Revelation Chapter 21

[Pastor Dave Honey]

Revelation 21:1
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

The thought of a new heaven and a new earth intrigues me, but the thought of no sea puzzles me! I suppose that there will be no sea will be consistent with the design of the new planet. I am reminded of God's creation of His original "Paradise," the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:4-6 tells us that before there was ever rain, the ground was watered by a mist which came up from the earth.

Genesis 2:4-6
4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.

It would seem that the hydrological cycle, which is facilitated by the oceans, is no longer needed. God's new paradise may be a more lush, more beautiful tropical environment than has ever been imagined, a planet kept lush by a mist from the ground. A wonderful possibility!

Another thought is inspired by the creation record, specifically Genesis 1:1-2;

Genesis 1:1-2
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

In his work on "Dispensational Truth," Clarence Larkin describes the earth in Genesis 1:2 as the "Chaotic Earth," a world of disorder. Verse 2 of course, describes the earth as without form, void, dark, and covered with water. The vast ocean, which apparently covers all of this formless world appears dark and foreboding, this being in stark contrast with the newly created world of Revelation 21! In another reference to the seas, Revelation 20:13 lists three locations which must release the lost dead that are in them; the Sea, Death and Hades! It is well known that many lives have been tragically lost in the depths of the sea. I recently watched a terrifying documentary which revealed many deadly properties of the sea, something I couldn't imagine existing in heaven!

Revelation 21:2
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

This is an amazing event! When Jesus said that He was going away to prepare a place for us, He wasn't kidding!

John 14:1-4
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  2 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.  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  4 And where I go you know, and the way you know."

This new City of Jerusalem is huge! We'll look at some detailed dimensions later as we move through this chapter, but for now just understand that this city is roughly fifteen hundred mile in every direction, including up! How will God recreate heaven and earth so as to accommodate a structure fifteen hundred miles high? When you consider our current atmosphere, when we say that "The Sky's The Limit," we are referring to roughly 62 miles (99.99997% of the atmosphere by mass is below 100 kilometers, or 62 miles). My point is that the New Jerusalem would not fit very well on this old earth!

The city descends to the new earth as a bride adorned for her husband. In other words, the Bride of Christ, all of the redeemed from all of the ages are in this great city! This event looks much like the third part of the three parts of a Jewish wedding. The first part is the betrothal, God pledged to Him a redeemed people. The second was a time of celebration as the bride is presented. This took place following the rapture of the church as the bride is taken up into heaven. Finally the third part is the consummation as the bride meets Christ at the Eternal Kingdom. This began at the marriage supper of the Lamb and continues through the millennial kingdom.

Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

At last! The long awaited proclamation that the tabernacle, the tent, the dwelling place of God is once again with man! From this moment forward God will dwell among His people and He shall be their only God! It is so exciting to know that God's promises all point to this amazing point in time, the end of time and the beginning of an eternity to spend with our God! Amen!!

Zechariah 2:10
"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," says the LORD.

Ezekiel 37:27
My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Jeremiah 30:22
"You shall be My people, and I will be your God."

His promises go on and on, and He keeps every one!!

Revelation 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

This seems to be a promise that many in the world view as wishful thinking. It is not simply wishful thinking to understand that God has promised to restore mankind back to what he was originally created to be, eternally perfect in paradise! God will glorify our new bodies at the Rapture/Resurrection and then finish the promise when He creates His, our new heaven and new earth. Sin and every single unredeemed person and thing that has ever been tainted by it will be gone, cast into the Lake of Fire! All things will be made new! In an eternal paradise, there will be perfect love, perfect relationships, perfect bodies that will live in perfect health. These perfect bodies will never suffer in sickness or injury. These perfect minds will never be lost in the darkness of depression or other mental illness, they will simply be perfect, created in the true image of God!

Revelation 21:5
Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

He who sat on the throne is none other than Almighty God! He was described in Revelation 4:9-11 as well as 20:11 as the One who sat on the throne, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away.

John must have been rocked to the core! He is witness to God Himself declaring that He has made all things new! Can you even begin to imagine the awesome privilege that God has bestowed on John at that moment? This crescendoing moment when God brings His plan of the ages to glorious completion, and John is there to witness it first hand! Wow!! God commands John to pick up his pencil and write!! I can almost hear John as he is snapped back into focus, "Yes Sir!!"

Revelation 21:6-7
6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."

Just as Jesus announced the completion of the redemptive process with His declaration from the cross, "It Is Finished," God the Father announces the completion of His plan of the ages, His plan for all mankind with His words, "It Is Done!" He says of Himself, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." We shall see that Jesus will declare the very same of Himself in chapter 22, verse 13, to demonstrate His equality with the Father.

Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman about this water in the Gospel of John;

John 4:13-14
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,  14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

He also spoke of Living Water in John, chapter seven;

John 7:37-39
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

Several mentions of "Living Water" surely symbolize eternal life for all who thirst after it!

Psalm 42:1-2
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?

Just as I have stated earlier in this study, the person who overcomes is one who places his/her faith in Jesus Christ!

