There are some bible scholars who teach that Revelation chapters 21 & 22 deal with a new dispensation called The New Heaven And The New Earth which begins after the 1000-year reign of Our Lord Jesus the Christ called the Millennium, after the White Throne judgment. Beyond this would be the Eternal State. But a critical examination of the text of Revelation chapters 21 & 22, and comparison with Isaiah 65:17-25 will reveal that The New Heaven And The New Earth are synonymous with The Millennial Reign of our Lord Jesus The Christ. Whereas Isaiah 65:17-25 deals with life in the earthly but renovated Jerusalem in The Millennium, Revelation chapters 21 & 22 deal with life in the Jerusalem which descends from Heaven and is contiguous at its base with the top of the Millennial Temple(the fourth Temple) on the top of the renovated Mount Zion in the new and earthly Jerusalem. We must remember that during the Day Of His Wrath, the Heavens and the Earth shall be salted with fire in order to cleanse them from the defilement of sin. During the deluge, the world was said to have perished(2 Pet.3:6). We know that this was a limited destruction not total annihilation; for Noah and his family repopulated the Earth afterwards. Life on Earth was renewed. In like manner, the present Heavens and Earth are reserved unto fire, awaiting the judgment of the Great Day Of The Lord. The sixth seal is preceded by a massive universal earthquake. The sixth seal itself consists of cosmic and celestial disturbances. The seventh seal which contains the seven trumpets and seven bowls constitute the wrath of God which shall devastate the Earth and the heavenly bodies in order to cleanse them from the defilement of sin. After the wrath of God and the subsequent restoration during the 45-day Restoration Period, the resultant Heavens and Earth shall be The New Heaven And The New Earth. Therefore The New Heaven And The New Earth are synonymous with the Millennial Reign Of Christ.
The word new here is the Greek word “kainos” which means something old which is renewed or restored. This is different from the Greek word “naos” which means something entirely new in time. The New Heaven And The New Earth spoken of in both the scrolls of Isaiah and Revelation are the renovated Heaven and Earth in the Millennium. This is borne out by the fact that after saying, “behold I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former, shall not be remembered or come to mind,” what follows is a description of life in the earthly Jerusalem in the Millennium. There shall be no more weeping or crying. There shall be no more infant mortality. Those who die at the age of 100 years shall be regarded as having died as children. The sinner being 100 years old shall be cursed. These sinners, from where do they come? There shall be no sinners on Earth in this mortal body after the White Throne Judgment. We know that those who repopulate the Earth in the Millennium shall be the survivors of the wrath of God, and the Sheep And Goat Judgment. These men, women and children are from all nations, tribes, kindreds and families of the Earth. They shall still be in their mortal bodies. They shall still be subject to sin. They have to choose to live right or not. But because of the presence of the Lord on His throne in the Temple on the new and renovated earthly Mount Zion in Jerusalem, ruling with a rod of iron(Ps 2:6-8), the absence of demonic influences, the Heavens and the Earth having being cleared of Satan and his hordes of fallen evil angels by archangel Michael and the angels of God under his command during the war in the heavenlies at the midpoint of the 70th week(Rev.12:7-12), and by Christ and the hosts of heaven at Armageddon(Rev.19), a lot of people shall live right. Antisemitism shall be banished from the Earth, and the Jews shall not be oppressed anymore. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the dust shall be serpent’s meat. In other words, there shall be no more carnivores. All animals shall be herbivorous. For they shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain, saith the Lord(Is.65:25). The Earth shall be filled with te knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea(Hab.2:14). This shall be Heaven on Earth.
In The New Heaven And New Earth spoken of in Revelation chapters 21 & 22, what the John the revelator saw was life in the heavenly Jerusalem that descended on the new Temple, the Fourth and Millennial temple on the renovated and elevated earthly Mount Zion. This is the abode of the resurrected saints who shall reign with Our Lord Jesus the Christ as kings and priests over the nations of the Earth. They are the ones that shall bring the offerings of the nations to the heavenly Jerusalem, for no sinner may enter into the heavenly Jerusalem(Rev.21:24-27). If there will be no sinners on Earth in the Millennium, why talk about a problem that does not exist? That implies therefore that there shall be sinners in the new and earthly Jerusalem and anywhere else on Earth in the Millennium.
Revelation Chapter 21: The Heavenly Jerusalem.
“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.”
