Scripture readings:
Revelation 21:10 (R.S.V.), "And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God..."
Revelation 22:15,16 (R.S.V.), "And he who talked to me had measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its breadth; and he measured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia, its length and breadth and height are equal. He also measured the wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits by a man's measure, that is, an angel's."
Introduction
The vision of the New Jerusalem belongs to the most astounding prophetic and apocalyptic scenes found in the whole Bible. It is of course an interesting discussion whether or not this vision should be understood in a literal way. It is an hermeneutic principle to study first the text and its literal message and then to proceed, looking at the various aspects of the specific literature, its context, its historical and cultural surroundings to find an hidden message in what is described.
In this sermon we look in the first place at the amazing description as John apparently saw it and then we might attempt to look at a deeper message in it. The New Jerusalem has no doubt a most important message for the children of God, to give them a beautiful and amazing view on the great works of God.
The New Jerusalem, amazing and marvellous
The message of the New Jerusalem is full of marvels and wonderful mysteries. You begin to marvel at what is written here in Revelation 21:15-27 when you realize the measurements of this city. You need know, first of all, that a stadie (A.V. a furlong) measures 184,84 or about 185 metres. Do now a little arithmetics and you find that the sides of that city were about 2118 or 2200 km! It is a city with a largeness that reaches from Amsterdam to Istanbul in Turkey or to Gibraltar, at the utmost south of Spain! If we place this square city on the map of the Middle East with her centre on Jerusalem we see that it covers almost the whole of that region! In fact it was about as large as the then known world to the Romans. Did John realize what he wrote here? I think he did! Then, marvel again: Her height is the same as the length of the sides, 2200 km! Is this not entirely inconceivable? Some interpretors think that the form of this future city will be like a gigantic cube. Others think that it will have a pyramid-structure. Again others think that the given height is the height of the tallest buildings of this city. Just think of standing on the topfloor, you see man made satelites and spacestations far beneath you! Yes, unbelievable, we would say, impossible. Well, nothing is impossible with God! Our forefathers thought that submarines, airplanes or space-stations were impossible, but we have them now. We can make them, but God can make his New Jerusalem.
But, marvel also at the beauty of the building-materials of this city: Precious stones, gold and pearls. Just think of the gates, they are gigantic pearls! Here is something that might interest you. In the Jewish Talmud it is written that a certain rabbi Jochanan, who lived in the third century before Christ, taught a student that God would make the gates of Jerusalem of pearls, that would measure - in metres 12 x 12 metre - and the actual entrance in them would be 4 x 8 metre.
It truly is all very amazing, yes, it is for finite human minds inconceivable what is written here in Revelation. But there is still more here in this sacred passage, this apocalyptic vision with its inconceivable descriptions, to baffle the human mind and not many who read it notice it!
The New Jerusalem has a broad street, a boulevard, it runs alongs the River of Life. On both sides of the river are the trees of life growing what a beautiful picture. As Paris has her Seine, London the Thames, Rome the Tiber and Amsterdam her Amstel, so has the New Jerusalem her River of Life. The New Jerusalem is the lost Garden of Eden resurrected, but as a city with a garden. The Garden of Eden, read Genesis chapter two, had but one tree of life, but this city is full of these trees and... people may evidently eat of them. It is absolutely wonderful. But here follows the most wonderful reality.
The greatest wonder, God Himself is present in this city
We notice that this city has no temple. In those times, in which John lived, this was very unusual for every city had her temple and many had more than one. Often there were many temples in the very large cities. The earthly Jerusalem had her temple, but the heavenly Jerusalem has no temple - why? Here is the answer, it is a wonderful prophecy: God Himself and the Lamb is her temple.
The prophet Ezechiel shares with us in chapters 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 the vision of a new temple with many details of the structure described very clearly. A temple like that has never been built yet. John did not see a temple in the New Jerusalem - this must have been very surprising to him. God lives in this city in the midst of his people and He is their Light, their Direct Source of energy. Is this not truly inconceivable? The city is one big 'Most Holy Place.' People are living in the direct, wonderful light of the Almighty God. In the tabernacle there were two chambers: The Holy place, and the Holy of Holiest. In the last chamber stood the Arc of the Covenant. God dwelled there, above the Cherubim and there was a mysterious light according to Rabbinic traditions, the Shekinah. When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple, hiding the Most Holy from the eyes of the priests, torn in two from top till bottom; read Matthew 27:51. God opened the Most Holy to the eyes of man, because sin was removed and people were invited to enter into His very Presence! In the New Jerusalem this will become a glorious reality: People living in Gods Presence, enjoying Him and basking in His healthy, energizing Light.
