“Wherefore God is not ashamed to be  called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews  11:16.Answer: The Bible declares that God is building a great city for His  people. And this city is as real and literal as any you have ever  known.

2.   Where is this amazing city that God is  preparing?

“And I John saw the holy city, new  Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.” Revelation 21:2. “O Lord my God  … hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place.” 1 Kings 8:28-30.Answer: This great city that is being constructed is, at this moment,  in far outer space in God’s dwelling place, which is called  heaven.

3.   How do the Scriptures describe this amazing space  city?
Answer:
(A) SIZE
“The city lieth  foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city  with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.” Revelation 21:16. The city is  perfectly square. Its perimeter is 12,000 furlongs, or 1,500 miles (a furlong is  1/8 mile). It is 375 miles long on each side.

(B)  NAME
The city is called “new Jerusalem” in Revelation 21:2.

The  city’s jasper walls are nearly 20 stories tall.

(C) WALLS
“And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred  and forty and four cubits. … And the building of the wall of it was of  jasper.” Revelation 21:17, 18. A wall 144 cubits, or 216 feet high (a cubit is  18 inches), surrounds the city. The wall is made of solid jasper, with radiance  and beauty beyond description. Think of it! Nearly 20 stories high and solid  jasper!

Each city  gate is made of one solid pearl.

(D) GATES
“And had twelve gates … On the east three  gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three  gates.” And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one  pearl.” Revelation 21:12, 13, 21. The city has 12 gates—three on each side—each  one made of a single pearl.

(E)  FOUNDATIONS
“The wall of the city had twelve foundations … garnished  with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second,  sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx;  the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a  topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an  amethyst.” Revelation 21:14-20. The city has 12 full, complete foundations—each  one made of precious stone. Every color of the rainbow will be represented, so  at a distance the city will no doubt appear to be resting upon a rainbow.

The city  streets will be pure gold–reflecting heaven’s glories as a mirror.

(F) STREETS
“The street  of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” Revelation 21:21.

(G) APPEARANCE
“The holy city, …  prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” “Having the glory of God: and her  light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as  crystal.” “The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal  [proportionate].” Revelation 21:2, 11, 16. The city, with all of its precious  stones, gold, and shimmering beauty, will be lighted with the glory of God. In  its breathtaking majesty and purity it is compared to “a bride adorned for her  husband.”

4.   What phenomenal feature of this majestic city assures every  citizen eternal vigor and youth?

“In the  midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree  of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month:  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation  22:2. “Take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” Genesis  3:22.Answer: The tree of life, which bears 12 kinds of fruit (and is in  the middle of the city–Revelation 2:7), brings unending life and youth to all  who partake of it. Even its leaves will contain marvelous sustaining qualities.  This tree will yield a new crop of fruit each month.

5.   Is it true that this amazing city will descend to this  earth?

“And I John saw the holy city, new  Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for  her husband.” Revelation 21:2. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the  earth.” Matthew 5:5. “The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth.” Proverbs  11:31.Answer: Yes, the majestic holy city will come down to this earth to  become the capital of the earth made new. All the righteous will have a home in  this city.

6.   What will happen to sin and sinners?

“All the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be  stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up.” Malachi 4:1. “Fire came  down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9. “The elements  shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein  shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10. “Ye shall tread down the wicked; for they  shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.” Malachi 4:3. “Nevertheless we,  according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth  righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:13.Answer: God will destroy all sin and sinners with fire. This fire  will melt the earth and turn everything into ashes. Then God will make a perfect  new earth, and the holy city will be its capital. Here the righteous will live  in joy, peace, and holiness throughout eternity. God promises that sin will not  rise up again. See Nahum 1:9.

7.   What refreshing, thrilling promises does God make to the  people who enter His new kingdom?
Answer:
A. The Lord, in person, will live with them  (Revelation 21:3).
B. They will never become bored. There will be  pleasures forevermore (Psalms 16:11).
C.There will be no more death,  pain, tears, sorrow, sickness, hospitals, operations, tragedy, disappointment,  trouble, hunger, or thirst (Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 22:3;  Isaiah 65:23; Revelation 7:16).
D. They will not get tired (Isaiah  40:31).
E. Every saved person will be physically whole in every way.  The deaf will hear, the blind will see, the dumb will sing, and the lame will be  able to run (Isaiah 35:5, 6; Philippians 3:21).

There  will be no use for crutches and wheelchairs in  heaven.

