REVELATION 21: 9-27

1
REVELATION 21 9-27

• The world of the wicked, those who served the
  beast through the Roman Empire, has been
  completely dismantled.
• Prior to this judgment from God the Lords church
  has suffered and endured a lot.
• But the fact that the church has remained
  through out has made them a beautiful bride in
  the eyes of God.
• Gods description of this beautiful bride is
  what we see in Rev. 219-27.
• THIS IS NOT A DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN.

2

• Rev 219
• And one of the seven angels who had the seven
  bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and
  spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show
  you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
• No reason to doubt or speculate about what we are
  going to see.
• Eph. 522-33 the bride of Christor the wife of
  the Lamb is the church.

3

• Rev 2110-11
• 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a
  great and high mountain, and showed me the holy
  city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
  God, 11 having the glory of God.
• The angel said he was going to show John the
  bride of the Lamb and here he is being shown
  the holy city.
• Two are one and the same.
• Notice where the holy city, Jerusalem comes
  from. It comes out of heaven from God.
• The Roman Empire had its beginning with men. The
  church has its origin in heaven or with God.

4

• Rev 2110-11
• 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a
  great and high mountain, and showed me the holy
  city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
  God, 11 having the glory of God.
• Just as Jesus came down from heaven and reflected
  the glory of His Father (Jn. 114), so now does
  the wife of the Lamb or the church.
• That is our purpose and a characteristic that we
  are to possess as the Lords churchwe reflect
  the glory of our Father.

5

• Rev 2111-12
• Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a
  stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great
  and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the
  gates twelve angels and names were written on
  them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the
  sons of Israel.
• 12 is the number of the people of God.
• Notice also that the names on the gates are the
  names of 12 tribes.
• Everything about this city marks it out as the
  city of Gods people.
• All of Gods redeemed.

6

• Rev 2113-15
• 13 There were three gates on the east and three
  gates on the north and three gates on the south
  and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of
  the city had twelve foundation stones, and on
  them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles
  of the Lamb.
• Again, we are assured that we are seeing the
  image of the church.

7

• Eph 219-22
• 19 So then you are no longer strangers and
  aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the
  saints, and are of God's household, 20 having
  been built upon the foundation of the apostles
  and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the
  corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building,
  being fitted together is growing into a holy
  temple in the Lord 22 in whom you also are being
  built together into a dwelling of God in the
  Spirit.
• These Christians were built on the foundation of
  the apostles and prophetswhat they taught.
• Christ was their cornerstonethey one they stood
  on.
• They were the dwelling of God in the Spirit.
• They were the glorious churchand that is what
  Rev. 21 14 speaks of.

8
Rev 2115-17 15 And the one who spoke with me had
a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its
gates and its wall. 16 And the city is laid out
as a square, and its length is as great as the
width and he measured the city with the rod,
fifteen hundred miles its length and width and
height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall,
seventy-two yards, according to human
measurements, which are also angelic
measurements.
9

• Rev 2116
• 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length
  is as large as the breadth and he measured the
  city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The
  length and the breadth and the height of it are
  equal.
• Foursquare cubed just like a big holy of
  holies.
• Notice it is 12,000 furlongs square.
• 12, again, is the number of Gods people.
• Everything about these measurements says that
  this is the city of God.

10

• Rev 2117
• 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards,
  according to human measurements, which are also
  angelic measurements.
• 72 yards 6 x 12.
• There is the 12 again.

11

• Rev 2117
• And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and
  forty and four cubits, according to the measure
  of a man, that is, of the angel.
• 144 12 x 12 Again, the number 12.
• All these measurements indicate this is the city
  of Gods people or the church.

12

• 12,000 furlongs
• A furlong is 1/8 of a mile.
• 12,000 x 1/8 1500 miles.
• 1500 miles cubed 3, 375, 000, 000 cubic miles.
• The highest mountain in the world (Mt. Everest)
  is about 6 miles high.
• The structure here in vs. 16 -17 is 250 times
  taller.

• Significance
• This is a city that will never be conquered.
• No one will crash its gates or climb its walls.
  
• Those inside have nothing to fear.
• This is a holy, glorious, secure dwelling for
  Gods people.

13

• Rev 2118-22
• 18 And the material of the wall was jasper and
  the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The
  foundation stones of the city wall were adorned
  with every kind of precious stone. The first
  foundation stone was jasper the second,
  sapphire the third, chalcedony the fourth,
  emerald 20 the fifth, sardonyx the sixth,
  sardius the seventh, chrysolite the eighth,
  beryl the ninth, topaz the tenth, chrysoprase
  the eleventh, jacinth the twelfth, amethyst. 21
  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls each one
  of the gates was a single pearl. And the street
  of the city was pure gold, like transparent
  glass.
• The church is precious in the sight of God.

14

• Rev 2122-23
• And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the
  Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
• The temple in the O.T. spoke of separation
  between the people and God.
• The only one who could go into the holy place
  was the high priestand only once a year.
• In the city of Rev. 21 22 the temple is God and
  the Lambthere is no separation.
• The people are always in the presence of God and
  He is always with His people.
• This is a privilege only for the citizens of the
  church.

15

• Rev 2123
• And the city has no need of the sun or of the
  moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has
  illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
• Others may stumble in darknessbut not the
  church.
• The church will always be a shining light that
  others will hopefully see.

16

• Rev 2124-25
• 4 And the nations shall walk by its light, and
  the kings of the earth shall bring their glory
  into it.
• Before, the nations thought that Rome was the
  hope of the world. Not true.
• The hope of the nations lies in the church.
• If they walk in the lightthey walk in her light.
  
• The church they hated, despised, and beat is now
  the city set on a hilla beacon by which the
  nations are led to safety.

17
Rev 2125-27 And in the daytime (for there shall
be no night there) its gates shall never be
closed 26 and they shall bring the glory and the
honor of the nations into it 27 and nothing
unclean and no one who practices abomination and
lying, shall ever come into it, but only those
whose names are written in the Lamb's book of
life.
Rev 2214-15 14 Blessed are those who wash their
robes, that they may have the right to the tree
of life, and may enter by the gates into the
city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers
and the immoral persons and the murderers and the
idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices
lying.
18

• You cannot be a citizen of the city of Godor the
  churchif you are unclean.
• That is why it is essential to be washed and made
  holy.
• 1 John 1 7 tells us that the blood of Christ
  cleanses us from all sin.
• You can be washed as white and pure as snow by
  and only by the blood of Christ.
• Acts 2216-17
• 16'And now why do you delay? Arise, and be
  baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His
  name.'