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Sabbath, October 23, 2004Sabbath, November 20, 2004 Pastor Tom Hughes
Newark Seventh-Day Adventist Church

“THE NEW JERUSALEM”


One day I was studying on the stones of the Bible and the Lord gave me a vision – a vision of the New Jerusalem and all the stones and their colors. And I could see it all very clearly in my mind’s eye, and I was deeply moved, and I’ve never forgotten it. I’d like to share a little bit of that with you this morning.

Our Father as we open Your word, we’re thankful; thankful, Lord, for all that You have done for us. We thank You for being with us this week. We thank You for being with Shannon now as we all unite our voices in prayer. And we ask that you would heal her, Lord, and help her to get well. Guide the doctors’ and the nurses’ hands. Even at this very moment, be with our girl, and keep her safe from harm’s way and heal her, Lord. In Jesus’ name.

Now bless this message as we open the Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Zechariah 14:3…

“Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.”

It talks about that day when Jesus comes the third time. (At) The Second Coming, does Jesus’ feet touch the ground? No.

When Jesus comes to this earth the third time, do His feet touch the ground? Yes.

You know, here we are down here on this earth; we’ve got so many bad things going on. The Bible says that when Jesus comes He is going to level this planet. The Bible says not one brick; not one block will be left standing when Jesus is done with this earth. This church (as) much as we love it, will be in rubble. Have you ever seen a building that’s been blown up; so that every brick and block is spread out (?) and when you look across it all you see is a pile of rubble? Have you ever seen that?

The Bible says the whole earth will look like that (in Jeremiah chapter 4)! God is going to take (according to Isaiah 24) this planet and He is going to shake it, He is going to shift it off its axis, there’s going to be an earthquake, the earth is going to rock and roll, and Satan is going to be the only one left here. Jesus is going to come down to get us, take us to heaven, and when we get there we are going to find waiting for us our eternal home (!) – The New Jerusalem.

In Zechariah 4:7, it talks about it there…

“Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain…”

You can read about it in that chapter how the mountain that I’ve stood on in the Middle East four times (I’ve been there and this is a beautiful mountain overlooking Jerusalem) is going to split four ways, spread out to the east, to the west, to the north, and south, and make a huge plane. Do you know how big it’s going to be (?) Two and a quarter million square miles (2,250,000 sq. mi.)! Fifteen hundred (1500) miles long, 1500 miles wide…that’s bigger than Ohio and Pennsylvania put together(!)…and 1500 miles high. It’s going to be a big cube, 1500 miles square. And, I believe, at the top will be the throne room of God and it will look kind of like a pyramid shape. Because God has a roof over His throne room, and He has a pinnacle in His throne room. As you study the Bible, it says He has Jasper on the floor, and Jasper on the roof. And that the firmament on the left and right comes together and it’s above His head. You can read in Ezekiel and all sorts of interesting places about these stones and about God’s throne room in Isaiah and Ezekiel.

And it talks about the sea of glass. Did you know that’s all from the Old Testament? Revelation talks about it but it’s in the Old Testament. It’s all in there.

And it says that the New Jerusalem is made out of Jasper that looks like glass. I guess old Robert Schuller with his Crystal Cathedral wasn’t as far off as people think(!).

Revelation 21:1, 2…

“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.
2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

What does a bride wear? What color? (“White.”) What does Christ give us when we accept Him? The white robe of righteousness! And the New Jerusalem is symbolically adorned in that white robe: in that white wedding “gown.” Symbolically dressed up. We’re all part of the Bride of Christ! And when Jesus comes He’s going to be married to His church, and you’re part of that church.

Revelation 21:3…

“And I heard a loud voice…”

Is it okay to be loud in the sanctuary? Is it reverent? Yes it is. You know in Roman Catholicism when they tried to tell me that reverence means quiet, it doesn’t! It can mean quiet sometimes but it can also be loud when we praise the Lord.

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (NKJV)

Now at the third “Coming” when Jesus comes, that is when God will wipe away all our tears. Some people mistakenly have said there’ll be no tears in heaven. Be careful how you teach God’s word. Don’t jump to conclusions. That’s a bad way to get your exercise (!). During that thousand years all of us are going to have loved ones who have been lost, who did not come up in the first resurrection, and we are all going to want to know why. And I have a feeling if it’s your mother or your brother, or your sister, you just may shed a tear or two.

It says in verse four (Revelation 21:4) in the New Jerusalem when it comes down God will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

You know how I know that? It can’t be at the Second Coming. At the Second Coming, is there still going to be death? Yes, there is. But after this Coming, will there be any more death? No. Because hell will destroy all sin and sinners. There will be no more “sorrow,” no more “crying.” “…There shall be no more pain…” Aren’t you glad to hear that? “…for the former things have passed away.”

