New Jerusalem
Once God’s Promised Kingdom, the Millennium is over, out of heaven descends the New Jerusalem. This city is magnificent. It is like a giant crystal which descends to the earth. It has a wall with twelve gates, each of a single pearl, and twelve foundations, each of a precious stone. Its main street is of pure gold, translucent and reflective, as well as is the city itself (Rv 21:15-21). It is fifteen hundred miles square.
It is likely that the city is described as being square because the Holy of Holies has always been square (1Ki 6:20; 2Ch 3:8; Ek 41:4). Since the tabernacle and temple were replicas of heavenly things (Hb 8:5), this is where God dwells. Some believe it may also be pyramid in shape. Or the city could be on top of the jeweled foundations that are pyramid in shape. In either case, God will rule from the highest place on the earth (Is 2:2-3; Jl 3:17). This may be why Satan had the tower of Babel originally built because this was his first attempt to be like the Most High (Is 14:14). It may also be why Babylon had the hanging gardens to try to replicate what God is going to have here in this new world capital. Atop of this magnificent city is God’s throne. From this flows the River of Life reflecting the glory of God through all the light of the precious stones, as well as in that of the golden street and city. One can view this magnificent city from thousands of miles away. The light given off by the Shekinah glory of God will reflect off, and refract through, these crystalline materials making the whole city sparkle and very likely will produce many colors as the light is refracted. It is going to be absolutely spectacular. Truly, “…eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1Co 2:9).
This New Jerusalem will be on the new earth. Although the new earth could be a lot bigger than ours today, one can use the dimensions given in Revelation and the size of the earth today to better understand the enormity of the city. If Jerusalem is the center of the city and the city is almost fifteen hundred miles square, then, based upon today’s earth, the city would stretch from the top of Turkey to below the bottom of Egypt and from the eastern border of Iraq to the eastern border of Greece. If this structure was placed inside the continental United States, it would cover almost two-thirds of the country. By anyone’s standard, that is big! From the dimensions given, one can also get an idea as to how far away the city may be seen. If one takes into account the height of the city and how far away the unobstructed horizon would be, one could start to see it from as far away as the southern tip of Africa to the middle of Alaska; from Greenland to Indonesia. If God’s Shekinah glory that will be shinning from the center and at the top of the city is taken into account, the glow could be extend much further.
The Bible states that this city will have walls that are almost two hundred feet high (some translations state thick) and composed of jasper (Rv 21:17-18). The exact name of these gems may not be known or translated to what they are known as today. However, the Bible states that this stone is clear as crystal. This would provide a bright glow outside the city. Therefore, some interpret that the walls are very thick and as high as the city itself, while others state that the wall is two hundred feet high but that the tallest point in the city, i.e., where God’s throne will be, is fifteen hundred miles high. Either way, it will be totally magnificent.
Excited? Our future in Christ will be absolutely wonderful. It will truly blow our minds. Get yourself ready!
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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens