Sermon Tone Analysis

What Is Heaven Like?

The Character Of the City

Revelation 21:9-22:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 1999

 

 

/What Is Heaven Like?/

 

Thinking About Heaven

 

In His classic devotional book titled, The Saints Everlasting Rest, English Puritan pastor and author Richard Baxter wrote: “ Why are not our hearts continually set on heaven?

Why dwell we not on there in constant contemplation?... Bend thy soul to study eternity, busy thyself about the life to come, habituate thyself to such contemplations, and let not those thoughts be seldom or cursory, but bathe thyself in heavens delights.

” We should so focus our thoughts on the eternal that our grip on the temporal is loosed.

Baxter points out four benefits for thinking this way.

1.

It protects us from temptation, since we want to please God. 2. It helps us maintain our zeal for the Lord.

3. It provides medicine for our afflictions, cheering our spirits and easing our suffering.

4. It makes us an encouragement to our fellow pilgrims.

Abraham looked for heaven.

*Hebrews 11:9-10:* /By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God./

Introduction

 

Last Sunday night we discussed the subject, /What Is Heaven Like? /In particular we saw,/“ The Comfort Of The Citizens.

”/ Tonight we will talk about /“ The Character Of The City.

”/

 

I.

The Greatness Of The City — / Having The Glory Of God /

 

After the apostle John saw the comfort of heaven’s Citizens he was shown the character of the city.

John had seen the New Jerusalem descending in verse 2. Now he saw it in detail from a high vantage point.

*Revelation 21:9-11* /Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”/

/And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, *having the glory of God*.

Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

/In Revelation 17:1, Babylon the great is called the great harlot.

This wicked city is the wife of the Antichrist.

But the New Jerusalem is far greater.

New Jerusalem is pure.

It is the wife of the lamb.

The Lamb dwells there and so does His people.

/The first thing that makes the city/* */great is*:*/* Its Splendour*

 

*/1.

Precise   /*

 

The architecture of the New Jerusalem is one of precision.*

Revelation 21:15-17*  / And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall/./

The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth.

And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs.

Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel./

The angel measured it, and found that its length was 12,000 furlongs.

This is approximately 1,500 miles, or the distance from Adelaide to Darwin.

This city is enormous and will easily be able to accommodate all of God’s people.

The angel called it the */great city/*.

These dimensions are perfectly symmetrical with its height, breadth and length all being equal.

The design of the */city is either a cube or a pyramid/*.

God has prepared a wonderful place for His people and I am sure that design of it will be just as amazing as the materials that it is made of.

The number 12 is used 9 times in these verses describing the New Jerusalem.

12 is the number used in Scripture to describe perfect government.

The city has a wall that is 144 cubits high, which is also 12 x12.

This is approximately 216 feet high.

Unlike our cities where bits are added on here and there, the New Jerusalem has been planned from start to finish.

God has designed it using precise measurements.

It is absolutely perfect.

*/2.

Precious  /*

 

The city is made from the finest materials.

*Rev 21:18-21* /The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds 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 topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl.

And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass./

The cost of these materials on today’s market would be exorbitant.

Gold, pearls and precious stones are all placed together to form an exquisite masterpiece.

John must have struggled as he tried to describe it for us.

The city is made of pure gold and so are its streets.

The wall around the city is made of jasper and the 12 foundations are also precious stones of similar value.

12 giant pearls form the gates to the city.

The light that radiates from it is described as that of a precious stone, a jasper stone.

The city is said to have the glory of God.

I was told that if you placed the 12 stones described here together that the most beautiful light is emitted from them.

Certainly, these materials are pure and would reflect any light that shone on them.

All of this highlights the fact that the city has the glory of God in her.

The */precise design/* of the city and its */precious materials/* give the city a */splendour/* all its own.

It is the */perfect dwelling /*for God’s people to live throughout eternity.

*/3.

Permanent/*

 

Because God has made the New Jerusalem from the finest materials it will remain that way.

Gold, pearls and precious stones are pure, they won’t corrupt.

No sin or corruption will be allowed to enter this city.

It will remain this way forever.

The /perfect tense/ is used to speak of the city being prepared and adorned like a bride.

This all speaks of */permanent perfection/*.

Buying A Good Brand Product

 

When you want to buy something at the shops usually you have to choose between a number of products.

Shops sell a variety of brands that range from cheap and nasty up to expensive.

You have to weigh up what you can afford with how long you want the product to last.

The old saying,/ You get what you pay for/ has some truth to it.

When it comes to the new Jerusalem, God has made it from the most precious materials to be found.

That is why it will last.

It is worth waiting for.

God’s precise design and precious materials make it superior to our cities.

God will make to be permanent.

/The second quality that makes it great is:/* Its Security*

 

*/1.

Its Protection/*

 

*Revelation 21:12-14* /Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb./

* *

The New Jerusalem has a large wall around it.

12 angels will serve as sentries at the gates of the city.

Today our cities don’t have walls for protection.

But in John’s day they did.

In fact it was seen as a necessity for cities to have strong walls.

It gave peace of mind at night and security against the onslaught of the enemy.*

*These walls in fact enhance the city’s beauty.