Revelation 21.8-25

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Verse 8 is probably the most politically incorrect section of Scripture as far as this fallen world system in concerned, but let’s let God speak for Himself and let the chips fall where they may. Let God be true but every man a liar. God lays it out for all to see. These are the character of the individuals that will suffer eternally. You can have your choice. Choose your destiny.

• For the fearful (cowardly).
• During the Tribulation, the Beast worshipers took his mark, partly out of fear of losing their lives (Rev. 13:15). They were among those who, because of fear, saved their lives, but ultimately lost both their soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28).
• The wicked and lazy servant hid his talent in the ground out of fear rather than investing it for the Lord’s benefit. He was cast into outer darkness (Matt. 25:25; Luke 19:21).
• Those who deny Jesus before men, possibly out of fear, will not be confessed by the Son of Man before God and His angels (Luke 12:8-9).
• Many of the religious rulers believed in Jesus, but for fear of being put out of the synagogue by the Pharisees, would not confess Him. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:43).
• This passage concerns those who are among the unredeemed, it is not a threat for all true believers who at some times in their walks struggle with fear at times they are in danger.
• Those who are more fearful of the disapproval of men than of Christ are dangerously close to this kind of sin.
• Unbelieving (apistois).
• Ones without faith. They refuse to repent and believe in Christ. They refuse to believe that there is only one way to God and that way is through faith in Christ. They lack saving faith. 2 Thess 2.10 they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. The Scripture clearly teaches that all will be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thess 2.12

• Abominable 
• Those who practice abomination, that is the blasphemous and licentious practices associated with idol worship. Dr Henry Morris
• Murderers
• Those who premeditatedly take away the life of another person or persons. We know from The Sermon on the Mount and 1 John that all murder begins in the heart and that only the regenerating power of the gospel of Jesus Christ can change that. Corrie Ten Boon…..Elizabeth Eliott testimony
• Whoremongers or Fornicators
• The Greek here is pornos, and it refers to any who either practice or promote sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. This describes those unnatural lusts, such as sodomy, bestiality or homosexuality.
• Sorcerers (pharmakois).
• The Greek word is a word from where we get the word pharmacy, and it is translated witchcraft in Galatians 5. AS we noted back in Rev 9.21, the sorcerer is one who uses drugs to induce pseudo religious fantasies and occultic experiences. We also know that the word sorcery comes from the Latin sortiarius, one who casts lots, or one who tells the lot of others. (See Divination.) This describes a person who is trafficking with spiritual mediums in order to obtain direction or guidance in life. TM, palm reading, tarot cards, astrology charts etc.
• Idolaters.
• This is image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Ro 1:21-25: men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption (Ro 1:28). This can be manifested by nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers or forces of nature. The first and second commandments are directed against idolatry of every form. In the New Testament the term idolatry is used to designate covetousness (Mt 6:24; Lu 16:13; Col 3:5; Eph 5:5). It could be a covetous person, who makes the world their god. It could be a fitness freak who makes their body or belly their god.
• All liars.
• In chapter 22.15 we read, Outside of the dogs and sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices lying. Compare this list to those in Eph 5.3-6; 1 Cor 6.9,10; Gal 5.19-21.Those described by this list and the ones recorded in the passages I mentioned a moment ago are ones who continued in these activities without repentance. Those people are on the outside. And they are known by their works. They are known by their life pattern. A good tree brings forth good fruit.
• In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul emphasizes the forgiveness which remains available for the godless in this age of grace, if they would but turn to God in faith and be cleansed of their sin:
• 1Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

9 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 shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

• The seven angels are the angels that have the seven vials, or bowls, filled with the last plaques that are poured out upon earth. One of these angels showed John the harlot religious system, Mystery Babylon and its the destruction back in chapter 17.
• Here, one of the seven angels which has the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, came and talked with John and said to him, ‘Come over here and I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’

 

Starting in verse 10, we find the description of the place, that Jesus has gone to prepare for us (John 14.1-3). Heb 11.14-16; Heb 13.14 tells us that the Old Testament saints looked for this city as well.  

Insisting that the following Scriptures can only be taken symbolically and not literally, listen to John MacArthur: If the words of Scripture do not mean what they say, than who has the authority to tell us what they mean? Abandoning the literal meaning of the text only leads to baseless, groundless and futile speculation. No doubt, the truth about the heavenly city is more than is described, but not less and not different from what is described.

 

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

• This is that city whose building and maker is God. Jesus is The Master Carpenter and He has been working on that place now for over 2000 years! 

