THE HOLY CITY JERUSALEM—HOME OF THE SAINTS IN LIGHT
It was paradise which man lost when he sinned against God. True it was an earthly paradise, but it was paradise just the same. For "God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good" – Gen. 1:3131And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31). We are told that "the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the centre of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was divided and became four rivers"—Gen 2:8-108And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. (Genesis 2:8‑10). This theme of the tree of life and the river should be noted, for it recurs at the end of the Bible. For the present let us just say that man lost his earthly paradise because he sinned. He was evicted. "The Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubim’s, and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the path to the tree of life"—Gen. 3:23,2423Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23‑24). There seemed to be no way back.
Paradise Lost—Facing the Fact
In the dawn of man's history two brothers -Cain and Abel—faced the fact that man had not only been expelled from paradise_ but from God's presence. There was no way back to paradise but could there be a way back to God? Cain the elder brother offered God the fruit of the ground. God rejected Cain's offering, because He had cursed the ground due to man's sin and so didn't want the fruit of what He had cursed. Cain offered it to God anyway. He tried to approach God on his own terms. Didn't he work hard plowing the fields? Then why shouldn't the crops he grew be good enough for God? Abel, who was a shepherd, offered God the firstborn of his sheep. God accepted Abel's offering because he acknowledged man's sin and need of a sacrifice. Abel admitted that someone else must die for what he had done—a truth both Cain and Abel learned from their parents—Gen 3:2121Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21). Cain denied this. Angered that God had accepted Abel's offering he murdered him. When God brought him to account he complained. Then he "went out from the presence of the Lord...and he built a city"—Gen 4:16, 1716And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. (Genesis 4:16‑17).
The First and Last Cities of the Bible
Cain had been a farmer but God told him he was cursed from the earth, stained with his murdered brother's blood. He wanted to make a fresh start so he built the world's first city. Here he could forget his crime and display his abilities constructively. Better still he could forget about God, banish Him from his thoughts—and live as he wanted. His descendants were just like him. We see this in Lamech, five generations removed from Cain. Lamech's life began with corruption—he took two wives—and ended in violence—he killed two men. Corruption and violence together constitute sin, which is lawlessness. This is what rules the world, a sketch of which is given us in the intervening verses. Lamech had two sons by Adah—Jabal and Jubal. Jabal was the father of business, Jubal of music. Lamech had a son and daughter by Zillah, Tubal-Cain and Naamah. Tubal-Cain was the father of technology and science. Lamech himself is a picture of the spirit of war and strife which should later fill the world—his two wives at the beginning and Naamah at the end—of the seductive beauty of women extolled to this day in love songs in T.V. etc. to cheer the natural heart. Lamech is the last one of Cain's descendants—all of whom were destroyed in the flood—whose activities Scripture chronicles. The record of his works is how a prototype world was built. It is a package—crude perhaps in its beginnings—sophisticated at the end—but still the world system. Of this John writes "love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him"—1 John 2:1515Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15).
The last city in the Bible is Babylon the Great, which we can read about in Rev.17 to 19:3. This account helps us trace the development of many of the things found in the first city of the Bible, which Cain founded and Lamech developed. The city is depicted as a sensuous woman—a harlot to be specific—and yet violent like Cain and Lamech—Rev.17:6. We can see Jabal, the father of business, in the story of the harlot's commerce—Rev.18:11-19. We can see Jubal, the father of music, in Rev. 18:2222And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; (Revelation 18:22). We can see Tubal-Cain the father of technology and science in the adornment of the harlot which called for skilled workmanship.
What is remarkable is that both cities are destroyed by divine judgment—the first city, unnamed, by the waters of Noah's flood—the last city, Babylon the great, by fire. The fire, though, is figurative, for the city in Revelation is actually destroyed by the beast from the abyss.
The World and God's People
God has always had a people who passed through the hostile world Cain founded on their way to a better world. Cain killed Abel but his brother Seth replaced him as the line of faith in the earth. The line of Seth splits into the two spheres of blessing—heavenly and earthly—which God had in mind from the beginning. The heavenly line is represented by Enoch, figure of the Church, raptured before the tribulation—"Enoch walked with God, and he was not—for God took him"—Gen 5:2424And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. (Genesis 5:24). The earthly line is represented by Noah, figure of the godly Jew who passes through the tribulation, the figure of which is the flood. After the flood Noah inherits a cleansed world as the Jew will after the world has been purified by the 21 end time judgments outlined in Revelation. After the flood Abraham, the father of those justified on the principle of faith, united the heavenly and earthly blessing in his person. Before the flood this had been figuratively split between Enoch and Noah but God blessed Abraham "as the stars of the heaven"—the heavenly hope—and "as the sand which is on the seashore"—the earthly hope—see Gen 22:1717That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; (Genesis 22:17). The basis of this blessing was sacrifice looking on to the death of Christ in the future. Understanding this, Abraham looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." He repudiated the thought of settling down in the cities men had built which shut God out. He loved God and wanted to be in His presence—in a city of His making.
