My pastor was in Isaiah 60 yesterday. Isaiah 60 describes events and happenings regarding "the city of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 60:14) during the millennium. This is none other than Jerusalem. I couldn't help but notice a few parallels between this chapter of Isaiah along with some verses in Revelation 21, where we find a description of "the holy city, the new Jerusalem." (Revelation 21:2)
Here they are:
Isaiah 60:3 - "And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."
Revelation 21:24 - "And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it."
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Isaiah 60:11 - "And your gates will be open continually; they will not be closed day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession."
Revelation 21:25,26 - "And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it."
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Isaiah 60:19, 20 - "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory. Your sun will set no more, neither will your moon wane; for you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be finished."
Revelation 21:25 - "And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there)... 21:4 - "and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain, the first things have passed away."
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For years I placed the New Jerusalem on the earth at the end of the millennium. In Revelation 20 we see the dead raised for the Great White Throne Judgment after the thousand years were completed. Then Revelation 21 begins with John seeing the new heaven and the new earth...and then he sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. If Revelation 20 and 21 are meant to be taken in chronological order, we have a problem because the context of Isaiah 60 is the millennium and we are given almost identical descriptions in Isaiah 60 of "the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 60:14) that are given in Revelation 21 regarding "the holy city, new Jerusalem." (Rev. 21:2)
After being in Isaiah 60 yesterday, I am strongly leaning again towards the view that the New Jerusalem will come down at the beginning of the millennium. I know The Orange Mailman holds this view. He is the one who actually got me thinking along these lines.
A couple more things before I end. Revelation 21:27 says that nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come into the new Jerusalem, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Isaiah 60:12 says that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve Jerusalem will perish. I am wondering if this is in some way a parallel. And, there seems to be one contradiction between the two chapters. Revelation 21:22 tells us there is no temple in the new Jerusalem, however in Isaiah 60:7 we are given information that there will be sacrificing during the millennium in Jerusalem. Isaiah 60:7 says, "the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; they will go up with acceptance on My altar, and I shall glorify My glorious house." The altar for sacrificing was found in the temple...
Orange???
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4 comments:
Oh baby!
Hey, very nice post. First off, I don't know if you read my latest post, but at the end I pointed out something that hit like a baseball bat up side my head. In Revelation 20:9 it states that Gog/Magog will gather around the beloved city. This would make one wonder "what is this beloved city that will exist during the millennial reign?" Then of course the answer comes when John sees the bride coming down out of heaven as if she is about to be married. That's another thing, if the marriage supper occurs at the beginning of the millennium, then when John sees the bride descending, she is described as "adorned for her husband", so basically, she's about to get married.
As far as the contradiction, there will be no pleasing any a-millennialists out there. Within the walls of the NJ, there will be no temple necessary because the LORD will be personally present there. But what about for the world outside? Of course they will still need to know about the LORD, so there could still be a temple, but not inside the city proper. The big question is what to do with Ezekiel's temple in Ezekiel 40-48. The prince (messiah) comes to the temple, there are sacrifices there, and much of the language is reflected in the NJ, such as the river of life.
I think some things will not be resolved until they actually happen. But my view is that there will be a temple in Jerusalem, but not within the city walls of the New Jerusalem. There will be suburbs or something like that outside the NJ, for the purpose of teaching the nations about the Messiah.
Have fun and stay busy - Luke 19:13
-The Orange Mailman
Hi Orange...I did read your post. I was writing this big long comment to you when I decided to make it a post on my blog.
I read that very same verse (Rev. 20:9) when I was studying for my post. I also came to the same conclusion that the beloved city was probably the NJ. That broad plain must be pretty broad, eh, at least 1500 miles broad?
Suburbs, now there's an interesting concept.
It is fun trying to figure all of this out, isn't it?
Thanks for commenting.
Hey, I've had comments that turn into blog posts too. I just get to typing and then... well... you see how it goes.
The broad plain is better than a plain broad.
Broad plain? Oh, Rev. 20:9. What are you thinking? Please elaborate.
Have fun and stay busy - Luke 19:13
-The Orange Mailman
Revelation 20:7-9 - "And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them."
If the "beloved city" is the NJ come down at the beginning of the millennium, and since the length is as great as its width, 1500 miles, you'd need a very broad plain for such a wide city. That's what popped into my head is all...
The NJ being on the earth during the millennium is not a position I would be willing to die for, like prewrath... =)
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