Good Riddance!

SAY "GOOD RIDDANCE" TO THESE EIGHT THINGS IN THE NEW HEAVEN

An excerpt from a course on the Book of Revelation

In the previous post "Room in Heaven," we learned that there will be so much room in the New Jerusalem that it could never be too full.  What a great revelation from that part of Revelation to discover how many rooms there will be in the Father's house!

Here on earth we know that when a lot of people get together in the same place, there is the potential for trouble - the more people, the more trouble.  Plus there is the fact that even though most trouble comes from the attitudes and actions of people, there are also those troubles that come from other sources such as the the frailty of the human body, and living in a fallen world.  We could call these encumbrances to peace, joy and prosperity.

 Say Goodbye and Good Riddance to Eight Encumberances

If there are any encumbrances in the New Jerusalem then it would not be different from any other gathering of a great number of persons.  In other words, it would not be heaven.  But that will not be the case.  In Revelation 21:22-27 we are given a list of eight things you will not find in the New Jerusalem.  Let's take a look...

1. v.22 - No Temple.  What?  A temple would be an encumbrance?  Sure, because a temple is a place where people go to meet with God.  In the New Jerusalem God will be right there in the middle of everything.  God will be the Temple!
2. v.23 - No Sun.  Sun is light, right?  How can light be an encumbrance?  The sun is not permanent.  It may take a long time, but the sun will eventually burn out.  No so in the New Jerusalem.  God is Light, and the Lamb of God (Jesus) will be the eternal Light in the New Jerusalem.
3. v.23 - No Moon.  Most of like the moon.  There are lots of great songs about the romantic influence of the moon.  How can a moon be an encumbrance?  Well, the moon has no light of its own.  It only reflects the light of the sun.  No sun, not moon.  In the New Jerusalem Jesus will be the light, and will need nothing to reflect His light, because He is the light.
4. v.25 - No Shut Gates.  Gates are to keep something in or something out.  Gates encumber access.  In the New Jerusalem there will be no need to restrict our going and coming from the greatest city in the universe.
5. v.25 - No Night.  Night means darkness.  Darkness is the absence of light.  Darkness embumbers.  There will be no darkness in the New Jerusalem because Jesus will be the Light - the eternal Light.
6. v.27 - No Impure Influence.  It has been said that influence is stronger than authority.  Satan had no authority over Adam and Eve, but he did have influence - an evil influence, and that's all it took to corrupt an entire world.  There will be none of that in the New Jerusalem.  Satan, his cronies and all of his followers will be permanently deported!
7. v.27 - No Impure Person.  It has been said that the second most wicked creatures in the universe are human beings.  Who can argue with that?  There is an old saying that one bad apple spoils the whole barrel.  There will be no bad apples in the New Jerusalem.
8. v.27 - No Alien Residents.  An alien resident is someone living somewhere that they do not belong because they have not been granted permission.  By their very presence they encumber.  No one will be in heaven who has not been granted permission - neither angels nor humans - only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  The only persons who will be in the New Jerusalem are those who belong there.  That's is not to say they deserve to be there - that's different.  It is to say that they belong because they have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb - the Light!

Now I belong to Jesus
by Norman J. Clayton

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,

He gave His life to ransom my soul;

Now I belong to Him;

Chorus

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

For a deeper study, you are encouraged to consider enrolling in one of our 3 credit-hour academic courses on the Book of Revelation.  You can check out all of our regular academic programs by clicking this link:  PROGRAMS.

Thank you for sharing time with me.  I hope to meet you someday in this life, but for sure when we are both living in and around the New Jerusalem!

Dennis D. Frey, Th.D.,

Room in Heaven?

HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD FIT INSIDE THE NEW JERUSALEM?

An excerpt from a course on the Book of Revelation

In the previous post "Will the Heavenly City On Earth Really Be A Cube?" we learned that the New Jerusalem is in fact going to be in the shape of a cube - a really big cube!  We also learned that the New Jerusalem will be the central place of worship on the new earth.  So, if it will be the central place of worship, one might wonder just how many people might fit into the city.

This is really not a silly question.  I have often been ask how many people I think there will there be in heaven.  I am also aware of the negative ridicule by sceptics that there would not be enough room in heaven to accommodate all of the so-called redeemed, plus all the babies born and unborn who died, plus all the children who died before reaching the age of accountability, plus all of those who lived and died without the capacity for moral accountability.

Of course, sceptics usually don't believe in heaven anyway, so trying to convince them is probably a waste of time.  Even so, I am not a sceptic, I do believe in heaven - and that includes the eventual new heaven and the new earth - and even I am intrigued by the question of how many people could fit inside of the New Jerusalem.

