The Holy City Comes Down

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

   And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
   “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
   Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
   And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 21:2-6 

The Holy City Comes Down

   Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. It is unfortunate that throughout the New Testament only one word is used for the word heaven.  The word in Greek is Ouranos and it means any of the following:

• the air, 
• the home of the heavenly orbs, 
• the sky, 
• the sphere in which the evil powers do their work 
• the eternal dwelling place of God. Vine+++
  

   Naturally, our upbringing and our education flavor our understanding of the word heaven, and we subconsciously hold on to our idea, whether or not that is what the Scriptures means to portray.

   It seems logical to believe that this city of God did not proceed out of the place that Vine+++ calls the eternal dwelling place of God, or The Akashic Field, but perhaps, rather was fashioned (built) among the home of the heavenly orbs, that is, among the stars.  In fact, The Living Bible in 21:10 says, Descending out of the skies.  

  As we saw in the last post, its dimensions are very limited, not at all comparing in size to the earth and sky that we just read of as having been changed.  Regardless of its origin, it is a spectacular sight to behold.  The Living Bible describes it this way; It was a glorious sight, beautiful as a bride at her wedding. 20:2

   We cannot believe that our eternal home has always been the same as it will be when we get there, because Christ said, In My Father’s house are many mansions; ... I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2.  Whatever it is that Christ is doing to our future home, we can only believe that they are improvements, fit for His bride.

  Dr McGee* writes, Is anything incongruous about a civilization out yonder in space on a new planet?  The New Jerusalem will either become another satellite to the earth or, what is more probable and what I think is true, the earth will become a satellite to the New Jerusalem as well as the rest of the new creation. This chapter indicates that the city will be the center of all things. 

   It seems unlikely that the earth will become a satellite of the New Jerusalem, because of the limited size of the New City.  Isn't a satellite always smaller than its home planet?

Our New Home

  The Living Bible and American Standard have changed, I heard a loud voice from heaven, to, I heard a loud shout from the throne.  The voice said, The tabernacle of God is with man.  The word tabernacle means a temporary dwelling place.  The LB has put it this way, the home of God is now among men, and he will live with them, and they will be his people.  Whereas Wuest# has confused the issue by inserting, the glorified body of the Lord Jesus in which he lives in place of tabernacle. 

  He that sat on the throne is God, the Father. 4:3. The one sitting there, calls himself, the Beginning and the End; therefore it is not an angel. 21:6.

  Then the temple of God was opened in heaven. 11:19  That is exactly the place in The Apocalypse where the Rapture of the Church is recorded.  That thought is repeated in 21:2 with these words, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 

  I make all things new. So far, in chapter 21, there is

• a new sky, a new earth, v.1, 
• a New Jerusalem, v.2, 
• a new tabernacle (as far as man is concerned), v.3 
• a new manner of life. v.4

 It has also been suggested that the New Heaven refers to the atmosphere around the new earth.  I also read that the old heaven needed cleansing because that is where Satan used to be, for more on this see Eph. 6.  All traces of Satan's influence needed to be eradicated from it before it was fit to contain the Holy City!

  In 16:17 we also had the words, It is done!  In the post dealing with 16:17 I wrote, The words, it is done, certainly include the completion of The Church of Christ, and her rapture.  That same thought is repeated here.  If modern day Bible prophets are right, The Church took about 2000 years to "construct" and it is not at all surprising that it would be mentioned several times that it is finished.  

  It is an important feat, afterall, she is the Bride of Christ!  In place of the words, Write, for these words are true and faithful...It is done!  Wuest# has These words are trustworthy and dependable ... they have come to pass and stand accomplished.

  According to Wuest, included in the word, write, is the meaning of, Do not be hesitant to write what you have seen and heard, because my words are trustworthy.  What I have said will happen, must happen, because I started this program and I know how it ends.

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+++ An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W.E. Vine

* Through the Bible with Dr. J Vernon McGee.

# An Expanded Translation, K.W. Wuest.