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| A Colossal
City In Space |
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| God is the architect
and builder of the holy city. |
Talk about a city! New
York and London are as nothing in comparison. Wait till you grasp
the amazing facts concerning this gigantic city. For true information
that will thrill and cheer you, keep reading.
1. Who is the architect and builder of this space city?
"
Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city." Hebrews 11:16.
Answer: The Bible declares that God is building
a great city for His people. And this city is as real and literal
as any you have ever known. |
 |
| God's amazing city
is located in heaven, His dwelling place. |
2. Where is this amazing city
that God is preparing?
"
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven." Revelation 21:2. "O Lord my God ... hear thou
in heaven thy dwelling place." 1 Kings 8:28-30.
Answer: This great city that is being constructed
is, at this moment, in far outer space in God's dwelling place,
which is called heaven. |
 |
| Notice the city's
size compared to several states. |
3. How do the Scriptures describe this amazing space city?
Answer:
(A) SIZE
"
The city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth:
and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs." Revelation
21:16. The city is perfectly square. Its perimeter is 12,000 furlongs,
or 1,500 miles (a furlong is 1/8 mile). It is 375 miles long on
each side.
The city's jasper walls are nearly 20 stories tall. |
(B) NAME
The city is called "new Jerusalem" in Revelation 21:2.
(C) WALLS
"And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits. ...
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper." Revelation 21:17, 18. A wall
144 cubits, or 216 feet high (a cubit is 18 inches), surrounds the city. The
wall is made of solid jasper, with radiance and beauty beyond description. Think
of it! Nearly 20 stories high and solid jasper!
Each city gate is made of one solid pearl. |
(D) GATES
"And had twelve gates ... On the east three gates; on the north three gates;
on the south three gates; and on the west three gates." And the twelve gates
were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl." Revelation 21:12, 13,
21. The city has 12 gates—three on each side—each one made of a single pearl.
(E) FOUNDATIONS
"The wall of the city had twelve foundations ... 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." Revelation
21:14-20. The city has 12 full, complete foundations—each one made of precious
stone. Every color of the rainbow will be represented, so at a distance the city
will no doubt appear to be resting upon a rainbow.
The city streets will be pure gold--reflecting heaven's glories as a
mirror. |
(F) STREETS
"The street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." Revelation
21:21.
(G) APPEARANCE
"The holy city, ... prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." "Having the
glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a
jasper stone, clear as crystal." "The length and the breadth and the height of
it are equal [proportionate]." Revelation 21:2, 11, 16. The city, with all of
its precious stones, gold, and shimmering beauty, will be lighted with the glory
of God. In its breathtaking majesty and purity it is compared to "a bride adorned
for her husband." |
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| Heaven's fantastic
tree of life brings unending life and youth to all who eat
of it. |
4. What phenomenal feature of this majestic city assures every citizen
eternal vigor and youth?
"
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river,
was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits,
and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree
were for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22:2. "Take also
of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever." Genesis 3:22.
Answer: The tree of life, which bears 12 kinds of
fruit (and is in the middle of the city--Revelation 2:7), brings
unending life and youth to all who partake of it. Even its leaves
will contain marvelous sustaining qualities. This tree will yield
a new crop of fruit each month. |
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| The holy city will
descend to earth and become its capital. |
5. Is it true that this amazing city will descend to this earth?
"
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Revelation
21:2. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew
5:5. "The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth." Proverbs
11:31.
Answer: Yes, the majestic holy city will come down
to this earth to become the capital of the earth made new. All
the righteous will have a home in this city. |
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| Sin and sinners will
be eradicated by fire from God. |
6. What will happen to
sin and sinners?
"
All the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble:
and the day that cometh shall burn them up." Malachi 4:1. "Fire
came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." Revelation
20:9. "The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10. "Ye
shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the
soles of your feet." Malachi 4:3. "Nevertheless we, according
to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13.
