Auto Transcript
Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.
Summary
We are reminded that our eternal destiny is not merely ‘heaven’ in a vague sense, but a specific, glorious place: the new Jerusalem on the new earth. Revelation 21:9–27 pulls back the curtain on this eternal city, showing us four glorious facts about the believer’s final home — it is safe and secure, spacious and beautiful, spiritual in character, and completely sinless.
Key Lessons:
- The new Jerusalem is a real, physical city — not a symbol — coming down from God out of heaven, permeated by his glory and secured by his presence.
- The city is immense (roughly 1,500 miles in every direction), adorned with precious stones and pure gold, with room enough for all the redeemed of every age.
- In the eternal city, there is no temple, no sun or moon, no night, no prideful leaders, and no dishonor — because God himself and the Lamb are its light and its temple.
- Nothing unclean, no one who practices abomination, and no liar will ever enter the city — only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Application: We are called to make our ‘reservation’ now, while there is still time — repenting of sin, trusting Christ as Lord and Savior, and living a life that reflects genuine faith. We should meditate on the glory of our eternal home so that it transforms how we live, serve, and resist the cheap offerings of the world.
Discussion Questions:
- How does the vivid description of the new Jerusalem change the way you think about your eternal future — and how you live today?
- What does it mean that the city itself is called the ‘bride of the Lamb,’ and how does that shape our understanding of our relationship with Christ?
- Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? What evidence in your daily life points to genuine, saving faith rather than mere religious profession?
Scripture Focus: Revelation 21:9–27 — the primary passage describing the new Jerusalem’s beauty, security, dimensions, spiritual character, and the exclusion of all that is unclean. Supporting passages include Hebrews 11, Ephesians 2, Ezekiel 48:35, 1 John 3, and Revelation 3 and 13.
Outline
- Introduction
- The Common Confusion About Eternity
- A City Too Good to Be True?
- The New Jerusalem: The Bride of the Lamb
- Four Glorious Facts About Our Final Home
- Fact 1: A Safe and Secure City
- The City’s Holiness and Heavenly Source
- God’s Glory Permeates the City
- Walls, Gates, and Angels
- Access for the Redeemed of All Ages
- Fact 2: A Spacious City
- Fact 3: A Spiritual City
- Fact 4: A Sinless City
- Have You Made Your Reservation?
Introduction
Okay, let’s take our Bibles this morning and turn to Revelation. That’s the last book of the Bible if you’re not familiar with the scriptures.
We’ll be looking at chapter 21, probably verses 9-27.
Revelation chapter 21. I’ll wait till you get there.
And let’s have a word of prayer. Lord, thank you so much this morning for bringing us together to worship you, to hear your word, to fellowship with one another, to sing praises to you because you are the great God and Savior. There’s no one like you. There never was. There never will be.
You are the one who created the heaven and the earth. You are the one who’s given us the plan of salvation. And that plan is focused on a person, Jesus Christ, and centered also on the cross of Calvary where he shed his blood and died in our place. He took the wrath of God for us.
Anybody who comes and believes in Christ will have their sins forgiven. They will be made right with God. They will be granted resurrection life and have eternal life with him.
Lord, these are great, magnificent truths that we cannot ignore. These are truths, Lord, that must be on our mind every day of our life because our life will end here on this earth.
To know where we will spend eternity is the most important thing that we can consider. As we come to the word of God today, I pray Lord that you would enable us and help us, engage our minds and move our wills to change things in our life that are wrong and sinful and to replace them with things that are righteous and that are led by the Holy Spirit of God.
Today again Lord give us listening ears and transform our mind by the word of God so we would know the good, the acceptable and the perfect will of God.
I pray this today in Christ’s name. Amen.
Revelation chapter 21, we’re heading to the end of the book. Next Sunday will be my last message in the book of Revelation.
It will be my last message here at Calvary for at least a while. It’s not going to be goodbye. It’s going to be I’ll see you later.
If I were to ask a question: where will you spend eternity?
If I were to ask that question and receive a response, most likely people would say that hopefully good Christian people will spend eternity in heaven.
