Revelations - New Heaven and New Earth

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.

² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

³ 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.

⁴ 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.

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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.

⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

⁸ 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.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ 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,

¹¹ Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

¹² And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

¹³ On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

¹⁶ 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.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

¹⁹ 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;

²⁰ The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

²¹ 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.

²² And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

²³ 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.

²⁴ 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.

²⁵ And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

²⁶ And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

²⁷ 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.
Revelation 21

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

⁶ And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

⁷ Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Revelation 22:1-7

I went ahead and posted the whole scene. I cannot find a good place to end to pick back up again. The whole scene needs to be viewed before we can start to digest it. And it seems like there really isn’t even anything to be able to comment on, for the whole thing is epochal and graphic. This might actually be one of the most symbolic scenes in all of Scripture where the scholars debate how symbolic and how literal to take any of it. What the Spirit reveals is so glorious that the only way to communicate it to we that are mortal and on this side of eternity is through such symbolic and terse statements.

What shall we say about the city coming down as a bride? I can’t help but think back to Genesis 2, where the beginning of this age is commenced with a marriage between male and female. The beginning of the age to come is commenced with a marriage between what is earthly and what is heavenly. Heaven and earth have become one. I can almost view this as a coming down, as an act of sexual intimacy, to complete and consecrate the marriage and unification of those two opposites.

Just as Adam and Eve became one flesh – one new thing – so too does heaven and earth become one new thing. They abide together for eternity as one and not separate anymore. This is a metaphor given for the image of God. He created them in the beginning male and female. It is in the unity and coming together of those two opposites and distinct beings that we find the character of God revealed. It is in the unity and community of the saints that we are to display God to the world (John 13:35, 17:21).

God somehow brings down this bride from heaven. But we know that her formation was here in the earth. How else could it be adorned? The description of this bride is that her streets are clear as crystal and transparent gold. This is what makes it adorned: it is as holy as the bridegroom. This Jerusalem is called the holy city. The purity matches that of Jesus our Messiah. There is no shadow. There is nothing that would counter the character and purity of the God that will abide there forever – eternally for His dwelling.

If you can imagine that, then you will be willing to be transformed from image to image. You will be willing to undergo the scrutiny of the Spirit to search out the quality of our life. You will be willing to question the motives and the attitudes that we have – even when performing religious things like invoking the name of Jesus. Not a scintilla of that will remain. She is adorned for the bridegroom.

Can you imagine a gold that is refined so pure that you can see through it? There is such labor that we have to extenuate to even get 10 karat, 14 karat, or 24 karat. But we have never purified gold until it is translucent. This takes a Master refiner that knows how to work those elements beyond any conventional wisdom of mankind. Anything contrary to its essential character is rooted out and cast away. The word impeccable is not even appropriate for the context of what God is describing.

Why is it that we are given this description at all? If we cannot comprehend, then why even make a statement like this? And what is the purpose for saying that we will receive a blessing for simply reading and keeping this (Revelation 22:7)?

We must see it. We must know it from the beginning unto the end. At the beginning, we see a Garden with a river and a tree of life and purpose for humanity (that Adam would tend to the Garden). We come unto the end, and we see the same great symbols: a river of life, a tree of life, and we rule and reign with Christ forever. There is something about these symbols that need to be appropriately understood and handled. We cannot make these things cheap and/or cliché.

Notice that at the end, we find these same symbols, but will more detail. We find the river given the details that it issues from the Throne of God – pure, water of life, clear as crystal. The Tree of Life is said to give 12 different kinds of fruit, one for every month, and the leaves were used for the healing of the nations. To what extent are these the same things that were at the first? I think that these are indeed the exact same things. The only difference is that in these last expressions – when darkness has passed away, and heaven and earth are married – they are able to come to full representation and fruition.

Even the tree of life is given healing to the nations. What nations? I thought that no one made it to heaven without being “saved.” I thought we had to come into God’s Kingdom and be God’s people and confess Jesus Christ is Lord. I thought that we were all going to be under His rule. Why, then, are we seeing here that there will be nations? This is important to realize and understand. We will all be under the same rule and under the same Kingdom, but we will all be within our own nations.

God has established the nations. He has set up and ordained their borders. This is not something that God despises. God doesn’t despise the nations. He doesn’t have plans of being the God of one nation. He is the God of all nations. Remember all of those passages I brought up earlier. He is jealous to make Himself known to and through all nations. And here in eternity, the nations find healing. This is something that apparently could not even be accomplished during the Millennial Kingdom. It takes something that even transcends and exceeds the Millennium.

