new heaven and new earth, pt. 2

New Heaven and New Earth - part 2

Pastor Macky Sabayle

Welcome back to our series on Heaven and today we will continue our lesson about the New Heaven and New Earth. Last Sunday we discussed the principles of the new heaven and new earth. Let’s quickly recap.

• Creation is Renewed.

• Communion with God is Restored.

• Cursed is Reversed.

• Consummation of all things is Realized.

• Celestial City is Revealed.

Scripture describes Heaven as both a country (Luke 19:12; Hebrews 11:14-16) and a city (Hebrews 12:22; 13:14; Revelation 21:2). Fifteen times in Revelation 21 and 22 the place God and his people will live together is called a city. The repetition of the word and the detailed description of the architecture, walls, streets, and other features of the city suggest that the term city isn’t merely a figure of speech but a literal geographical location. After all, where do we expect physically resurrected people to live if not in a physical environment? 

Everyone knows what a city is—a place with buildings, streets, and residences occupied by people and subject to a common government. Cities have inhabitants, visitors, bustling activity, cultural events, and gatherings involving music, the arts, education, religion, entertainment, and athletics. If the capital city of the New Earth doesn’t have these defining characteristics of a city, it would seem misleading for Scripture to repeatedly call it a city. The city at the center of the future Heaven is called the New Jerusalem.

I. The Site of the City

Rev. 21:9-10

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

Many theologians believe that the New Jerusalem is the crown of the new creation of God. But the New Jerusalem is not really heaven per se. The New Jerusalem is the city of God that is in heaven. This is the city that Abraham and the rest of the Old Testament saints were looking forward to which has foundations and whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10). This is the eternal city in heaven where God dwells.

Hebrew 12:22

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly

And John tells us that this celestial city came down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” So this holy city is literally floating in the air and coming down to settle in the renewed earth. 

And the phrase "prepared" implies that the New Jerusalem has already been completed by this time. John does not say that he saw the New Jerusalem created. He says he saw the New Jerusalem coming out of the heavens and, since God dwells in the third heaven as we've already learned, we can conclude that God has been preparing this city up in the third heaven to eventually become the capital city of the new heaven and new earth and that final home of his children.

II. The Splendor of the City

1. Its Shine

The New Jerusalem will be filled with visual magnificence.

Rev. 21:11

It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone — like jasper as clear as crystal.

Now when you think about jasper you’ve got to think in terms of ancient understanding, because our modern jasper is opaque; but this one is not. Iaspis is the Greek word; and the Hebrew word is almost identical, Yashepheh. And what you have here is not a translation, but a transliteration. The best understanding of that term is that it’s a diamond, crystal clear; it is a diamond. Now I don’t know a lot about diamonds, but what I know is that the clearer it becomes, the more expensive it is. And when it is perfectly clear, when it reaches the point where it has no blemish and no spot, and there’s nothing in it except flawless, perfect, crystal-clear refracted light, you have what is called a perfect gem. And I think, that is precisely what is intended by this little phrase “crystal-clear jasper.” It is a gem, it is flawless. It is like a diamond, not with light shining on it, but with light shining from it, coming from the inside and refracting its rainbow colors all over the new heavens and the new earth. So the city is like one massive perfect diamond gem, flashing the reflection of God’s glory in infinite light.

2. Its Stronghold

Rev. 21:12-14

(12) The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels.

So the city is portrayed as a highly walled city, with 12 gates and 12 angels guarding it. It means that the city is so safe and secured.  

Typically the gates of the city were shut tight at night to keep out dangers. However, v.25 tells us that “Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there.”  Why can the gates remain open? Because the city’s twelve gates are attended by twelve angels. Of course, there will be no enemies outside the city’s gates—the entire New Earth will be filled with the knowledge of God (Habakkuk 2:14). And citizens from outside the gates will regularly travel in through them (Revelation 21:24, 26). The open gates guarded by angels remind us that our safety has been bought and permanently secured by our God. 

(12) …And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. (13) There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. 

This remind us of the way God organized the tribes around the tabernacle: put the tabernacle in the middle and had three tribes at each side. And by the way, that is also the way God will organize His people around the millennial temple, the temple that’ll be built in the millennial kingdom that is described in Ezekiel 48. So here you see the same thing. Each of the gates has the name of the tribe, three on each side. And, of course, that enshrines, doesn’t it, for all eternity God’s unique covenant relationship with His people 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.

And at the top of the gates, you have the tribe of Israel. At the bottom of the gates on the foundation stone you have the name of one of the twelve apostles. Again, this is to enshrine God’s wonderful covenant relationship with His Church. The apostles of the church being the foundation of the church, according to Ephesians 2:20. So it shows God’s favor on those under the old covenant and God’s favor on those under the new covenant. 

3. Its Size

Rev. 21:15-17

(15) The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. (16) When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. (17) Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

So we are told by the Apostle John the city’s dimensions, length, and width were equal at 1,400 miles. Do you know its total land area? That’s 2,250,000 square miles. Even though these proportions may have symbolic importance, this doesn’t mean they can’t be literal. In fact, Scripture emphasizes that the dimensions are given in “man’s measurement” (Revelation 21:17). If the city really has these dimensions (and there’s no reason it couldn’t), what more could we expect God to say to convince us? It is a city so far beyond what you can imagine. No wonder is also called the city of God. 

