Some think that when we are caught up into the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, to: ever be with the Lord, (1 Thess 4:17) we shall become spiritual beings, floating around with harps, always in the presence of God. While this sounds very spiritual, and sounds like what we should hope for, it actually destroys hope, because although we are spiritual, we are also natural, and a full hope incorporates both spiritual and physical realities. While it is nice to go to church, read our bibles and pray, and spiritual comforts will be far more wonderful in the next life, we also need to walk and talk and work and eat, or our life will seem unbalanced.
It is just such a life that God has planned for all. We shall not float into heaven, but a new heaven will descend upon this earth, a mountain on which the New Jerusalem is built. And life will be most wonderful in this New Jerusalem. Some will walk within this city and some outside it. The Jews had a good understanding of the continuance of earthly joys, and the Christian church should have built upon these firm foundations. Instead they forget the Old Testament, thinking it to be an inferior revelation. Their hope differs little from the gnostics, and needs strengthening, to be joyful.
The most glorious hope is to dwell within the New Jerusalem, but it is also glorious to be permitted entry. These are great prizes. Although only ten million Jews, and ten million angels, (who now think they are only men and women), will dwell within the city, almost a billion will be permitted visits to the city. Not all the following promises apply to those who only visit the city.
John saw: a new heaven and a new earth . . . and . . . saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. (Rev 21:1,2) Outside the city, upon the earth: the nations of them that are saved shall walk. (Rev 21:24) But those with the highest reward will dwell within the city.
The city is built upon a mountain, which is steeper near the summit, the base of which is an hexagonal pyramid. Each of the six sides is twelve thousand furlongs, and the mountain is twelve thousand furlongs high. This means that the city is over twenty thousand furlongs across. John wrote what he saw, but he did not see clearly, when he said: The city lieth foursquare. (Rev 21:16) The mountain will descend upon the North Pole. And the city is built on the lower half of the mountain upon its six sides.
The city has a river: he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Rev 22:1) God says of the New Jerusalem: I will extend peace to her like a river. (Isaiah 66:12) Perhaps, as in the garden of Eden, the river will divide into several or even many streams. And perhaps these shall wind down the mountain. Perhaps we shall walk along the banks of these streams as lovers walk by the banks of the Seine in Paris. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities . . . a quiet habitation . . . a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars. (Isaiah 33:20,21)
There will be vegetation also as the: fir tree and . . . the myrtle tree (Isaiah 55:13) are to be an everlasting sign. But the vegetation will be more luxuriant than today. We will also eat fruit. The: tree of life . . . bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. (Rev 22:2) As in Eden, there would surely be other trees of the garden, from which we may eat fruit, but we will eat from the tree of life at least once a month. But even from this tree there is much variety; a different fruit each month. Fruit is especially delicious when eaten very soon after picking. I believe we shall pick fresh fruit each day.
Jesus says: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna. (Rev 2:17) Manna, which is: angels’ food (Psalm 78:25,) is unlike other food in that it does not grow from the ground, but it descends from God, being specially created. I believe this manna will energise our bodies, so that they do not deplete. Today pleasures do not last. It is not just that old age decays, but romance fades, the joy of employment becomes stale, alcohol brings problems. If people take drugs to increase pleasure the pleasure receptor area in the brain shrinks. But by the hidden manna, available only to those who may enter the New Jerusalem, joys will endure.
The children of Israel went out to gather manna every day and: the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. (Ex 16:31) The manna being hidden, could be taken literally, in that we will require divine guidance, of the Spirit of Jesus, to find it every day, as in small groups of two or more we search. It may be hidden in the woodlands in a place of wondrously thirst quenching waters. It is written: the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters. (Rev 7:17)
We are not told that much about the environment of the New Jerusalem, but it would far surpass Eden in that it is called: the paradise of God. (Rev 2:7) But we are told enough to understand that the New Jerusalem is not just a place of spirits playing harps. It is real, with food and drink, streams, vegetation, land and houses. These are all based on realities we learn of today.
