Creation of a New Heaven and Earth
The End of the World
The Eternal State
Heavenly Jerusalem
“For behold, I create a New Heaven and a New Earth;"Create" is the Hebrew ar*B* (bara'), which means to create something new that never existed before. It is used for God's creation of the original heavens and Earth (Gen. 1:1). The New Heaven and New Earth will be entirely new and not just refashioned from the old. The word for Heaven is in the plural, but this is common in the Hebrew and does not mean there will be more than one heaven. Heaven simply refers to what is above the Earth. Isaiah correctly foresaw the Eternal State, called Heaven, on Earth. However, he did not know as revealed in Revelation that this would come after the Millennium.
And the former things shall not be remembered nor come to mind. (Isaiah 65:17)
"The former things shall not be remembered nor come to mind." In the Eternal State, the former things of this life will cease to be remembered. Heaven will be a new life.
All the host of the heavens will disintegrate,As believers stand and watch, the existing heavenly bodies will disintegrate, which is the Hebrew qq^m* (maqaq), meaning to moulder away, rot, disintegrate. The backdrop of the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. Stars will fall from the sky like leaves falling from the vine or fig tree. The vine and fig tree are used in scripture as metaphors for the productivity of believers. The fig tree symbolizes Israel. The stars symbolize believers in the current Universe, but the Universe will end along with its symbols.
And the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll;
All their hosts will also fall
As leaves fall from the vine,
And as leaves fall from the fig tree. (Isaiah 34:4)
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens,In the Day of God, the heavens will vanish; the earth will crumble like a worn out garment; and the inhabitants of earth will be doomed. However, believers will survive because the LORD's Salvation will last forever, and His Righteousness shall never wane.
Then look to the Earth beneath;
For the heavens will vanish like smoke,
And the Earth will wear out like a garment,
And its inhabitants will die like naught,
But My Salvation will last forever,
And My Righteousness shall never wane. (Isaiah 51:6)
Peter explained that the Universe will end after the Millennium. The Universe will be destroyed and superseded by the New Heaven and New Earth of the Eternal State.
But the present heavens and Earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7)The present Universe will survive until the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers, "ungodly men." After their Judgment, the unbelievers will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, where they will burn in their new bodies forever (Rev 20:11-15). "Fire" refers to the sudden, cataclysmic destruction of the Universe.
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8)Peter points out that one of the keys to understanding the "Day of the Lord" is that it will last a thousand years, which refers to the Millennium.
But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a whish, and the elements being consumed by heat, will be destroyed; and the Earth and the works in it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)The "Day of the Lord" refers to the Second Advent and Millennium, which follows. The "Day of the Lord will come as a thief." This refers to the Second Advent (Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thess. 5:2; Rev. 3:3; 16:15). Peter is going to describe the destruction of the Universe, but he begins with the "Day of the Lord," which begins with the Second Advent and lasts a thousand years. The Universe will be destroyed at the end of the Millennium after the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers and after Satan and his demons have been cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:10).
The description of the destruction of the Universe, which will occur at the end of the Day of the Lord (the Millennium) follows: "The heavens will pass away with a whish." A "whish" is the Greek roizhdovn (roizedon), which is the sound of something passing swiftly through the air, like a fastball or an arrow. The heavens will be destroyed instantly. "The elements being consumed by heat." "The elements" refer to the basic building blocks of creation, which in that day were considered to be earth, air, fire, water, and ether. Since then more basic elements have been discovered. Regardless, they will all be consumed by heat and destroyed. The entire Earth and the works in it will be burned up. While all the believers of history are standing on the Earth in Resurrection bodies, the Earth will be destroyed under their feet.
Since you eagerly look forward to and hasten the coming of the Day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by thermonuclear explosion and the elements, being consumed by nuclear fusion, will disintegrate. (2 Peter 3:12)The "Day of God" refers to the Eternal State. To make way for the Eternal State, the existing heavens and Earth will have to be destroyed. The transformation of matter into energy in the current heavens and Earth conform to the equation discovered by Einstein: Energy, E = mc2 , where m is mass and c is the speed of light. The current matter (mass) will be converted to energy in a huge "thermonuclear explosion," which is the Greek purovw (puroo), meaning to burn; make red hot, cause to glow. This refers to fusion in which matter is converted to energy. This occurs in the Sun and in a hydrogen bomb. This will be the final big bang!
