(Rev21) A New Heavenand a New Earth and the Lamb's Wife
Author: YaoLianghong
Theprevious chapter describes the end of Satan, the evil angels and the wicked 1000(the millennium) years later: Satan, theevil angels and the wicked will be thrown into a burning lake of brimstone and willbe destroyed forever.While the earth is turned into a sea offire, the righteous remain unharmed in the holy city, which floats like an arkon a raging sea of fire. When God sends down a fire to burn Satan, evil angels,and wicked men, he purifies the sinful earth, and then refines it to make a newheaven and a new earth. As the apostle Peter said of it: By the same word the present heavens and the earth are reserved for fire,being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men…. In that day the heavens will be destroyedby fire, and the elements will be melted by fire. But in keeping with hispromise we are looking forward to a newheaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.(2 Peter 3:7, 12-13).
The new heavens and the new earth comealong with the purification of the earth, replacing the previous heaven ,earthand sea (the old Earth), and the new inhabitants will become closer to God. Inthis renewed earth, there is no turbulent torrent, nor is there an ocean thatswallows man, nor is there tumultuous wave. Vitality, happiness, peace andharmony live in it forever!
[Rev21:1] And I saw a newheaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had passedaway, and there was no more sea.
After the millennium, when the firethat consumes the wicked has purified the earth, all traces of cursing will beremoved. God will make the earth anew. To "remake" means to rebuild(redecorate) an existing earth, not to create it from scratch. The "newheaven and new earth" represents that everything old will be removed and anew face will be presented to the saints, who will be led by God to live in anew world (a renovated house). God has already proclaimed: "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth,The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.But be glad and rejoice forever in what I willcreate. "(Isa. 65:17-18).The remade earth is like taking off the old clothes and puttingon a new one and taking on a new look.
Why is it called "new heaven, newearth"? Because it is neither the heaven where the saints reigned withChrist for a thousand years, nor is it the Old World,the crime-ridden, scarredearth, but a new, renovated earth. And the tabernacle of God (the throne, thecapital) will be moved here, so that it will be a new heaven and a new earth –heaven and earth will be connected, God and man are one!
"There is no more sea. " The “sea”is a symbol of lack of rest, unstable and dangerous. (Isa57:20 but the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, and whosewaters cast up mire and dirt).There will be no more tossing waves or Satan'stroublemakers in the new heavens and the new earth, but the saints will live inpeace and safety forever. The earth was once full of evil curses, and theshadow of death was in great waves, but now (the new heaven and the new earth)there is no more sea of crime, the sea is calm. This does not mean that therewill be no seas in the new heavens and the new earth (Zec 9:10), but that theheavens, the earth, and the sea will not be what they used to be.There wereoften tsunamis and shipwrecks in the past, but they will not happen again.
When the new heaven and the new earth(the renovated house) are ready, the wedding ceremony will be held.
【 Rev. 21:2 】 and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out ofheaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
"From God" means that thesaints have spent the millennium in heaven, having completed their task ofjudging the wicked, and are now descending along with Jesus on the Mount ofOlives.After the sulfur lake cleansesthe earth, they will begin a new stage of life — a new heaven and a new earth.
"Ready," implying that thepreparations for the new Jerusalem (made up of new inhabitants) began in theold world and, after a long period of preparation, are now complete.This is thesame as the bride to complete thewedding dress making and other wedding banquet needs. Now all things are readyfor the bridegroom to marry her into the bridal chamber of the new heaven andthe new earth,the bridal Chambers of the saints and Christ. From the selectionof the bride to the preparation of the dress, the preparation of the weddingroom, cleaning the wedding room sanitation ( removing out sins, cleaning theearth), doing the wedding banquet, to marrying into the bridal chamber (the newheaven and the new earth), the bride and groom experienced as long as seventhousand years of hard preparation, Among them,the sour, sweet, bitter, hot,joy, sorrow, is really a mixture of fivetastes.It is hard to describe it if one does not experience it!
“As a bride beautifully dressed”,meansto tidy up, dress up. Everything is ready for the bride’s wedding. The bride isabout to follow bridegroom to enter bridal chamber (the new heaven and the newearth).
【 Rev. 21:3 】 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, thetabernacle of God is among men. He will live among men, and they will be hispeople; God himself will be with them and be their God."
"Ihear a loud voice coming from the throne," which sounded like the voice ofa wedding host, calling all the creatures of the universe to watch the brideand groom enter the bridal chamber. This voice from the throne is the voice ofChrist, for he alone is worthy of the voice of invitation (e.g. Rev. 16:17 and when the seventh angel poured outhis bowl into the air, a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne,saying, "It is done").In the Bible, when a greatthing is done, Christ announces that it is "done" (John 19:30). Nowthe final stage of God's plan of redemption is under way, so Jesus gives afinal cry of victory. "All the creatures of the universe, please come andsee," he said. "The tabernacle(the capital) of God is to be set onthe earth, which will be a new heaven and a new earth.As a beautiful bride, the redeemed people finally enter their bridalchamber (new heaven and new earth). Later earth will be the center of the universeand the capital of God's throne. After that, the orbits of the stars and ballsin the universe have to change and they have to go around the Earth."
The new heaven and the new earth willthen be the eternal home of the redeemed people. As it is promised in the Bible,"The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever"(Ps. 37:29).