The city of New Jerusalem is very beautiful: prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev 21:2) The city had: the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. (Rev 21:11) Today streets are the ugliest part of the city, being dust or bitumen, but in the New Jerusalem, the ugliest part of the city: the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. (Rev 21:21)
There are only, some twenty million who fully overcome, and dwell in this city. These are they who stay in the city. Although they may leave the city at times during the day, to survey Christ’s kingdom in the world at large outside the city, the Holy City is their permanent home, to which they will always return, and where they spend most of their time. This is how Rev 3:12 is to be interpreted: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him . . . the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem. The name of the city, written in our foreheads, signifies that we belong there.
They dwell on the lower half of the mountain, on the six sides of the hexagonal pyramid. On each side dwells a set of rulers for one kingdom: six sets of rulers upon the six sides for the six kingdoms upon earth outside the city. Residents of the city travel in ion powered space cars above ground, coordinated by computer.
This city is where our house dwellings will be. Jesus said: In my Father’s house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2) These mansions will be very beautiful and be constructed entirely of precious jewels. God says: I will . . . lay thy foundation with sapphires (a deep blue jewel), and I will make thy windows of agates (translucent quartz with layers of different colours), and thy gates of carbuncles (possibly a red jewel), and all your borders of pleasant stones. (Isaiah 54:11,12) While the exact meaning of some of the Hebrew words for these jewels is somewhat obscure, the houses will be built by God for us, and will be wondrously beautiful, and built of jewellery.
And just as Solomon says of the wise man’s house on earth: the chambers thereof shall be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (Prov 24:4) This is Christ’s literal promise to those who wholly follow the Lord. He says: thou shalt have treasure in heaven. (Mark 10:21) Treasure is also brought into the city from the world outside the city: the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (Rev 21:24)
The city is surrounded by: a wall great and high . . . and he measured the wall thereof an hundred and forty and four cubits . . . and the building of the wall of it was of jasper. (Rev 21: 12,17,18) Jasper is clear, so that those outside can see in, but being so high, the wall cannot be scaled. And the wall had twelve gates: and the twelve gates were twelve pearls. (Rev 21:21)
Twelve individual gates could not admit the millions that will enter the city each day. Each gate must be in a set of one thousand, making twelve thousand gates in all. At the gates are twelve angels (Rev 21:12) or rather, twelve thousand angels. The angels determine whether or not to permit entry to the city.
To gain entry to the city one must be obedient, both in this life and the next. On the renewed earth, they shall be able to look with wonder through the wall of the city, at the glory of God and nature inside. And know that: Blessed are they which do his commandments, that they . . . may enter in through the gates into the city. (Rev 22:14) These admitted to the city are not permitted to dwell there, but must leave after their time with Jesus. They experience their greatest joy in the Holy City of the New Jerusalem.
There are six nations, each of 144 million people, whose dwellings are on the renewed earth outside the city. Each nation is allocated a zone, on one of the six sides, entering 144 miles into the city, from the outer twelve thousand furlong wall. The fruit here suits the metabolism of the nations, as its atoms are miniaturised two hundred times. Fruit further in would not be suitable for them, as the greater miniaturisation of its atoms, makes it suitable only for the rulers. In addition to the common paradise land of streams and forests, each family has its own day time rest house, with an acre of land for gardens and pools.
The three southern nations are permitted entry to the city for five hours, once a week. One of these nations is Africa, where the twelve tribes of Israel will dwell (every tribe except Judah). Thus the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on the gates of the city. The two Northern mid latitude nations are permitted entry twice a week, for five hours a day. The most Northern nation is permitted entry three times a week, for five hours a day. (The trains convey half the visitors of a nation, to the city early in the morning, the other half of the nation, to the city about midday, soon after which they convey the first half home, returning to take the later half home in the evening.)
Representatives from the nations also enter their respective zones, on Wednesday and Saturday. (These are days when the rulers do not work.) It is then that they: bring their glory and honour into it (the Holy City). They sell in shops, and the overcomers buy goods with the tithe paid to them by the nations, although their service is free and joyful. Visitors to the city travel in high speed trains, using magnetic levitation. Elephants convey them the last part of their journey.