In verse 1, John the revelator saw a “new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and earth were past away; and there was no more sea.” I saw is the typical introductory vision formula that signals a new vision description. What John saw was the same Heaven and Earth which have been renovated after the limited destruction it suffered during the Day Of His Wrath. There is no clear biblical evidence of the final destruction of the present Earth with fire. In 2 Pet.3:5-6,10, Peter contrasts the destruction of the wicked in the days of Noah with the wicked in the Day Of The Lord. Clearly the physical destruction of the Earth did not concern the Earth but the inhabitants thereof. Equally, the day of the Lord will remove the wicked from the Earth, and cause severe damage to the material world, but the Earth itself shall not cease to exist during the Day of the Lord. The quality of the work is exposed by fire, but the physical Earth itself is not burned up. There is no biblical basis for the physical Earth being burned up or totally annihilated. There is explicit proof that God will destroy the wicked with fire(Zeph.1:18;3:8; Isa.66:15,16).
In the Greek language(ouranus)as well as in Hebrew(Shamayim), the word Heaven is always in the plural Heavens. We must understand here that the word Heavens does not include the Heaven of Heavens or the Third Heaven which is the abode of the Almighty God and His angels and glorified saints. The word Heavens here is referent to the atmospheric Heaven, the starry Heaven beyond, and the dark void which is currently the abode of Satan and his fallen evil angels. Because of the defilement of sin and rebellion, the Earth and these Heavens shall be salted with fire in order to cleanse them from the defilement of sin and rebellion during the Day Of His Wrath. “The gods that have not made the earth and the heavens even they shall perish from under the earth and under these heavens”(Jer.10:11). In the middle of the 70th seven, Satan and his evil angels shall be cast down to the Earth(Rev.12:12 ). At the end of Armageddon, the Beast-antiChrist and his enforcer, the False Prophet shall be cast alive into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone(Rev.19:20). Satan shall be imprisoned in the abyss for 1000 years(Rev.20:2), and all his evil angels cast into Hell. In other words, Satan and all his evil angels shall be evicted from the Earth’s premesis. Anyone who is beast-marked who survives the Day Of His Wrath, shall be executed(Rev.19:21). The goats of the Sheep and Goat Judgment shall be condemned and executed. The sheep of the Sheep and Goat Judgment shall be justified to enter the Millennium and repopulate the New Earth in their mortal bodies but not yet free from from the sin nature. Each person would need to personally accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Those who do shall live right and longer. Those who do not shall sin and die younger. There shall be death in the Millennium(Is.65:20). The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death(1 Cor.15:25). After the White throne judgment at the end of the Millennium, Death and Hell itself shall be cast into the Lake that Burnett with fire and brimstone(Rev.20:14).
“For the first heaven and earth are past away,” and the resultant Heaven and Earth cleansed from the defilement of sin and rebellion shall be The New Heaven And The New Earth. And there was no more sea. Some have argued that there shall still be seas because the waters flowing from the Millennial Temple to water the Earth shall finally flow into rivers and seas. Ezekiel 47:8 says the waters from the Throne Room of the Temple shall flow in the sea. It is arguable whether this is sea or big river. The purpose of the waters flowing from the temple is to heal the land, water the Earth and make it fruitful. The Earth shall be restored to its pristine state before the deluge. Before the deluge, the whole Earth had one weather. It was subtropical. There was no rain. The mist from the atmospheric Heaven watered the Earth. There were no storms, no hurricanes etc. the whole Earth was subtropical. All these changes in weather were as result of the fall. When the Heavens and the Earth are cleansed from the defilement of sin and rebellion, they will go with it.
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
In verse 2, John the apocalyptist saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down from Heaven like a bride adorned for her husband. The new Jerusalem is the heavenly paradise which is now in construction in the Heaven of Heavens, the Third Heaven which is the abode of God, His angels and departed saints. Remember that in the OT dispensation, paradise was part of the underworld of the dead, separated from Hell itself, the place of torment by the abyss or gulf(Luk.16:26). At the resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ, the OT saints were taken to Heaven(Matt.27:52,53). The heavenly Jerusalem is wonderfully built and decorated as a beautiful bride adorned for her husband. The beauty of this city is ineffable as we shall see. The main feature of the Millennium is that God and His angels, and Man shall fellowship together, and Heaven and Earth shall be in holy embrace. Even in this age, we see glimpses of this in a limited sense in Jerusalem, the Heavens and the Earth are in holy embrace, despite the turmoils.
“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.”
In verse 3, the revalator heard a great voice out of heaven saying, “behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall dwell with them and be their God.” We are not told who the speaker is. It may be God the Father or one of His angels, we are not told, neither is it of utmost relevance. It shall be a fulfillment of the promise of our Lord Jesus The Christ to His disciples, “in my Father’s house, there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. When I prepare a place for you, I shall come and receive you into myself, that where I am, you may be there also”(Jon.14:1-3). It is a fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell amongst His people(Ezek. 37:27). The resurrected saints, and the righteous in the new Age who are still in their mortal bodies shall have unbounded and limited access to the Throne Room respectively in the Millennium.
