The New Jerusalem

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As we live in our respective towns, cities and farmlands, we observe the strife, struggle, and crime. We observe unfairness and corruption. We look at destroyed lives, broken marriages and heartache. Don't we ever long for a better society?

God called Abraham out of his city and promised him a better way.

"1 ¶ And the LORD said to Abram, Go out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house into a land that I will show you.

2 And I will make you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing.

3 And I will bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you. And in you shall all families of the earth be blessed."

(Genesis 12:1-3, MKJV)

Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham by God, obeyed His voice, and followed through. He had faith in God's promises, and reacted with obedience, and took action. God loved him, and promised that through him all the earth will one day be blessed.

Later on Abraham's family grew as God promised. However famine forced them away from the Promised Land to Egypt, where the family grew in multitude, until the new Pharaoh of Egypt oppressed them.

Through Moses God led them out of their land of physical bondage, but to come out of their bondage to sin was far more difficult, as the events of the Exodus proved.

"13 ¶ They hurried and forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel;

14 but they lusted greedily in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.

15 And He gave them what they asked, but sent leanness into their soul.

16 And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped the melted image.

20 And they changed their Glory into the likeness of an ox that eats grass.

21 They forgot God their Deliverer, who had done great things in Egypt;

22 wonderful works in the land of Ham, fearful things by the Red Sea.

23 And He said that He would destroy them, if Moses His chosen had not stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, so that He should not destroy them."

(Psalm 106:13-23, MKJV)

Thanks to holy men like Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and King David, God completed the physical side to the promises, and they were eventually given the earthly Jerusalem. King David wanted to build a House for the Lord, but it was under his son King Solomon that the wish was fulfilled.

"¶ And Solomon said, The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

2 And I have built a house for You to live in, and a place for Your dwelling forever.

3 And the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel. And all the congregation of Israel stood.

4 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has with His hands fulfilled that which He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying,

5 From the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt I have not chosen any city among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, so that My name might be there. Nor have I chosen any man to be a ruler over My people Israel.

But now I have chosen Jerusalem, so that My name might be there, and now I have chosen David to be over My people Israel."

(2 Chronicles 6:1-6, MKJV)

However, the earthly Jerusalem saw many apostasies, and even destruction. It was not the real solution. The worship services which were done according to the Law of Moses were a pattern of better things to come.

"1 ¶ For the Law which has a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually, they are never able to perfect those drawing near.

2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because the worshipers, when they had been once for all purged, would have had no more conscience of sin.

3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again of sins every year.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."

(Hebrews 10:1-4, MKJV)

The rituals of the earthly Jerusalem could not save the nation. In fact in the very Jerusalem the biggest travesties of justice were done. Jesus exclaimed His heartfelt disappointment against the terrible history of the earthly place.

"34 ¶ Therefore, behold, I send prophets and wise men and scribes to you. And you will kill and crucify some of them. And some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city;

35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

36 Truly I say to you, All these things shall come on this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!

38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.

39 For I say to you, You shall not see Me from now on until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

(Matthew 23:34-39, MKJV)

Was this earthly Jerusalem what Abraham, the father of the faithful, were really hoping for? Abraham hoped for much more. He hoped for a city of God's righteousness.

"8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he was afterward going to receive for an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he went.

9 By faith he lived in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise with him.

10 For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

(Hebrews 11:8-10, MKJV)

Abraham was looking for the perfect city that operates by God's righteousness. How would that come about? What foundation was he looking for? God would provide that foundation for us.

"19 Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

21 in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord;

22 in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit."

(Ephesians 2:19-22, MKJV)

Christ would be the cornerstone of that foundation that Abraham was looking for. The apostles would continue to form the foundations of the new Jerusalem.

"4 ¶ For having been drawn to Him, a living Stone, indeed rejected by men, but elect, precious with God;

5 you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 Therefore also it is contained in the Scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner Stone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him shall never be ashamed."

