Harmony of the Gospels -- Olivet Discourse

	Matt 23:37-39
Conditions of Return	37  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!  38 See, your house is left to you desolate.  39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
	Matt 24:1-2	Mark 13:1-2	Luke 21:5-6
Setting	1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."	13  And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" 2 And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."	5  And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 "As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
	Matt 24:3	Mark 13:3-4	Luke 21:7
Three Questions and Three Signs	3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?"	3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?"	7 And they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"
	Matt 24:4-6	Mark 13:5-7	Luke 21:8-9
Characteristics of the Church Age	4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.  5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.  6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.	5 And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray.  6  Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray.  7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.	8 And he said, "See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them.  9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
	Matt 24:7-8	Mark 13:8	Luke 21:10-11
The End of the Age Sign	7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.	8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.	10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
	Matt 24:9-11	Mark 13:9-13a	Luke 21:12-19
Before These Things … Apostles' Experience	9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.  11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.	9  "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.  10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.  11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  12  And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.  13  And you will be hated by all for my name's sake.	12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.  13  This will be your opportunity to bear witness.  14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer,  15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.  16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death.  17  You will be hated by all for my name's sake.  18 But not a hair of your head will perish.  19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.
			Luke 21:20-24
Fall of Jerusalem Sign			20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.  21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it,  22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.  23  Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.  24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
	Matt 24:12-22	Mark 13:13b, 14-23
Great Tribulation	12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  13  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.  14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.	But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Great Tribulation (Second Half)	15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand),  16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  17  Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,  18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.  19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!  20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.  21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.	14 But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be ( let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  15  Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out,  16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.  17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!  18 Pray that it may not happen in winter.  19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.  20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.  21 And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.  22  False christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.  23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
	Matt 24:23-30	Mark 13:24-26	Luke 21:25-28
Sign of the Second Coming	23  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it.  24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  25 See, I have told you beforehand.  26 So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.  27  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  28  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.	24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,  25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.	25 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,  26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
	29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
	Matt 24:31	Mark 13:27
Aftermath (Wedding Feast)	And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.	And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Olivet Discourse: Matt 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-36

