The Age of the Apocalypse
“A New Heaven and a New Earth”
Revelation 21-22
Jewish tradition says two events will signal the coming of the Messiah, leading to their restoration of the Holy Land.
- A small remnant of Jews will return to Israel to rebuild the cities and restore the land.
- Ezekiel 36:8 – “O mountains of Israel, let your branches sprout forth, and let you yield your fruit to My people of Israel, for their times has almost come.”
- Then the remaining Jews will return and rebuild the city of Jerusalem, including the temple.
- Psalm 147:2 – “The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel.”
- Isaiah 52:9: “Break forth in joy, sing together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for God has comforted His people. He has redeemed Jerusalem.
- Jerusalem has been, is, and forever shall be the City of God, “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation.” Psalm 132:13
When Jesus reveals Himself to the Jews as the Messiah sent from God, He will proclaim Himself as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and establish His millennial kingdom in the city Jerusalem.
- Zechariah 14:4-9 – “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the East.”
- Isaiah 35:5-6 – “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened…the lame man shall leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing…in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”
- Revelation 11:15 – “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”
In Revelation 21:1-8, John described the Holy City of New Jerusalem in earthly terms.
- Verse 1 – “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no more sea.”
- “Passed away” – does not mean annihilated, but purged by fire and regenerated.
- “No more sea” – no more separation between heaven and earth.
- Verse 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.”
- This will serve as the capital of the renewed earth and the home of the saints forever.
- Verses 3-4 – This will provide a new level of communion with God – “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.”
- Verses 5-8 – This will provide a new form of government – “Behold, I make all things new. And He said, write, for these words are faithful and true; I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”
- Verse 8 – Those who turned the earth into a place of evil and wickedness will not be allowed in the new heaven and new earth – “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
- Verse 9ff – John describes this New Jerusalem from a heavenly perspective. He described it as a city built like a “cube” – 1500 miles long, 1500 miles wide, and 1500 miles high. This would cover the land mass from Maine to Florida, North and South, and to the Grand Canyon to West. This would cover all of Ireland, Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey, and half of Russia.
- There is no impurity anywhere in the city.
- There are no locked gates, for there is no darkness.
- There is no need for a temple, for the whole city is a sanctuary.
- Those who live there will eat from the tree of life.
- Those who live there will drink from the water of life.
- Those who live there will serve God in some way.
- But the greatest blessing is that we will see Him face to face – Revelation 22:3-4 – “The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.”
- “They shall see His face,” – the face of God the Father.
- “His name shall be on their foreheads,”- proof that we belong to Him,
Three final warnings:
- Revelation 22:7 – “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
- Revelation 22:12 – “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”
- Revelation 22:20 – “He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming quickly.”
NEW JERUSALEM
The New Jerusalem descends from Heaven to a New Earth where it remains for all Eternity
- The Church will be with Christ in Heaven during the Millennium
- At the end of the Millennium, the New Jerusalem will descend from Heaven like a Bride, beautifully adorned for her husband.
- The New Jerusalem is made up of all true believers (wheat) in both the Old and the New Testament times.
- The twelve foundations symbolize the New Testament Believers and the Twelve Gates symbolize the Old Testament Believers.
- The New Jerusalem descends to a New Earth where it will be surrounded by the New Nations.
- These Nations are in the Book of Life and escape the Lake of Fire when they appear before the Great White Throne.
- They are most likely the Sheep Nations who were kind to God’s People and rejected the Mark of the Beast.
