ON THE NEW JERUSALEM,
By Elias Smith.
The NEW JERUSALEM, where the saints shall dwell forever after all the wicked shall be punished with the second death.” The same sure word of prophecy which has been a light shining all the way through these sermons, while attending to those things that have and are to be fulfilled, is sufficient to teach us all we need to know concerning the New Jerusalem, where the saints shall dwell forever, beyond all the changes which are to take place, until the NEW JERUSALEM shall be seen coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
This city, the New Jerusalem, which is to be the residence of the saints forever, is plainly described in the scriptures of truth, and particularly in the new testament. John tells us of the new heaven and earth, and that there was no more sea; and after mentioning this; proceeds immediately to mention and describe the NEW JERUSALEM; Rev. xxi. 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.”
This city which will be seen in the new earth, is mentioned in other parts of the Scriptures, by seven different words and expressions; which all mean the same thing as the words NEW JERUSALEM.
This I shall shew before I proceed to describe this Holy City.
1. The first words besides New Jerusalem, which are used to describe this city, is, “The Holy City,” in this verse, “And I John saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem.” Rev. xxii. 19, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the HOLY CITY.” It is certain that the holy city, and new Jerusalem, both mean one.
2. The New Jerusalem is called, “The tabernacle of God;” Rev. xxi. 3, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, behold, the TABERNACLE of God is with men.” What is called the holy city, and New Jerusalem, in verse 2, is here called the TABERNACLE of God. It is evident that the tabernacle of God, mentioned here, means the same as the new Jerusalem.
3. This new Jerusalem is called the heavenly Jerusalem, and city of the living God which he has prepared for them that love him. Heb. xii. 29, “But ye re come to mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” This agrees with the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven. Heb. xi. 16, but now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath PREPARED for them a city.” This city, appears to be the same as the new Jerusalem. This city is prepared, and so is the new Jerusalem; prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and though the elect will set down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom, when Christ reigns on the earth, yet after all this, they will enjoy a city already prepared for them from the foundation of the world.
4. This NEW JERUSALEM, is by Paul called the Jerusalem which is above. Gal. iv. 26, “But the JERUSALEM which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Paul in this verse tells us of a Jerusalem which is above; this is the one John saw coming down from heaven. It is now above, but it will after toe new earth is created, come down from heaven to the earth.
5. This same new Jerusalem is called by Paul, a building of God, Eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor. v. 1, “For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” This appears to be the same as the heavenly Jerusalem, and holy city.
6. This new Jerusalem is called a kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, the same as the city prepared. Matth. xxv. 34, “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
7. In Rev. the holy city is said to be the residence of the saints, here they are invited to a kingdom. In other places mention is made of a city PREPARED. Christ says, I go to prepare a place for you, in his Father’s house; here it is said the kingdom is PREPARED for them, which must mean the same thing, or else there are contradictions in the scriptures.
8. This new Jerusalem is in three places called PARADISE. Luke xxiii. 34, “And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” What is here called Paradise, is in the verse before called Christ’s kingdom. The thief said to Christ on the cross, “Lord remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.” That PARADISE means the new Jerusalem, is plain from Rev. ii. 7, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the PARADISE of God.” We are told by Christ, that the tree of life is in the midst of the PARADISE of God.
In Rev. xxii. 2, we are told that the tree of life was in the midst of the street of the holy city, the new Jerusalem, which plainly proves that the new Jerusalem, and PARADISE mean one thing. This is where Paul was caught up, and heard unspeakable words.
I think that whoever compares these places together, will find that all these different expressions in different parts of the scriptures refer to one thing; the NEW JERUSALEM which will be seen in the new earth, an eternal excellency, the joy of the whole earth.
All these places of scripture mean something; and the nations of the earth it. general have an idea of a place of bliss hereafter as well as of happiness in a future state. It is evident that all the nations of the earth have borrowed their notions of a PARADISE, or heaven to come, from the one described in the scriptures of truth. Wherever there is counterfeit, it is a sign of true coin: where a false Paradise is described, there must be a true one. Had there been no truth, a lie could not have been told. A lie is a certain sign of truth. From all I can learn from the scriptures, this is the sum;
1. What is called the new Jerusalem— the holy city— the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God— the Paradise of God, &c. is now created, and prepared from the foundation of the world, and has now the glory of God in it. It is now the city which hath foundations, whose builder and Maker is God. This appears plain to me from the scriptures that have been mentioned in this discourse.