Verse 4 of Revelation 21, “He will wipe away all tears,” seems to invoke that there will be tribulation, suffering, and tears of the saints right up to the end. All the way to the consummation of the age, there are sorrows. And isn’t this how it seems to be in every deliverance since the Fall? Any time that God has delivered or revealed Himself has been precluded by suffering, tears, anguish, and/or darkness.

Think about the exodus from Egypt. The Israelites were oppressed severely, and their oppression worsened before they were cast out. But the Egyptians were judged. In the midst of the plagues that God sent upon Egypt, the Israelites continued to be blessed. So it will be at the end. This is the pattern of God. Darkness was even upon the face of the deep when the earth was first formed. It was out of that darkness, and from the midst of the darkness, that God brought order and light.

Our obtaining to the purity that this city has is intrinsic to our suffering. In on sense, we hope that we don’t have to suffer. We pray that God would allow us to endure fewer hardships. But from what wisdom comes that prayer? Is it out of the wisdom of God that would desire for us this kind of purity being described in Revelation 21? I think this might be why we read it and that reading brings a blessing. It reveals to us the glory that we are to obtain. In knowing the future glory, we can take and endure any tribulation and hardship and persecution as momentary and light.

We are not naïve. We know that the end will have pain. We know that we will suffer bitterness and tribulation. We know that we are to undergo severe suffering. Thus, the Christian faith does not avoid suffering, but embraces it. Because we know the outcome of such suffering brings refinement and purity and glory, we are given the ability and endurance to stand firm to the end.

And from where does out persecution come? Jesus says, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved,” Matthew 10:22. Why is it that the world hates us? It is because they are under the rule and power and deception of Satan. The governing spirit over them is demonic. What other option do they have? To love you is to love the God that sends you. But they don’t love the God who sends you. They have been blinded and lied to by the devil, and therefore they continue to despise the works of God instead of be drawn to them.

We read in verse 6, “It is done…” Maybe another way that we can translate this and understand is, “It is finished,” the same wording of our Lord on the cross. Nothing of the old remains. We teach that we are new creations. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation – the old man has passed away. On that day, we will experience something else that has been made new and the old has passed away. We are to be people of the resurrection. Our lives are to be constituted by resurrection. We really are supposed to be free from sin. Nothing of the old lifestyle remains. Our old mindsets and attitudes are being conformed to the mind of Christ. This is the testimony of every believer.

When I woke up the next morning after being saved, I found a new wisdom that I had never known. No one had to tell me that I was in the midst of a war between good and evil. No one had to tell me my enemy was not with flesh and blood but with Satan. No one had to tell me that purity is the only option. I knew it. God had revealed it through His Holy Spirit. The logic of this love was to live in community and have all things common with those around me. The logic of this life He had given me was to vehemently oppose anything and everything that I found within self that went against His command.

In that day we will find another newness. We have obtained unto resurrection life now. But in that day we will obtain unto eternal and heavenly life. It is one thing to be resurrected. It is another to be married to Christ. This marriage embodies heaven and earth becoming one. We can say that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. It is a completely different statement to say that we are one with heaven. An experience with heaven does not aggregate oneness with heaven. In the same way, an experience with my wife does not constitute oneness with her. There is something supernatural that must take place for that to happen.

It is under the wisdom of God that we are granted this. It is in verse 7 that we read, “He that overcomes will inherit all these things…” Our inheritance of these things is not based upon our merit. If we read 1 Corinthians 2:8, we find that Paul makes a fascinating statement: “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Satan could not comprehend the wisdom of God. He still can’t. It was in God’s wisdom that through suffering, His Son might be glorified. It is true for us as well. The very means of our sanctification to be adorned in this manner for the bridegroom comes from the demonic attacks that we will suffer and endure all around us.

Maybe this is why verse 8 follows with the reminder of those who have no place in it. Those who were only too quick to be instruments of these demonic attacks have no place here. Those who were too quick to gratify the flesh and the lusts of it have no place here. Those who reject suffering and do whatever means necessary to avoid suffering have no place here. Those who create torment and hell for others are cast into torment and hell for eternity. They rebelled against the redeeming calls of God – like Cain – that sin is at the door and it has a desire for you.

Why would we discredit this verse? It has to be just as grabbing to us as the glory that we see the Bride to be. We ought to view these things as abominable. It needs to probe our minds and deeply penetrate into our inner beings the severity of this claim. For them is the second death. For them is the lake of fire.