So, how do you answer such a question?  You answer it using the most logical method - mathematics.  Since we are given the size of the New Jerusalem, why not put the size to a mathematical test?  Perhaps we might discover that the sceptics are right - there would not be enough room for everyone who makes it to heaven.  What would we say to that? 

Applying Mathematics to the Size of the New Jerusalem

Let's apply basic logic and math, then show the results in a simple bullet list:

• In John 14:2 Jesus told us that His Father's house had "many rooms."  Was Jesus referring to His Father's current house (heaven) or future house (the new heaven)?  It doesn't matter.  The Father's house could never be bigger or smaller since God does not change (Malachi 3:6).  So, there must be many rooms (mansions if you prefer).
• How much room for how many rooms?  Cavet - I will do the overall math, then divide it up abritrialy (it could be divided many ways), but the total amount of room will remain the same.
• The city is between 1,400 and 1,500 miles cubed (Revelation 21:16).  Why "between?" Just because of the uncertainty of the actual measurement of a "furlong" (old English) or as it is called in New Testament Greek a "stadia."  So, we are going to be as conservative as possible and take the smaller measurement of 1,400 miles.
• 1,400 square miles = 54,641,664,000,000 square feet and that's just the ground floor!  If we allow for the ground floor to have a ceiling of say 12 feet (totally arbitrary), then on the ground floor there is enough space for a 3,000 square foot room with a 12 foot ceiling - are you ready for this - for 18,213,888,000 persons to have their own private room!
• But wait!  That's only on one level.  Since the New Jerusalem is in the shape of a cube we have a lot of upward space. So let's just take 1/2 of the upward space for rooms (mansions?), and reserve the other half for the throne of God, the heavenly hosts, meeting rooms, public space, walkways, etc.  How much room does that leave us to work with?
• By using only half the height (700 miles) we have enough space to give that same 3,000 square foot room with a 12 foot ceiling to this many people: 5,609,877,504,000,000 - that 5.6+ quadrillion persons!  WHEW!
• When Jesus said that in His Father's house there were many rooms, He was not kidding!

So, what is the answer to the question of how many people could fit inside of the New Jerusalem?  The answer is that there is enough room for everyone who has ever been conceived, born, and redeemed plus a hundreds of billions more!

Or, in the words of Ira F. Stanphill's great hymn "Room At the Cross:"

Tho millions have come, There's still room for one
Yes, there's room at the cross for you.

Finally, is heaven going to be too crowded?  No, not at all.  We will, of course, be spiritual beings living in our resurrected bodies - a body just like the resurrected body of our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:21).  There will be a great crowd, but we will not be crowded - we will be free - free indeed!

In our final micro course from the Book of Revelation we will identify eight things that will be absent from the new heaven and the new earth - eight things to which we will be able to say "Good riddance!"

For a deeper study, you are encouraged to consider enrolling in one of our 3 credit-hour academic courses on the Book of Revelation.  You can check out all of our regular academic programs by clicking this link:  PROGRAMS.

Thank you for sharing time with me.  I hope to meet you someday in this life, but for sure when we are both living in and around the New Jerusalem!

Dennis D. Frey, Th.D.,

Heaven in A Cube?

WILL THE HEAVENLY CITY ON EARTH REALLY BE A CUBE?

An excerpt from a course on the Book of Revelation

In the previous post, we learned the answer to the question "What Does the Bible Say About Heaven on Earth?" This was the takeaway:

• Immediately after the destruction of the old heavens and earth, God is going to create new ones - ones in which righteousness dwells. 
• The current holy city (what we commonly call heaven), is going to be placed on a newly created planet earth. 
• There is even going to be a newly created city of Jerusalem that will be placed on the newly created earth. 
• God is actually going to bring His holy dwelling place down to the new earth, along with all the inhabitants of heaven at that time - permanently! 
• Life on the new earth will be nothing like life on the old earth. "He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away" (See Revelation 21:1-4). SOUNDS JUST LIKE HEAVEN ON EARTH, and it will be!

Notice this: There is even going to be a newly created city of Jerusalem that will be placed on the newly created earth. What will be the shape of the New Jerusalem? Will it be in the shape of a cube? Let's see...

"The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod , fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal" (Revelation 21:16 NASV).

Yes, the "city" will be in the shape of a cube! It's length, and width, and height are equal. Now, some object, and suggest that it will be in the shape of a pyramid. Why? Because while the length and width are stated, only the height is said to be equal with the width and height. Now, that really should not present a problem because the plain understanding is that the dimensions represent a cube.  So, how can we settle the question of a cube or pyramid?

