The world is home to some sprawling and breathtaking cities. But none can rival the city God is designing for His children to inhabit in heaven. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah takes a closer look at this incredible heavenly metropolis. which is vividly described in the book of Revelation.
From his series The Promise of Heaven, Here's David to introduce today's message, the celestial city. And thank you for joining us today. This series is based on a book called The Promise of Heaven: 31 Chapters About Heaven, Answering Your Questions. In this book, We discuss What about suicide? If people commit suicide, do they go to heaven?
What about cremation? How do cremated people go to heaven? We talk about children. One of the most often asked questions about heaven is, are there animals in heaven? There's a whole chapter about that in this book, believe it or not.
And there's an answer from the Bible. You may not like it, but it's a good one. It's an honest one. And there's a chapter on marriage. This book.
Doesn't dodge any of the heaven issues, but tries to deal with them from the perspective of the scripture. And I hope you will take the opportunity to get your copy during the month of October. Here's how you do it: you can get it at any of the bookstores around you: Barnes Noble, Target, Walmart. And you will find this book prevalent because it's going to be up front where you can get it. And if you want to get your book right now, you can go to the store and get it.
But we'd love to send you a book from Turning Point. And you can get that book from Turning Point. For a gift of any size, and we will get it to you right away. We're ready, we have the books ready, we have a whole team of people ready to get them to you. Just ask for the book when you send your gift, and we'll make sure you get it.
We also have a study guide for this book, and we have some audio discs that you will want to look into. This is a wonderful thing, and frankly, I can't think of a more important thing to study in a small group than what the Bible says about heaven. You will not have any uninterested listeners. Everybody wants to know what's going on with heaven.
Well, today we're going to begin two days of discussion. Around the celestial city, The Bible tells us that in eternity, There will be a city, the capital city of heaven, and it gives us a description of that city that is beyond imagination.
So let's begin to study that together from Revelation 21 and 22, part 1 of the celestial city. One of our greatest joys on earth is to live in San Diego. I know we got a lot of problems. I know our state's messed up. We pay a lot of taxes.
Our gas is way higher than it should be, and all of that. But Don and I have been all over the world. We have visited many beautiful cities. And we have yet to find a city that we like better than the one we come home to at the end of each journey. And if we're not really sure about that, we go to Coronado and then all stories are over.
After spending my early life in a little village in Ohio. I discovered life in the big city when I went to seminary in Dallas, Texas. This is where we began our marriage. And this is where I became a confirmed city boy. Our world is filled with great cities.
If you rank cities in the order of land space, The largest city in the lower 48 states is Jacksonville, Florida. Covers 841 square miles. And the biggest city in the USA, from the standpoint of population, of course, is the Big Apple, New York City. boasting a population of nearly 8.5 million people. While New York is massive, Tokyo leads the way with 37 million people.
To give all of this perspective, the largest city in AD 100. Was Rome, Italy And the population of that largest city in the whole world was 450,000 people. Today, more than 150 Chinese cities have populations of over 1 million people. The Americas boast about sixty such cities. Europe about 35 and Africa close to 100.
According to the experts, The world's urban population will grow from 4.8 billion in 2025. To 5.7 billion by 2050, at which time nearly 70% of the world's inhabitants. We'll be living In cities. It's not surprising then that God is designing a city as a part of the ultimate plan for his children. And the city God is building will dwarf the cities of today.
12 times in Revelation 21 and 22, the place where God and His people will live together. is called a city. This is not a figure of speech. but a reference to an actual physical place. since we will be in our physically resurrected bodies.
we will need a physical place in which to live. And the longing for a future glorious city of God. can be traced all the way back to Abraham. From the book of Hebrews, we learn this about the patriarch. Hebrews 11, 10 says, He waited for the city which has foundations.
whose builder and maker is God. The Hebrew Christians were told. But you have come to Mount Zion. And to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels. Paul mentioned this city in his letter to the Galatians.
He said. The Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of all. Over and over in the scripture, we are told about a city, and in the book of Revelation, we read. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. And he shall go out no more.
