A Study of Eschatology

Revelation 21:1-27

We are beginning the final two chapters of the Book of Revelation. Rather than rifling through the remaining chapters like many, I hope to take a detailed look at the New Heavens and Earth. I also want to spent time with the colors, gems and other minerals that are noted in chapter 21.

I am reminded of a story of a little girl whose mother took her outside to observe the splendor of a clear night as it dazzled with millions of stars. After a long moment of silence the young girl looked over at her mom and said, “Mom, if heaven is this beautiful, we are living on the wrong side. I can hardly wait to see heaven, right side up!” I hope the following lessons will bring us close to this observation of the New Heavens and Earth in the capacity of the words found in Revelation 21 and 22.

The cycles of the moon help prepare us for the coming day when God will be in full view of all of His Creation. Revelation 22:4-5. While the detail of this New Heavens and Earth are not found in these chapters, the description of gems and minerals are and we will behold Jesus in all of His perfect glory.

The New Heavens and the New Earth

From Revelation One through Revelation 20 we have studied the “old” and we should be very familiar with the old. The Old and New Testaments, the church, the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The crucifixion of Christ, His resurrection. The Tribulation and a host of other biblical events to numerous to include. Now in the remaining chapters 21 and 22, behold! Everything is New. Also, the sense of this word each time it is used is not a condition that will ever grow old as the past seven thousand years. As you recall from one of Peter's epistles, one day is as a thousand years to the LORD and a thousand years is as one day. 2 Peter 3:8

In general there are four things that can be determined about God's eternal dwelling place:

1. The earth will be without large bodies of water. At the present time it is water and oxygen that maintain the balance of life on our earth. The element of water will not be needed and there will be no need of oxygen. Notice 2 Peter 3:1-7 and Revelation 21:1. Fire will consume the oxygen and water from our known universe.

2. The New Heavens and Earth will be a place where righteousness dwells, 2 Peter 3:13, imagine a world where sin and evil are not present, nor will these products of Satan and man be allow to enter in.

3. It will also be an eternal universe, not like the universe we are presently in where metiers and other celestial changes reveal our temporal condition. Never again will the New Earth be destroyed or be afflicted with water, fire or any other means such as; rain or snow. How can this be one might ask? Good question. Without sin and evil these events of a cursed earth will not be needed, nor will the earth require the harvest. Remember, this is not the one thousand year reign of Christ, this is eternity. Isaiah 66:22.

4. R.C.H. Lenski, a person who has studied these chapters extensively, noted that the newness of heaven not only applies to heaven proper, but it applies to those of us who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life as well. We shall be the same people, have the same body and the same soul that we now have. The exception is that the body will be regenerated, it will be entirely New as it applies to the newness of the New Heavens and Earth. By the way! Regeneration begins on the day we become children of God in time, so if we are neglecting to do as the apostle Peter and others have exhorted us to do. “to grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus” we will suffer some loss of reward. Now while we may think that this is not important as some of us do, I would like to warn you again. It is possible to be carried away by lawlessness. 2 Peter 3:17-18

5. Often the parables of Jesus will reveal a truth about the Kingdom to come and it would be good to look at this one in Matthew 9:14-17. Believers in Jesus Christ are said to be fasting at this present time. The Bridegroom has gone away, but He will return at the time appointed and when He does all things will be made new just as the parable explains that you cannot put new wine in old wine skins.

The New Jerusalem

Most everyone likes to travel, it seems that in our heart is a desire to see new places. There is a stronger desire though to be out of this temporal body and at home with the LORD once you become saved. The good news is that, once you are saved by faith in Christ, Galatians 2:16 and 20 you are guaranteed a home in the New Jerusalem through the Abrahamic Covenant. Galatians 3:15-18. This should excite our very Spirit to encourage other to come to faith in Christ and avoid the Great White Throne Judgment. Hebrews 9:27-28.

The Dimensions of the New City

The city is measured in Scripture as a cube, it is so large that goes beyond our imagination. Each side measuring in at 1,500 miles. This makes the bottom side, or the base alone to be 2.25 million square miles, so the first floor alone would provide enough living space for more people than those who ever lived over time on planet earth. There are 1,500 miles of additional floor space for the additional floors above the base floor. There will be enough living space in the New Jerusalem to house all believers from every tribe, tongue and nation and still have plenty of room left over for creation in all of God's Holy Splendor.

The Description

Our minds eye cannot attain to the beauty and appearance of the city, but we do know that the beauty will be unparalleled to anything on earth. The size, the vibrant color and the sky. There are at least six, note worthy human characteristics that will not be present in the New Jerusalem and each one of them will allow us to see our new home in all of the perfect splendor that God intended for us.

First, The city is a Holy City, believers in Christ at the present time are justified and sanctified in Christ (we are in the Holy Place). In the Holy City, we are glorified in Christ (we are in the Holy of Holies). Inside the Holy of Holies, no sin will ever enter in.

Second, The city will be surrounded by a wall with twelve gates. Each gate will be made of one very large pearl, (vv12, 17,18, 21) perhaps these will be a reminder of the cross since pearls represent the Lion of the tribe of Judah who was slain as the Lamb, the admiral of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Third, the city will be built on a foundation of twelve different gemstones, these we will come back to later, but these range in color from deep purple to bright red to brilliant green and fiery gold (vv19-20). The foundations will be stacked in layers and will create a stunning effect. Each foundation will bear the names of the twelve apostles.

Fourth, The New Jerusalem will feature streets of pure, transparent gold (v21). Our gold these days is said to be pure at 24k. Seems to me that the Gold of God's paving company will weigh in at 100k, so pure that it will be like glass.

Fifth, The city will have no need of the sun or the moon (v23) as God and the Lamb will provide all the light necessary. Interestingly, there will be no shadows, nor will there be any place in heaven where the Light will no be. When Jesus stated that He is the Light of the World in John 8:12, He must have had the New Jerusalem on His mind.

Sixth, The Tree of Life will occupy the central place in the New Jerusalem, (Revelation 22:2). To mankind, this tree was lost in the garden when Adam and Eve fell to sin. Now, in the New City, the saved of God will have access to the Tree again, in fact; the whole Garden of Eden is recaptured for us in the New Jerusalem. The Tree will bear enough fruit each month to feed the entire host of heaven. Someone has asked: “Will people be able to eat in heaven?” The answer is: Yes! But there is one important thing to remember, you won't be able to gain any weight!

Next week we will look at the beauty surrounding us. But we need to remember that we are not yet glorified, so what we comprehend will be only what the Holy Spirit reveals and our finite minds comprehend. 1 Corinthians 2:9