The scene now shifts to the cross. A thief, crucified beside Christ, confesses Him to be Lord and asks Him to remember him when He came in His kingdom. Jesus told him that he should be with Him that very day in paradise—Luke 23:4343And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43). That takes us back to the garden in Eden. God had blessed man whom He created male and female in His image—Gen 1:27, 2827So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:27‑28). When man ate the fruit of the tree the only way God could carry out the blessing was for His Son to bear our sins in His own body on the tree—1 Pet. 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24). Sin came in through the tree and had to be put away on the tree. God had blessed man but cursed the ground for man's sin—on the tree God's Son wore a crown of thorns, speaking of that curse, for "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"—Gal 3:1313Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:13). Christ fulfilled everything of which the ancient sacrifices spoke. And so though Satan cheated man out of his earthly paradise God opened the way to a heavenly paradise in the death of Christ.
So it is that the last city in the bible is not an earthly city but a heavenly one—the Holy City Jerusalem. Its symbolism takes us back to the paradise man lost on earth. In that paradise there was both the tree of life and a river—Gen 2:9,109And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. (Genesis 2:9‑10)—in this one we find the tree of life and a pure river of water of life. No one bars our way to the tree of life—its twelve different fruits are for our enjoyment. Eden had a river with four tributaries—but here we have a pure river of water of life of which we freely drink. "He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst." Abraham long ago looked for the city which had foundations whose builder and maker was God. John does more. He sees both the city and its foundations. Not only that but he enters the city. He has given us a written account of his visit to the Holy City Jerusalem. He has also given us an account of His visit to an unholy city Babylon the Great—to help us understand how they differ.
Babylon the Great—the World's City
John is not allowed to visit the Holy City Jerusalem on his own terms. Instead he must first look at a counterfeit of the Holy City which the Bible calls Babylon the Great. A counterfeiter tries to imitate the genuine so closely that most people will be deceived. The city of Babylon, the forerunner of Babylon the Great, was surrounded by a great wall and divided by a river like the Holy City Jerusalem. It was also a counterfeit of the garden in Eden, for it was famed for its hanging gardens and like Eden had a river to irrigate it. Babylon, the garden in Eden, and the Holy City Jerusalem each have a common ruling element—the man and the woman.
The figure of a woman is used for both cities—a harlot in one case—a pure woman in another. Precious stones and metals adorn the harlot—they also adorn the Holy City. John is carried in spirit into the wilderness to see an infamous woman—the false bride of Christ living off the spoils of this world's riches. The angel carries John away first to see the harlot so he can study her characteristics and compare them with the Bride of Christ. Comparison and contrast is an effective teaching tool.
John Looks at the Holy City Jerusalem—From Outside
An angel carries John away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shows him the Holy City Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb. The setting is like that of Jacob's ladder—heaven and earth coming together. John is above the earth on a great and high mountains—the city is descending to earth which tells us she belongs to heaven. From his vantage point John forms an overall impression of the Holy City. But John is not alone. He is accompanied by an angel familiar with the city.
The angel draws John's attention to the Holy City as it descends to earth. John sees a city of light, radiant with the glory of God. The overall impression of the Holy City is that God fills it. That is why the Holy City is a light bearer to the earth. The city is like the sparkle of a jasper stone. The angel must then have taken him round outside, for John notices that it is a square, surrounded on all four sides by a great high wall. Set in this wall are twelve gates—three in each direction of the compass. The wall is supported by twelve foundations. John is thus given the honor of seeing the city with foundations Abraham looked for. He notices that twelve angels are posted—one at each of the twelve gates. He also observes the names of the twelve tribes of Israel at the gates and the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb in the foundations.*2 John and the angel are engaged in a running dialog over these things—21:15. And no wonder. John's account is written in such a way that you must understand certain things before you are told what they are. For example the materials out of which the city is built are given us in 21:18-21, but you must understand their meaning first.