I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God. The new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and I will write on him my new name. Many theologians refer to the New Jerusalem as the crown. of the new creation. It is paradise regained.
a holy and beautiful abode. of which the Garden of Eden was only an imperfect emblem. That is exactly what the new Jerusalem is. It is not heaven itself. but the incredible capital city of heaven.
Revelation 21, 2 says, Then I, John, says Saw the holy city, New Jerusalem. coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The Bible says That the Apostle John saw the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. He didn't say it was being created. He said it already was prepared, suggesting that the city is complete and waiting.
Hebrews calls God the architect and builder of this city. Hebrews 11.10. And Hebrews 12, 22 and 23 describes it. as the heavenly Jerusalem. Already filled with angels, the church, God Himself, right now it exists in heaven.
But one day, when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, this glorious city will descend and become the eternal home of his people. with his throne at the center of the city. It is surely this city that our Lord was talking about when He told His disciples that if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Let me just try to wrap our arms around some of the details of this city. First of all, the dimensions of it.
I'm sure you've heard people say there's no city big enough for all the people. from his story, who are going to be in heaven. Heaven needs to be a momentous place. Revelation 21, 15 and 16 describes it. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city.
its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square. its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, 12,000 furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
F.W. Borum was a brilliant 20th century pastor. who carefully considered the size and capacity of the great city. In one of his writings, He tells of discussing the city with a man named Tomas. who was an Australian engineer and a member of his church.
Boram shared the dimensions of the celestial city with Tomas, asking him, Did you ever think about the size? of the city of God, that he is prepared for the future. Tomas replied, Man, it's amazing. It's astounding. It beats everything I ever heard of.
John says that each of the walls of the city measures 12,000 furlongs. If you work that out, it will give you an area of 2,250,000 square miles. Did you ever hear the like of that? London covers an area of 140 square miles, but this city The city four square is 15,000 times as big as London. It is 20 times as big as all New Zealand, and it's 10 times as big as Germany.
10 times as big as France, it is 40 times as big as all of England. And it's ever so much bigger than India. Why, it's an enormous continent in itself, working it out on the basis of the number of people to the square mile in the city of London. The population of the City Four Square comes out at a hundred thousand million. 70 times the present population of the whole world.
Another writer has compared the city to the United States. And although he uses a smaller equation for the furlong, he comes up with these analogies. If you compared it to the United States, you would measure from the Atlantic Ocean coastal line. And westward, it would mean a city from furthest Maine to furthest Florida. and from the shore of the Atlantic to Colorado.
And from the United States Pacific coast eastward, it would cover the United States as far east as the Mississippi River, with a line extending north through Chicago and continuing on the West Coast to Lake Michigan up through the Canadian border. Seiss is accurate when he describes it this way: All the cities in the world are mere villages. in comparison with the New Jerusalem. And remember, it's a city four square. All four sides are the same.
Length, and it is not just a city this way, it is a city that way. There are layers in this city. It is interesting to note that the Holy of Holies inside was. cubicle also, if you go back and study the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the Holy of Holies was 20.
By 20. Yeah. kind of a picture of the heaven that was to come. The suggestion that the entire city is a huge holy of holies. cubicle in shape.
That's a suggestion often made. And Revelation 21.3 alludes to that possibility. Behold the tabernacle of God. is with men. The New Jerusalem is the Holy of Holies.
for all eternity. John Walverd summarizes the issue of the city's size. whatever its shape, a city of large dimensions would be proper. If it is to be the residence of the saved of all ages, including infants who died before reaching the age of accountability. It is not necessarily true, however, to hold that everyone will live continually within the walls of this city.
The implications are that there is plenty of room for everyone, and this city provides a residence for the saints of all ages. Hard to believe. What does the city look like? How is it described?
Well, first of all, the Bible tells us it's a holy city. Isn't that a hard thing for us to comprehend? Most of the cities we know of may have good parts in them, but If you drive very far, you're going to see the bad parts too. I've been in a lot of the cities of America. We've held rallies in cities all over the United States.
All of them have some good places. All of them have some places you wouldn't want to live. Revelation tells us that this city is a holy city. Then I, John, saw the holy city. New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The chief characteristic The new Jerusalem, the heaven where we will spend eternity, is its holy.
