The New Jerusalem

In the old testament we see a literal temple in Jerusalem. Behind the first vail was the holy place and behind the second vail was the holiest. Only the high priest could enter the latter. Here he would meet and commune with God from above the mercy seat.

Exodus 25

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony…

The God of the universe confined himself to a box inside a room inside a temple. That’s where his presence was.

However, what happened when Jesus died? The vail to the holiest was rent from top to bottom and everything changed.

The church became the “temple” in which God dwells.

Ephesians 2

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Now let’s jump over to a similar verse in 1 Peter 2

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house…

Here’s another verse in 1 Corinthians 3:9 &16

9 …ye are God's building. 

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Finally one more supporting scripture 2 Corinthians 6:16

16 …ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

When Jesus died and the vail to the holiest was rent, an incredible shift took place from the physical to the spiritual. A transition began from the old to the new covenant. Whilst under the Old Covenant God dwelt in a literal temple, under the New Covenant, the church is the temple in which God dwells. 

Now let’s go to the book of Revelation.

I want to preface this by saying I used to be a dispensationalist and believed that Revelation was a description of literal future events. These events included a millennial reign in which the New Jerusalem would literally descend from the sky to hover above the earth.

I’ve since come to believe that John wrote down what he saw in a “vision” 

Revelation 9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision…

Visions are symbolic in nature.

For example in Acts 10 we read of Peter’s vision…

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

15 And the voice spake unto him…What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

The unclean animals that Peter saw descend from heaven in a sheet, represented the Gentiles. God used a vision to teach Peter that new testament salvation was available to Gentiles as well as to Jews.

God was not teaching Peter that in the future a literal sheet full of animals would descend from the sky.

Here’s what John saw in his vision…

Rev. 21

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

What could the New Jerusalem described in Revelations 21&22 represent?

I was astounded to discover that the language used in these chapters perfectly matches the description of the church in Ephesians 2, 1 Peter 2, 1 Corinthians 3 and 2 Corinthians 6.

Ephesians 2:19-22

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets…

Rev. 21:14

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

1 Peter 2

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house…

Rev. 21:19 

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.

2 Corinthians 6:16

16 …ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Rev. 21:3 

…Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Those last two verses prompted these questions in my mind…

When did God begin dwelling in his people? 

Was it at Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out?

Was this when the new testament church was established?

Could this be when the New Jerusalem came down from heaven in a spiritual sense?

Rev. 21:2 says that the New Jerusalem was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

If the New Jerusalem represents the church and the church was established at Pentecost, does  that mean the church was presented to Christ for marriage at Pentecost?

 

Is there any evidence to support this?

Let’s go to Gal. 4

22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

These verses tell us that Abraham’s wife Sarah, represented the New Covenant. She is also likened to “Jerusalem which is above”.

In my mind this connects the establishment of the new covenant with the New Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem which is above” is also called ”the mother of us all” and God’s people are called “children of promise”.

The promise is the Holy Spirit.

Gal. 3:14

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Those who are born of the Spirit (John 3:5) are “children of promise”.

When reflecting on Acts 2 I asked myself how many “children of promise” were born when Peter descended from the upper room to preach the gospel on the day of Pentecost? The answer is about 3000.

I can’t think of any greater evidence that a marriage has taken place than the existence of children.

Rom. 8:16

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  

Let me take you to Ephesians 5

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

In these verses the church is likened to a “body” as opposed to a “building”.

When considering Ephesians 5 I asked myself these questions…

Does being in the body of Christ mean we are “one flesh” with him?

Does being “one flesh” with Christ suggest that a marriage has taken place? 

Did Jesus die so his Spirit may be poured out at Pentecost?

In pouring out his Spirit, did Christ sanctify and cleanse the church that he may present it to himself a glorious, spotless bride?

Ephesians 5 tells us that Jesus gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word

Let’s consider 1 Peter 1:22

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit…

The Word washes us clean when we obey it through the Spirit.

This all ties in what Hebrews 10

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Could entering through the veil which represents Christ’s flesh, mean entering the body of Christ?

Does entering the body of Christ mean becoming “one flesh” with him in a marriage-like covenant?

Can we equate the body with the church?

In entering the church do we enter the holiest? 

In entering the holiest are we able to meet and commune with God?

Do we have to be sanctified and cleansed before entering the holiest?

Let’s look again at the description of the New Jerusalem 

Rev. 21

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Like I said in my previous video, angels guard the way of the tree of life. Just as the tree of life grew in the midst of the garden of Eden, it is found in the midst of the New Jerusalem.

Rev. 22

1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, 

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Just as Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden for disobeying God’s commandment, in obeying his commandments we have “right to the tree of life”.

Spiritual life is found IN Christ for his Spirit is the “down payment” of our inheritance (Eph. 1:14). We’ll receive our full inheritance in heaven, if we remain faithful till the end.

In conclusion:

I hope you’ll consider that the New Jerusalem described in the last two books of Revelation represents the new testament church established at Pentecost, thus it was at Pentecost that the New Jerusalem came down prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

I hope you’ll consider that in pouring out his Spirit at Pentecost, Christ sanctified and cleansed the church that he may present it to himself a glorious, spotless bride.

I hope you’ll consider that at Pentecost, Christ and the church became “one flesh” and as a result of this union “children of promise” were born of the Spirit. 

Biblically speaking, there is no greater evidence that a marriage has taken place than the existence of children.

Let me know in the comment section, do you think it’s possible that the new testament church and the New Jerusalem are one and the same thing?

Do you think it’s possible that Christ and the church are presently “one flesh” with the evidence of children?

God bless.