The city wall—Let us first consider the wall. A wall is basically a fortified barrier. Before W.W.2 France's best engineers designed the Maginot Line which they considered impregnable. It fell because it stopped short of the territory it was to protect. The wall of the Holy City is continuous. In ancient times a wall was a fortification preventing enemies from entering a city, or from seeing what is behind it. A wall has strengths and weaknesses. Its strength is its structure, and that of its foundations—its weakness its gates. Here we find that the wall is great and high and has not one massive foundation but twelve. Its gates are guarded by angels so no unauthorized persons may enter the Holy City—22:27. The wall gives us the impression of an overpowering barrier against evil ever entering and challenging the throne of God and the Lamb in the Holy City. We are told that the material of which it is constructed is jasper. Now the glory of God illuminates the city and the Lamb is its light. This light inside the city bathes the jasper wall. That is why the city has the glory of God "and her light was like a most precious stone, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." Jasper in Scripture is a symbol of the communicable glory of God. For example it was in the High Priest's breastplate—Ex 28:20—and the breast is the seat of the affections. The wall speaks of the glory God has communicated to His people. To be specific the walls of Jericho fell because they were built to protect the world, keep God out, and prevent God's people from entering the Promised Land. The wall of the Holy City excludes the evil and eternally shelters the just. .. The twelve gates of the Holy City—The wall is pierced by twelve gates. "And the twelve gates, twelve pearls; each one of the gates, respectively, was of one pearl"—Rev.21:21. Now it is a remarkable fact that pearl in the singular is found only here and in Mat 13:45-4645Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:45‑46) where the kingdom of heaven is compared to a businessman looking for beautiful pearls. He finds one pearl of great price and sells everything he has to buy it. The one pearl came out of the sea. What a beautiful figure of the death of Christ this is.*3 Now what does Christ do with this one pearl after He has bought it? Why He takes it to His Bride the Holy City Jerusalem. It becomes the material out of which the city's gates are built. In this way when you enter the city's gates you are reminded that it was the death of Christ which made this possible. Another thought about the gates is that they face each point of the compass, indicating the universal appeal of the gospel which, if believed, leads us to the Holy City. That is why the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed on the gates, for salvation is of the Jews—John 4:2222Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22). In ancient cities the gates were shut at night to keep enemies out. In the Holy City the gates are never shut, for in this city of light there is no night. Entrance to the city is barred to sinners—21:27 and 22:15, for each gate is guarded by an angel .4* Outside are dogs—shameless persons who rejected Christ as Savior. Only those who have drunk the water of life freely, whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, can enter the city and eat the fruit of the tree of life inside it. Those who enter never depart, but are eternally in God's presence—see Rev.3:12. "Whosoever will may come" is the reason there are three gates in each of the four directions of the compass for the gospel invitation is a universal one going out to all the world. .. The foundations of the City's wall—A foundation normally rests on the earth. Here twelve massive foundations rest on the heavens. This tells us that God is satisfied with the work of Christ, the Heavenly Man. This conclusion was arrived at because the foundations are inscribed with the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Since the twelve were eyewitnesses of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the foundations speak of God's satisfaction of Christ's work at the cross by resurrecting Him from the dead. Anticipating this the word prayed for the apostles in John 17 and the answer to this prayer is the Holy City Jerusalem. But in that prayer Jesus told His Father "neither pray I for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word"—John 17:2020Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (John 17:20). Since we have believed on Jesus through the apostles' word we are entitled to see ourselves in the precious stones of the foundations.
Precious stones are characterized by two things. First they must be taken out of the mire of the earth at which time they are anything but beautiful. They must be cut to size and shape by a skilled lapidary. So with us. We were taken out of the earth—our natural surroundings—and worked on by the Holy Spirit—"Now then He who has wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also has given us the pledge of His Spirit"—2 Cor. 5:55Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:5). Eventually we will all shine as precious stones in the Holy City. Not only that but precious stones, like the moon in Gen. 1, have no light of their own. To illustrate, suppose you enter a darkened room and are guided to a seat before a table. On the table is a tray full of the precious stones of Rev.21. Could you see their beauty or distinguish them from cut glass? No, it requires light shining on them to reflect their rich colors and distinctive beauties. And that is the thought in the Holy City. God and the Lamb illuminate the city. This light radiates onto us—precious stones removed from the earth and cut to shape by the Holy Spirit for display in heaven. In a world of darkness and night this beauty could not be seen. In our appointed setting our preciousness will be of Christ—our light His reflected light.
