The Heavenly City - Part 1

Christian rock of the report as he was about to send it to Haven Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us.

Can you imagine what it might be like Jeremiah gives us a glimpse of this incredible dwelling place as described in the book of Revelation. Continuing the series revealing the mysteries of heaven is the heavenly city. Thank you so much for joining us today. People asked me sometimes. Here's one of those questions I've been talking about. Dr. Jeremiah, how will there ever be a place where all of the questions from eternity past to eternity future. All of them can be together in one city and I've heard some people respond to that question by saying you have overestimated how many people are going to be there because a lot of folks think they don't have are going to heaven as you probably know, but it is going to be a massive place, the heavenly city which comes down from heaven and hovers over the earth is going to be a massive city in the next two days and be talking about what heaven will look like with what the holy city will look like and it's it's pretty amazing all the information is found in the 21st and 22nd chapter of the book of Revelation. So that would be a good thing for you to do between today's message in tomorrow's going read those two chapters and you will see all the description of this beautiful place we call heaven. It's almost unimaginable and words do not do it justice, but they peak your interest to such an extent you begin longing for that place where the Lord Jesus is and where there is no death and no dying and no sadness and no crying. Well let's get started with our discussion of this beautiful place.

It's called the heavenly city. Revelation 21 and 22 talking about heaven and we had some great discoveries because as many of you know we don't ever talk about heaven, but we don't know anything about it. And so we been trying during these days to teach everything the Bible has to say about him what you always wanted to know about heaven.

I won't tell you about the heavenly city.I have been all over the world and we have visited many beautiful cities, but we have yet to find a city that we like better than the one we come home to at the end of our journey. After spending my early life in the little village in Ohio called Cedarville.

I discovered the big city. When I went away to seminary in Dallas, Texas. This is where I became like Birmingham city boy so filled with great cities if you like cities in the order blank space here in United States.

But you wouldn't guess what's the largest city wide ingested its Juneau, Alaska covers 3081 mi.², 2500 of them are land and 480 of them are water. Juneau is larger than the entire state of Delaware. It's the largest land city in America. Largest city in the lower 48 states as Jacksonville, Florida 800 mi.².

The biggest city in USA. From the standpoint of population is the Big Apple, New York, New York. Now we consider New York city but there are 10 cities throughout the world that have more people than New York City Seoul South Korea San Pablo Brazil already top the 10 million mark and if we were to do a comparison of metropolitan areas, which is spreading out the city limits to what they call the Metropolitan region, Tokyo, Japan is 28 million people. New York City 21 million.

Mexico City 18 million if you want to get all this in perspective.

Let me tell you that the largest city in 100 A.D. was Rome, Italy, and had 400,000 people in today 100 Chinese cities with populations of over 1 million and the Americas most 45 such cities and Europe has 36 in Africa has 19. According to the experts by the year 2000 and 30/60% of the world's inhabitants will be living in cities world living is disappearing in our culture today, so it's not surprising when we know all of that that Almighty God is designing a city as part of his ultimate plan for his children about city God is building will dwarf the cities of today 11 times in the book of Revelation chapters 21 and 22 we find the word city. It's the place where God and his people will live together is not a figure of speech but a reference to an actual physical place. Since we will be in our physically resurrected bodies when we live in that city.

We will need a physical city to live in. It's not some dream place is not some idea. It's an actual place that heavenly Jerusalem is a city now this is not something that should surprise us, because the longing for the city has been around way back from the time of Abraham. We read in Hebrews 11 about Abraham that he looked for a city whose builder and maker was God in the Hebrew Christians were told in Hebrews chapter 12 that they were to come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, that heavenly Jerusalem mentions the city in his letter to the Galatians he calls it the Jerusalem above and in Revelation 312.

