“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. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 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” (Rev 21:1-4).
The illustrious bible commentator, Uriah Smith, comparing ancient Babylon with the New Jerusalem, wrote: “The character of this empire [Babylon] is indicated by the nature of the material composing that portion of the image by which it was symbolized – the head of gold. It was the golden kingdom of a golden age. Babylon, its metropolis, towered to a height never reached by any of its successors. Situated in the garden of the East; laid out in a perfect square sixty miles in circumference, fifteen miles on each side; surrounded by a wall three hundred and fifty feet high and eighty-seven feet thick, with a moat, or ditch, around this of equal cubic capacity with the wall itself; divided into six hundred and seventy-six squares, each two and a quarter miles in circumference, by its fifty streets, each one hundred and fifty feet in width, crossing each other at right angles, twenty-five running each way, every one of them straight and level and fifteen miles in length; its two hundred and twenty-five square miles of enclosed surface, divided as just described, laid out in luxuriant pleasure-grounds and gardens, interspersed with magnificent dwellings – this city, with its sixty miles of moat, its sixty miles of outer walls, its thirty miles of river wall through its centre, its hundred and fifty gates of solid brass, its hanging gardens, rising terrace above terrace, till they equalled in height the wall themselves, its temple of Belus, three miles in circumference, its two royal palaces, one three and a half, and the other eight miles in circumference, with its subterranean tunnel under the River Euphrates connecting these two palaces, its perfect arrangement for convenience, ornament, and defence, and its unlimited resources – this city, containing in itself many things which were themselves wonders of the world, was itself another and still mightier wonder. Never before saw the earth a city like that; never since has it seen its equal. And there, with the whole earth prostrate at her feet, a queen in peerless grandeur, drawing from the pen of inspiration itself this glowing title, ‘The glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency’, sat this city, fit capital of the kingdom which constituted the golden head of the great image.
Such was Babylon, with Nebuchadnezzar, in the prime of life, bold, vigorous, and accomplished, seated upon its throne, when Daniel entered its impregnable walls to serve a captive for seventy years in its gorgeous palaces. There the children of the Lord, oppressed more than cheered by the glory and prosperity of the land of their captivity, hung their harps on the willows of the Euphrates, and wept when they remembered Zion.
And there commenced the captive state of the church in a still broader sense; for, ever since that time, the people of God have been in subjection to, and more or less oppressed by, earthly powers. And so they will be, till all earthly powers shall finally yield to Him whose right it is to reign. And lo! That day of deliverance draws on apace.
Into another city, not only Daniel, but all the children of God, from least to greatest, from first to last, are soon to enter; a city not merely sixty miles in circumference, but fifteen hundred miles; a city whose wall are not brick and bitumen, but precious stones and jasper; whose streets are not the stone-paved streets of Babylon, smooth and beautiful as they were, but transparent gold; whose river is not the mournful waters of the Euphrates, but the river of life; whose music is not the sighs and laments of broken-hearted captives, but the thrilling paeans of victory over death and the grave, which ransomed multitudes shall raise; whose light is not the intermittent light of earth, but the increasing and ineffable glory of God and the Lamb. Into this city they shall enter, not as captives entering a foreign land, but as exiles returning to their father’s house. Yea, our mouths shall be filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing, when the Lord shall turn again the captivity of Zion – Ps 136:1-2; Rev 21:1-27” (Uriah Smith, 1899, p. 46-48).
The Christian’s suffering turns to joy
This excerpt from Smith’s commentary on Daniel concisely contrasts the most magnificent of everything which this world can offer, and that it is still nothing in comparison to what the Lord God, our Creator and Redeemer, has promised to all who love him. The world cannot comprehend the Christian’s attitude, which chooses suffering and sorrow to the riches of the world. For example, “By faith Moses, when he was come of years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” (Heb 11:24-26).
And, the apostle Paul, in similar vein, writes: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Phil 3:8-11).
