Much of the eschatological doctrine, teachings, and understanding are that the New Jerusalem is the City of God, and it is called “heaven”, which is a place we are to inhabit when we are rapture.
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” (Revelation 3:12).
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 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: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 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. 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 show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;” (Revelation 21:1-11).
The New Jerusalem is not a place called heaven that we are to inherit or inhabit, but the New Jerusalem is a revelation of a “corporate person” who is the bride that comes out from heaven. The name that is written upon him that overcomes is the name of the city of God called “New Jerusalem”. In other words, the person’s name is New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is not a place, but a personality that bears the new name or the nature of God.
Let us compare and make the connection with Revelation 3:12 and Revelation 21:1-10. You will clearly see and understand that “the Overcomer” is the Bride, the Lamb’s wife and she is called the “Holy City” which is the New Jerusalem which descends from a place called heaven.
The natural city of God under the old covenant has been Jerusalem, which is located in the North of the Middle East. The city of God is neither a natural place nor a spiritual place called heaven, but it is a person (a corporate man) that descends out from heaven. The Man Child came out from heaven to rule the nations (Revelation 12:1-5).
Understand that in the new covenant all things become new and the city of God no longer becomes a natural place neither a spiritual place called heaven, but the City of God is now a person (corporate man) that descends out from heaven. Understand that the Man Child came from heaven to rule the nations (Revelation 12:1-5). Just as under the new covenant, the Israel of God no longer becomes the natural Jews, but has become a spiritual company of people (Church) that has become the habitation of God, which includes redeemed and engrafted Gentiles. This same truth applies to the concept of the New Jerusalem from above. She is the mother of us all.
“For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” (Galatians 4:25, 26).
If the New Jerusalem is a place called heaven, the scripture wouldn’t say that the New Jerusalem is descending from heaven, but would have said, the New Jerusalem that is heaven came down or is descending down. (Selah).
If we desire to inhabit the City of God called the New Jerusalem as heaven, then we will begin to move into a concept of taking the natural Jerusalem in Israel to be the Kingdom of God. This was the concept of the Zionism movement in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that became a part of the people that have brought the rapture theory into play today.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3).
The New Jerusalem is the ‘mountain of the Lord’. This mountain of the Lord is the house of God (The Church). What we inherit is not a heavenly place in the sky somewhere, but we inherit the New Jerusalem which is the very nature of a heavenly being and entity which we are to become upon the earth when God ultimately finalizes His divine purposes in us and in the earth.
The desire to inhabit the City of God called the New Jerusalem was a key concept of the Zionism movement in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that resulted in the rapture theory.
The New Jerusalem that is coming from above (heaven) is the mystery of Christ and the Bride – The Church.
Copyright © 2017 by Israel Onoriobe
Our ministry is a faith-based ministry and this material is provided free of charge to the body of Christ for equipping the saints. If this material has been a blessing to you or a source of encouragement we ask that you prayerfully consider giving a love offering below via PayPal to help us carry the message of the Kingdom of God to the nations – (Hebrews 10:6). The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (so be it).