What do you make of this in verse 9 that the angel that bids John to come up and see the heavenly Jerusalem is one of the 7 that brought upon mankind the bowls of plague? Why are we told that? Is God short of angels? He needs this one that has already performed something to perform something else? Or could it be that because this angel has poured out judgment upon humanity, it is given the grace to reveal the city to John?

I think it is the latter instead of the former. Because this angel has done the painful thing and not withheld himself from pouring out God’s wrath upon mankind, he is now given the privilege of taking John up onto the mountain to reveal the city of God. You know what this speaks to me? It would appear as though if we are called to speak hard words, then we are to be faithful to the uttermost. If we are called to speak the judgments of God, then we should not blush and candy coat. If we are willing to give the hard words and the words of judgment when called upon, then we will receive a reward given only to those that speak such a word. But as soon as I say this, I feel the need to also say that we cannot be overly harsh or strike with our words more than called upon to do so, for God has judged the nations because of that very thing.

It is at this point that we can discuss the question of what it means to “come down out of heaven.” Is that a geographical location? Is it north? Is it above the earth? Is it literal or is it metaphoric? I think it comes back to the idea of translucence. This purity that is obtained is obtained in heaven. Heaven is not to be taken as some place that we are called up to being in, but rather a lifestyle that we are called to living in. We are called to obedience unto God, within fellowship of the saints, suffering trials and tribulation, not cursing God, finding freedom and joy in this life, and being consecrated unto God in the various thing in which we find ourselves doing. That is heaven.

I don’t mean to reject a literal interpretation. It might very well be a literal coming down from heaven above. What I mean to stand upon and promote is that this purity that we obtain is not somewhere outside of the earth, but instead within the earth. As Leonard Ravenhill used to say, “This life is a dressing room for eternity; that is all it is.” Though we might obtain such things in heaven, it is not outside of the earth, but within the earth. It is in the here and now that we obtain our purity. It is through our present trials and tribulations, not some sort of later purification between the judgment and heaven.

It is as Paul reports. When we are judged, we are tried by fire. Anything built with hay, wood, or stubble is burnt up. Anything built from gold, silver, or precious stones remains. Jesus told us that if our right hand causes us to sin t cut it off, “For it is better to go into heaven maimed than to go into hell whole.” I think that any kind of purification between judgment and eternity will only be a cutting off and casting away. It will not be a refinement. There is no longer opportunity to be refined; there is only severing.

This all goes back to God’s rule and reign. Adam needed a helper. He couldn’t tend to the Garden alone. It was too great a task for him. And so it is with God that He will not rule and reign alone, but with a bride as a helper. Unlike Adam, He is fully capable to rule on His own. But He has decided in His mercy to allow us to join Him in His ruling.

We find the symbol of unity even in the dimensions of the city. It is 144,000 furlongs squared. Each side is 12,000 furlongs. In height, it is 12,000 furlongs. There are 12 gates, each representing a tribe of Israel. The wall of the city has 12 foundations, representing the 12 apostles. The measure of the wall is 144 cubits (12 times 12). Everything is in dimensions of 12. Nothing is rectangular. Nothing is bulged. It all is equal to the number of God’s choosing, which is 12. God seems to choose 12. He chose a people that were made up of 12 tribes. He chose 12 disciples, which became apostles. There are 12 “minor” prophets. There were 12 great priests in Chronicles. The altar was made of 12 stones. There were 12 loaves of permanent offering on the golden table (Leviticus 24:5). There were 12 branches to confirm the choice of Aaron (Numbers 17:21). 12 explorers were sent into Canaan (Deuteronomy 1:23). There were 12 administrators for Solomon (1 Kings 4:7). There was a sacrifice of 12 animals (Numbers 7:87, 29:17). The high priest wore a garment with 12 precious stones upon it.

12 is the number of God’s choosing. I think there is deep insight into why everything in this city is measured as a factor of 12. It is not only the place of His choosing, but it is also the full representation of Him. He chooses that which display Him. In God’s choosing we find a representation of His character. The why question is sometimes critical. It is in discovering why God chose this and not that where we discover something about the nature of God.

Isn’t it interesting that we find God right at the heart of the city? Dead in the center are the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb to be the Temple. They are within the city. We ought not to consider them to be outside any longer. They are within. In our New Testaments, we read that we are the Temple. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. I can’t comprehend that. But that doesn’t make it less true. In that day, God will dwell within His Bride in a way that will lighten the world. All the nations that are saved will walk by that light – which is to say the freedom and character of God. If clouds and darkness represent anguish and sin, then their opposites would mean freedom and life.

