Hebrews 11:8-10. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

Verses 14-16 read, "For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

Revelation 21:1-2 -- 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Can you imagine looking up into the heavens and seeing a city descend slowly to the earth?

Sounds like a scene from a Spielburg movie, but this is no movie! This must be one of the great moments on OUR FINAL JOURNEY! The city we have longed for and dreamed of will be presented by God in a way that is nothing less than spectacular.

The New Jerusalem will be presented as a city of glory. John describes the city "as a as a bride adorned for her husband." The New Jerusalem is pictured as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. As a matter of fact, the city is actually called in verse 9b, "the bride, the Lamb's wife." Everyone can appreciate this picture. We all attend weddings. The climax of a wedding is when the bride comes down the aisle, beautifully dressed for her husband! Everyone forgets that poor fellow waiting for her at the altar! Every eye is on the bride because she has prepared herself for weeks to meet her husband there.

The picture of a bride speaks of joy, anticipation, glory, beauty, purity, and love. In the eyes of God, this city is as a bride making her entrance on her wedding day. Without doubt, the sight will be breath taking. "There's a holy city, Whose builder and maker is God; John saw it descending from Heaven, When Patmos, in exile, he trod; Its high massive wall of Jasper, The city itself is pure gold; And when my frail tent here is folded, Mine eyes shall its glory behold, In that bright city, pearly white city, I have a mansion, an harp and a crown; Now I am watching, waiting and longing, For the white city that's soon coming down."

The New Jerusalem will be presented as a city of grandeur. By the description and dimensions given in Revelation 21:15-16, our new home, the Heavenly city, New Jerusalem, is 1,500 miles in each direction forming a perfect cube. What remarkable dimensions! This allows for some pretty amazing skyscrapers, or shall we say "mansions?"

Various scholars at various times have calculated the following:

First, they say, if we took all the cities of the world, and gathered them together, we would get only a 300-mile cube (compared to the New Jerusalem's 1,500-mile cube).

Second, they say, allowing fifteen feet to the story, New Jerusalem would be 5,028 stories high. This would equal the distance from Dallas to Washington D.C. or Tampa to Des Moines. Each of these 5,028 stories would contain 2,250,000 square miles; and all the stories combined would total 11,313,000,000 (11.3 billion) square miles.

Third, were the city to be divided into blocks as in our American cities, there would be at least 625 million blocks. But since it is as high as it is wide and long, there would be at least 7,500,000 streets and 937 billion blocks. In such a city there would be ample room for 10 million houses, each large enough for 12,500 citizens measured by today's standards, or a total population of 125,000,000,000 (125 billion). Creation scientists estimate that only about 80 to 100 billion humans have been born since Adam.

Fourth, if the world stood as it is for 100,000 years, and a billion people died in each generation, there would still be more than enough space for all -- another 5,000,000,000,000 (5 trillion) in the Heavenly City.

What John saw must have blown him away. Surely words fail, even words given and directed by the Holy Spirit. Exiled on the isle of Patmos, this vision of the Holy City must have renewed John who was presently suffering for the Word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ. Just a glimpse of that Heavenly home, the New Jerusalem told John that one day, it would be worth it all.

The apostle Paul directs our minds to the same in II Corinthians 4:16 where he says, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

"Just think of stepping on shore, and finding it Heaven,
of touching a hand and finding it God's,
of breathing the air and finding it celestial,
of waking up in glory and finding it home."

Revelation 21:3 says, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

Here we are told that this will be the dwelling place of God. Isn't that marvelous! The home of God! Can you imagine living next door to God? For sure He will keep His place looking nice and take good care of His yard too. The New Jerusalem is the place where God lives, where He shall dwell in His people and with His people. This is when the name "Immanuel" ("God with us"), will be eternally fulfilled, and when the New Covenant will be fully worked out.

Jeremiah 24:7 reads, "They shall be my people, and I will be their God."