Basic Purpose:
• Answer the question: When and how would the Messianic Kingdom come into being?
• Israel has rejected the offer so it will obviously be in the future
• Need all three gospel accounts
• No one recorded the entire discussion
• Each author recorded only what was most relevant to his purpose or theme
• Basic presentation is chronological except where the text indicates otherwise
• Conditions of Jesus' return are given in Matthew (which is organized thematically, not chronologically: verses Matt 23:37-39 where Jesus lays down the precondition to the second coming
Setting:  Luke 21:5-6; Matt 24:1,2
• Temple compound was begun in  20 BC and not finished to 64 AD
• Pretty impressive -- "Herodian" stones 10 to 12 feet in length and weigh several tons
• When the Romans burn the city down in 70 AD, the gold melts into the crevices, so literally the stones all have to be moved to get at the gold
Three Questions & Three Signs:  Matt 24:3; Luke 21:7
• Matt:  Tell us when shall these things be?
• These things meaning the destruction of the temple
• Luke adds the question about the sign that this is to take place
• Matt:  What shall be the sign of your coming?
• Matt:  What shall be the sign of the end of this age?
• Rabbinic theology spoke of two ages: this age and the age to come (the messianic age)
• Answers the questions out of order: #3, #1, #2
Characteristic of the Church Age:  Luke 21:8-9; Matt 24:4-6
• Before really answering the #3, he answered it in the negative by giving characteristics of the church which are NOT signs
1. Rise of false messiahs (… whole history of false messiahs …)
2. Existence of local wars
• Neither of the latter two events have anything to do with the end of the age ("the end will not come right away")
The Sign of the end of the Age:  Luke 21:10-11; Matt 24:7-8
• Birth pangs describe the last days of the age
• Local wars are not a sign but "Nation against Nation, kingdom against kingdom" is a sign
• Phrase has Jewish origins and is a Hebrew idiom for "World War"
• A number of non-Christian Jewish authors who use the same definition
• Probably World War I (and II which really is a continuation of I) are the fulfillment of this prophecy
• Growth of the Zionist movement
• Establishment of Israel
Personal Experiences of the Apostle: Luke 21:12-19 ; Mark 13:9-13
• Key point:  What are we talking about now?  "BUT BEFORE ALL THESE THINGS …"
• Jesus stops and goes back in time to what the Apostles would experience
1. Rejection by the Jews
2. Rejected by the Gentiles
3. Undergo persecutions providing opportunities to testify
4. Would succeed in proclaiming the gospel everywhere
5. Not to worry, given divine utterance
6. Rejected by family
7. Hated by all men to the point of death
8. Salvation is assured
9. Succeed in winning many souls
Sign of the Fall of Jerusalem:  Only Luke 21:20-24
• Sign:  Jerusalem surrounded by Armies
• Jerusalem trodden down until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled
• AD 66: First Jewish Revolt
• Roman General Cestus Gallus marched on Jerusalem and surrounded the city
• Could not escape
• Gallus inexplicably withdraws
• Christians escape to Pella in the Transjordan
• AD 68-70:
• Roman General Vespasian and son Titus besiege city
• AD 70: City destroyed.  1.1 to 1.4 M people died
• No Jewish believers died
The Great Tribulation:  Matt 24:9-26; Mark 13:14-23
• Very similar to Luke 21:12-19.  Mark and Luke described events that will happen before the world war.
• Matthew uses the word "then" to describe events after the world war.
• First half (5 Events)
1. Tremendous persecution
2. Rise of false prophets
3. Rise of sin (no restraint - II Thess 2:6,7 )
4. Jews who survive to the end will be saved
5. 144,000 Jews will preach gospel
• Second half (8 events) Matt 24:15-20
• Signs of the Second Coming: Matt 24:29-30; Luke 21:25-27
• A total blackout of the earth
• Luke says there will be a great amount of perplexity
All three signs have been given
• AD 66
• 1914
• End of tribulation

Revelation 22, New Jerusalem and Epilogue

Review: Previous chapter, Rev 21, describes 7 of 11 major aspects of the New Jerusalem in the eternal order


Rev 22:1-5 (ESV) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.


• So, continuing our description of the city, what else do we see?
8. The river of life
1. The river is as bright as crystal (suggesting in is perfectly clean)
2. It is in the middle of a broad street in the city
3. It originates from the throne of God and of the Lamb
9. The tree of life
1. It is so broad that it reaches both sides of the river
2. The tree was in the garden prior but after the fall you could not eat of it. Eating of it allowed you to live forever. Now you can again eat of the fruit (Note: there are still 12 months)
3. The leaves provide healing for the nations (Gentiles). Possibly the tree is what renews your body (the word translated healing is therapeutic)
10. The curse will be completely gone
1. The world will be as God originally intended it (no more weeds)
2. We will worship God through our lives, not just in a worship service
11. God's glory will reside in the city
1. No night, lamp, or sun
2. God will the light
3. The worshippers will reign under God's authority
• APPLICATION: This world is not the way God intended it. Our lives are not the way God intended it. Somehow, we forget God when life is going well, and then we curse him when something bad happens. We want him to control our life so that nothing bad happens, but we don't want him in our life when things are okay. We pray and go to him in bad times, but we completely forget to read his word or pray in the good times, and then wonder why he allows things to go wrong with our lives


EPILOGUE
Rev 22:6-9 (ESV) And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place."


7 "And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."


8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9  but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."