The Celestial City: an allegory of the New Jerusalem
Uriah Smith’s description of the joy and glory of the redeemed when they enter heaven, the New Jerusalem, thrills the soul; but it is all too brief. One loves to meditate and consider the joys of heaven, and being with the Lord Jesus at last, especially when life’s hardships become more pressing. John Bunyan felt this, no doubt, and it is shown in his account of the Celestial City – the heaven of “The Pilgrim’s Progress”.
After a long journey towards the Celestial City, a journey filled with sorrows, dread and fear, persecution, frustration, guilt, and shame, and yet with periods of great comfort and joy, the climax of the story comes when Christian and his companion, Hopeful, arrive at a river. The goal of their journey is in sight, but they have to cross the river to get there – none can enter the Celestial City without doing so.
The annotator comments: “This is the River of Death; a river without a bridge to span it, and its waters are very deep. The men shuddered at the sight” (Maguire p. 218 note). The two companions enter it together, Hopeful supporting Christian, who’s faith begins to fail as he loses sight of his desired goal. But after much trauma and difficulty, the two manage to cross it.
Bunyan continues the narrative: “Now upon the bank of the river, on the other side, they saw the two shining men again, who there waited for them. Wherefore being come out of the river they saluted them, saying, “We are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Heb 1:14). Thus they went along towards the gate.
Now you must note that the City stood upon a mighty hill: but the pilgrims went up the hill with ease, because they had these two men to lead them up by the arms: also, they had left their mortal garments behind them in the river; for though they went in with them they came out without them. They therefore went up here with much agility and speed, though the foundation upon which the City was framed was higher than the clouds. They therefore went up through the regions of the air, sweetly talking as they went, being comforted because they safely got over the river, and had such glorious companions to attend them.
The talk that they had with the shining ones was about the glory of the place; who told them that the beauty and glory of it was inexpressible. There, said they, is “Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb 12:22-24). You are going now, said they, to the paradise of God, wherein you shall see the Tree of Life, and eat of the never-fading fruits thereof: and when you come there you shall have white robes given you, and your walk and your talk shall be every day with the King, even all the days of eternity (Rev 2:7; 3:4-5; 22:5). There you shall not see again such things as you saw when you were in the lower regions upon the earth, to wit, sorrow, sickness, and death (Isa 65:16); for the former things are passed away. You are going now to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to the prophets, men that God hath “taken away from the evil to come”, and that are now “resting upon their beds, each one walking in his uprightness”. The men then asked, What must we do in the holy place? To whom it was answered, You must there receive the comfort of all your toil, and have joy for sorrow; you must reap what you have sown (Gal 6:7-8), even the fruit of all your prayers, and tears, and sufferings for the King by the way. In that place you must wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One; for there you “shall see him as he is” (1 Jn 3:2). There also you shall serve him continually with praise, with shouting, and thanksgiving, whom you desired to serve in the world, though with much difficulty because of the infirmity of your flesh. There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, and your ears with hearing the pleasant voice of the Mighty One. There you shall enjoy your friends again, that are gone thither before you; and there you shall with joy receive even every one that follows into the holy place after you. There also you shall be clothed with glory and majesty, and put into an equipage fit to ride out with the King of Glory. When he shall come with sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the wings of the wind, you shall come with him: and, when he shall sit upon the throne of judgment, you shall sit by him: yea, and when he shall pass sentence upon all the workers of iniquity, let them be angels or men, you shall also have a voice in that judgment, because they are his and your enemies (1 Thess 4:13-17; Jude 14-15; Dan 7:9-10; 1 Cor 6:2-3). Also, when he shall again return to the City, you shall go too, with sound of trumpet, and be ever with him.
Now while they were thus drawing towards the gate, behold a company of the heavenly host came out to mee them; to whom it was said by the other two shining ones, These are the men that have loved our Lord, when they were in the world, and that have left all for his holy name, and he hath sent us to fetch them, and we have brought them thus far on their desired journey, that they may go in and look their Redeemer in the face with joy. Then the heavenly host gave a great shout saying, “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9). There came out also at this time to meet them several of the King’s trumpeters, clothed in white and shining raiment, who, with melodious noises and loud, made even the heavens echo with their sound. These trumpeters saluted Christian and his fellow with ten thousand welcomes from the world; and this they did with shouting and sound of trumpet.
