THE EXHIBITION OF THE ETERNAL BLESSEDNESS

The Exhibition of the Eternal Blessedness  

Rev. 21:9-27

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 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."
 

 

 

The Descending of the Holy Jerusalem vs. 9-10

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,"

 That great city, the holy Jerusalem.  -Rev. 21:10
 It is interesting to observe that, while the account of the new universe is confined to a single verse, no less than twenty-five verses are used to describe its great city in detail. The record speaks of its "glory" (Rev. 21:11), its "gates" (Rev. 21:12-13, 21, 25), its "wall" (Rev. 21:14, 18), its "measure" (Rev. 21:15-17), its "foundations" (Rev. 21:19-20), its "street" (Rev. 21:21), its "temple" (Rev. 21:22), its "light" (Rev. 21:23), its "nations" (Rev. 21:24), its "river" (Rev. 22:1), its wondrous "tree" (Rev. 22:2), and its "throne" (Rev. 22:3).
 The name of the city, as in common usage, refers to both the structure and those who dwell there. According to the angelic word, the "holy Jerusalem" is "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Rev. 21:9-10). The members of the Church will be its honored citizens (Phil. 3:20, ASV) where they live in their prepared mansions He promised them. But the saved of all ages will have free access to its glories and benefits (Rev. 21:24,26).
 Although the details of its description suggest many very precious symbolical meanings, we must not lose sight of the literality of the city. For it is a place, "prepared" by the Lord of glory Himself (Rev. 21:2; John 14:1-3). Surely, it would be foolish to argue that, because in the Holy Communion service its symbolism is the thing of highest importance, therefore it is of no consequence whether or not we have a literal bread and a literal cup. If the King of the New Jerusalem and also its inhabitants are literal, there is no reason for balking at the literality of the city itself. While some details of its structure may not be fully understood, none of them are wholly outside the realm of sober possibility. If there were twelve apostles and twelve tribes of Israel, why should not the new Jerusalem have its twelve foundations and twelve gates, bearing these historic names? (Rev. 21:12-14). These details have an anchor in the facts of history.
 The dimensions of the New Jerusalem are admittedly gigantic "twelve thousand furlongs" in breadth, and length, and height (Rev. 21:16). Even if we interpret this language as indicating the shape of a perfect cube, however, the concept is not inconceivable. In this case, its lines and equal dimensions would suggest that exquisite simplicity toward which modern architecture is moving. But on the other hand, as it may be, if the height of the city refers to the eminence upon which the city is set (possibly formed by the twelve foundations arranged in pyramid fashion), then again the literal concept would be one of great architectural splendor. The 144-cubit wall seems to harmonize better with this interpretation of the city's dimensions. What a sight such a city would be gradually rising toward the sky by the great step-backs of its twelve-jeweled foundations. It is true that this concept would be totally out of proportion with the dimensions of our present earth. But there is to be a "new earth." And if the earth is to be made the eternal dwelling place of Christ and His redeemed people, a's the passage suggests, then the earth will become the center of all things. Surely there would be a divine fitness in this, for here the great drama of sin and redemption will have been played out before an awed universe. And in that case, doubtless, the new earth will be so constituted, both as to size and glory that it will harmonize perfectly with its eternal city.

The Submissiveness of the Bride vs. 9

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife."

"Bride," "the Lamb's wife." Certainly that wife is not completely submissive to the husband today. That explains the difficulties in the church. The true bride is more submissive than the spurious bride, the professing church.

The Sinlessness of the Bride vs. 10
"That great city, the Holy Jerusalem."

The Lamb has finally presented it to Himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Eph. 5:25). Surely that ought to be inducement for God's people to be now engaged in the most important of all tasks, getting ready to meet the Bridegroom.

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