【 Rev. 21:4 】 God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there will beno more death. There will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for theprevious things have passed away.
The tears, the sorrow, the crying, thepain, these miseries of life are gone. These situations are caused by sins. Thenew heavens and the new earth will be inhabited by the saints, and there willbe no more traces of sin and pain of sin in the future.
"The previous things", that is,now on the earth the situation of theintrigues, birth, ageing, sickness, death, joy and sorrow, separation andunion, will be the past, no longer happen. In the new heavens and in the newearth, the phenomena of human suffering and misery brought about by thedepravity of crime will be completely eliminated (Rev. 22:3)."God shall wipe away all tearsfrom their eyes," that is, when the new Holy City of Jerusalem shall fallfrom heaven, and the evil men of the resurrection, led and enchanted by Satan,shall come against the holy city, God shall send down a lake of brimstone andfire to burn them (Rev. 20:7-10).The righteous people of the holy city willshed one last tear of grief when they see their familiar friends and neighborsoutside the city, tormented and destroyed until they are reduced to ashes in afiery lake. After that, there will be no more tears. Because we are in the newheaven and the new earth, there will no longer be birth, and death, nor willthere be such separation and death. The saints will live forever and ever ingood health and youth. So it is called, "There will be no more sorrow, nomore crying, no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
[Rev. 21:5] He who wasseated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new!And hesaid, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
"He who sits on the throne"is Jesus Christ.
"Behold," is Christ'scontinued reminder of the great events to be revealed.
"I have made all things new."All the things of the new heaven and the new earth, all the needs of the lifeof the saints, are God's new creations or works(remodeling).God will rearrangethe mountains and rivers, and make new plants and animals. Oceans and rivers nolonger roar, animals no longer get sick and attack people; The trees andflowers will be more beautiful… Four seasons are evergreen, no cold winter,no hot summer heat… As:
Ancestors and Prophets: Chapter 3 Temptation and fall, paragraph38
After the human wasdriven out of paradise, Eden was left in the ground for a long period (Gen4:16)…. , God, who planted the gardenof Eden, took it away from the earth, when the flood of evil filled the wholeearth, and the world’s evil determined their destruction by the flood. But in theday of renewal,when the new heavens and the new earth, appear, Eden will be restoredand decorated more beautifully than at first."
This is the day of the resurrection – thatis 1000 years later (after the millennium), when Jesus comes to the earth forthe third time,Jesus will give a new face to the ruined earth, a new heaven andnew earth. We will be there with Jesus to witness the whole process of his reconstruction(redecoration)of the earth,and to experience firsthand what the Bible says: the miraculous picture of “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (Ps. 33:9).
"Write this down,, for these wordsare trustworthy and true." "Write this down," which is Chris’s command to John to write something so important — God'screation of the earth (a new heaven and a new earth) — and to give the modernearthmen real hope, and their hope is not vanity (Jos 21:45); To make themgenuinely believe that this is an actual event to be achieved, not a castle inthe air (or a millennium of peace on earth) as the pseudo-Christian view willsuggest. For all the words of the Bible are spoken by God through his servantsthe prophets, and none of them will fail (2 Kings 10:10). For nothing iswithout power from the word of God (Lk 1:37), but all will be fulfilled, andblessed are those who believe and receive it (Rev. 22:6-7). God constantlyencourages his saints to believe in this wonderful promise, giving us strongfaith!
Since these are all true and believableprophecies, who on earth will be blessed with an enviable life?
【 Rev. 21:6-7 】 He said to me: "It is done!I am Alpha and and the Omega,the Beginning and the End. I will give to him who is thirsty the spring of thewater of life freely. He who overcomes will inherit all this. I will be hisGod, and he will be my son."
"Againhe said to me," and this "he" is clearly the Christ who spokenbefore (v. 5).
"All is done," in the text ofthe scroll means, "I have become the Alpha and the Omega," whichmeans "the beginning and the end" (Rev 22:13). This means that Christis God,the beginning and the end. God will carry out to the end what God prescribedin the beginning. The creation of the Earth, the redemption of the Earth, therebuilding of the Earth (renewing the Earth) are the perfect rescue plans of Godand the Son of God,which moves forward step by step. Now the process will becompleted, the construction of the new heaven and the new earth will finally bea complete success. The winner will enjoy all the promises of the Bible. WhatGod promised through his propfets and what his righteous people hoped for havecome true. That John saw in advance the assurance of the final fulfillment ofthe promise, which give assurance to our hopes!
How do you get all the blessings theBible promises?
"Iwill give to him who is thirsty the spring of the water of life freely.""To give freely," that is, "to give for free," withoutpaying for it, there is no cost,but one just needs to be willing to accept it.Doesn’ta man need to do something earth-shattering of his own to please God and qualifyas a new inhabitant of the new heaven and the new earth. But people accept theliving water that God has given us — the modern truth humbly and honestly.This precludes the absurdity of any smart-aleck saying that everyone in thelast ages (144,000) has to interpret the Bible for himself. As the prophetIsaiah said, the gift of eternal life is "nomoney, no value" (Isa 55:1).It is the words of the prophets thatshow that free acceptance is the hard word, overthrowing the lies of the peoplewho call themselves the righteous.It does really reflect the value andsignificance of the prophetic truths developed in the living waters of lifetoday. This means that a particular modern truth must be given to the truepeople of the last age, as a standard of their living and ascending to heaven,and as a tool to test if everyone can be educated humbly . Those who are humbleand honest will receive it with all their heart, resonate, and receive thefinal promise!
