Page 271 - Through New Eyes

272 THROUGH NEW EYES

the Temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things
shall come upon this generation (Matthew 23:35-36).

Since the Temple in view, being rebuilt by Herod, had only
come into existence with Ezra, we might expect its destruction to
include all the mart yrs from then on; but that is not what Jesus
said. Since Jerusalem had been built by David, we might expect
her destruction to include all the martyrs from then on; but that
is not what Jesus said. Since the Old Covenant received a defini-
tive proclamation by Moses, we might expect its destruction to
include all the mart yrs from then on; but that is not what Jesus
said. Since the “present heavens and earth” (2 Peter 3:7) had
been set up after the Flood, we might expect its destruction to in-
clude all the martyrs from then on; but that is not what Jesus
said. No, Jesus went all the way back to the original order of cre-
ation, to the first martyr. The whole order of the first creation,
with its Heavens-Sanctuary-Eden- World divisions, was going to
be wiped out, A new creation had come.
Thus, the cosmic model presented in Revelation 21-22 is
different from anything found in the Old Testament. There are
only two environments: inside the New Jerusalem and outside
the New Jerusalem. New Jerusalem is a hollow pyramid, a shell
of gems that comes out of heaven and is laid over a high moun-
tain (Revelation 21: 10). It symbolizes the body politic of the
Church (21:12, 14). 14 It is sanctuary and land rolled together, and
set up “on earth as in heaven,” so that it is four-square in shape
like the heavenly Most Holy (21:16). It has no temple, because it
is so tall that it pokes through the firmament — except that there
is no longer any firmament — to the very throne of God (22:1).
(See Diagram 18.1.) Unlike Tabernacle and Temple, which were
enclosed and thus dark except for the lamps, New Jerusalem is
open and always daytime (21:23, 25).
In summary, the symbol of the New Covenant gives us only
two environments. There is the holy combined heaven, sanc-
tuary, and land of the New Jerusalem; and there is the defiled
combined hell and “world” of those outside her walls. The minis-
try of the church is to persuade men to flee through her gates
and be saved.