Living in Our New Home
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Key Verse: “There shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” Selected Scripture: |
THE NEW JERUSALEM, THE heavenly phase of Christ’s future kingdom, is symbolically described by John the Revelator in great detail in today’s lesson. His vision of this city (Rev. 21:10-21) as having a great and high wall, twelve gates, twelve foundations, twelve precious stones garnishing the foundations, twelve pearls making up the gates, and a street of pure gold, causes us to marvel at what such a city will be like.
As we continue to read John’s words, we realize his description is not that of a literal city, but the governing and kingly authority which will be placed by God in the hands of his son, the Lamb of God. “I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” (Rev. 21:22,23) The ruling authority of earth’s future kingdom will not be in a temple or any other literal building, but in the Christ, head and body. Likewise, the light that will shine in that city will not be from the sun or moon, but from the Gospel light of Truth which will come from God through his Son, the Lamb. Of God it is stated, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:5) Likewise, of the Son it is said that he is the “true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:9) With such light shining forth from the heavenly kingdom, its message of Truth and righteousness will surely spread rapidly throughout the earth as prophetically stated, “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”—Isa. 11:9
The light of the new Jerusalem, the heavenly phase of the kingdom, will be for the benefit of those dwelling on the earth. “The nations [peoples] … shall walk in the light of it. … And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations [peoples] into it.” (Rev. 21:24-26) It will be the peoples of earth who reap the benefits of the light of the new Jerusalem. As the understanding of Truth is spread abroad in the earth, man will learn God’s true character, that he is a God of wisdom, justice, love, and power, and that he desires “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”—I Tim. 2:4
John continues this symbolic lesson in chapter 22, stating that in this kingdom there will be a “pure river of water of life,” a “tree of life” which bears twelve kinds of fruit throughout each month of the year, and that the leaves of this tree will have a healing effect upon mankind. (vss. 1,2) These are further illustrations which show that all the means will be provided for man to partake of the water of Truth, to eat and appropriate to themselves the fruitage of holiness in their character, and to heal their minds and hearts from the results of sin that have so plagued them at this present time under the dominion of Satan. Even the earth itself will be transformed back to its original perfect condition, “There shall be no more curse.” (vs. 3) Our key verse summarizes the beauty of this coming kingdom, which will bring blessings to all the willing and obedient of mankind.