A summary of the building materials of the Holy City—An exterior view—God has given us the key to understanding the joint meaning of the wall, gates, and foundations. We are told in 21:18 that the material out of which the wall was built was jasper and in 21:19 that the first foundation was jasper. In other words the foundations and the wall are bonded together with the same material—jasper which speaks of the communicable glory of God. The gates of pearl speak of the death of Christ—the foundations of the resurrection of Christ—and God has communicated this to His people. That is why a jasper stone was in the high priest's breast-plate. The death of Christ is inseparably linked with His resurrection for the Father loveth the Son. He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. This city of light displays Christ's glory throughout the universe—heaven and earth in Scripture language. Out of the world come two things pearl from the seas, precious stones from the land. The jewel box in which both are displayed is the heavens, thus uniting the three spheres of creation—heaven, earth and sea.
Out of the world come two things pearl from the seas, precious stones from the land. The jewel box in which both are displayed is the heavens, thus uniting the three spheres of creation heaven, earth and seas the city in stadia. The wall is 144 cubits (high) protecting a city which is a cube of 12,000 stadia. The thought is that the entire Holy City is a Holy of Holies but one to which all have access.*5
The most interesting thing about the measurements is that the angel does not measure the gates or the foundations with his golden reed. This tells us that no creature, be he man or angel, can measure that which speaks of the death of Christ. Only God Himself can take the measure of that.*6
John's moves have been perfectly logical. He is like a man accompanied by a real estate agent in this case the angel. He has looked at the city as a potential buyer would first look at a house from the outside. He has been informed of the building materials out of which the city is constructed just as we would like to know the same thing about a house. He has been given the measurements of the Holy City just as we would like a block plan and measurements of a house. He is now ready to enter the Holy City to inspect it just as we, armed with the same information, would now like our real estate agent to show us over our house. In both cases—John and our home buyer—the reason for doing these things is to see if we want to live there. The angel knows the Holy City. He talks freely to John—21:15 explaining it to him.
John Enters the Holy City Accompanied by the Angel
John enters the Holy City because his name is written in the Lamb's book of life. No one else can—21:27. He is shown a pure river of water of life flowing out of the throne of God and the Lamb. He observes the one-way street of the city. It is of pure gold like transparent glass—just as the city wall, though of jasper stone, is clear as crystal. Gold and jasper are not naturally transparent and clear like crystal. Exactly. No evil thought, nothing to divide us from one another will ever obtrude in the Holy City. The street of the city is pure gold and everyone in the Holy City walks the same way according to divine righteousness of which gold is the symbol. The city itself is pure gold.
Now that John is in the Holy City he starts to look around. As a good Jew he looks for the temple but sees no temple in the city. But he is not disappointed because he remembers that God dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the temple but the Holy City is his home now. Then he discovers there are no street lamps in the Holy City. It is never night there because the glory of God and the Lamb lights up the city. Perhaps at this point John is perplexed because so many things seem to be missing.
The angel now shows John a trinity of blessing—the throne of God and of the Lamb, a pure river of water of life flowing out of the throne, and on each bank of the river the tree of life? Because the river of water of life flows out of God's throne we know that it is no longer death to be in His presence. Aaron could only enter God's presence once a year "not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people"—Heb. 9:77But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: (Hebrews 9:7). That is all past because Christ died for us. The river of water of life and the lustrous pearl gates speaking of Christ's death tell us that Christ's death gave us life. That is why there is no temple (in which was God's throne) for there is no longer any separation between God and His people.
Then there is the tree of life. Man was allowed to eat its fruit until he fell by eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing death—in Gen 2:16, 1716And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16‑17). Because death came in man could no longer eat the tree of life which was guarded by cherubim’s with a flaming sword turning every way—Gen 3:2424So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24). But Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree so the tree of life has been restored to man, but more bountifully than in the beginning. In Eden it bore fruit but in the Holy City twelve kinds of fruit. It is everywhere—in the centre of the street and on both banks of the river.
The mention of the tree of life, our food, and the water of life, our drink, completes our understanding of the city proper—it is a city of light and life. The tree of life and the water of life—the food and drink of the redeemed—must be connected with the Lord's assurance—"He who comes to Me shall never hunger and He who believes on Me shall never thirst"—John 6:3535And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35). This city of food and drink is vacant, unoccupied. That's right. The angel conducted John through the city and as far as the record shows no people are living in it. But a city is built for people to dwell in it. That explains the invitation to come to it—to come and live in the city of gold.
