Shalom, everyone.
Recently several television preachers and evangelists have been saying that the book of Revelation, particularly the last two chapters on the New Jerusalem, is symbolic of the Christian life and therefore one should interpret it “spiritually” or figuratively. One female preacher has made the statement that the
The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is so painstakingly described with such precise detail by the apostle (the missionary) and saint (a holy one), Yochanan (John) the Beloved, that, generally speaking, one should be able to know how it will appear, though obscured by the smoked glass of peering into the future. In fact, there is so much information given by Yochanan to suggest that Yochanan wanted one to be able to envision how the city must have appeared to him. Furthermore, for God to have taken the trouble to show the city to Yochanan and then to have him describe the appearance of the city under inspiration with such great detail is too special an undertaking just to dismiss offhandedly his description as a mere fictional myth or a teaching allegory!
Usually, it is best to know where one is going before one sets out on the journey; so, let's look at our destination, according the Scriptures:
The New Jerusalem, [I£erousalhm Kaivnhn(Hierousaleem Kaineen) in Greek, or hv^d^j^ <y]l^v^r|y=(Yerushalayim Chadashah) in Hebrew, is the huge, awesome, capital city of the New Earth. Let's look at a few facts about this chapter plus, and I will attempt to construct a general appearance of this capital city.
Rev 21:1-22:5
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, 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, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Yochanan (John) said he saw a “new heaven and a new earth.” As we have already discussed, I believe this to mean that he saw a new earth and its new atmosphere.
“Earth,” by the way, in all three languages – Hebrew (“erets”), Greek (“gee” pronounced “gay”), and English (“earth”) – can mean the “dirt” or “soil” on which one is standing, the “field” in which one grows crops, the “land” that one may own and grow crops, and the “Land” of Isra’el, as well as the entire globe.
Yochanan was one of Yeshua`s talmudiym (or disciples) and spent time with Yeshua`, Yeshua` being his mentor, and learned to listen to Him, obey Him, and follow His orders. He was given this privilege and saw this "holy city, new Jerusalem" coming down from God "out of heaven" and prepared like a bride all decked out for her husband," and was told to write it all down. As we have recently discussed, the word “heaven” means the “sky.” So, Yochanan is not talking about some ethereal, “spiritual” way of interpreting these words; he is simply saying that the city came down from God out of the sky.
If the word “ouranos” refers to the atmosphere, then it comes out of the “atmosphere.” Since there’s no physical gap between the gases of the atmosphere and the surface of the earth, this would indicate that the city LANDS on the New Earth.
The word “tabernacle” in the KJV comes from the Greek word “skeenee,” meaning a “cloth hut” or a “tent.” It’s not a pup tent; but the large tent home of a bedouin nomad. That is to what this awesome city is compared, and the words are BACKWARDS to the common thought of “going to Heaven”: Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, 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.
It is not until this point in time, after the Millennium and after the Great White Throne Judgment recorded in Rev. 20 that these words are finally said. Therefore, they are not applicable to the Millennium. There will still be tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain during the Millennium and they won’t be irradicated until this moment.
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.
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.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
The Greek word “panta” translated “all things” in verse 5 does mean “all,” but it may refer to those things with which human beings are familiar and which they may affect, not necessarily to the “whole universe,” as some teach.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
These people and elements will not exist in the New Earth, and they’ve already been managed in the verdicts of the Great White Throne Judgment.
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed 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;
The word “angel” is a transliteration of the Greek word (“aggelos”), not a translation (“messenger”). The translators merely changed the Greek letters into their equivalent English letters and, for whatever reasons, the word was not changed into its meaning. Note that this messenger was one of those who had the seven last bowl judgments to pour upon the earth, and he told Yochanan, “Come here, and I’ll show you the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” BUT, he did not show him a people, such as a “church” or congregation, but he showed him a CITY! He showed him the “holy (awesome)
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names 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 in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
This is probably the most detailed information in the whole book of Revelation! A Roman furlong was 220 yards or 660 feet long. Simple mathematics and unit analysis will derive a total distance of 1500 miles long, wide and high!
Now, this is very important, because – let’s face it – Christians don’t have a good handle on a city of this magnitude. It would take someone with the imagination and the experience of a scene designer and painter for a movie like James Cameron’s “Avatar” to do such a description justice. Geometry and spatial distortion comes into play for a city of this magnitude! It’s 1500 miles high! When one considers that
We are also given the information that “the city lieth foursquare.” Some have interpreted this to mean that the city will be in the shape of a cube, but that’s not what is says, even in the Greek: “hee polis tetragoonos keitai,” “the city four-angled lies-outstretched.” These words mean that the city covers a square area, it has a square footprint, but think about it! If it has four right angles as a square normally does and it sits upon the surface of the earth, its walls will have to follow the curvature of the earth! The walls will have to be slightly concave over that great distance! This is because on a sphere, it is possible to have a triangle with three right angles!
Consider: if one starts at the equator facing west and turns a right angle onto the prime meridian at the equator and follows the prime meridian all the way north to the north pole, and makes a right-angled turn to the right, and then travels south back to the equator, he will have to make one more right-angled turn to follow the equator back to his starting point.
Well, there’s much more to say, but it will wait for later.
In the Messiah’s love,
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