THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Part 47
All Things New
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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.
Rev 21:5 KJV
This is a trustworthy and truthful saying; as faithful
and true as the Words of Prophecy by ‘the Lord God of the holy prophets’
regarding “the things which must shortly be done” (22:6).
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall
ye not know it? (Isa 43:19 KJV)
When all things are made new, the dwelling of God
will be with men; the old order of things will pass away.
“My dwelling place will be with them…” (Ezek 37:27 NIV).
No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up
thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with
songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isa 35:9-10 KJV).
New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem, New Temple,
New Creation, New Atmosphere, New Conditions—he who overcomes will inherit all
this (Rev.21:7).
The free gift of the Water of Life is also for the
redeemed of the Lord "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters”
(Isa 55:1 NIV).
God makes all things new!
There will be a new sky and a new universe—called
“new heavens” in Isaiah 65:18.
"Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind (NIV).
The first heaven and the first earth will pass away,
and there will be no longer any sea.
Earth and sky shall flee from the Presence of the
Righteous Judge, when He sits on "the Great White Throne"; there will
be no more place for them (see Rev.20:11).
The New Jerusalem—a holy city, will descend out of
Heaven from God, adorned (arrayed) like a bride beautified and dressed up for
her husband. A hallowed, consecrated celestial city which shines with the Glory
of God; its brilliance is like that of a very precious jewel, like jasper,
clear as crystal. The walls of the city were built upon 12 foundations of
precious stones, each with its own unique color. The great street of the city (the
broadway) is of pure gold, clear like transparent glass. The twelve gates of
the city are pearls, each gate made of a single pearl (Rev 21:21).
"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for
fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything
he had and bought it” (Matt 13:45-46 NIV)
Imagine a city with great, high walls, with twelve
gates and with twelve angels at the gates (Rev 21:12).
The New Jerusalem is clothed in God's Glory [in all
its splendor and radiance]. The Glory of God gives it light (Rev 21:23); this
is the Sh’khinah Glory.
Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again (Isa 52:1
NIV).
“The Bride” is the Wife of the Lamb (Rev. 21:9). She
will rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant] at the Wedding Supper
of the Lamb. On that faithful day, she will celebrate and ascribe to the King,
Glory and Honor (Rev 19:7).
The New Jerusalem is “the Home of Righteousness;”
it
is great and marvelous. The Lord Himself says He will rejoice over the New
Jerusalem.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in My people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
Isa 65:18-19 NIV
In Revelation 21:2-7 “the New Jerusalem” descends.
From verse 9 to 27 “the New Jerusalem” is described.
In Revelation 12:1, this Jerusalem that is above is
presented as ‘a great and wondrous sign.’
In Ezekiel 40 we see Prophet Ezekiel's "Vision
of the Man with a Measuring Rod." While on exile in Babylon, Ezekiel was
taken in the Spirit to the land of Israel and set on a very high mountain, on
whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. In this vision,
he sees a future temple in Jerusalem and witnesses the measurement of the East
Gate to the Outer Court.
All these are symbolic to the eternal realities of
Heaven and of the New Jerusalem.
The New Jerusalem has three gates on the east, three
on the north, three on the south and three on the west (Rev 21:13). The wall of
the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb (v.14). The city is laid out like a square (v.16).
Just as this celestial city is built by the hands of
‘the Almighty Creator,’ and not by the hands of men, likewise in Ephesians 2,
we also read that, members of God's household are being wholly assembled,
constructed and joined together, built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone—and like a
building rises to become a holy temple in the Lord (vv.19-22).
Each member of God’s household [spiritual children],
after life on this Earth, shall be welcomed as citizen of the Heavenly royal
city.
In Ezekiel 48, Prophet Ezekiel sees the gates of
each of the cities [tribes] of Israel. Each city gate in Israel was to be named
in honor of each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
"These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the
north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, the gates of the city will be named
after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate
of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.
"On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be
three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.
"On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be
three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.
"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be
three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali (vv. 31-34
NIV).
And, in verse 35, the name of the city as prophesied
is: “Jehovah Shamah”—The Lord is Present (The Lord is There).
“‘The perimeter of [the city] will be just under six [miles]
long. And from that day on the name of the city will be Adonai Shamah [Adonai
is there]’” (CJB).
"And the name of the city from that time on will be:
THE LORD IS THERE" (NIV).
The area set aside for the Lord's temple in
Jerusalem is described in verses 9 to 12.
The Eternal Covenant of Peace in Isaiah 54 reveals
the future Glory of the New Jerusalem.
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with
sapphires.
And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of
carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great
shall be the peace of thy children.
In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far
from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not
come near thee (vv.11-14 KJV).
Man’s civilization as we know it shall fade away;
all God’s children will be taught by God. In Righteousness they shall be
established. They shall be far from even the thought of fear, oppression or
destruction.
Death shall be swallowed up in victory. The
Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears of His children; He will remove the
disgrace of His people (Isa 25:8).
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with
songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isa 35:10 KJV).
The Lord Almighty will reign over His redeemed
people from the Heavenly Mount Zion (Isa. 24:23) and they shall dwell in the
New Jerusalem.
The sun will no more be their light by day, nor will
the brightness of the moon shine on them, for the Lord will be their
“Everlasting Light,” and their God will be their Glory [emphasis mine] (60:19).
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more
death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away" (Rev 21:4 NIV).
There shall be no temple in the glorious celestial
city, for Adonai is its Temple; the Father and His Holy Lamb receive the
worship of his people eternally (Rev 21:22). The Lord is the Holy of Holies.
In Revelation 10:6 the Lord announces, "... there should be time no longer"
(KJV).
And, verse 7 states, "... the Mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared
to His servants the prophets."
He that sits upon the Throne declares,
"Behold, I make all things
new"(21:5 KJV).
He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
When it all ends, He shall say:
"It is done" (v.6).