The "elements" will be consumed by nuclear fusion, where "fusion" is the Greek kausovw (kausoo), meaning to burn up; be consumed by heat. This is obviously a description of nuclear fusion. The "elements" will "disintegrate," which is the Greek thvkw (teko), meaning to melt away, dissolve; disintegrate. It refers to the transformation of matter into energy. This is the Greek counterpart of the Hebrew qq^m* (maqaq) in Isaiah 34:4.
The Resurrection bodies of believers will not be affected by this gigantic thermonuclear explosion because they are made of a different kind of material, which is indestructible and lasts forever. The new Heaven and new Earth will be built of a new material that also lasts forever. The building material of the new creation will not conform to E = mc2.
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a New Earth, in which Righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13)According to the promises of the Word of God, Heaven will be inhabited only by those with God's Righteousness. Unbelievers and evil spirits (demons) will not live there. God will create "new heavens and a New Earth." The word, "New," is the Greek kainov" (kainos), which means new in kind. The new heavens and New Earth will be built of a different kind of material than the current heavens and Earth. The new kind of material will never grow old and never be destroyed because it will be eternal and not able to be changed. The new material will not be related to energy per E = mc2.
"Righteousness" will dwell in the new heavens and Earth.
This is the Righteousness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will dwell
in the new heavens and Earth. The desire of God to live among His
people will be fulfilled. The Righteousness of God also resides
in believers and elect Angels. There will be peace in Heaven because
no unrighteousness will exist there.
Then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the first Heaven and the first Earth passed away; furthermore, the sea no longer exists. (Revelation 21:1)The Apostle John was shown a vision of the New Heaven and New Earth. The word, "New," is the Greek kainov" (kainos), which means new in kind. "Heaven" refers to the sky and stars as visible from the earth and to Heaven as the home of God. In the Eternal State, the existing heaven with the signs of the zodiac will no longer exist. A New Earth, made of a new kind of material, will replace the current Earth. There will be no sea in the new Earth. The sea represents Political Babylon (Rev 13:1), home of the Prostitute of Babylon (Jude 13; Rev 17:1).
The New Jerusalem
And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from the source of God, having been prepared as the bride who has been adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)"Holy" is the Greek a{gio" (hagios), which means set apart to God, holy, sacred. The "Holy City" in scripture refers to Jerusalem (Is 52:1; Rev 11:2; 21:10; 22:19). "Jerusalem" is the Hebrew <l^v*Wry+ (Jerushalam), meaning dwelling of peace (Shalem).
Jerusalem means dwelling of peace.The "New Jerusalem" is prefabricated in Heaven by God. The word, "New," is, again, the Greek kainov" (kainos), which means new in kind. This is a new kind of Jerusalem, unlike the earthly Jerusalem of human history or the Millennial Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is for the New Heaven and New Earth. "New Jerusalem" (Rev 3:12; 21:10) refers to the Heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26; 2 Tim 4:18; Heb 12:22; 13:10-14). It is for the Church. It is analogous to a bride adorned for her husband. The Church is the bride and the Lord Jesus Christ is the husband. The bride is the Church (Royal Family of God) (John 3:29; Rev 19:7) - not Israel (Isa 61:10; Jer 2:32), who rejected the LORD (Isa 50:1; Jer 2:32; 3:8) like the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon.
And I heard a loud voice out from the Throne saying, "Behold, the Tabernacle of God is among mankind, and He shall dwell among them. They themselves shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them." (Revelation 21:3)The loud voice from the Throne was probably a Throne Angel, one of the 24 elders. "The Tabernacle of God" refers to the resurrected body of Christ (Jn 1:14). The Tabernacle of Israel represented the Lord Jesus Christ. The mention of the word, "Tabernacle," is also an important key to understanding the layout of the New Earth. It will be based upon the same Client Nation model as the nation of Israel camped around the Tabernacle (Camp of Israel).1 The twelve tribes of the nation of Israel will surround the New Jerusalem, also called the Heavenly Jerusalem. The Gentile nations will live outside the boundary of Israel.
"He shall dwell among them." God will fulfill His promise to dwell among His people (Lev 26:11f; Ezek 37:27; 48:35; Heb 8:2; Rev 7:15; 21:3). The pattern of the New Heaven and New Earth will be the same as Client Nation Israel with the LORD dwelling in the Tabernacle as the Shekinah Glory. God the Father and God the Son will dwell in the New Jerusalem, which will be in the center of the New Earth.
