Rev. 21:1. "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."
Rev. 21:14. "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
Now that we have read the whole chapter let us go back to verse 1 and see what each verse is saying to us.
Rev. 21:1. "And I saw a NEW heaven and a NEW earth: FOR (or BECAUSE) the FIRST heaven and the FIRST earth were PASSED AWAY; and there was NO more SEA."
Now we know that at this point in time that all the WICKED have been DESTROYED and the sometimes the word "SEA" is used to refer to the WICKED. So then, to ME, I see this as meaning that in the NEW heaven and the NEW earth that there will be NO more WICKED. To ME, there is a lot of beauty in the SEA and marvels that man has yet to explore, so I do not see why the NEW heaven and the NEW earth will not have and OCEANS or SEAS. But if you desire to take this to mean there will LITERALLY be NO more OCEANS or SEAS, then we will differ on the way we INTERPRET this particular verse of scripture. Let us see what else John sees in the next verse.
Rev. 21:2. "And I John saw the holy CITY, NEW Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a BRIDE adorned for her husband."
So then, John sees two things. First John see the NEW heaven and the NEW earth, the John sees the holy CITY, NEW Jerusalem COMING DOWN out of heaven, which we I suppose are to assume is the NEW heaven, because the FIRST heaven PASSED AWAY. Also I suppose it is the NEW earth that the CITY, the NEW Jerusalem is coming DOWN to rest upon. Let us continue with the next verse.
Rev. 21:3. "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold (or look and see), the TABERNACLE of God is WITH men, and he (speaking of Almighty God the Father himself) will DWELL WITH them, and they shall be his people, and God HIMSELF shall be WITH them, and be their God."
Keep in mind that Jesus, the SON of Almighty God has been dwelling WITH mankind for the past 1000 years. So to ME, I see this as meaning exactly what is says, that GOD, speaking of the one true and only ALMIGHTY God HIMSELF will come DOWN to the NEW earth with his TABERNACLE and DWELL WITH us. Now I know that many of us were taught that we would all live in HEAVEN for all eternity, but clearly to ME I see that the word of TRUTH teaches us that Almighty God will COME DOWN and live WITH US here on the NEW earth that he creates for us. Let us move on to the next verse.
Rev. 21:4. "And God (speaking of Almighty God himself) 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."
Now some have argued that the earth will abide FOREVER and that it shall NEVER PASS AWAY, but rather God CHANGES the surface of the earth like a GARMENT. Please read Isaiah 51:5,6, which says,
"My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth BENEATH: for the heavens shall VANISH AWAY like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a GARMENT, and they that dwell therein shall DIE in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished."
Now please read Psalm 102:18-28, which teaches us that in the DAY of God WRATH he will look down from heaven as see the prisoners that are awaiting death or martyrdom and will save his people and CHANGE them as a garment.
"This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be CREATED (or CHANGED, become a new creation) shall praise the LORD. 19. For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth (sometimes when the Bible speak of the "EARTH" it is speaking of the people and not the planet itself); 20. To HEAR the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; 21. To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; 22. When the PEOPLE are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. 23. He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. 24. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: your years are throughout all generations. 25. Of old hast you laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26. They (speaking of the heavens and the earth) shall PERISH, but you shall endure: yea, all of THEM (the heavens and the earth) shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shall you change THEM, and THEY (the heavens and the earth) shall be CHANGED: 27. But you are the same, and your years shall have no end. 28. The children of your servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before you."
You see when God judges the EARTH he is NOT judging the physical planet, but rather God is judging the PEOPLE. So then this verse could very well men the PEOPLE who are prisoners appointed to death shall be CHANGED as a garment rather than the physical earth being change. Now I myself am NOT dogmatic either way. The main point is that we will live on a NEW earth with Almighty God dwelling with us after the 1000 year reign of Jesus. Let us continue with the next verse.
Rev. 21:5. "And he that sat upon the throne (which everywhere in the book of Revelation is always speaking of Almighty God the Father that sits upon the THRONE) said, Behold, I make all things NEW. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."
Let us continue with verse 6 of Revelation chapter 21.
Rev. 21:6. "And he (Almighty God the Father) 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."
Now keep in mind that those who were found FAITHFUL in the CHURCH at the SECOND coming of Jesus have ALREADY been GIVEN ETERNAL LIFE. So then, the water of live here is for those who were found to be RIGHTEOUS during the 1000 year reign of Jesus. But this verse also could be going BACK to the beginning and is speaking of BOTH the saints BEFORE the 1000 years which is us the church AND those who are found to be righteous during the 1000 year reign who will take part in the second resurrection where the REST of the dead are raised and judged at the white throne judgment. Let us move on to the next verse.
Rev. 21:7. "He that over comes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
Certainly this speaks of ALL the saints. I myself believe that in the end ALL the RIGHTEOUS will have eternal life and go on into the ages to come to enjoy what God has prepared for those of us who LOVE him. Lets us see what the next verse tells us.