However, that is not completely accurate.
The Common Confusion About Eternity
Somehow most in our day have come to be confused about the eternal destiny of the saved and the lost.
The common parlance that refers to heaven and hell has missed what the Bible teaches regarding man’s eternal condition and their destiny. The real story is the saved in Christ Jesus will spend eternity on the new earth and the new Jerusalem.
The lost will spend eternity in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.
Be sure of this: the eternal city will be a place of beauty and the lake of fire will be a place of darkness and misery.
But the feature that will make the one an ideal place to be and the other the worst place ever occupied will be the presence or the nonpresence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, our triune God.
“The feature that will make the eternal city ideal will be the presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.”
A City Too Good to Be True?
Now, suppose you were to see an ad in the newspaper or on some media page that you frequent.
Free beautiful homes be given away in a perfect city with no down payment, no realtor fees, no closing cost, no mortgage, no property or school tax, no utility bills, no fear of ever being evicted.
And you also read along with that 100% in this city. There’s 100% free pure water. There’s perpetual lighting. Nothing undesirable is in this city.
Everything is new. Guaranteed perfect health and free transportation.
Secure your contract today for this new city dwelling. Would you do it?
You probably would, right? Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Well, sorry to disappoint you, but you will never find such an ad on any media site or in any newspaper.
But you will find that the Bible tells us that there is a place given only to those who believe in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Given to those who truly practice their belief.
“There is a place given only to those who believe in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
There is a place and Revelation 21 tells us of that place. I’d like you to focus your attention here this morning on Revelation 21:9. As we look at this chapter, this is not talking about the thousand-year millennial reign of Christ in this part. It is talking about the eternal state, the new heaven and the new earth where it all comes together.
Now notice in verse 9, it says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me.” The angel is speaking to the apostle John and John is receiving this. It looks like this is the same angel of Revelation 17 who shows the judgment of the great harlot. That great harlot, the city of Babylon, was the religious and political system of Antichrist.
The New Jerusalem: The Bride of the Lamb
And now the angel who was commissioned to pour out one of the plagues in the tribulation period is given the task of introducing with delight the bride and the wife of the lamb and showing John the blessedness of the city, the holy city Jerusalem. If you notice again in verse 9, it says, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” John was supernaturally transported out of his body, out of this material world to a high vantage point where he could see the entire scene going on.
He sees the city whose builder and maker is God.
He received revelation concerning the description of the new Jerusalem and saw the bride of the lamb’s wife identified as the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. Why is the new Jerusalem called the bride, the wife of the lamb? The city, the residence of the saints of eternity future, is compared to a bride for its beauty and is intimately related to Jesus Christ the lamb.
There are several reasons for that. The first one is because a bride is beautifully adorned. Any bride that gets ready for her wedding is getting ready months before that time, buying all the stuff and organizing the ceremony, buying her dress, getting flowers, organizing everything that will take place that day. But the most important thing is when those doors open and the bride comes through the doors, everybody looks at the beautiful bride.
She is adorned and everybody’s eyes have their attention on her. It also tells us in Revelation 21:11, her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal clear jasper. So the reason for comparing this city to a bride is because of her beauty.
The second reason is because in verse 10 it talks about the city being a holy city. It says, “He carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.” In other words, this city is spotless and pure.
It is a holy place. It is a place separated by God for his people for all eternity. This city is being prepared to be a bride. It will be given a new beauty and an intimate relationship with Christ the lamb.
So this eternal city is not only the home of the bride. It is the bride.
“This eternal city is not only the home of the bride — it is the bride.”
All the people of God will be married to Christ in an everlasting intimate relationship that will never be broken. Remember, in heaven there are no marriages as we know here on the earth. But there will be a marriage, and that will be God’s people with Christ Jesus, with the Godhead. We will be one with each other.
The apostle John had a unique experience. He was given this grand tour of the believer’s final stopping place. He got a glimpse of his new home, and he wanted everybody who would read Revelation to see that glimpse because the glimpse of our new home gives us encouragement in times of tribulation and trouble.
