The tree of life in the new city.

Revelation 22 -

CHAPTER -- XXII -- The Tree and the River of Life 

p 763 -- VERSE 1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The angel continues to show John the wonderful things of the city of God. In the midst of the street of the city was the tree of life.

The Broad Street. - Although the word street is here used in the singular number, with the definite article the before it, it is not supposed that there is but one street in the city; for there are twelve gates, and there must of course be a street leading to each gate. But the street here spoken of is the street by way of distinction; it is the main street, or, as the original word signifies, the broad way, the great avenue.

The River of Life. - The tree of life is in the midst of this street; but the tree of life is on either side of the river of life; hence the river of life is also in the midst of the street of the city. This river proceeds from the throne of God. The picture thus presented before the mind is this: The glorious throne of God at the head of this broad way, or avenue; out of that throne the river of life, flowing lengthwise through the center of the street; and the tree of life growing on either side, forming a high and magnificent arch over that majestic stream, and spreading its life-bearing branches far away on either hand. How broad this broad street is, we have no

p 764 -- street diagram means of determining; but it will be at once perceived that a city three hundred and seventy-five miles from side to side in either direction, would be able to devote quite an ample space to its great avenue.

A very natural conception of the arrangement of the streets of the city would be that shown in the accompanying diagram; namely, the throne in the center, and a grand avenue in which is the river of life and the tree of life extending out in four directions to the wall of the city on all of its four sides. This would give all corresponding parts of the city equal access to the grand avenue. It would also furnish opportunity for one magnificent gate in the center of each side of the city, opening upon the grand avenue. The length of each of these four branches of the avenue (depending of course on how much space is allotted to the throne) would be at least some one hundred and eighty miles. It may be said that this is carrying speculation a degree too far. Perhaps it is. But it is assumed that those who hope soon to enter into that city, will not be averse to a little innocent speculation in that direction.

The Tree of Life. - But how can the tree of life be but one tree, and still be on either side of the river?   1.    It is evident that there is but one tree of life. From Genesis to Revelation it is spoken of as but one - the tree of life.    2.    To be at once on both sides of the river, it must have more than one trunk, in which case it must be united at the  or in its upper branches, in order to form but one tree. John,

p 765 -- 

(picture omitted) 

p 766 -- caught away in the Spirit, and presented with a minute view of this wonderful object, says that it was on either side of the river. Another who has been privileged to behold in vision the marvelous glories of the heavenly land, has borne similar testimony:       "We all marched in, and felt that we had a perfect right in the city. Here we saw the tree of life and the throne of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life. At first I thought I saw two trees. I looked again, and saw that they were united at the  in one tree. So it was the tree of life on either side of the river of life; its branches bowed to the place where we stood; and the fruit was glorious, which looked like gold mixed with silver." Experience and Views, pp. 12, 13.       And why should such a tree be looked upon as unnatural or impossible, since we have an illustration of it here upon earth? The banyan tree of India is of precisely the same nature in this respect. Of this tree the Encyclopedia Americana thus speaks:       "The ficus Indica (Indian fig, or banyan tree) has been celebrated from antiquity from its letting its branches drop and take root in the earth, which in their turn become trunks, and give out other branches, a single tree thus forming a little forest."       In just this way the tree of life could extend and support itself.

The tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit, and yields its fruit every month. This fact throws light upon the declaration in Isa. 66:23, that all flesh shall come up "from one new moon to another " to worship before the Lord of hosts. The words new moon should be rendered month. The Hebrew has (hhodesh), the second definition of which Gesenius gives as "a month." The Septuagint has mhn ek mhnoV (men ek menos) "from month to month." The redeemed come up to the holy city from month to month to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations; literally, the service of the nations. This cannot be understood as implying that any will enter the city in a diseased or deformed condition to need healing; for then the conclusion would follow that there will always be persons there in that condition, as we have no reason to understand that the

p 767 -- service of the leaves, whatever it is, will not be perpetual, like the use of the fruit; but the idea of disease and deformity in the immortal state is contrary to the express declarations of other scriptures.

*******

 VERSE 1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Water equals life.

Without water we human beings cannot live. We are comprised of a lot of water. Without water we die of thirst in very short order.

