The New Jerusalem

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The New Jerusalem is the eternal hometown of the church. We travel towards this new home as we pitch our tent closer each day on our journey home. Now that earth’s sorrows are hushed and eternity has begun, the curtain can rise on the scene of this heavenly city and encourage every weary pilgrim on their journey here.

The appearance of the New Jerusalem is the epitome of beauty, refined loveliness, and uncontrolled joy. During the Millennium, righteousness reigned in Jerusalem, but in the New Jerusalem, it will dwell.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues invited John closer. “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (v. 9). And the angel carried John away in the Spirit to a high and huge mountain where they watched the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, filled with His radiant light. What a scene!

Earthly cities are built from the ground up, but this city comes down out of heaven but doesn’t touch the earth. Now all activity revolves around this city. God will be there; it will be His headquarters. No wonder it will hold such a preeminent position for eternity.

This city is the source of light in the new heavens and earth. The whole city is like a precious gem, transparent and gleaming like a diamond in a gold mounting.

The New Jerusalem has 12 gates to the city. On each gate is the name of a tribe of Israel. People from the 12 tribes of Israel will come up to the celestial city to worship. They will then return back to the earth after they worship, but the bride will dwell in the New Jerusalem.

The walls of the New Jerusalem have 12 foundations, and on them are inscribed the names of the 12 apostles. To these 12 apostles were committed all the writings of the church. They preached the first sermons, they organized the first churches, and they were among the first martyrs. In a real sense they were the church’s foundation with Christ, as “the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). The 12 foundation stones are constructed of 12 different gemstones, the most precious known to man. God’s light on the inside, shining through these colors, will flood the universe like a prism with every color of the rainbow.

We’re told the city is a cube, about 1,500 miles on each side. Architectural difficulties resolve when we consider the city as a cube within a crystal-clear sphere. What we are given are the inside measurements. Thus, the New Jerusalem will be somewhat larger than the moon, and it will be a sphere like the other heavenly bodies. We would likely live inside this sphere, not on the outside like we live here on earth.

New Jerusalem will also be surrounded by a wall made of jasper—built for beauty, not protection. Each of the 12 gates is made of a pearl, and they never will be shut. The street (singular) will be made of pure gold, as transparent glass. God will show off His grace toward the church as the fairest jewel of all (see Ephesians 2:7.)

Jesus Christ dwells in the New Jerusalem with His bride, but Israel and the nations will commute back and forth from the earth to worship. Redeemed Gentile nations, who like Israel don’t belong to the church because they were saved in the Old Testament or after the church is raptured from the earth, also come and go in worship. Hebrews 12:22-23 tells us of an infinite company of angels who serve the Lord in the city. All nationalities meet here, and the created intelligences of God walk the street of the New Jerusalem.

God has accomplished His goal: Fellowship with mankind. He now has a creature who is a free moral agent who chooses to worship and serve Him eternally. All those who live there and all tourists who visit are not only redeemed from sin but they have also lost their taste for sin. And the greatest joy of the redeemed heart will be abiding in our Lord Jesus’ presence for eternity (see John 14:3). This is heaven—to be with Him. Revelation is all about Jesus Christ—He is the centerpiece of God’s universe.

Nothing will compare to the privilege of being with the Lord Jesus there throughout eternity.

Next: So what will we do in heaven?

1. Think about how much love Christ shows toward His Bride, the church. If you are a believer, that includes you. If you really grasped how deep this love is, how might it change your life?

2. The reality of the New Jerusalem can be hard for our human minds to fathom, but what does reading about it tell us about who God is and what He has in store for the future?

3. The idea that God’s presence would dwell with humanity was faint in the Old Testament with the tabernacle in the temple, and it was realized temporarily with the incarnation of Jesus. But the New Jerusalem brings it about as a full reality. What will change with God’s presence real and physically manifested with humanity?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teaching on Revelation 21:19-21 and Revelation 21:6-18.