The Eternal Promise: God’s New Heaven and New Earth

God is giving us a tiny glimpse into the eternal ages to come, when the old order is done away with and God establishes a new heaven and a new earth, under His perfect rule of law. The day is coming when the Lord Himself will live with men - and they will be His people and He will be their God. This will be a day when all wrongs are put right.

The End of Suffering and Pain

"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." Weeping, we are told by the Lord, shall endure for a night - and the welling tear-drops that have blurred our vision and the floods of tears that have dampened our pillows will one day be wiped away. God Himself will dry every tear, for He enters into every searing pain and each aching heart. Not one secret sigh that crosses the portals of our minds, nor one stabbing pain that cuts deep into our hurting hearts is missed by our gracious God of love, for He is our great God of comfort and Lord of life.

The Lord knows the deepest pain that sears the heart of His people and we are told in Psalm 56: "The Lord puts all my tears into His bottle." He treasures the tears that His people shed in this world, for they witness many evils and have to endure much persecution and pain for the sake of Christ. But the tears of His people are precious to the Lord, for they are sharing in Christ's suffering and pain.

A Detailed Description of the New Jerusalem

The entire 21st chapter of Revelation is about the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. It is amazing to consider the ethereal glory of the city itself. Here are the key features described in the text:

• City Dimensions: The city itself is 1500 miles cubed.
• The Wall: The wall around it was 72 yards thick, made of precious stones and pure gold.
• Foundations: Twelve foundation stones, one for each apostle, with each foundation being a different precious stone.
• The Gates: Twelve gates, each gate made from a single pearl.
• The Streets: The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
• The Light: No sun or moon – God has lit it with His Son, the Lamb of God!

The Symbolic Meaning of the Holy City

The book of Revelation is highly symbolic. The pearl represents Jesus’ costly sacrifice; therefore, since each gate is a pearl, no person can enter the city without first recognizing Christ as his Redeemer. Gold is representative of the divine nature. The fact that the city was “pure gold” like unto clear glass, is indicative that the glorified Church, who are the symbolic City, are not only partakers of the divine nature, but are resplendent in their glory.

Victory Over Death

Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with the same grief and agony that we often have to undergo. But He also faced the agony of the cross on our account, to gain the victory over sin and Satan, death and hell. Because of His sacrifice, we are promised that there will be no weeping in heaven, and death and destruction will be swallowed up in victory. Because of Christ's offering of Himself, we are able to rise up into newness of life, where pain and sorrow will flee away. We may not understand why we have to endure some of the things in life that cause such heart-ache and pain, but let us never forget that His eternal perspective is broader than our restricted view. He is our present help in trouble today, and tomorrow He will wipe away the tears from all of our eyes.