Calculations about the New Jerusalem

[Retrobyter]

14 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi Retro,

Going back to my comments above, I never really saw your reply regarding Jesus as Head of the Body, of a whole order of kingpriests. These offices are never together in Israel or Jewish History. These offices come from the Lord Himself, who is a King and a (High) Priest. The Lord has many titles and they all do not come from Him being associated with Israel.

Marilyn.

 

14 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi Retro,

Going back to my comments above, I never really saw your reply regarding Jesus as Head of the Body, of a whole order of kingpriests. These offices are never together in Israel or Jewish History. These offices come from the Lord Himself, who is a King and a (High) Priest. The Lord has many titles and they all do not come from Him being associated with Israel.

Marilyn.

 

13 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi Retro,

Your post above was  a duplicate of your other post. I did ask you for your comment on my post previously. Any comments? or are we finished?

regards, Marilyn.

Shalom, Marilyn.

Patience, child, patience! I'm 61 years old, haven't retired yet, and still working full time; I've lost a post in the process of trying to recover from the double post, and I'm getting to you as fast as I can type (and have the time for it)! I do have other chores: I weekly or at least once every two weeks mow an acre of property. I'm building a shed, helping my granddaughter with her science project, and... well, you get the picture (I hope). I'M NOT IDLE!

First, you've misread the verses in Revelation, although it's not entirely your fault.

Revelation 1:4-7 (KJV)

4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come (God, Yeshua`s Father); and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5 And from Jesus Christ (Yeshua` the Messiah), who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood (Yeshua` the Messiah), 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he (Yeshua` the Messiah) cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth (all families of the LAND) shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

(That last verse contains a couple of quotes from prophecy: Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10.)

Revelation 5:6-10 (KJV)

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain (Yeshua` haMashiyach, haKeves Elohiym = Yeshua` the Messiah, the Lamb of God), having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying,

"Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."

Here's the Greek (transliterated) of Revelation 1:6 and 5:10:

Apokalupsis Iooannou 1:6 (UBS Greek New Testament)

6 kai epoieesen heemas basileian, hiereis too Theoo kai Patri autou, autoo hee doxa kai to kratos eis tous aioonas toon aioonooon. Ameen.

6 kai = 6 And/also
epoieesen = He-has-made
heemas = us
basileian, = a-kingdom,
hiereis = priests; cohaniym
too = of-the
Theoo = God
kai = and
Patri = Father
autou, = of-Him,
autoo = to-Him
hee = the
doxa = glory/brightness/fame
kai = and/also
to = the
kratos = dominion/might/power/strength
eis = into
tous = the
aioonas = ages
toon = of-the
aioonooon. = ages.
Ameen. = Hebrew word meaning "Truth."

Apokalupsis Iooannou 5:10 (UBS Greek New Testament)

10 kai epoieesas autous too Theoo heemoon basileian kai hiereis, kai basileusousin epi tees gees.

10 kai = 10 and/also
epoieesas = you-have-made
autous = them
too = to-the
Theoo = God
heemoon = of-us
basileian = a-kingdom
kai = and
hiereis, = priests,
kai = and/also
basileusousin = they-shall-reign
epi = upon
tees = the
gees. = earth/ground.

Thus, neither text says "kings and priests," despite the KJV and the NKJV versions. Other versions, such as the NIV and the NASB, say, "a kingdom and priests."

While Yeshua` had the distinction of being in the order of Malkhiy-Tsedeq (Hebrew for "My king of righteousness"), WE are not in such an "order."

And, as far as the "Head of the Body" is concerned, I'm not finding my post on that at all; therefore, I believe it was in the one I lost. So, here goes a "re-design of the wheel," so to speak:

There's no "UNIVERSAL BODY!" I had waxed eloquently before, but this is a LEFT-OVER of the old Roman Catholic Church (RCC). I don't know what denomination to which you belong, but most Protestant denominations were once a part of the RCC. They "protested" about some teaching or practice, and decided as a group to leave the RCC. The problem is that all these Protestants kept most of the teachings and practices of the RCC within their own liturgies even when separated from the RCC, except, of course, the teaching or practice they "protested."

The definition of "catholic" is...

Quote

 

catholic | ˈkaTH(ə)lik | 

adjective

including a wide variety of things; all-embracing: her tastes are pretty catholic.

DERIVATIVES
catholicity | ˌkaTHəˈlisədē | noun 
catholically | ˈkaTH(ə)ˌliklē | adverb 

ORIGIN 
late Middle English : from Catholic.