“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.”
In verse 4, the inhabitants of the new and heavenly Jerusalem shall know no pains nor aches, no weeping nor crying, for there shall be no more death nor sorrows; for the former things are past away. God has wiped away tears from their eyes. The cessation of weeping and mourning is an eschatological promise finally realized(Isa.35:10; 65:19). These men and women are in their glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies. The frailties of the fallen nature are gone. No more foibles and no more picadilloes. No more misunderstandings. We see things perfectly even as we are seen(1 Cor.13:12). The former things are past away. They shall not be remembered nor come to mind(Isa.65:17).
“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. 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.”
In verse 5, it is written: “and He that sat upon the throne said, behold I make all things new.” Remember that John the revelator is in the spirit, and sees into the realm of the spirit. He sees into Heaven. He is in the throne room in Heaven. He that sitteth on the throne is the Father. The Son was standing. And He, the Father said unto him, John the revelator, “write: for these words are true and faithful”. Here the certainty of what is written is assured. It is done. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” These appellatives are used of the Father and the Son. But here the Father is the one speaking. Therefore they are referent to the Father. “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of live freely.” Jesus, the Son is the fountain of life which the Father gives freely to those who thirst for it.
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 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.”
Verse 7 speaks of the overcomer who shall inherit all things. God shall be his Father and he shall be His son. Verse 8 is in contrast with verse 7 in that it speaks to the losers who shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. The losers are the fearful and unbelieving, the evil doers and the sexually immoral and perverse, those who worship idols especially the beast-marked worshippers and adorers of the Dragon-Beast, those who practise witchcraft and are liars. Being separated from God eternally is designated the second death. These sinners are alive eternally, but banished from the presence of God. What is in view here is not the cessation of existence but the quality of life. The longevity of life of both saints and sinners is eternal but the qualities are vastly different. In comparison to the eternal life of the saints, the eternal life of the sinners is as good as death. Hence, the designation, the second death, the first being physical death, which both saints and sinners experience, that is the separation of the spirit and soul, the immaterial part of man, the “nephesh haya,” from the material part of man, the “basar.”
The Description Of The Heavenly Jerusalem(9-21).
“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.”
That one of the seven angels who had the seven plagues is the one detailed to show and describe the heavenly Jerusalem to John the revelator argues against the teaching that this event occurs after the millennial reign of Christ, after the White throne Judgment(verse 9). It rather favours the teaching that the heavenly Jerusalem rested on the millennial temple on Mount Zion and is contiguous with it at its base and the throne room of Our Lord Jesus the Christ in the Fourth Temple at the beginning of the Millennium.
“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,”
In verse 10, John the revelator was carried by this angel to a great and high mountain. This mountain is the renovated and elevated Mount Zion, the description of which was also given to the prophet Ezekiel(Eze.40:1). There is no such great and high mountain in the vicinity of Jerusalem in the present age.
“Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;”
Verse 11 says this city has the glory of God. It is a heavenly city. It is not man-made. It is built by God and His angels. If men participated in the building of it, they were not men in their natural mortal bodies but glorified bodies. This city was lavishly lighted. The light of it was like a stone, most precious, like jasper stone clear as crystal. Jasper is a compact, opaque cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, usually coloured red, it is used in decorative carvings. Here it is clear at crystal.
“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:”
Verse 12 tells us that this city has a wall great and high.
The Gates Of The City (13)
“On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.”
It also has twelve gates. These twelves gates are named after the twelves tribes of Israel. It will be most likely in the order in which they set up around the tabernacle in the wilderness(Num.2). In the East were Judah, Yissachar, and Zevulun. In the South were Reuben, Simon, and Gad. In the West were Ephraim, Menasseh, and Benjamin. And in the north, Dan, Asher, and Naphthali. In the age to come, the enemies of Israel shall be ashamed and disgraced. Can we begin to imagine how awful they shall feel when they see Israel so honored.
Verse 13 tells us there shall be three gates on each of the four Cardinal points of the great and heavenly city. This is in comparison to the dwelling of the twelves tribes around the tabernacle of the congregation in the wilderness.