No Sorrow in Heaven
And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning; neither shall there be any crying, nor any pain; [for] the first things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)The sorrows and tears of this life will not exist in Heaven (Psa 30:5; Isa 25:8; Matt 5:4; 2 Cor 4:17; 15:54-55; Rev 7:17). Death produces sorrow in this life, but in Heaven there will not be death (Isa 25:8; 2 Tim 1:10; 1 Cor 15:26; Rev 20:14).
All Things New
Then the One sitting upon the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new in kind." And He said, "Write, for these Words are faithful and true." (Revelation 21:5)The word, "new," is, again, the Greek kainov" (kainos), which means new in kind. All things in Heaven will be made of new material, unlike the existing heavens and earth. The One sitting on the Throne is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And He said to me, "It has been done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him who thirsts from the spring of the water of Life without cost." (Revelation 21:6)"It has been done." Human history, the Appeal Trial of Satan, has been completed. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." This refers to the eternal existence of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is 41:4; Rev 1:8; 22:13). "Alpha refers to the preexistence of Christ in eternity past with God, and Omega refers to the existence of Christ after human history forever. He is the beginning (Jn 1:1), and the end of creation. He is called "the beginning and the end" (Is. 41:4; 43:10; 44:6; Rev. 1:17).
"I will give to him who thirsts from the spring of the water of Life without cost." The one who thirsts is the one who wants Salvation. The water refers to the Word (Jn 3:5; Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5). And Life refers to Everlasting Life (Psa 36:9; Jer 2:13; 17:13; Jn 4:10-14; 7:37; Rev 7:17; 22:1, 17). "Without cost" is the Greek dwreavn (dorean), which means without charge, free, gratis, as a gift. Salvation is a grace gift (Eph 2:8-9). Money was paid to the Prostitute of Babylon (Deut 23:18; Isa 23:17). "The love of money is a root of all evil" (1 Ti 6:10). Salvation is all from Grace. Grace is the free gift of God. Money is the coin of the realm in the devil's world system. God provides everything in Grace. It is all His free gift. The love of money is the mark of the devil.
Heaven Is for Believers Only
"He who overcomes will inherit these things. Furthermore, I will be his God, and he himself will be My son." (Revelation 21:7)"He who overcomes" is the Greek nikavw (nikao), which means to be victor, prevail, conquer (Jn 16:33; 1 Jn 4:4; 5:4). The believer will inherit the riches of the Eternal State. And he will be the child of God (Jn 1:12; 11:52; Rom 8:16, 21; 9:8; Philp 2:15; 1 Jn 3:1, 2, 10; 5:2).
But the cowardly, the unbelievers, the abominable, the murderers, those practicing prostitution, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the Second Death. (Revelation 21:8)Unbelievers, who fall into many categories, will have no part in the New Earth of the Eternal State. "Cowardly" is the Greek deilov" (deilos), which means cowardly (Mt 8:26; Mk 4:40) and refers to fear, which is a sin. But this is fear of men and not the true fear of God (Matt 10:28; 1 Cor 10:5; Heb 10:38; Hab 2:4). The cowardly fear what men think and not what God thinks. "Unbelievers" are those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ. "The abominable" is the Greek bdeluvssoma (bdelussoma), which refers to those engaged in abhorrent practices of idolatry (Lev 18:30; Pr 8:7; Job 15:16; Rom 2:22). The word has an onomatopoetic sound like vomiting. "Murderers" are criminals, who have no part in Heaven because of unbelief. "Those practicing prostitution" is the Greek povrno" (pornos), for a whoremonger, a male who has sex with prostitutes; or a male prostitute. "Sorcerers" is the Greek favrmako" (pharmakos), meaning sorcerer, one who used drugs for inducing a trance for religion or contacting demon spirits (masc., Ex 7:11; fem., Mal 3:5; Gal 5:20; Rev 9:21; 22:15). This includes users of drugs. Idolaters worship idols (1 Cor 5:10-11; 6:9; 10:7; Eph 5:5). Idolatry today includes the worship of Buddha as well as the virgin Mary. "All liars" are like Satan, who was a liar (Jn 8:44).
