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                   THE BOOK OF REVELATION

CHAPTER.21.

THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH !


Chapter 21 of Revelation introduces the eternal future
planned by God, the ultimate purpose of God for man.  Not
much space in scripture is given to this eternal state, but
enough is revealed to assure every believer's heart about the
future.  Revelation 21 and 22 provide more details of this
state than can be found anywhere else in the Bible.

Seven New Things

There are seven new things revealed in these two chapters
that form a fitting introduction to the eternal future God
has prepared for those who love him.

a new HEAVEN (21:1)        a new PARADISE (22:1-5)
a new EARTH  (21:1)        a new source of LIGHT (22:5)
new JERUSALEM (21:2)       a new place of God's THRONE (22:3)
new THINGS  (21:5)

Rev 21:1

It is stated here that the first heaven and first earth are
passed away, and, that as a result of the renovation by fire
a New Heaven and a New Earth exist.  The fact of the
renovation of the earth is very much misunderstood.  The
general conception is that the present heaven and earth will
be completely annihilated, or cease to exist, and that new
heavens and a new earth will take their places, but this is
not the case.  An understanding of this subject can  be
harmonized with other scriptures, as we will see.

According to 2 Pet 3:10-13, the present heaven and earth
will not be annihilated.  The fire does not destroy them.
Fire changes something from one state to another, and Peter
is showing that there will simply be a renovation of the
earth by fire, that the earth will not be totally obliterated
any more than it was with the destruction of the world by
water in the beginning.  The renovation process will end the
day of the Lord and begin the day of God (2 Pet 3:10-19).
The word in the Greek that is translated `pass away' is
parerchamai and means `to go by, or away from, in the sense
of from one condition to another'.  It is never used to
indicate a ceasing of existence.

The word that is translated `melt' is luo, meaning `to
loose, put off, unbind, untie, or set free.'  It is
translated this way in several scriptures (Matt 21:2, Luke
19:30, 33, Jn 1:27, 11:44, Acts 7:33), and is rendered
`dissolve' in 2 Pet 11-12.  These passages certainly seem to
establish that the present heaven and earth will be renovated
by being loosed from bondage and that they will be changed
into new states, as in Rom 8:21-23.

The reference in 21:1 uses the word `new'.  The Greek word in
kainos, and it means `to be renewed or new'.  It carries the
idea of freshness and character, and does not mean new in
existence.  The Greek work used in that sense is neos.

In 2 Cor 5:17, it says that old things are passed away and
all things are become new for the Christian.  Yet, we know
that there are many basic physical aspects of an individual
which are essentially the same.  The Greek word used there is
kainos and it means to `renew.'  This is the same ides as for
the renewal of the heaven and the earth.  At regeneration the
old order of things passes away.  John was shown that there
will be an innovation when the curse is removed and the new
order is brought into reality, and this will in fact be the
renovation resulting in the new heaven and the new earth.

The new heavens and new earth are referred to in various
places, but Rev 21:1 states that there will be no more sea,
and mention must be made of that.  This obviously does not
mean that there will be no water left on the earth, for it is
clear from many passages that the large oceans now covering
three-fourths of the earth will be no more.  However, there
will be rivers and lakes and smaller seas forever.  And,
likewise, there will be differences in land etc. (Ps 72:8-10,
17, 97:1-6, Is 60:10, 66:18-24, Ezek 47:8-48:38, Zech 9:10,
14:8).  Without the oceans there will not be islands, but
some seas will continue to exist eternally (Jer 5:22, 31:35-
36, Ps 146:6, Prov 8:29, Acts 4:24, 14:15, Rev 10:6, 14:7).
It is ascertained from other scriptures that water will not
be done away with (Gen 8:22, Is 35, Amos 5:8, 9:6).

NEW PEOPLE AND NEW CONDITIONS
Rev 21:3-8

There is a voice that speaks out of heaven.  It appears to be
the voice of Christ declaring that `the tabernacle of God is
with men'.  Then there is another message, from `Him that sat
upon the throne', proclaiming that all things are made new.
This is God speaking.

The voice from out of heaven reveals that `the tabernacle of
God is with men.'  It is a literal one that will come down
from God with the New Jerusalem to be with men.  The word
`with' in the Greek if meta, and it means `to be amid, or
among' (Matt 26:58, Mark 1:13), or `in company with' (Matt
9:15, 2 Thess 1:7, Rev 14:13).  God will `dwell' or
tabernacle among men, that is, in the midst of them (Jn 1:14,
Rev 7:15, 12:12, 13:6).  God the Father himself will be
visible to them and will be `Immanuel, God with us' (Ps
68:16-18, Is 7:14, Zech 2:10-11, 8:3, Matt 1:23, Rev 22:5).

