Chapters 21 and 22 of Revelation are the very last two chapters of the Bible. 

 

But the end of this Book is actually the beginning of a whole new era as we shall see... often referred to as the Eternal Age.

 

These two chapters tell us what will happen at the end of Earth's history which incidentally was from the Creation (☆ Genesis 1:1) to the end of the Millennium (☆ Revelation 20:15). 

 

At this point in time (chapter 21 and 22)... all evil, wickedness and corruption have been done away with... Satan, the Antichrist and the false Prophet are banished forever to the lake of fire... never ever to cause problems again.

 

Chapters 21 and 22 are about the End of the Old Age and the Beginning of the New.

The old is done away with... the brand new is ushered in.

 

The Apostle John gives us a first hand glimpse about this amazing place called Heaven in these chapters... which from my point of view is totally out of this world... literally!

 

The last two chapters of Revelation gives us this absolutely fabulous peek... and it is just a peek.

 

When you read it, it is so way out there... it is difficult to grasp and understand what it is really going to be like. I don't believe any earthly language can properly describe Heaven... it I believe, will leave us totally speechless.

 

Sadly, those who have refused God's amazing Grace and salvation in Jesus Christ His Son... are lost forever... condemned to Hell. 

 

We now enter what some Bible scholars call the Eternal Age.

 

I will endeavour, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to make some brief comments about each verse in the last two chapters of this amazing book called... Revelation.

 

As I write (wrote) this, I still have a lot of questions myself... there is still much I don't understand. However one day... all will be revealed!... when we actually get there. 

 

I believe in Heaven... and I believe that one day I will be there.

 

                                               ******

 

Revelation 21

 

 1  And I (John) 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.

 

John visually sees a new Heaven and a new Earth. The old... the first Heaven and Earth have been done away with. 

 

Why a New Heaven? I think I understand why. Heaven bears the scars of Lucifer's prideful fall in his attempt to usurp God from His throne. 

Remember he took a third of the angels with him.

☆ Isaiah 14:12-15 and ☆ Ezekiel 28:1-18...

 

There's been a constant state of conflict between God Almighty and Satan. Although earth has mainly been Satan's domain... much of his sordid time was also spent in accusing the Christians before God. 

 

☆ Revelation 12:10 states that he is "the accuser of the brethren."

The life of Job is an excellent example of Satan's "nitpicking."

 

Why a New Earth, I completely understand. The old Earth bore too many ugly scars as a result from the corruption of man's sinfulness... 

This includes Satan's sordid "footprint" on the Earth... as "the god of this world."

 

The Apostle Peter adds this...

 

☆ 2 Peter 3:7...

"But the heavens and the earth, [which are now], by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

 

☆ 2 Peter 3:10...

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

 

☆ 2 Peter 3:13...

"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, [wherein dwells righteousness]."

 

God has made "all things new"... a total clean slate... 

Not some things, but ALL THINGS ARE NEW!

 

"New" in the Greek is... 'kainos'

            a. as respects form... recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn

            b. as respects substance... of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of...

 

And John sees this.

 

John also mentions that the new Earth has no sea... which I really find difficult to imagine... 

No oceans... no seas...?

 

But remember... that's from a human... a natural... a physical perspective. 

 

We will then be spiritual beings with glorified bodies... immortal and incorruptible. 

Things will be totally different...

 

God has kept the very best for last!

 

So... where do we live eternally?

 

On the New Earth or the New Heaven?

Do we commute between the two?

 

 2  And I John saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 

Next, John sees the Holy city... the one and only Jerusalem... but this Jerusalem is different... John calls it the New Jerusalem. 

What distinguishing feature(s) did John notice in this New Jerusalem that was present in the old Jerusalem? 

 

The New Jerusalem refers to the residence of the redeemed, the heavenly world of which the old earthly Jerusalem was a type and symbol.

See ☆ Galatians 4:26 and ☆ Hebrews 12:22.

