How does John describe the new Jerusalem?
I. Video Data. John Ankerberg Show. Dr. John Ankerberg (M. Div., D. Min.), Dr. Ron Rhodes (Th.M., Th. D.), Dr. Ed Hindson (Th. M., Th. D., D. Min., Ph. D.), Dr. Mark Hitchcock (Th. M., J.D. Ph. D.)
II. Introduction. Dr. C.I. Scofield (D. D.; 1843-1921) Scofield Study Bible (1909, 1917, 1937, 1945, 1984, 1998, 2002, 2006, Editor, C.I. Scofield, Editorial Revision 1967 Committee Members: Charles L. Feinberg, Th. B., Th. M., Th. D., Ph. D., John F. Walvoord, Th. B., Th. M., Th. D.), and others.
A. 22:1-5: The new paradise; its river and tree of life. B. 22:6-19: The Last Message of the Bible. C. 22:20-21: Conclusion.
III. Overview.
A. Dr. Kendell H. Easley (M. Div.; Ph. D.) The Book of Revelation, Holman New Testament Commentary.
1. 22:1-5: Jesus Among His People Forever. 2. 22:6-16: Divine Authority of the Prophecy, 3, 22:17-21: Nearness of Christ’s Return.
B. Dr. David Jeremiah. (Th. M., D.D.) Jeremiah Study Bible.
1. 22:1-5: The River Of Life. 2. 22:6-11: The Time Is Near. 3. 22:12-17: Jesus Testifies To The Churches. 4. 18-19; A Warning. 5. 22:20-21: I Am Coming Quickly.
C. Dr. John Phillips (D. Min; 1927-2010) Revelation Commentary.
1. 22:1-5: John’s Final Impressions. 2. 22:6-10: The Faithful Word Of God. 3. 22:11-16: The Finished Work Of Christ. 4. 22:17-21: The Final Witness Of The Spirit.
D. Dr. Daniel Green (Th. D., D. Min.) The Moody Bible Commentary.
1. 21:1-22:5: The New Heaven And New Earth. 2. 22:6-21: The Concluding Message.
E. Dr. Robert L. Thomas (Th. M., Th. D.; 1928-2017). Revelation Commentary.
1. 21:9-22:5: The Holy City. 2. 22:6-7: The Testimony Of The Angel. 3. 22:8-11: The Testimony Of John, 4. 22:12-20: The Testimony Of Jesus And John’s Response. 5. 22:21: The Grace Of The Lord Jesus Be With All.
F. Dr. Charles L. Feinberg (Th. B., Th. M., Th. D., Ph. D., 1909-1995). Liberty Commentary Bible.
1. 22:1: The River Of the Water Of Life. 2. 22:2. The Tree Of Life. 3: 22:3a: The Removal Of The Curse. 4. 22:3b: The Throne Of God And Of The Lamb. 5. 22:3c-4: The Bliss Of The Godly. 6. 22:5a-5b: The Absence Of Darkness. 7. 22:5c: The Saints Reign. 8. 22:6: The Validity Of The Message. 9: 22:7a. The Coming Of Christ. 10: 22:7b: The Blessedness Of The Obedient. 11. 22:8-9: John’s Reaction To The Revelation. 12: 22:10-19: The Angel’s Final Words. 13: 22:20: The Testimony Of Christ To His Coming. 14. 22:21: Benediction.
G. Dr. John F. Walvoord (Th. B., Th. M., Th. D., 1910-2002) The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
“The whole of the things described in the remaining portion of the book are subsequent to the general judgment, and descriptive of the consummation of the triumph and bliss of Christ’s people with Him in the eternal kingdom of God: 1. 22:1-2a: The river of the water of life. 2. 22:2b: The tree of life. 3. 22:3-4: The throne of God. 4. 22:5: The saints’ reign with God. 5. 22:6-7: The certainty of the return of Christ. 6. 22:8-9: The worship by John. 7. 22: 10-11: The Command to proclaim the prophecy of the book. 8. 22:12: The coming judgment and reward. 9. 22:13: The eternal Christ. 10. 22:14-15: The coming blessing and judgment. 11. 22:16-17: The invitation of the Spirit and the Bride. 12. 22:18-19: The final warning. 13. 22:20-21: The final prayer and promise.
H. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost (Th. B., Th., D., 1915-2014) Things To Come.
1. p494. By establishing the theocracy on earth for a thousand years, under the Messianic theocratic King, God has accomplished His purpose of demonstrating His rule in the sphere in which that authority was first challenged. By merging this earthly theocracy with the eternal kingdom, God’s eternal sovereignty is established. Such was the purpose of God in planning the theocratic kingdom and developing it through successive stages throughout history until it reaches the climax of the program in the theocracy under the enthroned Christ in the millennium. That authority, which Satan first challenged, Christ has now demonstrated belongs safely to God. God’s right to rule is eternally vindicated. 2. p561. After the dissolution of the present heaven and earth at the end of the millennium, God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1). By a definite act of creation, God calls into being a new heaven and a new earth. As God created the present heavens and earth to be the scene of His theocratic display, so God will create the new heavens and earth to be the scene of the eternal theocratic kingdom of God.
IV. Scripture Text. Revelation Chapter 22 (NASB 1995). Link pasted from Bible Gateway.
V. Verse Examination. Revelation 202.
Dr. Charles C. Ryrie (Th. M., Th. D., Ph. D.; 1925-2016) Ryrie Study Bible).