Rev. 21:8. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL liars, shall have their PART in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Those who are FEARFUL and who DENY Jesus will have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE on the day of JUDGMENT. Those who do NOT BELIEVE that Jesus is the SON of Almighty God will have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE of JUDGMENT. Those who are ABOMINABLE such as a man laying sexually with another man, or a woman laying sexually with another woman shall have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE on the day of JUDGMENT. Those who are MURDERS or in other words, those who HATE their fellow man shall have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE of JUDGMENT. Those who commit ADULTERY or FORNICATION including the GAYS and the LESBIANS and all having premarital sex shall have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE in the day of JUDGMENT. Those who abuse DRUGS and use witchcraft shall have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE on the day of JUDGMENT. Those who worship and pray to IDOLS and FALSE gods like Allah shall have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE on the day of JUDGMENT. And it should be noted that ALL liars even those little LIES shall be JUDGED and those who do NOT REPENT shall have their PART in the LAKE of FIRE on the day of JUDGMENT. Let us move on to the next two verses in Revelation chapter 21.
Rev. 21:9. "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 SHOW you the BRIDE, the Lamb's WIFE."
So then, from these two verse we see that the great CITY the NEW Jerusalem IS the BRIDE and WIFE of Jesus Christ. You see the word "CITY" sometimes means PEOPLE rather than a physical city structure that is built for people to live in. Also notice that this CITY or the BRIDE of Christ is DESCENDING OUT of heaven and we saw earlier in verse 1 and 2 that this take places at the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus. Also notice that the TABERNACLE of God DESCENDS down to the NEW earth at this time. Now to ME, I am seeing this TABERNACLE of God or this NEW Jerusalem being a PHYSICAL dwelling place where the SAINTS taken up in the RAPTURE of the church will dwell and rule and reign from during this 1000 year reign of Jesus. Please read the study "WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT UFO'S?" for a deeper understanding of what I mean by this. But for now let us move on to the next 4 verses.
Rev. 21:11. "Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;"
Which I believe are 12 of the 24 elders who sit on thrones, and the other 12 elders are heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. So then, to ME I see this CITY called the NEW Jerusalem being BOTH the CHURCH and ISRAEL but also being a PHYSICAL dwelling place as well. Now for the next verse.
Rev. 21:15. "And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure (perhaps a very high standard of measurement. Jesus said I have not found your works PERFECT and WARNS us to REPENT) the CITY, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof."
Please read Revelation 3:2-5, which to me set a very high standard for what God expects of us.
3. Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and REPENT. If therefore you shalt NOT watch, I will come on you as a THIEF, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you. 4.You hast a FEW names even in Sardis which have NOT defiled their garments; and THEY shall walk with me in white: for THEY are WORTHY (or they have MEASURED UP to the golden measure). 5. He that over comes, the SAME shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will NOT blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
Let us continue with the next two verses.
Rev. 21:16. "And the city lies 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."
Some say this physical city is a CUBE and other believe it to be a PYRAMID shape with a square base having the same height as each side of it's base.
Rev. 21:17. "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."
A very strange statement. So is it according to the measure of a MAN or the measure of the ANGEL? Or was John saying to us that this angel looks like a man, because later on we see John falling down and worshiping at the feet of a angel, which for me I see as being Jesus? I do not really know what John means by this verse. Let us continue this study by taking a look at the next ten verses, which describe this city.
Rev. 21:18. "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."
The CITY was PURE GOLD yet it is LIKE CLEAR GLASS. This could mean the city is like crystal with a golden color.
Rev. 21:19. "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;"
Each foundation has a name of an apostle and is made of a precious stone, where each foundation has a different precious stone. We are living stones built upon a sure foundation. We are God's jewels. Or this could be literal and this literal city is built on twelve foundations of precious stones. I personally see the city as BOTH literal and figurative. And I do not believe we can take everything as being LITERAL, but at the same time I do not believe we should take everything as being figurative.
Rev. 21:21. "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 twelve gates are twelve pearls. I think of pearls being white of opaque and round or spherical. I can visualize a round gate with light come out, because we are told that the gates remain open. And if you have a gate, a portal, or an entrance then you would expect a walkway or a street to lead you through the cities interior. Again GOLD as transparent or CLEAR glass. These things are hard to visualize, but if you have every walk on a floor made of glass you can perhaps see how this might be. There are some who interpret this city of New Jerusalem completely as symbolic because of it's immense size, but for myself nothing is impossible with God and who is to say that this NEW earth will be the same size as the first earth?
Rev. 21:22. "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."
No need for a temple, because Almighty God and his Son Jesus are PRESENT dwelling in this city or tabernacle of God.
Rev. 21:23. "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."
God is LIGHT, so no need for the sun of moon in the city of God, because Almighty God and his Son Jesus will be the light and the glory of their light will shine down on the earth.
Rev. 21:24. "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 honor into it."
This can mean that only the saved who have eternal life are allow to walk within the city. Or this may mean that the glory and the light of the city shines down to give light to those saved alive on the earth. And the kings of the earth bring their treasures into the city and leave them at the gate of the city.
Rev. 21:25. "And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there."
The gates themselves are not shut, but no flesh shall enter INTO the kingdom of God. Or this can mean that every one has eternal life at this point and every one can could and go in and out day or night.
Rev. 21:26. "And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it."
When I read verse like this I see the time being during the 1000 years, because those left if the nations will bring sacrifices up from year to year. Also the treasure and riches of the unjust are laid up for the just.
Rev. 21:27. "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
Now this may mean that ONLY the SAINTS who ALREADY have received ETERNAL LIFE may enter into the city. Or this may mean that only the RIGHTEOUS will receive ETERNAL LIFE and be aloud to ENTER the city.
This brings us to the end of revelation chapter 21. Let us begin chapter 22.
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