23.8 New Jerusalem is a real city (4)

Series 23

Episode 8

Prologue

Brothers and sisters, today’s topic of Treasures for the Soul is “New Jerusalem is a real city (4)”. Revelation 21:17 records the measurements of the new city. The wall was measured by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. Verses 24 to 26 mentions about the nations bringing their glory into New Jerusalem. It also talks about the sun, the moon, day and night in the new heaven and new earth. In the city, there is the throne of God and of the Lamb, as well as the tree of life and the river of the water of life. All these let us know that New Jerusalem is not a symbol, nor is it the church. It is a real physical city.

Message

Revelation 21:17 clearly states, “He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.” Why was it so written if the city was just a symbol? Why would it say “by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement”? Its purpose is to tell us that the precise measurement is definitely true. Don’t get confused by the angel’s measurement, it’s actually the same as human measurement. If the city was just a symbol, and not a real city, why would it be recorded in the Bible in such a manner? It would be sufficient to just mention that the measurement carries symbolic meanings. In fact, this verse clearly tells us that the city is real. At the end, the angel also said, “These words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 22:6)

At the end of this chapter, it is written, “By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.” (Revelation 21:24-26) If the city was not a real city, this passage could not be explained. These Bible verses are substantial evidence to prove that the city is real.

Let’s read Isaiah 66:22: “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain.” We need to understand that the people of Israel will remain forever. Revelation 21:4 reads, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Many believers today may not understand that this verse refers to people living on the new earth, not the church. As for us, once we go to the Lord, we will have no more tears. We don’t have to wait until after the millennium for God to wipe away our tears.

Many things will be renewed during the millennium.  However, some people might, and can sin and die. There will still be tears. However, after the judgement before the great white throne, God will create the new heavens and the new earth. Those who have not sinned or rebelled in the millennium will be moved from “the old heaven and the old earth” to the new earth. They have physical bodies, yet they will not sin and will not die. They will continue to multiply. When God first created man, He wanted man to multiply to fill the earth. God’s plan will be fulfilled! Not many will rebel in the millennium. Satan will rebel for the last time but many will not follow him. The Bible says from the Lord’s presence, earth and sky will flee away. Where will these people go then? They will be moved to the new earth.

People of the millennium are of flesh whereas we will have a resurrected body. The Lord clearly told us that in God’s kingdom, we will drink the new fruit of the vine. So, you see, our resurrected body can eat and drink. We can dine and have fellowship with those who are of flesh.

People of the millennium will have the same physical bodies as we do right now on earth, but they will be healthier. Yet, some will sin and die. Therefore, it is written, “death shall be no more,” referring to the age of eternity, after the millennium. People will be transported to the new earth and become the nations in eternity. During the millennium, Israel will lead other nations and she will be more honourable than others. The Church will reign with the Lord on earth. God’s kingdom comes when the Lord returns and descends to the earth. The Church will reign with the Lord on earth. We will drink the new fruit of the vine and celebrate!

In addition to Israel, many nations will also be transported to the new earth. It’s very blessed to dwell on the new earth. The new earth is much better and more beautiful than the garden of Eden. And more glorious still is the city we dwell in! The nations will walk in the light of God. They will be very close to the city. Kings of the nations will bring their glory into the city. The suitable ones will help us administer to the people. We will be kings forever. Those who dwell in the city will have a resurrected body and will be kings forever. Those who live outside of the city, on the new earth, will be of flesh. They will multiply and there will be diverse nations and nationalities. The kingdom of Israel will remain forever. The Lord’s government and peace will increase with no end. People will continue to multiply. They will not sin, hence death is no more. We will be their kings, their best kings, and they will be greatly blessed. 

They will bring their glory to the city. Revelation 21:26 reads, “They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.” They will be paying their tributes to the city. They may come and ask us questions. Under our governance, we will guide them in their contributions and improvements. Those who are suitable may assist us. Those who are more mature will be like kings. And, of course, they will not abuse their authority like the rulers of our world today. They will bring into the city their glory. They will come and learn from us and we will edify them.