It bolsters our faith so we can take another step, another breath, and live for Christ no matter what’s going on in our life. It’s meant to encourage us in a way that nothing else can.
“The glimpse of our new home gives us encouragement in times of tribulation and bolsters our faith to live for Christ no matter what.”
John sees this home. It was a city big and very beautiful for the eyes to behold, and his Lord was there with him.
Four Glorious Facts About Our Final Home
As we observe these passages this morning and focus in particular on the glory of the new Jerusalem, I want you to give your divine attention to four glorious facts concerning the true believer’s final home.
Fact 1: A Safe and Secure City
And here’s the first one, verse 10. The new Jerusalem will be a safe and secure city. It will be a safe and secure city.
Now, why is it stressing all this?
Because we’re not really used to on this earth things being totally safe and totally secure. There’s always some monkey wrench in the mix.
The City’s Holiness and Heavenly Source
But if you notice in verse 10, he carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain and he showed me a holy city. Now the first reason why it is a safe and secure place is because of its holiness. The city is to be compared to a bride in its beauty and intimate relationship to Christ.
The bride figure cannot be limited to just individuals who live in the city. It must also include a literal city with its physical characteristics. The city’s description is not a symbolic expression but a real material city that will exist throughout all eternity, and we will be in it for those who know Christ.
A second reason why it’s secure is because of the source of the city. Where does it come from? It says this city called Jerusalem comes down out of heaven from God.
In other words, when that happens, the source of the city coming down out of heaven from God means it is not at all tainted by the old world or any of the remnants of the old world. It’ll be a brand spanking new place.
“The city comes down out of heaven from God — not tainted by the old world or any of its remnants.”
Just like the writer of Hebrews said in chapter 11, “But as it is, they desired a better country, that is a heavenly one.”
God’s Glory Permeates the City
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. That’s all the children of God.
A third reason why the New Jerusalem is safe and secure is because God’s presence permeates the whole city. In verse 11 it says, “And having the glory of God, his brilliance was like a very costly stone, a stone of clear crystal jasper that the city has the glory of God in it.”
The most important characteristic of the holy city is that God is there in his magnificent glory. We can’t stand in the glory of God in these bodies—we would be consumed. Even Moses asked to see the glory of God, but God couldn’t show him his full glory. He had to hide part of himself to show him part of him.
But in this state, we’ll be able to experience the full glory of God. The glory of God is the intrinsic worth, the majestic splendor of the true and living God.
Glory has to do with brilliance and splendor and reputation and worth. It’s a heavy statement to say that we see God’s glory. The intention of God has always been that human beings and all creation should give him the glory that is due him.
In verse 11 it says her brilliance was like a very costly stone. The word there for brilliance means a shining radiance which comes from the very presence of God.
This jasper stone is like a transparent crystal—more like a diamond than anything else. It sends out a full spectrum of color when illuminated. The jasper is the first of the foundation jewels and symbolizes the glory of God in all its radiance and all its purity.
Whenever anyone is in the city they will be permeated by the presence of God wherever they go. Just imagine living in an environment where God permeates everything and everyone all the time everywhere. That’s very hard to imagine.
That’s why Revelation is given to us here—that we should start thinking about it. The city has been prepared by the Father, which comes to the new earth filled with people in resurrected bodies made ready and able to dwell in the presence of the glory of God for all eternity.
“The city has been prepared by the Father, filled with people in resurrected bodies made ready to dwell in the glory of God for all eternity.”
So this glory fills the whole city.
Walls, Gates, and Angels
And there’s another reason why this city is secure and safe in verses 12 and 13. It is because the city walls allow only God’s own to enter.
It says in verse 12, “It had a great and high wall and 12 gates and at the gates 12 angels.” The gates right here really promise protection and free access. Its walls stand as a visible reminder that all people do not have access to God.
The walls are described here as great and high. But it’s obvious it should be for someone who understands what is going on in scripture. The high walls were not needed for defense because the city will have no enemies.
The walls are symbolic of God’s protection and security and the exclusion of everything else that is evil. Like it said already in Revelation 21:8: “For the cowardly and unbelieving, the abominable and the murderers, the immoral persons and the sorcerers, the idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” They will not have part of this city.
