Heaven — A Taste of the New Jerusalem

I. The Ways of Heaven

Heaven is not first a place of streets and gates. It is the place where God's will is done perfectly, and where His presence is the center of everything.

His will is done

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Heaven is the pattern; obedience there is joyful and complete.

God dwells with His people

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people” (Revelation 21:3).

No more tears

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4).

Nothing that defiles

“There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth … but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

Love is the law

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love never fails, so it is love that lasts into eternity.

We shall see His face

“And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4).

“And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” — Revelation 21:21

II. The Culture of Heaven

What is life like where the King is present? Scripture paints a culture of worship, rest, joy, service and peace.

Worship

The living creatures “rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). A multitude from every nation cries, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).

Rest

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord … that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

Joy

“In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). Even now, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).

Service

“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” (Revelation 22:3).

The glory of the nations

“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” (Revelation 21:24; see also 21:26).

Children & animals at peace

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid … and a little child shall lead them … They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:6, 9). “And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof” (Zechariah 8:5).

A giant Tree of Life with fiery autumn leaves and glowing jewel fruit, a lion resting beside a lamb, a wolf and a fawn near a golden walkway — Artist's imagining: the lion and the lamb at rest beneath the Tree of Life (Isaiah 11).

III. The Righteousness of God & of Christ Jesus

Heaven is beautiful because God is righteous. Every jewel and every song rests on the justice and holiness of the One on the throne, and on the Lamb who made a way for us.

“Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”PSALM 89:14

“I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple … And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”ISAIAH 6:1, 3

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”REVELATION 4:11

“Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”REVELATION 5:9

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”REVELATION 5:12

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame … I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven … And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom … his dominion is an everlasting dominion.”DANIEL 7:9, 13–14

“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity.”HEBREWS 1:8–9

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war … And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”REVELATION 19:11, 16

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested … Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe … that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”ROMANS 3:21–22, 26

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

This is the heart of it: we enter heaven not by our own goodness, but clothed in Christ's righteousness, a gift received by faith.

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” — Revelation 21:2

IV. A Visual Tour of the New Jerusalem

Revelation 21–22 gives us the measurements, materials and light of the city. Walk through it with us.

Foursquare

“The city lieth foursquare … the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal”: twelve thousand furlongs, roughly 1,400–1,500 miles on each side (Revelation 21:16).

The wall

“He measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits” (21:17). It is “great and high” (21:12), and “the building of the wall of it was of jasper” (21:18).

The city itself

“The city was pure gold, like unto clear glass” (21:18), “having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (21:11).

No sun needed

“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” (21:23). “There shall be no night there” (22:5).

No temple

“I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (21:22).

The throne

“A throne was set in heaven … and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald” (4:2–3).

The Twelve Gates of Pearl

Twelve gates, three on each side, “and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel” (21:12–13). “Every several gate was of one pearl” (21:21), and “the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day” (21:25). The tribes below are listed as in Revelation 7:5–8; Scripture does not say which gate bears which name.

Judah

Reuben

Gad

Asher

Naphtali

Manasseh

Simeon

Levi

Issachar

Zebulun

Joseph

Benjamin

(Ezekiel 48:31–34 gives a related list for the gates of his visionary city.)

The Twelve Foundations

“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (21:14). “The foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones” (21:19–20). Colors shown are traditional identifications; ancient stone names don't always match modern gems exactly.

1 · Jasperclear, crystal-like; green tones

2 · Sapphiredeep blue

3 · Chalcedonyblue-grey, milky

4 · Emeraldbright green

5 · Sardonyxred and white bands

6 · Sardiusblood red (carnelian)

7 · Chrysolitegolden yellow-green

8 · Berylsea green

9 · Topazgolden yellow

10 · Chrysoprasusapple green

11 · Jacinthorange-red

12 · Amethystpurple

The apostles' names are written in them (21:14). Scripture lists the Twelve in Matthew 10:2–4: Simon Peter, Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, whose place was taken by Matthias (Acts 1:26). Revelation does not say which name sits on which stone.

Gate of Judah set on stepped foundations studded with twelve kinds of precious stones — Artist's imagining: the Judah gate and the jeweled foundations.

The River & the Tree of Life

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”REVELATION 22:1–2

The crystal river of life flowing from the throne through the golden city — Imagining: the River of Life.

