Features of New Jerusalem: Part 1

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In the previous post, we began to focus on John’s vision of New Jerusalem and the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21-22). Now, we begin a series of posts that explore some key features of New Jerusalem.

New Jerusalem is a holy city (Rev. 21:2, 10). 

Humans have built many great cities over the centuries, from ancient Babylon to modern-day Tokyo. But New Jerusalem is unique in that it is a city built without hands. The writer of Hebrews tells us Abraham saw New Jerusalem from afar. He may have lived in tents as a foreigner in the Promised Land, but “he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). 

New Jerusalem is a holy city because it is the city of God. It is his home, his dwelling place, and he invites us to live there forever with him. It is a holy place because God is holy – set apart, unique, perfect, and righteous. God’s otherness sets him apart from all creatures. He is eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere present, unchanging, and transcendent. Wherever God visits creation, that place is holy ground, as Moses and Joshua experienced (Exod. 3:5; Josh. 5:15). 

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Some to Eternal Life …

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 10: All Found Written in the Book Will Escape: Daniel 12:1-3.

In previous posts [Read #1; Read #2], we began to examine Daniel 12:1-3, breaking down the elements of these verses so we can better understand “the book” to which Daniel refers. We complete our observations here.

Daniel sees that people are resurrected one day. But what then?

… some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt. 

Notice first that everyone’s resurrection results in “eternal” existence somewhere. The Hebrew phrase hayye olam (eternal life) appears here for the first time in the Old Testament. Its Greek counterpart (zoe aionios) occurs numerous times in the New Testament, perhaps most notably in John 3:16: “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (emphasis added).

While followers of Jesus possess eternal life, those who reject him are neither annihilated nor sent to temporary punishment until their sin debt is paid. The wicked possess eternal existence in hell – Daniel depicts it as “eternal contempt” – but not eternal life. Jesus makes this clear in the parable of the sheep and goats, who symbolize the righteous and the wicked. 

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UFOs, Aliens, and the Bible

This is the fourth in a series of articles on what the Bible says about UFOs and aliens.

Read Article 1; Article 2; Article 3

If creatures commonly identified as aliens truly are demons, as we claimed in the previous column, then the Bible has something to say about how we are to deal with them. For starters, Scripture is replete with warnings against an unhealthy fascination with the unseen realm. 

One of the earliest warnings comes in the Lord’s instructions to the Israelites, who are about to enter the promised land:

“When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations. No one among you is to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, cast spells, consult a medium or a spiritist, or inquire of the dead. Everyone who does these acts is detestable to the LORD, and the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable acts. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do this” (Deut. 18:9-14). 

Common religious practices among Israel’s neighboring peoples included:

Child sacrifice – particularly to the god Molech.

Divination – attempting to discover hidden knowledge through supernatural means like reading entrails, casting lots for spiritual insight, or interpreting natural phenomena as divine messages.

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Our Eternal Home: Part 3

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In the previous two columns [read #1 … #2], we looked at Jesus’ words about “the renewal of all things” (Matt. 19:28) and Peter’s writing about “the day of the Lord” (2 Pet. 3:10-13). In this column, we begin to focus on John’s vision of New Jerusalem and the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21-22).

Revelation 21-22

The final chapters of Scripture offer details about what Jesus describes as “the renewal of all things” (Matt. 19:28) and what Peter portrays as “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet. 3:13). Volumes have been written on Revelation 21-22. Space does not permit a full exploration here. So, in this post and future posts, let’s consider just three components of our future life in the new heavens and new earth: the descent of New Jerusalem; the lifting of the curse; and the restoration of Eden.

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There Will Be a Time of Distress

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 10: All Found Written in the Book Will Escape: Daniel 12:1-3.

In the previous post, we began to examine Daniel 12:1-3, breaking down the elements of these verses so we can better understand “the book” to which Daniel refers. We continue our observations here.

There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time.

The focus of this “time of distress” is the nation of Israel, although the raging conflicts that mark this unparalleled period in history spill over her borders. This is a time many premillennialists refer to as “the great tribulation,” the final three and a half years of a seven-year tribulation that precedes the return of Christ (Dan. 12:7, 11-12; Rev. 12:6, 14). Others see this series of events as a natural descent into wickedness in the days leading up to the return of Jesus, but they don’t limit it to a specific period of time.

In any case, before this terrible time is revealed, the angel assures Daniel that Michael the archangel is dispatched to help God’s people. Michael’s aid is essential because Satan energizes the antichrist, resulting in the death of perhaps two thirds of the Israelites (Zech. 13:8; cf. 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:2). 

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