by Brad Sherman

20

The New Jerusalem





And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God
Revelation 21:10 (NKJV)


     The New Jerusalem probably isn’t viewed as a major issue by most.  However, understanding what it actually is can certainly result in a clearer sense of purpose in the context of preparing the way for the Lord’s return and establishing a kingdom paradigm.

The Description of the City: Literal or Symbolic

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. — Revelation 21:10-14 (NKJV)

     Somewhere along the way, growing up in an evangelical church, I had heard about this New Jerusalem descending out of heaven. Like many, I had always understood this to be a literal city built of stones and other building material. In fact, the verses the follow the passage above, describe the material this city is build of which includes many kinds of precious stones and streets of pure gold. Even the dimensions of the city are given; it is cube, 1500 miles wide and 1500 miles long! That is roughly half the size of the continental United States! Besides that, it is also 1500 miles high! How magnificent!

     So, will the literal city of Jerusalem be built up during the reign of Christ until it is a 1500 mile cube that reaches well into outer space? I don’t know, with God all things are possible. But the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation is symbolic of something else. This is not a great mystery for those who have simply read the context of the passage quoted above. It is clear that this city called New Jerusalem is the bride, the wife of the lamb:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.  —Revelation 21:9 (NKJV)

The Bride/Wife of Christ
     Most students of the Scriptures understand immediately who the Bride of Christ is. In Chapter five of the epistle to the Ephesians, we find the classic instructional passage for husbands and wives where Paul says, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (see Eph 5: 22-32).  To sum it up, the institution of marriage with the headship of the husband is a model of Christ’s relationship to the Church. Jesus is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. The husband is to lay down his life for the wife and present her holy and pure, just like Christ laid his life down for the church and is washing us with His Word that we might be a people prepared for the great wedding at His return. This is why we study and submit ourselves to the Word of God, that we might renew our minds and be conformed, not to this world, but to the image of Christ (see Rom 12:2).

     Therefore, the New Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb, and the wife of the Lamb is the church.

The House/Church of God
     Not only is the church called the bride of Christ, we are also called the house of God. Paul wrote to Timothy, instructing him how to “...conduct himself in the house God, which is the church of the living God...” (1 Timothy 3:14-15).  It is in this partnership with Christ in the construction of this house, the church of the Living God, where find a very practical application to preparing the way for the Lord’s return.  Paul spoke to the Corinthians about building this house of God, which is the New Jerusalem.

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.  If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.  If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? — 1 Corinthians 3:9-16 (NKJV)


     Notice first, from the passage above, that we are God’s building/temple (verses 9 and 16). This includes all those who are genuine Christians. This building is built from stones, but not just any stones. Peter referred to us as living stones being built up as a spiritual house Jesus being the Chief Corner Stone (1 Peter 2:5, 7).

     Next notice that some of these living stones are not only part of the building structure, they are also considered builders. Paul referred to himself as a fellow worker with God, a wise master builder who has laid the foundation (verse 10). Then he issues a warning to anyone else who might build upon that foundation, that they should be careful how they build lest they lose their reward (verses 13 and 14).

     Now let’s look at the different types or qualities of the building material used to build this spiritual house which is the church of the living God. The passage from 1 Corinthians Chapter Three lists gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw (verse 12). The quality of the material that each builder has incorporated into the building will be tested by fire. Obviously, gold, silver and precious stones will remain, but the wood, hay and straw will be burned up. This brings us back to the description of New Jerusalem found in Revelation: “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones...” (see Rev 21:19-21) This description, which names several types of precious stones and describes streets of gold,  corresponds with the building material in 1 Corinthians 3:12 (gold, silver, and precious stones), excluding the wood, hay, and straw. Paul was describing to the Corinthians a work in progress, but the New Jerusalem is a description of the finished house. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians also speaks of this work in progress: 

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. — Ephesians 2:19-22 (NKJV)

     The description of the finished building includes no wood, hay or straw because, at its completion, the church, the house of the living God, the bride of Christ, has gone through the test of fire and “...has made herself ready” (Rev 19:7).  All that is impure, all that is counterfeit, every spot and blemish has been removed.