 

He sees the New Jerusalem coming down from God... from above... coming out of the Heaven. 

The New Jerusalem has been specially prepared... and it is exceedingly beautiful.

 

John compares it to a Bride... who has been adorned (decorated, garnished, made decorative, richly attired) specially for her husband.

 

[When Jesus Raptures His Bride the Church before the 7 year Great Tribulation, He comes for a Bride that is without spot, wrinkle or blemish... and it is glorious.]

 

The comparison of the Church with a Bride or a wife is common with the Scriptures.

 

It is also common for the Scriptures to compare a city with a beautiful woman.

 

 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.

 

John not only sees the things of heaven but he hears things of Heaven as well. 

Remember the progressive and intensifying worship in chapters 4 and 5?

 

And remember John's testimony is true. He is a man of truth and a man of the Truth. 

☆ John 21:24. 

 

He hears a great voice out of Heaven (very likely the archangel Gabriel)...

The great proclamation made is, that the Tabernacle... the dwelling place of God... is at last with men. 

 

[According to the Hebrew Bible... the Tabernacle (Hebrew: מִשְׁכַּן‎, mishkān, meaning "residence" or "dwelling place"), was also known as the Tent of the Congregation (אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵד֩ 'ōhel mō'êḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), was the portable earthly dwelling place of Yahweh (the God of Israel) used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instructed at Mount Sinai to construct and transport the tabernacle with the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness and their subsequent conquest of the Promised Land. After 440 years, Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem superseded it as the dwelling-place of God.]

 

This Tabernacle is no longer a "shadow"... or a model of the real thing... it has now become a reality... it is the real deal.

God is living amongst His people...

 

The presence of God is going to be as it has never been before!

God loves intimate relationship, fellowship and communion with man.

 

We are told here...

• that the men and women shall be His people... this speaks of Divine ownership. 

• that God Himself shall be with them... His eternal presence is with them.

• that He will 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.

 

This verse is often quoted at funerals... spoken as words of comfort. 

There is no suffering in Heaven... something to look forward to.

"The Lord (God of comfort and compassion) will wipe away all tears from their eyes..."

 

The awesome promise here is that mankind will never ever be subject to misery and pain again... 

No more death... no more sorrow... no more crying... no more sickness and no more pain... all the sad horrible stuff of the past (the former things) will be done away with.

 

 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 Lord GOD, Who sits upon the throne (the Creator is in complete charge and control here) speaks and says that He is going to make all things new. Not some things... but ALL things!

 

All things are going to be made totally new. 

Not a cosmetic outside refurbishment... not a revamp with all the broken down bits and pieces replaced... but... MADE COMPLETELY NEW!

 

God tells John, to write these things down because these words are True and Faithful. 

God says what He means and means what He says. He is not like man that He should lie. 

These words are Faithful and True, because God Himself is Faithful and True. 

 

 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.

 

The Lord then tells John... IT IS DONE! 

What is done?

Reading verse 5 again...

 

God has made ALL THINGS NEW!

 

God can do this... He is the Alpha and Omega... He is the Beginning and the End. 

God is All powerful... omnipotent.

God is from Eternity to Eternity. 

God is the author and cause of all things. 

He is also the end or finisher of all things.

 

And... the Lord "throws in" an extra promise. The promise that He will give those who are thirsty... access to the fountain of the Water of Life... freely... without measure. 

 

That "fountain of the Water of Life" of course is non other than Jesus Christ Himself... He Who is the Living Water. ☆ John 4.

 

 7  He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. 

 

God... still speaking... says to John that... he/she that overcomes shall inherit all things. 

Overcome what exactly?

 

Overcomes... sin, temptation, trials, tribulations, the flesh, the Devil, the world...

 

How do we overcome? 

 

Only by the precious blood of Jesus. 

Only by placing our total faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross. 

 

Shall inherit what things?... God says ALL things! 