The city will have 12 gates, and the 12 gates will always be opened for God’s people to have access to the city.
The eternal city is for those who have made reservations. For those who have believed by faith in God’s promise, the way to be saved, the way to be right with God is through Jesus Christ, repenting of your sin and trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
This new Jerusalem is a prepared place for a prepared people. And preparations are made right here and now.
“The new Jerusalem is a prepared place for a prepared people — and preparations are made right here and now.”
When you die, it’s over. If you didn’t make them now, you have to make them now while you’re alive.
Access for the Redeemed of All Ages
The redeemed of all ages will be able to enter this city and walk in the glory of its light.
And if you think about it, your loved ones will be there. Those who’ve trusted Christ will be there as the curtain is pulled back from when Peter, James, and John went onto the high mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them.
His face, the Bible says, shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him. We see that they recognized Moses and Elijah and they were talking with Jesus while Jesus was in his glory. They saw his glory for a little bit.
Those who trust Christ will be there in heaven.
If your mother or father trusted Christ, they’ll be there. If your sons and daughters trusted Christ, they’ll be there.
But most importantly, our living God and Savior will be there.
He will be the object of our praise and adoration throughout all eternity.
“Our living God and Savior will be there — the object of our praise and adoration throughout all eternity.”
We will see him as he is. As Paul told the Corinthians, for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we’ll see him face to face where we’ll know him fully. That’s going to be a glorious time.
The 12 gates will each one be inscribed with the name of one of the tribes of Israel. In verse 12, it says that the names were written on them which are the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel. God’s chosen people will be there.
The city rests upon God’s covenant relationship to spiritual Israel.
There will be, it says in verse 12 and 13, three gates on the east that most likely will be Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. Three gates on the north that most likely would be Levi, Judah, and Reuben. Three gates on the south, Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulon. And three gates on the west, Naphtali, Asher, and Gad.
As in the Old Testament in the wilderness when the Shekinah glory was there and present with the people of Israel, all the Israelites and their tribes would be around the tabernacle. They would walk out of their tent and they would see the glory of God.
Here they will see God’s glory clearly and they will see God’s glory all the time.
In Revelation, the emphasis is that the gates provide access to all humanity, the people of God. This means that access to God is unrestricted. It’s plentiful and may be entered from any direction at any time—north, south, east, and west.
No matter where you are, the saints have freedom to go in and to go out of the city. And the gates are never closed.
Also, it tells us in verse 12 that the city will have 12 angels stationed at each of the gates as honor guards, stressing the security not only of the city but also of God’s glory. Angels are always mentioned in scripture as protecting God’s glory.
“Angels are stationed at each gate as honor guards, stressing the security of the city and the glory of God.”
Fact 2: A Spacious City
That’s the first fact: the new Jerusalem will be a safe and secure city. A second fact found in verse 14 is that the new Jerusalem will be a spacious city.
The Foundation: Apostles of the Lamb
In verse 14, it says, “And the wall of the city had 12 foundation stones, and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb.” This is indicating to us that the foundation in the city is a firm foundation. The foundation of any structure will ultimately be determined by its strength and durability.
If the foundation is compromised at any point, the soundness of the structure remains in question. But that is not the case here.
The 12 foundation stones inscribed with the names of the 12 apostles represent a specific group of men. The twelve apostles are the symbols of the church. According to the New Testament, their ministry and witness undergird not only the church but all of what will be in the future.
Ephesians tells us the foundation are the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the cornerstone. We who know Christ today are living proof that our foundation is strong and enduring. We will also be given the hope that the foundation of our faith will endure forever—not because of us, but because of Christ, because of what he has done.
Notice that Israel and the church are brought together in the new Jerusalem. The 12 tribes are viewed as the 12 gates to the glory of God, and the 12 apostles are the foundation of the city. If it wasn’t for the sacrificial death of Christ and him establishing his church on that, there would be no new Jerusalem or new heaven and earth.
