A Description of the New Jerusalem Revelation 21:9-27
Revelation 21:9-27
Scripture Reading and Insights
Begin by reading Revelation 21:9-27 in your favorite Bible. As you read, keep
in mind that the Word of God brings spiritual maturity (1 Corinthians 3:1-2;
Hebrews 5:12-14).In the previous lesson, we focused on God’s creation of a new
heaven and anew earth. Now let’s discover more about the New Jerusalem, the glorious
heavenly city that will rest on the new earth. With your Bible still accessible,
consider the following insights on the biblical text, verse by verse.
Revelation 21:9-21
“Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb” (21:9): In this context, the bride is the new Jerusalem. The holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (21:10): As John was carried away in the spirit to a high mountain (a perfect vantage point), he witnessed firsthand the eternal city—the new Jerusalem—coming down out of heaven from God. Physically resurrected believers will live in this physical city (1 Corinthians15:35-53). Jesus in John 14:1-3 describes this eternal abode using such words as “house,” “rooms,” and “a place,” thereby indicating physicality. Today’s passage describes the new Jerusalem as having walls, gates, foundations, a street, river, trees, and more. Having the glory of God (21:11): John’s words no doubt represent a human attempt to describe the utterly indescribable. George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards: A Life, explained Edwards’s view:
However wonderful it might be to imagine these things, earthly images are not really adequate…These biblical images, he explained, are “very faint shadows” that represent the joys of heaven humans are intended to enjoy.1The heavenly city will be far more wondrous than we can possibly imagine. The city is designed to reflect and manifest the incredible glory of God (it is “clear as crystal”). The transparency within the city distributes the glory of God throughout the city without hindrance. The human imagination is incapable of fathoming the immeasurably resplendent glory of God that will be perpetually manifest in the eternal city. This is especially so when one considers that all manner of precious stones will be built into the eternal city. This is a scene of indescribable beauty with the glory of God shining through a variety of multicolored stones. No wonder heaven is described as the paradise of God (2Corinthians 12:3; Revelation 2:7).Twelve gates…twelve angels…twelve tribes (21:12): Angels are positioned at each of the 12 gates, not only as guardians but also to minister to the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). The names of the 12 tribes of Israel are written on the gates, perhaps to remind us that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).
Twelve foundations…twelve apostles (21:14): Perhaps the names of the apostles appear on the foundations of the city in order to remind us that the church was built on these men of God (Ephesians 2:20). (What was John’s reaction when he saw his own name inscribed on one of the foundations?)Perhaps the inclusion of the names of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12apostles indicates that Jewish and Gentile believers will both be in God’s eternal family. The heavenly city includes the redeemed—both Jew and Gentile—of alleges.
The one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold…He measured the city with his rod (21:15-16): The heavenly city measures 12,000 stadia on each side, meaning that the city is approximately 1400 miles by 1400 miles by 1400miles. Though some interpret these big numbers symbolically, I think the dimensions are intended to be interpreted literally. The eternal city is so huge that it would measure approximately the distance from Canada to Mexico or from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rockies. The city installs enough to reach about one-twentieth of the way from the earth to the moon. If the city has stories, each being 12 feet high, then the city would have more than 500,000 stories.
The eternal city could either be cube-shaped or pyramid-shaped—and there are good Christian scholars on both sides of the debate. Some prefer to consider it shaped as a pyramid, for this would explain how the river of the water of life could flow down its sides as pictured in Revelation 22:1-2.Others prefer to consider it shaped as a cube. After all, the Most Holy Place in Solomon’s temple was cube shaped (1 Kings 6:20). The eternal city could be likened to an eternal Most Holy Place.
Every kind of jewel (21:18-21): The mention of beautiful, diverse, multicolored jewels is an attempt to describe the indescribable, to depict that which is perfect with imperfect language, to portray that which is infinite and eternal with language that is finite and temporal. Such beautiful jewels provide only a faint analogy of the awesome beauty of heaven. The colors of these various jewels include white, gold, blood red, bright red, orange-red, blue, sky blue, greenish blue, sea green, yellow green, apple green, and purple. All these Jewels are transparent, so God’s glory shining throughout the city will be an awesome thing to behold. The entire city will glisten.