Did you ever hear of a city with that land area? London covers an area of 140 square miles. New York City is just 472 sq miles. Tokyo has 847 sq. miles. This city is 20 times as big as all of New Zealand. It's 10 times as big as Germany. It's 10 times as big as France. It's 40 times as big as all of England. It’s 20 times bigger than the whole Philippines. It is twice as big as India. It’s just 720,000 sq. miles smaller than Australia. It's an enormous continent all by itself. 

But wait, let me just tell you that this is only the ground level we're talking about. Remember that this square city is as long as it’s wide and its height. So it's not only 1,400 miles on each side but, watch this, it's also 1,400 miles up into the air. So we can imagine that the city will look like a cube. Or it could be a multilevel city. Some scholars also suggest the 1,400 miles height could be the reach of the city’s buildings and towers and spires. 

We don’t know exactly, but the cube dimension of the New Jerusalem reminds us of the cube dimension of the Most Holy Place in the Temple (1 Kings 6:20).

So this is such an enormous city like no other cities before and at present. Just how many believers can live in this city?

Working it out on the basis of the number of people per sq. miles using New York City is 27,000 people/sq. mi. Let’s just say that we have bigger spaces in this city so let’s say there will be 20,000 people/sq. mi. multiply that to the 2,250,000 sq. miles land are, it will come out at 45 billion people, for the ground level only.

Now someone has measured out a rather normal space for floors in between and he said there could be 600 stories or levels in the city. So this is a multi-level city. So 45 billion times 600 levels… and the calculator will result in an “e.” Or 2.7 with 12 zero or 2.7 Trillion. 

Of course, we don’t know exactly how many people will enter the new heaven and new earth. What we have here is just a perspective on how big and vast is this city. Take note, this is just the capital city of God we are talking about. They still have the entire planet earth to tour around and enjoy. 

If these numbers are figurative, not literal (and that is certainly possible), surely they are still meant to convey that the home of God’s people will be extremely large and roomy. God will live in the city, and it is his presence that will be its greatest feature.

4. Its Substance

The New Jerusalem will be a place of extravagant beauty and natural wonders. It will be a vast Eden, integrated with the best of human culture, under the reign of Christ. More wealth than has been accumulated in all human history will be spread freely across this immense city.

Rev. 21:18-21

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

Again the material of the thick wall is actually pure diamond! Wow! And the city was made of pure gold. Unlike earth’s gold which is extremely opaque, this gold is transparent or translucent. We haven’t seen it, but we’re going to live in it. 

Well, why does it have to be clear? Because that city has one great purpose in the new heaven and the new earth, and that is to radiate the glory of God, and you can’t have anything blocking it. So the brilliant flashing color of gold, but transparent lends to the firing of that glory of God through every, every component. Nothing can stop or block the radiance of God, it shines out through everything.

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

Take note that of the twelve stones, eight of which correspond to the stones of the high priest’s breastpiece (Exodus 28:17-20). I will just try to describe each by its color. 

1. Jasper – again not the jasper of today which is reddish stone, this is crystal-clear diamond with its flashing colors.

2. Sapphire, a brilliant blue.

3. Chalcedony or Agate. Chalcedon is an old name for Turkey, and this was some kind of an agate stone, the best we can tell, sky blue with translucent stripes of color.

4. Emerald, which is, of course, a blazing bright green.

5. Sardonyx, which is a red and white stone.

6. Sardius or Carnelian, a rather common red stone that was from the quartz family.

7. Chrysolite; Pliny calls that a transparent, sort of lucid gold tone or yellow tone stone.

8. Beryl; that’s a sea green.

9. Topaz; transparent yellow green.

10. Chrysoprase; that’s another shade of green.

11. Jacinth, which was a brilliant shining violet color.

12. Amethyst, which is purple.

Now what you have, of course, is just a blazing panoply of these brilliant colors that the light of God’s glory is shining through, as they make up the foundation of the heavenly city. The general picture then is one of just unbelievable beauty, indescribable beauty, a spectrum of color blazing everywhere. The light of the gold, the diamond, transparent city shining through the diamond walls, pushing its light through all of these colored jewels, forms a scene of dazzling, wondrous, incredible beauty.

(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.

Each of the gates of the city is a single, massive 1,400-mile-high pearl. Each of these gigantic pearls must have been produced by a gigantic oyster. Or, maybe not, these have to be pearls of God’s own making.

John Phillips writes this – how appropriate: 

“All other precious gems are metals or stones, but a pearl is a gem formed within the oyster. It is the only one formed by living flesh. The humble oyster receives an irritation or a wound, and around the offending article that has penetrated and hurt it, the oyster builds a pearl. The pearl, we might say, is the answer of the oyster to that which injured it. And the glory land is God’s answer in Christ to the wicked men who crucified heaven’s beloved and put Him to open shame. How like God it is to make the gates of the new Jerusalem pearls. The saints as they come and go will be forever reminded as they pass the gates of glory, that access to God’s home is only because of Calvary. Think of the size of those gates. Think of the supernatural pearls from which they are made. What gigantic suffering is symbolized by those gates of pearl. Throughout the endless ages we shall be reminded by those pearly gates of the immensity of the sufferings of Christ. Those pearls hung eternally, as it were, at the access routes to glory will remind us forever of One who hung upon a tree, and whose answer to those who injured Him was to invite them to forever share His home.”

III. The Superiority of the City

1. No More Temple

(22) I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 

2. No More Sun

(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. (24) The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.

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

3. No More Evil

(27) Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Sources:

• Alcorn, Randy. Heaven

• David Jeremiah, The Heavenly City

• https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/66-83/the-capital-city-of-heaven-part-1