God the Father dwells there on the mountain, above the heights of the clouds, in indescribable glory, which no man is capable of beholding in completeness, except the Lord Jesus Christ. But for one hour, on the Lord's Day, he descends below the clouds to be beheld of men. These behold the exact representation of his glory.
Although we read of the cherubim in the midst of the throne (Rev 4:6) this should be understood as horizontal rather than vertical location. Ezekiel explains that the throne is above their heads, in a sphere the colour of the terrible crystal (Ezekiel 1:22-25), reserved only for God. When the Lord descends, some metres below the throne are the cherubim, and in their midst, the Lord Jesus. Lightnings and thunderings and voices proceed out of the throne, when beheld by those who dwell outside the city.
The Lord descends to the hill of the Lord spoken of by David: who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? (Psalm 24:3) The hill is above the city proper, just below the clouds, on the sides of the mountain, and the clouds roll back to reveal the glory of the Lord.
This hill consists of a series of plateaux below the throne. On the upper plateau of blue sapphire, in the first row are the twenty-four elders, and then in the next row are the thirty-six women who especially helped them. Then there are several rows of one hundred and forty-four, where are the seven hundred and twenty chief rulers. These all are seated. Then there is an incline to the sea of glass mingled with fire, on the next level, on which stand and worship the 144 thousand spoken of in Rev 14:1-3,15:2,3. Then there is another incline to a plateau of pearl, on which stand the rest of the ten million permanent dwellers of the New Jerusalem. All these permanent dwellers of the New Jerusalem, will see the Father's face for this hour every week. (Rev 22:4)
On days other than the Lord's Day, God descends from above the clouds to have fellowship with the permanent dwellers of the New Jerusalem. But during these times his glory is veiled. John heard: a great voice out of heaven saying, 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. and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes . . . he that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Rev 21:3-7) The warmth of such fellowship, directly with the Father, will be experienced will be experienced by all permanent dwellers of the New Jerusalem for forty minutes every day, at lunch time.
Once a month, on the day of the new moon, on the day before the Lord's day, is a special day, when the dwellers behold with greater proximity, the glory of the Lord. The twenty-four elders sit around the throne, as shown in the book of Revelation. Similarly the thirty-six women. At another hour also the twenty-four and thirty-six angels. At another hour, the seven hundred and twenty chief rulers, and at another hour, the seven hundred and twenty chief angels. At another hour the 144 thousand men, at another hour the 144 thousand angels, at another hour the ten million men, at at the final hour the ten million angels. God indells them all, by birth rather than adoption, their spirits being part divine, part natural. Therefore once a month they, in the midst of the clouds, see God on their level.
At other times, groups ranging from twenty men or angels to one hundred and twenty, shall ascend to, but not above, the clouds, and behold God's full glory through the cloud. They will be more conscious of his glory directly, than when around the throne. Another twenty-four thousand about will experience the same but by vision, while walking by the clouds. God will be walking and talking with a few, yet fellowshipping with many others at the same time. The experience will last two hours for the men and women, or angels. Once every year, will be each twenty-four thousand's turn, and once every hundred years, each dweller of the New Jerusalem, will ascend personally to the clouds, with a few others, to meet with his God. The overcomers truly will be the children of God.
Those who in worship, sit on the plateau of sapphire, ascend into the cloud, and behold God, above the cloud, working to uphold the universe. Those who in worship, stand on the sea of glass, ascend into the cloud, and behold God in the cloud. Those who in worship, stand on the plateau of pearl, stand below the cloud and behold God in the cloud. Understanding of God's workings increases with altitude. Using understanding of gravity, to illustrate understanding of God's workings: those who stand on pearl would understand that there is a force of gravity; those who stand on the sea of glass would understand Newton's law of gravity; those who sit on the pavement of sapphire would understand that the cause of gravity is the curvature of space.
Almost one third of God's time is so spent with small groups. It is his joy to have personal fellowhip with us and to see our joy in having personal fellowhip with him. The cherubim will not be there at these times.
