1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
According to Revelation 20:11, the first heaven and earth fled away and was no more.
The heaven and earth as we know it today, will be restored to its original state, as it was in the Garden of Eden, before sin entered into the world through Satan.
The atmospheric heaven and earth have been the domain of Satan and his demons since the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Now, the earth and heaven must be purified with fire to restore God s original creation.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ~II Peter 5:7
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ~ 2 Peter 3:10
The restless, destructive seas that now separate the continents will be no more. The removal of the sea that now covers three-fourths of the world s surface, will leave much more habitable land for the population of the redeemed.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. ~Isaiah 57:20-21
The new world will be so glorious that this old world will never even be remembered. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. ~Isaiah 65:17
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.
John saw the city coming down from God out of Heaven. It is not stated that it comes to the earth. Most Bible scholars believe that the Holy City will be suspended in midair between Heaven and earth.
This celestial city will be where the redeemed of God spend eternity. The inhabitants of the city reflect the character of God, the Creator, which is holy, unlike the cities of today that reflect sin.
The only earthly term known to Heaven that could give us some idea of the beauty and magnificence of the city, is used by the Holy Spirit to suggest to us that the city appeared like unto a bride prepared for her husband.
Christ has been preparing this home for His Bride. The New Jerusalem will be the habitation and the eternal home He has prepared for His bride, the Church.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ~John 14:2-3
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.
Throughout the ages, the tabernacle has been a symbol of God s dwelling place. No longer will God be in a cloud, a pillar of fire, the Holy of Holies, or veiled in the human form of Jesus Christ. The days of being separated from God by sin and flesh are over. In eternity, God shall dwell in the midst of His people.
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.
There will be no curse and no sin in the new earth that brought sorrow, heartaches, misery, tears, pain, and death upon mankind. One of the glories in heaven will be the things that are absent and passed away forever:
No Tears God will erase tears from our existence, that are a part of our walk in life on earth.
No Death There will be no more separation from loved ones caused by death. The destruction of death took place in Revelation 20:14.
No Sorrow There will be no more mourning caused by a broken heart.
No Crying Never again will the anguish of the heart spill out through the eyes.
No Pain There will be no more suffering from trouble, fatigue, disease or sickness.
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.
God commands John to write down His words, for all He has been shown and heard are the truth. God promises that He will make all things new again. He will make a new world that will be far better than the one we live in today.
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.
When Christ completed His redemptive work for sinners on the cross, He cried, It is finished. Now, God announces, It is finished, meaning done, a settled fact. His will that the earth should be free from the curse of sin has been accomplished through Christ.
Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. Thus, the beginning and the end. In Christ, all creation began without sin. Now, in Christ, it has ended without sin.
In this glorious city, the spiritual thirst of God s people will also be satisfied forever at the fountain of life. The fountain is God and the water of life is God s gift freely given to all that are thirsty.
Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. ~John 4:13-14
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
An overcomer is one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God through faith. God promises that everyone who is an overcomer shall inherit all things. Not only will he inherit these things, but the relationship between God and the believer will be that of a son to the Father.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. ~John 1:12
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.
The Fearful Those who were cowardly and rejected Christ to escape the ridicule of men.
Unbelievers Those who rejected the doctrine of Christ s deity and shed blood as the only means of obtaining eternal life.
The Abominable Those who gave themselves up to vile, wicked practices.
Murderers Those who willingly took the lives of others, whether physically or in their hearts or minds.
Whoremongers Those who engaged in fornication, adultery, or sexual perversion..
Sorcerers Those who practiced witchcraft, spiritualism, and devil-worship. Sorcerer comes from the word pharmakeus, meaning pharmacy. It refers to those who are also addicted to the use of drugs.
Idolaters Those who gave themselves to the worship of false gods and false systems of belief. Detroit s bronze statue of Baphomet
All Liars Those who deceived others, distorted the truth, and destroyed mankind by lies.
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.
One of the angels who helped administer the final seven judgments wants to show John the Lamb s wife. This is the Bride of Christ who made herself ready in fine linen for the wedding and returned with Christ for the Millennium reign.
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,
The Lamb's wife is described as the new city of Jerusalem. This magnificent city is where the bride of Christ, the Church, will live forever.
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Sin caused God to remove His glory from man s presence, but in this city all that is past. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ~Romans 3:23
The New Jerusalem is the manifestation of the fullness of God s glory. The presence of God makes the city the source of light for the universe, with every blessing radiating from the city.
The word light is the Greek word phoster for source of light. The city does not reflect light as does the moon and sun, but it originates light and is the source of light as declared by Christ. I am the light of the world. ~John 9:5
The city is like the precious gem, the jasper stone. This stone is transparent, gleaming, and is similar to the modern day diamond.
The New Jerusalem is a diamond in a gold mounting. This city is the wedding ring that symbolizes the betrothal and wedding of the Church to Christ.