It's referred to as the city of my God and the new Jerusalem. Many theologians believe that the new Jerusalem is the crown of the new creation of God. Jerusalem is not really heaven per se, the new Jerusalem is a city that is in heaven. Revelation 21 two says that I John saw the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. This holy city was made ready and it came down out of heaven from God, and the phrase made ready implies that the new Jerusalem is already been completed by this time John does not say that he saw the new Jerusalem created. He says he saw the new Jerusalem, coming out of the heavens and since God dwells in the third heaven as we've already learned. We can conclude that he is preparing the city and the third heaven to eventually become the capital city of heaven, and that final vote of his children. Revelation 312. Again, the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven. Let me just give you this picture for a moment before I describe this any further.

One day the city God is building up in the third heaven is going to send and during the millennium it will hover over the earth and then during the eternal state. It will rest upon the ground and will be the most incredible city. Anyone has ever ever envisioned. It is this city that the Lord was talking about when he said to his disciples. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am. Maybe also, what is the Lord Jesus doing he's working on our place. Some people call it a mansion.

Call it what you will, is the part about future God has for us that is under construction right now and when it is finished and it's time for it to come into play.

Were going to learn how all of this will happen. I want to talk with you first about the size of the city. City never said you how the world is ever to be a big enough place so that all the Christians from all time lived there when everyone ask a question like that. I think they might overestimate a bit. How many Christians there really are no real saying a lot of people talking about Ebony going there but it is going to have to be a pretty massive placement. Let me get this in your mind and heart. Heaven is going to be the most phenomenal place city of God that you've ever heard of in Revelation chapter 21 looked on in verses 15 and 16 and notice to talk with me had a golden read to measure the city and the gates thereof in the wall thereof and the city lies foursquare and the link is as broad as the bread and he measured the city with the reed 12,000 furlongs. The link in the bread and the height of it are equal. Now the phenomenal size of the city is one of the reasons that many try to spiritualize it and just dismiss it as a city so far beyond what you can imagine that I'm going to have to use illustrations that I can conceive up to give you some idea of the size of this place from was a brilliant and popular essayist and preacher who gave careful consideration to the size and capacity of the new city in one of his writings, he tells the story of an Australian engineer by the name of Tama's was one of his parishioners and he was talking with this engineer about the new city and I want to read to you there discussion so that you can get a picture what I'm talking about. Did you ever think he said about the size of the city.

God has prepared and without waiting for a reply. He proceeded to reveal the significance of his statistics, man. It's amazing he said it's astounding.

It means everything I've ever heard. John says that each of the laws of the city measure 12,000 furlongs. Now if you work that out and he bent over his notebook give you an idea that each one of the walls and the queue above it all. 1400 miles between 13 and 1500 miles and the ground-floor square-mile is 2,250,000 mi.² on the first level. Did you ever hear like that covers an area of 140 mi.² city foursquare is 2,250,000 mi.² on the first floor. The city is 20 times as big as all of New Zealand. It's 10 times as big as Germany. It's 10 times as big as France. It's 40 times as big as all of England is ever so much bigger than India right it's an enormous continent all by itself. I had no idea of what he said until I went with the figures he would allow no comment at this stage right and he pleaded.

I've been going into the matter population and it's even more wonderful. Still, look at this. Working it out on the basis of the number of people to the square-mile in the City of London, the population of the city foursquare comes out at 800,000 million 70 times the present population of the entire globe letter writer has compared to the United States and he says if you compare the new Jerusalem to the United States you would measure from the Atlantic Ocean coastal line and westward it would mean a city from the furthest name to the furthest Florida and from the shore of the Atlantic to Colorado and from United States Pacific coast eastward. It would cover the United States as far as the Mississippi River with a line extending north to Chicago and continuing on the West Coast of Lake Michigan up to the Canadian border. All the cities of the world are mere villages compared to the city. God is preparing some of you say pastor Jeremiah that is so out of sight, and so off my radar screen. I can imagine well if Almighty God is saving his best to last and his final creation is that this new city would you not expected to be the most phenomenal thing you could imagine some is how is God going to drop a city like that out of heaven well with the same power that he had when he spoke a word in the world came to be the same power that he had when he spoke a word, and the creation was born Mrs. finger work for God if he wants to build a city that's 2,250,000 mi.² on the first floor and drop that city out of heaven, so that it hovers over the earth. I believe he can do it and if he says in his buddies going to do it.

