What the new earth tells us about earth pre fall

[PeterH]

An interesting topic.

I understand the New Jerusalem to be a spiritual city synonymous with the Bride - i.e. the redeemed.

"9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues (afflictions, calamities) came and spoke to me. He said, Come with me! I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.

10Then in the Spirit He conveyed me away to a vast and lofty mountain and exhibited to me the holy (hallowed, consecrated) city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God,(G)" Revelation 21

On inviting John to come with him to be shown the bride, the angel shows him the New Jerusalem descending from heaven indicating that the bride IS the New Jerusalem.

This is also consistent with the city of Babylon being a spiritual authority, as well as being a physical city. Just as spiritual Babylon is the authority that governs the spirits of unregenerate men, spiritual Jerusalem is the authority that governs the spirits of regenerate men. And Jesus is her cornerstone. The redeemed are living stones built on Jesus the cornerstone and the foundations laid by the Apostles.

1 Peter 2:5

[Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

There is definitely a spiritual side of the new creation no doubt but there is a physical side as well. I believe that the new Jerusalem will actually and physically descend on to earth. And it will be the physical and spiritual place where God dwells among his people.

[methinkshe]

An interesting topic.

I understand the New Jerusalem to be a spiritual city synonymous with the Bride - i.e. the redeemed.

"9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues (afflictions, calamities) came and spoke to me. He said, Come with me! I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.

10Then in the Spirit He conveyed me away to a vast and lofty mountain and exhibited to me the holy (hallowed, consecrated) city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God,(G)" Revelation 21

On inviting John to come with him to be shown the bride, the angel shows him the New Jerusalem descending from heaven indicating that the bride IS the New Jerusalem.

This is also consistent with the city of Babylon being a spiritual authority, as well as being a physical city. Just as spiritual Babylon is the authority that governs the spirits of unregenerate men, spiritual Jerusalem is the authority that governs the spirits of regenerate men. And Jesus is her cornerstone. The redeemed are living stones built on Jesus the cornerstone and the foundations laid by the Apostles.

1 Peter 2:5

[Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

Do you believe other promises of the bible are 'spiritually' fulfilled to?

If by this question you are asking whether I believe that other promises in the Bible are ONLY fulfilled spiritually, then the answer is no.

I believe that what occurs on earth, according to God's will, has first been pre-ordained (exists, if you like) in heaven - which necessarily means spiritually. Thus, for instance, Jesus' atoning sacrifice existed as a spiritual reality in heaven before the foundation of the earth. This is why Jesus taught us to pray: "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

John was taken up to heaven to view the spiritual reality of what must occur on earth. Some of what he saw was past, some present and some future in terms of time as perceived on earth. Spiritually it all pre-exists in heaven.

Much of what John was shown was shrouded in symbolism - beasts with horns, for instance - as that is the only way to describe a spiritual reality in physical terms. For instance, how does one describe an authority that governs the hearts of unregenerate man? This authority is invisible - it is spiritual. But it is very real. So it appears as a great and wicked city - Babylon.

[~candice~]

OK thanks, that clarifies!