Someone has written A holy city will be one in which no lie will be uttered in 100 million years. No evil word will ever be spoken. No shady business deals will ever be discussed. No unclean picture will ever be seen. No corruption of life will ever be manifest.
It will be holy because everyone in the city will be holy.
So, the first thing you note about this city where we're going, this heaven we talk about, it's a holy place. And then the Bible talks about the pearly gates. I know we hear a lot about the pearly gates. But let's just read what the Bible says about the Pearly Gates. Also, she had a great and high wall and twelve gates.
and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. And he measured its wall 144 cubits according to the measure of a man. That is, of an angel. And the construction of its wall was of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each individual gate.
was of one pearl.
Now, apparently, twelve is the number of symmetry because here you have twelve gates. 12 angels, 12 tribes, 12 foundations, 12 apostles, 12 pearls, and 12 different kinds of fruit. in the city. called the Holy City. As we look at the 12 gates of Pearl, we see the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed.
This is a reminder to us that heaven will be populated with people from the Old Testament. They're really a part of the wall that surrounds the city. John gives us another striking detail about the gates of heaven. Its gate shall not be shut at all by day. and there shall be no night there.
In heaven, it's an eternal day. And the gates are never shut because The city of heaven will be on the new earth. Created by God, and everything around it will be holy. Nothing unholy will be allowed to enter the city. Therefore, there will be no need to protect the city with closed gates.
Some people say, are these gates really made of one pearl? Do you know how pearls are made?
Someone said, those are some big oysters.
Well, listen to me. God made the oysters. And if he wants to make a big pearl, he can make it. And the gates will be so brilliantly adorned when you get there. You will probably say to one another, When you first see them, how in the world could that ever happen?
Every one of the twelve gates of heaven. Will be made out of a single pearl. The gates of heaven will always be open. And that tells us something important. Everyone who belongs to Jesus will be welcome inside.
We won't need a special pass. We won't have to earn our place or prove we're worthy. The only reason we'll be there is because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. And his blood is what opens the gates. Once we're in, we'll have full access to everything the city offers because it's our home.
Dr. Christwell, who was one of my mentors, said, There is a sermon in the fact that the gates are pearl. Heaven is entered through suffering and travail. through redemption and blood. Through the agony of a cross.
A pearl is a jewel made by a little animal that is wounded. Without the wound, the pearl. is never formed.
So just think about that when you think about the gates of Pearl. reminder to us again of the price that was paid so that we could go to heaven.
So there's the holy city and the pearly gates and then the foundations of precious stones. But the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. Jasper. Sapphire. Chalcedony.
Emerald. Sardonics, Sardius. Crystalite. Burl. Topaz, Chrysal Praise, Jacinth and Amethyst.
A building's greatest strength is its foundation. And the New Jerusalem is not one foundation, but twelve. And I understand this to mean that each foundation is decorated with a different gem. And these foundations are one upon the other.
So when you come to the city and see it, The beauty of the city will be seen as far as the eye can see. The city's first foundation is the familiar Jasper Stone mentioned twice previously. On the top of the Jasper Stone is a second foundation. the sapphire, a stone similar to a diamond in hardness and blue in colour. The third foundation is Chalcedony.
an agate stone from Chalcedon. In Turkey, thought to be sky blue with stripes of other colors running through it. The fourth foundation is an emerald. It introduces a bright green color. The fifth is sardonyx, it is red and white stone.
The sixth foundation, the sardia stone, refers to a common jewel of reddish color. The sardias is used with the jasper in Revelation 4 in describing the glory of God on the throne. The seventh foundation is formed of chrysolite. a transparent stone golden in color. The eighth foundation, the Burl, is sea green.
The Topaz, the ninth foundation, is yellow-green and transparent. The tenth foundation, the cruciferous, introduces another shade of green. The eleventh foundation is adjacent. It is a violet color. And the last stone, the amethyst, is commonly purple.