Similar categories of unbelievers destined for the Lake of Fire are found in other scriptures (1 Cor 6:9; Gal 5:1921; 1 Jn 3:5-6 (Jas 1:15); Rev 9:21; 21:27; 22:15). All unbelievers will go to Hades when they die. Then they will receive a type of resurrection body that can feel pain, and they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the Second Death (Rev 2:11; 20:6, 14-15; Heb 9:27).
And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I shall show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:9)"The Bride" is the Church. The relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Church is analogous to the Marriage relationship between Right Man and Right Woman. In the Eternal State there will be Spiritual Rapport between all Christians and the Lord Jesus Christ. "The Lamb" is a name for the Lord Jesus Christ as the sin offering.
Revelation 21:10-11aVerse 10 begins a detailed description of the New Jerusalem, or Heavenly Jerusalem. Note that the end of verse 10 is in verse 11a. "In the spiritual realm" is the Greek preposition en (in) plus pneuma (spirit). This refers to spirit travel, or clairvoyance (1 Ki 18:12; 2 Kin 2:16; Ezek 3:12, 14; Matt 14:22-33; 22:43; Mk 6:45-51; John 6:16-25; Acts 8:39; Rev 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). The New Jerusalem is called the Holy City because it is where God will dwell. The New Jerusalem will be prefabricated, as will all the other cities on the New Earth (John 14:2). It will come down from Heaven and settle on the New Earth. It has an architecture with foundations obviously built to rest on the Earth. It won't be in orbit above the Earth. The city will have "the glory of God" because God will dwell in it and His Light will light the Earth.
10 And he carried me away in the spiritual realm to a great, high mountain and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from the presence of God, 11 having the glory of God.
having the glory of God. Its splendor was like a precious stone, as a diamond stone glittering like a crystal. (Revelation 21:11)The splendor of the New Jerusalem will be like a diamond. Diamond is the Greek i[aspi" (iaspis), which is the diamond and should not be transliterated as jasper. This is the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew <{lh^y* (jahalom) (Exodus 28:18), whereas, the Hebrew hp@v=y (jashepeh) is translated jasper (Exodus 29:20). The city will be like a diamond, "glittering like a crystal," which is the Greek krustallivzw (krustangizo), meaning to shine like crystal; be transparent like crystal. Diamond is a crystal as are the other building materials of the New Jerusalem. The Heavenly Jerusalem glittered like a crystalline substance. Remember, the materials of the New Earth are different from the current elements in that they do not conform to E = mc2.
having a great, high wall, having twelve gates, and at the twelve gates twelve angels, and written upon the gates names, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. (Revelation 21:12)The New Jerusalem will have twelve gates named for the twelve Tribes of Israel. The twelve tribes include Joseph and Levi in place of Ephraim and Manasseh. The gates are named for what is outside the gate as the gates of Old Jerusalem. For example, the Dung Gate was the gate to the garbage pit, which was outside, and the sheep gate was the gate to the sheep, which were outside. Having the gates named after the Tribes of Israel simply conforms to the Client Nation model of a city. It does not imply that Israel will live in the New Jerusalem.
The city will have a "great, high wall." A city wall represents security. Although there will be no danger of an invading army in Heaven, the city wall symbolizes the eternal security of the residents of the city. The wall represents distinction between the home of the Church and Israel. And the wall protects the ingress and egress points of the city. It is a traffic control system. Behind this wall the Church (Royal Family of God) can enjoy peace and security forever.
The New Jerusalem is the same as the Heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-23; 13:14; Galatians 4:26), the home of the Church. The Royal Family of God has a higher calling, which is separate and distinct from Israel (Hebrews 13:10). Old Testament saints are promised a city (Hebrews 11:10, 16), which will be in a fatherland (country) (Hebrews 11:14, 16) - i.e. on the New Earth. The cities, which will be prefabricated by God, will not be the same as the Heavenly (New) Jerusalem, however. Old Testament saints will be allowed to visit the Heavenly Jerusalem, but they will not live there. Christ will reign forever (Isa. 9:6-7; Ezek. 37:24-28; Dan. 7:13-14; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15) from the Heavenly Jerusalem. And Church Age Believers will reign with Christ forever (Eph 2:19; Heb 12:22, 28; Rev 22:5) from the Heavenly Jerusalem.