• A lot of these last verses repeat messages from the first chapter, this is what we commonly call the Epilogue


Revelation 22:5

Origin of the prophecy: God & Jesus	1:1	22:6
Subject of the prophecy: coming events	1:1	22:6
Mediator of the prophecy: an angel	1:1	22:6,8,16
Writer of the prophecy: John	1:1,4,9	22:8
Genuineness of the prophecy: true prophecy	1:3	22:6,7,9,10,18-19
Vehicle of the prophecy: a prophet	1:1,9-11	22:8,9,10
Addressees of the prophecy: bond-servants	1:1	22:6
Destination of the prophecy: churches	1:3,11	22:16,18
Blessing of the prophecy: for obedience	1:3	22:7,12,14
Warning of the prophecy: for unfaithfulness	1:7	22:11,12,18-19
Center of the prophecy: Christ	1:2,5,9	22:16,18,20
God of the prophecy: Alpha & Omega	1:17	22:13
Chief character of the prophecy: God	1:5,7	22:12,13,16
Hope of the prophecy: soon return	1:3,7	22:7,10,12,20

(from Thomas Constable's Notes on the Bible. Copyright © March 4, 2014 by Thomas L. Constable. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)


• Observations from Angel and / or Jesus?
• Angel reiterates the trustworthiness and truthfulness of the message
• God (it was his idea) sent his angel to show his servant what must soon take place. Fits with purpose in chapter 1 (also why I see churches as also prophetic)
• Jesus, inserts or is quoted, reiterates the blessing but with a slight difference
• Assumes you read it to get this far
• Now, you must heed it
• Observations from John?
• I heard, I saw, and implied I wrote it down
• John falls down at the angel's feet
• Second time that John is rebuked for falling down at a "fellow" servant's feet (19:10)
• Angels are fellow servants to John, other prophets, and those who keep the words of the book
• Angel reiterates the truth: worship God
• APPLICATION: Error of Satan, an angel, was to take worship from God. It is always a grave error to take worship away from God


Rev 22:10-15 (ESV) And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11  Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy."


12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.  13  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."


14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15  Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.


• Why the command "not to seal up?"
• The time is near (in contrast to Daniel)
• Also, coming soon in verse 12
• The book is applicable even back in 90 AD (the church sections were applicable whether or not they recognized the prophetic aspect, they would have seen their church in the typical or universal application) -- although, the prophetic interpretation makes it even more applicable
• Verse 11 is interesting, why?
• God does not force behavior
• Christianity cannot be forced upon someone, unlike Islam or (religion)
• Sin will be judged
• What does it mean to wash your robes?
• It is an indication of believing in Christ
• Access to the tree of life -- eternal life
• Can enter the eternal city by the gates (freedom to live with God)
• Outside of God's promises are those who deny God's rule
• Dogs is also used in scripture for many impure and immoral sins, to include homosexuality (Deut 23:17, 18)
• APPLICATION: We don't have to be afraid to talk about the end times (don't seal it up). Actually, it can be a great opportunity to witness. You can even use the idea of rapture to make people think. Who knows--we could be raptured in their lifetimes, and that event may cause them to seek God.


Rev 22:16-21 (ESV) "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."


17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.


18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.


20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!


21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.


• Only place in scripture where we have the phrase "I, Jesus"
• Stresses Jesus' role in this particular book
• "My angel" is the person who does most of the relating to John. He works for Jesus
• The spirit is the HS and the bride is the church of Jesus Christ
• The message is "come"
• We, who are reading, need to invite people to come
• The message is to the "thirsty"
• Recognized they have a need
• Recognized that they are not satisfied
• The water of life is without price (and yet also priceless)
• Huge warning
• Don't add or take away--will be visited with the plagues described in the book
• Unbeliever will lose a chance for salvation
• Believer will lose some reward in the future
• Closing is the reminder, "I am coming soon"
• It has been 2000 years, which is but a day or two in God's eyes
• APPLICATION: We should live as if Jesus was coming in our lifetimes

Revelation 21, New Jerusalem

• This is the only part of scripture that describes the eternal order. It is hinted at in the Davidic Covenant which promised an eternal Dynasty, an eternal Kingdom, and an eternal throne
• Technically, the millennial kingdom does not satisfy those promises since it is only 1000 years
• Everything about the eternal order is described in these two chapters


Rev 21:1-8 (ESV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."


5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.