A pure river of water of life.

The source of this water of life is the throne of God and the Lamb.

To drink from this pure water of life that comes from the throne of God and the Lamb, this would be beyond any sort of water we've ever had to drink before in our entire life. Water from God, from our Savior, life from our God and Savior in a tangible way. 

We will never drink anything as exquisite as this water, never, and only by the grace of God will we partake in the water of life.

The tree of life with its twelve manner of fruits, how amazing is this?! 

I read this article recently-

http://time.com/3086552/tree-of-40-fruit-sam-van-aken/

A man grafting a tree so much that it yields 40 different kinds of fruit.  A man made tree, designed to bear fruit in a way you'd never find in nature on its own.  Yet the tree of life will be a GOD given tree, a tree meant purposefully, without any grafting, to yield 12 different kinds of fruit. The fruit will be special and why wouldn't it be, it is the fruit of the tree of life!

Remember this--

Gen 3:22  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Gen 3:23  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

We were no longer allowed to eat of this tree. Banned from the tree yielding its special fruit lest we eat of it and live forever.  God would NOT allow sinful man the ability to live forever in sin. Living forever was DENIED to sinful man.  And once again that draws me back to the insane belief that man continues to live on after death in a way that they know they are living, they know others are not living, they are conscious of their loved ones not in heaven living upon earth, watching them. This is insanity at its best because Satan has been able to cause this insane thinking upon almost the entire population of humanity in one form or another. What gives us life- that breath God gives to us, it goes back to God who gave it.

Ecc_12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

That spirit-breath is not an invisible duplicate of ourselves separated from our bodies. If this were so wouldn't we ALL just want to die as soon as we are aware that we can live as a disembodied person? We are under the delusion that this spirit living person we become after death feels no pain, doesn't cry, has no more heartache so what stops people from wanting this life over living now in the agonies of a flesh existence? Truly if people believe they go on to exist on another plane with their loved ones what stops them from wanting that life above all?  They are under the impression that we must suffer out whatever length of years of flesh filled life we are given for reasons we can't truly comprehend. Or perhaps part of them, some small part of them knows the truth is, there is NO immediate living in any form after they die.

We were kept from the tree of life- lest we eat of it and live in a sinful manner forever.

What does this tell us, truly, what does this say to us?

We absolutely do NOT live forever in any way, not until our Savior returns for us and gives us immortality, raising the dead from their graves to give this immortality to them, if they have chosen life over death.

What point is there in having a tree of life if you already live forever? What point is there is there to this…

Rev 22:2  …the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

What's the point? Truly we need to ask ourselves these logical questions. We need to look for the TRUTH.

Don't sit there and tell me it is perfectly harmless for people to believe in their loved ones going to heaven to be with other loved ones and Jesus immediately after death. It is DEADLY to hold that belief! It is contrary to the TRUTH. It is believing in the DEVIL'S LIES, the very first lie he told Eve-

Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die

Joh_8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

He LIED.

Do you think Adam and Eve believed that lie after they saw the dead body of their son, Abel? Do you think they believed Abel went on to a better place? Seriously, do you really believe God would make death just another form of life, and a better one at that? Where is the punishment for sin? Where is the determent in even telling them they would die if death meant something better?

I can only shake my head and continue to not comprehend why people insist on believing in immediate life after death in heaven.

Psa_13:3  Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death

And why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead if he were already gone on to a better life? Why?!

I go on and on about this, but I must!

DO NOT BE DECEIVED! Please!

We will live with our God, our Savior, in heaven and we will live with them in the New Jerusalem upon earth made new, and we will eat of the tree of life and drink from the pure water of life. All by the GRACE of GOD we will enter immortality with HIM.

Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

The promise of becoming an heir to the city whose builder and maker is God.

None of them realized that promise- not yet.

They will realize it along with us- at the same time.

They 'received NOT the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that THEY without US should NOT be made perfect.'

They 'all died in faith NOT having received the promises'.

We do not receive the promise, not until our Savior returns for us!  Stop believing you inherit that promise upon death, it's a lie and opens the door to spiritual blindness, being allowed to believe all you want to believe, yet never truly being known by Jesus who is TRUTH.