1 John 5:4-5
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

We have inherited all that God has promised; eternal life in heaven, a perfect, eternal body and all that is mentioned in verse 4. There is a perfect and imperishable inheritance for us in heaven that cannot be put into words! The most wonderful of all is that the Father will be our God and we shall be His children forever!

1 Peter 1:4-5
4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Verses six and seven gave us the promises of God given to the faithful overcomers. However, verse eight offers a strong promise for those who hated the truth and rejected Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Revelation 21:8
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

The second death was the resurrection of the "rest of the dead" spoken of in 20:5. All who have hated the Son of God are judged and cast into the Lake of Fire at the "Great White Throne of Judgment!"

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, if you have not received forgiveness of sin because you have not believed the words of Jesus spoken in the Gospel of John;

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Revelation 21:9
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."

My guess is that this is the same angel as mentioned in chapter 17. There is a sharp contrast between the destruction of the Great Harlot in chapter 17 and the arrival of the great city, the holy Jerusalem which is now descending out if heaven! The angel in chapter 17 carried John away in the Spirit into the wilderness to view the great harlot. The same angel (I believe) will now carry John away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain to view the great city.

Verse 9 introduces the Lamb's wife, the bride of Christ! Who is she? There have been several false teachings which have suggest that Jesus was married. A popular book made movie called the Da Vinci Code was one such teaching. The fact is that Jesus was never married during His earthly ministry. However, Jesus does finally consummate His marriage to His bride as we see in chapter 21. His bride? You and I! All believers! The Body of Christ! The Church! You and I Brothers and Sisters, You and I!

Revelation 21:10-11
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

What a glorious vision! As John witnesses this great and glorious city descending out of the "New Heaven" to it's new destination, the "New Earth!" John must surely be mesmerized by the glory of God shinning out of her, giving the city the appearance of a perfect gem, radiant and crystal clear!

Revelation 21:12-14
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

A great high wall surrounding a city in the past would have been there to protect the city from being invaded by enemy forces.  In this case, the city needs no protection, for all evil and enemy forces have been cut down and cast into the Lake of fire! This great wall which is anchored to twelve foundations display the magnificence of the place Jesus went away to prepare for us.

John 14:1-4
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  2 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.  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  4 And where I go you know, and the way you know."

The great wall with its twelve gates and twelve foundations will forever celebrate all who God loves and all He redeemed throughout the old and new testament. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel from the Old Testament, and the names of the twelve apostles of Jesus from the New Testament.

Revelation 21:15-16
15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

A reed was used as a measuring device. A standard reed was roughly six cubits in length, or 8.9 feet long. One cubit is roughly 18 inches in length. Also, there is a royal cubit, which is some 21 inches in length. It is reasonable to say that since the angel gave John a golden reed, that it could have been six royal cubits in length, or 10.5 feet long. Just some interesting thoughts as we study the verse. Either way, the city measured 12,000 furlongs (1 furlong equals 1/8 of a mile), or 1,500 miles in its length, breadth and height.

It is a commonly held belief that the actual city is a cube measuring 1,500 miles by 1,500 miles by 1,500 miles. A very large city!

There is a little known prophecy found in the book of Isaiah that lends itself to a very interesting theory put forth by Dr. Patrick Heron- Author of The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse, regarding the actual shape of this great city.

Let's take a look at this most intriguing prophecy.

Isaiah 19:19
In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.

The verse presents a bit of a riddle! The terms altar and pillar refer to the same thing. An altar is typically for sacrifice, but used with the term pillar, it may be assumed that the altar spoken of is an altar, or monument of worship. The riddle is; the altar is said to be an Altar to the LORD and lies in the midst (center) of the land of Egypt, as well as on its border! The answer to this riddle is found in an understanding of ancient geography. Ancient Egypt was divided into two sections, Upper and Lower Egypt. The great pyramid of Giza is the only monument that fits the mystery of this prophecy because it sits precisely on this ancient border. In modern day geography, the border no longer exists, so the pyramid now sits in the midst, or center of the land of Egypt.

What makes this prophecy all the more interesting is the discovery of certain hieroglyphics found in the Edfu Temple in Upper Egypt. Ancient Egypt preserved complex beliefs regarding the creation of the world in the Edfu building texts carved in the walls of the Edfu Temple. The hieroglyphics depict giant builder gods which put forth the plans for all future pyramids. A closer look at these "giant builder gods" might suggest a connection with the giants (Nephilim) found in Genesis 6:1-4 and Numbers 13:33;

Genesis 6:1-4
1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 3 And the LORD said,"My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Numbers 13:33
"There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

The word giant also translates Nephilim. It is suggested by the hieroglyphic record in the Edfu Temple that these builder gods, or Nephilim, led the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest and oldest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis which borders what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. According to the hieroglyphics carved in the wall of the Edfu Temple, these giants built this great pyramid as an altar to the LORD. Possibly a replica, or counterfeit of an altar in heaven, yet constructed for their own evil purposes! Of course, it is not known if there is a pyramid shaped altar in heaven.