Answer: God will destroy all sin and sinners with
fire. This fire will melt the earth and turn everything into ashes.
Then God will make a perfect new earth, and the holy city will
be its capital. Here the righteous will live in joy, peace, and
holiness throughout eternity. God promises that sin will not rise
up again. See Nahum 1:9. |
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| In His new kingdom
the Lord will personally live among His people. |
7. What refreshing, thrilling
promises does God make to the people who enter His new kingdom?
Answer:
A. The Lord, in person, will live with them (Revelation
21:3).
B. They will never become bored. There will be pleasures
forevermore (Psalm 16:11).
C.There will be no more death, pain, tears, sorrow, sickness,
hospitals, operations, tragedy, disappointment, trouble, hunger,
or thirst (Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 22:3; Isaiah
65:23; Revelation 7:16).
There will be no use for crutches and wheelchairs in heaven. |
D. They will not get tired (Isaiah 40:31).
E. Every saved person will be physically whole in every
way. The deaf will hear, the blind will see, the dumb will sing,
and the lame will be able to run (Isaiah 35:5, 6; Philippians
3:21).
F. Jealousy, fear, hatred, falsehood, envy, impurity, cynicism,
filth, worry, and all evil will be forever shut out of God's kingdom
(Revelation 21:8, 27; 22:15). People will no longer be burdened
with the worries and the cares that drive them to distraction.
There will be no more nervous breakdowns. Time will become eternity,
and the pressures and deadlines of earth will be gone forever. |
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| Today's mammoth oceans
will not exist in God's new kingdom. |
8. How will the new earth
differ from our earth today?
Answer:
A. Vast seas as we know them today will be gone (Revelation
21:1). The oceans and seas cover three-fourths of the earth's
surface today. This will not be the case in God's new kingdom.
The whole world will be one huge garden of unsurpassed beauty,
interspersed with lakes, rivers, and mountains (Revelation 22:1;
Acts 3:20, 21).
Children will safely play with lions in the earth made new. |
B. The deserts will become gardens (Isaiah 35:1, 2).
C. The animals will all be tame. None will prey upon others, and
a little child will lead them (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25).
There will be no more natural disasters in the new earth. |
D. There will be no more curse (Revelation 22:3).
E. There will be no more violence of any kind (Isaiah 60:18). This
precludes crime, storms, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, injury, etc.
F. Nothing defiling will be found in the new earth (Revelation 21:27).
There will be no cigarette butts, tobacco juice, drunkards, taverns, alcoholic
beverages, brothels, lewd pictures, or any other wickedness or impurity
of any kind. |
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| Children, playing
together, will fill the streets of the new Jerusalem. |
9. Will there be children
in God's kingdom? If so, will they grow up?
"And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing
in the streets thereof." Zechariah 8:5. "And ye shall go forth,
and grow up as calves of the stall." Malachi 4:2.
Answer: Yes, there will be many boys and girls in
the holy city (Isaiah 11:6-9), and these youngsters will grow
up (Malachi 4:2). We have degenerated much in stature, intellect,
and vitality since Adam, but all of this will be restored (Acts
3:20, 21). |
 10.
When reunited with loved ones in heaven, will the saved know
each other?
Then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12.
Answer: The Bible clearly teaches that righteous loved ones who
have died will be raised to join the righteous living in God's kingdom (Isaiah
26:19; Jeremiah 31:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). And
the Scriptures also teach that people in God's new kingdom will know each other,
just as people recognize each other on the earth today. 11.
Will people in heaven be real, with flesh and bones?
"
Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and
supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why
are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold
my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see;
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." "And
while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto
them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled
fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before
them." "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and ... while
he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into
heaven." Luke 24:36-39, 41-43, 50, 51. "This same Jesus, which
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11. "The Lord Jesus
Christ ... shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body." Philippians 3:20, 21.