We see from Revelation 22 that we are to rule and reign with God. But who is it that is ruling and reigning? It is those that no more are bound by the curse, which see His face, and His name is upon their foreheads. Who is it that is being spoken of? It has to be the same 144,000 that were spoken of in Revelation 7 and 14. Within the context of Revelation, these are the only ones that received His mark upon their foreheads. This is why I concluded back in chapter 7 that they can’t be only 144,000 people. They are a type and symbol of something.

We find within verse 5 that this Bride does not sit on her thumbs all day. She reigns with Christ forever. She has a task. She is to rule with Her Husband over creation. But what does ruling mean? Are we talking about subduing nations or enforcing laws? Are we speaking of some sort of bureaucratic reign that is more oppression than freedom? It is making known the wisdom of God to the nations on how to live rightly. What is righteousness itself? This teaching does not come from those who have obtained academic understanding. It comes from a people that have been wrought in the deepest fabrics of their being what it means to be righteous.

Because we have come into a place of relationship with God that is able to rightly discern and promote such a heavenly view, we are able to rule over those nations that are not within that city, yet are still living according to its light. This is why we are called to speaking the truth in love. We need to be both able to discern and correct, but also to be corrected. It takes humility to acknowledge when we are in the wrong – no matter how embarrassing. It is that kind of a people that can rule over cities or nations. Too many of us believers could not even rule our way out of a paper bag.

This is the necessity of church discipline. And if you think that church discipline is simply to correct someone in blatant sin, then you are mistaken. Sometimes it isn’t blatant, and you’re the only one who sees it. What do you do in that circumstance? To ignore it could be to miss the eternal moment in which God is preparing you to rule with Him forever. You could be wrong in your judgment. It is still necessary to speak out your thoughts. If you are right, it will be your eternal joy. If you are wrong and get corrected, it will be your eternal joy. Either way, the perspective brought from this view of ruling with Christ shows us the importance of being purified.

I think our qualification that we will be in that city that brings light to the world is characterized by the first epistle of John. This light that the nations walk according to is the same light that we are told to walk according to now. How are we doing? Is our walking something that reflects that light? Or is it more correct in saying that we show the same sort of lifestyle that the world has, not withholding video games, television, Internet, and all other forms of entertainment? To what degree have you surrendered your life to walk according to that light?

This might be the very question to ponder when discussing those that see God face-to-face. In all other times of history it has been said that you cannot see God’s face and live. But here the special privilege is given to those that have walked according to the light now, so that after death they can see God’s face. I don’t think that this will be for everyone. There will be some that don’t receive that reward. Though they are not technically cast into hell, they are not given the same distinction and reward as those who labor to walk in the Light as He is in the Light.

It is a mercy of God to cast out those who have rejected the Light into outer darkness so that they might not suffer the anguish and agony of that luminosity. How unbearable must it be to stand before that Light when you have lived your life according to a lie and not given yourself over to that Light? It would be like when you come out from a dark room and into the sunlight. Your eyes start watering and you wince. For a moment you are blinded. But God will not allow for those that have not appropriately loved and walked in the Light to be tormented by it in the next age.

To walk according to the Light is painful before it is glorious. It reveals the wickedness in our lives. It shows our faulty intentions. It finds us out and roots up any falsity or sin.

Now lets cross-reference these texts.

¹⁷ For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

¹⁸ But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

¹⁹ And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

²⁰ There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

²¹ And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

²² They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

²³ They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

²⁴ And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 65:17-25

²² For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.

²³ And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

²⁴ And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Isaiah 66:22-24

God is going to remake this world back to how He original made it. There won’t be curse or death. There won’t be disease or plague. All things will be made new. The former things will not be remembered. I think there are a lot of people that live their lives in fear because of something that was forcibly done to them that rejoice to hear that. Whether they are a rape victim or victims of government that sells children as slaves, there are many evils that people of this world wish they could forget.

⁸ And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

⁹ Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

¹⁰ And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

¹⁴ 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.

¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Revelation 22:8-15

Here I wanted to just pause and let this sink in. Those that are not allowed to be a part of that city or to enter into it (for these are two separate things) are dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and whosoever loves and lies. Truth is the ultimate plumb line. Deception, manipulation, false motives and the like are kept outside and away from the city. There they cannot receive the light but are given over to the darkness.

¹⁶ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Revelation 22:16-21