A. 22:1-2. These descriptive phrases indicate fullness of life and continuous blessing in the New Jerusalem. B. 22:3-5. The “curse” and all darkness will be excluded, and service, communion, and reigning will be the believers’ privileges. C. 22:8-9. Again, John is commanded not to worship angels (see 19:10). D. 22:11. When Christ comes there will be no more opportunity for a man to change his identity. What he is then he will be forever. E. 22:12. Salvation is not of works but rewards are. F. 22:14. “Blessed are those who wash their robes.” I. e., believers. G. 22:15. “dogs.” Not animals, but people of low character (cf. Phil 3:2). H. 22:16-17. Jesus is gracious because (1) He gave the book of Revelation to the churches, (2) as the son of “David: he will fulfill Israel’s promises, (3) He is the “moring star,” the precursor of the new day, and (4) He offers the “water of life” freely. I. 22:18. For similar OT warnings against additions or omissions, see Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:6. J. 22:20. “Yes, I am coming quickly.” The third occurrence of this promise (see VV. 7, 12). The believer’s reaction is “Do come quickly, Lord Jesus!”
VI. Summary.
Dr. Orville J. Nave, Nave’s Study Bible, 1978 (D.D., LL. D., 1841-1917). Orville J. Nave (Editor). Anna Seamans Nave (Editor). In this twenty-second chapter of Revelation, we see” 1. The river and tree of life. 3. The blessedness of God’s servants. 6 .The conclusion: sundry directions, promises, and exhortations. 18. Nothing may be added to, or taken from, the words of this book.
VII. Parting Thought. The Kingdom which will come.
A. Dr. Andy Woods (Th. M., J. D., Ph. D.)
https://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2012/04/coming-kingdom-part-1.html
EARLY GENESIS AND THE KINGDOM
1. The biblical story of the kingdom begins as early as the Garden of Eden. Here, God placed Adam and Eve in a position of authority over God’s creation. Gen 1:26-28 says:
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'”
2. It should be noted that Adam and Eve were given authority over the physical realm (fish, birds, living things that move on the earth). Here, God arranged for humanity’s first couple to govern God’s creation on God’s behalf. The technical term for this hierarchy is the office of Theocratic Administrator. This term simply refers to someone who governs for God. In other words, God ruled the world indirectly through the first Adam.
3. However, Satan soon took the form of a serpent with the specific goal of perverting and reversing this divinely ordained hierarchy. Instead of governing the physical world for God, Adam and Eve were influenced by creation (the serpent) to rebel against God (Gen 3). Such rebellion represented a top to bottom reversal of God’s original intention for the office of Theocratic Administrator. Satan’s success in inciting this rebellion effectively removed the office of Theocratic Administrator from the earth, as Satan became the ruler of the world (Luke 4:5-8; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2). What then is the story-line of the Bible? It is how this office is restored through the messianic kingdom. Just as God the Father originally intended to indirectly govern the physical world through the first Adam, He will one day govern the world through the Last Adam or God the Son.
4. The restoration of the physical kingdom or office of Theocratic Administrator as the dominant theme of the Bible has been recognized by numerous theologians.
5. The universal kingdom is eternal, comprehensive, and under God’s direct rule. By contrast, the theocratic kingdom is futuristic, earthly, and under God’s indirect rule. God’s theocratic, mediatorial kingdom is a vast, sweeping subject from the first book of the Bible to the last.
B. Alva J. McLain, (A.B., LL, D., D.D., B. D., Th. M.) The Greatness Of The Kingdom, p 81.
(1) When the last enemy of God is put down by our Lord, as the Mediatorial King, the purpose of the Mediatorial Kingdom will have been fulfilled (1 Cor 15:25-26). (2). At this time, Christ will hand over the Mediatorial Kingdom to God, to be merged into the eternal Kingdom, so that the Mediatorial Kingdom is perpetuated forever, but no longer having a separate identity (1 Cor 15:24, 28). (3). This does not mean the end of our Lord’s rule. He only ceases to rule as a Mediatorial King. But, as the eternal Son, second person the one true God, He shares the throne with the Father in the final Kingdom (Rev. 22:3-5; cf 3:21).
C. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. mediatorial: of, relating to, or appropriate to a mediator.
D. The importance of Prophecy. The prophecies that are written in the Bible will happen.
1. The Coming Kingdom. Jesus told Jews to pray for the Kingdom to come (Matt 6:10). At the end of the Tribulation Israel calls on Jesus to save them from utter annihilation (Zech 12:10). Jesus ascends from Heaven to earth and saves Israel (Rev 19:11-21). The Kingdom has come, and Jesus rules and reigns over the earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years in the Kingdom Age (Rev 20:4). After 1,000 years Jesus turns over the Kingdom to God (the Father) (1 Cor 15:24-28). But, as the eternal Son, second person the one true God, He shares the throne with the Father in the final Kingdom (Rev. 22:3-5; cf. 3:21). The Kingdom will come and the eternal state will immediately follow.
2. We will follow this study of the Book of Revelation with the prophetic studies of Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel and Matthew. Dr. Jimmy DeYoung (Deceased) said that Daniel is the timeline of the Gentiles, and Ezekiel is the timeline of the Jews; Zechariah also has a sizeable amount of Jewish prophetic flavor in its teachings. The audience of Matthew is Jewish, and tells of the offer of the Kingdom, only to Israel, and of their rejection of that offer. The preaching of Jesus and His disciples went only to Jews. There was no church at the time of the preaching of Jesus to the Jews. Jesus said that He was going to build His church, which did not happen until after His death, burial and resurrection, and ascension to Heaven. Matthew tells of the time that exists between the first and second advents of Christ, and of the time of the Tribulation and Kingdom age, all of which was taught to Jews.
VIII. My Bucket List shows the references, of people and documents, that I use when I write my articles.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/bucket-list/embed/.
IX. My Websites To Follow.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/ Eternity
https://untotheleastofthese.home.blog/ Commentary Preparation
https://thechurchoftheopendoor.wordpress.com/ Israel Website
https://success2693.wordpress.com/ Israel, History And Prophecy
Eternity 