7 Therefore to you who believe is the honor. But to those who are disobedient, He is the Stone which the builders rejected; this One came to be the Head of the corner,

8 and a Stone-of-stumbling and a Rock-of-offense to those disobeying, who stumble at the word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

(1 Peter 2:4-9, MKJV)

Christ is now the cornerstone on which the Heavenly Jerusalem is built. No longer would we look and pray towards Jerusalem, but we look towards Christ, and through Him we worship God anywhere.

When Christ visited Samaria, He spoke to a woman concerning this.

"19 The woman said to Him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem.

22 You worship what you do not know, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.

24 God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ. When He has come, He will tell us all things.

26 Jesus said to her, I AM, He speaking to you."

(John 4:19-26, MKJV)

The New Jerusalem comes from Heaven in the form of Christ who through the Holy Spirit can live in and through us. If we learn His ways of peace and let God through Christ live with us, and tabernacle with us, we become part of the New Jerusalem. In the Church of God people are built up in Christ, and form part of the structure of the New Jerusalem.

"12 Him who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will go out no more. And I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name."

(Revelation 3:12, MKJV)

In the true Church of God we can truly come to see the New Jerusalem in the congregation of repentant saints, who demonstrate the new society, the New Jerusalem..

"22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,"

(Hebrews 12:22-23, MKJV)

This New Jerusalem is not bound by space and time. It comes to those who seek the righteousness of God and forgiveness through Christ, anywhere, anytime.

"24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

25 Nor is served with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life and breath and all things to all.

26 And He has made all nations of men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling,

27 to seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though indeed He is not far from each one of us."

(Acts 17:24-27, MKJV)

God works with the Christians to prepare them for eternal life as servants under Christ. They will have learned heavenly ways, and will eventually be as though they came from heaven. They will reach across the divides of nationalities and countries, and bring peace to all the earth.

"¶ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is.

2 And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God."

(Revelation 21:1-3, MKJV)

This bride will have learned the ways of heaven, and will have been prepared to serve Christ.

"7 Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.

9 And he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God."

(Revelation 19:7-9, MKJV)

The Church of God being the New Jerusalem in Christ is growing and worshipping across the world. We have victory over sin through Christ, and are being prepared for that wonderful day when Christ returns.

As for the earthly Jerusalem, it's occupants have not yet found redemption and freedom from sin through Christ. This will finally happen at Christ's return in glory and power, but before this happens we have no allegiance to it. The current earthly Jerusalem needs Christ more than ever, but somehow they don't see it that way. The current earthly Jerusalem will still kill any true Prophet sent by God. The terms of God for the earthly Jerusalem is not good!

"8 And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."

(Revelation 11:8, MKJV)

Our salvation does not come through the earthly Jerusalem. It comes through our Heavenly New Jerusalem, through Christ the Chief Cornerstone, through the apostles and prophets forming part of the foundations, and the Church of God being built up by the pillars in the Church in nations around the world. So we build, knowing that we build eternal spiritual structures. As we see changed lives and people overcoming their sin, we have joy in what Christ is building in people. He makes them to stand, so that they no longer fall in sin. As we all stand together against sin, we hold hands and build each other up in the Lord, so that we can be prepared for eternal life with Christ, having the ways of heaven developed in our minds and in our hearts.

We become the New Jerusalem in Christ that was promised to Abraham, that he longed for. Abraham will be resurrected with all the saints, and he, together with all those in the first resurrection, will work to make the New Jerusalem come to all peoples of the world, not just the Church.

"4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. The second death has no authority over these, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him a thousand years."

(Revelation 20:4-6, MKJV)

This is the day that Abraham wanted to see.

"56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and He saw and was glad."

Abraham longed for the Heavenly Jerusalem, and saw it in his hopes, dreams and visions, through the promises made by God. He has never seen the earthly Jerusalem, but he will see the Church of the Saints that build the Heavenly Jerusalem to encompass the whole world. He will see the resurrected saints, the New Building, the Church of God, as it functions to bring peace to the world, and salvation and eternal life to all who are willing.

Let us work to build the Heavenly Jerusalem