I would also like to point out that there seems to be a distinction between Israel and the church here. The mention of the twelve apostles shows the distinctive role the church will have in the new Jerusalem, just as the 12 sons of Israel have a distinctive role in the new Jerusalem as national Israel.
Notice also that these are apostles of the lamb. This reminds us that the city is noticeably the city of the lamb in his magnificent glory—a way that Jesus has never been seen before. Yes, it is the same lamb who was slain.
Revelation uses “lamb” for the crucified Christ 29 times in 12 chapters. In the beginning of Revelation it says, “And they sang a new song. Worthy are you who take the book and break its seals, for you were slain and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nations.”
If you are a Christian today with Christ as Lord and Savior, you’re part of that group. If you don’t know him as Lord and Savior, you’re not part of that group. The basis of the everlasting state of this society is regeneration—being born again into the family of God. And that is all wrought by the redeeming blood of the lamb.
“There is no union with God in eternity without the words and the work of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.”
In other words, there is no union with God in eternity without the words and the work of the lamb, Jesus Christ.
The Dimensions of the City
Redeemed humanity from all ages will occupy the eternal city of God. The size of the city is mentioned in verses 15-17, which gives us the dimensions of the city. It’s a large city.
Notice what it says in verses 15 through 17. It says, “The one who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and its wall. And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its width.” And he measured the city with the rod: 1,500 miles. Its length and width and height are equal. In verse 17, he measured its wall: 72 yards according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.
The purpose of the angel is to measure the city. The angel has a golden measuring rod as his instrument.
The city is described as a perfect cube, equal in distance in length, width, and height.
The dimensions of the city are the guarantee that there will be abundant room for the citizens of grace in their resurrected bodies from those of every nation, tribe, and tongue. If my calculations are right, the city would have a volume of about three billion, 375 million cubic miles.
Plenty of room.
It is significant that the city is not only a perfect cube, which signifies perfection, but also large enough to hold all the saints down through all the ages.
“The city is large enough to hold all the saints down through all the ages — there will be plenty of room.”
There will be plenty of room in that city.
Imagine trumping around a city that has resurrected bodies with the glory of God shining everywhere, and you are free. There is no sin. There’s no curse. There’s nothing like that.
It’s hard to imagine those things, but that’s what the Bible wants us to imagine because these things are true.
They will come to pass.
The Ornate Beauty of the City
But notice also, not only does this spacious city have a firm foundation, but it also has ornate building adornments.
There are materials used to build the city unlike materials that we would know today or materials we don’t use to build cities. The city had magnificent beauty and unspeakable greatness and glory, and the city reflected the very character of who God is, the majesty of the Lord. It says in verse 18, “The material of the wall was jasper and the city was pure gold like clear glass.”
Now this is beauty, this permanence, this perfection, this strength found in this city. He uses actually a rare word for material which means to be built in or inlaying something—to inlay something in something.
It refers to the base of the wall where it rose from the diamond foundation, and its inlaying made the whole wall glitter like a bracelet filled with diamonds. This is the foundation.
God is building a city that’s remarkable.
In verse 19, it says, “The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.” Why would you build the foundation with precious stone? Usually we build foundations with concrete. The Lord’s building the foundation with precious stone.
So the eternal city with its gates, its walls, its foundation are adorned with priceless jewels and pearls. Everything else is made of pure translucent gold.
The marvelous ornamentation is beyond human appreciation. Yet what scripture wants us to grasp is that the light and the glory of the Lamb will shine through these multicolored gems above the brightness of what we know to be the noonday sun.
“The light and glory of the Lamb will shine through multicolored gems above the brightness of the noonday sun.”
The first foundation stone is jasper.
The jasper stone is referred to as clear as crystal like a diamond. It refracts all the colors of the spectrum with wondrous brilliance. The word refract really means to turn aside or to break.
In this case, it causes a ray of light or a wave of light to undergo refraction—to send the beams of all the colored lights in all kinds of directions.
I guess what we could think about is a prism. When you hold a prism and the light of the sun shines through it, you can make all these colors come out of it.
This gives us a sense of how beautiful and majestic this place will be. Do you want to go there?
Do you realize that you are going there if you’re a believer?
