When Heaven Comes to Earth
Have you ever heard the expression "It's Heaven on Earth"? Well that's literally what the New Jerusalem will be. It is probably the best known and most fought over city in the world. The Jewish people cherish it. The Muslims want to take it. The United Nations wants to divide it. Nations are willing to go to war over it. But the Jerusalem of today is not the final incarnation of the holy citGet More Articles—Subscribe Today!
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Dwight,
Thanks for taking the time to read the article and interact. Researching what the Bible says is the most exciting thing to do. My response to your thoughts:
1. I struggle with saying that the New Jerusalem is only for the church (although I agree it is the home of the church which is how I take 21:9). What makes me see more than the church is the names of the twelve (Jewish) tribes on the gates of the city.
2. While the city dimensions cannot allow it to fit inside of Israel, I have always thought about the possibility that the nation of Israel can easily fit inside the city. So I go the other way around. This, of course, is always somewhat tentative as we try to figure things out. God will show us one day. Thanks again.
Till He comes,
Mike S
New Jerusalem is the residence of only one group of believers, the church otherwise known as the bride of Christ. And while John saw the city descending he never saw it on the earth. Indeed it will not fit into the state of Israel. Israel is about the size of New Jersey in the US. Even when Israel inhabits all the land God deeded Israel New Jerusalem won’t fit on the earth in Israel. The dimensions of that city are approximately 1500 miles long x 1500 miles wide x 1500 miles high or about 3 billion 375 million square miles. If it were placed in the US it would cover from east-west North Carolina to Colorado and north-south Maine to Florida, far more land than Israel will ever possess. No, it will hover above Israel and provide light for the world.