Warren W. Wiersbe’s title for his study on the book of Revelation is Be Victorious. What is your definition of a victorious life?
Being victorious means overcoming an opponent, an obstacle, or a temptation. Our lives are filled with countless opportunities to either overcome or be overwhelmed.
Revelation 21:7 NIV “ 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
These verses tell us the fate of unbelievers. “In contrast to the overcomers, Revelation 21:8 describes the people who were overcome by sin and would not trust the Lord. What is their destiny? The lake of fire! The world considers Christians as “losers,” but it is the unbelievers who are the losers!”[i]
“The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” (Revelation 21:9)
Flip back to the beginning of Revelation 17. You’ll notice that one of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls invites John to come with him to see the great prostitute or harlot that was identified as Babylon, the headquarters for the Beast. Here in Revelation 21, one of the same seven angels (Is it the same one? We don’t know.) invites John to come with him to see the Bride of Christ, the Holy City of God. John is very descriptive as he tells us what he sees.
“ 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:11)
Back in verse 10, we’re told that John is carried up to a high mountain and so he’s looking at this site from up above which would probably be just breathtaking! The glory of God replaces the sun. John says that what he sees is like a precious jewel. You can almost sense the frustration that John must have felt in trying to describe what he’s seeing.
Often when people talk about eternity in Heaven, certain things are mentioned. Clouds, angels, harps, streets of gold, etc. No one ever mentions walls, do they? But here we are told that there are walls. Plus, did you notice that there are 12 gates with angels posted at each? The 12 tribes of Judah are inscribed or written on each gate. There are three gates on each of the four sides. This is exactly what Ezekiel was shown in Ezekiel chapter 48. This may also be a nod to Numbers chapter 2 when God instructed Moses and Aaron specifically where the 12 tribes were to camp around the tent of meeting.
Verse 21 tells us that the gates are made of pearl. We knew that already, though, didn’t we? But most likely, we fall into that stereotypical thinking that there is one big pearly gate with Saint Peter checking off names In Heaven. That isn’t Biblical. The only mention of pearly gates is found here in Revelation 21 which comes after the Rapture, Tribulation, 1,000 years, etc. and these pearly gates are found on the new earth. Interesting to note that each gate is made from a single pearl. Hard to imagine, isn’t it?
The other interesting detail that John gives us regarding the gates is found in verse 25. The gates are never closed. Gates, from Biblical times, to now, are used to provide security. There won’t be any need for security. Saints will be able to freely enter and depart from the New Jerusalem as they wish. “There are [will be} eternal safety and peace in the New Jerusalem; there are no enemies to shut the gates against. Access to the heavenly kingdom on the new earth is free and unhindered, and “the glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it” (Revelation 21:26). The gates face every direction of the compass, and their perpetual openness invites everyone to partake of the goodness of God’s grace (see Revelation 22:17).”[ii]
John makes note that there are 12 foundations on which the 12 apostles’ names were written. This seems to be a tangible acknowledgment of Ephesians 2:19-20 NLT. “19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.”
John does his absolute best in describing the sight before his eyes.
Revelation 21:15 EASY “15 The angel who talked to me had a long gold stick. He used it to measure things. So he could measure the city and its gates and its walls. 16 The shape of the city was a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with his stick. It was 12,000 stadia (2,400 kilometres) long. It was as wide and as high as it was long. 17 He also measured its wall. The size of the wall was 144 cubits (65 metres). That is the way that humans measure things. The angel also measured in the same way.
18 The wall was made from the jewel that is called jasper. The city was made from pure gold. The light shone through it, as light shines through clean glass. 19 The strong stones that were the foundation of the city’s wall were very beautiful. They had valuable jewels in them that were different colours. Each great stone had its own special jewel”
The angel takes John along as he measures the New Jerusalem. Here’s what we’re told. The walls are 144 cubits. If you think on that for a moment, 12×12=144. Twelve tribes x twelve apostles. I don’t think that’s coincidental. 144 cubits is a little over 200 feet.[iii] (Is that the height of the wall or the width? We don’t know. Different people have different opinions on that. It will be breathtaking no matter what.)
12,000 stadia is approximately 1,400 miles.[iv] For perspective, it’s 1,403 miles from Atlanta, Ga to Denver, Co. If you’re like me, I don’t care so much about the mileage; I just want to know how long it’s going to take to get there. Driving nonstop from Atlanta to Denver is a little more than 20 hours.[v] That’s just one wall of the New Jerusalem.
That’s a mighty big area for a city, would you agree? But you may wonder, what’s the purpose of measuring it? Sure, it’s massive and truthfully, too much for us to comprehend. However, the measurements could translate to us that the city is indeed physical. It’s not symbolic or a metaphor, but an actual location.
