You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
#692
Man's Search for Inner Peace (106)
The New Jerusalem and Heaven (1)
by Jim Mettenbrink
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We looked closely at the New Jerusalem which is mentioned only two times
and alluded to once as the holy Jerusalem
in the Bible, but only in Revelation, which was written in apocalyptic
style common in the Jewish community for several hundred years
before and after the first century AD. Although the popular
understanding of the New Jerusalem is heaven, that is contrary
to Revelation.
The opening of Revelation is with
letters to the seven churches of Asia, five of which were condemned
for unfaithfulness. The Lord acknowledged the other two
as faithful. In Jesus letter to the church at Philadelphia,
He stated, I
will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city
of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven
from My God (Revelation
3:12; cf 21:10). At first glance this might be thought
to be heaven. But notice the city comes down out of heaven.
The conclusion of Revelation (Revelation 21-22),
reveals the New Jerusalem is in heaven, but not heaven itself.
Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations,
and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14). The
foundation of the New Jerusalem consists of the apostles. The
apostle Paul summarized, Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members
of the household of God, having been built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being
built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).
When the apostles were on trial
(for preaching the gospel of Jesus) before the Jewish
high priest and supreme court, Peter said, let it be known to you
all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from
the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This
is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which
has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation
in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among
men by which we must be saved
(Acts 4:10-12).
Jesus is the cornerstone of the
building. Of any building, the foundation must line up
with the cornerstone. It is the standard of reference to
insure the building will be square.
Jesus is the standard of salvation.
He sets the terms. The 12 apostles (v14) refer
to the establishment of the Church of Christ which He said He
would build (Matthew 16:18,19). The apostle Paul
set forth, ...God
has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets,
third teachers,....
(1 Corinthians 12:28; cf Ephesians 4:11).
The New Jerusalem and the Church
of Christ, His church, have the same foundation of the apostles.
They are one and the same.
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