Our New Home
Understanding the End Times • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction: Have you ever watched the show, The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? In each episode, you get a chance to walk through the homes of the wealthiest people in the world. Their homes are spectacular, beyond amazing. They are so far beyond the reach of common people. That’s what made the show so popular. You would get an inside look at homes you would never be able to afford.
When I was twelve years old my parents told us that we would be moving into a brand-new home (in 1971 they paid 17,000 dollars for a new house). They were having it built in Anderson, California. They would often take a Sunday drive, drive by, and even walk through the house as it was being built. Talk about excitement! All of us were waiting for the day when the contractor would hand the key to the door to our parents. Days seemed like weeks! But the day did arrive, and we did move in.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we too shall be receiving a new home. I mentioned it in the previous chapter, the holy city, New Jerusalem. Well, today we want to look at our new home. How many of you would like to know what your future home is going to look like?
What do we learn about our new home? There are eight facts I want to share with you. They are:
I. It descends out of heaven – 21:9-10
I. It descends out of heaven – 21:9-10
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Here in these two verses, we read about our future home, the New Jerusalem. The angel talked with John and told him that he was going to show him, “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Why? Because this city becomes the home of the redeemed. All the saints of the ages will dwell within this city. And because the saints are present, the bride of Christ is present.
And don’t miss the words,
And showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem,
It is going to be a city that defies words. It will be a mouth-dropping city. We will stand there in amazement at it – well, I have no words to describe what we will be thinking as we lay our eyes upon this holy city for the very first time.
And where does this city come from? It descends out of heaven from God. Two things here: First, it is a heavenly city, and second, it is a gift from God.
What else do we learn about the New Jerusalem? We learn that…
II. The glory of God is its light – 21:11, 23
II. The glory of God is its light – 21:11, 23
having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
There will be no electrical companies in heaven. No PG&E, no Northern Lights, No Avista, and no Idaho Power. In the New Jerusalem, God’s glory will be what powers the lights! His glory will be the radiance of the city.
One of the ways the Apostle John describes God in 1 John 1:5 is,
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Our future home, the New Jerusalem will not need the sun to provide light in the day, or for a moon to shine its light at night. Why? God’s glory will illuminate it. The Lamb is its light.
To walk in the light will take on a whole new meaning for us. We will walk in THE light. And it’s going to be an awesome experience.
We see this idea again in verse 23. There we read,
The city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
What else do we learn about the New Jerusalem? We learn that…
III. It has twelve gates – 21:12-13, 21
III. It has twelve gates – 21:12-13, 21
Also, she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
Also, she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
Our text says, “she had a great and high wall with twelve gates.” Here we have the New Jerusalem personified as a woman. Remember, the New Jerusalem is pictured as a bride.
We read that the names of the twelve tribes of Israel will be written on the twelve gates. There will be three gates on each side of the city. Bible teachers seem to think this is to remind us that salvation came through Israel to the rest of the world. This is also reminding us that Jews from the Old Testament era will also inherit the New Jerusalem.
Next, I want to state that everything about the New Jerusalem will be great. The word “great” is repeated three times in our text. Don’t miss the fact that we are going to dwell in a “great” city. Think for a moment of a great city, and then multiply your idea of a great city by a billion. The New Jerusalem will be a city greater than any idea your mind can fathom.
We read that twelve angels will be at the gates. Now, I don’t know why, but if they are there it is because God has a purpose for them. Throughout Scripture, angels have played a key role in God’s program, and apparently, they still do in our future home.
There will be three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. I read this and I simply said to myself, “I am going to be living in a gated community.” How many times have you heard people talking about how nice it is to live in a gated community, or that they desire to live in a gated community? Well, one day you will.
I would like to take us to the last chapter of Ezekiel where we read about the New Jerusalem, and its gates, and the names of the twelve tribes whose names will be written on these gates. In Ezekiel 48:30-35 we read,
“These are the exits of the city. On the north side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits (the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel), the three gates northward: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi; on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan; on the south side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun; on the west side, four thousand five hundred cubits with their three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.
