Revelation 21
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:9-27 NIV
The New Jerusalem (a.k.a. Heaven), will be incomprehensibly beautiful. After the events of the End Times, the current heavens and the Earth as we know it will be done away with and replaced by the new heavens and New Earth. The New Earth will be our eternal dwelling place. The new heavens likely refers to everything in the universe outside of the Earth. The New Earth is where the New Jerusalem (the holy city of God) will be located. This will be a physical place where all believers will dwell with glorified physical bodies. The Heaven that believers will experience will be a new and perfect place in which to dwell. It will be free from sin, evil, sickness, suffering, and death. Let’s see what this amazing city looks like in more detail:
1. The city is immense. “The city was laid out like a square” (verse 16). The size of the New Jerusalem is enormous, each side of the square measuring approximately 1,380 miles. This is the same as the distance from Boston, MA to Florida or from San Diego, CA to Seattle, WA. The city will encompass 1.2 billion acres. The walls of the city are approximately 216 feet thick. A city this large certainly has room for anyone who chooses to accept Jesus as his/her Lord and Savior.
2. The city is beautiful. “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone” (verses 18-19). This is John’s way of describing an incomparable, priceless city that God created for His beloved people. In mentioning that the city was as transparent as glass, it indicates that the city is designed in such a way that it will transmit the glory of God’s light without any hindrance. With God as the architect, this city will be amazing beyond our comprehension!
3. The city has no temple. “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (verse 22). The temple is not removed, but expanded. Everything and every place is holy, and is the dwelling place of God. The inhabitants of Heaven will not need a place of worship or sacrifice. The object of all worship will be present everywhere, giving light to the entire city. Heaven will be a place of pure worship, without any distractions. Our focus will be exclusively and completely on the Lord God Almighty. None of our joy, beauty, or knowledge will be based on created things, but only on the Creator. By faith, we can have it that way now. We can decide to trust in God so completely that our joy, what we consider beauty, and our foundation of knowledge are all based solely on Jesus.
4. The city is full of light, and is always lit up. “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (verse 23). Light signifies God’s holiness and His presence. Light brings joy. Light reveals the beauty of the world around us. Light brings knowledge of God and our surroundings. In Heaven there will be no more darkness. Ever. Remember that Jesus said, “…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
5. The city is free of sin and evil. “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful” (verse 27). How amazing is it that we have a glimpse of what our eternal home will look like? Thank You, Lord, for the beautiful Earth that we currently live on, and for the fact that the New Earth will be even more glorious. We are so grateful that anyone who puts their trust in Jesus will be welcome, and that You will be there forever to dwell with us.