2. It is plain that Jesus Christ, the angels and all the translated saints, and those who rose from the dead at Christ’s resurrection, are now in this city called Paradise. Christ said to the thief, “This day shah thou be with me in Paradise.” It has been proved to be the new Jerusalem. This is where Paul was carried at a certain time. When Christ comes to reign on the earth, all the saints who are now with him in the new Jerusalem he will bring with him. –––– This is what Moses and Elias now enjoy. This is the holiest of all where Christ has now entered; of which the holy place in the old tabernacle and temple were patterns. This is mentioned in Heb. viii. 1, 2, “Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum; we have such an high Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man.” The old tabernacle, Moses pitched, but the tabernacle where Christ is gone, the Lord pitched.
This means the new Jerusalem; because when John saw the new Jerusalem come down from heaven, the cry was— “Behold the tabernacle, of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God.”
3. This new Jerusalem, called the tabernacle of God, is to come down from heaven after the earth is new. It is plain that this city will be moved, by the name given it: the tabernacle, which means a moveable building.
That this city which is now built will come down from heaven, to the new earth all prepared to dwell in, is as certain as it is that a bride is adorned for her husband, and no other. Rev iii. 12, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which 15 New Jerusalem, which cometh down from heaven from my God.”
In this verse Jesus mentions the new Jerusalem as the city of his God, and says it cometh down from heaven from his God. When we read that an angel came down from heaven, we suppose it was true. When we read that Christ shall come down from heaven, it means that he will stand at the latter day on the earth. When we are told the new Jerusalem cometh down from heaven, we have the same reason to believe it will ere long come down, as we have to believe Christ will come down from heaven hereafter. Christ spake of its coming down from heaven; but John had a vision of it descending to the new earth. Rev. xxi. 2, 10, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
What can be more evident than this, that this city will descend from heaven to earth where men will enjoy God in the city? This is further explained in verse 10, “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” Three times this city is mentioned as coming down from heaven “which cometh down out of heaven from my God.” Chap. ii. 12, “Coming down from God out of heaven.” Chap. xxi. 2, “The holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ver. 10.
If these things do not convince men that this city, this paradise of God will come down from heaven, then I must conclude that they do not receive the testimony God has given of what Christ says are the true sayings of God. The Lord Jesus knew that many would think these things concerning the city to be similitudes, or things different from what is said of them; and that we might believe that what is said of the new Jerusalem means as it says; he has in the last of this book mentioned several important things; which appear to be my duty to mention before I proceed to describe the city.
Rev. xxii. 6, 7, “And he said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things that must shortly be done. Behold I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” These two verses follow the description of the holy city and it is declared that what is said of the city, is faithful and true, and that an angel was sent by the Lord God to shew his servants those things which must be shortly done. After this it is said, verse 16, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify these things in the churches.” By this we are taught that it is meant, that the churches, as well as the servants of God should know these to be true and no parable.
To conclude the whole of what Christ has said concerning the new Jerusalem, he has warned every man not to add or diminish from what he has said of the holy city, and those who shall dwell there. Verses 18, 19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto those things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, surely I come quickly, Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus.”
These things concerning the city are here considered a prophecy of things to come, and the person who shall dare to make the prophecy any thing besides what it is said to be; is threatened with a loss of that glory which all who believe shall at last enjoy.
According to this declaration we are safe in believing that what is called a city in these chapters means just such a one as is here described.
I shall now proceed to the description of the new Jerusalem, as it is laid down in the two last chapters of Revelation. In the description of this city there are several particulars mentioned in these two chapters:
1. The new Jerusalem— Holy city— and Tabernacle of God.
The word Jerusalem signifies “the vision or possession of peace, or, they shall see peace.” It is made of two words, JERU, they shall see, and SALEM, which means peace. This city which is to come down from heaven is the new Jerusalem, in distinction from the Jerusalem at this time, or in the thousand years of Christ’s reign on earth. It will be new and suitable for the new heaven and earth, and for those new creatures who shall dwell there forever It is called the holy city, because every part of it will be holy, and all who shall dwell there will be holy, and all their employments will be of the same nature of the city. No unholy person shall ever have admittance there: “Those holy gates forever bar, Pollution, sin, and shame, None shall obtain admittance there, But followers of the Lamb,”
It is called the Tabernacle of God, because of its being moved from heaven to earth, and because God will dwell there, with his people forever.
2. The extent of the city is mentioned: ver. 16, “And the city lieth four square, 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.”
How exceedingly great must this city be? Twelve thousand furlongs square, that is fifteen hundred miles in length and breadth. This makes it six thousand miles in circumference; but when the new earth appears, without any sea, there will be room enough to receive it. It must be remembered, that when this city comes down, it will be prepared as a bride adorned; its builder and Maker is God; and it will come down with the foundation, wall, street and all done.— Some have thought the height of the wall will be equal to the length and breadth of the city; but this is a mistake, the wall is said to be one hundred and forty four cubits high, this I shall notice hereafter.