Please, Father God in Heaven, please… we would be YOURS! We believe! Help Thou our unbelief!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever, and ever!

AMEN.

No need of the sun in the new city, new Jerusalem.

Revelation 21-

VERSE 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.  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.  25.   And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.  26.   And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.  27.   And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

p 762 -- No Night There. - It is in the city alone, probably, that there is no night. There will of course be days and nights in the new earth, but they will be days and nights of surpassing glory. The prophet, speaking of this time, says, "Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." Isa. 30:26. But if the light of the moon in that state is as the light of the sun, how can there be said to be night there? Answer:   The light of the sun shall be sevenfold, so that although the night is as our day, the day will be sevenfold brighter, making the contrast between day and night there as marked, perhaps, as at the present time; but both will be surpassingly glorious.

Verse 24 speaks of nations and kings. The nations are the nations of the saved; and we are all kings, in a certain sense, in the new-earth state. We possess a "kingdom," and are to "reign" forever and ever.

But it appears from some of our Saviour's parables, as in Matt. 25:21, 23, that some will occupy in a special sense the position of rulers, and may thus be spoken of as kings of the earth in connection with the nations of the saved. These bring their glory and honor into the city, when on the Sabbaths and new moons they there come up to worship before God. Isa. 66:23.

Reader, do you want a part in the unspeakable and eternal glories of this heavenly city? See to it, then, that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life; for those only whose names are on that heavenly "roll of honor" can enter there.

*******

Did you ever wonder why Adam and Eve needed to be clothed after they sinned? They no longer were covered in the light of their Creator. Darkness came between them and the light of God. Our God, and our Savior are all the light we need! Seriously! Once more the light of God's righteousness will be able to cover us. Sin will no longer separate us from God. When we sin we SEPARATE ourselves from God.

As sinners we cannot remove sin from ourselves. You cannot with your hands, clean mud from yourself, as long as your hands are covered in mud, it's impossible. You need some way to clean the mud from your hands first.

Sin permanently attaches itself to us unless we allow our Savior to remove it from us, accepting we cannot remove the sin ourselves.  We might, with our SAVIOR'S strength be able to keep from sinning and therefore avoid sin staining ourselves over and over again, in fact in the very last days when probation is over and all cases are decided, God's people who are alive then will have to live sinlessly through the Holy Spirit. They will have to live sinless by the grace and power of God and Jesus until our Savior returns and calls us to be with Him forevermore.

Sin stains, and our Savior alone can remove the stains. As long as we refuse to have our Savior remove the sin stains from us, we are allowing ourselves to be covered in a barrier that will keep us from being reunited with our God. We are truly separating ourselves from God, we are choosing separation.

If we hope to live in the glorious forever light of our God and Savior the light of the New Jerusalem we mustn't allow any sin to remain unconfessed to Jesus Christ our Lord. We must confess all, we must repent, we must look to our Savior, Jesus Christ always, for all things! Our Savior will forgive us, He will cleanse us, He will cover us in HIS righteousness!

All by HIS love! All through HIM, our Savior Jesus Christ now and forever!!!!!!!

AMEN!

God the Temple.

In heaven right now there is a heavenly temple.  This temple was created before man was created- it had to be. How can I say that? Because the plan of salvation was in place BEFORE man sinned. It was a contingency plan. Seriously. We, very sinful people even know that it's good to have contingency plans in place for many things. The angels sinned. They had no contingency plan. Once an angel chose to sin and leave God's love there was no going back.  When God created mankind a contingency plan was needed especially because this new creation was being made on a whole new level, a different level from the angels. Man would be created with free will- the power to choose and not be created an automaton unable to choose anything other than what God wanted. God did NOT create puppets! With the possibility of sin in play a way to redeem those who would fall victim to sin was also created. No, mankind was NOT guaranteed life everlasting just for being born. A choice would be made, a free will choice. Ask any of those who have ever had their free will stripped from them just how important it is. We may take it for granted more often than not. God did not want to create mankind and then wipe them out completely if they sinned. God wanted them to have a chance through the greatest sacrifice ever- the sacrifice of the One who would chose to become God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior. God with us, God who took on flesh, God became a slave-

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

He took upon Him the form of a slave! He humbled Himself! Jesus became our all in all and this plan was made before mankind was formed. The temple- the place where that plan could be made was created and this same temple shown to Moses to made a replica of upon earth and usher in the Sacrificial system that would be ended upon the death of our Savior.  Our Savior then went to the heavenly temple where He remains until He it is all finished- all sin is erased, all sinners gone into nothingness. That temple remains until our God and our Savior Jesus Christ come down to earth in the new Jerusalem, the new city and then they are the TEMPLE of that city!  They are forever the knowledge of the love that was given to mankind, and mankind will never forget the love, the amazing, unfathomable love shown towards them.