This done, they compassed them round on every side; some went before, some behind, and some on the right hand, some on the left (as it were to guard them through the upper regions), continually sounding as they went, with melodious noise, in notes on high; so the very sight was to them that could behold it as if heaven itself were come down to meet them. Thus therefore they walked on together; and, as they walked, ever and anon these trumpeters, even with joyful sound, would, by mixing their music with looks and gestures, still signify to Christian and his brother how welcome they were into their company, and with what gladness they came to meet them. And now were these two men as it were in heaven before they came at it; being swallowed up with the sight of angels, and with hearing their melodious notes. Here also they had the City itself in view; and they thought they heard all the bells therein to ring, to welcome them thereto. But, above all, the warm and joyful thoughts that they had about their own dwelling there with such company, and that for ever and ever: oh! by what tongue, or pen, can their glorious joy be expressed! Thus they came up to the gate.
Now, when they were come up to the gate, there was written over it, in letters of gold, 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” (Rev 22:14).
Then I saw in my dream that the shining men bid them call at the gate: which when they did, some from above looked over the gate, to wit, Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, etc., to whom it was said, These pilgrims are come from the City of Destruction, for the love that they bear to the King of this place: and then the pilgrims gave in unto them each man his certificate, which they had received in the beginning: those therefore were carried in to the King, who, when he had read them, said, Where are the men? To whom it was answered, They are standing without the gate. The King then commanded to “open the gate, that the righteous nation”, said he, “that keepeth truth may enter in” (Isa 26:2).
Now I saw in my dream that these two men went in at the gate: and lo! As they entered, they were transfigured; and they had raiment put on that shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, and gave them to them; the harps to praise withal, the crowns in token of honour. Then I heard in my dream that all the bells in the City rang again for joy, and that it was said unto them, “Enter ye into the joy of our Lord”. I also heard the men themselves sing with a loud voice, saying, “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Rev 5:13).
Now, just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them, and behold the City shone like the sun; the streets also were paved with gold; and in them walked many men with crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps, to sing their praises withal.
There were also of them that had wings, and they answered one to another without intermission, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord!” And after that they shut up the gates; which when I had seen I wished myself among them.
Annotation: “Went in at the gate – They have ascended the hill of the Lord; and now they enter by those golden gates, the object of their longing hope and expectations, for which they have been striving all their journey through. These are the Gates that they had seen in the distance, through the telescope of faith. Their faith is now lost in sight; and their hope resigns her office, for all is full fruition. This is their Mount of Transfiguration – they shine resplendent as the sun when he shineth in his strength, with transformed powers to bear their transfigured glory (Maguire p. 224 note).
Annotation: “I looked in after them – As it were a glimpse, and but for a moment, revealed to the Dreamer [Bunyan]; enough to tell him that heaven is more glorious than human words can possibly describe, or human heart conceive. As those great golden Gates turned for a brief moment on their hinges, a view is given along the golden streets – the grand and glorious vistas of the City of the Lord. And then the inner scene is closed to mortal eyes. The Pilgrims have reached their journey’s end, and are safely housed in heaven. He that once wept and trembled outside the City of Destruction, now sings his salvation song within the walls of the heavenly Jerusalem – at home, at rest, for ever with the Lord! (Maguire p. 224 note).
References
Annotations are by Rev. Robert Maguire: Robert Maguire – Curiosmith
Bunyan, John, “The Pilgrim’s Progress: From this world to that which is to come”, publ. Cassell and Company, Ltd, London, New York, Toronto, and Melbourne 1911.
Smith, Uriah, “Daniel and The Revelation” (first published 1897), this edition published by Signs Publishing, Melbourne, Australia, and International Tract Society. The section is comment on Daniel chapter 2:36-38.