The fountain of life is also the"river of water of life" that flows out of the throne of God and ofthe Lamb. "On this side and on that side are the trees of life… Bearingfruit every month "(Rev. 22:1-2). “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”And let him who hears say, “Come!”Whoever is thirsty,let him come; and whoeverwishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22:17).
"He who is thirsty" meansthat all who feel the need, all true believers and repentant people will longto drink deep of God's spiritual fountain and receive the heavenly Manna withjoy. —All the Prophets. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they willbe filled (Mt. 5:6).
"He who overcomes will inheritit." The original text is interpreted that anyone who keeps winning caninherit the land.The "winner" is the one who drinks the above springsof life. Only those who hold firmly to the truth and sacrifice their liveswithout pity in spite of all persecutions and oppressions through the ages canwin and gain the right to inherit the new heaven and the new earth."These" means the blessings of a new heaven and a new earth, and the blessingsof the Biblical promise are always given to those who prevail!
"I will be his God, and he will bemy son," here reflects a closer spiritual family relationship than everbefore. Sinners who have been saved will be received into God's home (the newheaven and the new earth) and will have a close relationship with God as ifthey have never sinned. Even the creatures of the unfallen worlds can not be asclose to God and Christ as the redeemer was to God and Christ. For where sinabounds, grace abounds even more (ROM. 5:20). We earthlings are redeemed by Godthrough great hardship and at great cost, even his one and only son. God lovesus even more than all creatures who have not sinned. This can be seen in theway he has set his tabernacle among earthlings! As:
The Desire of Ages Chapter 1, "God is with us,"paragraph 23
Salvation work will befinished. God's grace is much moreabundant where sin used to abound. The world itself is what Satan calls his ownland, which is not only to be redeemed, but to be glorified. Our little world,under the curse of sin, was once the only blot on God’s glorious creation, whichwill be honored above all other worlds in God’s universe. Here, the son of Goddwell there was covered with human nature. Here, the glorified King lived, andsuffered and died. Here, when he updates all things, the tabernacle of God willbe in the world. "He will dwell with people, they will be his people,Godhimself shall be with them, and be their God "(Rev. 21:3). In the endlessages, when the redeemed peopple walk in God's glory, they will praise Immanuelfor his ineffable" gift ", "God is with us".The throne of God as the ruling centerof the universe will be set in the holy City of New Jerusalem, the capital ofthe new heaven and the new earth, and God himself will dwell with us and makeus his eternal children (people). What a great honor it is to our redeemedhumanity, even to this little earth!
Who can not enjoy this great blessing?
[Rev 21:8]But only the cowardly,the unbelieving,the vile, the murderers,the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and allliars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is thesecond death.
"Only," here is a sharpcontrast. If you can not enjoy the blessings of the previous winners, (the newheaven and the new earth,) you will suffer the fate of "the cowardly, theunbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the adulterers, the sorcerers, theidolaters and all liars, to perish forever in the lake of burning sulfur."
"Cowardly"means "timid." This is aperson who is afraid of being laughed at or persecuted by others and does notconfess his or her beliefs. Because of timidity and moral cowardice, many failin the Christian war and give up their faith in the time of trial. Especiallyin the time of the last beast image, those who have no support from the truthwill show their cowardice in the time of great persecution, and will eventuallybetray the truth and become worshippers of the beast image. Therefore Jesussaid,
[Mt24:13]"Only he who endures to the endwill be saved."
Then there are those who believe inJesus, but do not believe in modern truths. They say they believe in Jesus, butthey refuse to believe in the gift of prophecy and the light of the age. Suchas: The ones who refused to MartinLuther and other religious reformer "justification by faith" truth inmedieval times, the ones who refused the information (the Sabbath and sanctuarysystem, etc.)on the investigation and trial of Ellen G.White during the Adventperiod, now the ones who refused the information on living judgment and theTruth of All the Prophets preached by Yao sister, these so-called christiansbelong to the "unbelievers". These are the second kinds. They are peopleof the wrong faith. They are the ones who believe in Jesus and can not besaved.They are the kind of people whom Jesus talked about: “On that day many people will say to me, 'Lord, Lord,have we not preached in your name, and driven out demons in your name, andperformed many miracles in your name?ThenI will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Depart from me, youevildoers!" (Mt. 7:22-23). Such nominal Christians as Jesus rejected are those “who eatbread and are satisfied.” They are also "unbelieving"!
There are two ways in which Satan candestroy people. The first is unbelief. For the unbelievers are condemned (Jn3:18). Second, lead people to believe something wrong. Even if you believe inJesus, you will perish because of false faith. (the faith delusion). Falsebelief is also a result of disbelief. To disbelieve the modern truth of Jesus’testimony is actually to disbelieve Jesus. It's the same as rejecting Jesuscompletely, or worse!
"Detestable" means"dirty" or "disgusting" or “Give off a bad smell,”which isoften used to describe the filthy ,or unclean animals. It is a parable of thosewho worship others besides the only true God,whose wholebody is the filthiness
of the spiritual.
"Murderers" include those whopersecute and kill God's faithful children through the ages. It also refers topeople who hate people in their hearts (Mt. 5:21-22). Of course, they alsoinclude those who really harm people's lives with their actions!