All through HIS grace and mercy!

*******

Revelation 21 VERSE 22. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The Living Temple. - With the temple is connected the idea of sacrifices and a mediatorial work; but when the city is located upon the earth, there will be no such work to be performed. Sacrifices and offerings, and all mediatorial work based thereon, will be forever past; hence there will be no need of the outward symbol of such work. But the temple in old Jerusalem, besides being a place for sacrificial worship, was the beauty and glory of the place; and as if to anticipate the question that might arise as to what would constitute the ornament and glory of the new city if there was to be no temple therein, the prophet answers, "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." It appears that there is now a temple in the city. Chapter 16:17. What becomes of that temple when the city comes down, revelation does not inform us. Possibly it is removed from the city, or it may be put to such a different use as to cease to be the temple of God.

*******

No temple in the New Jerusalem- why?

Why was the earthly temple created? Who dwelt in the temple in example?

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Heb 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

The tabernacle served as an example- a pattern of the heavenly was shown to Moses for the earthly. 

There between the angels on the mercy seat …

Exo_25:22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

GOD was meeting with MOSES.  God was there in the temple.

1Ki 8:26  And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.

1Ki 8:27  But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

1Ki 8:28  Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:

1Ki 8:29  That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.

God doesn't dwell on earth, heaven, and the heaven and heavens cannot contain God.

However, God WILL dwell on the NEW earth, God and our Savior, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ will BE the temple of the New Jerusalem!

The TEMPLE.  How important IS the TEMPLE that God and Jesus will be the TEMPLE of the New City?

The Temple represents GOD WITH US!

No wonder when GOD is with us, He is the TEMPLE.

By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, may we be in the New Jerusalem with our God, with our Savior!

All in His love! Now and forever!

AMEN!

Will You Walk Streets of Gold?

The new city has gates- twelve of them. The new city has streets.  This is a REAL city, a tangible city. Walls, gates, streets.  If you say the word 'city' a mental picture will formed based on your knowledge of cities. Maybe you come from a small city, but even so you will know what a large city is. You can envision a city and what sort of things are inside of cities?  I live in a rather small city, comparted to the largest. There were 165,831 people in the city I live in, in 2013- three years ago. In 2014 in the largest city of the world - Tokyo, Japan had a     population of 37,833,000!  In both of these cities, the one I live in and the most populated we know there are dwellings. People LIVE in cities.  We will LIVE in this new city and it will be large enough to hold ALL of God's people.

Let me ask you a question, just something to think about. Would we need a city if we were mere spirit form? Truly something to contemplate but not too deeply, not so that it leads us to distraction. Some things we simply will not know fully until our Savior returns for us.

May we all be blessed to walk through gates of pearl and on streets of gold!  All through our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Revelation 21-

VERSE 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.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The Gates of Pearl. - Whether we understand that these gates were of solid pearl, or whether composed of pearls thickly set in a framework of some other precious material, does not materially affect the testimony. If it should be objected that it would be contrary to the nature of things to have a pearl large enough for a gate, we reply that God is able to produce it; the objection simply limits the power of God. But in either case the gates would outwardly have the appearance of pearl, and in ordinary language would be described as gates of pearl.

