1. REVELATION 21: 9-27 The world of the wicked, those who served the beast through the Roman Empire, has been completely dismantled. Prior to this judgment from God the Lord’s church has suffered and endured a lot. But the fact that the “church” has remained through out has made them a “beautiful bride” in the eyes of God. God’s description of this “beautiful bride” is what we see in Rev. 21:9-27. THIS IS NOT A DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN.

2. Rev 21:9 I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." No reason to doubt or speculate about what we are going to see. Eph. 5:22-33; the “bride of Christ…or the wife of the Lamb” is the church.

3. Rev 21:10-11 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. The angel said he was going to show John the “bride of the Lamb” and here he is being shown the “holy city”. Two are one and the same. Notice where the “holy city, Jerusalem” comes from. It comes out of “heaven from God.” The Roman Empire had its beginning with men. The church has its origin in heaven or with God.

4. Rev 21:10-11 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Just as Jesus came down from heaven and reflected the glory of His Father (Jn. 1:14), so now does the “wife of the Lamb” or the church. That is our purpose and a characteristic that we are to possess as the Lord’s church…we reflect the glory of our Father.

5. Rev 21:11-12 Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 12 is the number of the people of God. Notice also that the names on the gates are the names of 12 tribes. Everything about this city marks it out as the city of God’s people. All of God’s redeemed.

6. Rev 21:13-15 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Again, we are assured that we are seeing the image of the church.

7. Eph 2:19-22 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, 20 having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. These Christians were built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets…what they taught. Christ was their cornerstone…they one they stood on. They were the dwelling of God in the Spirit. They were the glorious church…and that is what Rev. 21: 14 speaks of.

8. Rev 21:15-17 15 And the one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. 16 And 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. 17 And he measured its wall, seventy- two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.

9. Rev 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. “Foursquare”: cubed just like a big “holy of holies.” Notice it is 12,000 furlongs square. 12, again, is the number of God’s people. Everything about these measurements says that this is the city of God.

10. Rev 21:17 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. 72 yards = 6 x 12. There is the 12 again.

11. Rev 21:17 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. 144 = 12 x 12 Again, the number 12. All these measurements indicate this is the “city of God’s people” or the church.

12. “12,000 furlongs” A furlong is 1/8 of a mile. 12,000 x 1/8 = 1500 miles. 1500 miles cubed = 3, 375, 000, 000 cubic miles. The highest mountain in the world (Mt. Everest) is about 6 miles high. The structure here in vs. 16 -17 is 250 times taller. Significance: This is a city that will never be conquered. No one will crash it’s gates or climb it’s walls. Those inside have nothing to fear. This is a holy, glorious, secure dwelling for God’s people.

13. Rev 21:18-22 18 And the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. The church is precious in the sight of God.

14. Rev 21:22-23 And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. The temple in the O.T. spoke of separation between the people and God. The only one who could go into the “holy place” was the high priest…and only once a year. In the city of Rev. 21: 22 the temple is God and the Lamb…there is no separation. The people are always in the presence of God and He is always with His people. This is a privilege only for the citizens of the church.

15. Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Others may stumble in darkness…but not the church. The church will always be a shining light that others will hopefully see.

16. Rev 21:24-25 4 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. Before, the nations thought that Rome was the hope of the world. Not true. The hope of the nations lies in the church. If they walk in the light…they walk in her light. The church they hated, despised, and beat is now the city set on a hill…a beacon by which the nations are led to safety.

17. Rev 21:25-27 And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; 26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev 22:14-15 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

18. You cannot be a citizen of the city of God…or the church…if you are unclean. That is why it is essential to be washed and made holy. 1 John 1: 7 tells us “that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin.” You can be washed as white and pure as snow by and only by the blood of Christ. Acts 22:16-17 16'And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'