The People On The New Earth.
1,2. Visions (heaven and earth, &c.)
3-8. Voices.
21:9-22:5. Visions (the bride).
(Here we start the beginning of eternal [or 3rd] earth age.)
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
(= regeneration. A new earth age, not a new earth. See Isa. 51:16; 65:17; 66:22. 2 Pet. 3:7,13. Matt. 9:17.)
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no more sea.
(Here literal sea. A proof that this belongs to the post-millennial period. See Ps. 72:8. Zech. 9:10. At the close of chapter 20, the fire of hell that consume Satan and all his followers, will not exist. They will never again return in any form, and in their place will be a rejuvenated earth. Will this place be on some far off planet? No, but right here on earth. It will be perfect.
We see in II Peter 3:10,11 that the existence of this present earth age will be changed with the all physical elements (evil rudiments) done away with, at the "day of our Lord". Then in II Peter 3:12, at the end of the Millennium age, the evil souls are turned to ashes. This is called the "day of God".
II Peter 3:13 "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
This new heaven and new earth is a promise given by God to the earliest prophets, and we have seen throughout the Holy Scriptures that God does keep all his promises.
II Peter 3:14 "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.")
2 And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,
(See 3:12. The city "above" [Gal. 4:26]; "which has the foundations" [Heb. 11:10]; "the heavenly Jerusalem" [Heb. 12:22])
coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them;
(God comes down here to earth. Cp. Ex. 29:46, &c., for God's promise to dwell among His People in the Land. For the promise to dwell among His People, restored Israel, in the millennial Land, see Zech. 2:10,11; 8:3, &c. Here we have the final and glorious fulfillment of the promise in Isa. 7:14 and Matt. 1:23 - IMMANUEL, God with us.)
and they shall be His people,
(God comes down here to earth. Cp. Ex. 29:46, &c., for God's promise to dwell among His People in the Land. For the promise to dwell among His People, restored Israel, in the millennial Land, see Zech. 2:10,11; 8:3, &c. Here we have the final and glorious fulfillment of the promise in Isa. 7:14 and Matt. 1:23 - IMMANUEL, God with us.)
and God Himself shall be with them and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away."
(i.e. lake of fire, villains &c,. See Isa. 25:7,8; 35:10. Jer. 31:16. The new soul body that each of us will be in, is an incorruptible body, which will never grow old. There is no pain or sorrow felt in that body, for all sin and guilt are blotted out by the blood of Christ. Some may say, "What about our loved ones which lay burning in hell fire?" Friend, those souls were burned to ashes, and all thought of them will be blotted even from your memory. It will be as if that loved one had never existed.
All "former things" [Strong's #4413, #4453] in the Greek dictionary says; "protos", best previous, formerly, of root #4453; "poleo", to be busy, to trade, to peddle, to be sold."
We will not be making and selling to earn a living, but tending to the rewards of a joyous life God has for us. The problems we face in this life will not be there. Work and backbiting won't exist. The problems of poor health and the handicap will be gone, and our nourishment will flow from the eternal fountain of God.)
5 And He that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said unto me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
(The words are about Our Lord Jesus Christ, His son. This we know for in Revelation 19:11, Jesus Christ is named "true and faithful".)
6 And He said unto me, "It is done! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the Water of Life freely.
(= CHRIST. For another use of the word "freely", see John 15:25. God's plan will be over and completed with all of those children of God that were in disobedience, gone forever. We see God's name, "I am", and the reference to His eternal existence in "Alpha" and "Omega" (Greek), "the beginning and the end". God promises life to all who accept Christ, for that life is given to us only through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, by God our Heavenly Father.
We see this in these three verses, as well as many more: [I John 5:12, Romans 6:10, II Corinthians 13:4) It's well worth your study time to look them up, and claim them for God's promise to you. This is why He deserves our praise. That fountain of living water does flow freely to all who ask. Eternal life has been paid for by Jesus' blood on the cross. Though it is free to you, it cost the highest price in the universe. God's own Son's blood and suffering. As you grow complacent in your salvation, there is not one thing you can do to earn any part of God's gift. Even if your works in the Millennium age allow you to pass over judgment and receive an immortal soul, it is still by Jesus Christ's blood that your immortality has been given to you.)