The Streets of Burnished Gold. - In this verse, as also in verse 18, the city is spoken of as built of gold, pure, like unto clear glass, or, as it were, transparent glass. It is not necessary to conclude from this language that the gold is of itself transparent. Take that, for instance, which composes the street. If it were really transparent, it would simply permit us to look through and behold whatever was beneath the city, - the substratum upon which it rested, - a view which cannot be anticipated as specially pleasing. But let us suppose the golden pavement of the street to be so highly polished as to possess perfect powers of reflection, like the truest mirror, and

p 761 -- we can see at once that the effect would be grand and striking in the extreme. Think for a moment what the appearance of a street so paved would be. The gorgeous palaces on either side would be reflected beneath, and the boundless expanse of the heavens above would also appear below; so that to the person walking those golden streets it would appear that both himself and the city were suspended between the infinite heights above and the unfathomable depths below, while the mansions on either side of the street, having equal powers of reflection, would marvelously multiply both palaces and people, and conspire to render the whole scene novel, pleasing, beautiful, and grand beyond conception.

*******

Gates of Pearl.

Streets of Pure Gold.

We all know about things this world considers precious, special, priceless. To say pearls are considered among the special things isn't an understatement at all. To have a REAL pearl necklace is something wonderful. Just as having a real gold necklace is equally precious, and expensive. We all know pearls and gold are among this world's treasures so is it any wonder at all that our Lord would give us a revelation that contains these amazing things? The Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem will be a city unlike ANY other city that ever existed and ever will exist.

By the GRACE of God we will LIVE in that Holy Heaven Sent City!

Please, Lord, please.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior now and forever, AMEN!

The Colorful Walls of Our Final City.

More about our heavenly city- a city that will come down out of heaven to land upon the earth. This city will be our home in the earth without sin!  A city gorgeous beyond our imagination. A city where our Savior will dwell with us!

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.

AMAZING! 

*******

Revelation 21 VERSE 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;  20.  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a az; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

A Literal City. - If we consider this description exclusively metaphorical, as is done by the great mass of those who profess to be Bible teachers, and spiritualize away this city into aerial nothingess, how unmeaning, yea, even bordering upon folly, do these minute descriptions appear; but if we take it, as it is evidently designed to be understood, in its natural and obvious signification, and look upon the city as the Revelator evidently designed we should look upon it, as a literal and tangible abode, our glorious inheritance, the beauties of which we are to look upon with our own eyes, how is the glory of the scene enhanced!

It is in this light - though it is not for mortal man, of himself, to conceive of the grandeur of those things which God has prepared for those that love him - that men may delight to contemplate the glories of their future abode. We love to dwell upon those descriptions which convey to our minds, as well as language can do it, an idea of the loveliness and beauty

(picture omitted)

p 759 -- which shall characterize our eternal home. And as we become absorbed in the contemplation of an inheritance tangible and sure, courage springs up anew, hope revives, faith plumes her wings; and with feelings of thanksgiving to God that he has placed it within our power to gain an entrance to the mansions of the redeemed, we resolve anew, despite the world and all its obstacles, that we will be among the sharers in the proffered joy. Let us, then, look at the precious foundation stones of that great city, through whose gates of pearl God's people may hope soon to enter. 

The Glorious Foundation. - "The word adorned"- (garnished), says Stuart,      "may raise a doubt here whether the writer means to say that into the various courses of the foundation ornamental precious stones were only here and there inserted; but taking the whole description together, I do not apprehend this to have been his meaning.

"Jasper, as we have seen above, is usually a stone of green, transparent color, with red veins; but there are many varieties.

"Sapphire is a beautiful, azure, or sky-blue, color, almost as transparent and glittering as a diamond.

"Chalcedony seems to be a species of agate, or more properly the onyx. The onyx of the ancients was probably of a bluish white, and semi-pellucid.

"The emerald was of a vivid green, and next to the ruby in hardness.

"Sardonyx is a mixture of chalcedony and carnelian, which last is of a flesh-color.

"Sardius is probably the carnelian. Sometimes, however, the red is quite vivid.

"Chrysolite, as its name imports, is of a yellow or gold color, and is pellucid. From this was probably taken the conception of the pellucid gold which constitutes the material of the city.

"Beryl is of a sea-green color.

"The az of the present day seems to be reckoned as yellow; but that of the ancients appears to have been pale green. Plin., 38, 8, Bellermann. Urim et Thummim. p. 37.

p 760 -- "Chrysoprasus, of a pale yellow and greenish color, like a scallion; sometimes it is classed at the present day under az.

"Hyacinth [jacinth], of a deep red or violet color.