If we said the city was the church, it would be hard to explain. Revelation says the nations will walk by the city’s light and give glory to the city. So it would not make sense to say that the nations will bring into the church the glory. Furthermore, this passage also mentions kings of the earth. If the city was the church or a symbol, who would be the kings? 

Therefore, this city must be a real physical city where we dwell. The wall and gates are not for protection from robbery. Revelation 21:25 reads, “and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.” This implies that the gates will be shut sometimes. Otherwise, it does not have to say “its gates will never be shut by day.” There will be day and night. However, there will be no night in the city because the Lamb is the lamp of the city. God’s glory shines throughout the city. We will have resurrected bodies and have no need for sleep. Of course, you will be able to do as you please—eat or not eat, sleep or not sleep. Our bodies will be strong and glorious, hence no night is needed.

People will come and learn from us. We may also need to leave the city to administer to them. I trust we will also need time for ourselves, such as time to worship God. Therefore, the gates will be shut at times. It is clearly written here, “its gates will never be shut by day.” Day and night are for the new earth. On the earth, there will be day and night, and there will be a sun. We dwell in the city and we will not need light from the sun nor the moon. But it does not mean that people on the new earth do not need them. There will be a moon. The Bible clearly states, “yielding its fruit each month.” (Revelation 22:2) So, there will be months. If there is no moon, there won’t be such a thing as “yielding its fruit each month”. Trees are real, so are the months. The tree of life will yield its fruit each month, twelve kinds of fruit. Therefore, this city is real, so is the new earth. Many things will be similar to the old earth, but much more beautiful, even more beautiful than the garden of Eden!

If the new earth were completely different from the current earth, it would be misleading to call it the new earth. Actually, the new earth and our current earth share some similarities. For instance, it will have trees of life similar to the one mentioned in Genesis. The new earth will still have need of the sun and moon. The people who dwell on this new earth will have physical bodies and require sleep. That’s why the new earth will have both daytime and nighttime. But interestingly, New Jerusalem will have no nighttime. It’s because we, as members of the church, will have resurrected bodies and we won’t need to sleep.

We will not be able to understand it if the tree of life in the city is different from that in the garden of Eden. In fact, the tree of life has already been mentioned in Genesis. The new earth will still need the sun and the moon. The people in eternity are of flesh and they need to rest. They need night so they can sleep. We don’t need to sleep, hence there is no night in the city.

Revelation 21: 26 reads, “They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.” It is not right to say that the city is the church because glory should only be to the Lord. They will bring their gifts and their best produce into the city to show their love and gratitude, and respect for the city. If the city was the church, how would you explain “and its gates will never be shut by day”? We will be kings with the Lord in the city forever, but we cannot say the city is the church. How can the church be within the church, and be kings with the Lord? It wouldn’t make any sense if we think this way.

It is also wrong to think that everything in the city is also in the church. Some of the things such as the tree of life have spiritual meanings. But when we talk about the throne of God, is it a real throne? Therefore, we cannot regard everything as symbolic expressions. The throne of God and the throne of the Lamb are real, and they cannot be inside the church. There must be a place where these things are present. The city is a real place and has all the things mentioned in the scripture. It will be very difficult to understand this scripture if the city is interpreted as the church.

The city is not intended for the church only, though the church is the most unique, the most glorious group, who also best represents the city. For example, Hong Kong is a city for mostly Hong Kong people. Though some people from other countries also live there, the city is still called Hong Kong. New Jerusalem is a real city and the Bride dwells in it. This city is full of meanings and preciousness. It shows what the church is like, and the glory of the Lord, etc.

Revelation 21:3 reads, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, …” Where is the throne? In the city. Therefore, it is very difficult to explain if the city was the church. It would be strange to say that the loud voice is from the throne in the church. This loud voice is from the throne. The heavenly Jerusalem cannot be in the church.

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

2

23.2 Is the heavenly new Jerusalem a real city?

3

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

4

23.4 Are physical substances not spiritual?

5

23.5 New Jerusalem is a real city (1)

6

23.6 New Jerusalem is a real city (2)

7

23.7 New Jerusalem is a real city (3)

8

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)