On the East three gates; on the North three gates; on the South three gates; and on the West three gates. (Revelation 21:13)The Heavenly Jerusalem will have three gates on each of its four sides. The names on the gates will correspond to camp of the Tribes of Israel around the Tabernacle. The gates on the North and South sides mean the Heavenly Jerusalem will not be on either of the Earth's poles.
Foundation Stones
The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and upon them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:14)The Heavenly Jerusalem will have twelve foundation stones inscribed with the names of the twelve Apostles (Matt 10:2-4; Mk 3:16-19; Luk 6:14-16; Acts 1:13).
Revelation 21:15-16The angel who spoke with John quickly measured the Heavenly Jerusalem. It was 12,000 stadia, where a Greek stadium is 606.75 English feet. Thus, the huge city was 1378.98 miles on each side. It was also the same height, but this does not imply the city was a cube. The city with a top extending 1378 miles high and skyscrapers 10 miles wide and perhaps a thousand miles high would be awesome. The size of the city superimposed on a map of the USA is shown in the illustration.
15 And the one who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its width. And he measured the city with the measuring rod 12,000 stadia (1378.98 miles). Its length, width, and height are equal.
And he measured its wall, 144 cubits (248 feet), (in height), a human measure, which was used by the angel. (Revelation 21:17)The angel measure the city wall to be 144 cubits in height. The number, 144, stands for suffering (Rev. 7:4; 14:1, 3). But there will be no suffering in Heaven. The apparent dilemma is resolved by recalling that a wall represents security, or safety. A wall prevents suffering. It keeps those within the wall safe and secure. Thus, a wall of 144 cubits symbolizes security from suffering, or eternal security.
A cubit is a measure of the distance from the elbow to
the tip of the middle finger of a human. The Hebrew common cubit
was 17.72 in., and the royal cubit was 20.67 in. The dimensions
of the city of the Royal Family require the royal cubit. Thus, the
height of the city wall is 248 feet.
The material of its wall was diamond, and the city was pure gold like clear crystal. (Revelation 21:18)The city wall was made of diamond, and the city was pure gold like clear crystal. Diamond and gold are among the most precious materials on Earth and would never be used as building materials for even a small city. This indicates the lavish accommodations in Heaven. The gold was like "clear crystal," where "crystal" is the Greek u{alo" (hualos), meaning crystal, i.e. a crystalline substance. Gold is a crystal, but the heavenly gold will be a new type of clear crystal. The building materials of Heaven will last forever.
Revelation 21:19-20The foundation stones represent the 12 Apostles (verse 14). Believers are God's building (Luke 6:48; 1 Cor 3:8-15; Eph 2:21; 4:16). The names of the Apostles can be correlated to the stones from scripture as shown in the Table. The Location in the Table is given based upon the location of the Tribe of Israel camped around the Tabernacle (Camp of Israel).1
The foundations of the wall of the city had been decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was diamond; the second sapphire; the third chalcedony; the fourth emerald 20 The fifth sardonyx; the sixth carnelian; the seventh chrysolite; the eighth beryl; the ninth topaz; the tenth chrysoprasus; the eleventh hyacinth; the twelfth amethyst.
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| Diamond | Sparkling, glassy | Benjamin | Paul, Benjamite (Rom 11:1; Phil 3:5); Last, first (Matt 20:16) |
| Sapphire | Blue | Zebulun | John, Gospel of Heavenly Son of God (Jn 6:41); Patmos (Rv 1:9, island in sea) |
| Chalcedony | Gray, clouded with blue, yellow, or purple | Naphtali | Andrew (nobleman), fisherman (Mt 4:18), fish (Jn 6:8-9), peace (Eph 6:15) |
| Emerald | Bright green | Manasseh | Barthalomew, ym^l+T^ rB^ (Bar Talema) son of furrow (2 Sa 3:3) |
| Sardonyx | Agate | Gad | Thomas, saw scars of Jesus (Jn 20:27) |
| Carnelian | Blood red | Reuben | Peter (Matt 16:18); first (Matt 10:2) |
| Chrysolite | Blue-green | Simeon | Simon the Zealot (from Simeon) |
| Beryl | Leek green | Ephraim | Philip and fig tree (Jn 1:48) |
| Topaz | Bright yellow, golden | Judah | Judas, son of James, lion colored Tribe of Judah |
| Chrysoprasus | Apple green | Issachar | James son of Alphaeus (sprouting,yP!l+j^ (Chalepi)) |
| Hyacinth | Yellow with lilac & purple spots | Dan | James, Jacob (name of patriarch of 12 sons); brother of John (Mt. 4:21) |
| Amethyst | Violet | Asher | Matthew, purple, Gospel of royalty of Christ |
Gates
The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was from a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent crystal. (Revelation 21:21)The gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem were made of pearl, a stone of great value (Matt 13:45-46; 1 Tim 2:9; Rev 17:4; 18:12, 16). And the streets were "pure gold like transparent crystal."