"Amethyst, a gem of great hardness and brilliancy, of a violet color, and usually found in India.

"In looking over these various classes, we find the first four to be of a green or bluish cast; the fifth and sixth, of a red or scarlet; the seventh, yellow; the eighth, ninth, and tenth, of different shades of the lighter green; the eleventh and twelfth of a scarlet or splendid red. There is a classification, therefore, in this arrangement; a mixture not dissimilar to the arrangement in the rainbow, with the exception that it is more complex."

*******

A rainbow city! How gorgeous are rainbows?  I know I love seeing rainbows. And even though we can manufacture them, a water hose on a sunny day and such, their beauty never fades. The beauty of this forever heaven sent city will truly be beyond our imaginations. All the beauty we see now is shadowed by the horrors of sin's existence.  The beauty we will have the honor, the privilege of seeing will be given to us from love! The love of our God will provide all we ever need.  We have to hold fast to our Savior's love, His promises!

By His grace alone will we be with Him in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem!

God's City.

A city unlike any other ever in existence is what waits for those who would be God's. A city those who would be God's have looked for thousands of years ago. This same longed for city is the city we long for as well. A new home unlike anything we could ever know right now on earth.

Revelation 21

verse 15. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates.thereof, and the wall thereof.  16.   And the city lieth 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.  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.  18.   And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The City's Dimensions. - According to this testimony the city is laid out in a perfect square, measuring equally on all sides. The measure of the city, John declares, was twelve thousand furlongs. Twelve thousand furlongs, eight furlongs to the mile, equal fifteen hundred English miles. It may be understood that this measure is the measure of the whole circumference of the city and not merely of one side. This appears, from Kitto, to have been the ancient method of measuring cities. The whole circumference was taken, and that was said to be the measure of the city. According to this rule, the New Jerusalem will be three hundred and seventy-five miles on each side. The length, breadth, and height of it are equal. From this language, the question has arisen whether the city was as high as it was long and broad. The word rendered equal is isoV (isos); and from the definitions given by Liddell and Scott, we learn that it may be used to convey the idea of proportion: the height was proportionate to the length and

p 757 -- breadth. And this idea is strengthened by the fact that the wall was only a hundred and forty-four cubits high. Taking the cubit at about twenty-two inches, the length which is most commonly assigned to the ancient cubit, it would give only two hundred and sixty-four feet as the height of the wall. Now, if the city is just as high as it is long and broad, that is, three hundred and seventy-five miles, this wall of less than three hundred feet would be, in comparison, a most insignificant affair. Probably, therefore, the height of the buildings of the city is to be judged of by the height of the wall, which is distinctly given. 

The following criticisms on verse 16, the verse which gives the dimensions of the heavenly city, are undoubtedly correct:  -

"It has been inferred from the above text that the New Jerusalem city is to be as high as it is long, and that its length will be twelve thousand furlongs, or fifteen hundred miles. It seems to us entirely unnecessary to place such a construction upon the language. The word equal does not always mean the same as to dimensions or position; it is frequently used in the sense of proportion. If we were to say that the length and the breadth and the height of the city were in proportion, we should not violate the language." This view is taken by Jas. Du Pui, A. M., in his Exposition of the Apocalypse. The following from Thomas Wicks, author of Lectures on the Apocalypse, presents the same idea:       "The language, however, will bear another meaning, which is far more natural. It is not that the length and breadth and height were severally equal to each other, but equal with themselves; that is, the length was everywhere the same, and the breadth everywhere the same, and the height the same. It was perfect and symmetrical in all its proportions. This is confirmed by the fact distinctly stated, that the wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits high, or two hundred and sixteen feet, a proper height for a wall; while it is said that 'the length is as large as the breadth."'      This writer allows but eighteen inches to the cubit.

The Greek word isos, which is translated equal, will, according to Pickering, bear the meaning of proportion. Greenfield, in defining one of its cognate words (isotes), gives to it the

p 758 -- sense of "equal proportion," and refers to 2 Cor. 8:13, 14 as an example where this definition is quite admissible.

It would appear, therefore, that the height of the city was proportionate to its length and breadth, and not that it was as high as it was long. The text certainly admits of this interpretation; and this frees the language from all ambiguity, and the city from all disproportion, and shows perfect harmony in the general description.