F. Jealousy, fear, hatred, falsehood,  envy, impurity, cynicism, filth, worry, and all evil will be forever shut out of  God’s kingdom (Revelation 21:8, 27; 22:15). People will no longer be burdened  with the worries and the cares that drive them to distraction. There will be no  more nervous breakdowns. Time will become eternity, and the pressures and  deadlines of earth will be gone forever.

8.   How will the new earth differ from our earth  today?
Answer:
A. Vast seas as we know them today will be gone  (Revelation 21:1). The oceans and seas cover three-fourths of the earth’s  surface today. This will not be the case in God’s new kingdom. The whole world  will be one huge garden of unsurpassed beauty, interspersed with lakes, rivers,  and mountains (Revelation 22:1; Acts 3:20, 21).

Children  will safely play with lions in the earth made new.

B. The deserts will become gardens (Isaiah  35:1, 2).
C. The animals will all be tame. None will prey upon others,  and a little child will lead them (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25).

There  will be no more natural disasters in the new earth.

D. There will be no more curse (Revelation  22:3).
E. There will be no more violence of any kind (Isaiah 60:18).  This precludes crime, storms, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, injury,  etc.
F. Nothing defiling will be found in the new earth (Revelation  21:27). There will be no cigarette butts, tobacco juice, drunkards, taverns,  alcoholic beverages, brothels, lewd pictures, or any other wickedness or  impurity of any kind.

9.   Will there be children in God’s kingdom? If so, will they  grow up?

“And the streets of the city shall  be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.” Zechariah 8:5. “And  ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Malachi 4:2.Answer: Yes, there will be many boys and girls in the holy city  (Isaiah 11:6-9), and these youngsters will grow up (Malachi 4:2). We have  degenerated much in stature, intellect, and vitality since Adam, but all of this  will be restored (Acts 3:20, 21).

10.   When reunited with loved ones in heaven, will the saved  know each other?

Then shall I know even as  also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.Answer: The Bible clearly teaches that righteous loved ones who have  died will be raised to join the righteous living in God’s kingdom (Isaiah 26:19;  Jeremiah 31:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). And the  Scriptures also teach that people in God’s new kingdom will know each other,  just as people recognize each other on the earth today.

11.   Will people in heaven be real, with flesh and  bones?

“Jesus himself stood in the midst of  them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and  affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why  are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and  my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh  and bones, as ye see me have.” “And while they yet believed not for joy, and  wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of  a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.”  “And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and … while he blessed them, he was  parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” Luke 24:36-39, 41-43, 50, 51.  “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like  manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11. “The Lord Jesus Christ  … shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious  body.” Philippians 3:20, 21.Answer: After His resurrection, Jesus proved to His desciples that He  was flesh and bones by having them feel Him and by eating food. This same Jesus  of flesh and bones ascended to His Father and will come again to the earth. The  righteous will be given bodies just like the body of Christ and will be real  people with flesh and bones throughout eternity. The difference will be that the  heavenly body will not be subject to death, decay, or deterioration. The  teaching that the saved in heaven will be ghosts who float on mist clouds and do  nothing but play harps has no foundation in the Scriptures. Jesus did not die on  the cross to provide any such trivial and foolish future for those who accept  His love and nobly follow His way of life. Most people have no interest in such  an ethereal existence and, therefore, have little or no desire to enter God’s  heavenly kingdom–often preferring it only because they fear hell. If only all  people everywhere could learn the truth about God’s holy city and new earth,  millions would begin to understand His love and would turn to Him with all their  hearts. A person who misses out on God’s kingdom has made the supreme blunder of  a lifetime.

12.   How will the righteous spend their time in the heavenly  kingdom?

“They shall build houses, and  inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They  shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: …  mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:21,  22.Answer: The righteous will build their own homes in the new earth.  (Each will also have a city mansion built by Christ–John 14:1-3.) They will  plant vineyards and eat the fruit from them. The Bible is plain. Real people do  real things in heaven, and they will thoroughly enjoy it all.

13.   In what other thrilling activites will the redeemed  participate in?
Answer:
A. Sing and play heavenly music (Isaiah 35:10;  51:11; Psalms 87:7; Revelation 14:2, 3).
B. Worship before God’s  throne every Sabbath (Isaiah 66:22, 23).
C. Enjoy never-fading flowers  and trees (Ezekiel 47:12; Isaiah 35:1, 2).
D. Visit with loved ones,  patriarchs, prophets, etc. (Matthew 8:11; Revelation 7:9-17).

Heaven  will bring us the privilege of becoming friends with Bible patriarchs and  prophets.