In addition to the forty minutes fellowship with God at lunch time, dwellers of the New Jerusalem have two, one hour quiet times every day, morning and evening. This comprises twenty minutes of the word, during which they see a vision of the Lord Jesus speaking to them, plus forty minutes of prayer during which they see, every day, the body, but not the face of the Father.
In the morning, Jesus speaks six different messages, to the six groups of rulers over the six kingdoms. In the evening, he speaks four different messages: to the elders, to the chief rulers; to the one hundred and forty-four thousand; and to the remaining ten million. At the same time, he speaks four different messages to the corresponding angels.
The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Rev 21:23) Many objects look beautiful when they fluoresce under ultra-violet light. I am sure that all will look beautiful under the light of the glory of God. And there shall be no night there. (Rev 21:25) Although there is no night there, there may be times of sleep.
When the Lord Jesus ascends above the heights of the clouds, for an hour, morning and evening, to the bosom of the Father, the light of his glory is transformed to a fiery red, and this light floods the city for an hour when he descends. Two cherubim accompany him into the clouds, where he meets with the Father, and where the Father accompanies him to, after fellowship. They see beyond the clouds, into that realm from which the Father upholds the universe, and understand his wisdom, but they do not enter that sphere above the clouds, where only the Son of God may enter.
On the Lord's Day work and sexual pleasures are forgotten for the day, and the previous night (really there is no night). All is forgotten for twenty-four hours, to focus on the glory and fellowship of God. This is our day of greatest joy, not with as much joy as all other days combined, but with much more joy than any other day.
In the morning, at nine o'clock, God the Father will descend from above the clouds, and men shall behold his glory for an hour. After this the Father will fellowship with the overcomers for two hours, in a richer way than during the week.
Then men go home and rest for an hour. Then, there they sup with Jesus for an hour: I . . . will sup with him, and he with me (Rev 3:21,22) to him that overcometh. He said: Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. (Mark 14:25) Similarly He spoke of the passover meal of meat, saying: I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. (Luke 22:16) Resurrection bodies need food. After his resurrection Christ ate: a piece of broiled fish . . . and an honeycomb. (Luke 24:42,43)
Although it is not possible for Christ to be physically present at each table of twenty, sixteen or twelve, over the course of thousand of years, he will grace every table in turn. But other tables see a vision of Jesus, as though he were sitting at their table. The vision is no empty technology, but is the actual presence of the Holy Spirit of the Father, which conforms to the nature of Jesus. So God is present at every table, just a much as at the table where Jesus sits bodily. On the Lord's Day, at every table but Christ's, no man sits at the head of the table, but Christ sits at one head of the table, and the person with whom he is speaking, be it man or woman, sits at the other end of the table. A vision of these two is transported into every other dining room, as they eat and listen to the conversation, as though Jesus were conversing at their table.
The friendship of Jesus complements the overwhelming presence and awesome glory of our eternal Father. After an hours rest, they go to streams by the sides of the mountain, where they walk with Jesus in groups, again of twelve, sixteen or twenty. At this time it is only Jesus talking to them (not a conversation), sharing his heart and telling them mysteries. Jesus' body, being more supernaturally enhanced than those who dwell in the City, can speak over a thousand different messages to them at once. But he cannot, like the Father, speak to everyone on earth at the same time. (To those who are not supernatural, Jesus can speak, with a sufficiently dedicated heart, to over a hundred thousand simultaneously, and with far more thought than we speak today.)
When walking by the streams, unlike at the table, Jesus speaks different messages to those with different levels of reward. Those with greater reward will understand deeper mysteries. Each group will comprise the two males (be they man or angel), the six night wives (be they woman or angel) and the twelve, eight, or four day wives (be they woman or angel). (In other articles I explain how, even though, generally speaking, there is no marriage in heaven, it is acceptable to speak of women as 'wives'.)