Revelation 21:22-24 says, "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."

Just think about dwelling eternally in the very presence of God! No longer will there be need of any thing symbolic of God and His presence. There will be no need to go to church and worship the Lord. Everyday will be a celebration of His presence! We will have the real thing!

"O that beautiful city With its mansions of light,
With its glorified beings, In pure garments of white,
Where no evil thing cometh, To despoil what is fair,
Where the angels are watching, Is my name written there?
Is my name written there, On the page white and fair?
In the Book of Thy Kingdom, Is my name written there?"

Revelation 21:27. "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

The New Jerusalem will be the home of the redeemed, those whose names have been written in the Lamb's book of life! The moment we believe in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, our name is written in Heaven, giving us our eternal passport to God's celestial city. Our names are not written with erasable ink, but with the eternal, precious, blood of Jesus!

Revelation 22:14 says, "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."

In John 6:29 Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent."

He said in John 14, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

"I was once a sinner, but I came Pardon to receive from my Lord:
This was freely given, and I found, That He always kept His word.

There's a new name written down in glory, And its mine, yes it's mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story, ‘A sinner has come home.'

For there's a new name written down in glory, And its mine, yes it's mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven, never more to roam."

" In the land of fadeless day, Lies the city four square,
It shall never pass away, And there is no night there.
God shall wipe away all tears; There's no death, no pain, nor fears,
And they count not time by years, For there is no night there."

Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Heaven, someone has well said, is the place of "no more," that is no more death, no more sorrow, no more parting, no more pain, no more tears, no more evil!

The New Jerusalem will be wonderful for what is not there, and who is not there!

Revelation 21:7-8 says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Notice Revelation 21:27. "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Then we notice Revelation 22:15. "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

Back in Revelation 21:8 there are three attitudes of heart which result in five visible deeds that mark the lost. The three attitudes are the reasons why some will miss this beautiful city.

First, there are the "fearful," those who are afraid to take on the yoke of Christ, who fear to confess Christ, who are unwilling to be unpopular for a little while. They shrug their shoulders and turn away from the offer of eternal life.

Second, there are the "unbelieving," those who know it is true, but don't want it and refuse the evidence, deliberately turning their backs on truth.

Third, there are the "abominable," or vile. The word means to become foul. People do not start out this way, but by feeding their minds with filthy things, foul literature, filthy attitudes and actions, they become foul-minded.

Do you remember Genesis 6:5-6, where it says, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart."

Out of this mind set, this disposition and attitude, will flow "murderers, and whoremongers (those given to fornication and adultery), and sorcerers (those involved in occult practices), and idolaters, and all liars (those who are living lives of hypocrisy)." None who practice these activities will be in the city of God!

I Corinthians 6:9-11 reads, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

In this fair city, there will be no strip joints, no porn shops, no bars or beer dives, no gambling houses, no rock concerts, no brothels, gay bars, singles bars, and no crack houses! Hallelujah!!!!

"There's a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar. For the Father waits over the way, To prepare us a dwelling place there. In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore."

Revelation 21:10-14 says, "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

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 in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

Verses 18-21 reads, "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."

In the New Jerusalem there will be precious sights. The basic building material of the New Jerusalem is transparent gold, for buildings and for streets, which will create a special kind of splendor as she descends from Heaven. The city is surrounded by a wall that is 144 cubits, or 300 feet high. This wall is made of jasper, again a clear diamond-like substance. It has twelve foundations. The twelve foundations of the wall of the city are decorated with all manner of precious stones. The wall has twelve gates, each made of pearl. And on the gates are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. At these gates stand twelve angels.

In that city will be precious saints.

"O think of the home over there, By the side of the river of light,
Where the saints, all immortal and fair, Are robed in their garments of white.
I'll soon be at home over there, For the end of my journey I see;
Many dear to my heart over there are watching and waiting for me."

Greatest of all, in that city will be our precious Savior.