The Perfect Kingdom!
By John Boda
(I have, after much thought, decided to re-name this final chapter, "The Perfect Kingdom", instead of, "The Perfected Kingdom", which had been used until now. Because you cannot perfect that which is perfect!
The Millennium, (Rev 20:1-6) could be the actual time of the perfected kingdom on earth. But, even though life spans are greatly increased, people still die, Satan will again be released, and the full realization of God's kingdom on earth is still yet to come!
Since I fully want to keep consistent with our big panoramic picture, I must fast forward all the way to the end, when God completely brings his kingdom to earth and actually dwells with us in it!
We are currently living in the beginning of the end, and soon we will see the end of the beginning!
(The moment God sets up his kingdom on earth permanently with The New Jerusalem, it will be a new beginning, but also, the end of the beginning as our current concept and reality of space-time will cease to exist! It will be both the beginning and the end - something totally new and impossible to fathom now!)
The New Jerusalem
There is an earthly Jerusalem, and a spiritual Jerusalem, also there is an earthly Babylon and a spiritual Babylon! Focusing on the spiritual for now, these two cities are the complete antithesis of one another! To help clarify what I mean, here is a more detailed look into both cities:
The New Jerusalem:
The Holy City (Rev 21:2)
A beautiful bride (Rev 21:2)
God himself lives there (Rev 22:3)
Eternal home of the redeemed made pure by Jesus (Rev 21:27)
Babylon:
The Great Harlot, mother of prostitutes (Rev 17:1,5)
Full of demons and wickedness
(Rev 18:2)
Doomed and sealed for destruction and judgment by God (Rev 18:8-10, 19, 21)
Babylon could be viewed as the great counterfeit project, the great copy to what God is building! It is very interesting that before the New Jerusalem is lowered to earth, and God's kingdom is fully realized, Babylon must first be judged and destroyed!
The very first "Hallelujah" in the entire New Testament waits until Babylon is finally destroyed! Then when it comes, all heaven and earth erupt into an incredible contagious Hallelujah chorus!
(Rev 19:1-8)
There actually is one thing that both these cities have in common. (Although Babylon is of course a fake and counterfeit) Both cities have the exact three elements in their structure: Gold - Pearl - & Precious Stones
New Jerusalem: Rev 21:18-21
Babylon: Rev 17:4
Hopefully, you recall our first session, The Pattern of the Kingdom, where we looked at Genesis 2 & 3 in detail. See Gen 2:12, almost written as a passing footnote! But all three elements were there in the Garden of Eden! This could be viewed as "The Blueprint" of The New Jerusalem!
Or, the initial photograph of God's complete and beautiful city, but also completely undeveloped. But go from the second chapter of the Bible to the second to last chapter of the Bible, and we have the photograph developed. It is developed in full detailed color!
We get a detailed description of the walls, the gates, the stones, and even it's precise measurements! (Rev 21: 10-21)
The Shape of Things to Come
The New Jerusalem. What you will find, overwhelmingly, is also what most people and books promote, which is the idea that The New Jerusalem will be a huge square cube. If you have ever watched "Star Trek", you will remember the popular episodes on "The Borg". - An alien species who desire to assimilate other worlds and cultures, and they all live and travel in a huge square cube. As much as I love the episodes, I am also more and more convinced that this is NOT what the New Jerusalem will look like!
All we know of the dimensions come from Rev 21:15-18, and upon only a surface reading, it is possible, even easy, to come away with a huge square cube.
This subject actually begs for a detailed study of its own, which I may just do soon! But, briefly, here are the reasons that I believe the New Jerusalem will actually be shaped as a huge
Pyramid as opposed to a cube.
1. There are only two possible shapes allowed by the dimensions given in Rev 21:15-17:
One is a square cube, and the other is a pyramid. The reason is these are the only two shapes which qualify of having an equal "length, breadth and height". Other translations say it different, but they all mean it had the same length, width and height. So our possible shapes are narrowed down to two, and only two!
It is 12,000 furlongs long, wide and high - many scholars believe a furlong is 660 feet, or 1/8 of a mile. 12,000 furlongs = 1,500 miles - this is 1,500 miles long, wide and high!
