“…and He showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.” Revelation 21:10
Dear Ones:
One way that the Lord uses to reach out to mankind so that all would believe, and trust Him, is by declaring something in the past, thousands of years before, and then bringing it specifically to pass thousands of years later. It is as if He puts an arrow in His bow, pulls back the string, and lets fly the arrow over thousands of years to a target that has been predetermined, and proclaimed beforehand. It is when that arrow hits is mark that we begin to see and grasp something of What and Who God is.
The book of Genesis was written by Moses about 1400 years before Christ. Abraham lived at a minimum of four hundred years before the book was written, as God had told Abraham that his descendants would be, “…a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.” (Gen. 15:14) God not only was dealing with a man, Abraham, when He spoke with him, but also with a nation, which would play a primary role throughout history, with regard to the salvation of all men throughout the entire world. One of these historical “arrows” that God used with Abraham had to do with a city. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote of Abraham, perhaps two thousand years before the coming of the Lord Jesus, “For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (11:10) We see from the context of this statement that those who would follow the faith of Abraham, and believe the promises, sought for another country, a HEAVENLY one. It was there that God had prepared for them a city.
How is it that Abraham had this thought, the concept of this city? And how is it that true believers in Abraham’s God, would seek a heavenly country, where this city was located? Most certainly it was God who shot His arrow of revelation, hitting the heart of Abraham, planting in him a hope and certainty of things to come. We know from Scripture that the physical Jerusalem located in Israel, was a “shadow of things to come.” It was made with stone and mortar, imperfect, marred by the actions and attitudes of sinful men. Though this city was very real, it was NOT the vision that Abraham, or his descendants, had…for theirs was one of heaven, perfect, holy, and good, in every way.
In the book of Revelation, John writes that he saw, “…a great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven, having the glory of God.” (21:10) Here is the fulfillment of the hope, expectation, and certainty of Abraham…realized thousands of years later. This city, whose “:..builder and maker is God,” is perfect, without spot or blemish, absolutely beautiful, everlasting. It is called “the Lamb’s wife,” the body of Christ. There is found every soul, every true believer, from the beginning of the world. What John sees is an edifice, immaculate, majestic, and infinitely pure and clear. The city represents all those for whom Christ died, and the realization of His exceeding and precious promises concerning Life eternal. That which is most extraordinary is the fact that “…the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.” (v.3) There will be no suffering, pain, or sorrow. All things are new, with no point of reference to the sinfulness of earth, and its curse. It is there that the water of Life flows freely, and all who are there, drink freely. God’s glory fills that city, shining in and through it, because all is “clear as crystal.” The twelve tribes of Israel are represented, as are the twelve apostles. God and the Lamb are the temple of this city, with the glory of God lighting it, the Lamb being the light of it. This city, where righteousness dwells in its perfection and completeness, is where Christ is ALL IN ALL, and all that fills the hearts of His bride, and every member of His Body, is the everlasting love of God.
Dear Father, Thou who art the very author of the thought, and truth, of this city, which you gave to Abraham, give us to grasp something of the hope, the certainty, of Thy love and goodness, the reward of believing in Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad