Friday, June 12, 2015

Revelation 21


Above image from https://duaineallensblogs.wordpress.com/2014/03/

(1) THEN I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.

  • As we read this chapter, ask yourself what your eternal destiny is. Is it on the new earth? Is it in the New Jerusalem? Is it in heaven? If I am PRESENTLY seated in heaven, am I going to be moved to the earth or Jerusalem or am I going to stay in heaven?
    • Ephesians 2:6: For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms -- all because we are one with Christ Jesus
    • Philippians 3:20: But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
  • THEN:
    • We are no longer in the Millennial Kingdom: there is no more sin, death, sea or Temple.
    • Moffatt: "From the smoke and pain and heat, it is a relief to pass into the clear, clean atmosphere of the eternal morning where the breath of heaven is sweet and the vast city of God sparkles like a diamond in the radiance of his presence."
    • David Guzik: "We can say that Revelation chapter 21 begins a new section of the Book of Revelation: Jesus, the Lord of the Churches (Revelation 1:1 to 3:22) Jesus, the Lion over the nations (Revelation 4:1 to 20:15) Jesus, the Lamb among believers (Revelation 21:1 to 22:21) The new perspective of this last section is glorious."
    • Barnhouse: "In this chapter, we see that the history of time is finished; the history of eternity is about to begin."
  • New heaven is the atmospheric heaven around and above the earth and probably include the physical universe. But, nothing is said that they seventh heaven (paradise) is changed.
  • New earth will be a perfect environment similar to that of the Garden of Eden.
  • New heaven and a new earth:
    • The "new earth" and "new heaven" will come into existence after the Millennium and the Great White Throne judgment.
    • This chapter brings us full circle, to the beginning of the Bible again and to the Garden of Eden.
    • J. A. Seiss, The Apocalypse: Lectures on the Book of Revelation: "An earth which no longer smarts and smokes under the curse of sin,—an earth which needs no more to be torn with hooks and irons to make it yield its fruits,—an earth where thorns and thistles no longer infest the ground, nor serpents hiss among the flowers, nor savage beasts lay in ambush to devour,—an earth whose sod is never cut with graves, whose soil is never moistened with tears or saturated with human blood, whose fields are never blasted with unpropitious seasons, whose atmosphere never gives wings to the seeds of plague and death, whose ways are never lined with funeral processions, or blocked up with armed men on their way to war,—an earth whose hills ever flow with salvation, and whose valleys know only the sweetness of Jehovah’s smiles,—an earth from end to end, and from center to utmost verge, clothed with the eternal blessedness of Paradise Restored."
  • Isaiah 65:17: "Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth -- so wonderful that no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
  • Isaiah 66:22: "As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear," says the LORD.
  • 2 Peter 3:13: But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God.
  • Old heaven and the old earth had disappeared:
    • The present creation, including the millennial period, is subject to a curse. The Second Law of Thermodynamics, the law of entropy, says this present universe is running down. It is all decaying; losing its energy; growing cold. But in the new heavens and the new earth, that law is reversed.
    • Psalm 102:25-26: In ages past you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment, and they will fade away.
    • Isaiah 51:6: Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth beneath. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!"
    • Matthew 24:35: Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever."
    • Hebrews 1:10-12: And, "Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will roll them up like an old coat. They will fade away like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will never grow old."
    • 2 Peter 3:10-12: But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living! You should look forward to that day and hurry it along -- the day when God will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt away in the flames.
  • Sea was gone - below are two opposing views on this:
    • William Newton, Lectures on the First Two Visions of the Book of Daniel: "When our Lord tells us, that just before his second coming, there shall be "distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;" we see, precisely, what is meant. It is not the literal, but the prophetic, sea of which He is speaking. There shall then be a fearfully excited and tempestuous state of the nations of the earth. The mass of the nations will be lashed into fury by the stormy winds of popular commotion. Revolution shall pull down thrones, and undermine governments. Passions shall shake them. Fear and dread will take hold upon them. . . . So, too, when of the times of the Messiah, it is announced, that "the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea;" the meaning is equally plain. It is a prophetic declaration. There shall be, no more, a troubled and stormy state of the nations. No more the breaking forth of the winds of passion. Violence and destruction shall be heard no more. All shall be peace, in the perfect reign of the Prince of Peace."
    • A unique distinction of this new earth will be that the vast oceans of water that now cover three fourths of the world's surface will not be included, leaving much more habitable land for the population of the redeemed. This obviously requires complete changes in the physical laws - absence of the oceans would completely change weather patterns, there would be no rain and the earth would not habitable without more profound changes.