He's going to do it now is tell you that this is only the first four were talking about because this is a foursquare city, as long as it is wide and it's his high as it is long, so it's not only 1500 miles on each side, but watch this. It's 1500 miles up into the air and someone has measured out rather normal space for floors in between. And he said it could be 600 stories or 600 floors in the city several pastor Jeremiah, what are we going to get around in a city like that you forget about your new body, but you don't have to use normal transportation. All you do is say I want to be on the 600 floor in room seven zap you there because you have a glorified body that works like the body of the Lord Jesus right so transportation is not to be a problem. I want you to get some idea of the nature and dimension of the city is beyond anything I've ever dreamed of or imagine, or even understood is so great that only God could be its architect and remember the Scripture says this is a city whose builder and maker is God. The notice is a city like a cube is a cube city. Did you know that the holy of holies.

Inside the tabernacle is 20 x 20 x 20 and many people believe that the new Jerusalem is a huge holy of holies, as was the sacred inner sanctuary in the temple of God, it perfectly fits the truth that the city would be the very place in which God makes his dwelling look down at your Bible for just a moment and notice how interesting is verse three of chapter 21 and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, watch this, the tabernacle of God is with men. Holy of holy God's will be that new city. The city of Jerusalem.

Well that's all the time. I have to tell you about the dimensions of the city except that it is larger than anything you can imagine, it is more brilliant than anything you can dream of. And so, let's talk about the inside of the city for just a moment and I want to take seven things that John tells us in these two chapters and just touch on them briefly. There are things that you have heard, and I want to clarify the reality of most of the time when a person does not believe the Bible or he's a skeptic as far as the Bible is concerned. When anything seems unreasonable to him. He rationalizes and says it's symbolic. One of the reasons why the allegorical interpretation of the Bible grew so rapidly during the rationalistic age is because people refuse to believe that God was capable of doing anything that was not explainable through human rational process.

But if you go bear your dad after verse one of Genesis.

In the beginning God if you can get past.

Genesis 1 you got no place to go if God can create the heaven and the earth who can do anything he pleases, and when he says in this book that this is what he is creating for the end of time. I choose to believe it because the only alternative is to spiritualize away all the truth of the Scripture which leaves you know where so the Bible begins to tell us what is going to be like inside the city.

First of all, verse two, chapter 21 says it's a holy city that I John Saul holy city, the chief characteristic of the city into which we will one day move is its holy in the Wycliff Bible commentary is described like this holy city will be one in which no lie will be uttered in 100 million years no evil word will ever be spoken. No shady business deals will ever be discussed. No one clean picture will ever be seen the corruption of life will ever be manifested will be holy because everyone in it will be highly you can't get into the holy city unless you are born again and you've gone to heaven. Heaven is the place of the holy city.

Not only is it a holy city, but the Bible says it's a place where the gates are made out of pearl this make this up is not folklore. This is right from the Bible. Notice verse 12 verse 17 and verses 18 to 21 in Revelation chapter 21 and she had a great and high wall with 12 gates 12 angels at the gates and the names written on them, which of the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel measured its wall 134 cubits, according to the measure of a man that is of an angel and the construction of the walls of Jasper and the city was pure gold, like clear glass and the 12 gates were 12 pearls now watch this. Each individual gate was up one pearl and I know some of your thinking now pastor that some kind of an oyster, now watch again is God limited to the building of a pearl by an oyster. I don't think so. And if you wanted to make an oyster that he could do it but it doesn't say anything about how this happened, it just says it's there. As we look at the 12 gates of pearl we see the names of the 12 tribes of Israel inscribed in the 12 gates are really a part of the land surrounds the city and John sees this like a glittering diamond bracelet. He says the construction of the roles Jasper and the city was pure gold, like clear glass circular to see it from afar, it would just sparkle and shine.