E. Study the animals of heaven  (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25).
F. Travel and explore without ever becoming  weary (Isaiah 40:31).
G. Listen to God sing (Zephaniah  3:17).
H. Realize fondest ambitions (Psalms 37:3, 4; Isaiah  65:24).
I. Greatest joy of all–the privilege of being like Jesus,  traveling with Him, and seeing Him face to face (Revelation 14:4; 22:4; 21:3; 1  John 3:2).

14.   Can feeble human language really describe the glories of  the heavenly home?

“Eye hath not seen, nor  ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath  prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.Answer: Not even in its wildest dreams can the heart of man begin to  comprehend the marvels of God’s eternal kingdom. All that Adam lost will be  restored (Acts 3:20, 21).

15.   Is this kingdom being prepared for me  personally?

“Whosoever will, let him take the  water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17. “To an inheritance incorruptible …  reserved in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:4. “I go to prepare a place for you.”  John 14:2.Answer: It is prepared for you personally. The invitation from the  Lord is to you personally. If rejected, friend, you will have no one to blame  but yourself.

16.   How can I be assured of a place in that great and glorious  kingdom?

“Behold, I stand at the door, and  knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in.” Revelation  3:20. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to  the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation  22:14. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the  kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 7:21. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons  of God.” John 1:12. “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all  sin.” 1 John 1:7.Answer: The Bible makes it plain. It is simple. Give your life to  Christ for cleansing from sin. When you do this, He also gives you power to do  His will and keep His commandments. This means, of course, that you will begin  to live as Christ lived and will overcome all sin. “He that overcometh shall  inherit all things.” Revelation 21:7. In short, a person is prepared for heaven  when he has heaven in his heart.

17.   I have decided to accept Jesus’ offer to live with Him  forever in His heavenly kingdom.
Answer:

Thought Questions

1.   How can heaven be  a happy place when the saved think of loved ones who are lost? (Revelation 21:4  )

The Bible says that God will “wipe away all tears  from their eyes.” Revelation 21:4. Surrounded by the beauty and joys of the new  earth, God’s redeemed people will forget the tragedies and heartaches of the  past; “the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Isaiah 65:17.

2.   The Bible says, “Flesh and blood cannot  inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:50. How, then, can the redeemed be  flesh and bones? (1 Corinthians 15:50 )

Here the Bible uses the term “flesh” to describe  the unconverted person. A similar thought is expressed in Romans 8:8, 9: “They  that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the  Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.” John 3:6 says, “That  which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is  spirit.” The term “flesh” here again refers to the unconverted person, while the  term “spirit” refers to the converted or “born again” person. So the Bible is  simply saying in 1 Corinthians 15:50 that no one can enter God’s kingdom unless  conversion first takes place and flesh becomes spirit. Christ, in His  resurrected body, declared that He was truly “flesh and bones.” Luke 24:39. We  shall have a body like His, according to Philippians 3:21.

3.   Is the apostle Peter in charge of the gate  of the holy city? (Matthew 16:19 )

No! The Bible says in Revelation 21:12 that the  new Jerusalem–the holy city of God–has 12 gates, and at the gates are 12  angels. No reference is made in the Bible to any of the apostles as guardians of  the gates.

4.   Is the holy city really big enough to hold  all the saved people of all ages? (Matthew 7:14 )

If the city were to be crowded and each saved  person given only 100 square feet of ground space, there would be room for 39  billion people in the city, which is many times the present population of the  world. Many statisticians believe that if all the people who have ever lived  were saved, there would be plenty of room for them in the city. The Scriptures  make it clear, however, that only a few will be saved (Matthew 7:14). So there  will be more than enough room in the great city.

5.   Sometimes I wonder if the reward is worth  the sacrifice. It seems that Satan is about to overwhelm me at times. Does the  Bible offer me any encouragement? (Romans 8:18 )

Yes. In fact, the apostle Paul must have been  thinking of someone like you when he wrote, “The sufferings of this present time  are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  Romans 8:18. Just one glimpse of that eternal kingdom will cause the worst  trials and persecutions of earth to pale into insignificance, and the redeemed  will cry out: “Hallelujah, heaven is cheap enough!”

6.   Will little babies who die be saved in  God’s kingdom? (Matthew 2:16-18 )

We do not have a specific Bible answer to this  question, but many choose to believe that infants will be saved on the basis of  Matthew 2:16-18. There the Bible tells of wicked king Herod slaying all the male  babies in Bethlehem who were two years old or younger. The Old Testament  foretold this tragic, cruel incident, and God told the mothers to stop crying  because their children would one day be restored to them. “Refrain thy voice  from weeping, … they [the slain children] shall come again from the land of  the enemy. … Thy children shall come again to their own border.” Jeremiah  31:16, 17. This is an obvious reference to the resurrection.