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
(NO GENDER INTENDED)
8 But the fearful,
(See Matt. 8:26 & Mark 4:40.)
and unbelieving,
(See Matt. 17:17.)
and the abominable,
(See Rom.2:22)
and murderers,and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
(see 22:15. Those who have commerce with evil spirits, as modern "Spiritualists".)
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
(See Ps.37. removed and done away with, turned to ashes from within, turned into nothingness forever, they won't exist any more.)
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels, who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues,
(See 15:1.)
and talked with me, saying, "Come hither; I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife."
(See Matt. 10:35. Luke 12:53. John 3:29. Rev. 18:23; 22:17. The "wife" and the "bride" here must not be confused with the "wife" of 19:7. The wife of 19:7 is Israel, called out from all the nations for blessing in the Land, the earthy consort of "the great King" [cp. Ps. 45. Jer. 3:14]. The "bride, the Lamb's wife" here is still of Israel, but that Israel of the "heavenly calling" [Heb.3:1]; all those connected with the "heavenly" country and "the city which has the foundations", for which "they looked" [Heb. 11:13-16])
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
(= nation, see 17:9.)
and showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God. And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
(This New Jerusalem, the place where John is taken in the spirit, is receiving its light by the heavenly fathers own glory shining forth. This "light" giving forth, as recorded in the Greek text is called "phoster". Used in the term of a "light bearer or giver". It is also used in Genesis 1:14,16.
The light which will light the new Jerusalem will be a clear, pure light and its light will be eternal as God's new city prepared for His saints.)
12 It had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates,
(Cp. Ezek. 48:31-34. Both John and Ezekiel wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, and their specific descriptions refer to different cities.)
and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
(Don't count Judas out. He did repent and was forgiven. We see the new Jerusalem will have each gate marked with the names of the twelve tribes of Jacob (Israel). These twelve tribes, we are told, were the "foundation" of the saints of God. Though many today think "it is the Jew who is the chosen of God", and they think the other ten tribes are somehow lost in a desert to both God and themselves. My Bible tells me they definitely are not.
The minor prophet Hosea in his first 13 chapters issues a warning to Israel that God would divorce one of His wives, the "House of Israel", for their idolatry. Yet He would not divorce the "House of Judah". Then we see in the 14th chapter how Israel repents and God takes Israel back.
How is this possible? Following the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, Isaiah 54 records how not only Israel, but all Gentile peoples have access through Christ's death and resurrection.
In Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel is to prophecy to these "dry dead bones of the House of Israel". As he does, flesh comes upon them, and life comes back into them. Who are they? "The whole House of Israel." [See Ezekiel 37:11.] That nation is the one which Hosea the prophet said God had divorced, and brought back to himself following Christ's death.
In Ezekiel 37:16-19, God told Ezekiel to take two sticks and write on one "Israel" and on the other "Judah". God then tells Ezekiel to put the two sticks together in one hand. This was to represent how God would deal with Israel and Judah (Jews) - - all twelve tribes - - as one.
As we relate to these two separate nations; the ten-tribed "House of Israel" and the two tribes of the "House of Judah" (Jews), we see all the tribes have become the "foundations" of the gates of entry into God's new and holy city, "Holy Jerusalem".
We see also the names of the twelve apostles written upon these foundations. These were the twelve men Jesus personally taught and commissioned to carry the message of the gospel with God's authority. It is upon them, and Paul that Jesus built his church.)
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof and the walls thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as great as the breadth; and he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs;
(= 1500 miles.)
the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
(The "holy city" is presented to us in a perfect cube of 12,000 furlongs. In Salomon's Temple "the Holy of Hollies" was a perfect cube of twenty cubits. 20 in Biblical numerics = redemption.)