As it turned around all use of the glory of the city would be so overwhelming. It would take your breath away. You have to wear sunglasses as you got close Dr. Criswell who was one of my mentors had a very interesting statement about the pearl gates. Listen to what he said. He said there is a sermon in the fact that the gates are pearl because heaven is entered through suffering and travail through redemption in blood and through the agony of the cross. Pearl is a jewel made by little animal that is wounded without the wound. The pearl is never formed. So that's the way it is for us when we get to heaven will walk through the gates of pearl and as we do will be reminded that the only reason were there is because of the suffering and the pain of the Lord Jesus paid the loan for us, that we might be redeemed, so it's a holy city with pearly gates in the next. The Bible tells us that the foundations of the city are of precious stones. Revelation 2119 and 20 and the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper and sapphire and calcium Emerald and sardonic some sardius in chrysolite, and Berlin Topaz and Chris appraising Jason and amethyst and all those are just great terms that have been translated into the English language describing all the colors and all you the rainbow that we know today and the Bible says that this great city, which is squared but the sense out of heaven will be built upon and you will see it. 12 layer foundation.

Each of the layers of different beautiful stone Emerald and diamond and all beautiful stones that are found throughout all of universe. Each foundations would be a different one and so when you see the foundation of the city will be overwhelmed with the beauty of all of the gemstone foundations underneath this gigantic city of God. Can you imagine the building's greatest strength is its foundation in the new Jerusalem is not one foundation but 12. Rather than being 12 individual foundation separated from each other, their impact upon each other and you see them all together little ripples and precious stones and then the Bible says it's not only a holy city with pearly gates and foundation of precious stones, but it's a place where there are streets of gold, I know it so you think that's a court to hear all about the streets of gold to walk on streets of gold it's in all of the old Negro spiritual suits and all of the old gospel songs the streets of gold are there really streets of gold in heaven. Well, I'm just going to tell you what the word of God says look down at verse 18. Then again in verse 21 of chapter 21 and the construction of its wall was jasper in the city was pure gold, like clear glass and notice verse 2112 gates were 12 pearls, each individual gate was one pearl in the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Now, if you've overlooked it pure gold.

You know that pure gold is not transparent. It's opaque you can't see through your goal, but John describes heaven city as transparent glass goal of heaven is so pure that men seem to look into and through its clear depths as they walk upon it is finally polished as a mirror, and therefore it is not so much transparent but it's translucent and as you think about this and you wonder how that could be that the city could have streets of gold better. Pure gold that you can see through.

Don't forget also that in the glorified bodies that you will have your perceptions will be different and something might appear to you then as being both solid and transparent.

We have glorified body.

Surely your eyesight will be different and completely enhanced and will be able to see things as we never seen them before. And so the streets of the city of this new Jerusalem will look to us and in reality they will be streets of gold that you can literally see through the gold like you would look through a window pane is the best I can do to describe.

John tells us you mentioned is just unbelievable beauty of this place that has been prepared for us to know Jesus sent in response to his disciples question. Where you going, why can't we come with you.

He said I'm going to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

So I've always told people, you know, Jesus created the earth and all of the parts of the earth and all of creation in seven days has been working on heaven for many many years. Can you imagine what it will look like when we get there. I hope you're going I hope you've made a decision to put your trust in Christ that you know him in a personal way. Because the Bible says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And John says that you can't go to heaven except for Jesus, that no man comes to the father except through Jesus Christ. So friends, listen to this program you like the study of the Bible, but let me ask you this urgent question.

Are you going to heaven you know Jesus Christ interpersonally. Can you point to a time when you received them in your life and his forgiveness of your sins.

If not, today's a good time to do that make your prayer to God and ask for salvation through Jesus Christ see right here tomorrow.

Thanks for listening. More information on Dr. Jeremiah's a series of revealing the mysteries of heaven. Visit our website will be offered to freeways to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Points in their daily email devotional sign-up Jeremiah.org/ready Jeremiah.org/ready to ask you a copy of revealing the mysteries of pavement better informed about your eternal heart truth gift of any amount you can also purchase the Jeremiah study Bible and the English standard and new international visions as well as an enlargement of the new King James with helpful notes and articles. Jeremiah Jeremiah.org/ready or details very join us tomorrow as we continue the series revealing the mysteries of heaven here on Turning Point for invasion