The building of the wall was of jasper. Jasper is a precious stone usually described as of "a beautiful bright green color, sometimes clouded with white or spotted with yellow." This we understand to be the material of the main body of the wall built upon the twelve foundations hereafter described. And let it be remembered that this jasper wall was "clear as crystal" (verse 11), revealing all the glories within.

*******

'an hundred and forty and four cubits'  Interesting isn't it? 144 cubits.

144,000-

Rev_14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

God does everything for a reason, everything. Do we always comprehend the reasons, no. Do we have to? No. Will we one day understand? Yes. We are allowed to comprehend everything necessary to our salvation, and by the grace of our Lord and Savior we will! 

Knowing the dimensions of the new city Jerusalem truly amazes us doesn't it? Such a city! That our God and our Savior will be in that city with us is most amazing… and we will definitely find out more about that very soon!

A new home, a home that will boggle our minds with wonder, truly we long for this city, this perfect city!  This world isn't our final home, this world wasn't Abraham's home… remember this…

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

We are strangers and pilgrims on earth! Our country is heaven, our city is the new Jerusalem!

Please, Father, may we live with you in this new country, in this new city! By Your Love, Your Grace, Your Mercy!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever! AMEN!

A City Whose Builder is God.

Do YOU look for a city whose builder and maker is God?

Abraham -

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Heb 11:11  Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Heb 11:12  Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Will we die in faith? Will we die knowing the promise is far off? Abraham died knowing that the promise of being in that city whose maker and builder is God was FAR off. Abraham died in FAITH- NOT receiving the promises but seeing them far off.  Abraham did NOT go to that city when he died, otherwise that city would not be afar off from him, but very close. The promised city whose builder and maker is God waits for those who will rise to meet Jesus in the air- the dead raised, and the living.

Are you a stranger and pilgrim on earth?

Will you find a home in the New Jerusalem prepared by God?

What does it mean to be a stranger and pilgrim on earth? Seriously.  We claim this planet as our home, yet when people travel to new lands they are pilgrims to that new land, they are a stranger to that land- they don't know that land as their final home. This earth is NOT our final home. There is NO city upon this earth that is our final home, none! We can travel NO where on this earth to find a true home because it does not exist for us who long for a better country, a heavenly country where God has prepared a city for us to live in. Our new city, our true home is one created in heaven. And this city does not become inhabited by us on earth until after the 1000 years had passed and…

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

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.

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he WILL dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Rev 21:4  And God 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.

Rev 21:5  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 21:6  And he 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.

Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Time is relevant, we will see this happened, Abraham did not see it in His lifetime He KNEW it was far off for Him- far in the future and truly it has been far in the future since the days of Abraham. May God grant us the blessing of witnessing the arrival of the New City after we've dwelled with Him in heaven a thousand years, having been taken by Him there alive, all through HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and GRACE, through the Holy Spirit, by the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

*******

Revelation- 21

VERSE 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 thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  10.   And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  11.   Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  12.   And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:  13.   On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  14.   And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The Bride, The Lamb's Wife. - This testimony is positive that the New Jerusalem is the bride, the Lamb's wife. The

p 754 -- angel told John distinctly that he would show him the bride, the Lamb's wife; and we may be sure that he did not practice upon him a piece of deception, but fulfilled his promise to the very letter; but all that he did show him was the New Jerusalem. It would be unnecessary to offer a word of proof that this city is not the church, were it not that popular theology has so mystified the Scriptures as to give it this application. This city, then, cannot be the church, because it would be absurd to talk of the church as lying foursquare, and having a north side, a south side, an east side, and a west side. It would be absurd to speak of the church as having a wall great and high, and having twelve gates, three on each side toward the four points of the compass. Indeed, the whole description of the city which is given in this chapter would be more or less an absurdity if applied to the church.

Again:   Paul, to the Galatians, speaks of the same city and says that it is the mother of us all, referring to the church. The church, then, is not the city itself, but the children of the city. And verse 24 of the chapter under comment, speaks of the nations of the saved, who walk in the light of this city. These nations who are the saved, and on earth constitute the church, are distinct from the city, in the light of which they walk. It follows that the city is a literal city, built of all the precious materials here described.