(2) And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband.

  • New Jerusalem:
    • Ask yourself, who is going to occupy New Jerusalem! Are the members of the body of Christ who are presently seated in heaven? How about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Moses, David, John the Baptist, Paul, Peter? What about Adam and Job? Do not just assume that we're going to be in the New Jerusalem or the New Earth.
    • Galatians 4:25-26: And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery. But Sarah, the free woman, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. And she is our mother.
    • Hebrews 11:8-10, 16, 12:22-24, 13:14: It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith -- for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. ... But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them. ... No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to thousands of angels in joyful assembly. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge of all people. And you have come to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did. ... For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.
      • To whom was Hebrews written? The answer should be self-evident!
    • Revelation 3:12: All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write my God's name on them, and they will be citizens in the city of my God -- the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And they will have my new name inscribed upon them.
  • Coming down from God out of heaven:
    • It is not Heaven itself - it comes down "out of Heaven."
    • Some suggest that the New Jerusalem will be a satellite orbiting the present earth during the Millennium, and then, when God creates the new earth, it will descend out of heaven and rest on the surface of the new earth. Others believe that the New Jerusalem will be on the new earth. The text does not say the New Jerusalem will come down to the new earth, only that John saw it "coming down from God out of heaven".
    • It does not say the holy city will actually touch the earth. It might just remain in orbit. From the earth, it may look like a jeweled moon in the sky. It may cast different colors and light shows on the earth from the light within her and from the light reflected or refracted from the sun and moon through her twelve foundational colors that are studded with all types of precious stones.
  • Like a beautiful bride:
    • When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac (a type of Christ), he said to go back to the land where Abraham was born and find a wife from among Abraham's own family members. This story is a prophetic picture of the Father's plan to find and prepare a Bride for His son, Yeshua (Jesus). The question becomes that if Abraham represents the Father and Isaac represents the Son, then is the Father trying to tell us that He will be taking His Bride from His own family? Does this mean that not all believers will be in the Bride? Could this be why there are wedding guests and a Bride that shows up at the marriage supper of the Lamb? The question is, are you the Bride or a wedding guest?
    • Note that it says "LIKE" a beautiful bride, not that it IS the bride!
    • This new city is called both a city and a woman, just as the false bride, Babylon the Great, was both a city and a woman - a harlot.
    • Most churches in Christendom teach that the Church is the “bride of Christ.” In the Old Testament, Israel is identified as the “wife” of God.
    • Sir Robert Anderson wrote: "Is the Church the Bride of Christ? Let us begin by correcting our terminology. In the Patmos visions, we read of "The Bride, the Lamb’s wife", but "the Bride of Christ" is unknown to Scripture ... With the close of the Baptist’s ministry, both the Bride and the Lamb disappear from the New Testament until we reach the Patmos visions. In Revelation 21, the angel summoning the Seer to behold "the Bride" the Lamb’s wife, and he showed him "the Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God". The twelve gates of the city bear the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, and on the twelve foundations are "the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" ... it is the city for which Abraham looked ... These apostles of the Bride are not the apostles who were given after the Ascension for the building up of the Body of Christ - the apostles of this Christian dispensation, chief among whom was Paul. They are the twelve apostles of the Lord’s earthly ministry to Israel, who shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’ (Matthew 19:28)."
    • Since the book is primarily about Israel and reads like the Old Testament, one has to assume that is what it is. The bride of Revelation 19 and 21 is Israel, not the Church, the body of Christ. Israel had both an earthly and a heavenly calling. They were called out from among the nations of the earth and given earthly promises, e.g., a kingdom and preeminence among the nations. But they had a heavenly calling also, described in Hebrews 3:1 that began with Abraham, see Hebrews 11:8-10 below. Abraham anticipated a heavenly city. How much he knew of it, we do not know. But he looked for a heavenly city and he new Jerusalem of Revelation 21 was that city. God’s promises to the Church are wholly heavenly, not earthly (Ephesians 1:3, 2:6; Philippians 3:20). Paul taught that the Church was the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18, 24). This revelation was one of the “secrets” (musterion) the glorified Lord revealed to Paul alone. Paul was the only writer of Scripture who taught that the Church was the body of Christ. He declared that before him this truth was not known (Ephesians 3:3-7). So, is the Church the bride of Christ or is it the Body of Christ - it can't be both!
    • In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul argued that as a husband is the head of a wife, Christ is the head of the Church. This fit with Paul’s teaching that the Church is the body of Christ with Christ Himself as the Head (Colossians 1:18). Paul noted that husbands should love their wives as their own bodies (verse 28) because no one ever hated his own flesh (verse 29). One nourishes his body and cherishes it (verse 29). It is this nourishing and care of a husband for his own body that Paul used to make the analogy regarding Christ’s care for His Church, i.e., His body (verses 29-30). Paul declared this was a great “secret” (musterion) but that he spoke with reference to Christ and His Church (verse 32). Since the Church is the body of Christ it means that if Christ is the bridegroom we are part of His groomsmanship. Thus, we are of the bridegroom, not the bride! Wife and bride are titles that belong to Israel not the Church. Our title is “the body of Christ.” As the body, we are of the bridegroom, not the bride. John wrote that the New Jerusalem was “like a bride" not that it was the bride. During the Church Age, in which God is forming the “body of Christ” there is no “Jew or Gentile” just as Paul wrote. But God works one plan at a time. When the body of Christ came into existence, Israel was set aside (see Romans 11). When the body of Christ is complete, God will remove it from the earth and finish his dealings with Israel (Romans 11:25-27). During that period, God will fulfill His promises to the nation which culminate in the kingdom of God on earth. In the kingdom, the New Covenant will be enacted and God will fulfill His promises to Israel. Since the Church is a heavenly people, our destiny is involved in the New Heavens rather than the New Earth.
      • Hebrews 3:1: And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for heaven, think about this Jesus whom we declare to be God's Messenger and High Priest.
      • Hebrews 11:8-10: It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith -- for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
      • Ephesians 1:3: How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.
      • Ephesians 1:22-23: And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.
      • Ephesians 2:6: For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms -- all because we are one with Christ Jesus.
      • Ephesians 3:3-7: As I briefly mentioned earlier in this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand what I know about this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now he has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God's children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus. By God's special favor and mighty power, I have been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
      • Philippians 3:20: But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
      • Colossians 1:18, 24: Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. ... I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his body, the church.
    • References in the Old Testament of Israel as a wife:
      • Isaiah 54:4-8: "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood will be remembered no more, for your Creator will be your husband. The LORD Almighty is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you back from your grief -- as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. In a moment of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer.
      • Isaiah 62:1-5: Because I love Zion, because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness. Kings will be blinded by your glory. And the LORD will give you a new name. The LORD will hold you in his hands for all to see -- a splendid crown in the hands of God. Never again will you be called the Godforsaken City or the Desolate Land. Your new name will be the City of God's Delight and the Bride of God, for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his own. Your children will care for you with joy, O Jerusalem, just as a young man cares for his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.
      • Jeremiah 3:14: "Return home, you wayward children," says the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will bring you again to the land of Israel -- one from here and two from there, from wherever you are scattered.
      • Jeremiah 31:31-33: "The day will come," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD. "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. "I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
      • Hosea 2:14-20: "But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt." "In that coming day," says the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.' O Israel, I will cause you to forget your images of Baal; even their names will no longer be spoken. At that time I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds and the animals that scurry along the ground so that they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety. I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD."