7.   Do I understand correctly that heaven, the  home of the saved, will be right here on this earth? (Revelation 21:2,3;22:1,3 )

That is correct. Although the holy city is now in  God’s dwelling place, He is going to move it to this earth. Sin and sinners will  be destroyed with fire, and the earth will be made new and given to the  righteous in all of its Edenic glory and beauty. The holy city will be the  capital of the new earth, and God will move His throne here (Revelation 21:2, 3;  22:1, 3) and live with the righteous right here on this earth throughout  eternity. And where the Lord abides, that is heaven. God’s plan is to restore to  man what Adam lost: the glories of a perfect life on a perfect planet. Satan and  sin interrupted God’s plan, but the plan will be carried out. We can all share  in this new kingdom–and we must! It’s too much to miss.

8.   Why do so many teach and believe that the  home of the saved is a misty place with ghostlike inhabitants who float on  clouds and do nothing but play harps? (John 8:44 )

This teaching originated with the devil, the  father of lies (John 8:44). He is anxious to distort God’s loving plan and  present heaven as an unreal, “spooky” place so people will lose interest or  become skeptical of God’s Word altogether. Satan well knows that when men and  women fully understand the Bible truth regarding the home of the saved, his  power over them is broken, because they will begin making plans to enter that  kingdom. This is why he works so hard to becloud the issue and spread falsehood  regarding that heavenly home.

Quiz Questions

1.   The holy city in space (1)
___   Is not literal, but simply an allegory.
___   Is a literal city being prepared now by God in His  dwelling place.
___   Does not exist except in  the minds of some people.

2.   This holy  city (1)
___   Will be destroyed by a nuclear  explosion.
___   Will be captured by Satan and  his host.
___   Will descend to this earth and  become the capital for the earth made new.

3.   In the following list, check the true Bible facts  regarding the holy city: (7)
___   It is called  the new Jerusalem.
___   It is about the size of  London.
___   Its walls are of topaz.
___   The city is as long as it is wide.
___   The streets are of pure gold.
___   The city has 14 foundations.
___   The apostle Peter stands at its gate.
___   Each of its 12 gates is made of one pearl.
___   Its perimeter is 1,500 miles.

4.   The tree of life (1)
___   Is a real tree that will impart eternal vigor and youth  to God’s people.
___   Is a figure of speech and  means only that God will give His people strength.
___   Existed in the beginning but will not be included in  the new-earth kingdom.

5.   In the  following list, check all items that are true Bible promises to people in God’s  new kingdom: (5)
___   The Lord will perform  marriages daily.
___   The tree of life bears 20  kinds of fruit.
___   The Lord Himself will live  with His people.
___   After a million years,  the saints will become bored.
___   There will  be no more death or sorrow.
___   People will  never get tired.
___   The lame will be carried  around by angels.
___   Angels will be the  doctors and perform all operations.
___   The  blind will receive sight.

6.   Check the statements  below that tell the truth about the new earth: (6)
___   The seas of today will be no more.
___   The deserts will be larger.
___   Animals will be kept in lovely heavenly cages.
___   Tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods will  not be known.
___   Cigarette butts will be  carefully removed from the streets daily by the angels.
___   Flowers and trees will not wilt or fade.
___   Heaven will be right here on earth.
___   Sin will not arise a second time.
___   The glories of it all cannot be described.

7.   The righteous in the heavenly kingdom  (1)
___   Will be ghosts who play harps and float  on clouds.
___   Will not know other loved ones  and friends who may be there.
___   Will have  real bodies of flesh and bones and will know each other.

8.   We know that people in heaven will be real and will  do real things because (1)
___   Science has  proved this conclusively.
___   The Bible says  we will be like Christ, who was real (had flesh and bones) after His  resurrection and did real things.
___   Many  preachers say this is so.

9.   I can be  sure of a place in that heavenly kingdom if I (1)
___   Say daily that I love the Lord.
___   Am fearful enough of hell.
___   Accept and follow Christ and keep His commandments.

10.   What will the saved do in the  heavenly kingdom? Check the true Bible facts listed below: (5)
___   Build houses and live in them.
___   Plant vineyards.
___   Kill animals and eat them.
___   Play heavenly instruments and sing praises to God.
___   Worship before God’s throne.
___   Fly past hell and taunt the lost.
___   Eat of the tree of life.