No Temple
I did not see a temple in it; for you see, the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are it's sanctuary. (Revelation 21:22)There will be no temple in the Heavenly Jerusalem because God and the Lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ) will be there. They will take the place of a sanctuary. The reality will replace the symbols in the earthly Temple.
Light of God
And the city has no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine upon it; for you see, the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Revelation 21:23)Light in the New Heaven and New Earth will come from the glory of God and the Lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ). God is Light (1 Jn 1:5, 7; James 1:17). The Golden Lampstand in the Tabernacle symbolized the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 8:12; 9:5; 1 Tim 6:16).
Revelation 21:24-26, NASGod and the Lord Jesus Christ will dwell in the Heavenly Jerusalem, and their Light will illumine the entire New Earth. With such bright Light, there will be no stars or planets in the sky. The gates of the city will remain open. An open gate symbolizes maximum historical impact. Kings of nations on the New Earth will enter the Heavenly Jerusalem. Kings and other people in resurrection bodies have glory because the resurrection body radiates light. Israel and the inhabitants of the Gentile nations will not live in the Heavenly Jerusalem with the Church, the Royal Family of God.
24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. 25 And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; 26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;
Unbelievers Excluded
and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21:27)Unbelievers, including those who practice abomination in idolatry and those who lie, are all excluded from entering the Heavenly Jerusalem. They will be in the Lake of Fire. Thus, there will finally be peace in the Eternal State because no unbelievers will ever be there. Peace is not possible with unbelievers, Satan, or his demons around.
There will be peace in the Heavenly Jerusalem because no unbeliever will ever be there.River of Life
And he pointed out to me the River of the Water of Life, clear as crystal flowing out from the Throne of God and the Lamb 2 in the middle of its main street. (Revelation 22:1)The River of the Water of Life, which is clear as crystal, represents Eternal Life and Eternal Security. It flows from the Throne Room in the Heavenly Jerusalem. The main street is divided with a median in the middle, and the River of Life flows down the middle of the median. Note, the sentence of verse 1 ends in verse 2. The word for "crystal," here is the Greek kruvstallo" (krustallos), which means rock-crystal or crystal. It describes the clarity of the water.
in the middle of its main street. And on each side of the river was the Tree of Life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, according to every month yielding its fruit. And the leaves of the tree were for the health of the nations. (Revelation 22:2)The Tree of Life bears twelve kinds of fruit, one for each month. Winner believers will be allowed to eat from the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7). The The Tree of Life with the leaves for the health of the nations symbolizes the preservation of Eternal Life.
Revelation 22:3-5In the Millennium the curse upon nature was ended but mankind was left with an Old Sin Nature. In the Eternal State there will no longer be Old Sin Natures or curses of any kind. God and the Lord Jesus Christ will live in the Heavenly Jerusalem along with the resurrected Church, the Royal Family of God.
3 No longer shall there be any curse. The Throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it. And His bond-servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His Royal Title shall be upon their foreheads. 5 There shall no longer be night. And they do not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the Sun because the Lord God will shine upon them. And they shall reign forever and ever.
There will be no night in the Eternal State and no need of lamps because the Lord God will shine upon it. The top of the city will be 1478 miles high, and with the right kind of atmosphere, light will surround the New Earth. The Royal Family of God will be exalted and reign with Christ forever and ever.