Catholic | ˈkaTH(ə)lik | 

adjective 

of the Roman Catholic faith. 
of or including all Christians.
relating to the historic doctrine and practice of the Western Church. 

noun 

a member of the Roman Catholic Church. 

ORIGIN 
late Middle English: from Old French catholique or late Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos ‘universal’, from kata ‘in respect of’ + holos ‘whole’.

 

Thus, the word "catholic" means "universal," and that is where the idea of a "universal church" or a "universal BODY" originates.

However, the Apostle Paul had a much different meaning for the word "body" as representing a people; he used the word for a LOCAL church!

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (KJV)

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ (the Messiah). 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

If this is talking about a universal body, then why do the Scriptures so often use the word "churches" PLURAL? 

[Marilyn C]

7 hours ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, Marilyn.

Patience, child, patience! I'm 61 years old, haven't retired yet, and still working full time; I've lost a post in the process of trying to recover from the double post, and I'm getting to you as fast as I can type (and have the time for it)! I do have other chores: I weekly or at least once every two weeks mow an acre of property. I'm building a shed, helping my granddaughter with her science project, and... well, you get the picture (I hope). I'M NOT IDLE!

 

Hi Retro,

Ah, patience, I have yet to learn more of that. Perhaps talking with you will extend my patience, (lol). Now that was interesting as to what you are doing. Thanks for that, as it gives me more insight into the person behind the `name.` How lovely of you to help your granddaughter with her science project. I can imagine that you would be very, very good at that. Even though we differ in many things in God`s word I still can see your gifting in certain areas. So, yes I`ll wait patiently and get on with my projects too. As to being a `child` I am 72 years of age, though obviously don`t feel it.

Now to our discussion.

1. As those in the kingdom are priests and shall reign, then they are kings, thus kings and priests. Also they will reign `epi` the earth. `Epi` meaning OVER the earth NOT ON. You would need other scriptures to show that it meant `upon.`

2. The ekklesia,  the called out ones, are called out of Israel and the nations. God the Father made Christ Head of the `Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.` (Eph. 1: 22 & 23)  The illustration of a Body is one living organism by the Holy Spirit who `sets` the members in their place. (1 Cor. 12: 18)

regards, Marilyn.

 

[Retrobyter]

4 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi Retro,

Ah, patience, I have yet to learn more of that. Perhaps talking with you will extend my patience, (lol). Now that was interesting as to what you are doing. Thanks for that, as it gives me more insight into the person behind the `name.` How lovely of you to help your granddaughter with her science project. I can imagine that you would be very, very good at that. Even though we differ in many things in God`s word I still can see your gifting in certain areas. So, yes I`ll wait patiently and get on with my projects too. As to being a `child` I am 72 years of age, though obviously don`t feel it.

Now to our discussion.

1. As those in the kingdom are priests and shall reign, then they are kings, thus kings and priests. Also they will reign `epi` the earth. `Epi` meaning OVER the earth NOT ON. You would need other scriptures to show that it meant `upon.`

2. The ekklesia,  the called out ones, are called out of Israel and the nations. God the Father made Christ Head of the `Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.` (Eph. 1: 22 & 23)  The illustration of a Body is one living organism by the Holy Spirit who `sets` the members in their place. (1 Cor. 12: 18)

regards, Marilyn.

 

Shalom, Marilyn.

Ah, yes! But no matter how young you may be, you will ALWAYS be a dear "child of God!"

I'm afraid you've misunderstood the meaning of "ekkleesia" (and I use two "e's" because it's an eta and not an epsilon like the first "e"). 

The word "ekkleesia" comes from "ek" which means "out from" and "kaleoo" (two "o's" for omega) meaning "I call." So, this is a "calling out" from people's homes into a common place for a TOWN MEETING.

That's why it also appears in Acts 19:39 and 41.

As to "epi," while it CAN mean "over" it also can mean "upon" such as in "epigeia" meaning "upon earth" in 1 Corinthians 15:40.

[Marilyn C]

12 hours ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, Marilyn.

Ah, yes! But no matter how young you may be, you will ALWAYS be a dear "child of God!"

I'm afraid you've misunderstood the meaning of "ekkleesia" (and I use two "e's" because it's an eta and not an epsilon like the first "e"). 

The word "ekkleesia" comes from "ek" which means "out from" and "kaleoo" (two "o's" for omega) meaning "I call." So, this is a "calling out" from people's homes into a common place for a TOWN MEETING.

That's why it also appears in Acts 19:39 and 41.

As to "epi," while it CAN mean "over" it also can mean "upon" such as in "epigeia" meaning "upon earth" in 1 Corinthians 15:40.