For two hours, each whole group walks by the stream, listening to Jesus. When Jesus speaks to the leading man, at one level of the hierarchy, it is as though he is speaking and turning to face all leading men at that level. When he speaks to the mother figure, or daughter figure, similarly. (Family relationships reflect aspects of the image of God in which Adam and Eve were created. They must therefore be preserved into eternity, even though no new children are born into the New Jerusalem.)
Perhaps he may speak of civilisations throughout the galaxy, or of civilisations in other galaxies. (Although eternal life, redemption, and the heart of God is upon this world, God's intellect ranges more widely to other worlds, where he shows kindness, in moderate abundance to multitudes, during their relatively trouble free lives. Trouble is limited as they do not need to be shaped for eternity, although they may live many years.) Then is fulfilled the promise of Jesus, to Christians who take care with holiness: they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Rev 3:4)
Each day they visit the city, the visitors see at noon, on one day for thirty minutes, and other days for twenty minutes, a vision of the body of the Father, but are unable to discern his face. But they behold all the glory they are capable of beholding. Like the sun, it is nice to be warmed by the sun, but one should not fly too close to the sun. While not able to discern God's face, this is still their greatest joy.
Then, for thiry to forty minutes, they behold the glory of the Lord Jesus. Visitors to the New Jerusalem, instead of fellowshipping with the Father directly, experience fellowship with God through the agency of the Lord Jesus. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the vision and presence of fellowship of Jesus is communicated to all 144 million at once.
Visitors to the city, when they pray outside the city, see only the throne of God, but do not behold the body of the Father. And when they read their bibles, they see visions concerning the material they read. They read the bible themselves rather than having it read to them by Jesus, like the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem. They feel the fellowship of the Father when they pray, and the comfort of the word when they read.
The bible that commands us to love the Lord our God, also commands us to love our neighbour. Although our greatest joy will be to behold God, and our greatest friendship will be in fellowship with God, we will spend more time with mankind, (and angels,) than with God. Therefore our reward in God, will be equal to our reward in our neighbour.
There will be a strong fellowship of friendship, also romance and love, between men and angels in the eternal city. The environment also will be conducive to this. I have spoken of vegetation. But animals also, will be tame: the lion shall eat straw. (Isaiah 66:25) When males and females, of men and angels, who dwell permanently in the city, go into the woods to romance, they will leave a tiger on the side path, to guard their privacy. The tiger will not bite or harm. He will merely tackle the intruder and lead him away by the shirt tails.
They do not necessarily need to go to the woods to romance. They can romance in their gardens, as there shall also be an allotment of land with each house. It was said to Daniel: thou shalt . . . stand in thy lot at the end of days. (Dan 12:13) As these will be on the sides of a mountain they will afford wondrous views. As there are only twenty million dwellers in the New Jerusalem, in an area of the order of five million square miles, (although the zone above the clouds, the heights of the mountain, is reserved for God), there is much space available to all. Perhaps streams and pools will be in every garden.
Our nature will not change; it will just improve. What is good today, and what we love today of beauty and truth, and what interests us, we will still love, only more. Adam was created good, and the body is good, and the desires are good; they have merely been corrupted. The truth of God shall teach us the pure, uncorrupted way to follow our heart. This is freedom.
This city and our home in it, is to be our eternal inheritance. It is not only a future hope; it is a present reality, as it has already been built. Peter says your inheritance is: reserved in heaven for you. (1 Pet 1:4) God says: be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (Isaiah 65:18,19) So God has joy in giving His people joy.
To those who have endured strong affliction, and fear for the future, God now says: Before she travailed she brought forth; before her pain came she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? Saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations . . . as one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 66: 7-13)
Outside the city, the earth is renewed, as this is the meaning of the choice of the word translated new, when God says: Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. (Isaiah 65:17) Although this new earth will not have the ground cursed, as after Adam’s sin (Gen 3:17,) it would still be necessary to till the soil.
Outside the city there is great blessing and joy. But a heavenly blessing and joy is within the city of New Jerusalem. Did not Jesus say: Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s. But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time . . . and in the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29,30) But God now says that he is even better than he promised in this life. And when visitors enter the city, they also have heavenly joy.