Some Questions concerning the New Jerusalem -- By: Gary G. Cohen

Journal: Grace Journal
Volume: GJ 06:3 (Fall 1965)
Article: Some Questions concerning the New Jerusalem
Author: Gary G. Cohen


Some Questions concerning the New Jerusalem

Gary G. Cohen

Faith Theological Seminary

The mass of humanity and even many believers are completely unaware that the Bible teaches that the redeemed of the ages will someday have their eternal abiding place on this earth after it has been purified by fire and re-established in holiness. At this time a magnificent literal celestial city shall come down from heaven to earth and this city, New Jerusalem, shall be the center of all human life, the abiding place of the Church, and the very dwelling place of the throne of God and of the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Rev 21:1–22:5).

The purpose of this study will be to examine some of the key questions concerning this future metropolis. It is the hope of the writer that prayerful contemplation of this topic will enlarge the vision of the believer to see that,

since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him (Isa 64:4).

It is to be greatly regretted that Emanuel Swedenborg and his Church of the New Jerusalem have so left sound exegesis of the Scriptures for doctrines of their own making that their writings on this topic shed upon it only allegorizing darkness and no light whatsoever.1

Where Shall Believers Spend Eternity?

After the yet future Second Coming of Christ and the following thousand year period of His millennial reign the Bible clearly teaches that this present earth is to be burned by fire and the planet then re-established anew by God (Rev 21:1; 2 Pet 3:7; Isa 65:17, 66:22). After the “new heaven” and “new earth” God causes a new city, “New Jerusalem” to descend out of heaven down to earth (Rev 21:2, 10).

This New Jerusalem is seen to be the eternal dwelling place of the members of the Church. In fact, it is essentially synonymous with the Church and is therefore referred to by the identical names by which the Church is known. Thus the city is called, “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev 21:9) which names clearly point to those believers who comprise the Church (Heb 12:22–23; Eph 5:22–...

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