The Tree of Life spanning both banks of the river, heavy with twelve kinds of fruit — Imagining: the Tree of Life, twelve manner of fruits.

Visions of the City

Scripture gives the blueprint. Over the years, artists and missionaries have imagined what it might be like to live inside it. These are visions and imaginings, not Scripture, offered to stir wonder.

A pyramid of crystal gold

Some have imagined the foursquare city rising as a vast pyramid, its gold so pure you see right through it, like Revelation's “gold, like unto clear glass,” lit from within.

Mansions like shelves

Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many mansions … I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Artists have pictured those dwellings lining the inner walls tier upon tier, like shelves of light, each with a view of the throne.

A building of crystal

Some picture a crystal hall clear as the river, where light passes through every surface and there are no shadows.

Light with no source

Because “the glory of God did lighten it,” some imagine a radiance that comes from no lamp or sun and falls evenly on every face.

Travel at the speed of thought

Some have imagined the saints in resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42–44) moving across the city as quickly as they can think, going anywhere in a moment.

Angelic starships & the Star Lion

In Michael's own vision, the city's hosts travel in angelic starships, with the Star Lion leading, a picture of the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Scripture speaks of chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17) and Ezekiel's wheels within wheels (Ezekiel 1).

Eleneth, a piece of the city

Michael's vision of Eleneth is a piece of the New Jerusalem: a place that gives people a taste of heaven and woos them to Jesus.

Children & animals

Children run along the golden streets (Zechariah 8:5), and a lion pads beside a lamb, with nothing to fear anywhere in His holy mountain.

A glass-gold street covered in autumn leaves, children playing, a lion and lamb walking among them, golden starships flying toward a pearl gate — Imagining: children at play, the lion and the lamb, and angelic starships over the pearl gate.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” — James 1:17

Autumn in the City: A Smokies Imagining

Picture the Western North Carolina mountains in October, the Smokies blazing red, orange and gold, and then picture that beauty made new inside the city of God.

Sun rays slant through crimson maples and fall on a rustic porch. A rocker sits beside a lantern that never needs lighting, and gold leaves drift across the boards. Below, the river of life runs clear as crystal through the trees toward a jeweled city, and the mountains glow, unfading. If God put such beauty in a fallen world, what has He prepared in a new one? (Revelation 21:5: “Behold, I make all things new.”)

A rustic porch with a rocker and lantern among red autumn leaves, overlooking the river of life and a jeweled city with silver angelic starships above — Imagining: a Smokies porch at the edge of the River of Life.

Gallery of the New Jerusalem

Artwork commissioned for Eleneth and the Spirit Force broadcast. All of it is imaginative interpretation.

Blueprint-style artwork of a golden pyramid city above the Judah gate, with measurements of 12,000 furlongs and 144 cubits — The Measured City (chosen cover).

Exterior view of the New Jerusalem glowing in gold and jewel tones — Exterior vision A.

The holy city descending from heaven radiant with light — Exterior vision B.

A golden glowing pyramid city of crystal over a heavenly landscape — Exterior vision C.

The Gate of Judah on jeweled foundations — Exterior vision D: the Judah gate.

The measured jasper wall of the New Jerusalem — Exterior vision E: the measured wall.

The River of Life inside the city — Interior G: River of Life.

A street of transparent gold — Interior H: Golden Street.

The Tree of Life — Interior I: Tree of Life.

Aerial view over the foursquare city — Interior J: Aerial City.

Smokies porch with rocker and lantern overlooking the river of life — Leaf K: The Porch.

Autumn Tree of Life with lion, lamb, wolf and fawn — Leaf L: Autumn Tree of Life.

Leaf-strewn golden street with children playing and starships — Leaf M: Children of the Golden Street.

V. An Invitation

Everything on this page is only a taste. The real joy of heaven is Jesus Himself.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”REVELATION 22:17

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”JOHN 14:6

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”ROMANS 10:9

Eleneth exists to give you a taste of heaven that draws you to Jesus. If your heart is stirring, talk to Him now. Turn from sin, trust in His death and resurrection, and receive His righteousness as a free gift. Then follow Him as a disciple: read His Word, pray, join with other believers, and tell others. He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Spirit Force Report Michael Basham