The meaning of the height being equal is, that there is one entire level to the street and top of the wall. It is not like Jerusalem, or Rome, built on mountains. Though this city is to be so large; yet we are not to suppose that this city is to contain all that will be saved; for it is mentioned that the kings of the earth, (which means the new earth) do bring their glory and honor to it. There are principalities and powers, now in heavenly places among angels; and in the world to come, there will be principalities and powers, this Paul has mentioned Eph. i. 21, chap, iii. 10.— This city thus large will be the chief resort from all parts of the earth where saints immortal will dwell: for when the new heaven and earth are created, the righteous will dwell all over the earth. Peter says, “We according to his promise look for a new heaven and earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” O how the glory of God will shine in such an holy city of such magnitude! “This heavenly city is the masterpiece of architecture ever reared by the great, builder. Its very form, a cube, is perfection itself, no other form could equal it audits stupendous greatness astonishes us beyond measure! Fifteen hundred miles in length and breadth! What a city is this? Whose superficies contain two millions and a quarter of square miles, and its solid contents, three thousand, three hundred and seventy-millions of cubit miles! And there might stand at once on the ground of this city, without touching each other, fifteen billions, six hundred and eighty one thousand, and six hundred millions of men! (allowing two feet square, or four square feet) which would be more than could be born in four hundred ninety-six thousand, nine hundred and thirty years, at the rate of sixty persons in each minute.
The use of these calculations is to shew the amazing greatness of the city, and to make it evident, that the number of the saved, (though so many will die the second death) is inconceivable, since God has prepared such a vast city for them.”
3. The measure of the wall of Jasper around the city.
Verse 17,18, “And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is the angel, and the building of the wall of it was of JASPER.” The height of the wall of this city, is said to be an hundred and forty four cubits; allowing a cubit to be one foot and an half, it would make the wail two hundred and sixteen feet high. The wall itself is said to be Jasper, a most precious stone. Think a moment of a city six thousand miles in circumference, with a wall two hundred and sixteen feet high, and that wall of white Jasper, what glory is this! It far exceeds all that mortals have seen. Remember he who created the heavens, the earth, and sea and man upon the earth, can easily shew his creatures such a city as this. It is added that the city thus walled, was pure gold, like unto transparent glass.— How rich! How glorious! How beautiful! Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city.
4. The foundations of the wall of the city is mentioned Verse 14, 19, 20, “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 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, chalcedony; the fourth emerald’; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth a crysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth, the twelfth an amethyst.”
In the temple built by Solomon there were twelve stone foundations en which it stood, three on each side, and in the days of Christ, the adorning of the temple was such, that the disciples were charmed with the glory of it; but what was all that, compared to the glorious foundations of new Jerusalem which John saw when he had a vision of things to come! These foundations are described as very glorious on two accounts;
1. On account of the precious stones with which the foundations were garnished; these are said to be twelve, one precious stone to each foundation.
As it is likely many of my readers are acquainted with these precious stones mentioned as the garnishing of the foundations of the city; and as many wish to have an account of them; I shall here give a short description of them, that each one may have an increasing idea of the glory of that city prepared; which shall ere long come down from God out of heaven.
1. The first foundation was garnished with JASPER.
This is a precious stone. There are fourteen varieties of Jasper. 1 The first color is green. 2.Red. 3 Yellow. 4 Brown. 5 Violet color. 6 Black. 7 Bluish gray. 8 Milkey white. 9 Variegated with green, red and yellow clouds. 10 Green with red specks. 11 Veined with various clouds. 12 Jasper with various cloud colored zones. 13 That which has various colors mixed promiscuously without any order. 14 That which contains some agate, called agatized Jasper. A foundation garnished with Jasper of either of those colors must be glorious indeed. The Jasper which is most valued, is the green, spotted with red or purple.
2. The second foundation was garnished with SAPPHIRE. The sapphire is a genius of precious stones, and of a blue color, and is the hardest of all except the ruby and diamond.
3. The third foundation was garnished with CHALCEDONY. This is a GEM, there are three known species of the chalcedony. 1 A bluish white one. 2 The dull milkey veined chalcedony. 3 The third is a brownish black, dull, and cloudy one. 4 The fourth is the yellow and red chalcedony, superior to all the rest in beauty.
4. The fourth foundation was garnished with an emerald. The emerald is a precious stone and the softest of all precious stones, it is considered the most beautiful of all the gems, being in general of a green color. There are two kinds the pale green, and dark green.
5. The fifth foundation had a SARDONYX. This is another of the precious stones, consisting of a mixture of chalcedony and carnelian. It is found, 1 Striped with white and red strata; 2 white with red dentritical figures.
