23.5 New Jerusalem is a real city (1)

Series 23

Episode 5

Prologue

Brothers and sisters, today’s topic of Treasures for the Soul is “New Jerusalem is a real city (1)”. In John 14: 1-3, the Lord said He prepared for us the Father’s house, the New Jerusalem. Clearly, the Lord was referring to a real dwelling place. Hebrews chapter 11 tells us that Abraham and many old saints desired a better country, and God had prepared for them a city. Hebrews 13: 14 tells us that New Jerusalem is a lasting city. All these scriptures confirm that New Jerusalem is a real city.

Message

We believe that New Jerusalem is a real city. At the same time, we also accept all correct explanations about its spiritual meaning. The Lord’s words, prayers, and actions on the night before His crucifixion was very precious. 

One of the Lord’s promises was described in John 14: 1-3: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

From this passage, we can be certain that the Lord was talking about the Father’s house. We know now that He was referring to New Jerusalem, a place that has many rooms. It is not a symbolic expression but a house, a real dwelling place with many rooms. The Lord also said that if it were not so, He would have told us. He clearly said, “…for I go to prepare a place for you.” Therefore, He is preparing the place now. And He continued to say, “… I go and prepare a place for you…” Some other translations use the word “mansions” instead of “rooms,” so we know that He is not just preparing a tiny room for us .

The word “prepare” appears in both the previous passage as well as 1 Corinthians 2: 9, which says What God has prepared for those who love him…” and in Revelation 21: 2, which reads, “…prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Some people think that New Jerusalem is not a real city, but their explanation does not make sense. If the place and city mentioned in the Bible were not real, what could be real in the Bible then? Actually, John 14: 3 is simple and direct. By referring to other Bible passages as well, we know for sure that New Jerusalem is a real city. 

Let’s read Hebrews 11: 8-10, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” This passage is very clear.

Let’s continue to read verses 13-16: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” 

These people were waiting for a real city; it was impossible for them to look forward to something that had no real substance. It would be ridiculous to say that they desired a sign or symbolic expression! Furthermore, how could God be the designer and builder of a mere symbolic expression? These people who were seeking their homeland also acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. They made it clear that they were seeking an everlasting and better country. Indeed, they had already seen what God had promised them, such as a real country. They greeted those promised things from afar. For this, they even left their former homeland. What they desired was a better country, not a better symbolic expression. The scripture says very clearly that God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for a city for them 

If this city was a reference to the church, then Abraham and all these people would have been waiting for the church. How could that be? It would have been impossible because the church was a mystery in the Old Testament time. Not even the prophets knew about the church. Therefore, it was impossible that they were waiting for the church, since they did not have any knowledge of the church. On the other hand, if they had misunderstandings about this city that they were waiting for, I think God would have corrected them. But actually, they were not mistaken; God even praised them and declared that He is not ashamed to be called their God. God has truly prepared a city for them. They desired a better country. The homeland they left was a real place, just as the better country they desired and sought was also real. This better country is in heaven.

God is the designer and builder of the city. It will be the most beautiful. It is very clear that it is NOT the church. Neither is it something symbolic and immaterial. They were seeking a real place. No other explanation makes sense. Hebrews chapter 12 also tells us clearly that the heavenly Jerusalem is neither the church nor a symbol, because there are many concrete and important elements. The festal gathering of innumerable angels will not take place within the church, nor will this gathering be a symbolic one. It is also impossible for the spirits of the righteous to be within the church. This cannot be a symbol either. The scripture is actually very clear. The misunderstandings come from man because it is hard for them to accept the truths behind New Jerusalem. They cannot believe the enormous size of the city. On the contrary, we think the enormous size of the city makes it more believable. Otherwise, the rooms for us will be way too tiny. This proves that it is God’s word. Some people think it is impossible to have pearls taller than 1000 miles to be the gates. Actually, it makes sense for the pearls to be this large. It’s because they symbolize how much the old saints suffered in order for the church to come into being. 

Hebrews 13: 14 reads, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” We cannot say that the cities of that time were real, but that New Jerusalem was not. Also, consider that the word “we” in the verse e refers to the church. So it wouldn’t make sense for the church to seek for the church, if “the city” actually referred to the church. This is impossible. Therefore, we know for sure that New Jerusalem is a real city.