Song of Solomon in the center of the Bible is the theme of the quest for peace and harmony in love. Solomon was blessed with peace from his enemies as the Spiritual heritage from his father, David, who reached Spiritual Maturity. But after a reign of 40 years of peace, Solomon's kingdom was torn in two by the rebellion of the Northern Kingdom. The Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ will end the same way with the Gog Revolution. Solomon had a great harem, but he never found his Right Woman or had the peace of harmonious rapport with a woman. The Shulamite woman rejected Solomon just as Israel rejected the Lord. The Shulamite woman loved her Shepherd Lover, who was ruddy and symbolized Jesus Christ as the son of David. The Shulamite woman reached harmonious rapport with her Shepherd Lover and expressed it in a symbolic reference to the Millennium: "Then I became in his eyes like one who finds peace" (SOS 8:10b). Life is a quest for the love and peace of Spiritual and harmonious rapport.
God loved the world. His desire was to dwell among His people. But the conflict with sin and evil continued to create a hostile environment for God and His people to live in peace and harmony. The Shekinah Glory dwelt in the Tabernacle. And the Lord Jesus Christ in Hypostatic Union came to Earth, went to the Cross, and paid for the sins of the world to pave the way for a relationship of peace. He is in Heaven now waiting to destroy the enemies of peace so that He can return and rule as the Son of David during the Millennium.
Israel was the bride of Jehovah and was offered the Royal Priesthood. However, Israel rejected the offer and succumbed to the power of the Prostitute of Babylon. Israel rejected the LORD, Jehovah, her symbolic Right Man. She was like a divorced wife. In the wilderness, a whole generation rejected the LORD and died the sin unto death. When the Messiah came to Earth, Israel rejected Him as Savior. The Church has been called out as the new Bride of Christ. The relationship between the Church and Christ is analogous to Marriage.
The Church has also been called out as the Royal Family of God after Israel rejected the offer. But in the intensified stage of the Angelic Conflict during the Age of Grace, the peace of the Christian is constantly under attack by the world, the flesh, and the devil. A unique Spiritual life is available for the Church Age Believer to conquer the enemies of peace and advance to Spiritual Rapport with God and harmonious rapport with mankind. The production of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is peace and prosperity. The winner believer who successfully executes the Spiritual life will receive abundant rewards in time and eternity. He will reign with Christ in the Millennium and in the Eternal State.
After the Church is resurrected, the Tribulation will be a time for the evangelism of Israel and destruction of the enemies of peace, including the Evil King and the Prostitute of Babylon. It will be a period of intense suffering with pestilence, natural disasters, and war. It will be the last phase of Operation Footstool, in which the Lord will destroy the enemies of peace. The peace of the Millennium cannot come until the enemies of peace, including Satan and his demons, are removed from the Earth. Peace cannot coexist with evil. God has a monopoly on peace. Politicians who promise peace are spouting the lies of Satan. At the Second Advent, the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the Evil Kings, who oppose Israel; and in the Baptism of Fire, the unbelievers will be taken off the Earth and sent to Hades. Only believers will survive the Baptism of Fire to populate the Millennial Kingdom.
Even in the perfect environment of the Millennium with the Lord Jesus Christ ruling the world, the peace will eventually fail. The curse of Old Sin Natures in mankind will become a magnet for Satan's rebellion. And the thousand years of peace and prosperity will end with the Gog Revolution. Peace cannot coexist with Satan and Old Sin Natures.
After Millennial believers are resurrected and Satan, his demons, and unbelievers are Judged in the Lake of Fire, the elusive peace will finally come to the New Heaven and New Earth of the Eternal State. There will be peace with God and mankind forever in the Eternal State. God will fulfill His desire to dwell among His people when He moves into His new Home in the Heavenly Jerusalem where He will live with the Royal Family. His Light will shine all over the New Earth. There will be no night, since night represents Satan's darkness. The peace of God will finally garrison the hearts of mankind in Spiritual Rapport. The Love relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church, will be like the Marriage of Right Man and Right Woman in the Garden of Eden. The capacity of the Resurrection body to enjoy Love will far surpass that of creatures of flesh.
The Eternal State will be a home of exquisite beauty and luxury. Members of the Royal Family will receive the best accommodations and highest honor. Winner believers of the Church Age will have even greater rewards and honors. The Heavenly Jerusalem is for the Church, the Bride of Christ. It is not for Israel, though Israel will also be richly blessed on the New Earth, as will all who make it there. Peace will be possible in the Eternal State because unbelievers and all enemies of peace will never be there. The fulness of peace will only be achieved in the Eternal State. Until then, every day is another step toward that final destination.
Released February 8, 2005 - Revised September 23, 2013
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