to a place like this? This place does exist. Evangelist D.L Moody, who led many people to the Lord once said: If you are saved, this world will be the worst hell you will ever see. If you are not saved, this world will be the greatest heaven you will ever lay your eyes upon. What about you? How do you view this world? Since born again people see the heavenly things, they have no choice but to see the things of earth to be hellish.
Again from (Revelation 21:4 KJV) 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. This is the place Christ spoke of in (John 14:2-3 KJV) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Thomas asked, Lord how do we get there? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV) There is no other way unless you believe in Jesus Christ. No way to meet God unless we call upon Him through Jesus Christ.
(Revelation 21:5-6 KJV) 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. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, meaning the beginning, as Omega is the last letter meaning the end. Freely is without restrictions. It is one of the first words God spoke to man in (Genesis 2:16 KJV) ¶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: given away for free. God wants to give. Adam and Eve were freely given to eat as such, but instead they ate the wrong thing. Satan left out the word “freely” and caused Adam and Eve to sin by having them eat from something else other than from the tree of life. For this reason, the tree of life is no longer given freely. The tree of life appears again in (Revelation 22:14 KJV) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. The water of life is the free gift of salvation. To those who thirst I will give the living water of life without cost. This invitation is for anyone, of any generation. In 22:17, the bride of Christ invites people to Christ, and this is only true for the church age. In 22:14, only those who keep His commandments have a right to the tree of life, but only during the time of tribulation and the Millennium. We must rightly divide the words of the Bible. We see the invitation of the church age in Revelation 21:6. We know it by remembering what the Lord Jesus Christ said to the Samaritan woman who came to draw water. Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:13-14 KJV) Jesus tells us what a wonderful place the New Jerusalem is, and he doesn’t want us to miss it.
(Revelation 21:7-8 KJV) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 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. The overcomers in the New Testament era are the believers in Jesus Christ. Like in 1 John 4:4 and 5:4, our faith which enables us to overcome the world. Overcomers during the tribulation are who keep the commandments. The present Age of Grace is such peaceful and woderful time for everyone to freely receive blessings of everlasting life just through faith alone. Verse 8 shows those burning with brimstone. There are overcomers and a list of who burn with fire and brimstone, divided by terrible dissociative conjunction ‘but’ that divides the two situations, who do not get to share in the abode where there is no sorrow, death, pain, or tears. They are who will face the greatest tragedy, where they will forever suffer the horror of all terrors, where tears, sorrow, pain, lamentation, and gnashing of teeth. It is literally a burning hell. Those who do not believe in God are treated with fornicators, liars, and murderers. God treats the fearful as same with murderers and fornicators. And all liars. It is true that Christians can sin, and if they do, they will not inherit the kingdom of God according to Galatians 5:21. But Christians are still Christians. Your soul may have received Salvation, but you cannot receive any inheritance. An unsaved person can also sin, but he is not saved. Christians are distinguished from the unsaved because the sins they commit have been paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. This is the guarantee of eternal salvation. Some people doubt this, but the Lord has done everything. However, when a Christian sins, he loses many things: First, the joy of God’s salvation. David testified in Psalm 51:12. Second, the knowledge of God according to 1 Corinthians 15:33,34. Third, we lose God’s healing (1 Cor. 11:30). Fourth, we lose God’s reward (1 Cor. 3:13-15). Fifth, the inheritance of the Millennial reign is lost (Luke 19:15-26). Sixth, even his own life is lost (1 Corinthians 11:30). The Bible said those who unworthily partake of the body and blood of the Lord become weak, sick, and sleep(death). Therefore, the Lord tells us to proclaim His death and resurrection until His coming. This is the correct way to participate in the Lord’s Supper worthily.
(Revelation 21:9 KJV) ¶ 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. She is no longer betrothed. She has already become his wife. In 2 Corinthians 11:2 we are betrothed and in Revelation 19:7 we are adorned as a bride for the wedding. In chapter 21, verse 9, she became his wife, and she is described as a city. In the Bible, the woman is described as the city and the city is described as a woman, Satan has Babylon as his bride, she is both a woman and a city. Christ has the New Jerusalem as his bride. She is a woman as well as a city. The city of Christ is New Jerusalem.