Series 23

New Jerusalem is a real city

Message Date: 2020-04-10

The Lord said He went to prepare a place for us. When He has prepared it, He would come again to take us to be with Him. This place is New Jerusalem. However, many Christians nowadays are not so clear whether the New Jerusalem in heaven is a real city. Being affected by Greek culture and beliefs, some think that physical substances are not spiritual. So, they take New Jerusalem as a non-physical symbolic expression. Satan also wants to make people unclear and unsure of the things in heaven, so that they would not desire them. This series of messages list out many Bible verses to assure us that New Jerusalem is indeed a real city, which is also full of spiritual meanings.
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23.1 God has prepared a heavenly home for us

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23.2 Is the heavenly new Jerusalem a real city?

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23.3 Satan causes man not to be clear and assured about the things in heaven

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23.4 Are physical substances not spiritual?

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23.5 New Jerusalem is a real city (1)

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23.6 New Jerusalem is a real city (2)

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23.7 New Jerusalem is a real city (3)

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23.8 New Jerusalem is a real city (4)

9

23.9 New Jerusalem is a real city (5)

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Introduction

01 Introduction of Treasures for the Soul

Series 1: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord

1.1 The Most Blessed Generation
1.2 Message from John the Baptist
1.3 Abide in the Lord Always
1.4 Abide in the Lord’s Love at All Times
1.5 The Lord Speaks to Us and Helps Us in Our Hearts

Series 2: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout this Year

2.1 God’s Greatest Work Starts in Our Hearts
2.2 To Be Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout the Year
2.3 Our Spirits can Feel God and Have Fellowship with Him
2.4 The Importance of Peace
2.5 Our Spirits Need the Words of God
2.6 Give the Lord Time and Space to Speak in Our Hearts

Series 3: Let Our Hearts be Influenced

3.1 The World Needs People Who Deeply Experience God
3.2 Just as His Anointing 
Has Taught You, 
Abide in the Lord
3.3 Be Influenced 
by the Lord Throughout 
this Year

Series 4: The Importance of Peace

4.1 Enjoying God’s Peace in Your heart
4.2 Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled, Neither Let Them be Afraid.
4.3 How Should Our Spirit Respond to the Lord?

Series 5: Our Spirit Being Able to Enjoy the Lord

5.1 Our Spirit is Satisfied Only When We Worship God and Deeply Experience Him
5.2 How to Worship God with Our Spirit
5.3 Looking at the Lord with our Inner Eyes
5.4 Our Spirit Needs to Enjoy the Lord Himself
5.5 The Song of Solomon Often Mentions About “Eyes”
5.6 Realize Being Heart to Heart with the Lord in Singing and Worship

Series 6: Live out the Life of being Heart to Heart with the Lord

6.1 Living a life of union with the Lord in a stable pattern every day
6.2 Enjoying the Lord and not being disturbed
6.3 The Importance of Seeing Him with Our Spiritual Eyes

Series 7

7.1 Learn to Protect Our Spirits From Virus Prevention
7.2 Our Spirit Can Hear, Think, and See
7.3 How to Live a Life of Faith
7.4 The Importance of the Mind
7.5 David’s Eyes Beheld the Lord Always

Series 8: During the last supper, the Lord spoke about the essence of the blessings of the new covenant.

8.1 The Lord established with us the eternal love covenant by His blood
8.2 The Lord Treasures the New Covenant and Break-Bread Meeting the Most
8.3 Love Encounters
8.4 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the fourth blessing
8.5 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (1)
8.6 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (2)

Series 16: We Have Come to Mount Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem

16.1 See that the Lord is at the right hand of the Father
16.2 Coming to Mount Zion (1): the meaning of Mount Sinai
16.3 Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins
16.4 Coming to Mount Zion (3): to Live in Grace
16.5 Having Come to the Heavenly Jerusalem
16.6 What is in the heavenly Jerusalem (1)?