5 “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’
6And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
7He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.’”

Isn’t that beautiful! Do you want to be God’s son this morning? Do you want to be His daughter? Do you want to go to heaven and be in that New Jerusalem? Do you want to be able to drink from the fountain of the water of life freely and have your thirst quenched? Do you want to be in the land where there’s no more suffering, no more sorrow, no more pain? Amen, and Amen!

Aren’t you going to be glad when we get to heaven and there’s no more death? I’m sick of it! Aren’t you? I’m tired of the tears! I’m tired of the pain! I’m exhausted! We’re in a spiritual warfare down here! But on that great “gettin’ up morning,” when God brings forth the dead and we rise up to meet Him, there’s going to be no more pain (!) We’re going to have bodies that will run like the deer. We’ll fly like the eagle (Psalm 103:5 “who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”).

To the Maier Family and to Ralph’s family, and to all the people who are suffering with Shannon and JoAnn Lee, and to all these families I say, “This world is not our home, but don’t be discouraged! Don’t let your heart break! Don’t grieve as the world grieves, which has no hope! Because Jesus is coming soon and when He does we’re going to get a new Jerusalem,
and we’re going to have a new heavens,
and we’re going to have a new earth!
And there’s going to be love and…

Side Two

“…descending out of heaven (Rev. 21:2)…”

Revelation 21:22…

“But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
24And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
25Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
26And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.”

Ralph, when I had my vision I saw the “twelve.” It talks here in chapter 22, about the New Jerusalem, chapter 21; down around verse 20 and then in 22 it talks about the Tree of Life.

When I saw this vision, it describes the twelve layers of stone and they’re all different colors. Now, it’s hundreds of miles thick. Okay? And there are all these layers of stones. Now when you take all those different colored stones and make twelve layers, when you get back a couple (of) thousand miles from it and look at it, what do you see? A rainbow! The New Jerusalem is sitting on a rainbow! This big huge rainbow (!) and it has the names of the twelve apostles.

Think about Judas: He betrayed his Lord. His name could have been on one of those foundations! His name could have been in the “rainbow” but he chose the world instead of Christ. Don’t do that! Don’t make the mistake he made! Is there anything in this world that would be worth losing heaven over? Don’t be foolish like Judas! Rather, be like Peter! And even though you stumble and fall, repent (!) and come back to the Lord and let God wash away your sins! Peter was accepted by God – now Peter’s name is in the foundation of the New Jerusalem. And as you look at the rainbow the twelve apostles’ names are right there.

The streets are called:

“gold.”
“sapphire.”
“shining sea.”
“clear as glass.”

Now how can you have all three? I’m going to tell ya!

The sapphire they’re talking about is almost clear but it has a slight bluish tint to it. And all through that stone there are little flecks of gold – all through it. So when you look at it one way, it looks blue like a sapphire sea. When you look at it another way, you can see through it. And when you look at it another way and light shines upon all those gold, sparkly pieces of gold all through it, it looks golden in the light! Doesn’t that sound beautiful? Wouldn’t you like to see what it looks like? To see it with your own eyes?

And wouldn’t you like to see the Jasper walls that are over 1500 miles high? That’s why the Bible says we are going to only behold the reward of the wicked with our eyes.

Psalm 91:8…
“Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.” (NKJV)

We’re not going to smell it; we’re not going to see it in the way that we do if you were right there on the earth.

The New Jerusalem is going to be like a totally encapsulated “spaceship” almost made of the thickest, strongest stone. And when you look at it, you’ll be able to see through. Because Jasper, you can see through it just like glass, but it looks like that pretty crystal that they make that has just a little tint of mint green. And you’re looking through the glass and there’s a tint of green to it. You’ll be able to see hell, you’ll be able to see (the) destruction of the wicked, but you’ll be safe in the walls of the New Jerusalem. God will protect us.

And the Bible says fires of destruction will become the fires of purification. And God will create a new heavens and a new earth. (Rev. 21:1 “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.”) And the light of God, His presence will be in the very pinnacle of the New Jerusalem. And down through the Jasper floors and the sapphire streets, the light of God will go through that translucent stone and it will shine all around the New Jerusalem and the light will go down through it.

And so when you look at the New Jerusalem and you see God on His throne high and lifted up, you’ll see light shooting out from God up in the air. You’ll see it shooting down through the city. You’ll see it going straight down through the city and through the rainbow and you’ll see it coming out the bottom! And it will look like a rainbow below it, a rainbow above it, and this glorious emerald green rainbow, New Jerusalem, filled with light and glory as He comes toward us! It will be about the size of a man’s hand in the east and it’ll get bigger and bigger! Wow!