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:
There are twelve gates to the city, three gates on each side with the name of one of the tribes of Israel on each.
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
This brings to mind the order in which the children of Israel camped about the tabernacle in the wilderness wanderings.
God used the nation of Israel to usher in the Messiah, the Christ, through Whom we have access to salvation. It is only natural that entry to the Holy City would be through the gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on them.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The church today is built upon the foundation which the apostles and prophets laid through writings, sermons, and establishment of churches, with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall.
The one talking with John had a reed or measuring stick made of gold, to measure the city. A reed in that day was about ten feet.
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.
The city is laid out in a square, or cube with its length and width and height each 1,500 miles. The length, width, and height being exactly alike shows God s faultless symmetry.
The city is a perfect cube, as was its prototype, the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle.
If one edge of the city were placed on the Atlantic Ocean, the opposite edge would sit near Denver, Colorado. If the north edge of the city sat on the Canadian border, the other edge would sit somewhere around Miami, Florida.
This great size will afford sufficient space for the habitation of the saints from all ages of history.
If the earth s population were 100 billion, and 20% of this number were saved, each person could occupy about 75 acres within the city.
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.
According to human measurements, a cubit is 18 inches or 1½ feet x 144, making the wall 216 feet thick.
A walled city is a safe city. The walls are a sign that the city has achieved the full meaning of her name peace. Those who dwell within the New Jerusalem will enjoy safety and peace throughout eternity.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
The exterior of the New Jerusalem is a wall built with jasper into it, one of the hardest and most beautiful gems. The interior of the city is pure gold, clear as glass.
Thus, the walls and the city will be transparent, emitting God s light from the inside through the prism of jasper stone on the outside. This will flood the universe with all the colors in the rainbow, plus colors never seen by man before.
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.
The twelve foundations not only have the names of the twelve apostles, but they are made of twelve different precious stones.
Jasper Clear like a diamond Sapphire - Clear Blue Chalcedony - Yellowish Green Emerald - Deep Green Sardonyx - White with red layers Sardius - Fiery Red Chrysolyte - Golden Yellow Beryl - Sea Green Topaz - Greenish Yellow Chrysopasus - Golden Green Jacinth - Violet Amethyst - Purple
These brightly colored stones will refract the shinning brilliance of God's glory into a spectrum of beautiful colors that will flash from New Jerusalem throughout the universe.
These stones form a myriad of rainbow colors that express the beauty, magnificence, and glory of the city that we now see darkly, but one day will see clearly. ~1 Corinthians 13:12
21a And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl:
The pearl was esteemed by the ancients as one of the greatest valued gems. It is an appropriate emblem of the highest truth who is Christ - the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ~John 14:6
The pearl is formed out of pain when a grain of sand is trapped in an oyster, causing irritation. The oyster builds up layer upon layer of calcium around the grain of sand. After a long while, a pearl is formed. The pearl is the oyster s answer to its pain.
The gates will remind believers that while salvation and Heaven it provides are free, neither was cheap! Those who enter through the gates of the city will be reminded of the price Christ paid on the cross to redeem our souls. Heaven is our Lord s answer to the pain of His cross.
Thus, the Church, the Bride of Christ, is the Pearl of great price for which Christ shed His blood, so believers could enter into the celestial city, the New Jerusalem.
21b and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
The street in New Jerusalem is made of the highest quality of pure gold, currently unknown to man, and is transparent.
Notice that the scripture says street, meaning broad way or wide, that is connected throughout from all entrances. One day believers will walk on this street of gold in eternity.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Today, we worship the Lord in structures made by man. Because of the flesh and sin, we must come before God through Christ, the only Mediator between God and man. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. ~I Timothy 2:5
However, in the eternal city, there will be no need for a meeting place to fellowship with God. God and the Lamb, in whom the Godhead dwells, are the temple. Believers will have direct, face to face access with God at all times as He will be everywhere dwelling with His people.
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.
There will be no more night, but there will be one eternal day. Shekinah glory will illuminate New Jerusalem and its lamp will be Jesus, who is the Light that does away with darkness throughout the universe.
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.
This verse depicts the multitudes of people who came through the Millennium and did not follow Satan in the final rebellion against God, after he was released from the bottomless pit.
Their rulers, kings, and presidents will make up the saved nations who will occupy the new earth along with Israel. They will walk in the bright light of the glorious city as they bring their glory and honor into the city to praise Him.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. Its gates will never be closed as there is no more threat to guard against. There is complete security in the land of eternal day where there is no darkness.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. The glory of all saved nations will be able to enter.
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. Nothing impure will be allowed within its gates. The only way to be part of this city is through the blood of the Lamb.
The New Jerusalem is reserved for only those whose names are found written in the Lamb s Book of Life.