Series 9: Being Heart to Heart with the Father

9.1 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 1)
9.2 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 2)

Series 10

10.1 The Love Desire in the Depths of Abba and the Lord’s hearts
10.2 Fruit of the Lord’s Crucifixion: Eternal Life
10.3 The Lord Came to Manifest the Father’s Name
10.4 The Father Sent His Only Begotten Son
10.5 Reminders on enjoying heart to heart with the Father
10.6 The Father’s Desire for Me is Forever Steadfast

Series 11

11.1 The preciousness of the Letter to Philemon
11.2 The most profitable; the most accepted.
11.3 Charge That to My Account
11.4 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (1)
11.5 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (2)
11.6 We are the Lord’s darling love

Series 12

12.1 The Lord’s Words at the Last Supper
12.2 Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing.
12.3 What is true faith?
12.4 Look upon the Lord in glory
11.5 Trust and Peace (1)
12.6 Trust and Peace (2)

Series 13: The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility

13.3 The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility (Part 2)

Series 14: Manifold evidence

14.1 How does the infinite Lord see us?
14.2 We are the ultimate and final love of the Lord
14.3 The Lord is forever a Man; He once died for us
14.4 The Lord’s manifold love evidence (Part 1)
14.5 The Lord’s manifold love evidence Part 2

Series 15: Understand How Our Spirit Works And Be Heart To Heart With The Lord Continuously

15.1 We Can Only Enjoy God By Faith
15.2 His Words Abide In Us
15.3 Live With The Lord
15.4 Seek The Things That Are Above
15.5 Understand How Our Spirit Works: Will, Mind And Feelings
15.6 Guard And Uplift Our Mind

Series 17: Know that the Church is the Firstborn

17.1 Know that the church is the firstborn
17.2 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 1)
17.3 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 2)
17.4 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)
17.5 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 2)

Series 18: The Blessings to be the First Born

18.1 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 1)
18.2 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 2)
18.3 To be united with the Lord and become the Firstborn
18.4 The Lord is the Firstborn
18.5 The Blessing of the Firstborn: Kingship
18.6 The Blessing of the Firstborn: a Double Portion of the Blessings

Series 19: Coming to Mount Zion to Appear Before God

19.1 The Lord is the way, and the truth, and the life
19.2 Live in Grace. Enjoy the Father and the Lord
19.3 Mind the things that are above (1)
19.4 Mind the things that are above (2)
19.5 Appear before God in Mount Zion

Series 20: The final destination of our spirit and eternity is the heavenly Jerusalem

20.1 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (1)
20.2 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (2)
20.3 The Lord Becomes the Way so that We can Come Before God with Confidence
20.4 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (1)
20.5 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (2)

Series 21: Live Out the Life of the Firstborn: Be A Priest

21.1 The Father made the Lord the High Priest
21.2 Priesthood: One of the Blessings of the Firstborn
21.4 The Precedents of Priests in the Bible (2)

Series 22: When Believers Die, They Will Go to the Heavenly Jerusalem

22.1 The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (1)
The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (2)
The Spirits of the Righteous Made Perfect

Series 23: New Jerusalem is a real city

God has prepared a heavenly home for us
Is the heavenly new Jerusalem a real city?
Satan causes man not to be clear and assured about the things in heaven
Are physical substances not spiritual?
New Jerusalem is a real city (1)
New Jerusalem is a real city (2)

Series 24: God prepares for us

Genesis 22: Father and Son went together
Genesis 22: For us, the Father gave His only Son
Genesis 22: The Lord will provide
24.4 God’s preparation for us

Series 25: The Father and Son Affection

25.1 The Lord Came to Make Known the Father
25.2 The Father and Son Affection (Part 1)
25.3 The Father and Son Affection (Part 2)

Series 26: We are a royal priesthood

26.1 God who alone does wondrous things
26.2 The Lord is the High Priest
26.3 We are a royal priesthood (1)
26.4 We are a royal priesthood (2)
26.5 The life of a priest

Series 27: Who are you in the infinite one’s loving heart?

27.1 Meditate on who you are in the infinite Lord’s loving heart
27.2 Meditate on who you are in the infinite Lord’s loving heart (2)
27.3 Meditate on the infinite Lord’s words at the last supper

Series 28: The conclusion and climax of the book of Hebrews

28.1 Sing praises at Easter (1): The defeat of death
28.2 Sing praises at Easter (2): The risen Lord has swallowed up death
28.3 The important purpose of Hebrews and the help we get from it
28.4 Confirming the importance of drawing near to God

Series 29: How to behold

29.1 Behold the Father
29.2 See that God meets me in His steadfast love 
and exults over me with loud singing (1)
29.3 See that God meets me in His steadfast love and exults over me with loud singing (2)
29.4 See how the Lord loves us (1)
29.5 See how the Lord loves us (2)