Sadly, the only one seeing it coming will be Lucifer. We’ll all be in it!

And when that New Jerusalem lands on this earth and all the wicked dead are raised – can you believe he (Satan) actually goes around and tells them, “I’m the one who resurrected you and with nuclear weapons, we can take the city!”? And those foolish people actually believe him and try to take God’s city from Him. Hello(!).

And the great white throne appears above the New Jerusalem – and Jesus sits upon that throne –and every man, woman, and child behold Him. And Jesus touches that part of their brain (Those who are sinners – they went into the grave decrepit from cancer; they come out of the grave decrepit from cancer. They go into the grave crippled and maimed; they come out of the grave crippled and maimed – just the way they went in, they come back (out) the same way.)

And God touches the part of their brain that has the video storage – in their brain – and from their own brain God plays back to them before their eyes, in their own head, their entire life. Did you ever wonder how every single human being would have their whole life pass before them in the Judgment? It’s very easy for God to do that: It’s all right there in your own brain. You were there for everything!

God will play back their lives. They will see all the appeals, the times when the ministers tried to get them to give their heart to God, the times when they said no. They’ll see it all pass before them! And they’ll get down on their knees and they’ll acknowledge that God is just in what He’s doing. And it says they will get up off their knees and be fueled in rebellion and satanic fury and they will attack the New Jerusalem. In Revelation 20:9, it says fire comes down out of heaven and devours them.

Revelation 20:9…
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”

That is going to be a scary, terrible day. Isn’t it? That’s why the Bible says the day of the Lord is not a day of joy, it is day of sadness and fear.

Now we don’t have to be afraid because we are under the protection of our loving, Heavenly Father. Because we were wise, and we made our decision, and we had our ticket punched for the train to glory.

Do you want to stay here with Satan and die with the evil angels? Do you want fire…you know, we don’t drop down into hell, like people teach today! Hell drops down on us (!) according to the Bible. I don’t want to be in that group. Do you?

Now listen to me. The people on the inside of the New Jerusalem had the same 24-hour day the people on the outside had. It became a matter of priorities. The people on the inside of the city had different priorities than the people on the outside. They had the same 24-hour day; they just had different priorities.

What are your priorities? Do you want to be in the inside of the city with the saints of God or do you want to be on the outside with the fornicators, and the whoremongers and the drunkards, and the “effeminate” –
the Bible says? It says these people are on the outside of the city and shall in no wise enter in. Anything that defileth (defiles). People that love a lie: people that teach lies and things that aren’t true. They’re going to be on the outside of the city.

Do you want to be on the inside or the outside? The choice is up to you. And I know I’m putting you on the spot here, but if you want to be on the inside, if you want God to write your name down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, if you want God to forgive you for your sins, if you want God to save you when He comes so that you can be on the inside of that city and not on the outside, would you stand with me this morning?

I can’t imagine anyone who would rather be on the outside with the devil and hell than on the inside with our Savior, Jesus, who loved us so much He died on the cross to prevent us from being lost and destroyed.

Church, I’m tired. I covet your prayers. But you know what? Before I came here today, I didn’t know how I could even get through the sermon – I’m so tired. I honestly felt like just sitting down right there and saying, “You’re just going to have to pray.” But God has given me a vision of a happy place. I’ll tell you what, on the first Sabbath in the New Jerusalem, I’m going to be on the right-hand side of the Tree of Life, and I want you to come and find me, and we will have – after fellowship dinner, of course – we will have a reunion there! How many of you will meet me at the right-hand side of the Tree of Life on that first Sabbath?

Father in heaven, these are Your people, the sheep of my pasture; so unworthy, Lord, to be Your shepherd but so happy that You have chosen me to be here with my flock. Bless these dear ones, Lord. Forgive them for their sins. Make Your face to shine upon them. Lord, protect their innocent. Protect those who are hurting. Protect those who are in surgery. Protect those who are sick. Comfort those who mourn. Lord, make Your face to shine upon them. Reveal Your presence to them this morning and save us all when You come. And may we all be in the Holy City with the 1500 mile-high walls, and may we all be worshipping You and walking down Your golden streets of sapphire blue. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen, and Amen!


Special Music: Wendy Riebel “The Holy City”
(Accompaniment: recording by

All Scriptural References: King James/New King James Version

Ellen G. White References: www.whiteestate.org


Transcription: Wendy J. Riebel

This sermon is also available on cassette tape.

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