"Fornication " refers to aperson who engages in sexual relations in the mind or in practice. They alsoprefigure these people who commit spiritual adultery in their faith – cloakingthemselves in the guise of Christianity, preaching the word mixed false andtrue. That is why God called the apostate Christianity the "Great Whore ofBabylon."
"Sorcerer" are those who believe inthe immortality of the soul or in association with evil spirits (ghosts anddemons). This is the modern manifestation of the ancient sorcery (the falsespirit movement), known as necromancy. For example: Catholic mass, Christianfalse healers drive out the ghosts, hypnotism, psychics, dialect, spiritualtheology, electromagnetism, yoga, fortune-telling, new Age movement and so on,all belong to sorcery. Every power that is not of the truth is sorcery.They areall impersonations of Satan.
“Idolater” refers to a person who worships a tangible or intangibleidol. Those who pursue money, fame and pleasure are idolaters. This is mainlyreflected in unbelievers and pseudo-Christians. Of course those who profess tobelieve in Christ and take the authority of religious leaders are alsoidolaters, worshippers of priests and elders; Worship stars, worship greatpeople are idolaters."All liars" refer to thosewho tell all kinds of lies for all different motives. And of course those whopreach falsehoods.
The "second death" refers tothe fact that the wicked of these types die twice (indeed, everyone whose nameis not written in the book of life is included in these types). Death twicemeans eternal death. Birth, aging, illness, death, etc., are the first deaths(including those destroyed by the seven great disasters). All who rise afterthe millennium are wicked; they will undergo the burning of a fiery lake ofsulfur, the second death. The second death means everlasting death. Therefore,the Bible says blessed are those who are partakers of the first resurrectionand receive eternal life. But the second resurrection faces the second death –the everlasting destruction of the fiery lake of sulfur (Rev 20:4-6; 14-15).
"Their lot shall be in the lake offire burning with brimstone." "Their lot" shall be theirjudgment and their recompense. From the retribution of the wicked they aredenied the new heaven and the new earth.
Then John further shows us the gloriousbeauty of the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the capital of the new heaven and thenew earth – the lamb's wife. At the heart of the Bible is the picture of thelamb taking his wife, the bride and bridegroom, the wedding of which the wholeuniverse is waiting for day and night. Therefore, the identity of the bride isthe key. Who will be the lamb's wife, the bride be chosen over thousands ofyears? How beautiful is she that the bridegroom (Christ) is so infatuated thathe has to marry her?
[Rev21:9] And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowlsfull of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come here, I will show youthe bride, the lamb's wife.”
An angel led John enthusiastically andshowed him the lamb's wife. This angel appeared in the same attitude as theangel who had shown him the punishment of the adulteress (Rev. 17:1). Perhapsit was the same angel. The work of God's servants, then, is not chosen by himself.God may send him to inflict punishment, or to bring good news, or both.Anyhow,where does God send them,do they obey; Say what God wants them to say and do what God wants themto do. God's purpose is one, and judgment and grace go hand in hand. The appearanceof the lamb bride was God's plan, and at the same time it was essential thatthe judgment of the great whore of Babylon should come to an end. For Babylonwas historically the enemy of Jerusalem. They represent two sides in thestruggle between good and evil. One is represented by a fallen woman (Rev.17:5), and the other by a chaste woman (Rev. 19:7; 21:2). Their fate must cometo a conclusion.
Therefore the seven bowls are judgednot only against the old, but also to bring in the new; Until the great city ofBabylon is removed, the holy city, new Jerusalem, will not appear. To choose anew Jerusalem will be to abandon Babylon. The judgment and punishment of sin isa prelude to the establishment of a new holy city. Only the removal of allfilth can reveal complete holiness. So the angel with the seven bowls after thefall of the seven plagues, after the destruction of the great whore of Babylon,shall go on to the next work — to proclaim the great joy — the lamb to take awife.
"Look at the lamb's wife"means that the time has come, that the old world (the adulteress) hascompletely passed, that the virtuous bride is in place, that marriage is nearat hand, and that instead of the future celebration long anticipated, the brideis now married. You can really see how exciting it is!
【 Rev. 21:10 】 And he carried me away in the Spirit to amountain great and high,and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down outof heaven from God.
So that he might see the lamb's wife,John was taken by the angel to a high mountain,which tells us that the New Jerusalem — The lamb's wife stood ona high mountain. It is only at the height, at the height of faith, that thecity in heaven can be seen. This means that the last Saint that John'spredicted must stand on the highest point of truth in order to see the trueface of the Lamb's wife and prepare herself for the future wife of the Lamb.Which mountain is this big one?
[Eze 40:2]In visions of God he brought me into the land ofIsrael, and set me on a very high mountain. On the south side of the mountainwas built what looked like a city.
The prophet Ezekiel has already shownus the highest mountain. "The mountain" is the church, the church ofthe perfect truth, which the prophet Isaiah said, "Inthe last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as thechief among the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills.And all nations will flow unto the highmountains (Isa 2:2). This highest mountain beyond the mountainsis undoubtedly the "Last Revival" of the perfect truth, acceptable toGod.
