In Revelation 21:2 John tells us, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven.” He repeats this in verse 10.
Revelation 21:1 says that the new creation is composed of “a new heaven and a new earth.” Since New Jerusalem comes “out of heaven” it must be on earth. We need to hold to God’s word in the Bible, rejecting human reasoning which sometimes says that New Jerusalem is to big for the earth or that it will disturb the rotation of earth.
God created the first earth and He created man “in His image and with His likeness” (Gen. 1:26) to express Him on earth. Man fell into sin and death but God’s purpose never can be stopped. God in Christ, pictured by the tree of life in Genesis 2, came as the reality of life to enter man as His container.
This life (zoe in NT Greek) is different and distinct from man’s psychological and physical lives (psuche and bios in NT Greek). This zoe life grows in us and gradually is formed into us, as in Galatians 4:19. When formed in us, this life conforms us “to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29) so that God may be expressed through His people.
This zoe life being formed in us is a transmission from heaven to earth, a big step toward New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven to earth to become God’s full expression on the new earth.
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about New Jerusalem: Out of Heaven to Earth.