(Revelation 21:10 KJV) 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, This city does not touchdown on the ground. It just says that the city is descending out of heaven. And this city will be around the earth. Perhaps as a satellite. However, what is clear here is that it come down from heaven but does not land on the grounds but floats in space. This city does not need the sun or moon for lights. However, the sun and moon will still be there to illuminate the earth. Christians will live with the Lord forever in the city of New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:16 tells us about the city: 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. (Revelation 21:16 KJV) This city is made of pure gold. Not just one side is square, but all four sides. The city is 1,500 miles in height, as 12,000 furlongs is about 1,500 miles. And the wall is about 80 meters tall. This wall will be transparent jasper with a double pyramidal structure containing carbon the main component of all living things. If we compare the size of this city to the United States, it is about the size of Boston to Miami, Miami to Denver, and Denver to Buffalo. The Lord said there are many mentions in my father’s house. He never lies. He didn’t say there are a lot of rooms, but many mansions. I don’t know how big our room is, but just being there would be a wonderful blessing.
(Revelation 21:11 KJV) Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; As mentioned before, jasper is made of carbon. This city is alive. Clear as Crystal means this city sparkles when as it descends, and jasper is like a diamond found in Egypt and Siberia. It comes in a variety of colors to suit all tastes and races. Here that jasper is the main component of this city.
(Revelation 21:13-16 KJV) On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 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. This city is 1500 miles long, 1500 miles wide and 1500 miles high. Imagine this city soaring into the air! This is different from the physical world. It will be amazing.
(Revelation 21:17 KJV) 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. This text indicates that there are passages in the Bible that clearly show that angels are people. Angels can be seen as human beings. Angels appeared as men. That’s why the Greek noun angelos is also masculine. I won’t go into depth about angels any further.
(Revelation 21:18-20 KJV) And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 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; 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. These stones are on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. They were the stones that were attached to the breastplate in Old Testament times. These twelve stones represent the twelve tribes of Israel. What the City of God looks like and how dazzling it would be, people cannot imagine. The road is pure gold. Pure gold is transparent. Apostle Paul said this after visiting the Third Heaven: For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23 KJV) It is no surprise that he said this. He was stoned to death, but after Seeing this, he entered the city to be stoned again so he could die. Those who preach the gospel, Those who testify to the coming of the Lord living in poverty and facing persecution have seen their new home. That’s why they want to go there in any way shape or form. In Hebrews 11, many of our ancestors of faith said this world was not worthy. Just like like D.L. Moody once said, America, which seemed like a paradise in the world, looked like a living hell after being saved. Folks, look at the world we live in. Cities like LA, and many other Great cities of the world. Aren’t they Sodom and Gomorrah? Perhaps even worse? You’ve got to be able to see this. The apostles Paul and John saw the New Jerusalem. It is a real place. It is not symbolic. Please don’t be fooled. God never jokes on such things.
(Revelation 21:21 KJV) 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. As such, we shall walk the streets of gold in heaven. Here on earth people fight for gold, but over in heaven people walk the golden street. On earth men fight for money, but in heaven money is the pavement and you walk on on top of gold. The size of the pearl gates is not given, but the walls will be 300 feet high. Each gate is a pearl-like circular shape. If the door is big enough for one person to pass through, the pearl will be about 7 feet in diameter. The door will be at least 30 feet high.
(Revelation 21:22-24 KJV) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 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. 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 honour into it. Here we see the nations who are saved during the Tribulation and the Millennium. They die without ever gaining eternal life. But at the Great White Throne Judgment, if their names are in the book of life, they will have the right to eat from the tree of life. They will enter the city and eat of the tree of life. Like the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. Their descendants will enter this city from eternity and eat of the tree of life and live forever. You must know that the kings of the earth are actual people with flesh and blood of earth during eternity. In Isaiah 66:22-24, it should be noted that all flesh comes to New Jerusalem to worship the Lord on the Sabbath and the new moon in the new heaven and new earth.
Events during Eternity (Revelation 21:25-26 KJV) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
(Revelation 21:27 KJV) 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. No unclean thing can enter the city. The names of Christians are in the book of life of course. Mentioned here are those who were saved during the tribulation and the Millennium period. As they enter, Christians are already there. Christians do not have to go in to eat from the tree of life because they already have eternal life. So in this passage we can see that those on earth during eternity enter the New Jerusalem to eat of the tree of life. In Genesis 3:22-24, we see that the tree of life, which was forbidden when Adam sinned, is finally allowed again. This is what will happen in the new heaven and the new earth, New Jerusalem. Wouldn’t you like to live in this hope? I pray you will live in this hope in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.