That is to say, it is only by reachingthis mountain, the Last Revival, that one will be able to witness the taking ofthe wife of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem,(the new heaven and the new earth). In fact, the Revelation and Isaiah,Ezekiel, even the whole bible is a coherent picture of the highest mountain withthe new Jerusalem. They all mean the same thing: there must be one, and onlyone perfect true church is acceptable to God, to become the wife of the lamb(bride). The church is the new Jerusalem. Today it is the church of the LastRevival on the highest mountain. The reason why it is called"mountain" is from the status of the present church. It is called"new Jerusalem" in reference to the capital of God, which will beaccepted into the kingdom of heaven and the new heaven and the new earth.
In short, God wants to tell us who isthe true wife of the Lamb and where is this church? Why is she accepted by Godand elevated to heaven, and then married to the new heaven and the new earth?When you correctly understand and accept the truth of this church, you arebecoming the lamb's wife.
"Show me the holy City, Jerusalem,which comes down from God out of heaven," "Show me," that is,who is the wife of the lamb, and why it is necessary to stand on a highmountain to see the wife of the lamb, and how she relates to the new Jerusalem.We need to make clear these Put these relationships and problems inperspective!
Standingon the highest mountain, one can have a panoramic view of the glory of the holyCity. Possessing the perfect truth, one can enjoy the dwelling place preparedfor us by Christ (John 14:2).
[Rev 21:11] It shone withthe glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very preciousjewel,like a jasper, clear as crystal.
"The glory of God is in thecity," meaning that the glory of God is revealed in the city. The glory ofGod is revealed only through this new holy city, the wife of the Lamb.Therefore it is the church of the highest standard of truth that is the wife ofthe Lamb, and worthy to be the inhabitants of the new holy city, and to returnto the glory of God!
"The light of the city is asprecious as a jewel." "The light of the city" refers to the holycity, the New Jerusalem (wife of the Lamb), which shines forth the glory ofGod. A "gem" was originally an object that refracted light andrepresented God's saints. For they are all stones (gems) hewn out of the handsof men, crystal clear, reflecting the light of God. So the true luminaries arenot the city itself, but the gems (saints) that reflect the glory of God andthe glory of God himself.
"Like jasper, as clear ascrystal," means no impurities (transparent), no shade and shadow,completely crystal clear, which describes the purity and brightness of a gem.In “(Rev. 4:3) and he that sat was like a jasperand a ruby.And there is a rainbow roundabout the throne, like an emerald,” "chapter 4 is used to describe God, and here it means that thesaints have fully reflected and revealed the glory of God.She is thelamb's wife, and so beautiful and holy, as clear as jewels and jasper. As :(Php 2:15) you may become blameless and pure, children ofGod without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars inthe universe. The new Jerusalem is made up of such a holy and beautifulpeople, the true wives of the Lamb. They are worthy brides of the lamb. Nowonder the bridegroom is lovesick over her; no wonder the bridegroom comes overthe mountains, and cries out with love: My dove inthe clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside.Let me see your face and hear your voice. Foryour voice is soft, and your countenance is lovely… Arise, my darling, mybeautiful one, and come with me (Ss 2:14,13).The lovely bride haswaited for her groom for six thousand years. The bridegroom for love gotlovesick. Today the bride finally puts on the wedding dress, to enter thewedding room – the new heaven and the new earth.
Spotless, bright brides who are calledChristians were predestined by God for glory (1Cor. 2:7, God predestined to bring us glory before the ages), and we arenow in the process of becoming the Glory of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18).In thefuture we will be glorified together with the Lord.(Ro 8:17), in the new heavenand in the new earth. For we (the bride) have fully reflected the glory ofChrist, and therefore we shall also be honored with Him (the bridegroom).
What about the important structures ofthe parts of the new Holy city of Jerusalem? How is the wife of the Lambchosen? What are the selection criteria? What are her characteristics?
【 Rev. 21:12-14 】 It had a high wall and twelve gates with twelve angels on them,and on the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Threegates were on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three onthe west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were thenames of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
"There are high walls." Inancient times, high walls were built to defend against enemies. But in the newheavens and the new earth there will be no more enemies; walls will not beneeded.Therefore, the function of the wall here is not to protect, but to distinguishand witness. The separation between the inner and the outer parts of the city(V. 27; Rev. 22:15) shows that the boundary between the inner and the outerparts of the city is very clear, and the witness is seen by all eyes, which hintsagain that there is a high standard to enter the new Jerusalem and become thewife of the lamb. It is the standard by which to distinguish the true and falsepeople in the last, and it also becomes evidence for the witnesses of Jesus.
From the twelve gates of the holy city mentioned above were twelve angels,andon the twelve gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and onthe twelve foundations of the wall are the names of the twelve apostles of thelamb, and so on and so forth, you can see that in the future, in the holy city-new Jerusalem, old testament Israel of salvation, and saved the new testamentchristians will be close to a home, and holy angels in the heaven and theground of the redemption human will live together. Jesus has already shown usthat “in the resurrection people will neither marrynor be given in marriage, but will be like angels in heaven.(Matt 22:30)”At that time the redeemed humans willin effect join the ranks of the holy angels, filling the place of fallen angelsand worshiping and serving together before the throne of God and the Lamb. EllenG. White also mentioned that the vacancy left inheaven by Satan and his angels because of his sin and fall will be filled bythe people whom the Lord has redeemed.(Watchman November 7, 1905, Wyatt's draft,).