These things are not physical things, but all things spiritual. Remember we are now talking totally spiritual beings... forget about flesh and blood and the physical... these cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

 

God reaffirms His relationship with us... He will be our God... we will be His children... He will be our Father...

 

Remember... Christianity has nothing to do with religion... but has everything to do with a living vibrant relationship, communion and fellowship with God.

 

 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 burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 

All other earthly beings... the fearful (faithless), the unbelieving (without trust in God), the abominable (detestable), murderers (criminal homicide), whoremongers (fornicators), sorcerers (magicians), idolaters (worshippers of false gods) and all liars (deceitful) will not be found in Heaven.

 

Heaven is not for the ungodly or the unrighteous. 

 

Instead these go to the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

This is the second death... the death of the spirit and soul.

 

Those who are born once... die twice (physically and spiritually).

Those who are born twice... die once (die physically). Go figure!!

 

 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 here, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife.

 

An angel (one of the 7 angels that poured out their vials of plagues upon the Earth during the Great Tribulation) came to John and said, "Come here, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife."

 

Back in chapter 19, we read of the marriage supper of the Lamb.

So the Bride (the Church) is now the Lamb's wife.

 

Here... John is taken to see the Lamb's wife.

 

Who is the Lamb? Easy question... None other than Jesus Christ the Son of God.

 

Question though... Is the New Jerusalem also referred to as the Lamb's wife? I'll be honest, I'm a little confused here.

 

 10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

 

In verse 2 we have already been told that John saw this city. 

Now this angel carries John away in the spirit to a huge and high mountain... and he is again shown that great city... the Holy Jerusalem.

He is taken to a higher place where he gets a clearer unobstructed view to behold its glory.

What he sees is the holy Jerusalem coming down (descending)... out of Heaven... from God.

 

Will this be a physical possibility? Many Bible scholars say this is absurd. 

I believe it is possible. Gods Word says so!

 

With God all things are possible. 

At this point in time we are talking about spiritual things and spiritual beings in a spiritual setting.

We are in a totally different dimension. And as I said before, John's earthly language is totally inadequate in describing what He saw.

 

 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 displayed the glory of God. Just like the old heavens declared the glory of God 

(☆ Psalm 19:1)... so will the New Jerusalem declare God's glory. 

 

And the Apostle John now goes into a detailed description of this amazing place... which I believe is part of Heaven.

 

The light coming from the New Jerusalem was like that from a super precious stone... which John likened to a jasper stone which was as transparent as crystal... 

Imagine the brilliant light emitted from a humongous diamond... and  coloured light as well.

 

 

 

 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.

 

The New Jerusalem had walls that were great and high. These walls contained 12 gates... each one guarded by an angel... each one inscribed with a name from the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

 

The meaning of 12, which is considered a perfect number, is that it symbolizes God's power and authority, as well as serving as a perfect governmental foundation.

 

 13  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

 

This City from Heaven is four sided (square)... each side (north, east, south and west) having 3 gates.

 

Four sided? To denote that the City is accessible from all quarters of the world and that they who dwell there will have come from each of the great divisions of the earth... that is, from every land.

 

The number 3 Biblically represents divine wholeness, completeness and perfection. 

 

 14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 

The huge walls of the New Jerusalem are built upon 12 foundations... 

Inscribed in these foundations was the names of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb... Jesus Christ.

 

Twelve Apostles? Perhaps to intimate that it was by the doctrine and the preaching of the Apostles that souls enter into the Church and then into the New Jerusalem.  

 

☆ Ephesians 2:20-2...

"And (we) are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. In Whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord. In Whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

 

 15  And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

 

The angel who was showing all these amazing things to John had in his hand a measuring stick (a golden reed) and was about to measure the city... the gates and the walls.

 

The reed, or measuring rod, here, is of gold, because all about the city is of the most rich and costly materials.

 

Gold represents God's holiness, Divine nature, and His majesty.

 

 16  And the city lies foursquare, and the length is as long 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.

 

The shape of the New Jerusalem is a cube... 2 414 kms x 2 414 kms x 2 414 kms. 

