Chapter 21 of Revelation begins with these words: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there in no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain, the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."

The New Jerusalem is NOT a physical city that will descend from the sky and perhaps hover over the tiny nation of Israel in the Middle East. There is so much about it that plainly shows us that, like everything else in the book of Revelation, it is "signified." In fact, the New Jerusalem, is one of the easier Revelation pictures to understand when comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13).

There are two major keys leading to a right understanding of the symbolism in the book of Revelation. One is found in the statement, "Behold I am making all things new (above). The other is found in the words of Revelation 21:9 and 10: ...I will show you the bride of the Lamb! And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God...

When the Holy Spirit through Paul saw the Church without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5: 27) he was speaking of what we will become - what we are destined to be. The New Jerusalem is a community of believers - the Bride of Christ! (Isaiah 54:1. Ephesians 5:32) So here, in John's vision he looks upon the completed work. But the vision is not just of our future! The nature and ministry of the Church in the present day world is also depicted by the symbolism of the New Jerusalem. John saw the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God. Did you know that to be born again is to be born from above? Did you know that everything about the New Covenant was born from above? Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, the same John said in his first letter. (chapter 5, verse 4.)

The ministry gifts are born of God. The aspirations, calling and ministry of God's people are all born of God, or they are not part of the New Jerusalem. (Ephesians 4:10-16. Galatians 4:26) Hebrews 12:22 clearly tells us, But you have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels. The Jerusalem below stands for legalism and bondage. The Jerusalem above receives and declares God's grace. John heard a loud voice saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them. Did not Jesus say, a long time ago, Wherever two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in the midst of them? (Matthew 18:20) Are we to perceive a difference between "among" and "midst"?

Consider a community of the saints, angels and the Triune God. Then go to John 17:20-23 which reads: I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those who believe in Me through their word. That they may be one; even as Thou Father are in me, and I in Thee, that they may also be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity…

John noticed that the bride, seen pictorially as a city, came down out of heaven having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone of crystal-clear jasper. We first saw this jasper radiating from the Throne of God. (Rev. 4:3) Hear Jesus again: The glory which Thou has given me I have given to them. Revelation 20:18 says: And the material of the walls was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The clear glass image of the gold is not surprising because the glory of God shines out through us! Remember that Revelation 3:12 presented us with this image: He who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the New Jerusalem, the city of My God, which comes down out of heaven from My God. Is anyone eagerly looking forward to being a literal pillar in a literal temple? Surely, the pillar just mentioned is symbolic, and the temple associated with it is also. Revelation 21:12 shows the city with 12 gates with the names of 12 tribes. Three gates on four walls. We believe that 3 x 4 (equaling 12) represents God working in the world. When God worked in the New Covenant He did through 12 Apostles and that is why their names appear on the 12 wall foundations (verse 14). Therefore, all these aspects of the New Jerusalem are symbolic of God's chosen ones and His working.

Ephesians 2:19-22 also supports this thought: So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of God's household, having been built on the foundations of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. John said: And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. (Revelation 21:22) As in the Ephesians image the whole city is in effect a temple. The Spirit of God within us, shining out as through transparent glass, makes us His temple. In 2 Corinthians 6:16 we read: ... for we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. After this John said: The one who spoke to me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates, and its walls. (Revelation 21:15) "To measure" we learned from Ezekiel 42:20 is to "divide between the holy and profane". This is to ensure God's protection, presence and glory.

It is therefore interesting to observe that the very next verse to our 2 Corinthians reading (above) says: Therefore come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord. And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me", says the Lord Almighty. The city is seen as a perfect cube, twelve thousand furlongs in each direction. Far too immense in height for earthly materials - including pure gold. Dr. Hugh Ross, of the Reasons To Believe organization, says it will be made of entirely new physics of a entire new universe. It would certainly have to be! I have a lot of respect for Dr. Ross and his organization but really... We need not go further than the symbol. The only other cube in the Bible is the Old Covenant Holy of Holies which was 20 cubits in each direction. We have already seen, in a number of studies, that the community of believers, the Christian Church is God's true holy of holies. (Ephesians 2:21 margin, (NASB)

John says: and the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. (21:24) We are now kings and priest in His Kingdom. (Revelation 1:5, 1 Peter 2:9) Jesus said: I am the light of the world. But He also said, you are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (John 8:12, Matthew 5:14)

Notice that the gates of the New Jerusalem are never closed. Revelation 21:26 says: ...they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abominations and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. In this connection the Apostle Paul says God will ... render to very man according to his deeds: To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but to those who are selfishly ambitious, and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. (Romans 2:6-8)

The city has a river of the waters of life coming from the Throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1). Please notice that this river of living waters flows FROM the Throne of God and not BY the Throne of God as some literalists have to have it, and as it is often presented in a popular song.

Jesus told the woman at the well that He was the giver of this living water (John 7:38) and so fulfilled Zechariah 14:8. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations. Jesus is our "tree of life" and the fruit comes from Him also as we walk in close relationship with Him. (John 15:1&2)

Remember He said: No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.. You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. (John 15:15-16) Our fellowship with the Lord should cause us to bear fruit twelve months of the year, every year. The Christian's sharing of the Gospel with power to save, heal and deliver from demonic oppression is God's means of bringing "healing to the nations".

Humanistic involvement in programs and plots to bring about "social justice" and "equality" will not do it. The curse is removed by the redeeming work of the Cross! Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. (Galatians 3:13) The Old Covenant holy of holies had no natural light but was lit by the glory of God alone. So too in the New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:23, 22:5) Chapter 22, verse 7 says: And behold I come quickly. Blessed is he that heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. John testifies here that he also was a fellow-servant of those who heed the words of this book (22:9). The book is not a sealed book as the book of Daniel was during the period of the Old Covenant (verse 10) for the time (even then) was near.

And the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come". And let the one who hears say, "Come." And the one who is thirsty, "Come"; let the one who wishes, take the waters of life without cost. Here is the compassionate Jesus, not willing that any should perish, pleading through His Church, unctioned by the Holy Spirit, for men and woman to turn from their folly and live.