The Best Way to Settle Bible Questions

Here is a straightforward method of settling most Bible questions:

• Read the text, and take the most logical interpretation.  The most logical answer is usually the right answer.  Remember, God did not set out to confuse us when He gave us His Word in writing.
• Compare the text with other similar texts.  Combined together, what picture do they give?
• Do not take the text out of its context.  That is, don't try to force its meaning or stretch it out of shape.
• Always keep in mind the historical context of the text, and what it meant to the first readers.
• Finally, AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT, be sure you are studying from a trusted direct translation of the Bible.  If you are not sure what a particular word means, DO NOT look it up in a regular dictionary, but rather in a trusted Hebrew/Greek lexicon such as those free online at sites like StudyLight.

So, here we go:

• The Holy of Holies in both the Tabernacle and the Temple served as a type of the presence and place of God.  It was in the shape of a cube. (I Kings 6:20, II Chronicles 3:8).
• The new Holy City will be the macro replacement for the old Holy of Holies.
• "And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them" ( Revelation 21:3 NASV).
• Why would the City be anything other than a cube?
• The plain meaning of Revelation 21:16 gives the picture of a cube.
• The Apostle Paul refers to the love of Christ as a spiritual cube!  "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19 NASV).

Let's also add a couple of other thoughts from outside of the Bible:

• Space is defined as width x depth x height = a cube.
• A cube gives equal space on all sides, while a pyramid does not.  In a pyramid those closer to the top get pinched (perhaps that's why pyramid schemes only favor those as the bottom!

Here is the takeaway:

• The New City of Jerusalem is going to be in the shape of cube - a VERY LARGE cube!  Just how large?  About 1,500 miles cubed (see the graphic above).
• The New Jerusalem will be the central place of worship on the new earth.
• A LOT of people are going to live there.  How many?

Well, that's what we will take up in the next micro course.  How many people could comfortably live within the walls of the New Jerusalem?

For a deeper study, you are encouraged to consider enrolling in one of our 3 credit-hour academic courses on the Book of Revelation.  You can check out all of our regular academic programs by clicking this link:  PROGRAMS.

Thank you for sharing time with me.  I hope to meet you someday in this life, but for sure when we are both living in and around the New Jerusalem!

Dennis D. Frey, Th.D.,

Heaven on Earth?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HEAVEN ON EARTH?

An excerpt from a course on the Book of Revelation

Usually when someone says "That would be heaven on earth!" they are referring to something or someplace that might provide the sublime benefits of peace, satisfaction and happiness.  If they find it, it is always temporary, and often not quite as heavenly as hoped.

What about it - is there anything in the Bible about a real heaven on earth?  Well, yes - ABSOLUTELY YES!  However, the catch is that it will never fully happen on the earth the way it is now.

Most Christians are familiar with what is known as "the Millennial Kingdom."  That's a future time when Christ Jesus will return to establish an earthly Kingdom that will last for 1,000 years (a millennium).  

It will be wonderful, but it will not be heaven on earth.  In fact, the Millennial Kingdom of Christ will have to come to an end (after 1,000 years) in order for a literal heaven on earth to actually exist.

So, what's that all about, and how will it happen?  For the answer to that question we will take a look at two Books in the New Testament.  One was written by the Apostle Peter, and the other by the Apostle John.  Peter and John - what amazing men!

First, let's see what Peter has to say:

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells" (II Peter 3:10-13 NASV).

 Here is the takeaway:

• The current heavens around our planet, and the earth itself will someday be destroyed.
• Since the Millennial Kingdom comes before that, the destruction of the current heavens cannot take place until after.
• After the current heavens around our planet, and the earth are destroyed God will create new heavens and a new earth, and that's where the real heaven on earth happens!

Now, let's see what John has to add:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them , and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away'"  (Revelation 21:1-4 NASV).

Here is the takeaway:

• Immediately after the destruction of the old heavens and earth, God is going to create new ones - ones in which righteousness dwells.
• The current holy city (what we commonly call heaven), is going to be placed on a newly created planet earth.
• There is even going to be a newly created city of Jerusalem that will be placed on the newly created earth.
• God is actually going to bring His holy dwelling place down to the new earth, along with all the inhabitants of heaven at that time - permanently!
• Life on the new earth will be nothing like life on the old earth.  "He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.'"  SOUNDS JUST LIKE HEAVEN ON EARTH, and it will be!

It also sounds like the kind of place where we would all like to live for the rest of our lives, and that is exactly the way it can be. All it takes is for us to live our lives for Christ during the short time we have on the current earth, and then we will (by God's grace), also live forever in heaven on earth!

If you would you like to know more about what the Book of Revelation teaches about this subject, check back in a few days, and we will take up the question of why the future New Jerusalem is going to be in the shape of a cube - that's right - a cube!

For a deeper study, you are encouraged to consider enrolling in one of our 3 credit-hour academic courses on the Book of Revelation.  You can check out all of our regular academic programs by clicking this link:  PROGRAMS.

Thank you for sharing time with me.  I hope to meet you someday in this life, but for sure when we are both living in heaven on earth!

Dennis D. Frey, Th.D.,