The Celestial City | Dr. David Jeremiah | Revelation 21 & 22

This comprehensive summary, drawn from Dr. David Jeremiah’s teaching on Revelation 21 and 22, details the biblical blueprint for the New Jerusalem, the spectacular capital city of heaven. This message provides essential insights into God’s ultimate plan for His children, emphasizing the physical reality of the future city, its breathtaking dimensions, and the exclusive requirement for entry: faith in Jesus Christ.

1. The Divine Necessity of the Celestial City

The concept of a glorious, future city of God is not a figure of speech but a reference to an actual physical place. Since believers will possess physically resurrected bodies, a physical dwelling place is necessary. This longing for a divine city can be traced back to Abraham, who “waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God”.

The Crown of the New Creation

The New Jerusalem is often referred to by theologians as the crown of the new creation. It is described as “paradise regained” and a “holy and beautiful abode” of which the Garden of Eden was only an imperfect emblem. It is crucial to understand that the New Jerusalem is not heaven itself but the incredible capital city of heaven.

The Apostle John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, “coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”. The scripture emphasizes that the city is already prepared and complete, suggesting it is waiting in heaven now. It is this place that Jesus promised to prepare for His disciples: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also”.

2. Unprecedented Dimensions and Capacity

The city God is building will dwarf the mega cities of today. While modern cities like Tokyo boast populations of 37 million and New York City has nearly 8.5 million residents, the scale of the New Jerusalem is astonishing.

Astronomical Size

Revelation 21:15–16 describes the city as laid out in a square, with its length, breadth, and height being equal. The measurement is 12,000 furlongs (a furlong equals 660 feet or one eighth of a mile).

• Area Calculation: An analysis by 20th-century pastor F.W. Borham calculated the city’s area at 2,250,000 square miles.
• Comparisons: This area is:
  • 15,000 times as big as London.
  • 10 times as big as Germany and France.
  • An “enormous continent in itself”.
• Population Capacity: Based on the density of London, the city could hold 100,000 million people, which is 70 times the present population of the whole world.

3. The Stunning Architecture and Eternal Features

The Bible provides incredible details about the city’s construction, emphasizing purity, permanence, and divine lighting.

Holy City and Pearly Gates

The chief characteristic of the New Jerusalem is its holiness.

• The Wall: The city features a great and high wall. The construction of this wall is jasper.
• The Gates: There are 12 gates guarded by 12 angels, inscribed with the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. Each individual gate is made of one pearl. This is a reminder that heaven will be populated by people from the Old Testament.
• Open Gates: Crucially, the gates shall not be shut at all by day, because there will be no night there. Since everything surrounding the city will be holy, there will be no need to protect the city with closed gates.

Foundations of Precious Stones

The city rests on not one, but 12 foundations, which are adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The stones listed include jasper, sapphire, emerald, sardonyx, amethyst, and topaz, among others. These foundations are stacked one upon the other, ensuring that the city’s beauty is visible as far as the eye can see.

Written on the foundations are the names of the 12 apostles. This symbolically indicates that the Church (the body of Christ) is related to this holy city, serving as a lasting memorial to the redemption provided by Jesus Christ.

Streets of Transparent Gold

The city itself is pure gold, like clear glass. The street of the city is described as pure gold, like transparent glass. Unlike the opaque gold found on Earth, heaven’s gold is so pure that experts suggest it is translucent, allowing individuals to look into and through its clear depths as they walk upon it.

The Lamb is the Light

The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it. The light comes directly from the glory of God, and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) is its light. This fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 60:19, where the Lord is promised to be an everlasting light. This light is physical and spiritual, shining into every home and heart, and it never fades.

4. Paradise Regained: Food and Water

The New Jerusalem restores elements of the paradise lost in Eden, promising sustained life and joy.

The Tree of Life

In the middle of the street, and on either side of the River of Life, stands the Tree of Life. This tree, once guarded by the cherubim in Eden, reappears in the heavenly city. It bears 12 fruits, yielding its fruit every month, providing 12 seasons of fruit instead of one.

• Purpose of Eating: Eating in heaven will be for enjoyment, but not for sustenance.
• Healing/Therapeutic: The leaves of the tree are for the “healing of the nations”. The word used for “healing” (therape) implies that the leaves promote the enrichment and therapeutic joy of life.

The River of Life

A pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeds directly from the throne of God and of the Lamb. This river makes “glad the city of God” and serves as the city’s centerpiece. Following the water leads directly to its source: the Lamb’s throne.