Heaven (Part 33) - New Jerusalem - Its Size (Part C)

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Heaven (Part 33) - New Jerusalem (Part C) G. New Jerusalem is gigantic (Rev 21:15-16). i. The city is cube-shaped (Rev 21:15-16). ii. The measurement of each side is 12,000 furlongs (Rev 21:16). a. Furlong n. - 1. Originally, the length of the furrow in the common field, which was theoretically regarded as a square containing ten acres. As a lineal measure, the furlong therefore varied according to the extent assigned at various times and places to the acre, but was usually understood to be equal to 40 poles (rods, perches). As early as the 9th c. it was regarded as the equivalent of the Roman stadium, which was 1/8 of a Roman mile; and hence furlong has always been used as a name for the eighth part of an English mile, whether this coincided with the agricultural measure so called or not. The present statute furlong is 220 yards, and is equal both to the eighth part of a statute mile, and to the side of a square of 10 statute acres. a. as a measure in current use. b. Since a furlong is 1/8 mile, 12,000 furlongs is 1,500 miles. (i) This means that the new Jerusalem is 1,500 miles long, wide, and high. (ii) New Jerusalem's footprint is 2,250,000 sq miles. (iii) The land area of the continental United States is 3,119,884.69 sq miles (Contiguous United States, Wikipedia, 6-10-2021). (iv) That means that new Jerusalem would take up 72% of the land area of the continental US. c. It would also extend 1,500 miles into the air. (i) Planes fly at about 35,000 ft which is 6.63 miles. (ii) Low Earth Orbit where satellites orbit is <1,200 miles (Low Earth Orbit, Wikipedia, 6-10-2021). (iii) That means that satellites would collide with the new Jerusalem if it were on the present earth. (iv) See graphic below to see how large the new Jerusalem would be on this present earth. d. The total volume of new Jerusalem is 3,375,000,000 cubic miles (1500³). (i) If there are 9 billion people (see Section X, 3) in the new Jerusalem, there would be 0.375 mile³ per person. (ii) That would be 55,199,232,000 ft³ per person. (iii) If each living space had 10ft ceilings... 1. Every person would have 5,519,923,200 ft² of living quarters in the city. 2. That means that every person would have 126,720 acres of living space. 3. That means that every person would have 198 square miles of living space. 4. That means that every person’s plot would be 14.07 miles by 14.07 miles if it were square. (iv) If each living space had 100ft ceilings... 1. Every person would have 551,992,320 ft² of living quarters in the city. 2. That means that every person would have 12,672 acres of living space. 3. That means that every person would have 19.8 square miles of living space. 4. That means that every person’s plot would be 4.45 miles by 4.45 miles if it were square. 5. Excelsior Springs is 10.86 square miles (Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Wikipedia, 7-7-2023). 6. That means that each of us would have a property nearly twice the size of the city of Excelsior Springs in the new Jerusalem. (v) That's plenty of space for those worried about feeling claustrophobic living in a city. H. New Jerusalem is made of pure gold (Rev 21:18b). i. The gold is so pure that is like unto clear glass. ii. There are no impurities in it, and it reflects light like a glass mirror. iii. The streets of the city are made of pure gold which is as clear as transparent glass (Rev 21:21b). iv. Transparent adj. - 1. a. Having the property of transmitting light, so as to render bodies lying beyond completely visible; that can be seen through; diaphanous. I. There is no temple in the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:22). i. There is no temple because God the Father and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) are the temple of it (Rev 21:22b). ii. The body of the Lord Jesus Christ is God's temple (Joh 2:19-21). a. The church is the body of Christ (1Co 12:27). b. The church is therefore the temple of God (1Co 3:16-17; Eph 2:20-22; 1Pe 2:5). c. The church, which is the bride of Christ (Eph 5:25-27), is identified as the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:2, 9-10) because the heavenly city is the dwelling place of the church. d. It therefore makes sense that there is no temple in the new Jerusalem because Jesus Christ and His body and bride, the church, who are the temple, are there. iii. There is a tabernacle in the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:3 c/w Rev 13:6). a. The tabernacle is God's special dwelling place. b. Jesus Christ entered into the holy place in this "more perfect tabernacle" after His death (Heb 9:11-12). c. This is "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man" (Heb 8:2). d. The tabernacle which Moses constructed was patterned after the heavenly tabernacle (Heb 8:5; Heb 9:23-24). J. The city has no need of the sun or moon because the glory of God and the Lamb are the light of it (Rev 21:23). i. Rev 21:23 and Rev 22:5 don't say that there is no sun on the new earth, but there is no need for the sun in the new Jerusalem because God's glory lights it. ii. There will be no night in the city, and therefore the gates will never be shut (Rev 21:25). iii. See Section X, 21 - Will there be day and night in heaven?. K. The new Jerusalem is a place where the nations of them which are saved walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it (Rev 21:24, 26). i. We can deduce a few things from this. ii. There will be nations on the new earth. iii. People from those nations will live in, visit, and walk in the light of the new Jerusalem. iv. There will be kings of the nations on the new earth. v. They will bring their glory and honor into the city. a. Their glory refers at least in part to their wealth (Psa 49:16-17; 1Th 2:6 c/w 1Co 9:9-18; Est 5:11; Jer 9:23). b. This wealth is not the wealth they had on this present earth (Job 1:21; Ecc 5:15; 1Ti 6:7; Luk 12:18-20). c. Therefore, wealth must be created on the new earth through labor and industry. d. This implies that the kings of the nations do not always reside in the new Jerusalem, but reside outside of it and periodically bring offerings to God in the city.