(3) I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.

  • Home: "tabernacle" in the KJV.
    • Greek skēnē. Strong's 4633: Phonetic Spelling: (skay-nay'). Short Definition: a tent, tabernacle. Definition: a tent, booth, tabernacle, abode, dwelling, mansion, habitation. The Greek word echoes the Hebrew word shekinah, the physical sign of God's presence among His people (Exodus 40:34-38).
  • Live with them:
    • Spurgeon: "I do not think the glory of Eden lay in its grassy walks, or in the boughs bending with luscious fruit-but its glory lay in this, that the 'Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day.' Here was Adam's highest privilege, that he had companionship with the Most High."
    • Genesis 3:8-9 says, “Toward evening they heard the LORD God walking about in the garden, so they hid themselves among the trees. The LORD God called to Adam, "Where are you?" He replied, "I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."”
      • This passage gives us the distinct impression that God regularly walked in the garden. He did not visit the Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden to issue commands and edicts, but the garden of Eden was where he fellowshipped with Adam and Eve. This fellowship was mutually enjoyable, but this changed the day Adam and Eve sinned and ate of the forbidden fruit. They were now ashamed before God and God banished them from the garden of Eden and his presence .
    • Exodus 29:46: and they will know that I am the LORD their God. I am the one who brought them out of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the LORD their God."
    • Leviticus 26:11: I will live among you, and I will not despise you.
    • Ezekiel 48:35: "The distance around the entire city will be six miles. And from that day the name of the city will be 'The LORD Is There.'"
    • Zechariah 2:10-11: The LORD says, "Shout and rejoice, O Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the LORD ON THAT DAY, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the LORD Almighty sent me to you.
    • Zechariah 8:3: And now the LORD says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.
    • John 1:14: So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
      • The word "lived" in John 1:14 is "tabernacled."

