The New Heavens & New Earth

But God's story ends with wonderful news—everyone who has trusted Jesus as his or her Savior will enter a beautiful, sin-free paradise and live there eternally with God.

Down through the ages people have been waiting, longing to be free from the body captive to sin, and live forever with God. They have eagerly anticipated this ever since sin first entered the world.

It was literally paradise for Adam and Eve to live in the garden. But sin contaminated God’s perfect world. Over the years God made it clearer and clearer to fallen humanity that He had a plan and would not give up on having righteous men and women live on a perfect earth. Many along the way came to understand this and submitted to God’s plan.

Abraham was one of those. In all his sojourning he kept his eye on an unseen city designed and built by God Himself. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, and then Isaac and Jacob had the same vision. All of them kept believing and didn’t turn back when the road got difficult on their pursuit of a far better country than anything they had seen on earth—that heaven country. God will honor them; He has a City waiting for them. Many more were pioneers, blazing the way, looking forward to the day God would reveal His City.

Where is this City? It’s not on Mount Sinai; in fact, it’s not even in Palestine. This is the City where the living God resides and judges. It’s the City to which we have entrance only through Jesus’ sacrifice. Where is it?

After Satan is thrown into Fire and Brimstone Lake, God’s special City, the New Jerusalem, will descend brand-new, resplendent, and glorious from Heaven, prepared for God as a bride for her husband. A thunderous voice will come from the throne:

“Look! Look! God is moving in, making His home with men and women! He will wipe away the tears of His people. Death, tears, and pain are finished, gone for good. All the old is gone.”

Then the One seated on the throne spoke. “Listen! I'm making everything new. And this New City is what My Children, the faithful, will inherit. But degenerates, murderers, sorcerers, idolaters, liars—all the faithless—are destined for Fire and Brimstone Lake, second death!”

What is the City like? It will shimmer like a precious gem, filled and pulsating with light. The foundation will be garnished with every precious gem imaginable. The high, majestic walls of jasper will have 12 gates each made from a single pearl, an angel positioned at each. (By the way, the gates will never be shut.) The City will be laid out in perfect design—2,200 kilometers long, wide, and high.

Main Street will be of pure gold, translucent as glass. There will be no temple, for the Sovereign Lord God and the Lamb are its temple. God's Glory serves as the sun for the City, the Lamb for its streetlights! There will never be night! All the nations will walk in its light. Earth’s kings will bring the splendor, glory, and honor of the nations into the City.

At the center of the City is God’s Throne (and the Lamb’s). God’s glory will provide all the light anyone will ever need. Flowing crystal bright from the Throne right down the middle of Main Street will be Water-of-Life River. The Tree of Life will be planted on each side of the River, producing 12 kinds of fruit, a ripe fruit each month. Its leaves will heal the nations.

Who will enter the City? Nothing and no one dirty, detestable, or deceiving will get into the City. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will get in. These servants of God will look on His face and worship, reflecting His character, and ruling with Him forever.