The new heaven and the new earth now appear, and up to Revelation 21:8 the prophecy views the eternal state. The Church is seen now coming down from God, out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Everything earthly has passed away: it is now pure as from the hands of God; entirely heavenly. Not only pure, but incapable of impurity. We shall have a fuller description of this later on; but there is the new earth, and God dwells with men. In the eternal state we do not find the word “reign”; but “dwell” Revelation 21:3: God dwells with men. Still the Church has a distinct place, as the tabernacle of God. “The tabernacle of God is with men” (Rev. 21:3). Oh, my soul, meditate on this supreme blessedness. There is nothing now to subdue. The eternal Son has subdued everything, and now gives up the reign; for in the new heaven and the new earth dwells righteousness. And as the Son is ever the revelation of the Father, He now, not as man, but as God, wipes away all tears, and banishes from the new creation all sorrow and pain. As God He makes it impossible for this to be again; for the former things are passed away. I can give only an outline; but every sentence in these verses is an ocean of blessedness. And He who thus makes all things new says “These words are true and faithful” (Rev. 21:5). It may now fairly be asked, “But what of the wicked through the unending ages of eternity?” It is remarkable that before their eternal doom is declared we have the most solemn assurance that none are now excluded from the life everlasting: “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all [or these] things” (Rev. 21:6-7). Yes, it will be a dreadful thing for the lost one to remember in eternity that the word of God had thus been pledged. As Jesus says, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
Oh, thirsty one, God is pledged to give the water of life freely. “But” — yes, the eternal doom of the rejecter is thus described, when the tabernacle of God is with men, when He throughout eternity shall dwell with them —“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). Thus the state of torment is as eternal as the eternal state of the blessed: in that lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:10).
Nothing can be more certain than the awful fact of the eternity of punishment; and here at Revelation 21:8, with this solemn fact the prophecy as it were comes to a close. And it is also remarkable, the denial of this solemn truth is the last great effort of Satan to overthrow the truth of God. From thousands of pens and tongues Satan is saying “Yea, hath God said, forever and ever? Oh, He does not mean it. Do not believe it.” Children of God, beware. This denial of God’s truth often reveals a minister of Satan, though men may regard him as an angel of light. From Revelation 21:9 to 22:6, we return as it were; and one of the seven angels describes the bride the Lambs wife. This does not go on prophetically, but evidently is a revelation of the Church during the millennial reign; just as one of the same seven angels described the character of the false Babylon after her fall. After the Church has been seen in eternal glory, then we return and see her fully described during millennial rest. Many features are eternal: Blessed be God! But we shall see the bride of the Lamb in relation to the earth. She is the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. O how precious this character is! It is not merely absence from evil, but essentially, inherently holy: holiness from God, pure as heaven itself: all heavenly, “from God” (Rev. 21:10): all of Adam, all of sin, forever gone!
“Oh how I thirst The chains to burst.” I cannot write; I long to be there. Oh let us awake, and wait for our Lord. “Having the glory of God; and her light like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev. 21:11). The very revealed glory in which God appeared the moment the Church was caught up and was in heaven in Revelation 4. Jesus said, “And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one” (John 17:22).
Clear as crystal. Not one unholy thought: accepted in the Beloved. But it is the glory of God, and “having” (Rev. 21:11) it! Hath not God blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus? More could not be given. And all so certain, and so near! We must bear in mind that this is the revelation of the Church, as it is to be seen when the world shall know that God hath loved us even as He hath loved Christ. The Church shall be seen having the glory of God, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Precious stones are used to express earthly glory; but who can tell what is the brightness of that glory, set forth by these heavenly stones? The city is described and measured by the golden reed. All is perfect in divine righteousness. From the north or south, the east or west, the nations shall see the same divine perfection. In Solomon’s temple the altar was four square, the exact size of the holiest. The death of the cross must be, and was, equal to all the claims of God. There is now no longer need of the altar. The city lieth four square: all is divinely equal; divinely perfect. The holiest was twenty cubits every way. The city is twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. “And the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass” (Rev. 21:18). As the Apostle Paul heard things impossible to utter, so it seems to me these divine symbols of glory cannot be expressed in words. We know that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. “And He that sat [upon the throne] was to look upon like a jasper” (Rev. 4:3). Oh what then shall be the glory of that city, the bride of the Lamb, when the building of the wall of it is of jasper! All that can express glory is used in the foundations and building of this city. It is essential purity; inherent holiness; “pure gold” (Rev. 21:18); “clear glass” (Rev. 21:18); “transparent glass” (Rev. 21:21). It should be noticed that in themselves all these stones are dark: the light is all reflected. Sweet it is to own that when made like Him, still all the glorious perfections will be Christ Himself reflected in the Church. The Holy Spirit may enable you to learn much of this our future glory, by comparing it with Ezekiel 28:13-15; and also the four-square ephod, with its precious stones, covering the heart of the high priest. The eternal purpose of God shall be fulfilled — are not our names now on the heart of our great High Priest? Then shall we most certainly be in that place of glory prepared for us, of which this wondrous building is the symbol. It is the pearl of great price, to redeem which to Himself Jesus came down from the highest glory. No more possibility of defilement: the streets of the city are of pure gold. That is, we shall find nothing but divine purity. No going into the temple, and out; no change from worship to carelessness: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. No need of created helps — of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God will lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
If you read carefully Isa. 60; 62; 65:18-19, and many other prophecies of the future glory of Jerusalem, you will be struck with the similarity there is betwixt the earthly and the heavenly cities, in many points. Zephaniah 3:17 may also help us to understand the relative position of both during the millennium. “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice OVER thee with joy; He will rest in His love; He will joy OVER thee with singing.” A comparison of these scriptures will show that the heavenly city, the bride of the Lamb, will be over the earthly city of the great King. And thus “the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it” (Rev. 21:24);
God resting in His love over it. It will be joy and singing. Oh sweet the sound will be, when Jerusalem the earthly shall re-echo the songs of Jerusalem the golden. Nothing shall interrupt heaven's harmony; for nothing that defileth can enter there.
There are also points of contrast surely between the earthly city and the heavenly. I only notice one, to prove that they are not the same. Where the future earthly Jerusalem is described as the metropolis of all nations in Isaiah 2:1-4, it is said “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.” This could not for a moment be applied to the heavenly city. No need for either swords or plowshares there. Oh how clear and distinct is the Word of God! Sad that man should confound what God has so made to differ.