6. In the sixth foundation was the SARDIUS, this precious stone is of the color of blood.
7. In the seventh foundation was the stone called CHRYSOLITE, the color of this stone is yellow like gold.
8. In the eighth foundation was the stone called BERYL; this stone is of a bluish green color, it never receives any admixture of color into it, nor loses the blue and green, but has its genuine tinge in the degrees from a very deep and dusky to the palest imaginable of the hue of sea-water.
9. In the ninth foundation was TOPAZ; this stone is of the same color as chrysolite, having the color of gold.
10. In the tenth foundation was the chrysoprasus; the color of this stone is green, having a yellowish tinge inclining to blue, like the green leek.
11. In the eleventh foundation was the jacinth; this stone is of a purple or violet color from whence it has its name.
12. In the twelfth foundation was the amethyst. The Amethyst is a transparent gem, of purple color, which seems composed of a strong blue and deep red, and according as either of these prevails, affording different tinges of purple, sometimes approaching to violet, and sometimes fading even to a pale rose color.
These precious stones are all small in this earth , and appear to me as samples, to let all know the glory of the new Jerusalem by, like a translated Enoch as a sample of all the saints; how a few of these things draw our attention; but what are all these compared 10 city great and glorious, garnished all around with such precious stones.
These foundations are described as being very glorious, on account of the names in these precious stones. There are three foundations on the east, three on the north, three on the south, three on the west; and in each foundation one of the names of the Apostles of the Lamb. While the names of the wicked shall rot, the Apostles who have had their names cast out as evil, here shall have their names in everlasting remembrance, engraved on the foundations of the city, while they within enjoy glory forever.
As there are three foundations on a side, there will be three names upon each side, in a length of fifteen hundred miles, thus.
On the east three names;
— — — — — — PETER.— — — — — — ANDREW.— — — — — -JAMES.— — —
On the north three;
— — — — JOHN.— — — — — PHILIP.— — — — — BARTHOLOMEW.— — — —
On the south three; — — — — — — THOMAS.— — — — — MATTHEW.— — — — — JAMES.— — — —
On the west three;
— — — — — — THADDEUS.— — — — — — SIMON.— — — — — PAUL.— — — —
It is impossible to describe what Christ promised his apostles and all who follow him. in the world to come.
5. Having mentioned the foundation, we proceed to mention the gates which are twelve.
Verse 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.” The gates of the New Jerusalem, are said to be twelve in number, three upon each side; and each one is said to be one pearl. How glorious! and how rich! The pearl which we are acquainted with, is a hard, white, shining body, usually roundish, found in a testaceous fish, resembling an oyster. The finest pearl is pure white, and not dead and lifeless; but clear and brilliant, and is perfectly free from any spot or stain, and their surface is smooth and glassy, and they bring their natural polish with them, which art is not able to improve “Pliny says, that pearls are the most valuable and excellent of all precious stones; and from our Saviour’s comparing the kingdom of heaven to a Pearl, it would really seem that they were held in such high estimation at that time.”— We are told that Servila the mother of Brutus, presented one to Caesar, of the value of 50,000 l. sterling. Cleopatra had one valued at 250,000 l. sterling.
The foundations are said to be garnished with all manner of precious stones; but the gates are composed of the most precious of all. The gates are designed as an ornament to the city, for they are never to be shut against any, so that the kings of this new earth will ever be at liberty to bring their glory and honor to it, and to acknowledge the king of kings— verse 25, “And the gates shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.
The city which is built in the thousand years shall have gates, that the riches of the Gentiles may be brought into it, at that time there will be day and night; but in the new earth, there will be no night, but one eternal day.
As the twelve foundations of the wall had in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, so the gates had in them the names of the twelve tribes of Israel It is likely the names of the twelve tribes were placed in the gate directly over the names of the twelve apostles, in the foundations.
On the east three;
— — — — — — — REUBEN.— — — — — — — SIMON.— — — — — LEVI.— — — — —
On the north three;
— — — — — -JUDAH.— — — — — — ZEBULON.— — — — — -ISSACHAR.— — — — —
On the south, three:
— — — — — DAN.— — — — — — — GAD.— — — — — — — -ASHUR.— — — — — — — —
On the west three;
— — — — — NAPTHALI––––— — ––– JOSEPH.— — — — BENJAMIN.— — — — — ––– This is mentioned in verse 12, “And had a wall great and high; and had 12 gates; and at the gates 12 angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the tribes of the children of Israel. In addition to all this glory of the gates of pearl, it is said that there were twelve angels placed at the gates of the city, that each one who enters the gates, may by them be welcomed into the city, wherever they come from different parts of the new earth to bring the glory and honor of the saved nations to it, and for the kings of the new earth to bring their glory and honor there.
THE EVANGELIST volume #3 page 162