The names of the twelve tribes ofIsrael, and the names of the twelve tribes of the flesh, were written at thetwelve gates in a different order. They actually refer to the twelve spiritualtribes of Israel, that is, all christians who are saved. Each of the twelvegates has its place, and each had three gates to the east, north, south andwest. In Ezekiel 42, verses 16-19, we have the same sequence, which comes fromEzekiel. The twelve tribes and the twelve apostles described here arerepresented in Ezekiel 47-48. For details, see the Handout on Ezekiel.
The twelve foundations of the city wallbear the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, which is also a memorial anda symbol that the church is based on the faith that the twelve apostlesreceived from Christ (Eph. 2:19-22).
The mention in the same breath of thetwelve tribes with the twelve apostles signifies the ultimate unity of theancient people of Israel and the church of the New Testament Christ in theeternal kingdom of God. This truth, repeated in the closing scenes, shows thatthe true people of all ages must unite as one. This is what Ezekiel says: "Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it: ‘Belongingto Judah and his fellow Israelites.’ Thentake another stick of wood, and writeupon it, ‘ Ephraim’s stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him. Jointhem together into one stick so that they will become one stick in your hand.(Eze. 37:16-17) This is the union of Judah and Israel, the unionof the last true people and the people from Babylon! When such a scenariooccurs, it means that the next plan for lamb marriage will soon come tofruition!
The new heaven and the new earth,heaven and man in one, the universe with joy. How will the new Jerusalem bemeasured to meet the needs of the great multitude that will come from thenations, the languages, and the tongues?
[Rev. 21:15-16] The angelwho talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates andits walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. Hemeasure the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, andas wide and high as it is long.
"And he took the the measuring rodof gold as a ruler," which is doubtless the meaning of judgment (Rev.11:1).This act of measurement and its results are doubtless intended to provethe spaciousness and smoothness of the heavenly home, and thus to show that Godhas strict requirements and uniform standards for the saints who enter the holycity, all of whom are carefully polished by the knife of truth (all of whom arequalified by judgment). Considering the size of the holy city mentioned above,the holy city is immense, and the saints who are saved come from every nation,race and language, which no one can count (Rev. 7:9).
It was a city of cubes, as measured bythe same length, width and height.It shows without bias or oblique, neat andbalanced, completely upright, smooth and steady. The most holy place where Godresides is also a cube (1 King 6:20). Therefore in the holy city, God and humandwell together in perfect harmony.
"Four thousand li" in theoriginal text is 12000 stadia (ancient Greek racetrack length unit), about 2400kilometers, 12000 is 12 *1000. This number is represented in the Bible asabsolute and eternal perfection. And it's the same length, width and height. Sothis is a great city. And the wall is very wide and thick, the thickness is 144cubits thick(about 64 meters).
Although we are not sure whether thisis the exact proportions or dimensions of the holy City, it is certain that itis vast and immense, and that its glory will be far greater than one canimagine. No one has to worry about its size, because there is plenty of roomfor all who want to live there. For in the father's house are "manydwellings" (Jn 14:2).
[Rev 21:17] He measuredits wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man’s measurement, which the angel wasusing.
After measuring the length, width andheight, measure the thickness of the wall. The 144- cubits wall thickness, not eventhe construction experts know, this about 64 meters thick wall, it is reallyunimaginable.So the number must be symbolic. Such a deep wall is designed toshow the stability and robustness of the holy City, indestructible.
And the wall is measured according tothe measure of a man, that is, according to the measure of an angel. This makesit all the more clear that this is symbolic. "Size" stands forstandard, the standard of judgment. The measure of the thickness of the wall isthe measure by which the saints are judged. The depth of the wall shows thehigh standard of judgment for the saints entering the holy city. It isprecisely because of high standards, strict requirements, project quality willpass, so that the wall is stable and firm, unshaken.
"Themeasure of a man is the measure of an angel." That is to say, the judgmentof those who enter the kingdom of heaven is so that they may live in peace withangels.God has given the people of every agethe living fountain of truth so that their character can go to heaven and livein harmony with angels without any conflict.
Although today human is different fromangels (Heb. 2:7), but in the eternal age there will be no difference betweenhuman and angels (Mt. 22:30 In the resurrectionpeople will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but will be like angels inheaven), so that they are of the same measure and of the samecharacter.That is why God took John to the high mountain. It is only when onehas reached the high mountains that one can see clearly the criteria forchoosing a wife of the lamb, and see the beauty of the lamb's wife, and befully prepared for entering the new Jerusalem!
[Rev 21:18] The wall was madeof jasper; and the city of pure gold,as pure as glass.
The material of the holy city and itswalls, described here, pure gold and jasper. This is the material of the newJerusalem (God's people) that must conform to the quality and character ofGod's holiness and manifest His image of glory before it can be used by God tobuild the holy city.
All our innate or acquired impurities(SINS) must be purified so that they will appear as clear as glass. They areprecious stones. The walls are made of jasper. What is jasper? It is thediamond with transparent shining actually, it is the high-quality goods in gem,the perfect that symbolizes character. Because the holy cities are made oftransparent and shining precious stones (holy people), without any sin, thereis nothing to hide, and there is no need to hide, so there is no need for heavycurtains. The Windows of the new heaven and the new earth are open and transparent,for there will be no more sin or rebellion, which symbolises the perfectholiness and beauty of the lamb's wife, and can clearly reflect the image ofGod!
