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Revelation21:2-3, Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared as a bride for her husband.  And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

Heaven is discussed throughout Scripture.  Hebrew 11:10 tells of Abraham waiting for “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”  The New Jerusalem has been spoken of in the Bible by different names such as holy city (Revelation 21:2; 22:19), the heavenly Jerusalem and Mount Zion (Hebrews 12:22), and the bride of the lamb (Revelation 21:9). Heaven has often been described in a humorous or satirical way; it has been described inaccurately because of lack of knowledge.  The Bible presents heaven as a very real and physical place.  Revelation 21-22:5 describe the characteristics of this place.

I find the words in Revelation 21:2 very interesting as John sees the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven.  Our natural tendency is to believe our eternal home is “up” in heaven.  Initially that may be true.  However here it can be seen that heaven comes to earth.  It is important to remember the previous verse referring to a new heaven and a new earth when processing what is being discussed today!

Revelation 21: 9-21 discuss this physical aspect of this great city.  The height, length, and width are 1,500 mile – a perfect cube.   That would be 2,250 square miles or 3,375,000,000 cubic miles.  It is certainly room enough to include people redeemed from every tribe, tongue, and nation throughout all history!

John could only describe what he saw in terms he understood.  He describes twelve pearly gates, streets of gold, twelve foundations bearing the names of the apostles, and the walls adorned with precious stones.   There is a wall around the city measuring two hundred feet high.  It is short compared to the city it encloses because the wall only defines or outlines the city’s limits.  Verse 24 indicated that there will be nations and kings on the new earth who give glory to God and honor the Lord.  By doing so, they declare the righteousness of God in every capacity of life. Remember, there is no one in the world that is not saved! 

 John also pointed out that which he did not see.  He saw no temple because the “Lord God and the Lamb are its temple”.  There was no sun or moon because “the glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light”.   In doing some study on this, I saw something I have not noticed before.  There shall never be night in the New Jerusalem.  However, John does not say there is no night or need for the sun on the new earth.  I do not want to cause controversy here.  But looking at verses scholars have given say that day and night shall not cease (Genesis 8:22; Psalm 148: 3-6; Isaiah 66:22-23; Jeremiah 31:35-36; 33:20-21, 25).  By these verses, God has promised that day and night shall never cease.  The point, however, that in the New Jerusalem is illuminated by God!

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