What is even more interesting is that the only other geometric model that fits the criteria of the glorious New Jerusalem, other than a cube, is a pyramid. However, in paganism, a structure such as a pyramid, with its skyward point, indicated pagan worship of the sun, or sun gods. God's word condemns worship in high places, such as the Tower of Babel.

Leviticus 26:30
I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols;
and My soul shall abhor you.

It would seem, after all, the cube may be God's choice as a shape for His eternal city as it was for His Holy of Holies!

1 Kings 6:19-20
19 And he prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple, to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar.

As fascinating as this theory may be, we must understand that God is not, or ever will be the author of confusion. The Tower of Babel was a monument to man's own greatness, yet it became a monument of confusion! Its purpose was to glorify man and evil. For centuries the Great Pyramids of Egypt have been a source of mystical intrigue. It would certainly seem true that if a race of fallen angels, or demons were the "builder gods" behind the construction of a wonder that is given to so much pagan worship, mystical intrigue and false teachings, that God would be wholly opposed to such an idol as this!

Revelation 21:17-18
17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

Most likely the measurement was of the wall's thickness, which according to the measurement of one hundred and forty-four cubits, would be seventy two yards! That is one thick wall! Again, let us observe that the extremely fortified wall is not to protect the city from invading forces, because there will be none! I believe that the extreme size of the wall is to glorify the magnificence of the One True Builder God, God Almighty!

The amazing materials used in the construction of the wall, as well as the city itself, as we shall see, would by its translucent nature, allow the city and wall to shine with the wonderful glory of God!

Revelation 21:19-20
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

In my introduction of this study on the book of Revelation, I wrote these words in an attempt to describe what John will see; "...he is taken into heaven to witness first hand, God's plan for the future of the entire human race as it unfolds in brilliant, dazzling works of art that only God Himself could create and put into motion! He is dazzled by imagery so wonderful, so awesome, that mere words cannot describe in full glorious detail all that his eyes will see, but his mind will not begin to comprehend!"

John's attention is now turned to the foundations of the wall surrounding the city. There are of course twelve foundations, each one bearing the names of each of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Each of the foundations are studded with beautiful gems, eight of which were found mounted on the high priest's breast piece.

Exodus 28:15-20
15"You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. 16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width. 17 And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; 18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings."

The foundations will be as brilliant and beautiful as the wall which the support. A wonderful metaphor of the brilliant beauty of the Foundation and Cornerstone of our faith!

Revelation 21:21
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Ever hear of the "Pearly Gates?" How appropriate that Jesus used a single pearl to frame each of the twelve entrances to the city! As you know, a pearl is formed when the flesh of the oyster has become wounded by some foreign object, perhaps a grain of sand. The oyster surrounds the irritant with a beautiful pearl, much as He has surrounds us with His cleansing and healing blood, making us into something beautiful! These gigantic pearls may very well be the most fantastic of all of the gems and stones found within the foundations and wall of the city. They may reach upwards to one thousand miles, creating a magnificent sight as one would stand at the wall entrance  to this great city!

The streets of gold remind me of the story of a man who insisted on packing his suitcases with bricks of gold before he died. He had the idea that he could bring his great wealth with him to heaven. As he arrived at the magnificent Pearly Gates, he was informed by an angel that he would not be allowed to bring his suitcases into the city with him. After very much protest he was asked to open the suitcases, exposing all of his gold. Puzzled, the angel asked the man; "Why are you bringing pavement?"

Heaven will hold every treasure we could ever hope for or imagine! there is nothing in this world, with the exception of relationships that we would ever want to bring from our lives on earth! God will surely give us the desires of our hearts!

Revelation 21:22-23
22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

There will be no temple because God and the Lamb are the temple! We will forever be in the presence of God. The glory of God will be a constant presence and we shall exist eternally in them! The universe as we know it will be completely different. There will be no need for the greater light to light the day, or the lesser light to light the night, for there will be only day, always lit by the brilliant glory of God!! There will be no more need for a moon to control the tides, for there will be no more sea, thus no more tides to draw us under!

Revelation 21:24
And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

Nations translates peoples. There shall no longer be the governments of men, but all people, Gentile and Jew as one, walking in the same light! The idea of the kings of the earth, emphasize the absolute equality in heaven. No more two or three class systems! No more rich or poor, for all will be rich in God's great glory! All will bring honor to God because they believed!

Revelation 21:25-26
25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

There will be no need to ever shut the gates (I'm not even sure if there are doors to shut!) for there will be no night or evil of the night to shut out!

Revelation 21:27
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

All that is evil, all that defiles, all that is an abomination, or all that lies, have all been cast into the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone! I have no idea where this place will exist, outer darkness I suppose, but I do know that where we will be, where God is, the burning lake which is outer darkness will never ever find us!

Because our names have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life, we have an eternal place in heaven and all unredeemed sinners and everything that has ever been tainted by sin, have been cast into the Lake of Fire, never to be seen again! Amen!

 

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