Words cannot describe the beauty of theholy city, because it is inhabited by holy people. As the scripture says,"What God has prepared for those who love him, the eye has not seen, theear has not heard, and the heart has not thought" (1 Cor. 2:9).Only theholy are worthy to enjoy this good fortune!
【Rev 21:19-20】The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every kindof precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second was thesapphire, the third was the green agate, the fourth was turquoise, the fifth,sardonyx; the sixth carnelian, the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; theninth, a topaz, the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth,amethyst.
The foundation of the wall is decoratedwith various precious stones, which have been fused and changed by hightemperature and high pressure, indicating the effect of the Spirit of truthworking on believers. The twelve gems, which show the various fruits of theHoly Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), the twelve different characters of the saints,covering all human temperaments, but which can be united under the work of truth.Itshows that anyone of any character can reach the standard of heaven if he wantsto.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit in everybeliever is distinctive and different, because God has no intention of makingus all exactly alike. God has often put us under various circumstances to tryto remove our dross. And out of us come the heavenly temperaments, which arethe witnesses of the Lamb. But in the work of truth, together they form abeautiful and strong foundation.All things work together for good to thosewho love God (ROM. 8:28).The saints are made up of twelvecharacters who will enter the holy city through twelve gates.
The colors of the twelve stonestogether are like a rainbow. It represents the eternal assurance of the covenantbetween God and his people. This means that the witnesses, like a cloud,surround Jesus and give good testimony to the Lord (Heb. 12:1) and achieve thefinal victory. The twelve kinds of gemstones are an indication that people with different characteristics andpersonalities, after being carved by the truth, can become Witnesses of Jesusand enter the holy city as representatives. So that all the wicked will have noexcuse!
【 Rev. 21:21 】 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was ofpure gold, like transparent glass.
And each gate of the new Jerusalem isone great pearl, and the twelve gates are made of twelve great pearls. Inancient times, pearls were the most expensive of all precious stones. Amerchant can spend all his time and energy searching for a pearl of greatvalue, and when he finds it, he will change all his possessions to buy it (Mt.13:45-46).This shows the importance of pearls to people. But the formation of pearls isnot so easy. Do you know how pearls are made?
Many people know that when a clam opensand closes in the sea (or river) a piece of sand (breathing), often sand (ormicrobes, worms) will enter it, the foreign body will make the clam feel veryuncomfortable, very painful, it desperately want to reject the sand or insects,resist the enemy. Then it secretes a liquid, which is used to decorate itsshell to make it glinting, the silver-white substance, constantly secreted tothe invading enemy, wrapped it layer by layer, so that over time it became around pearl. So, what is a pearl? A grave to bury an invading enemy. Bury yourenemies and make yourself beautiful. Therefore, the pearl is the character ofbeing carved into holiness by truth!
It is said that when pearl fishermentry to catch a clam, they do not pay attention to the one that looks beautifuland bright. Because they thought that the secreted liquid substance since allused to decorate the external beauty, not in the inside to fight the enemy, sosuch a clam will not have pearls inside. Instead, they pay more attention tothe shells that looked rough and unattractive. Because the silvery whitematerial used to decorate the outside is used to resist the enemy inside, sothe appearance of a rough ugly clam will have pearls inside. The smooth andvivid clams have no pearls inside. What a lesson!
The disciples of Christ, John and Jacob,wereknown by Jesus as the children of thunder for their fiery personalities. Theapostle Peter was also a quick-tempered man. They were like rough pearls incharacter, while inside they were translucent and shining pearls — upright,good, true and righteous. Thus, Jesus used the parable of the merchant expendingall he had to buy pearls to show that the character sculpted by truth is “anentry ticket” into the Holy City. The door of the pearl is a symbol of theexperience of the saints in their struggle against sins, and all the sufferingsand hurts we suffer today are the lessons of the cross, showing the effect of thework of Jesus (the truth) on us, change our mind , changing often new, to be holy,and to be loved by the Lord. These lessons are the enemy troops, and they helpus to get “the introductory notes” to the new City of Jerusalem. Therefore letus always be willing to suffer for the Lord (1 Pet. 4:1).So that we may rejoiceand be glad with him in the future(1 Pe 4:13).
"The streets of the city are ofpure gold, like transparent glass," showing the saints' every movement,every word and every action, without any concealment. We must live and act witha divine character.
【 Rev. 21:22 】 I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God almighty andthe Lamb are its temple.
Why is there no temple in the city? Thetemple is originally the place where God lives and judges (2 Sam. 7:5).In a newsky and a new earth there will be no more sin or sinner, no more need for judgment.And in the new heaven and the new earth, God openly dwells with human (v. 3),showing that he dwells in the holy city, which is itself a most holy place, andthat the new heaven and the new earth may be regarded as the temple of God. Sohe says there is no temple, in fact. there is no temple of judgment. This showsthat the whole holy city is holy. There is no sin gap between God and human.People can come to God at any time and have close communication with eachother. God is closer to his people. Then, we can worship him face to face, drawnear to him, and see him, when nothing can stop us.
[Rev 21:23]The city doesnot need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God shines on it,and the Lamb is its lamp.
The new city does not need luminaries.The glory of God's presence is bright enough, and the light of the sun and themoon is made light; The created light is eclipsed by the glory of God'spresence. As:
[Isa 60:19]The sun shall be no more your light by day: neithershall the moon give light to shine upon you. But the Lord shall be aneverlasting light unto you, and your God your glory.
