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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 7 - YES, I AM COMING SOON! (REVELATION 19:11 - 22-21)
PART 7.5 - THE NEW WOLRD OF GOD (REVELATION 21:1-8)

3. The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2)


REVELATION 21:2
2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

By this vision to the patriarch Jesus responded to the many urgent questions of his Jewish-Christian church members. The destroyed old Jerusalem will not be rebuilt on this earth by God. The unholy city has to pass away! This revelation was a shock for all Jews and their friends rooted in the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

Instead, John saw in his vision a new, holy city coming down from heaven. Not men had put up this glorious city from the ground toward the sky like skyscrapers and television towers, on the contrary, this spirit-born city came down from on high, from God, from the new heaven. This coming down from God had the Lord Jesus indicated several times (John 3:31; 6:33-35.41.50-51; 8:23; and other verses). Only what comes from God and out of Him has an eternal quality.

Already Paul had confessed that the true Jerusalem is above, with God (Galatians 4:26). Through the Holy Spirit born-again Christians have already today the right to enter this unique city (Hebrews 12:22-24), whose builder and maker is God himself (Hebrews 11:10).

The new city of God came down from heaven completed. Thereby John did not see, whether this wonderful city touched the earth and was inserted in it. That was, however, not important for him. Only its coming down from God he emphasized so as to underline that this glorious city is not put up with earthly elements but is born of God (John 1:13; 3:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:18).

The Bride of the Lamb: The seer realized in addition that the holy city from heaven was like an adorned bride waiting for her bridegroom. Already previously John had reported on the adorning of the bride for the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). This bride appears as the holy city.

The harlot Babylon was also called a “great city". Their inhabitants had the name of the infamous city proudly written on their foreheads (Revelation 17:5). Likewise the inhabitants of New Jerusalem got the name of the holy city engraved on their forehead (Revelation 3:12). Each of these cities determines the character of its inhabitants. Thus the city of God and of His Lamb and the city of Satan and Antichrist stand opposite to each other. But the pure city of God abides forever, while the city which is full of abominations will be destroyed in a moment irrecoverably.

The city of God which came down from heaven was not complete in itself as it was still empty. As her bridegroom and Lord the Son of God wants to dwell in her. Also the 144.000 Jewish-Christians will be accommodated in this city and innumerable Christians from the gentiles as well (Galatians 4:26; Revelation 3:12). All together they constitute the bride of the Lamb and its spiritual body. They respond to his spiritual love with great thankfulness and faithful love granted to them by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5b). So the previous testimony of John will be fulfilled, “God is love; and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16) In his high priestly prayer Jesus had asked his Father that those who believe in him, “... all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us .... And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:21.26). In these words the mystery of New Jerusalem is hidden.

PRAYER: We worship You, holy heavenly Father because You revealed the new spiritual universe through the parable of New Jerusalem from heaven. You want to dwell Yourself among Your chosen saints, and none of them is a saint of himself, but has become accepted to You for the sake of Christ's blood and the power of the Holy Spirit. You, in Your glory, will dwell among and in them in New Jerusalem. Amen.

QUESTION:

  1. Why does the inspiration say that New Jerusalem is the bride of the Most High Lord?

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