God will also `wipe away all tears from out of their eyes'
(Is 25:8).  The word for wipe means `to stroke, rub, erase,
touch, abolish, and utterly wipe away'.  The same Greek word
in this passage means to `smear out, obliterate, or wipe
away'.  The things that cause sorrow and regret will be
removed.

The Eternal State Of The Lost
Rev 21:8

Since God has been talking about the eternal state of the
blessed, He contrasts that with the eternal state of the
lost, described more fully in 20:11-15.  Here He refers to
them as those that have part in the second death.  These are
the individuals who through fear or unbelief or a lust for
sin rejected Jesus Christ.

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
Rev 21:2, 9-11

The dazzling glory of the new city of Jerusalem that is to
come down from God out of heaven is beyond man's ability to
comprehend.  It is pictured in Revelation as the ultimate
preparation of God for man's habitation.  This same
difficulty of comprehension may be observed in the ministry
of many of our missionaries.  As they live amid a primitive
tribe for a period of time and try to communicate to them
scenes of the outside world, the natives look at them in
bewilderment.  How can one describe an electric stove to a
native who has never seen anything but an open wood fire?
How can one describe refrigeration to a native who has known
nothing but the cool of the mountain stream that runs by his
thatched hut?  Only by comparing the unknown with the known
is the missionary able to convey facts of the outside world
or, more importantly, the eternal truths of God.  Thus it is
with us as we try to comprehend the glories God has prepared
in the Holy City for them that love Him.  He has used terms
and descriptions with which we are familiar to describe the
things that are beyond our finite frame of reference.

Inviting John to a high mountain, the angel showed him the
Bride, the Lamb's wife.  But the Bride is described in the
tenth verse as the great city, the holy Jerusalem.  This does
not suggest that the Bride of Christ is a city.  Now that
prepared city is coming to the earth, and the inhabitants of
it are the members of the Bride.  When this city comes to the
earth, it will be a people-filled city; people in their
resurrected bodies after the millenium, prepared to dwell
with Christ for eternity.  That is why this city, which
surpasses the splendour of anything comprehended by man, is
called the Bride, the Lamb's wife.  A city is more than
buildings and streets, for these are merely the means of
providing for the inhabitants which compose the real city.
As we shall see, others will be permitted into the city, but
the city, which will be the capital of the eternal order of
God, is `the bride, that great city, the holy Jerusalem'.

All Redeemed Will Live In The City:

1.  The Old Testament saints were promised the New Jerusalem
(Heb 11:10-16).
2.  The early Church was promised the city (Jn 14:1-3, Heb
13:14).
3.  Every Christian is promised the city (Rev 3:12, Jn 14:1-
3, Heb 12:23).
4.  The 144 000 Jews will be there (Rev 7:1-8, 12:5, 14:1-5).
5.  The Tribulation Saints will go there (Rev 6:9-11, 7:9-17,
15:2-4, 20:4-6).

Therefore, we conclude that since all saints in the first
resurrection (from Abel, to the last one saved in the future
tribulation) will go to live in the New Jerusalem that all
such saints will be members of the bride.  No one person,
group of persons, denomination, mansion, temple or any other
building can be call the city, the Lamb's wife.  It takes all
to be the city - Bride.

It would be scriptural, however, to say concerning the
redeemed, that they are now married to Christ under the terms
of the new covenant, that they are citizens of heaven, that
they have a hope of going to live in the New Jerusalem, and
that because of this, they expect to be a part of the bride of
Christ or a part of the heavenly city.  But no one is
actually a part of the bride until he begins to live in the
city, which is the bride, the Lamb's wife (9-10).

Students for centuries have called the church the bride of
Christ but this is unscriptural.  The church will become a
part of the bride when its members begin to live in the New
Jerusalem but it will not be the exclusive bride of Christ.
All the redeemed of all others ages will also be a part of
the bride. (9-10).

The eternal location of the New Jerusalem will be on earth.
There are those who believe that it will be in mid-air, but
reference to the foundations of the city would tend to
discredit that theory.  The descent from heaven is unlikely
to stop short of reaching to the earth.  Also, the fact that
the nations of men on earth will bring recognition, glory,
and honour to it would certainly mean that it is located on
the earth (verses 24-26, 22:1-5).

"Having the glory of God."  This city is the crowning
feature of the creation of God, the unique habitation of the
redeemed for eternity.  To emphasize the glory of God, the
verse pictures a dazzling light, `like a jasper stone, clear
as crystal'.  Someone has suggested that perhaps the city
will be surrounded with a ball of crystal light; just as the
earth is round, this square city would have a round sphere of
light.  Certainly it will reflect the glory of God.

