TOWARDS THE NEWJERUSALEM
by Dr Jeffrey Khoo
“We’re a pilgrim band now headed for the glory land of light. We are traveling through the wilderness of night. We’ve a home that’s far away beyond the heaven and the stars in the New Jerusalem” (Timothy Tow). We often sing this hymn to remind ourselves that we are but temporary residents of this sin-cursed world, and we wait patiently for the new world to come—a new heaven and a new earth, and a new city called the New Jerusalem.
In the second last chapter of the last book of the Bible—the book of Revelation—we are given a glimpse of the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. In Revelation 21:2, the Apostle John wrote, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
Literal or Figurative?
Is the New Jerusalem a literal and physical dwelling place of kingdom citizens in the future, or is it a figurative description of the Church, the Bride of Christ? There is no question that the Church is the Bride of Christ (Rev 21:9), and there is no problem viewing the New Jerusalem as both the Bride of Christ and the literal future city in which the Bride of Christ shall dwell. A City is no city without its inhabitants. There are times when a city refers not only to its location but also to its citizens. For instance, the popular national song, “We are Singapore,” reflects well the thought of Singaporeans being “Singapore.”
In John 14:2-3, Jesus told His disciples, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” In Revelation 21, the Lord describes this beautiful city with many mansions that He has promised His people.
Its Brilliance and Beauty
The New Jerusalem will be brilliant, reflecting the glory of God. Its brilliance and beauty will be like that of a jasper stone most durable (v11). This tells us that this city will last forever. It is also described as “clear as crystal.” This means that it is a perfectly pure city without any sin or unbelief.
Its Shape and Size
The city is in a shape of a cube, it “lieth foursquare” (v16). Its length, breadth and height—are all equal, that is 12,000 furlongs (1,400 miles) long, wide, and high. The distance between New York and Los Angeles (ie, between the East and West coasts of USA) is about 3,000 miles. The New Jerusalem is about half the width of the United States, not forgetting that it is also as high. Imagine how gigantic the New Jerusalem would be.
Its Walls and Gates
How about the walls? Verse 12 says that the walls are “great and high,” and verse 17 says it is 144 cubits, that is about 200 feet thick. The walls are made of jasper so pure that it is transparent, “like unto clear glass.” The walls have 12 gates, three on each side, and they are made from 12 pearls (v21). Every gate is one pearl (imagine how big the pearls must be!). The 12 gates bear the name of the 12 tribes of Israel. Twelve angels, one at each gate, will serve as sentinels, and the gates will remain perpetually open.
Its Foundations
There are 12 foundations to the city (v14) and they are made of 12 precious stones of various colours (vv19-20): jasper (golden), sapphire (blue), chalcedony (blue with stripes of other colours), emerald (bright green), sardonyx (red and white), sardius (red), chrysolite (golden yellow), beryl (turquoise), topaz (yellowish green), chrysoprasus (green), jacinth (violet), and amethyst (purple). The 12 foundations bear the names of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. What an honour is accorded to the 12 apostles who had been specially chosen by the Lord to preach the gospel and write the New Testament. They all suffered greatly for the Lord and for the sake of His Truth.
Its Streets and Light
The city streets are made of 100% pure gold and transparent like glass (v18). There are no lamps to light the streets, for “the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (v23). The city has no need for the sun to give it light, for it has an infinitely greater Light—the Son—not sunlight but Sonlight. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
The city needs no temple for “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (v22). In other words, the city is filled with the very presence of God the Father and God the Son. God is right there and then for all eternity, and there is no need for anything to house or represent Him.
Its Residents
All the residents of the New Jerusalem are registered in the Lamb’s Book of Life. To get into the Book of Life and be a citizen of this Holy City, one must be born again, born from heaven, born from above, born of the Spirit (John 3:3-7). Is your name written there?
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THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter 21
John 21:4-11
Fruitful Service Under Christ’s Direction
“But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not it was Jesus” (v. 4). How often, in our blind struggle, we are under the watchful eyes of our Saviour, but we know not He is there. When we are at the end of our tether, then comes our Saviour to help. The disciples were wet and cold with hunger but the Lord had a hot meal waiting for them. He knows our every need. He provides like a mother her children before they ask.
But He had greater blessings in store for them if they would follow His direction. “Cast the net on the right side of the ship.” This they did after they had failed, casting on the wrong side! And what a catch, 153 great fishes. How “great” they were we’re not told, but if they were 10 or 20 pounders, an average of 15 pounds per fish, the reaping of this fruitful service would exceed 2,000 pounds or over 1,000 kilos. At $3.00 per kilo of fresh fish, the instant catch they made would be worth over $3,000. How many meals would $3,000 buy for the seven of them?
When God so blesses the work of their hands, the disciples also have their eyes opened: “It is the Lord.” When God blesses the work of our hands, our Church, do we give glory to Him and say, “It is the Lord”? And when we say this, it expresses our gratitude to the Giver than our joy in the gift. It consecrates us to ever more loving service to Him, and not to our own whims and fancies, our own strength and prowess. Compare this chapter with Luke 5 in which Peter, overwhelmed by the love and power of his Lord, confessed his sins. His self service was sinful being out of the Lord’s direction, according to his own confession. Should we not re-examine ourselves trying to serve God in our wilful ways?
This is the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples as a group, the first two times being in Jerusalem, the first Sunday evening, without Thomas, and the second Sunday evening, with Thomas.
John 21:7, 8
Between Peter and John
J. C. Ryle comments: “We should observe, for another thing, in these verses, the different characters of different disciples of Christ. Once more, on this deeply interesting occasion, we see Peter and John side by side in the same boat, and once more, as at the sepulchre, we see these two good men behaving in different ways. When Jesus stood on the shore, in the dim twilight of the morning, John was the first to perceive who it was, and to say, “It is the Lord;” but Peter was the first to spring into the water and to struggle to get close to his Master. In a word, John was the first to see; but Peter was the first to act. John’s gentle loving spirit was quickest to discern; but Peter’s fiery, impulsive nature was quickest to stir and move. And yet both were believers, both were true-hearted disciples, both loved the Lord in life, and were faithful to Him unto death. But their natural temperaments were not the same.
Let us never forget the practical lesson before us. As long as we live, let us diligently use it in forming our estimate of believers. Let us not condemn others as graceless and unconverted, because they do not see the path of duty from our stand-point, or feel things exactly as we feel them. “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit” (I Cor xii 4). The gifts of God’s children are not bestowed precisely in the same measure and degree. Some have more of one gift, and some have more of another. Some have gifts which shine more in public, and some which shine more in private. Some are more bright in a passive life, and some are more bright in an active one. Yet each and all the members of God’s family, in their own way and in their own season, bring glory to God. Martha was “careful and troubled about much serving,” when Mary “sat at the feet of Jesus and heard His word.” Yet there came a day at Bethany when Mary was crushed and prostrated by overmuch sorrow, and Martha’s faith shone more brightly than her sister’s. (Luke x. 39; John xi. 20-28) Nevertheless both were loved by our Lord. The one thing needful is to have the grace of the Spirit and to love Christ. Let us love all of whom this can be said, though they may not see with our eyes in everything. The Church of Christ needs servants of all kinds, and instruments of every sort; penknives as well as swords, axes as well as hammers, chisels as well as saws, Marthas as well as Marys, Peters as well as Johns. Let our ruling maxim be this, “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Eph. vi. 24).