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| In heaven real people
will experience real joys. The fondest hopes of the human heart
will be realized. |
Answer: After His resurrection, Jesus proved to
His desciples that He was flesh and bones by having them feel
Him and by eating food. This same Jesus of flesh and bones ascended
to His Father and will come again to the earth. The righteous
will be given bodies just like the body of Christ and will be
real people with flesh and bones throughout eternity. The difference
will be that the heavenly body will not be subject to death, decay,
or deterioration. The teaching that the saved in heaven will be
ghosts who float on mist clouds and do nothing but play harps
has no foundation in the Scriptures. Jesus did not die on the
cross to provide any such trivial and foolish future for those
who accept His love and nobly follow His way of life. Most people
have no interest in such an ethereal existence and, therefore,
have little or no desire to enter God's heavenly kingdom--often
preferring it only because they fear hell. If only all people
everywhere could learn the truth about God's holy city and new
earth, millions would begin to understand His love and would turn
to Him with all their hearts. A person who misses out on God's
kingdom has made the supreme blunder of a lifetime. |
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| Gardening in heaven
will bring incredible joy and satisfaction. |
12. How will the righteous
spend their time in the heavenly kingdom?
"
They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant
vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and
another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: ... mine
elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isaiah 65:21,
22.
Answer: The righteous will build their own homes
in the new earth. (Each will also have a city mansion built by
Christ--John 14:1-3.) They will plant vineyards and eat the fruit
from them. The Bible is plain. Real people do real things in heaven,
and they will thoroughly enjoy it all. |
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| No human tongue can
describe the glory and delight of the pure music of heaven. |
13. In what other thrilling
activites will the redeemed participate in?
Answer:
A. Sing and play heavenly music (Isaiah 35:10; 51:11; Psalm
87:7; Revelation 14:2, 3).
B. Worship before God's throne every Sabbath (Isaiah 66:22,
23).
C. Enjoy never-fading flowers and trees (Ezekiel 47:12;
Isaiah 35:1, 2).
D. Visit with loved ones, patriarchs, prophets, etc. (Matthew
8:11; Revelation 7:9-17).
Heaven will bring us the privilege of becoming friends with Bible patriarchs
and prophets. |
E. Study the animals of heaven (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25).
F. Travel and explore without ever becoming weary (Isaiah
40:31).
G. Listen to God sing (Zephaniah 3:17).
H. Realize fondest ambitions (Psalm 37:3, 4; Isaiah 65:24).
I. Greatest joy of all--the privilege of being like Jesus,
traveling with Him, and seeing Him face to face (Revelation 14:4;
22:4; 21:3; 1 John 3:2). |
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| Heaven will be far
more glorious and rewarding than anything we can possibly imagine. |
14. Can feeble human
language really describe the glories of the heavenly home?
"
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Answer: Not even in its wildest dreams can the heart
of man begin to comprehend the marvels of God's eternal kingdom.
All that Adam lost will be restored (Acts 3:20, 21). |
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| Jesus is preparing
heaven for you personally. You matter to Him. |
15. Is this kingdom being prepared
for me personally?
"
Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation
22:17. "To an inheritance incorruptible ... reserved in heaven
for you." 1 Peter 1:4. "I go to prepare a place for you." John
14:2.
Answer: It is prepared for you personally. The invitation
from the Lord is to you personally. If rejected, friend, you will
have no one to blame but yourself. |
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| When Jesus lives in
our hearts and abides in our homes, we are assured of a place
in His heavenly kingdom. |
16. How can I be assured
of a place in that great and glorious kingdom?
"
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in." Revelation 3:20. "Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city." Revelation 22:14. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21. "As many
as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." John
1:12. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all
sin." 1 John 1:7.
Answer: The Bible makes it plain. It is simple.
Give your life to Christ for cleansing from sin. When you do this,
He also gives you power to do His will and keep His commandments.
This means, of course, that you will begin to live as Christ lived
and will overcome all sin. "He that overcometh shall inherit all
things." Revelation 21:7. In short, a person is prepared for heaven
when he has heaven in his heart. |
|
 17.