 

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

• Twelve in Scripture is often the symbol of government amongst God's people. Here we read about the twelve tribes of the children of Israel in verse 12, and the twelve apostles of the New Testament in verse 14. Note that in the New Jerusalem, The Holy Spirit makes a very clear distinction between Israel and the church.
• This important distinction once again reveals that the church and Israel are different and distinct entities. The church, who is the bride of Christ has not replaced the nation of Israel, who is the bride of Jehovah. (Hosea and other prophets make this clear). Neither is the church is not an extension of God’s covenant people Israel for Jesus said I will build My church.
• The 12 gates with 3 tribes listed on each side of the city is similar to the encampment of the nation of Israel around the tabernacle.
• The twelve apostles of the Lamb are foundations of the Church, Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone [Eph 2:20]. As there is one gate to each tribe, so is there also one foundation to each apostle.
• The angels at the 12 gates are not there for protection, since there will be no need for that. We know that according to Hebrews 12 there will be an innumerable number of angels is glory.

 

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

• 12000 furlongs is approximately 1500 miles. This is approximately the same distance from Maine to Florida. The square footage would approximate the size of the Moon, which is around 3 billion cubic miles.
• By our present standard of measurement, if you gave everybody in the New Jerusalem a cubic mile to live in, this city could hold over 3.3 billion people. If you allowed for a greater density of population, you could fit in a lot more people.
• Foursquare means it is a cube, or symmetrical. A cube is reminiscent of the Holy Place of the tabernacle, suggesting that the entire city is the Holy Place.

 

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

• A cubit is the distance from your elbow to your fingertip. A span is the distance between your thumb and your baby finger. This is the way they measured everything in Biblical times. If we reckon a cubit at from eighteen to twenty inches, one hundred and forty-four cubits will equal from 216 to 240 forty feet thick.

 

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

• The dimensions of the wall are amazing, but the construction material is even more amazing. The entire building of the wall is of beautiful jasper stone. The words pure and clear are the same Greek word katharos, which speaks of the flawless perfection of the materials of the city.
• Can you imagine a wall of jasper 1500 feet tall and between 216-240 feet thick?

 

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones (this is the cellar saints!!). The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

• A jasper is of the colour of white marble, with a light shade of green and of red; a sapphire is of a sky-blue, speckled with gold; a chalcedony, or carbuncle, of the colour of red-hot iron; an emerald, of a grass green

 

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

• A sardonyx is red streaked with white; a sardius, of a deep red; a chrysolite, of a deep yellow; a beryl, sea-green; a topaz, pale yellow; a chrysoprase is greenish and transparent, with gold specks; a jacinth, of a red purple; an amethyst, violet purple. The New Jerusalem is going to be a very colorful place.
• These beautiful colors are the foundations of this city. Imagine a sheet of each and every one of these colors between 216-240 feet?. There is no such thing as stucco or drywall in glory.

 

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

• Can you imagine how large an oyster would need to be to produce a pearl of this size? A pearl is the product of the irritations that penetrate into the oyster and hurt it. Some have said that a pearl is the answer of the oyster to that which hurt or injured it. How like God it is to make the gates of the New Jerusalem of pearl. As the saints pass through the gates of the city, they will be forever be reminded that God’s response to the hurt inflicted upon Him by fallen man is the redeeming love of The Pearl of Great Price, Jesus Christ.

• The value system in the New Jerusalem is very different from what it is here on earth. See all the gold ads on TV these days? That which we highly prize and value on earth is the equivalent of asphalt in heaven. Here on earth, some people have lied for gold, killed for gold, spent their lives looking for gold, and even stolen to get it. What people fight for and lose their souls over will be pavement in glory!
• When you read this description of the New Jerusalem, you realize how foolish it is for some preacher to cry, beg, and say that God needs your money. If God can create a city like this out of nothing, our devaluating American currency can add nothing to His treasure. God is not poor. God is not lacking. God doesn’t need your money.
• However, the Scriptures clearly teach the principles of stewardship in both Testaments. The Lord God does give unto His people the privilege of investing the money that He entrusts unto us in His eternal kingdom. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus equates giving unto Him to making an investment for eternity. But giving unto The Lord and His work is a privilege, not an obligation. It is not a duty it is a blessing. Beloved, we can never out give God….true giving does not make God love us more, it makes us more like Him.

 

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

• Greek scholar A.T. Robertson translates this, “For the Lord God, the Almighty, is the sanctuary of it and the Lamb.”

 

23 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.

• Isa 60.19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 60:20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
• God will provide the light source for the new city. God is Light. What makes the heavenly city shine is the glory of God. The glory of God is the sum total of His attributes.

 

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.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

• It is remarkable that the apostle of love, who shows us the glories of the heavenly city, is he also who speaks most plainly of the terrors of hell.
• Throughout the history of the church, there have been millions of people who have been martyred because they refused to deny Christ in the face of death. Over that same period of time, there have been countless saints who have lost jobs, promotions, marriages etc because they refused to compromise their belief in Jesus Christ.
• In verse 8 and in verse 25 we read that those who reject Jesus Christ will burn eternally. The cost of sacrifice to follow The Lamb now is nowhere near the price that you pay for refusing to follow The Lord.
• Let me state it as plainly and simply as I can. The New heaven and new earth awaits believers and the final hell awaits unbelievers. The choices that you and I make in this life determine in which of those realms we will live forever. Whom do you say that Jesus Christ is?