17 And he measured the wall thereof: a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
(John is given the dimensions of the four square city of God, the "New Jerusalem". The dimensions are given in units of a reed, furlongs, and cubits. To bring this to units of measurement we can understand, a "reed" is about 3-1/2 of our yards. A "furlong" is approximately 220 yards, and a "cubit" is the length of an arm, about 21-25 inches in length.
When we compare God's "Holy City" to the "holy of holies", we see they were both cubes and proportionate. The "Holy City" a cube of 12,000 furlongs to a side. The "holy of holies" being 20 cubits to a side.)
18 And the wall was built of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
(The stone "of jasper" is held as the most precious. In Exodus 28:20 we see that it was the stone in the high priest's breastplate as a symbol of purity, like "a crystal". The jasper stone is the most precious of all the gem stones which are used in Revelation 21:19-21, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The jasper in the wall shows the importance our Lord held for His disciples, who were at His side when He walked, taught, died and arose while upon the earth, in the flesh.)
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper,
(cp. this and the other stones here with those in Aaron's breastplate-Ex.28:17-21.)
the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20 The fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
(What a city, streets of pure gold! In describing the streets, John could not relate the actual material element, and related it to be similar to pure gold. I feel there will be many surprises of pure splendor in this city which John, or any person in the flesh body could not explain or relate to.)
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each separate gate was of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were, transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
(God was there. This shows clearly that the wonders and glories revealed here belong to post-millennial times and ages. Therefore, the city of the great King during the thousand years, with "the sanctuary" of Ezek. 45:2, et al., and it's palace temple, will have "passed away". There cannot be two Jerusalem's on the earth at one and the same time. The new Jerusalem comes down on the new [renewed] earth, thus taking the place of the former city.)
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God gave it light, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
(Isaiah 60:19 "The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee and everlasting light, and thy God thy glory."
Isaiah 60:20 "Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.")
24 And the nations
(= ethnic peoples)
of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it,
(i.e. Jerusalem.)
and the kings of the earth
(= the foreign leaders and rulers, non-Israelite. See Isa. 60:1-3)
bring their glory and honor into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there,
(see Isa. 60:19-22)
26 And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
(All peoples of every ethnic background which were saved in this earth age, or the Millennium shall be in that great city of God. They will all know why they are there, and give our Lord Jesus Christ the praise. All those who do not, simply will not exist; not even the memory of them.
All who are there as citizens of that city, and God's kingdom, are children of the Heavenly Father and joint heirs with Christ Jesus (the Lamb). You will go in and out of that city freely, just as you would now in your own home.
There will be no night or darkness in the New Jerusalem. Will there be a need for rest and recuperation in the eternal life? No. For our bodies will be eternal and incorruptible. These bodies we will have will not see pain or need rest. These bodies are immortal.
The kings and their nations spoken of in verse 24 are the"sheep" nations of His right hand during the Millennium reign recorded in Matthew 25:31-46. Each of these kings and nations will contribute to the glory and honor of God's beautiful "New Jerusalem".)
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but only they that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
(Why do we know that no sin or defiling thing will be allowed in the eternal city? Because all who followed Satan, and bowed to idolatry have been destroyed prior to the "New Holy City of God" coming down out of heaven. The only persons entering eternity are those whose names are recorded in the "Lamb's Book of Life", who have their sins covered and blotted out by Jesus Christ's shed blood. [See Revelation 20:15.]
Is it worth taking chances in this life, and not paying attention to the warnings given us by Our Lord Jesus Christ?
After reading Revelation 21, John 3:16-17 it makes much more sense.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:17 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
That offer of eternal life is ours for the asking. Our Lord is a God of love, for he knew our weakness and our sins; and our way to Him is by confessing our sins, and asking him for forgiveness in Jesus Name. Jesus name is our only credentials before the throne of God. Is it hard to be saved? No harder than seeking help from a friend. The love and rewards cannot be compared to anything in this life.)