When you come to the city from afar, You will not only see gates made out of one pearl, but you will see that the foundation of the city is built upon these 12. Beautiful. beautiful stones. Rather than being 12 individual foundations separated from each other, these foundations are probably 12 layers one upon another. that encircle the whole city.
and the brilliant colors will blend together and add to the beauty of the city as it is viewed from without. Revelation 21, 14 says, that the wall of the city has the names of the twelve apostles written on them. And regarding this, John F. Walvert has a good explanation. Here the city recognizes the presence of the apostles representing the church.
The body of Christ, and the fact that their names are inscribed upon the foundation symbolically indicates that the church itself. is related to this holy city. Eternity. Men and women will be a lasting memorial to the redemption which was provided by Jesus Christ. pass the foundations, walk through the gates, and you will be impressed with the wonderful plan that made it possible for you to be there.
Everywhere you look will be reminders of how you got there in the first place. Then what about the streets of gold? Oh yes, the streets of gold. Revelation 2:18 and 21 says, And the city was pure gold, like clear glass. and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
If you have looked at pure gold, you know that it is not transparent, but opaque. But John described heaven's gold. as transparent glass. The gold of heaven is so pure. that men seem to look into it and through its clear depths as they walk upon it.
It is finely polished as a mirror, and therefore it is not so much transparent as it is translucent. If you think about this, don't forget that in our glorified bodies, our perceptions will be different.
Something might appear to us then as being both solid and transparent. All I can tell you is, you've never walked on any streets like you're about to walk on when you go to heaven. The streets will truly be gold, according to some experts, transparent gold that you can look all the way through. And then the Bible tells us. That the Lamb is the light.
Verse 11 and 23: Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. The city had no need of the sun. Or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, the Lamb is its light. This is a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy from Isaiah chapter 60, verse 19. The sun shall no longer be your light by day.
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you, but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light. and your God will be your glory. When the Bible says that the city reflects light as a jasper stone, it is comparable to our present-day diamonds. It is full of color and luster. a grand prism of inherent light shining like new sun inside and out, sending abroad its rays over all the earth and into the depth of space, making our planet seem so distant as worlds, and suddenly transformed into a brilliant luminary whose brightness never wanes.
and that the source of this light Where the light emanates, where it starts. is Jesus Christ himself. He truly is, at that moment, the light of the world. not just spiritually, but physically. The light in heaven doesn't come from fire or electricity.
There isn't any need for any candles or any bulbs. It's not the kind of light that burns out or needs replacing. This light comes straight from God because God is light. And the lamb is the lamp. His light fills the whole city.
It shines into every home and every heart and it never ever fades. No wonder Paul described our future like this. But as it is written, Eye has not seen. Nor ear heard. nor have entered into the heart of man.
the things that God has prepared. for those who loved him. Paul said, you can't even imagine. what God is up to. what he has planned for those of us who are believers.
Amen. Amen. We still have more to talk about, the celestial city, and we'll finish this up on Monday. I hope you'll be with us then. It's Friday, and we want to remind you that the important thing you can do this weekend is to get to church.
Church is the key to everything God wants to do in your life. God does some of His best work in church. I know that. I've been a pastor for well over 50 years. And I see what God does in the church.
I don't believe God works too much outside of some connection with the church, so I hope you'll get to church this weekend. There's a church in your community where the Bible is taught and Christ is lifted up. Find that place, be diligent about it, and then get there and help and do your best. Let the pastor know you're there to be a part of his team. And we'll see you on Monday.
Don't forget, you can get Turning Point on television this weekend, and you'll find more information about heaven coming through the television on the weekend. I'm David Jeremiah. A privilege to be with you every day. Thank you for listening. We'll see you on Monday.
Our message today came to you from Shadow Mountain Community Church and senior pastor Dr. David Jeremiah. Turning Point is also on radio and TV this weekend. To learn where to find it, visit our website davidjeremiah.org/slash radio. That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993.
Ask for your copy of David's new book, The Promise of Heaven. 31 reasons to get excited about your eternal home. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard, New International and New King James Versions. complete with notes and articles from Dr.
Jeremiah's decades of study. We welcome your notes of encouragement, so please write us at Turning Point, PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us Monday as we continue the series The Promise of Heaven on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.
