提要
突然之間主從寶座那兒發出宣告：「看哪！我將一切都更新了。」「先前的天地已經過去了」，現在乃是「一個新天新地」（1節）。在這兩個天地之間，有一個「新耶路撒冷」出現了。
這個新的城市，又叫作「新婦就是羔羊的妻」（9節）。城的方圍極大（每一邊是1400英哩，總共為27,440,000立方英哩的體積），而且極其華美（11~21節）。城中永遠是白晝，沒有聖殿，因為上帝和羔羊為其光和殿（22~25節）。
新耶路撒冷是「懸」在新天和新地當中，「列國……和地上的君王」能接近它－－「必將自己的榮耀歸與那城」（24節）。這些外邦人乃是從各國來的（7：9），已接受了基督，並且名字被記在羔羊的生命冊上（27節）。
這是令人興奮的事：生命都要更新了。我們也都要進到新耶路撒冷，在那兒居住。不再有罪，不再悲哀，沒有污染。這就是「天在地上」的開始。 |
| Key Verse: | "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'"（Revelation 21:3,4） |
Overview
Suddenly, there is great excitement as the Lord declares, "I am making everything new!" The old heaven and earth give way to "a new heaven and a new earth" (v.l). And, somehow suspended between the two, the "new Jerusalem" appears.
This new city is called "the bride, the wife of the Lamb" (v.9). It has huge dimensions (a 1400 mile cube! That's 27,440,000 cubic miles!) and it is overwhelmingly beautiful (v.11-21). It is always daytime there, and there's no temple, for God and the Lamb are its light and its Temple (v.22-25).
The new Jerusalem, as mentioned above, is somehow "suspended" between the new heaven and the new earth, for the "nations ... and the kings of the earth" have access to it — they "bring their splendor into it" (v.24). These gentiles must be those from every nation (7:9 — including their leaders) who have embraced Christ and "whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life" (v.27).
It's an exciting prospect. Life will be made new. And we will be fit to live both in the new Jerusalem and on the new earth. There will be no more sin, no more sorrow, and no more pollution. In a very real sense, it will be "heaven on earth".
|