Revelation 21:22-27
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord (21:22): The temple in the eternal state is not a building but is rather God Himself (compare with John2:19,21). This communicates the idea that one need not go to a specific place or location to encounter the Lord. Rather, the presence of God will permeate the entire new heaven and new earth (see Revelation 21:3). God’s presence will be limitless. Fellowship with God will be unbroken. The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb (21:23): This is in keeping with the prophecy in Isaiah 60:19: “The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” Dr. Lehman Strauss’s comments on the Lamb’s glory are worthy of meditation: In that city which Christ has prepared for His own there will be no created light, simply because Christ Himself, who is the uncreated light (John 8:12), will be there…The created lights of God and of men are as darkness when compared with our Blessed Lord.
The light He defuses throughout eternity is the unclouded, undimmed glory of His own Holy presence. In consequence of the fullness of that light, there shall be no night.2Related to this, Colossians 1:12 refers to heaven as “the inheritance of the saints in light.” Christ, of course, is the light of the world (John 8:12). The eternal kingdom thus takes on the character of the King. By its light will the nations walk (21:24): The nations are the redeemed people from every nation and tribe and people? All races of man blend into God’s eternal family on the new earth. There will be no racial divisions among human beings! The kings of the earth will bring their glory into it (21:24): All these kings will be believers. They have glory only by the grace of God, who sovereignty institutes kings (Romans 13:1).
Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there (21:25):In ancient times, city gates were closed at night for protection against invaders. Gates were part of the city’s security. In the eternal city, however, there will never be any external threat to those who dwell within. Satan, demons, and unbelievers will be in eternal quarantine in hell. Besides, God Himself will dwell within the city. Who would dare attack it? They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations (21:26): In Jewish worship in biblical times, Gentiles were not allowed to enter into the holy precincts. Recall the riotous stir some Jews caused by accusing the apostle Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple (Acts 21:28-29). Gentiles were considered unclean.
But no believing Gentiles will be unwelcome in the holy precincts in heaven! Nothing unclean will ever enter it (21:27): The city will be characterized by absolute perfection. No more sin. No more Satan. No more demons. No more antichrist. No more false prophet. The environment of heaven will be righteous, pure, and clean. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life are within the city. All others—the wicked dead of all ages, along with Satan and all fallen angels—are eternally quarantined in the lake of fire. What an awesome city! Because you and I are so accustomed to living in a fallen world that has been viciously marred by sin and corruption, we cannot imagine life in a heavenly habitat (see 1 Corinthians 2:9). From birth to death, we are confronted with imperfection on every level. But in the eternal city, we will experience nothing but perfection.
Major Themes
1. The number 12. The number 12 surfaces often in Revelation 21–22.There are 12 gates, angels, tribes, foundations, apostles, pearls, fruits, and months. As well, the side of the city measured 12,000stadia. The wall measured 144 cubits (12 times 12).
2. The perfection of heaven. Heaven will be perfect in every way, as A.T. Pierson notes: There shall be no more curse—perfect restoration. The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it—perfect administration. His servants shall serve him—perfect subordination. And they shall see his face—perfect transformation. And his name shall be on their foreheads—perfect identification. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord giveth them light—perfect illumination. And they shall reign forever and ever—perfect exultation.3
Digging Deeper with Cross-References
The glory of God—Exodus 24:17; 40:34; 1 Kings 8:11; Psalms 8:1; 19:1;Ezekiel 10:4; Luke 2:9; Acts 7:55; 2 Corinthians 3:18.Unclean—Leviticus 11; 22:8; Deuteronomy 14:3-20; Judges 13:4,14; Acts10:14,28.
Life Lessons
1. A top-down perspective. Gary R. Habermas and J.P. Moreland speak of the necessity of maintaining a top-down perspective (see Matthew6:19-34): “The God of the universe invites us to view life and death from his eternal vantage point. And if we do, we will see how readily it can revolutionize our lives.”4 The more we keep our eyes focused on the realities of heaven, the better our perspective on temporal, earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2).
2. Living clean. Our text tells us that nothing unclean will enter into the eternal city, the new Jerusalem. Today, we ought to allow nothing unclean to enter our lives. We ought to be pure. As James 4:8 puts it, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (see also 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3).
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
1. Do you make a habit of maintaining a top-down perspective? How might this practice help you to keep earthly problems and difficult circumstances in perspective?
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