The New Jerusalem is full of the glory of God. Revelation ends with a beautiful prophetic sight: The New Jerusalem, God is there and his people live in his very Presence - it is absolutely wonderful. If we believe now we will one day enter the gates of the New Jerusalem and be in the very presence of God Himself. It is hard to conceive, but I believe it, we will be living in the city where God's Presence fills all its dwellings, rooms and spaces with heavenly light. Here is joy unspreakable and full of glory.
A deeper meaning?
Having looked at the amazing structure and attributes of this New Jerusalem we might proceed to ponder its deeper meaning, while we ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this process.
Before making some explorations to understand the message the Holy Spirit wants to convey to us today, I want to make a statement: "Nobody should speak, claiming dogmatic authority, for his interpretation of these mysterious and wonderful apocalyptic scenes as the very nature of this kind of literature is not meant to be a foundation for doctrine.
We also should consider this: It is not at all unscriptural to think that the Holy Spirit, inspiring godly men with these mysterious and wonderful visions and pictures, had and still has the intention to apply them to several aspects of the great plan of God."
Now, without being dogmatic, I will search today for deeper meanings in this glorious vision, so as to understand more fully God's plan for our individual life and the church. I will attempt to draw some important conclusions from the comparison of the New Jerusalem with the earthly city of Jerusalem.
The earthly city of Jerusalem is destined to be the place, where God will dwell and set His throne. This was promised to king David and confirmed by a number of prophets. Those, who will be living in this city have the joy and pleasure to dwell in the immediate presence of the Lord God. The destined future of the city of Jerusalem is that it will become the place from where the King of Kings will rule the whole earth.
It is not at all difficult to observe that these aspects of the earthly city are found in this apocalyptic vision of the New Jerusalem. You will remember that we studied in this message the immense size and dimensions of the New Jerusalem as described by John. We observe now:
a. Its immense size covered the whole earth, as it was known at that time.
b. Its hight reached into the heavens - even above the clouds and the higher regions of the atmosphere, as the heavens were understood in the days of John.
c. The city was filled with the presence and power of God.
These aspects fit the spiritual nature and destination of the church. The apostles taught that the church's destination is to fill the whole earth and that it in the Kingdom of Christ it will reign with Him over all the nations of the earth.
We understand also that the future state of the church includes both an heavenly and an earthly dwelling. The church is now in a spiritual dimension while its members are still on earth in their frail, corruptable bodies, for it is 'seated with Christ in heavenly places;' read Ephesians 2:6. And if we continue to read verse 7 we notice that the apostle writes about the future function of the church in the coming new ages.
The apostles also taught that the church is destined to be the habitat for the Spirit of God. In the church shines the light of God, the powerful and radiant truth, transparent of nature and showing the presence and the ways of God. In the church runs the river of life, as God is pouring out His Spirit upon it, as Jesus said in John 7:37-39. This wonderful spiritual river of God supplies all its members with eternal life and fruitfulness, even flowing out to the whole world.
In accordance with chapter 21:9 and 10, we do not violate any rule of interpretation as we envision the New Jerusalem as a meaningful symbolic description of the true nature and destination of the church, the Bride of Jesus Christ. The measures of this city, and many details as John described it, are unearthly immense and as God, being himself the light of it, the whole picture of this New Jerusalem must be understood in a spiritual way. The glorified church is coming down as the Bride of the Lamb, united with Him, see also chapter 19:6-9, and is planted on earth, but reaching out in its spiritual hight into the very heaven. Let's praise the Lord and thank the Holy Spirit for His wonderful, meaningful vision.
Invitation
I like to close with a personal question to you, who took time to read this message. Would you not like to become a citizen of this New Jerusalem? Would you not like to become a partaker of this future glory? Would you not like to become a believer in Jesus Christ and become a member of His body, serving Him in His great future Kingdom. Just think about this amazing state of future usefulness and glory! If you say, "Yes, I would like to become a believer," you accept Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, as your personal Saviour and dedicate your life to Him. You accept Him as the Lord of your life and you promise by God's grace to follow Him. If you accept Him, know this: Your name will be registered as a future citizen of the New Jerusalem. Why not pray this prayer right now?
A prayer
"Dear Lord, I
thank You for taking my sin and guilt away by your atoning death on the
cross at Calvary. I believe that I am now reconciled to God and accept
His eternal love and care. I want to live for You from henceforth and
be
a witness for Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. I thank you that I
can
be sure about it that my name is now written in the book of the New
Jerusalem,
my future home city. Amen."
Questions? E-mail.... Pastor T. J. de Ruiter