Rev. David Holwick
Ledgewood Baptist Church
March 29, 1992
Revelation 21
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I. Purpose of final chapters.
A. A renewal (and reversal) of Genesis 1 to 3.
1) Death and suffering are eliminated.
2) The curse is removed.
3) The dwelling of God is with humans, as in Eden.
4) Believers have access to the Tree of Life.
B. Fulfillment of promises to the overcomers.
1) Ephesus: The right of access to the Tree of Life. 2:7; cf.
22:2
2) Thyatira: The right to rule the nations. 2:26; cf.
22:5
3) Philadelphia: The name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem.
3:12; cf. 21:2,9ff
II. God's city, the New Jerusalem.
A. Residence of believing Jews?
B. Residence of Church?
C. Not a residence, but symbol of the Church itself.*
1) Both the Church and the New Jerusalem are the "Bride of
Christ."
2) The new earth is the residence of the saints. Cf. Isaiah
65:17
3) Most of the details of the city are moral and spiritual, not
geographic.
III. The characteristics of the New Jerusalem.
A. The city will be "holy" (21:2), with sinners not allowed in.
(21:8,27; 22:15)
B. The city will be "new," mostly in sense of quality. 21:2.
C. The city descends out of heaven from God. 21:2.
1) This stresses the idea that the city is a gift of God. J
2) Is the city in heaven now?
a) Yes.
1> Other NT passages: Galatians 4:25-26; Hebrews 11:10;
12:22-23; 13:14.
2> Both are called the "holy city" and a "bride." (Isa
52:1; 61:10 / Rev 21:2)
b) No, it is not in heaven now.
1> The present heaven will pass away, bringing in the new
order.
2> It is for the future, but it has present implications
for believers.
D. The city is characterized by sheer happiness. 21:4; also 7:12-17,
2:13, 6:9-11, 11:1-13, 12:1-13:18, 14:13.
1) God will dwell with his people there, in fulfillment of
Leviticus 26:11-13.
a) This promise was given to the old Jerusalem but forfeited
due to apostasy.
2) No more tears, pain or death (elements in the old creation.)
E. The city is absolutely secure (21:10-14a) and huge (measuring
144,000 furlongs total). Probably figurative.
1) Imagery from both Israel (12 tribes) and the Church (12
apostles) undergirds the city.
2) The city matches the shape of the Holy of holies.
a) Therefore, the city (Holy of holies) is located in the
temple, which is God himself.
F. The meaning of the beautiful adornment.
1) The city's adornment represents the future material wealth of
the saints.
2) The adornment doesn't represent wealth, but the glory and
holiness of God.*
IV. Salvation and the City of God. J
A. Before describing the city, God offers an invitation. 21:6
B. Salvation is beautifully depicted in the image of a free drink at
the spring of life.
1) Nothing is required except to come and drink.
2) The essence of salvation is described as an intimate, personal
relationship with God himself, for eternity. cf.
John 17:3
C. A choice must be made because there are two cities: God's and
Babylon's.
1) Each has its inhabitants and its destiny.
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Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
October 6, 1988
Revised: March 19, 1992
Ledgewood, New Jersey
NEW JERUSALEM, continued
REVELATION 21
I. New Jerusalem as a symbol of the saints. Gundry
A. Extent of identification.
1) Partial. Both a residence and an image of Church.
2) Total. Residence not in view. G
a) Residence is the new earth in 21:1-2. G
B. Support within Revelation. G
1) 3:12 - The name of the New Jerusalem is written on
overcomers. This identifies the city with the
person.
2) 20:9 - The beloved city stands in parallel with the camp of
the saints. Gog has to cover the whole earth to
attack it, so the city does not seem to be confined to one spot.
3) 21:2-3,9b-10 - Earlier hints here become virtually explicit.
The city is called "the bride, the wife of the
Lamb."
a) In 19:7-8 the Lamb's bride is equated with the saints.
b) Both passages are united by the repeated description of
the bride-wife as "made ready."
c) in 22:17 the bride joins with the Spirit in saying,
"Come."
1> "Come" is the prayer of the suffering saints in 22:20.
4) Therefore the city = the bride-wife = the saints. G
C. Elements which seem to distinguish the New Jerusalem from saints.
G
1) The city is compared to a bride in 21:2, not identified with
her.
a) But the city is not compared to a bride, but her
preparation to a bride's adornment.
2) The saints inherit the city. 21:7.
a) Actually, they inherit "these things" in 21:7, which more
naturally refers to the all things made new in
21:5.
3) The nations will bring honor into the city, which must be a
location and the residence of the saints.
a) The nations are no longer the pagans, which were cast into
the lake of fire.
1> The terms "peoples" and "nations" have both shifted
from the unbelievers to the saints.
b) The saints are now the new kings of the earth, a whole
nation of kings.
c) To be outside the city is not to be on the earth, but to
be in the lake of fire.
d) "Bring into it" is spatial language but with non-spatial
meaning. Concerns the glory of the kings who
make up the city.
1> 21:27 guards against misunderstanding - "Nothing
impure will ever enter it."
2> 3:12 - "Never again will he [the overcomer] leave it."
3> To enter the city is to make it up. There is nothing
about leaving once the glory and honor have been
brought in.
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