The New Jerusalem www.creationism.id.au
A. What is God Preparing for His people? But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16 The New Jerusalem
B. Where is This City now Located? And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hears, forgive. 1 Kings 8:28-30 In heaven in outer space
C. What is the cities dimensions? And the city lies 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. Revelation 21:16 Length is 590 Kilometers. Circumference is 2360 Kilometers. Walls 88 Meters high. Surface Area 348,100 Square Kilometers. 34,810,000 Hectares. 87,025,000 Acres. River of Life 295 kilometers long. Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God. Great Controversy 675
D. How is the city described? Revelation 21:2 Revelation 21:17,18 Revelation 21:19-21 The New Jerusalem Walls of Jasper 20 stories high Foundation of 12 precious stones There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home. Great Controversy 675
Revelation 21:12,13 Revelation 21:21 Revelation 21:2,11,16 Gates made from 12 giant pearls Streets of Gold Appearance beyond imagination On the mount was a glorious temple. There were all kinds of trees around the temple to beautify the place. The box, the pine, the fir, the oil, the myrtle, the pomegranate, and the fig tree bowed down with the weight of its timely figs. These made the place all over glorious. Last Day Events 289
Revelation 22:1,2 Tree of life is there Revelation 22:1,2 River of life (Genesis 2:10-14)
E. Where Will it be Transferred to? Matthew 5:5 On this earth Isaiah 66:22,24 New earth Here we saw the tree of life and the throne of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life. On one side of the river was a trunk of a tree, and a trunk on the other side of the river, both of pure, transparent gold. At first I thought I saw two trees. I looked again, and saw that they were united at the top in one tree. So it was the tree of life on either side of the river of life. Its branches bowed to the place where we stood, and the fruit was glorious; it looked like gold mixed with silver. Early Writings 17
F. What Is Special About the New Earth? Revelation 21:3 God will live with us Psalm 16:11 No boredom Isaiah 33:24 No sickness or iniquity All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's children. With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. Education 303, 307
Paradise Restored Revelation 22:3 Isaiah 65:22,23 Revelation 7:16,17 No more curse Build homes and live in them No hunger, thirst or pain
Isaiah 40:31 Isaiah 35:5,6 Philippians 3:21 Revelation 21:8, 22:25 No more tiredness No more blind, deaf, lame, and sick All healed of diseases Wicked excluded The Garden Of Eden Restored
G. Will the Saints Have Real Bodies in Heaven? Luke 24:36-43,50,51 Jesus rose with a real body Acts 1:9-11 Jesus went to heaven with real body Philippians 3:21 Give us real bodies at His coming
H. What Thrilling Things Will There be to do in the New Earth? Isaiah 65:21,22 Building houses and vineyards John 14:1-3 Having a home in the Holy City Isaiah 35:10 Everlasting joy and peace In the earth made new, the redeemed will engage in the occupations and pleasures that brought happiness to Adam and Eve in the beginning. The Eden life will be lived, the life in garden and field. Prophets And Kings 730, 731
Isaiah 51:11 Revelation 15:1-4 Revelation 14:2,3 Singing songs of praise Playing musical instruments Sing and play music in the heavenly Choir There will be music there, and song, such music and song as, save in the visions of God, no mortal ear has heard or mind conceived. The song which the ransomed ones will sing--the song of their experience--will declare the glory of God: "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the ages. Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy" [Revelation 15:3, 4]. Education 307-309. [Last Day Events 300]
Isaiah 66:22-24 Matthew 8:11 Revelation 7:9-17 Keeping God's Sabbath Day Meeting the patriarchs and prophets Living with Jesus forever There Jesus will lead us beside the living stream flowing from the throne of God and will explain to us the dark providences through which on this earth He brought us in order to perfect our characters. 8 Testimonies 254
Revelation 14:4 Zephaniah 3:17 Psalm 37:3,4 Seeing God's face Hearing God sing to us Having all our desires fulfilled All the perplexities of life's experience will then be made plain. Where to us have appeared only confusion and disappointment, broken purposes and thwarted plans, will be seen a grand, overruling, victorious purpose, a divine harmony. Education 305
2 Kings 2:11 Exploring outer space Matthew 14:25,26 Being able to walk on water (Philippians 3:21) Revelation 5:11,12 Fellowship with the angels Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar. Visiting A Distant Galaxy Worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe, and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation. Suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator's name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed. Great Controversy 677, 678
I. How Good Will the New Earth and the New Jerusalem be? 1 Corinthians 2:9 Beyond our imagination Isaiah 64:4 Beyond human comprehension Then will be opened before him the course of the great conflict that had its birth before time began, and that ends only when time shall cease. The history of the inception of sin, of fatal falsehood in its crooked working, of truth that, swerving not from its own straight lines, has met and conquered error. All will be made manifest. The veil that interposes between the visible and the invisible world will be drawn aside and wonderful things will be revealed. Education 304
J. Does God Offer Everyone a Place? Revelation 22:17 Who so ever will let him come 1 Peter 1:4 Reserved in heaven for us John 14:1-3 Prepared by Jesus Himself for us
K. How can we be Assured a Place in the Holy City? Revelation 3:20 Revelation 22:14 John 1:12 Matthew 7:21 Open our hearts to Jesus Keep God's 10 Commandments Power to obey His will Must do God's will to be saved And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise. Great Controversy 678