According to Webster’s dictionary, refraction is the bending of a ray of light as it passes obliquely from one medium to another in different densities.
Notice what it says in verse 19. It gives us a list of all the jewels that are going to be part of the foundation of the city. Sapphire is like a blue in color. Chalcedon is like a translucent milky grayish quartz with stripes running through it. Emerald is a grass green color.
Sardonyx is really a brown color with white bands through it. Sardius is a kind of redstone or a ruby. Chrysolite is like gold. Beryl is bluish and green. Topaz is like a yellowish green. Chrysoprase is the translucent apple green stone. Jacinth is the bluish smoke violet color stone.
Amethyst is more like a purple and violet transparent stone. All these attempt to describe for us the beauty that will emanate from the new Jerusalem, and these 12 foundations will be structured to refract the great brightness and the radiance and the brilliance of the glory of God in all his holiness.
Everywhere you go in the new Jerusalem, the glory of God will shine through everything.
The meaning of the city and the wall with all its beauty and splendor and matchless glory continually reminds us of the beauty of God’s union with us.
Yet the people of the old earth trade this kind of splendor and magnificence for a handful of cheap tinsel that is offered to them by the devil. The devil will say, “Come, I’ll make you famous. I’ll make you wealthy. I’ll make you popular. I’ll make you powerful. I’ll give you a comfortable life.”
He’ll promise you that if you give yourself over to him, and either you’ll waste your life or you’ll destroy your life. As far as Satan’s concerned, he’s satisfied with either one.
We should never exchange the greatness of what God has done in salvation and the things that he’s giving us and going to give us for cheap junk of the world.
“We should never exchange the greatness of what God has done in salvation for the cheap junk of the world.”
A lot of people sell their soul out for something better.
This eternal city is a safe and secure city, and it’s a very spacious and beautiful city.
Fact 3: A Spiritual City
But there’s something else, a third thing, a fact about this new Jerusalem. It will be a spiritual city. Notice in verses 22 to 26 we see in this section of scripture that there are things in this city that are missing.
They’re missing. They’re not there.
But everything that’s not there is replaced by something much more glorious and better.
No Temple, No Sun — God Is Enough
Well, what’s not there? Look at there’s an absence of a temple. I think the Apostle John was waiting to look to see the city. Where’s the temple?
He sees no temple. Notice what it says in verse 22: “I saw no temple in it.” And then he says, “For the Lord God, the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple.”
So God himself will dwell in the midst of his people who will have direct, immediate, intimate communion with him.
It’s amazing that this truth is an old truth.
In the last chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, this is what he says about this end time city. Ezekiel 48:35 says, “The city shall be 1,800 cubits around. And the name of the city on that day shall be the Lord is there.”
See, that’s the name of the city and that’s the important part. The Lord is there and we are with the Lord forever. That’s what’s important.
See, it’s always been in scripture. There’s no need for a physical temple because God’s presence is there. And the temple always represented the presence of God.
“The Lord is there — and we are with the Lord forever. There is no need for a physical temple because God’s presence is there.”
There’s a second thing that’s absent. What’s absent? It’s the absence of physical and natural light.
Notice what it says in verse 23: “The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and the lamp is the lamp.”
So this city will have no need of creative natural light.
Revelation 21:23: “The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it.”
Now, it doesn’t say that the sun and the moon will be absent in eternity. It just means that there’s no need for them. Whether there’s going to be one or not, I don’t know.
Just like it says last time in scripture that there’ll be no sea, it doesn’t mean there’s not going to be bodies of water. But the way the bodies of water are filled is different than we know now. They’ll all be filled from the throne of God.
No Pride, No Night, No Dishonor
There’s a third thing that’s absent.
Notice in verse 24, there’s an absence of what I’m calling prideful leaders. In other words, those holding positions of honor on this earth will no longer hold that honor and glory of that office for themselves. They’ll turn that honor and glory back over to God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Notice what it says in Revelation 21:24: “The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.”