ITS WALLS, GATES AND FOUNDATIONS
Rev 21:12-17

The various foundations are represented as layers built upon
each other, each layer extending around all four sides of the
city.

JASPER - gold in appearance but like clear glass in
substance, namely, glass with a gold cast to it.

SAPPHIRE - a stone similar to a diamond in hardness and blue
in colour.

CHALCEDONY - an agate stone from Chalcedon (in Turkey),
though to be sky blue with other colours running through it.

EMERALD - introduces a bright green colour.

SARDONYX - a red and white stone.

SARDIUS - refers to a common jewel of reddish colour, also
found in honey colour which is considered less valuable.  The
Sardius is used with Jasper in Revelation 4:3 in describing
the glory of God on the throne.

CHRYSOLYTE - a transparent stone, golden in colour, according
to the ancient writer Pliny, and therefore somewhat different
from the modern pale green Chrysolyte stone.

BERYL - is sea green.

TOPAZ - is yellow-green and transparent.

CHRYSOPRASUS - introduces another shade of green.

JACINTH - is a violet colour.

AMETHYST - is commonly purple.

The wall is `great and high', with three gates on each of the
four side.  Ezekiel's description of the eternal earthly city
of Jerusalem, which is to be built at the beginning of the
Millennium (Ezek 48:30-35), shows a similarity between the
two Jerusalems; but they are really two different cities,
both of which are material and eternal.

The names of the twelve tribes of Israel will be inscribed on
the twelve gates in the wall.  These names will also appear
on the gates of the earthly Jerusalem (Ezek 48:30-35).
Angels will stand by the gates.  The names of the twelve
apostles will be on the foundations.  The angels used a
`golden reed' to measure the city, the gates, and the wall.
A measuring reed of this kind is about twelve and one-half
feet long (Ezek 40:5, 41:8, 43:13).  The city is foursquare.
The length, breadth and height are equal, all being twelve
thousand furlongs or fifteen hundred miles.  If this is
understood to be a cube, it would appear to be hollow inside
as an empty box, having about 3 375 000 000 cubic miles.  Or
it might be built like our modern skyscrapers, with layered
stories.  The description does not necessarily conclude that
it is an actual cube.  It could conceivably taper in at the
top and resemble ( in a sense ) a mountain peak, or pyramid.
In that case, it would contain 4 054 000 square miles, with
mansions throughout, and it could accommodate billions of
people.  The walls of the city are 144 cubits.  Considering a
cubit to be about eighteen inches, the wall would be 215 feet
high.  If the structure were a cube, a wall that low would
seem out of place.  If the city towers upward from the base
to fifteen hundred miles high, then the wall around the city
would apparently be useful.

ITS MATERIALS.
Rev 21:18-21.

The building material of the wall was jasper, and the `city
was pure gold, like unto glass'.  Various stones for the
foundations are listed here and every stone used is precious,
perfect, priceless, and beautiful.  The streets of the city
are of transparent gold.

ITS TEMPLE
Rev 21:22

Chapter 15 has reference to `the heavenly tabernacle',
proving that there will be a literal temple in the New
Jerusalem.  The ides conveyed here is that the personal
presence of God and the Lamb will, in a very real sense, be
a sanctuary for God's people in the eternal state.  All
previous worship on earth has not had the personal presence
of God and the Lamb as objects of worship in the tabernacles
in this way.  It is promised in Rev 3:12 that the overcomer
will have authority in the temple of God and there will be no
more going out.  Several passages do refer to a temple in the
holy city, a real place of God's presence (7:15, 11:19,
14:15, 15:5, 8, 16:1, 17).

ITS LIGHT
Rev 21:23, 25, 22:5.

The light of the city will be greater than that of the sun,
moon, and stars.  The brilliance of the glory of God, whose
wondrous beauty defies description, surpasses even the sun,
which will be increased seven fold during the Millennium (Is
30:26).  This city will have no need for the sun and moon,
but the sun and moon will continue to shine for the sake of
other parts of the earth.  The dazzling light from the glory
of God shining our from this transparent city of gold will be
beyond our present descriptive ability.

ITS TRAFFIC
Rev 21:24,26-27.

The gates of the New Jerusalem will never by closed in the
eternal day of that city.  The earth will have natural men
living in various nations throughout the earth, subject to
the eternal kingdom ruled by God and the saints forever.
They will carry on natural activities such as planting,
harvesting, building, multiplying, and developing.  In their
activities, men will pass by the New Jersualem, and in and
out or its gates.  Leaders from various places in the earth
will come and give glory and honour to God in the holy city,
using the fruit of the earth as an expression of love.  The
holy city will be open and traffic will come by, and into it.