Do you know what I find more fascinating than the names of the children of Israel on the twelve gates? The name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.
The city has pearly gates
What else do we learn about the gates of the New Jerusalem? Drop your eyes down to verse 21. We read,
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
The city also has gates. Twelve gates and each gate were one pearl. Can you imagine the size of the oysters that produced these pearly gates? No doubt that God created them. Remember that an earthly pearl is developed by an irritation inside an oyster. There will be no irritations in heaven, and yet we will behold the largest pearls we have ever witnessed. They will glisten in the light of God’s glory.
Is this not all amazing?
The gates shall not be shut
What else do we learn about the gates of the New Jerusalem? Look at verse 25,
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
Gates protect people’s private property. At night people close and lock their gates, but in the New Jerusalem, there will be no need to close gates, or lock them. There is no night there.
Can you imagine having eternal daylight? Talk about the benefits of vitamin D – No depression in the New Jerusalem. There will be no need for light therapy. It will be an eternal happy place!
What else do we learn about the New Jerusalem? We learn that…
IV. It has twelve foundations – 21:14,18,19-20
IV. It has twelve foundations – 21:14,18,19-20
Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
We are told that the wall of the city had twelve foundations. Why would a city need twelve foundations? What is the purpose of a foundation? Stability and strength. Build a tower and you better have a stable and solid foundation. The same is true with the New Jerusalem. It will be a secure, stable, and solid city. The word that comes to my mind is “immovable.”
We are also told that on the foundations were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Why? Because the Apostles were the foundation that God built the church upon with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. We read in Ephesians 2:20,
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
We are going to have an eternal reminder that God used twelve men to change the world. Twelve men turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). Their faithful teaching and preaching made it possible for the gospel to spread to the ends of the earth and for people to be saved. We will be in the New Jerusalem because of their service to Jesus Christ.
Question: Who will be in the New Jerusalem because of our service to Christ?
The wall of the New Jerusalem
Now, drop your eyes down to verse 18. We read more about the wall of the New Jerusalem.
The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
Look at the building materials used to construct the walls of New Jerusalem.
· Jasper – red.
· Pure gold (polished brilliantly).
Here we read that even the city walls will dazzle us all. Do you get excited about walls? Perhaps not down here on earth, but when you stand before the New Jerusalem you will pause to take in the city walls.
The foundations of the wall
And we also learn a great deal more about the foundations of the wall of the city in verses 19-20,
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
The foundations of the walls of the city will be adorned with twelve precious stones. The 12 stones listed for us are (See screen):
1. Jasper - red
2. Sapphire - blue
3. Chalcedony – sky blue
4. Emerald - green
5. Sardonyx – red and white
6. Sardius - reddish
7. Chrysolite – transparent gold
8. Beryl – sea green
9. Topaz – various colors (blue, white, pink, green)
10. Chrysoprase - green
11. Jacinth - violet
12. Amethyst – Purple
The foundations of the wall of the city will be oh so beautiful. It will dazzle us, it will sparkle. It will be the most spectacular foundation that any of us will ever see.
What else do we learn about the New Jerusalem? We learn about…
V. The measurement of the city – 21:15-17
And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
What will be the size of the New Jerusalem? What do we learn from these verses? We learn the following facts:
1. He used a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
2. The city is laid out as a square.
3. Its length is as great as its breadth.
4. The city was measured with a reed: twelve thousand furlongs. A furlong is about 600 feet.
5. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. We have a measurement of 1500 miles by 1500 miles by 1500 miles.
6. He measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits.
Do you want to hear some information that will blow your mind, that staggers the comprehension of man? Allow me to read to you what Ron Rhodes penned in his book The End Times In Chronological Orderabout this city,
“The heavenly city measures approximately 1500 Miles by 1500 Miles by 1500 miles. Though some interpret these big numbers symbolically, allegedly carrying the idea that "saved people are never crowded," I think the dimensions are intended to be interpreted literally. The eternal city is so huge that it would measure approximately the distance from Canada to Mexico, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rockies. That is a surface area of 2.250 million square miles. (By comparison, London is only 621 miles.) Put another way, the ground level area of the city will be 3623 times that of London. If the city has stories, each being 13 feet high, the city would have 660,000 stories. That is huge!