(4) He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever."

  • No more death:
    • Isaiah 25:8: He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken!
    • Revelation 20:14: And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death -- the lake of fire.
    • Seiss, The Apocalypse: Lectures on the Book of Revelation: "Around our churches lie our graveyards, and all the highways are lined with cemeteries and depositories of the dead. We can scarcely open our eyes without seeing the gloomy hearse, the funeral procession, the undertaker’s warehouse, the shop full of mourning goods, or the stonecutter chiseling epitaphs. Every newspaper we pick up has its obituary lists, and every week brings forth its bills of mortality. On the right hand, on the left hand, before us, behind us, around us, beneath us, in all seasons, in all climes, everywhere is death. . . . The time will come when death itself shall die; not by the power of man, not by mortal skill or earthly medicines, but by the great redemption of God."
  • No more ... sorrow or crying or pain:
    • Walvoord: "There is no just ground for imagining from this text that the saints will shed tears in heaven concerning the failures of their former life on earth. The emphasis here is on the comfort of God, not on the remorse of the saints."
    • Revelation 7:17: For the Lamb who stands in front of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away all their tears."

(5) And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making all things new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true."

  • The one sitting on the throne:
    • God Himself is introduced as speaking.
  • Making all things new:
    • H. Morris: "Presumably this means not only that everything will be made new, but also that everything will stay then new. The entropy law will be 'repealed.' Nothing will wear out or decay, and no one will age or atrophy anymore."

(6) And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge!

  • Finished:
    •  It is finished is tetelestai, perfect tense, it has come to an end, been completed, accomplished - just as Jesus said on the cross "It is finished".
    • God's eternal purpose in Jesus is now accomplished. Ephesians 1:10 has been fulfilled: "And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ -- everything in heaven and on earth." At this point, all things have been resolved or summed up in Jesus - it is done!
  • The Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and the End
    • He brackets all of time in this phrase. Everything in between comes from Him.
  • Beginning and the end:
    • Revelation 1:8: "I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One."
    • Revelation 2:8: "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who died and is alive:"
  • Springs of the water of life:
    • In the wilderness wandering, Moses’ struck the rock (representing Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:4) from which life-giving waters came forth (Exodus 17:6).
    • John 4:10-14: Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this is a very deep well. Where would you get this living water? And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?" Jesus replied, "People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life."
    • John 7:37-38: On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within."
    • Revelation 7:17: For the Lamb who stands in front of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away all their tears."
  • Without charge:
    • Ephesians 2:8-9: God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
    • God's offer of salvation is always on the basis of a "free gift" — for only then is it in keeping with GRACE. Those who receive this "water" are those who first feel the "thirst" for it (the longing to know Jesus) and then who "take" it (which they do by faith— believing in Him alone as Savior). The water of life is offered freely; it is "without cost." God's offer of salvation in Christ cannot be bought, earned or merited. It is free!!

(7) All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

  • All who are victorious = He that overcometh in the KJV:
    • In contrast to the free water of life, becoming an "overcomer" is not free. It requires a faithful and persistent walk with Christ in total allegiance to Him. Notice how this overcomer promise is couched in the same terminology as that seen in chapters 2–3. In the earlier chapters, the promise held out to those who "overcome" was not based on simple faith in Christ but faithfulness to Him as a believer. In Revelation 2:10, for example, the believers are exhorted, "Remain faithful even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life."
    • 1 John 5:4-5: For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
    • Revelation 2:7: "Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God."
    • Revelation 2:26-28: "To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
    • Revelation 3:12: All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write my God's name on them, and they will be citizens in the city of my God -- the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And they will have my new name inscribed upon them.