2. God's throne is up on a high mountain. (Much more like a pyramid than a cube!)
Isaiah 6:1 / Isaiah 14:13 / Ezekiel 28:14 /
3. Jesus is called the Chief Cornerstone - Eph 2:19,20
This is not an ordinary cornerstone set in the bottom corner of a building, but many translations use the word, "head" cornerstone. Meaning "The Top", in fact Jesus is called the "Head of the Church" - Eph 5:23 In a pyramid, the cornerstone is always the last stone at the very top!
4. The pyramid is the only structure in which the entire building is completely identical in shape with the shape of the top cornerstone. (Capstone)
The Church is being formed into Christ's image - Rom 8:29
We are all being fit together within the building - Eph 2:21
We are to grow up into the head, who is Christ - Eph 4:15
5. In Isaiah 2: 1 - 5 it speaks of God's City as "The Mountain of the Lord". I will only ask this question: What better depicts a mountain, a cube or a pyramid shape?
6. Finally, as stated earlier, BOTH cities (New Jerusalem and Babylon) are made of Gold, Pearl & Precious Stones! How can this be?! The answer is that God is the originator, and Satan is a mimic! The enemy always copies God because he knows that anything God does HAS to be THE most effective, brilliant, and powerful way to do it. Since God is building a massive eternal city shaped like a pyramid of Gold, Pearl & Precious Stones, Satan also is doing the same to decieve everyone! Only his city is called Babylon, and it is not REAL Gold, Pearl & Precious Stones, but looks the same. I believe the many pyramids in Egypt, South America and other places from thousands of years ago are also Satan's attempt at his copy plan to mimic God, and deceive mankind, and he is still at it today.
Further notes on the Cornerstone:
This is from a common story that his listeners were probably well aware of:
When Solomon's temple was being built, all the stones had first been planned and cut by the workmen beforehand. When the workers were putting it together, there was one stone, of peculiar shape, that seemed odd and out of place, so one of the workers tossed it over a hill into the valley as it was in the way. When the building was almost done, the all important stone needed to finish, the head cornerstone, couldn’t be found! Finally, the one man remembered the odd stone he threw away and went and got it. It was that stone which perfectly fit, and finished the building!
Jesus said that he was that stone!
That stone, which went in last, not first, like all other cornerstones at the bottom foundation, but last and on top! Even though it is referring to the temple, it must have been designed and built in a similar fashion to re-enforce the idea of a pyramid shaped structure.
Practical Summary
Why is this big deal? What difference does it make if it is a cube or a pyramid? Why should we believe in a real heavenly city? Maybe it is all symbolic and written in metaphors.
Knowing that the New Jerusalem is probably a pyramid rather than a cube IS important because it more clearly shows, and reminds us, that God is at the top!
He always was, he is now, and always will be! If we can grasp this idea, really grasp it, we will be able to mature and grow spiritually without the continual setbacks brought on by ego, pride, selfishness and everything that goes with it!
It also shows that, as in most cases, if you only read the Bible on a surface level, you will miss many things, at times, even the main meaning of the text. Whenever we read or study the Bible, we must always try to compare scripture with scripture to really get a more complete and accurate meaning of what is written.
To make this last session practical, here is how we can apply this to our lives:
Ask God to open your mind and hearts to reveal more of the big picture! This is how God views everything, and when we can begin to see in a larger perspective, we will be blessed and our faith will grow.
More specifically, pray on a constant basis, the way Jesus taught us to pray saying, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Really think about those words! Also, they don't have to just be prayed within "The Lord's Prayer", but in every type of prayer to God, and in our daily awareness of his presence!
Ask God to make real to you the sure reality of the New Jerusalem, a real city, which will be our eternal home! Try to personalize eternity - it is not somewhere out there in heaven - but within a real, measured city on earth, with a real, living, God who will live there as well, at the very top.
I hope and pray this series has been a blessing to you and if so, please copy, paste, preach and teach whatever you want of it to help advance the Kingdom also! This is not MY message, and I have no copyright on it. If it is a blessing and has helped the Kingdom, my reward is waiting in the New Jerusalem where we will rejoice together!
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