Revelation 21:9
9 And [kai] there came [erchomai] unto [pros] me [me] one of [heis] the seven [hepta] angels [aggelos] which [ho] had [echo] the seven [hepta] vials [phiale] full [gemo] of the seven [hepta] last [eschatos] plagues, [plege] and [kai] talked [laleo] with [meta] me, [emou] saying, [lego] Come hither, [deuro] I will shew [deiknuo] thee [soi] the bride, [numphe] the Lamb's [arnion] wife. [gune] KJV-Interlinear
9 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." NASB
When you live outside of a country, then when you think of a country you generally think of a prominent city within that country. For example when thinking of England, you think of London, of France then probably Paris, and so forth. The cities become the embodiment of its citizens, ie. British, French and so forth.
John is about to be introduced to the capital city of the new universe, the new Jerusalem. An angel, is introduced as one of the angels who took part in the bowl judgments of the Tribulation, which historically would have taken place over a thousand years earlier chronologically, from this point in John’s vision.
This could have very well been the angel who described Babylon, the harlot city, the city of the damned, which is gone forever, and now the city of the living, is going to be described by that angel.
Angels have active roles in historical events. As messengers and aids of God, they observe, announce, and even aid in the events of history. Though the Bible speaks in general terms with regard to their activities, which we cannot see or monitor, angels are active in our personal lives as well as in world history.
Abraham had conversations with angels. Angels delivered Lot from Sodom. Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder, which was suspended between heaven and earth, describing their busy comings and goings. Elisha saw angels defending a city that was under attack. Judgment against Nebuchadnezzar was confirmed by angels. The archangel named Michael is said to be the chief defender of Israel. An angel named Gabriel revealed future events of history, to Daniel.
Angels held back the winds of judgment at the beginning of the Tribulation. They revealed the contents of judgment in the scrolls, announced their coming in the trumpets, and executed them in the pouring out of the bowl judgments described in Revelation.
The Bible presents angels as either good or bad, depending on whether they serve God or Satan. Satan is an angel, formerly named Lucifer, until be rebelled against God. He is also known as the devil, or the great demon. Demons are also the names given of other angels who followed Satan in his rebellion and who were convicted and sentenced along with Satan, to the Lake of Fire.
Satan, devils and demons all carry the connotations of accusers, argumentative, and debaters, using their rhetoric to discredit Gods authority, and fought for time to prove their position.
Were it not for their furious complaints, filed repeatedly throughout history, the human race would already be in the new heaven. But history has to run its course.
For every act of God, Satan counters with some form of complaint. So, God has to prove that the complaint is unfounded, and that means we have to endure the course of history in order for God to accomplish that answer. One has to presume that Gods answer is at least equal to or greater than the original complaint.
For example, Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden. And Satan tempted Christ for three and a half years during his ministry. Jesus’ ministry did not begin until He was thirty. If Christ were tempted for some lesser time period than Adam was, Satan would cry foul. So, again we presume that Adam and Eve were tempted for less than three and a half years before they failed. Jesus would have had to have been tempted a time at least equal to, or greater than, Adam and Eve, in order for His test to be a better demonstration of Gods position in the matter of Satan’s guilt.
Do you suppose that human history will be at least as long as angelic history, prior to Adam and Eve? Just something to ponder in your thoughts when there is nothing good on television!
So now John is called by one of the angels, and told that he is going to be shown the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
Who is the bride? All believers in Christ. The occupants of the new Jerusalem. We saw earlier the rising of the new Jerusalem, as it was all decked out in phenomenal beauty, as beautiful as a bride on her wedding day.
And who is the Lamb? Jesus Christ. He was the sacrificial lamb who went to the Cross to save humanity from their sins, and to pave the way for eternal life. But Jesus Christ is God, and the bride is made up of human believers in Him.
A wife is someone who is united with a husband, such that the two, become complete and one, within each other, forever.
We have just seen the description of those, unbeliever types, who reject Christ and therefore reject the most fulfilling and prosperous future that anyone can imagine.
Unbelievers were described as fearful, confused, devious and deceptive murderers, who having nothing, will go out of their way to keep others from having anything of value in life. They will reject truth and pursue lies, with absolutely no basis for making their decisions in life.
And in contrast, we have a picture of believers and their future, which will be infinitely better for each individual believer than all unbelievers put together, just because they had one simple thought of belief in Christ, which they thought only once in their life. And though most believers in Christ have many thoughts concerning Christ, throughout their lives, in order to be saved one need only believe in Christ one time.
That resistance to one belief, is the ultimate condemnation which will exist forever, for unbelievers.
In John 14, Jesus said, ‘I go to prepare a place for you.’ It is the unfolding of history, bringing all of Satan’s complaints and accusations to their conclusion, that must transpire, where all unbelievers, all demons, all evil, and death are put away permanently, before our future, our real future in the new universe, will begin.
While all of the unbelievers will be united in unbelievable horror for all of eternity in the Lake of Fire, all believers will actually become united in God for all of eternity in heaven.
Jerusalem means, ‘City of Peace.’ A city is a dwelling place of many people. Gods peace is the residence of Bible doctrine in the soul to the point of the completion of ones soul.
The original Jerusalem, is presently in heaven. Gods place of perfect dwelling and peace. Heaven is separated from this earth by a large gulf deep and wide, called sin and death. When this gulf is finally eliminated, then our earth will be disposed of and a new earth will be created and combined, or united, with heaven, Jerusalem. That is our new universe, which will go on forever.
John is probably the only person in history who has had a peek at the new universe. He saw the new Jerusalem descending, and though his descriptions are brief, they are phenomenal to almost beyond description.
Unbelievers will suffer a virtual infinite loss in the Lake of Fire.
Though believers will not go to the Lake of Fire, they can imitate the pattern of life that unbelievers live, and suffer unbelievable losses in blessings for eternity, as well as being the target of Gods discipline in this life.
The best group or category of people to be in, is the mature believer group. It is they who have advanced to spiritual maturity in this life, who will be the recipients of infinite blessings, blessings far beyond the norm of all other, non-mature believers.
It is this goal which believers should strive for in their quest or spiritual growth toward maturity. Job persevered through the trials of life. Paul ran the race to victory, winning the prize that is set before us all.
As you read these studies, you should set your heart toward learning, and thinking, and pondering life as God sees it, and not perceive life as nothing more than just events that happen to occur on the daily news casts.
Therefore, as the occupants of the new city are believers, in all their resurrected glory, so too, the city will be a reflection of its occupants.
The Lake of Fire is a reflection of the hatred and evil of its occupants. The new city of Jerusalem, will reflect in ominous contrast to hell, the glory of all of its occupants, all believers from throughout history.
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