(8) But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars -- their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death."

  • Cowards:
    • L. Morris: "John is not speaking of natural timidity, but of that cowardice which in the last resort chooses self and safety before Christ."
    • The word is used to describe lack of faith (Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:40). During the Tribulation, the Beast worshipers took his mark, partly out of fear of losing their lives (Revelation 13:15+). The wicked and lazy servant hid his talent in the ground out of fear rather than investing it for the Lord’s benefit. He was cast into outer darkness (Matthew 25:25; Luke 19:21). Those who deny Jesus before men, possibly out of fear, will not be confessed by the Son of Man before God and His angels (Luke 12:8-9). Many of the religious rulers believed in Jesus, but for fear of being put out of the synagogue by the Pharisees, would not confess Him. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:43).
    • The Greek word is only used three times in the NT (cf. Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:40).
      • Matthew 8:26: And Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm.
      • Mark 4:40: And he asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?"
      • There was nothing in that context having to do with a believer who repudiated his faith. The real cowards in this book are those who went along with the Beast, accepted his mark, and turned to worshipping him. Many of them probably knew in their hearts that this was not the truth, but they did not have the courage (because of fear of persecution) to stand up to him. But there is no reason to think they ever made a profession for Christ.
  • Immoral:
    • Greek: pornos - refers to the act of fornication or sexual deviance.
  • Practice witchcraft:
    • Sorcerers. (Greek pharmakos) highlights the occult and their deceptive practices. It is the occult practices throughout history that are responsible for promoting the satanic human viewpoint as an alternative to truly seeking God.
    • 1 Timothy 4:1: Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons.
  • Lake that burns:
    • The contrasts between verses seven and eight are graphic. They represent the age-old concept that there are only two kinds of people with God, believers and unbelievers. They experience two different lifestyles on earth and go to two different eternal destinies. Believers go to "eternal life" while unbelievers experience "the second death," which is the lake of fire.

(9) Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

  • Bride:
    • At this point, the marriage has already taken place in 19:7 and now is referred to as "The Lamb's Wife".
    • Revelation 19:7: Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.

(10) So he took me in spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

  • High mountain:
    • In the twenty-fifth year of the Babylonian captivity, Ezekiel was taken to a very high mountain from which he could see what "appeared to be a city” (Ezekiel 40:2). Ezekiel was shown the millennial Jerusalem, not the New Jerusalem as here. Like John, he was attended by an angel with a measuring rod who then measured the city for Ezekiel to record.
      • Ezekiel 40:2: In a vision of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. From there I could see what appeared to be a city across from me toward the south.

(11) It was filled with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious gem, crystal clear like jasper.

  • Glory of God:
    • This is the Shekinah, the visible manifestation of God’s presence. Because of His presence, the eternal city has no need for the light of the sun or moon (Revelation 22:5).
  • Gem:
    • Precious jewels are reflectors. By themselves they give off no light. When a jeweler wants to properly display the true brilliance of a precious gem he will often display it on a piece of black velvet cloth in order to more efficiently reflect the light shining upon the gem. The city, as it should be with believers today, will be but a reflection of the glory of God Himself who inhabits the city.
      • Ephesians 3:10 (KJV): To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold [many faceted] wisdom of God,
  • Jasper:
    • Because of how jasper (ἰάσπιδι [iaspidi] ) is described by Scripture, some think it is not the jasper we know, but perhaps diamond.

(12) Its walls were broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates.

  • Twelve gates:
    • The Jerusalem described in Ezekiel 48 is the millennial Jerusalem and is different from this one. It will be the earthly Jerusalem into which any millennial resident can come, but into this Jerusalem, only glorified saints can come. The fact of the gates also indicates there will be free travel in and out of the city.
  • Twelve tribes of Israel:
    • All of chapter 21 seems to me to have special significance for Israel. The twelve gates have the names of the twelve tribes; the twelve foundations have the names of the twelve Apostles (Paul is not one of the 12), who according to Matthew 19:28 will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel; the fact that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem would not be of significance to the Gentiles, but it would hold great significance for Israel. Israel is special to God.
      • Matthew 19:28: And Jesus replied, "I assure you that when I, the Son of Man, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

(13) There were three gates on each side -- east, north, south, and west.