Even though we are invited we cannot enter the city until we have run the race and it is God's time to let us in. That is why we are told who will dwell in Paul's heavenly city in Heb. 12:22-2422But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22‑24) when the race is over, but are not told what the city is like. Here we are told what the city is like, but it is unoccupied. The emphasis here is on the appeal to enter it.
The Invitation to Take up Residence in the Holy City
John gives us four classes of people, who, before the second coming of the Lord are invited to drink the water of life. It flows out of the throne of God and the Lamb, out of the gates of pearl speaking of the death of Christ. The throne of God in this the acceptable year of the Lord offers us life because Jesus died. So in 22:17 "and the Spirit and the Bride say come"—the first class, those who are in the good of bridal affections to Christ. Next "and let him who hears say come." Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God this second class composes Christians, perhaps Christians who need to be stirred up, but Christians just the same.
“Drink of life's perennial river
Feed on life's perennial food
Christ the fruit of life and giver
Safe through His redeeming blood.”
Then he gives us those not yet saved but over whom God yearns, for He is not willing that any should perish but that all should be saved. "And let him who is thirsty come." This is the man who is worried about his soul's salvation. He can't say come because he hasn't got the Spirit. Perhaps the last class—the indifferent—will listen to those words, for "whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
John also gives us, in reverse order, four classes of people in v.11 who correspond roughly to the four classes of people in v.17. To use an analogy, the water of life cascading out of the gates of pearl in v.17 has frozen like water does in winter. Verse 11 assumes the second coming of Christ has taken place. If you belonged to the two classes of people who said come in v.17 then you belong to the two classes of people who are righteous and holy in v. 11. If you didn't come in v.17 you will be unjust and filthy in v.11, and cannot enter the Holy City.
The Bible closes with the vista of the Holy City fading from our eyes and being replaced by Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church. John was so astonished by what the angel showed him that for the second time he attempted to worship him. In each case he was warned not to do it—19:10 and 22:9. Instead he is told to worship God. In his gospel John told us that "the Father seeketh such to worship Him"—John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23). Here the Father has secured worshippers. This being so not only does the vision of the Holy City fade away but also the angel who showed the city to John—"I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star"—22:16. The Bible closes on a responsive note—the bride's reply to come and take her to His Holy City—"Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus."
From Time to Eternity
The view of the Holy City we have been considering is that of the Church reigning over the world with Christ for one thousand years—the time commonly called the Millennium. Its Scriptural name is "the administration of the fullness of times"—Eph. 1:1010That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10)—during which God will head up all things in Christ—the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. Before this divine administration is introduced the nations of the world will have been badly scorched by the 21 judgments of Revelation. These judgments originate in heaven but fall on the nations on the earth. For this reason they too must be classified as "heavenly things." The nations are healed by the leaves of the tree of life.*8
At the end of the 1000 year kingdom in which God will have blessed man by abolishing war and multiplying the good things of the earth, God will test him by releasing Satan from the abyss. Rev.20 tells us how man joins Satan in a final rebellion against God, how God quells the rebellion and then sets up a great white throne in space to judge the dead. Heaven and earth flee away. A concise picture of these events, the future destiny of the human race, and the earth which was man's home, is given us in contrasting pictures from Rev.20:11 to 21:8.
The fate of the lost brackets the entire prediction. The opening account tells us that no matter how the body may be destroyed—even by burial at sea—it will be raised for judgment. Hades' power to hold the soul comes to an end. A record of their works has been kept. This is opened and from this they are individually judged. The closing account tells us what these works are. The list of sins is headed up by "the fearful and unbelieving"—those who would not confess with their mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in their heart that God had raised Him from the dead. This is the greatest of all sins. The list of sins which follows could have been forgiven but not this one. Because of this their names are not found written in the book of life and this is the reason given, rather than their sins, why they are cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. It is solemn to think that just as it was God's words "Let there be light" which ushered in the present heavens and earth so the light of the great white throne ushers in the new heavens and new earth.