So there’ll be no absence of prideful leaders. And if there’s no absence of prideful leaders, we already mentioned last time there’ll be no wars. There’s no need for that kind of stuff because none of those things are going on because there’s absolute peace in this city.
Also, there’ll be an absence of nighttime, there’ll be an absence of darkness. Look in Revelation 21: “In the daytime, for there will be no night there. Its gates will never be closed.”
Just imagine that. No intruders, no burglars, no one to snoop or plunder in this city. There’s an absence of all these things.
Now, we’re not used to any of this. We’re used to blocking our doors. Especially if you live in New Jersey, you always lock your doors, your car doors, your house doors. And not only that, you have three or four locks on your doors, don’t you?
We’re always checking at night. Is the door closed? The windows closed? The alarm system on. We’re not used to this kind of stuff because, and that’s why the Bible is teaching us, we need to get used to in our mind thinking that this is what will happen. This is what will be. This is where we’re heading.
You’re not heading to a life where you’re annihilated or there’s no existence beyond the grave. No, you’re going to a very important, specific, beautiful place.
Also, there’s something else that’s not there. Verse 26, there’s an absence of all dishonor. Notice what it says: “And they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.”
No dishonor. The glory and honor that was given to the kings of the nations of the earth is now to be handed over to God in the new Jerusalem. Just as Christ, the God-man, will hand over the kingdom to the Father after he destroys all dominion and authority and power in the end time event of the millennium and the tribulation.
“The glory and honor given to kings of the nations will be handed over to God in the new Jerusalem.”
Where it says in Corinthians, then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom to God and Father when he abolishes all rule and authority and power. So this eternal city, they all will glorify and honor God in all eternity. That’s going to be part of it.
Fact 4: A Sinless City
And then notice the last thing that this new Jerusalem is not only a safe, secure place, a spacious place, a spiritual place, but it will be a sinless place.
There are going to be three groups that the Bible mentions that will not ever have access to this city. If you notice in verse 27, it says nothing unclean.
That’s the first thing. Unclean things, unclean spirits will not be allowed in this city. Not that they are ever going to be able to get in. The point is that it’s reminding us there’ll never be anything like we know now in this world where there’s so much unclean stuff going on everywhere. It seems like everything’s getting smutty and dirty.
You can’t even watch a program without them flipping the f-bomb at you every 10 seconds or some kind of sexual thing going on in the film or movie or whatever is being watched. You have to put all this research into watching something because you want to try to protect yourself from what’s there. But in this city, no unclean will be there.
Also, it says in verse 27, “And no one who practices abomination.” Abomination means all the terrible sins listed already in the book of Revelation. Like the cowardly, the unbelieving, the murderers, the immoral people, the sorcerers, the idolaters, the liars—they’re not going to be there. An abominable person is a person whose very nature has been polluted by a lifestyle of monstrous and unnatural practices and vices.
So only decency will be in the new Jerusalem and only honorable, holy, sinless people will be in the new Jerusalem.
And then it says in verse 27, “And nothing and no one who practices lying.” I think this is one sin that no one can get away with.
But here are those who habitually deceive others by slandering and gossiping and twisting the truth and just enjoy using falsehoods. They’re always emissaries of Satan because he’s a liar from the beginning.
Also, it may include those who make a profession of faith but contradict their faith by a sinful lifestyle. That would be the tell sign that they were a false believer and therefore liars because the word of God tells us in 1 John, everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness. Lawlessness is sin.
And the one who practices sin is of the devil. That’s talking about habitual sin, ongoing sin. For the devil has sinned from the beginning. The son of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil.
No one who was born of God habitually practices sin. Why don’t they habitually practice sin? Because the seed of God is in them. Because the spirit of God lives in them.
And he cannot sin because he is born of God. He’s in God’s family and God’s given him a spirit. So anybody who says I’m a Christian and their lifestyle is hypocritical against what their belief is, then they’re probably not a Christian. They’re just deceiving. They’re just lying to themselves.
See, that’s one thing about liars. When they practice it, they just lie to themselves too and believe their lies.
So within the new Jerusalem, none of these people are there. These are all shut out of the city and have their portion in the lake of fire.