  • Three gates:
    • In Numbers 2, we read of the tribes of Israel on the four sides of the camp. In Ezekiel 48:31-34 we read of the millennial Jerusalem having three gates on each side, one gate for each tribe of Israel.

(14) The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

  • Twelve foundation stones:
    • Hebrews 11:10: Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
    • Ephesians 2:19-22: So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also joined together as part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
      • The Body of Christ becomes the temple!
  • Twelve apostles:
    • Paul did not replace Judas and become the 12th apostle - he was not qualified. He was the apostle to the gentiles to whom was revealed the mystery of God, the plan that God is executing today until the last gentile is saved, at which point, the program with Israel restarts.
      • Acts 1:21-22: "So now we must choose another man to take Judas's place. It must be someone who has been with us all the time that we were with the Lord Jesus -- from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us into heaven. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus' resurrection."
      • Romans 11:13: I am saying all of this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I lay great stress on this,
      • Galatians 2:7-8: They saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the Good News to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. For the same God who worked through Peter for the benefit of the Jews worked through me for the benefit of the Gentiles.
      • Ephesians 3:1-3: I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus because of my preaching to you Gentiles. As you already know, God has given me this special ministry of announcing his favor to you Gentiles. As I briefly mentioned earlier in this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me.
      • 1 Timothy 2:7: And I have been chosen -- this is the absolute truth -- as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth.

(15) The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

  • Gold measuring stick:
    • The New Jerusalem is measured to highlight its importance to God and indicate its real physical dimensions.
    • Previously, John was instructed to measure the Tribulation Temple:
      • Revelation 11:1: Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, "Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers.
    • Ezekiel was shown the Millennial Temple and told to record the dimensions measured by an angel:
      • Ezekiel 48:30-35: "These will be the exits to the city: On the north wall, which is 1 1/2 miles long, there will be three gates, each one named after a tribe of Israel. The first will be named for Reuben, the second for Judah, and the third for Levi. On the east wall, also 1 1/2 miles long, the gates will be named for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. The south wall, also 1 1/2 miles long, will have gates named for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun. And on the west wall, also 1 1/2 miles long, the gates will be named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali." "The distance around the entire city will be six miles. And from that day the name of the city will be 'The LORD Is There.'"

(16) When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, it was in the form of a cube, for its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles.

  • 1,400 or 1,500 miles - literally, "twelve thousand stadii" (twelve thousand furlong in the KJV)
    • The dimensions of the city would be equal to the area from the eastern seaboard of the United States to Colorado on one side and from the Canadian border to the southern tip of Florida on the other. In addition to the length and breadth, the city will be fifteen hundred miles high.
    • According to Seiss, Lectures, pp. 404-409, it is a city whose base is close to 1500 miles square. It rises 1500 miles into the heavens, never descending all the way to the earth but elevated some distance above it.
    • McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom: "The dimensions of the New Jerusalem are admittedly gigantic­­"twelve thousand furlongs" in breadth, and length, and height... What a sight such a city would be, gradually rising toward the sky by the great step­backs of its twelve­jeweled foundations. It is true that this concept would be totally out of proportion with the dimensions of our present earth. But there is to be a "new earth." And if the earth is to be made the eternal dwelling place of Christ and His redeemed people, as the passage suggests, then the earth will become the center of all things. Surely there would be a divine fitness in this, for here the great drama of sin and redemption will have been played out before an awed universe. And in that case, doubtless, the new earth will be so constituted, both as to size and glory, that it will harmonize perfectly with its eternal city."
  • Cube:
    • The Holy of Holies was located in the westernmost end of the Temple building, being a perfect cube: 20 cubits by 20 cubits by 20 cubits.

(17) Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (the angel used a standard human measure).

  • 216 feet - (144 cubits - 12x12). A cubit (cubitus [the elbow]) is the measure from the tip of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and is generally reckoned at one foot and a half, or eighteen inches; though it appears, from some measurements at the pyramids of Egypt, that the cubit was, at least in some cases, twenty-one inches.

(18) The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

  • Jasper:
    • This is the same diamond like stone that was mentioned in verse 11. (Clear as crystal)
    • Jasper was the last stone in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:20; 39:13). It was also one of the stones which was Satan’s covering in the garden of God (Ezekiel 28:13).