The Foundations Of The City (14)
“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
The Twelves Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ are not left out. Their labours in laying the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ shall be recognized. The city has twelve foundations. On these twelve foundations the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb are eternally engraved as it were on the canvass of Eternity. Therefore, these men are eternally immortalized and memorialized. Our Lord Jesus promised the twelve Apostles shall govern the twelve tribes of Israel during His temporal kingdom(Matt.19:27-30). And over the twelve Apostles will be King David, perhaps, David’s greater Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Himself( Eze.34:23-23;39:24,25).
The Size Of The City(15-17)
“And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 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. 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.”
This angel, one of the seven with the last seven plagues who talked with John the revelator has a golden reed to measure the the city, the wall and the gates. This city has the shape of a cube. The length, the breadth and the height of it are equal. It is twelve thousand furlongs. A reed is a measuring instrument used in the ancient Neareast. It is ten and one-half feet long, about 10 meters. A furlong is about one-eight of a mile. He measured the wall thereof, it was 144 cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is of the angel. This is the thickness of the wall. It is thicker than the wall of Jericho and Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. The wall of Jericho was as thick as it was tall. The wall of Babylon could accommodate six chariots on the top of it, all in full motion at the same time. It was indeed very thick; a massive highway on top of a wall. It is virtually impregnable. A cubit is the the length of an average man’s hand from the tip of the middle finger to the tip of the elbow. 144 cubits equal 216 ft, 72 yards, about 66 meters. The wall of the city was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold like clear glass.
The Substance Of The Foundations (18-20)
“And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 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; 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.”
The foundations of the wall of the city were garnished all manner of precious stones. These stones are gems. They are used for decoration. They are beautiful in appearance but they also convey deeper meanings. They are the same gem stones in the breastplate of the High priest of Israel. Each gem stone bore one of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The first foundation was jasper. Jasper is a compact, opaque, crystalline variety of Quartz, usually coloured red: often used in decorative carvings. Red reminds us of the blood of the Lamb that was shed to was away our sins. The second was sapphire. Sapphire is any gem variety of corundum other than the ruby, especially one of blue varieties. Blue reminds of our heavenly walk. We are not of this world(Jon 8:23). We are born from above(Jon 3:3). He that is of the earth is earthly and speakest of the earth(Jon.3:32). He that is from heaven is above all. We ambassadors for Christ(2 Cor.5:20). Our citizenship is in the heavens from whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus the Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body(Phil.3:20). The children of Israel were required of God to put a riband of blue at the fringes of their garments to remind them of their heavenly walk(Num.15:38; Deut.22:12). The third is chalcedony. Chalcedony is a microcrystalline, translucent variety of Quartz, often milky or greyish. White speaks of righteousness. That it is translucent tells us there is nothing hidden in Heaven. There is no secrecy in Heaven. Everything is exposed, even the thought of men’s heart. Everyone knows what the other person is thinking about. So there is no need to lie or dessemble; infact it does not come into one’s mind at all to lie. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus(2 Cor.4:21). Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption(1 Cor.1:30). The fourth is emerald. Emerald is rare variety of beryl that is coloured green by chromium and valued as a gem. Green reminds us of life, fruitfulness, growth, increase and development. Even in Heaven and Eternity, we shall continue to learn, grow and increase in wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the eternal mysteries of the Father and the Son. There are mysteries in eternity past and future and mysteries in creation, recreation and redemption. The fifth is sardonyx. Sardonyx is a chalcedony that is used for cameos and has a sard and chalcedony of another colour, usually white, arranged in straight parallel bands. Sardonic speaks of the glories and mysteries of righteousness. The sixth is Sardius. Sardius is the precious stone, thought to have been a ruby, in the breastplate of the Jewish High Priest(Ex.28:17). It signals the priestly ministry of the saints. We are not only kings but priests also. It is sacerdotal.
The seventh is chrysolyte. Chrysolyte(chrysolite ) is olivine. It is any of the group of magnesium iron silicate,(Mg,Fe)2 SiO4, occurring in olive-green to grey masses as an important constituent of basic igneous rocks. The gem speaks of the mysteries of life, fruitfulness and righteousness. The eight is beryl. Beryl is a mineral, beryllium aluminum silicate, Be 3 Al 2 Si 6 O 18, but also blue, rose, white, and golden, both opaque and transparent, the later variety including the gems emerald and aquamarine: the principal ore of beryllium. The gem is a bit complex, occurring in various colours. It speaks of the mysteries and glories of Heaven. The ninth is topaz. Topaz is a mineral, a fluosilicate of aluminum, usually occurring in prismatic orthorhombic crystals of various colours, and used as a gem. This gem also occurs in various colours and therefore symbolizes the glories and mysteries of heaven. The tent is chrysoprasus. This golden leek, a precious stone of the colour of leek’s juice, greenish-golden colour. Chrysoprase is a green variety of chalcedony, sometimes used as a gem. This gem speaks of the various shades of our new life in Christ and our position as kings and the eternality of our royal wealth and riches. The eleventh is jacinth. Jacinth is derived from hyacinth, a bulbous plant, Hyacinthus Orientalis, of the lily family, widely cultivated for its cylindrical cluster of fragrant flowers in a variety of colours. This speaks of the aromas of our holy, righteous life of love toward God and toward man which ascend to God the father as incense, especially our prayer life. Our prayers ascend to God as aromas of various scents and colours. The twelfth is amethyst. Amethyst is a purple or violet Quartz, used as a gem. Purple or violet speaks of our royalty, nobility and wealth, its glories and mysteries and attendant responsibilities.