And this is the final windup of this old system and the destiny of the proud, pompous man without God. They think they are smarter than God. They think they have figured things out. But that’s not true.
So this is a city without sinners and sin and anything that can defile it.
“This is a city without sinners and sin — a picture of the full repeal of the curse and the banishment of the devil and his works.”
And this is a picture of the full repeal of the curse and the banishment of the devil and his works. His works are everywhere. The mystery of iniquity works even today behind the scenes. All the things going on in governments of the world—Satan is pulling the strings, setting the world up for the end time.
The Lamb’s Book of Life
See, only God’s redeemed children may go in and out of the city because they are citizens of the new Jerusalem and their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Only God’s kids have access.
Look what it says in verse 27. The end of the verse says, “But only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Now here we see this again: the book of life. This is the book of names, not deeds. It contains the names of all who have true spiritual life.
Back in Revelation 3, it says, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments and I will not erase his name from the book of life and I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” It’s also a book that uniquely belongs to the Lamb of God and is related to his death.
Revelation 13:8 says, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
Either your name is written in the book of life or it is not written there. Your name must be written in this book in order for you to enter into this heavenly city.
Nothing unclean and no one who practices an abomination and lying shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Just as in the ancient world, it is built on the role of citizens in the city or nation that they live. Those written in it are citizens of that particular city or region.
Just like here, the citizens’ names are written in heaven and they are God’s special people.
“Either your name is written in the Book of Life or it is not. Your name must be written there to enter the heavenly city.”
So you have to rejoice today because your names are on the right roll because the Lord Jesus has prepared a secure place for all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and who live for him.
Have You Made Your Reservation?
Is your name written there?
The secure, safe, spacious, spiritual, sinless city has been prepared for all of God’s redeemed children that have been adopted into his family, that have received the gospel of Jesus Christ and lived the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Have you made your reservation yet?
Have you made preparation to enter the city?
If you were to die today, would you go there?
If you’re still working it out, you have to start working it out faster.
If you doubt completely that you’re going there because your lifestyle is not anywhere near being holy, then you need to confess that before the Lord and make those things right.
If you haven’t entrusted Christ, you come in repentance of your sin, confess him as Lord and Savior, and be saved.
In 1977, I trusted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I wasn’t looking for Christ. I was doing my own thing.
But the Lord brought the gospel to me and opened my eyes. I trusted Christ as my Lord and Savior. After that day, everything changed.
He had to take me out of my environment and put me in a different country to do that. But he did it. I’m so thankful to this very day that he opened my eyes to see the truth.
If he’s doing that in your life and you sense him tugging and drawing you to himself, don’t resist that.
Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father but by him. You have to become a real believer—not a religious person, a real believer. Someone who knows where they stand with the Lord and where they’re going.
They know whom they trusted. They’re sure of that. Because they trusted in Christ, what he started, he’ll finish.
“Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life. You have to become a real believer — someone who knows where they stand with the Lord.”
You’ll end up in the eternal city of God, the New Jerusalem. That will be your final place, and it’s going to be a great place to be. Amen. Let’s pray.
Lord, thank you, Lord. If this was not written here, we would never think of these things.
But thank you, Lord, that they’re there for our admonition, for our encouragement, for our edification, and for our rebuke—to rebuke us that maybe we’ve been thinking all wrong all the time, to get us back on track.
And as the word of God says, to think on things that are of good report and worthy of praise, things that are in heaven.
Lord, we know that you are there and you’re going to come someday. There’ll be a new heaven, a new earth, and we will be living in the eternal city, New Jerusalem, with you—with nothing that can harm us, nothing that could evict us. We will be worshiping you in a beautiful, glorious place for all eternity.
Thank you, Lord, for the promises that you give us. Help us to live by them and think of them, that they may transform us so while we’re here on earth, we can be servants.
We can use our gifts, our circumstances, and our talents for you and not waste them on some foolish thing. Lord, help us to be serious about these things.
But Lord, we know when we are, you give us the peace of God and you give us a joy that people are searching for but they can’t find until they come to you. We can live there.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Give you all the praise, the glory, and honor.