(19) The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve gems: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,

  • Twelve gems:
    • On the outside of the breastplate and placed in gold settings were twelve precious stones in four rows of three stones each. On each of the stones was inscribed the name of one of the tribes of Israel, presumably in the order of their births, as was the case with the onyx stones on the shoulders (Exodus 28:10). The order and names of the stones are listed in Exodus 28:17-20.
  • Jasper = Diamond
    Sapphire = A brilliant blue stone
    Agate = Sky blue with colored stripes
    Emerald = Bright green stone

(20) the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

  • Onyx = Red and white striped stone
    Carnelian = Various shades of Red
    Chrysolite = Transparent gold or yellow
    Beryl = Shades of green, yellow and blue
    Topaz = Yellowish green
    Chrysoprase = Gold tinted green
    Jacinth = Blue or violet colored
    Amethyst = Purple stone

(21) The twelve gates were made of pearls -- each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.

  • Gold:
    • Silver is not mentioned in the city. Silver means redemption and we have already been redeemed.

(22) No temple could be seen in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

  • No temple:
    • In the New Jerusalem, God is the Temple - the entire city is as the holy of holies of all previous temples.
  • Temple:
    • Last occurrence of the word "temple".
    • Lenski: "On the old earth God had an earthly Sanctuary where Israel could draw near to him, where, however, a veil hung between him and them. When the use for this material Sanctuary was at an end, the Sanctuary and the Lamb were in God's heaven, altogether removed from the old earth. Now the Lord God, the Almighty, is this city's Sanctuary, he and the Lamb. The eternal union is immediate, absolutely complete. The whole city is the Sanctuary."
    • Kretzmann: "When we reach the consummation of our hopes in eternal life, we shall no longer be obliged to have any means of grace, the Word and the Sacraments; for we shall see God face to face and shall know Him even as we are known, 1 Corinthians 13:12."

(23) And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.

  • No need of sun or moon:
    • Isaiah 60:19-20: "No longer will you need the sun or moon to give you light, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and he will be your glory. The sun will never set; the moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.
    • John 8:12: Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."
    • Revelation 22:5: And there will be no night there -- no need for lamps or sun -- for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

(24) The nations of the earth will walk in its light, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it.

  • Nations of the earth:
    • The saved of the nations -- Gentile believers. Who are they? Are they the Gentiles saved during the tribulation and/or the millennium?
    • Benjamin Douglass, Four Lectures on the Revelation: "With this new heaven and new earth, and new Jerusalem, and all things new, and all old things gone, forever, we have at last the kingdom of God come: that kingdom for which we are commanded to pray, "Thy kingdom come." A preliminary reign of king Jesus is had for one thousand years, for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. This he will not fully and finally accomplish, as has been seen, till the millennium is ended, the first Adam's world burned up, and the new heavens and new earth are come."
    • These passages seem to indicate that there is a distinction between those who live in the Holy City and the saved that dwell on the new earth.

(25) Its gates never close at the end of day because there is no night.

(26) And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city.

(27) Nothing evil will be allowed to enter -- no one who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty -- but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

  • Nothing evil:
    • This Scripture just means that this is a holy city (a place of true worship). There will be no evil of any kind in it. The residents are the redeemed, those washed in the blood of the Lamb. Those who have been made righteous in Christ.
    • This does not imply that some outside the city may be refused entry at the gates. The gates remain open at all times because only the redeemed and (now) sinless inhabit the new heaven and new earth. What this phrase is saying is that all who participate in the eternal state are the redeemed who were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and that none of the lost will ever enter the city because they have been cast into the Lake of Fire.
  • Lamb's Book of Life:
    • Revelation 13:8: And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb who was killed before the world was made.

Coming up next: Revelation 22: And the angel showed me a pure river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, coursing down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will anything be cursed. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there -- no need for lamps or sun -- for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. Then the angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true: 'The Lord God, who tells his prophets what the future holds, has sent his angel to tell you what will happen soon.'" "Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the prophecy written in this scroll."  I, John, am the one who saw and heard all these things. And when I saw and heard these things, I fell down to worship the angel who showed them to me. But again he said, "No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this scroll. Worship God!" Then he instructed me, "Do not seal up the prophetic words you have written, for the time is near.  Let the one who is doing wrong continue to do wrong; the one who is vile, continue to be vile; the one who is good, continue to do good; and the one who is holy, continue in holiness." "See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs -- the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star."

NOTES:

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