The New Jerusalem Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

Bob and Stan were good buddies and baseball friends. One day at a ballgame, they made a vow to each other that, whichever friend died first, that friend would send a message back to earth to let the other friend know if there was baseball in Heaven.

Sure enough, one day Bob died. After a while, he sent a message back to Earth to Stan: "Hey, Stan, this is your old baseball buddy, Bob. I have good news and I have bad news for you from Heaven."

Stan thought about it and said, "Let’s hear the good news!" Bob said, "Well, the good news is there is a lot of baseball going on in Heaven! Mickey Mantle is hitting home runs a mile long and you should see Babe Ruth hit a baseball up here, too! It really is baseball Heaven!"

Stan smiled and said, "Hey, Bob. What about that bad news?"

There was a long pause. Finally, Bob spoke from Heaven and said, "The bad news is........YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO PITCH UP HERE TOMORROW NIGHT!" (Larry Peton, Sermon Central)

We are in the final focus in our study of Revelation; the New Jerusalem. Understand that this is the Kingdom that all of saints have been longing for, ever since Abraham. We are looking forward in faith to a greater home. It is a promised inheritance, a place of everlasting joy, an eternal home.

But now, they aspire to a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:16 LSB)

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, (Hebrews 12:22 LSB)

For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one to come. (Hebrews 13:14 LSB)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3–4 LSB)

But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. (Galatians 4:26 LSB)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20 LSB)

And the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:17 LSB)

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:2–3 LSB)

What all these verses are talking about is described in vivid detail here in Chapters 21 & 22. The tragedy that has become popular in recent years is that this is somehow spiritualized into something it is not. Someone will come along and say, “The Bible describes this as 12 gates made of one pearl, but let me tell you what it really says...” Who are they to claim some special knowledge of Scripture?!

I believe that the Bible speaks for itself and everything it says will come to pass. Just as Jesus fulfilled every prophesy pertaining to his first coming just as the Scriptures were written so it will be for the days that are about to come. “If it at plain sense makes sense, then don’t look for any other sense, or you’ll end up with nonsense.” (Dr. David Reagan)

The New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21-22 is the description and fulfillment of the promise of Jesus he made in John 14:2-3. This is the description of the place Jesus is preparing for us today. To read it virtually leaves little to expound. It is given plain vivid detail. There is no need to hyper-spiritualize it. There is no need to make it say something that it is not.

Remember, the Rapture of the Church is completed, the world has gone through the Great Tribulation with all the judgments of God upon the unbelieving world. We see the destruction from the Battle of Armageddon, the Second coming of Christ, the Millennial Reign of Christ, the Great White Throne Judgement of Christ, and the old world uncreated for the new heavens and new earth to emerge. Satan, all of his fallen angels, and the unbelieving world have been cast into the lake of fire.

We have seen the complete destruction of this fallen worldly system under the rule of Satan and ultimately under the reign of the Antichrist. With all these things now passed away, all that is left is the Divine Glory of the Almighty as John describes a New Heaven and a New Earth. What John sees next is nothing more than the eternal home all saints have been longing for...