“For the glory of God shines,” Godhimself is the source of light.(1Jn1:5).
"The Lamb is the lamp of thecity," meaning that the glory of God is revealed through Christ (Heb. 1:3)and that the light of God shines through the saints (Mt 13:43).
In the new heavens and in the newearth, God will be the direct source of the ability, power and light we need tolive and move, without resorting to indirect natural sources of energy andlight, which are inconvenient and have side effects. For God himself, the “Fatherof lights”, and Christ himself, give us light. And then we ourselves will shinelike the sun, just as Christ himself promised us, "Thenthe righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Mt.13:43).There will be no more night in the new heavens and in the newearth. and like mighty holy angels, all our saved saints will no longer beweary. There is no need for rest and sleep. We will all stand before God'sthrone day and night with eternal vitality, and worship and serve Him,continually sent to do his eternal good works.
【 Rev. 21:24-25 】 The nations will walk in its light, and the Kings of the earthwill bring their glory into it. And the gates shall not be shut by day: forthere shall be no night there.
"The nations shall walk in thelight of the city," and "the nations," referring to the redeemedpeople from "nations, and races, and peoples, and tongues" (Rev. 7:9;Rev. 14:1-5), they are walking in the light of the truth of their time, so thatthey have the honor to become the Kings of all ages, accepted by God. So whenthey come to the new heaven and the new earth, they will give it their glory.For they have reflected the glory ofChrist and have added to the glory of the new holy city.
"Thegates are never shut by day, for there is no night there." "The gatesare never shut," meaning that there is no consideration of safety."Thereis no night", means that all day is light, brilliant. And the saved saintswill be like mighty holy angels, who will never tire, nor need rest or sleep,but will serve and worship God day and night before the throne of God witheternal vitality.
[Rev 21:26]And the glory and honor ofthe nations will be brought into it.
"Theywill bring the glory and honor of the nations to the Holy City." Thismeans that the saved saints will also shine like the sun in the new Jerusalemcity (Mt. 13:43) to add to the glory of the Holy city.Therefore,under the light of God, the light of Christ, and the light of the saints, thenew Jerusalem shone with such intensity that it is always as bright as day. Theholy City is glorified and honored bythe presence of the king's pride!
All eyes are on this beautiful and glorious holy city, and everyonewants to be a resident of it. Who then cannot enter this sacred and gloriousland?
【 Rev. 21:27 】 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who doeswhat is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in theLamb's book of Life may enter.
“ Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what isshameful or deceitful.”There is no dwelling place of falsehood anduncleanness in the new holy city.Sothese people who can't come into the city are obviously dogs out of town.As:[Rev22:15] Outside are the dogs, those who practice magicarts, the sexually immoral,murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and pracices falsehood. These are also the people of verse 8.But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the detestable, themurderer, the whoremongers, the sorcerers, the idolaters and all liars willhave their share in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.This is the second death.Theoverwhelming tone here emphasizes that the new heaven and the new earth willnot allow the slightest evil to exist. Those who are sinful and unclean are the material of the lakeof fire and brimstone. They have no right to enter the holy city. Their portionis in the burning lake of fire and brimstone. But all that is in the holy cityis wholly holy. Only certain objects can get in.
"Only those whose names arewritten in the Lamb's book of Life" are admitted, and those whose namesare written in the Lamb's book of Life are the Wife of the Lamb, the churchwhich has been carefully chosen by the Lamb (and judged). He also said,"If anyone's name is not written in the book of life, he will be throwninto the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15). And those that do not pass judgmentare the armies of Magog and Gog, who are material of lakes of fire.
But what kind of person's name iswritten in the Lamb's book of Life? It is at the last that the names of thosewho do not worship the image of the beast are written in the Lamb's book oflife (Rev. 13:1-8). It is obvious that only those who truly believe and repent,who call on the Name of the Lord, who are washed by the blood of the Lord(truth), who are reborn by the Holy Spirit, and who have a new life, can beincluded in the book of life. And he whose name is written in the Lamb's bookof life will keep his own from being blotted out. As Christ said, He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments, and Iwill not blot out his name from the book of life (Rev 3:5).That is to say, only those who have triumphedover sin, are sanctified by truth, have the character of Christ, have the pearlin their hearts, and are the true wives of the Lamb.
This chapter describes a thousand yearslater the holy City of New Jerusalem will fall from the heaven, God will senddown the burning sulfur lake to burn all the wicked, and the earth will berebuilt into the new heaven and the new earth. The new heaven and the new earthare for the coming of new Jerusalem, the wife of the Lamb. The new heaven andthe new earth will be the home of God's people forever. As it is promised inthe Bible, The righteous shall inherit the land,and dwell therein for ever (Ps. 37:29). And all the wicked shall bedeprived of the good of the holy city. Then shall all the prophecy of therighteous tread upon the wicked be fulfilled: Youshall go forth and leap like calves from the stall.And you shall tread down the wicked, and they shall be ashes under thesoles of your feet in the day that I make them, "declares the LordAlmighty (Mal 4:2-3).Theglorious new world is the perfect kingdom, the perfect new heaven, the eternalhabitation of God, Christ, and his children (the believers and angels)together!
——————————————