But how can it then be the bride, the Lamb's wife? Answer:   Inspiration has seen fit to speak of it under this figure, and with every believer in the Bible, that should be sufficient. The figure is first introduced in Isaiah 54. The new-covenant city is there brought to view. It is represented as being desolate while the old covenant was in force, and the Jews and old Jerusalem were the special objects of God's care; but it is said to her that "the children of the desolate" shall be many more than "the children of the married wife." It is further said to her, "Thy Maker is thy husband;" and the closing promise of the Lord to this city contains a very similar description to the one which we have here in Revelation; namely, "I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires; and I will make thy windows of agates, and thy

p 755 -- gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord." It is this very promise to which Paul refers, and upon which he comments in his epistle to the Galatians, when he says, "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all" (Gal. 4:26); for he quotes, in the next verse, this very prophecy from the book of Isaiah to sustain this declaration. Here, then, Paul makes an inspired application of Isaiah's prophecy which cannot be mistaken; and in this he shows that under the figure of a "woman," a "wife" whose "children" were to be multiplied, the Lord by the prophet speaks of the New Jerusalem, the city above, as contrasted with the earthly Jerusalem in the land of Palestine; and of this city the Lord calls himself the "husband." In addition to this, we have the positive testimony of the twenty-first chapter of Revelation to the same facts. 

With this view, all is harmony. Christ is called the Father of his people (Isa. 9:6); the Jerusalem above is called our mother, and we are called the children; and, carrying out the figure of a marriage, Christ is represented as the Bridegroom, the city as the bride, and we, the church, as the guests. There is no confusion of parties here. But the popular view, which makes the city the church, and the church the bride, exhibits the inexcusable confusion of making the church at the same time both mother and children, both bride and guests.

The view that the marriage of the Lamb is the inauguration of Christ as King upon the throne of David, and that the parables of Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Luke 12:35-37; 19:12, 13, etc., apply to that event, is further confirmed by a well-known ancient custom. It is said that when a person took his position as ruler over the people, and was invested with that power, it was called a marriage, and the usually accompanying feast was called a marriage supper. Dr. Clarke, in his note on Matt. 22:2, thus speaks of it:   -

"A marriage for his son.] A marriage feast, so the word gamouV properly means. Or a feast of inauguration, when his son was put in possession of the government, and thus he and his new subjects became married together. Many eminent

p 756 -- critics so understand this parable as indicating the Father's induction of his Son into his Messianic kingdom. (See 1 Kings 1:5-9, 19, 25, etc., where such a feast is mentioned.)"

A Christian City. - The names of the twelve apostles in the foundations of the city, show it to be a Christian and not a Jewish city; while the names of the twelve tribes on the gates, show that all the saved, from this dispensation as well as from the former, are reckoned as belonging to some one of the twelve tribes; for all must enter the city through some one of these twelve gates. It is this fact which explains those instances in which Christians are called Israel, and are addressed as the twelve tribes, as in Rom. 2:28, 29; 9:6-8; Gal. 3:29; Eph. 2:12, 13; James 1:1; Rev. 7:4.

*******

New Jerusalem.

Rev_3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Jesus' words.

Paul's words- as moved by the Holy Spirit-

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

*******

We all are aware of Jerusalem as a real place on earth, but are we all aware of the heavenly Jerusalem?  The earthly Jerusalem is fraught with GREAT tension.  The three religions Muslim, Christian, Jewish- all have their roots in Jerusalem. There is fighting between the three, each wanting to stake their claim there.  This is the earthly Jerusalem, but who stakes their claim in the heavenly Jerusalem, the new Jerusalem?

Those who believe in Jesus, for it Jesus who will descend with the New Jerusalem after the 1000 years is over. These are prophetic truths that WILL come to pass!

There is a HEAVENLY New Jerusalem!  This New Jerusalem WILL descend from heaven to the earth.  This amazing new city will be the home of ALL who are known by our SAVIOR, Jesus Christ! God the Father and the Son will be in the New Jerusalem and as we continue to study this chapter we will come to that.

May God bless us as we LEARN, re-LEARN, of this New Heavenly City that will be our home!