The New Jerusalem

Brother Roger Decker

A New Heaven and a New Earth

The Old Testament revealed types and shadows of good things to come. What were the good things to come? Hebrews 9:11 says, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building." Those things under the Law, in the Psalms, and spoken by the Prophets found their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

We want to study the New Jerusalem, which is the Church of God. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was God's dwelling place here on earth; the name means "founded by God." Literal Jerusalem was twenty-five hundred feet above sea level. It was built on a mountain plateau, and it was surrounded by other mountains. It also had springs and valleys. It was a type of the Church of God, of which the saints are members.

There is no better place to study the New Jerusalem than Revelation, Chapter 21. Revelation 21:1-2 states: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. [The Revelation was written in symbolic language. This is a symbolic picture of the evening-time Church of God.] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Verses 9-10 read: "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."

These Scriptures are not speaking of a literal city coming down from God out of Heaven. Verse 10 says that John was carried away in the Spirit so he could see it. If a literal city were coming down from God out of Heaven, he would not have needed spiritual discernment to see it. This New Jerusalem came down from God out of Heaven, not from man. Its origin was with God. Any church that did not have its beginning with God is the wrong church. I am not talking about a church that came out of, up from, or broke off from. It started with God. Again, Revelation 21:2 reads, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven [man was not even involved], prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Heaven is where the church began.

When John received a glimpse of this New Jerusalem coming down from God; it was not up or out. This is a perfect picture of the evening-time church. John saw a new heaven and a new earth. False religion had been exalted in men's lives, and people could not get a clear vision of the church through the dark and cloudy day. Therefore, false religion was reigning in the lives of men and women.

God again became exalted in the lives of men and women, and there was a new earth. Whenever God moves in, things begin to take place. All things become new, and one becomes a part of the New Jerusalem. He was not talking about the Heaven where God dwells. He was talking about where false religion had been exalted and reigning in men's lives. In other words, their earthen vessels could not die out to sin. When John saw this New Jerusalem, he saw a new heaven and a new earth, and he saw God again move in. This gives us a perfect picture of a visible Church of God.

The Birth of the Church

When did the New Jerusalem really come into being? Something took place on the Day of Pentecost that was different from any other time. A new nation was brought forth; that was the birth of the New Jerusalem. We read in Acts 2:1-2: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come [Pentecost was a day, not a church; no Pentecostal Church is mentioned in the Bible], they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind [denoting the power of the Holy Spirit], and it filled all the house where they were sitting." They were not tarrying around an altar saying, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." The Bible says they were sitting in a house. This was the birth of the church, the New Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:5-10 says: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child [this simply means new converts; the church did not give birth to Christ, for He purchased the church]. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her."

We read in Isaiah 66:15-24: "For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh [speaking of His Spirit and the Truth]: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.

"For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.

"And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."

Isaiah said that worship would not be only one day a week, but every day. On the Day of Pentecost, there were some new Jews. Had it not been different, the people would not have taken notice and become excited. Acts 2:12-16 reads: "And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this [had they remained the old Jerusalem, they would not have amazed anyone, but those onlookers were amazed]? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel." Here we have the birth of the church, the New Jerusalem.

New Testament Salvation

The disciples were not born again until the Day of Pentecost. In other words, they did not have New Testament salvation until then. New Testament salvation was not opened up to all flesh until the Day of Pentecost. John 7:37-39 says: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" There had to be the Cross and the Ascension before the Holy Spirit was given.

The Spirit of God was not given to cleanse one from sin, but rather to keep one from sin. The Holy Spirit is actually God living within you. The three distinct personages of the Godhead are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God is God living within you. Jesus purchased the church with His blood. When you repent and believe in the blood of Jesus Christ, that is when you receive forgiveness of sin. The Spirit of God dwelled among the disciples before Pentecost in the personage of Jesus Christ.

The New Jerusalem was intact until the Day of Pentecost. There was groundwork for it. There were people who were clean. The disciples were clean through the Word that He spoke to them. In John 14:17 Jesus said, "Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Who? Jesus Christ.

On the Day of Pentecost, the New Jerusalem came into existence. That which was literal became that which is spiritual. I repeat, the New Jerusalem came down from above. That is the reason men and women must be born from above; it has to start with God. Salvation came down out of Heaven from God. Man cannot save you or redeem you. To get old-time salvation, it takes the Spirit of God coming down from God out of Heaven to your soul.

What makes it a new heaven? Where Jesus is, it is heaven. What makes it a new earth? He makes all things new. When the Spirit of God comes in, you become a new Jew. You go from being an unbeliever to being a believer. The Church of God is made up of God-fearing Christians who will not compromise; they will not recant or bow down to that which is wrong. They will not disobey their Heavenly Father. Revelation 12:11 says that "they loved not their lives unto the death." The Church of God and the New Jerusalem are the same. When John talked about the New Jerusalem, he was talking about the people of God, the new Jews. The saints of God are the new Jews, not literally but spiritually.

All Things Become New

Let us look at the contrast between the old and the new. Revelation 21:5 says, "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Christian friend, do you remember when you first got saved? Perhaps you thought, "How am I ever going to get out of this mess and lay down that bad habit?"

Look at Revelation 21:5 again: "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new [in other words, he was saying, 'I am going to give you a new heart and the mind of Christ']. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."

Second Corinthians 5:17 tells you, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." The Scripture says that the New Jerusalem is holy. We read in Revelation 21:2, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven [that which comes down from God out of Heaven is holy], prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Concerning the church, Ephesians 5:25-27 says: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it [that is quite a strong love]; That he might sanctify [set it apart] and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Jesus, speaking of those who believe on His name, said in John 17:22, "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." The Bible also says that this New Jerusalem has great light to light up that city. Revelation 21:11 says this about the New Jerusalem: "Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." Peter said in 1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Saint, the Lord called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

"The Church of the Firstborn"

Only the saved can enter this New Jerusalem. John wrote in Revelation 21:24, "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." You cannot join the Church of God; you have to be born into her. We do not have a secretary take your name when you come to an altar of prayer. You cannot join the church as people join man-made religions. When you are saved, you are born into the church. If you commit sin, you are out of the church. If we tried to keep a record, we would get all messed up. We would have some people in the church who should not be, and we would have others out of the church who should be in.

John 10:9 says, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." Jesus Christ is the Door of the church. Any other door does not enter the church. When a man can put you in, then a man can put you out. If a man can take you in without your being saved, you are in a false church. There is only one true church. The Church of God does not have any brothers or sisters; she is one body, one church.

Some people are going from one hill to another when they need to come back to Mount Zion, the Church of the Living God. You should not be moved about by every wind of doctrine, or by every little breeze that blows. You need to be settled, firm, rooted, and grounded in your convictions. God's doctrine will fall as rain, and if you are not really hooked in, you will fall.

I want to emphasize, there is no difference between the New Jerusalem and the church. Hebrews 12:22-23 states: "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." The New Jerusalem is the church. God has only one church, and you do not have to be confused concerning which one it is. The church is the one that has the Word of God for a foundation and teaches the Word of God in its fullness. God will not make room for sin. We invite sinners to come into the congregation, because you have to have sinners to make saints, but God will not tolerate sin of any kind in the Church of God.

Many places have the name Church of God over their doors, but they are not a part of the true church. You need to stick with the church that has been proven, tested, and tried and is still preaching the Truth. If you want to make Heaven your home, you need to stay with that which is right. If you remain with that which is right, you will not seek that which is wrong. The New Jerusalem is the Church of God. Are you a member of the blood-bought church?

(Cassette-4251M)

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