REVELATION LESSON 53

REVELATION

LESSON 53

ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?

Revelation 21:13   ¹³ On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

The wall will have four sides with three gates on each side, providing access to the holy city from every direction on the new earth.

Revelation 21:14   ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

This city will have twelve foundation. Each foundation will have the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus on it. This is significant because the Word tells us that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

Revelation 21:15   ¹⁵ And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

Revelation 21:16   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.

The holy city will be laid out like a square. Its length will be the same as the width and height. The holy of holies in the tabernacle and the one in Jerusalem temple were cubes. The shape of Gods temporary residence among the Hebrews will be the shape of Gods permanent residence among his people.

Revelation 21:17   ¹⁷ 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.

The wall around the holy city will be 144 cubits, (216 feet thick) the thick wall will provide plenty of protection. The ancient wall of Babylon was only 87 feet thick.

Revelation 21:18   ¹⁸ And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

The wall will be made of a gem that is beautiful, hard and transparent. People will be able to see through it into the holy city. The light of God will beam out of the city. The city itself will be made of gold as clear as glass.

Revelation 21:19-20   ¹⁹ And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

²⁰ The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

Each one of the twelve foundation of the city walls will be different. The first four floors will be Jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, and emerald.

The next eight foundations will be decorated with sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst. A brilliant rainbow would be just a pale glimmer compared to what these foundation stones will look like. God is light and His light passing through these many different colored stone will be breathtaking.

Revelation 21:21   ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

With only twelve gates to this amazing city and each gate being more than 300 miles apart, we know the gates will need to be huge. Each gate will consist of a single gigantic pearl.

And the street of the city will be made of pure gold as it were transparent glass.

Revelation 21:22   ²² And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Because of sin on earth God withdrew his presence from mankind. He had Moses and others to build a tabernacle. Later Solomon built a temple where the people would go to worship. He separated himself from them by residing in the holy of holies. After the millennium things will be different. A temple will not be needed since sin will not be present in the holy city.

God will have no need to separate himself from his people. The glorious presence of the Father and Son will permeate the entire city.

Revelation 21:23   ²³ And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

The Father and the Son are the source of the physical light. They spoke light into existence when they created the sun, moon and stars. These will be done away with when they create the new heaven and the new earth, Gods presence in the holy city will be our illumination.

Revelation 21:24   ²⁴ And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

The new earth will be populated with the children of Israel and the descendants of those who did not follow Satan in the final rebellion after the millennium. Nations and leaders will be on the new earth when the holy city comes out of heaven. They will walk in the light coming from that holy city instead of the light of the sun and moon.

The inhabitants of the new earth will travel to the holy city to worship. The holy city will be the future home of the church. The new earth will be the future home of Israel and all others who will be saved after the rapture.

Revelation 21:25   ²⁵ And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

The people of some ancient cities would open their gates during the day and close them at night. The continuous presence of God will illuminate the Holy city and there will be continuous light. There will be no darkness.

Darkness will not be known. There will be no need to shut the gates.

Revelation 21:26   ²⁶ And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

Visitors will go to the holy city to give glory and honor to the Lord.

Revelation 21:27   ²⁷ And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

When God created Adam and Eve, he placed them in a perfect creation, the garden of Eden. When Satan came and tempted them and they fell they lost their place in the Garden. God will never allow that to happen again. He will never allow any thing that is impure to enter the holy city. Only those whose names are found in the Lambs book of life will be permitted to enter.

Until our next lesson,

Stay in the word.

Brother Andy.