     We can see that God has called us to be active participants with Him in the building of His New Jerusalem. In doing so, we are preparing the way for Him to inhabit that house, to move in as it were, that we might see the establishment of His literal Kingdom on earth.  

     Therefore, the New Jerusalem is the church, which  is a spiritual house being built of living stones as a dwelling place for God.

The Government of God
     In the Bible, the gates or entry points to the city, were usually narrow stone passageways through the thick stone wall that surrounded the city and usually having a heavy door at the outer end of the passage.  Along the sides of these passageways there were often indented areas or setbacks to make room for the city officials to set up their tables. The officials were sort of like “customs officials” who checked who went in and out, collected taxes, etc. For this reason, the gates of a city speak of government and administration. The wall around New Jerusalem is described as:

 ... a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. — Revelation 21:12-14 (NKJV)

     Notice that there are twelve sections of the wall, defined by their respective foundations. Each foundation has the name of one of the twelve apostles. Each section of the wall has a gate upon which was written the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This speaks of a governmental function for each tribe of Israel. In Chapter Three, it was pointed out that the twelve disciples had been given specific government assignments in the government of God that would appear on earth. Look again at Matthew 19:28 with the governmental gates of the New Jerusalem in mind.

So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  — Matthew 19:28 (NKJV)

     Here we see the undeniable parallels. The New Jerusalem is a picture of the church after Christ’s return revealing a twelve-part governmental system. Each governmental segment is headed up by one of the twelve apostles, represented by the apostles’ names on the twelve foundations, and the names of the tribes on the gates.

     If we were discussing the federal government of the United States, we might say something like: “Washington has become corrupt and is in need of reform.”  Since Washington is the center of government, we simply use the name of the city to refer to the governmental system that operates there. The same is true regarding Jerusalem. Jerusalem is generally recognized as the governmental center of Israel. And like Washington, Jerusalem is in need of reform. Therefore, the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation is a picture of a new reformed government that will be established in Jerusalem after Christ’s return. 

There are several prophecies that describe this newly remade city. The nations will come to Jerusalem saying:

Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  — Isaiah 2:3 (NKJV)

     As a result, peace will cover the earth as also described in Isaiah:

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious. — Isaiah 11:9-10 (NKJV)

     Therefore, the New Jerusalem is a picture of God’s governmental network that will rule the world in righteousness.

Disciples Who Make Disciples
     With this great hope and joy that is set before us we discipline ourselves. We have a dominion mandate (great commission) to make disciples of the nations teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us. Disciples who observe all that Jesus has commanded are surely gold, sliver and precious stones. Seeking to be like Jesus, we purify ourselves even as He is pure (1 John 3:3).  As the Refiner’s fire purifies gold and silver, we are being purified. As precious stones are formed from heat and pressure deep within the earth over time, each generation is producing heros of the faith who have suffered for the purpose of God.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory 1 Peter 1:6-8 (NKJV)

     Not only do we look forward with great joy and anticipation for this time, but we are also called to be actively involved in preparing the way for that day. By being disciples who make disciples, we participate in the construction of this glorious house by building upon the foundation that has been laid. But let each one take heed how he builds on it (1 Cor 3:10). 

     We also have the opportunity, in civil government and in our churches, to develop our kingdom government skills and prove ourselves faithful on a small scale. This is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? — 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 (NKJV)

     For those who have not seen the responsibility we have in the purpose of God and preparing the way for His return and the establishment of His kingdom on earth, this chapter represents a very important building block for a new kingdom paradigm. 

Paradigm Builder
     The New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven is a picture of the church as the governmental structure of the Kingdom of God on earth.


How would you describe your position regarding this concept?
    Before reading the chapter :
        1- I disagreed
        2- I was unaware or ambivalent
        3- I already agreed

    After you read the chapter/book:
        1- I disagree
        2- I am considering
        3- I agree   

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(c) Copyright, 2013, Brad Sherman