February 15: THE ULTIMATE ARCHITECT

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

Revelation is not written in a strict chronological fashion. Today’s verse overlaps with 20:7-9. The reader can find the “repeat-and-expand” method of teaching throughout the Bible. We are always invited to go back and check on established facts, that we can build our understanding on a solid, unshifting foundation: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10).

The name Jerusalem means City of Peace. The hopes and dreams of the Jewish nation have long been set upon the ancient city, also called the holy city (Isaiah 52:1; Daniel 9:24; Matthew 27:53). Satan has delighted in making a mockery of the city, along with its name. The sad reality is, in this very city, the blood of prophets and apostles was violently shed. It became a city filled with all manner of sin, including the disobedience of its own Jewish residents. In Jerusalem more than a hundred battles have been fought – and all for the purpose of gaining temporal control of the City of Peace. History shows that it has been overthrown dozens of times. Among the victors have been Babylonians, Persians, Macedonian Greeks, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, Romans, Papal Crusaders, and British.

We must be careful not to allow our longing for a City of Peace to be settled upon the earthly Jerusalem. Modern Jews who have not accepted their Messiah have their focus on the capital city of modern-day Israel, now one of the most secular nations on earth. Sadly, millions of modern Christians are encouraging this fixation, but it is a strong delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11). The Scriptures teach that, long before the nation of Israel even existed, Abraham’s longing was for the heavenly city: By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:9).

God is the Ultimate Architect! His City of Peace is to become the capital city of the entire universe! John’s vision included the spectacularly beautiful heavenly city, future home of the redeemed saints, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The wedding theme is an appropriate metaphor for the unbreakable union that God longs for between Himself and His people, the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Hebrews 8:10 (see also Jeremiah 31:31-33 and Zechariah 8:8)

For further study: Psalm 121:4-8 (remember the name Israel means Overcomer with God), Psalm 122 (in the context of God’s heavenly city), Isaiah 1:21 (regarding the earthly Jerusalem) and 2:1-5 (in light of God’s word from Heaven)