A city that high might seem to present a formidable challenge to city travelers. But we must not forget, however, that our resurrection bodies will likely have amazing capabilities. Some expositors believe that our new bodies will have the ability to fly and get places fast. This will be very exciting!
Someone calculated that if this structure is cube-shaped, it would allow for 20 billion residents, each having his own private 75-acre cube. If each residence were smaller, the city would have room to accommodate one hundred thousand billion people with plenty of room left over for parks, streets, and other things that you would see in any normal city.
The eternal city could either be cube-shaped or pyramid-shaped – and there are good Christian scholars on both sides of the debate. Some prefer to consider it shaped as a pyramid for this would explain how the river of the water of life could flow down its sides (Revelation 21:1-2). Others prefer to consider it shaped as a cube, for the Holies of Holies in Solomon’s Temple were cube-shaped (1 Kings 6:20), and a cubical shape of the New Jerusalem might be intended to communicate that this eternal city is like an eternal Holy of Holies.”
All I can say is, what a city!
What else do we learn about the New Jerusalem? We learn that there is…
VI. No temple in it – God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple – 21:22
VI. No temple in it – God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple – 21:22
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
What was the purpose of the temple? Access to God. People came to the temple to meet with God and worship Him. God will be worshipped in the New Jerusalem without a temple.
Get this – there will be nothing to get in the way of our worship of God. It will be you and God alone! No building, no point ABC to get through, no priest, no offerings, and no sacrifice. It will be you and God alone.
The New Jerusalem will be a place of unadulterated worship of God. Nothing will get in the way of connecting with God.
What else do we learn about the New Jerusalem? We learn that…
VII. The nations of the saved walk in it – 21:24, 26
VII. The nations of the saved walk in it – 21:24, 26
And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
Who will be the residents of the New Jerusalem? We read here that there will be “nations” (the Greek word is ethnos – a distinct people), and that they will walk in its light. Christianity has reached around the globe. There are saved people from all 197 countries recognized by the United Nations. Here is what we read from Revelation 5:9-10,
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
Clare Herbert Woolston was right when she penned
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
The New Jerusalem will be the home of saved nations.
The glory and honor of the nations
In verse 26 we read,
And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
As I read this, I think that God is going to bring the best and only the best of what all the nations of the world have to offer, and it will be 100% glorified. So then, it will be the “glory and the honor of the nations” – of all of the saved worldwide.
· The best of the United States.
· The best of the African nations.
· The best of Australia.
· The best of European nations.
· The best of Japan.
· The best of China.
· The best of Israel.
· The best of Brazil.
· The best of the middle east nations.
What makes the nations shine is what will be brought into the New Jerusalem. The best of the best!
What else do we learn about the New Jerusalem? We learn that…
VIII. Nothing shall enter the city that would defile it – 21:27
VIII. Nothing shall enter the city that would defile it – 21:27
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
The final truth we have driven home to us today about our future home is that it will be a place FREE from anything that would defile it, cause an abomination, or is a lie. The New Jerusalem will be a SAFE and SECURE place.
How will this be possible? Because only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be the residents of this city. Therefore, it is imperative that you know for sure that your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Your name is placed in the Lamb’s book of Life when you call upon Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-13). Have you done this? If so, great. If not, why not? Receive Him today! Get your name in the Book that matters.
Conclusion: Our future home is coming! Are you ready to receive it? You can be!
· It is a heavenly city. A gift from God.
· It has God as its light.
· It has walls, foundations, and gates of exquisite beauty.
· It’s a big, Big, BIG house with lots and lots of room.
· It will be a place of unadulterated worship.
· It will be the home of nations of people.
· It will be an eternal safe place.
· Only those whose names are in the Book of Life will dwell within the New Jerusalem.