The Holy City in eternity is wedged between the two accounts of the doom of the lost at the end of time. This suggests that the account of the Holy City which follows is the eternal city. This is perhaps just one of several ways the Holy Spirit is alerting us that the first view of the Holy City is in the eternal state and the second in time. What other arguments can we advance that this is the case? Notice how John tells us—the Holy City in time—that the kings of the earth bring their glory and the glory and honor of the nations to the Holy City—21:24, 26. The nations pass away with time. How could God carry into eternity the dissonant babble of nations with different languages, customs etc. It is arrant nonsense to suggest it. The kings of the earth also end with time for Christ will put down "all rule and all authority and power" at the end—1 Cor. 15:24-2824Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:24‑28). But it might be argued that the New Jerusalem is out of chronological sequence, for John tells us about it in 21:1-8 before his account of the Holy City in time. However the reason for this is that God always introduces the thought closest to His mind and heart first. We see this at the beginning of the Bible in the judgment on the serpent—Gen 3:1414And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: (Genesis 3:14). The crushing of Christ's heel—figuratively ending Christ's walk as man at the cross—must historically precede the crushing of the serpent's head—yet because that was uppermost in God's mind it comes first. Man may, by his actions, be allowed to defer God's purposes for a while, but never to frustrate them. Finally the Scripture says "the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal"—2 Cor. 4:1818While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18). This principle is applied by John—who himself saw both views of the city. The Holy City viewed in time is described in great detail—in eternity only vaguely. Let us however look at what John does tell us.
God's Eternal City—the New Jerusalem
The overall impression of the Holy City Jerusalem was that it was a city of light because God dwelt there. The overall impression of the Holy City New Jerusalem is of unity in contrast to division, and blessedness in contrast to wretchedness—in other words of indissoluble love. These two views of the Holy City tell us of the full revelation of God's nature, for God is light—1 John 1:55This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) and God is love –1 John 4:88He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8).
In the beginning God had created the heavens and the earth, "and the gathering together of the waters called He seas." At the end those heavens and earth, we are told, are "made new" which probably means that they were purified by fire and refashioned to remove all traces of sin. So Peter writes—"the world also and the works that are in it shall be burned up"—2 Pet 3:10. From Ps 78:69 it is unlikely this means complete destruction but rather the removal of all evidences of man's sinful works in the earth such as temples to pagan gods, military cemeteries and hallowed battlefields and the moral corruption of the cities of the dead. When the first heaven and the first earth have passed away the dead will be brought before the great white throne so that the first man too will pass away. As for the sea it too passes away. It is no more, for it is a symbol of division, separating land from land. Unity, not division characterizes the new creation. The heavens and the earth were morally divided—sin separated them. They are brought together in visible unity by the act of the Holy City New Jerusalem "coming down from God out of heaven"—i.e. to earth. After one thousand years of rule over the earth with Christ she is found in spotless purity—prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." So the overall impression is divine unity, with the presence of God filling all things.
Apart from these brief glimpses of the divine unity of the eternal state John says little—like Paul, who "was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter"—2 Cor. 12:44How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (2 Corinthians 12:4). When he wrote about the Holy City in time his analogies were all positive—its street of gold and gates of pearl, etc.—here they are all negative—no death, 9 no tears, etc. The Lord showed His power to bless men in raising the dead and healing those with diseases, because these things are inconsistent with the presence of God. His miracles were only tokens of the blessing that could have been introduced if Israel had accepted Him as Messiah. Instead we read "some began to spit on Him, and to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to say to Him prophesy 10. And the servants struck Him with the palms of their hands"—Mark 14:6565And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. (Mark 14:65). The cross followed. Having rejected the Prince of Peace man was left in his wretchedness. How vividly this is described—distress, a sorrow by itself—then tears and crying, which go together as do death and mourning. But these "former things" have passed away because God is present in this scene. This explains the great voice out of heaven—"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, their God."
"It is done"—21:6—tells us that to God these eternal things are already viewed as accomplished. They should be to us too—and will be, as we enter into God's mind. He promises us "the fountain" of the water of life. "The fountain" is the Father's heart, for it speaks of the spring or energy of that living water, and it was the Father who sent the Son. Even this great blessing is not enough for God to shower upon us. We shall inherit all things but they would be meaningless unless in God's company, so "I will be His God, and He shall be My Son." God's great thought is that we should be in the liberty of sonship before our Father's face. Surely our response to this should be "blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love"—Eph. 1:4, 54According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:4‑5). John tells us much about eternity. His gospel begins with a past eternity in which God was unknown—John 1:11In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)—his revelation ends in a future eternity in which God is fully revealed.
Since "it is done" already in God's eye may we not only understand this but apply it to our walk—keeping the eye on the man in the glory and the occupation of the heart "heavenly things." Twenty-five years ago my Father wrote the following verse in my Bible –which I now pass on to my readers as we come to the close of "heavenly things"—"If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father"—1 John 2:2424Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. (1 John 2:24).