The Substance of the Gates (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.”
The gates of the city was garnished with twelve different pearls. Each gate was of one pearl. We are not told what these pearls are nor what they look like. They must be very precious, gorgeous in appearance and wonderful in the messages they convey. In heaven nothing is in vain. There is no frivolity in Heaven. Everything has meaning and conveys specific messages. Everything is symbolic. Heaven is rich in imagery and symbolism. The street of the city was of pure gold like transparent glass. Gold signals royalty and righteousness. Transparency show that there is nothing hidden in Heaven; everything is exposed, so there is no need to hide or dissemble.
The Temple Of The City (22)
“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
The heavenly Jerusalem has no temple of its own. The Lamb, our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ is the Temple thereof. Remember that this city descending from heaven has a hollow at the base where it merges with the millennial temple on New and elevated Mount Zion. The inhabitants of the heavenly Jerusalem have access to this Temple, so do those who dwell in the renovated earthly millennial Jerusalem and the visitors to the city who are righteous saints. The Throne Room of our Lord, Jesus the Christ is in this Temple. So this Temple is the centre of all activities in the Millennium, being the seat of government of the earthly realm of God’s universal kingdom, and the focal point of the worship of Jehovah God. Every nation and peoples will be required to come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel, the Yahweh of Judah at the feast of tabernacle(Sukkot). Any nation that fails to appear annually in Jerusalem at Feast Of Tabernacles shall be punished with drought. “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE Lord ; and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
Zech.14:12-21).”
The Light Of The City(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.”
This is not a physical city. Therefore it does need the light of the sun nor of the moon. The glory of God shall lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof. In the realm of the spirit, those who are saved have no need of light; for the life of God in them is all the light they need. It is always 12 noon when true believers get of their mortal bodies. There is no night. Everyone is light unto himself by virtue of the life of God in one. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”(John 1:4-5 KJV). We are the light of the world. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”(Matthew 5:14-16 KJV). When those who are not saved get out of their bodies, it is always 12 midnight, because they have not the life of God in them. Therefore witches and wizards carry a source of light in order to find their way through the maze of darkness. Without demonic markers they cannot find their way.
The Dwellers Of The City (24-27)
“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. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of Of life.”
The nations of those who are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. The nations of those who are saved are the redeemed of the Lord. They are the glorified saints. They are the kings of the Earth, to whom God shall give the rulership of the various nations and peoples of the Earth. This is their residence. From this city they shall go to and fro to rule over the nations. This should not surprise us because there is no distance in the realm of the spirit. One could wish to be in Jerusalem, and immediately one is there. They do not need physical means of transportation like airplane, ship, cars, or any sort of vehicles to go to and fro the Earth like the other earthlings over whom they shall rule.
The unbelievers in the millennium cannot approach this city at all. Even believers in the Millennium who are in their mortal bodies cannot approach this city. For flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit in irruption(1 Cor.15:50). Their mortal physical bodies cannot withstand the glories of the heavenly Jerusalem. They will literally melt away. The gates of it shall not be shut at all. In the ancient Near East, the gates of a city are shut at night and in the day in time of war or trouble of some kind. In the heavenly Jerusalem there shall be none of these. Therefore the gates shall not be shut at all. The redeemed of the Lord shall bring the honour and glory of the nations into the heavenly Jerusalem. Those who shall enter into this city are those whose names are written in The Lamb’s book of Life. Nothing that defiles shall enter into this city, neither those who do abominable things nor those who lie. The fact that sinful earthlings in their mortal bodies cannot approach this city indicates that The New Heaven And New Earth is synonymous with the Millennium. For in the Millennium, sinful earthlings, sinful men in their mortal bodies exist, but after the White Throne Judgment at the end of the Millennium, there will be no more sinful men in their mortal bodies in existence anywhere in the entire Universe.
Avraham Shallom.
Mt Zion Heritage Ministries 