In Revelation 21, the holy city, New Jerusalem, descends from heaven. After the final judgment, God unites heaven and earth and makes New Jerusalem the capital. New Jerusalem is the central place of the New Earth, and the New Earth is part of heaven. We will have a physical place where we reside with God, a perfected creation!
There will be no more pain, evil, or sadness. We will see God and know Him perfectly. Our bodies, minds, and souls are glorified in Christ Jesus. Sin will end. Decay will cease. No more doubts. No more rage. No more fear. No more lies. Wars, scandals, and abuse are ended
forever. We’re not exactly sure how the old earth and old heaven pass away and how God builds the new heaven and new earth. But we do know this heavenly place will be physical in nature. We will have resurrected bodies. The curse of sin is removed. Every mansion in glory will have a dog! (The jury is still out as to whether cats make it in or not.)
We will discuss more details this Sunday, but some estimate New Jerusalem will be as large as two million square miles. By comparison, Houston is about 600 square miles. New York City is about 305 square miles. Are the measurements in Revelation 21 more symbolic and not exact? Perhaps. But the point is made clear. This dwelling place with God is big enough for anyone who wants to be there!
In the New Jerusalem, you will be present with Jesus. You will be protected by the Father. You will be purified by the Holy Spirit. The gates are not closed in the city because evil cannot enter, and we can go between all the parts of heaven as we desire. We are nearing the end of this great book and our series. Remember, Revelation is not a stand- alone book, separate from the rest of the Bible. Revelation is the completion of God’s story.
Revelation is the culmination of the themes in Scripture. Revelation helps us comprehend many other parts of the Bible. Take a moment and read Chapter 21. Now, consider this quote from the great preacher, Adrian Rogers: “Death is only a comma to a Christian, not a period.” Onward to New Jerusalem!
Onward!