• What is different about the eternal order?
• No sea
• First declaration: God dwells with man
• Fruchtenbaum argues it will be a mineral garden (covered with precious stones and gems) as in Satan's second abode (Ezek 28:11-16)
Ezek 28:11-16 (ESV) Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12  "Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:


"You were the signet of perfection,
 full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
 every precious stone was your covering,
 sardius, topaz, and diamond,
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire,  emerald, and carbuncle;
and crafted in gold were your settings
and your engravings.
 On the day that you were created
they were prepared.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.
I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15 You were blameless in your ways
 from the day you were created,
till unrighteousness was found in you.
16 In the abundance of your trade
you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,
and I destroyed you,  O guardian cherub,
from the midst of the stones of fire.
• There are some verses which do mention the new Jerusalem
Gal 4:26 (ESV) But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
Heb 11:9-10 (ESV) By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
• It is described as the eternal abode of God, of Angels, and of all redeemed
Heb 12:22-24 (ESV) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
• It is not clear that this city actually rests on the planet or whether it is a satellite that circles the earth. The language could fit either case (even the open gates)
• (Also in first declaration) The removal of tears and death goes back to the removal of the curse
Gen 3:16-19 (ESV) To the woman he said,


"I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
 in pain you shall bring forth children.
 Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you."


17 And to Adam he said,


"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
 of which I commanded you,
'You shall not eat of it,'
 cursed is the ground because of you;
 in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
 for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return."
• We were never intended to live in heaven but rather on earth (or at least, in this universe)
• Second declaration (vs 5-8)
• First, God affirms it (he is faithful and true)
• Second, there is provision of the waters of life
• Third, our inheritance is reaffirmed
• Fourth, the inheritance of the unbeliever is the second death, the lake of fire
• APPLICATION: This is our future. I fear it does not really grip us or me. Do I live as if I believed it or is it just a nice idea. If I truly believe it, I would express it in words of thankfulness and I would work to live in a manner worthy of my inheritance


Rev 21:9-21 (ESV) Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11  having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare; its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19  The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.


• Why do we go back to the bride?
• There have been multiple uses of the bride simile
• Israel was Jehovah's wife and in fact, God uses a picture of two wives (sisters) to describe Israel and Judah
• The Church is the bride of Christ
• Now we see the city described as the bride, the wife of the lamb (notice both terms used, OT and NT)
• Therefore the city, which holds believers from the OT, the NT, and the tribulation all come together into one bride, this new city, the New Jerusalem
• There are a number (Fruchtenbaum identifies eleven) of details noted concerning the new Jerusalem
1. The glory of the city. It has the Shechinah glory. It is clear as a crystal
2. The city has four walls with twelve gates
1. Typically walls emphasize protection
2. The twelve gates are name after the twelve tribes of Israel
3. The city has twelve foundations
1. Foundation emphasizes permanence
2. The 12 foundations are named after the 12 apostles
4. The city's dimensions are given
1. The dimension emphasize the spaciousness
2. It is 1500 miles high, long, and wide
3. The wall is 216 feet thick
5. The city is composed of a number of elements
1. The wall is Jasper (green)
2. The city is transparent gold
3. The 12 foundations:
1. Jasper--green
2. Sapphire--blue
3. Chalcedony--greenish
4. Emerald--green
5. Sardonyx--red and white
6. Sardius--fiery red
7. Chrysolite--golden yellow
8. Beryl--aqua green
9. Topaz--greenish yellow
10. Chrysoprase--golden green
11. Jacinth--violet
12. Amethyst--purple
4. Each gate will be made from a single pearl
5. The streets will also use transparent gold
• APPLICATION: God has always emphasized beauty in his creation. Also, community is very important to God. He places all believers in one city. We don't live on rural farms separated from one another but we live next to each other


Rev 21:22-27 (ESV) And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.


• Continued
6. Besides no ocean, there is no temple, no sun, no moon. God provides the light
7. The entrance to the city is never closed
1. Again, there is this mention of nations
2. It is not clear who the kings of the earth are, but it is clear that God's view of life includes people, activity, and purpose
• Next week, we will discuss the last 4 items, 8 through 11
• APPLICATION: Heaven will be an exciting time. There will be purpose and activity and interaction with others. That's what life is. It is not found in the entertainment of the sinful world, but is found in meaningful and purposeful interaction with believers