Verse 16 tells us the shape of the city. It’s square. Take a wild guess as to what else was a perfect square. 2 Chronicles 3:8 GNT describes the measurements of the Holy of Holies. “The inner room, called the Most Holy Place, was 30 feet long and 30 feet wide, which was the full width of the Temple. Twenty-five tons of gold were used to cover the walls of the Most Holy Place;”
“In the Bible, the square represents stability, foundation, and completeness. It symbolizes the earth’s four corners and is often associated with order, balance, and the divine perfection of God’s creation.”[vi]
John describes the city as being made of precious jewels and material. Greens, blues, purples, reds, and yellows. “The walls are jasper, which is a clear crystal, but the city itself will be made of pure gold, as clear as crystal.”vii “Gold in its purest form is transparent. The purest form of gold is powder. Turning that purest form back into a solid renders it clear.”[vii]
The light of God’s glory will shine throughout the city, resembling a huge Holy of Holies. Building foundations are usually underground, but these foundations will not only be visible but also beautifully garnished with precious stones. Each separate foundation will have its own jewel, and the blending of the colors will be magnificent as God’s light shines through.”[viii]
Dr. David Jeremiah writes, “We’ll walk into this holy city with jaws dropped and eyes widened in absolute wonder, for even the most beautiful places on earth don’t hold a candle to what God has prepared for us.”[ix]
Revelation 22:1 NKJV “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
A pure river of water of life flows directly from the throne of God and Jesus. Verse 2 brings back the tree of life that we first read about in Genesis 2.
Genesis 2:9 NIV “9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden;”
This description in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible is very similar to one of the first chapters in the first book of the Bible. God is restoring what He had intended to be in the very beginning.
There are many, many thoughts on these verses in Revelation 22 and let’s just agree that no one knows definitively what’s being described. Verse 2 reads, “2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.” Is this one tree or multiple trees? (“was the tree of life” vs. “each tree yielding”) How can it be in the middle of the street and on both sides of the river if it’s just one tree? Will we recognize the fruits the tree produces, or will these be fruits we’ve never seen before? Will we need to eat or will eating just be a luxury? There are so many mysteries for us to ponder until that day comes.
We see that the curse from Genesis 3 ceases to exist in Revelation 22.
One major misconception about Heaven is what we’ll be doing with our endless amount of time. We’ll have work to do! Warren W. Wiersbe gives insight into this. “Certainly, we shall praise the Lord, but we shall also serve Him. ‘His servants shall serve Him’ (Rev. 22:3) is a great encouragement to us, for in heaven our service will be perfect. As we seek to serve the Lord here on earth, we are constantly handicapped by sin and weakness, but all hindrances will be gone when we get to glory. Perfect service in a perfect environment!”[x]
What precisely we’ll be doing is another great mystery. One commentator shared his opinion that we’ll be utilizing our individual God-given talents or spiritual gifts in Heaven. Perhaps. Or maybe we’ll be used for something completely different than what we’re known for because let’s be honest. We sometimes experience more pride than humility when it comes to things we’re good at. There will be no place for sinful pride in Heaven. All that we will do in Heaven will be done in worship and adoration of God.
John 1:18 tells us that no one has ever seen God, but look at Revelation 22:4. His servants will see His face!
Revelation 22:6 NKJV “6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
“10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
We’re getting close to the end and notice here how John writes not about what he’s seeing, but the instructions being given to him.
Jesus speaks again in verse 12 and you’ll notice that He repeats Himself.
Revelation 22:12 NKJV “12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
The emphasis that Jesus places is that He’s coming quickly. And He’s describing how He’ll come and not when. When the time comes, it will happen swiftly and rapidly so that only those who are ready will be taken to be with Him.
The final chapter of the final book of God’s Word ends in this manner. “18 Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book:
If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. 19 If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book.
20 The one who has spoken these things says, “I am coming soon!”
So, Lord Jesus, please come soon!
21 I pray that the Lord Jesus will be kind to all of you.” (Revelation 22:18 CEV)
The warning is pretty stern, so let’s address this for a moment. Revelation is not an easy book; most of it is terrifying and gives us a sense of foreboding. And it should. There’s a lot at stake. People’s eternal state is in peril if they deny Jesus. Revelation is a book that people like to ignore. They like to minimize it. They prefer to skim through it if they have to even open it. There are those who don’t see a need for reading it, studying it, and digging in to try understanding it better. Warren Wiersbe said this, “As the ‘capstone’ of God’s revelation, John’s book cannot be divorced from the rest of the Bible. If we deny that John wrote the truth, then we must also deny the prophets.”[xi]
In our first week, we talked about how there are 404 verses in Revelation. 360 of those reference verses from the Old Testament. That’s 89%! That doesn’t include references to the New Testament. In chapters 21 and 22 alone, there are multiple references to 13 out of the 27 books of the New Testament. There are just way too many cross-references, and fulfillments of prophecy to ignore or divorce the book of Revelation.
In the first week, I shared some wise words from Pastor Louis Talbot that I think are worthy of resharing.
The book of Revelation unveils Jesus to us. If we’re not willing or enthusiastic to unveil Him and have Him revealed to us, then are we ready to Experience God?
Ephesians 3:20 MSG “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”
Pray that He rids us of indifference or arrogance. Ask Him to open our minds and our hearts to see Him and experience Him in a whole new way. Pray fervently that whatever we may have learned in studying Revelation enables us to see more from His perspective.
“The more of God’s Word you know and love, the more of God’s Spirit you will experience.” John Piper
[i] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe
[ii] What is the significance of the twelve gates in Revelation 21? | GotQuestions.org
[iii] Convert cubits to feet – Conversion of Measurement Units (convertunits.com)
[iv] Revelation 21:16 The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal–12,000 stadia in length and width and height. (biblehub.com)
[v] Driving Time from Atlanta, GA to Denver, CO (travelmath.com)
[vi] The Spiritual Symbolism of the Square in the Bible – John Baptist Church
[vii] TRANSPARENT GOLD – Lynnette Maynor
[viii] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe
[ix] After the Rapture by Dr. David Jeremiah
[x] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe
[xi] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe
Beacons of Light 