I have decided to accept Jesus' offer to live with Him forever in
His heavenly kingdom?|
Answer: Yes / No
Thought Questions |
1. How can heaven be a happy place when the
saved think of loved ones who are lost?
Revelation 21:4
|
| The Bible says that God will "wipe away all tears from their
eyes." Revelation 21:4. Surrounded by the beauty and joys of the
new earth, God's redeemed people will forget the tragedies and
heartaches of the past; "the former shall not be remembered, nor
come into mind." Isaiah 65:17.
|
2. The Bible says, "Flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 15:50. How, then, can
the redeemed be flesh and bones?
1 Corinthians 15:50
|
| Here the Bible uses the term "flesh" to describe the unconverted
person. A similar thought is expressed in Romans 8:8, 9: "They
that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell
in you." John 3:6 says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The term "flesh" here
again refers to the unconverted person, while the term "spirit" refers
to the converted or "born again" person. So the Bible is simply
saying in 1 Corinthians 15:50 that no one can enter God's kingdom
unless conversion first takes place and flesh becomes spirit. Christ,
in His resurrected body, declared that He was truly "flesh and
bones." Luke 24:39. We shall have a body like His, according to
Philippians 3:21.
|
3. Is the apostle Peter in charge of the
gate of the holy city?
Matthew 16:19 |
| No! The Bible says in Revelation 21:12 that the new Jerusalem--the
holy city of God--has 12 gates, and at the gates are 12 angels.
No reference is made in the Bible to any of the apostles as guardians
of the gates.
|
4. Is the holy city really big enough to
hold all the saved people of all ages?
Matthew 7:14
|
| If the city were to be crowded and each saved person given
only 100 square feet of ground space, there would be room for 39
billion people in the city, which is many times the present population
of the world. Many statisticians believe that if all the people
who have ever lived were saved, there would be plenty of room for
them in the city. The Scriptures make it clear, however, that only
a few will be saved (Matthew 7:14). So there will be more than
enough room in the great city.
|
5. Sometimes I wonder if the reward is worth
the sacrifice. It seems that Satan is about to overwhelm me at
times. Does the Bible offer me any encouragement?
Romans 8:18 |
| Yes. In fact, the apostle Paul must have been thinking of someone
like you when he wrote, "The sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us." Romans 8:18. Just one glimpse of that eternal kingdom will
cause the worst trials and persecutions of earth to pale into insignificance,
and the redeemed will cry out: "Hallelujah, heaven is cheap enough!"
|
6. Will little babies who die be saved in
God's kingdom?
Matthew 2:16
|
| We do not have a specific Bible answer to this question, but
many choose to believe that infants will be saved on the basis
of Matthew 2:16-18. There the Bible tells of wicked king Herod
slaying all the male babies in Bethlehem who were two years old
or younger. The Old Testament foretold this tragic, cruel incident,
and God told the mothers to stop crying because their children
would one day be restored to them. "Refrain thy voice from weeping,
... they [the slain children] shall come again from the land of
the enemy. ... Thy children shall come again to their own border." Jeremiah
31:16, 17. This is an obvious reference to the resurrection.
|
7. Do I understand correctly that heaven,
the home of the saved, will be right here on this earth?
Revelation 21:2
|
| That is correct. Although the holy city is now in God's dwelling
place, He is going to move it to this earth. Sin and sinners will
be destroyed with fire, and the earth will be made new and given
to the righteous in all of its Edenic glory and beauty. The holy
city will be the capital of the new earth, and God will move His
throne here (Revelation 21:2, 3; 22:1, 3) and live with the righteous
right here on this earth throughout eternity. And where the Lord
abides, that is heaven. God's plan is to restore to man what Adam
lost: the glories of a perfect life on a perfect planet. Satan
and sin interrupted God's plan, but the plan will be carried out.
We can all share in this new kingdom--and we must! It's too much
to miss.
|
8. Why do so many teach and believe that
the home of the saved is a misty place with ghostlike inhabitants
who float on clouds and do nothing but play harps?