 

That's super HUGE!

 

2 414kms is roughly the road distance between Perth and Alice Springs... so, imagine the size of this city being that long, wide and high. 

 

Some Bible commentators say this size for a city would be absurd and impossible. 

 

Impossible? God is the God of the impossible!

 

And remember... we are talking SPIRITUAL here... we are not dealing with the natural or physical.

This "cubic city" will be extraordinarily stunning to see...

 

The sheer enormity of this amazing city would require the ability of a supernatural being (such as an angel) to measure it.

 

 17  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

 

The thickness of the wall is 144 cubits which translates to about 66 meters. That's incredible. 

Remember how high the wall is.

This New Jerusalem is literally out of this world!

 

 18  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

 

There is nothing on Earth now that would or could remotely compare to this extraordinary super City...

The "building materials"? 

Walls of jasper... streets of pure gold... everything as clear as glass. 

Jasper is a stunningly beautiful gemstone... and can vary greatly in colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 19  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

 

 20  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

 

This City has 12 foundations... and the materials used are precious stones... gemstones...

If you were to check out each gemstone on the Internet, you will be blown away by the sheer beauty of each type. I've used 3 examples from the Net.

 

It is interesting to note that...the Breastplate worn by the High Priest (Exodus 28:10-30) – worn over the Ephod was a square breastplate embroidered with gold. 

It held twelve precious stones set in gold filigree: sardius (ruby), topaz, carbuncle (garnet), emerald, sapphire, diamond, jacinth, agate, amethyst, beryl, onyx and jasper.

 

Eight of the gemstones of the High Priest's breastplate are found in the foundation of the New Jerusalem.  

 

 21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

 

Huge pearl gates... streets of gold as transparent glass...

My puny finite mind cannot even begin to imagine what this will all look like. 

All I can say is that it will be infinitely beautiful... and breathtaking. 

 

The following "picture" is a photo from outer space that has been (unfortunately) digitally manipulated... but... it's beauty will give you some idea of what it might be like. 

 

 

 22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

 

John saw no temple in the New Jerusalem... the City of God.

The temple that was on Earth was temporal, and was only a shadow of the real thing. 

Sacrifice is no longer necessary. A lamb for sacrificing is no longer necessary. The temple veil is no longer necessary. The ark of the covenant and the holy of holies is no longer necessary. 

 

The Lord God Almighty is now with and amongst His people.

 

The Glory and the presence of God and the Lamb is going to pale the City's beauty into insignificance.

 

 23  And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

 

Here is something very, very interesting... something I find difficult to imagine because I am at this present moment, still very much locked in my humanness... and in this natural world.

I love the beauty of sunrises and sunsets. I love gazing at the moon and staring into the heavens. 

But... this amazing City has no need of the sun nor the moon for a light source.

The Glory of God lights it.

And the Lamb... Jesus Christ is the light.

 

It is interesting to note, that Jesus is referred to as the Lamb in these two chapters.

Why is this so?

I believe it is a constant reminder to the inhabitants, (the redeemed) of the tremendous price that God paid for their salvation.

Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb.

 

 24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

 

TLB

Its light will light the nations of the earth, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it.

 

The brilliant luminance of the Glory of God will light the people groups of the earth, and the rulers of the earth will come and bring their honour, praise and worship to it. 

 

Question: Are there now nations of people on the New Earth? 

Certainly an interesting question to discuss.

 

 25  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

 

There is no more night there... just continual day.

And so the gates of the City will stay open constantly... they are never closed.

 

 26  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

 

And through these open gates, into the City, will flow a constant stream of glory, honour, worship and praise from the people groups of the earth. 

 

 27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

 

This City is the city of the pure and holy.

Absolutely nothing unclean will be found in it.

 

This City is only fit for those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life... those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb... those who have been cleansed from their sin... those who are clothed with the righteousness of Christ... those who have been predestined to Eternal Life. AMEN.

Selah!