Philippians 4:8
|
| This teaching originated with the devil, the father of lies
(John 8:44). He is anxious to distort God's loving plan and present
heaven as an unreal, "spooky" place so people will lose interest
or become skeptical of God's Word altogether. Satan well knows
that when men and women fully understand the Bible truth regarding
the home of the saved, his power over them is broken, because they
will begin making plans to enter that kingdom. This is why he works
so hard to becloud the issue and spread falsehood regarding that
heavenly home.
|
|
| Quiz
Questions
|
| 1. The holy city in space (1) |
| Is
not literal, but simply an allegory. |
| Is
a literal city being prepared now by God in His dwelling place. |
| Does
not exist except in the minds of some people. |
| |
| 2. This holy city (1) |
| Will
be destroyed by a nuclear explosion. |
| Will
be captured by Satan and his host. |
| Will
descend to this earth and become the capital for the earth made
new. |
| |
| 3. In the following list, check
the true Bible facts regarding the holy city: (7) |
| It
is called the new Jerusalem. |
| It
is about the size of London. |
| Its
walls are of topaz. |
| The
city is as long as it is wide. |
| The
streets are of pure gold. |
| The
city has 14 foundations. |
| The
apostle Peter stands at its gate. |
| Each
of its 12 gates is made of one pearl. |
| Its
perimeter is 1,500 miles. |
| Its
foundations are all made of precious stones. |
| The
city will be in perfect proportion. |
| |
| 4. The tree of life (1) |
| Is
a real tree that will impart eternal vigor and youth to God's people. |
| Is
a figure of speech and means only that God will give His people
strength. |
| Existed
in the beginning but will not be included in the new-earth kingdom. |
| |
| 5. In the following list, check
all items that are true Bible promises to people in God's new
kingdom: (5) |
| The
Lord will perform marriages daily. |
| The
tree of life bears 20 kinds of fruit. |
| The
Lord Himself will live with His people. |
| After
a million years, the saints will become bored. |
| There
will be no more death or sorrow. |
| People
will never get tired. |
| The
lame will be carried around by angels. |
| Angels
will be the doctors and perform all operations. |
| The
blind will receive sight. |
| Jealousy,
fear, hatred, falsehood, envy, impurity, etc. will be gone forever. |
| Babies
will not grow up. |
| |
| 6. Check the statements below that
tell the truth about the new earth: (6) |
| The
seas of today will be no more. |
| The
deserts will be larger. |
| Animals
will be kept in lovely heavenly cages. |
| Tornadoes,
earthquakes, and floods will not be known. |
| Cigarette
butts will be carefully removed from the streets daily by the angels. |
| Flowers
and trees will not wilt or fade. |
| Heaven
will be right here on earth. |
| Sin
will not arise a second time. |
| The
glories of it all cannot be described. |
| |
| 7. The righteous in the heavenly
kingdom (1) |
| Will
be ghosts who play harps and float on clouds. |
| Will
not know other loved ones and friends who may be there. |
| Will
have real bodies of flesh and bones and will know each other. |
| |
| 8. We know that people in heaven
will be real and will do real things because (1) |
| Science
has proved this conclusively. |
| The
Bible says we will be like Christ, who was real (had flesh and
bones) after His resurrection and did real things. |
| Many
preachers say this is so. |
| |
| 9. I can be sure of a place in that
heavenly kingdom if I (1) |
| Say
daily that I love the Lord. |
| Am
fearful enough of hell. |
| Accept
and follow Christ and keep His commandments. |
| |
| 10. What will the saved do in the
heavenly kingdom? Check the true Bible facts listed below: (5) |
| Build
houses and live in them. |
| Plant
vineyards. |
| Kill
animals and eat them. |
| Play
heavenly instruments and sing praises to God. |
| Worship
before God's throne. |
| Fly
past hell and taunt the lost. |
| Eat
of the tree of life. |
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