Hi Retro,

Yes, wonderful to be a `child` of God. Thanks.

1. You are referring to what `ekklesia,` meant, however the Lord gave it a whole new meaning in reference to the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul reveals that the ekklesia, is the Body of Christ made up of believers called out of Israel and the Gentiles.

`...to create in Himself ONE NEW MAN from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in ONE BODY.` (Eph. 2: 15 & 16)

The earthly use of the word ekklesia relates to an assembly, whereas the spiritual use of the word, given by God is for the `NEW MAN.` 

2. To know whether it is `over or upon,` we need more scriptures that clearly show which it is.

Marilyn.

[Retrobyter]

On 4/24/2019 at 3:42 PM, Dennis1209 said:

Well, everyone has thrown in their 2 cents worth, so I'm throwing in a nickel 

If one does some study on the Great Pyramid of Egypt by Christian scholars and archaeologist's, one might reason the New Jerusalem could be pyramid shape. Much evidence suggests the Great Pyramid predates Noah's flood. The Egyptians worshiped everything from a dung beetle to Ra, and everything "they" built reflected that with pride, paintings and hieroglyphics. Yet not one claim of ownership is written inside or out of the pyramid. 

Everything laid out inside of the pyramid correlates by design with biblical chambers and patterns. We see for the first time in history in its construction, pi. We see exact geographical and celestial alignments; and a precise exact geographical position on earth that was beyond human knowledge back then. The missing cap stone is also so very suggestive of Christ. There are so many things that point to this pyramid as being a monument to something, I could write a book; but someone already has and I read it  

A lot of labor and precision went into this work, and for what purpose? I've heard everything from it was an electric generator to a kings tomb. There's biblical evidence that 'suggests' the Great Pyramid may have been seen by Abraham himself? 

Assuming the pyramid predates the flood, whom built it and why? Two opposing views of whom built this pyramid are "the Nephilim" or "Enoch". There's non canonical books that point to Enoch as the builder of the Great Pyramid. I believe humanity is looking at all the other failed and ruinous pyramids backwards; claiming they were early attempts at pyramid building that finally lead up to the successful Great one. I believe the failed ones we post attempts long after the Great Pyramid was built, trying to copy it.  

At any rate, no one has been able to solve this mystery of who, why or when. Best evidence is it's a monument to someone or something or both. This structure seems to be telling a story?

Okay, give me three cents back...

Shalom, Dennis1209.

Sorry this is late coming, but did you know that the Arabs call the Great Pyramid "Enoch's Pillar," referring to the seventh from Adam?

Zechariah says this in his prophecy:

Zechariah 4:1-7 (KJV)

1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me,

"What seest thou?"

And I said,

"I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof."

4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying,

"What are these, my lord?"

5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me,

"Knowest thou not what these be?"

And I said,

"No, my lord."

6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying,

"This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,' saith the LORD of hosts. 7 'Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.'"

I believe this is talking about the "great mountain," the Great Pyramid. Zerubbabel was the ancestor of Yeshua` in BOTH lines found in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. When he brings forth the "headstone," he is bringing forth a CAPSTONE!

Here's Zechariah's tomb:

Zechariah's tomb.

Interesting, right?

And yet, before Zerubbabel, it shall become a plain. Compared to the New Jerusalem, a pyramid 1380 miles high, yeah, what's a mere 455 feet? It'll be a small "bump in the road."

[Dennis1209]

12 hours ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, Dennis1209.

Sorry this is late coming, but did you know that the Arabs call the Great Pyramid "Enoch's Pillar," referring to the seventh from Adam?

Zechariah says this in his prophecy:

Zechariah 4:1-7 (KJV)

1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me,

"What seest thou?"

And I said,

"I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof."

4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying,

"What are these, my lord?"

5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me,

"Knowest thou not what these be?"

And I said,

"No, my lord."

6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying,

"This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,' saith the LORD of hosts. 7 'Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.'"

I believe this is talking about the "great mountain," the Great Pyramid. Zerubbabel was the ancestor of Yeshua` in BOTH lines found in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. When he brings forth the "headstone," he is bringing forth a CAPSTONE!

Here's Zechariah's tomb:

Zechariah's tomb.

Interesting, right?

And yet, before Zerubbabel, it shall become a plain. Compared to the New Jerusalem, a pyramid 1380 miles high, yeah, what's a mere 455 feet? It'll be a small "bump in the road."

Hi retrobyter,

Yes it's very interesting! I think Zechariah is describing the pyramid also. There seems to be a correlation with the symbology (candlesticks, gold, bowl, seven lamps and olive trees) between Zechariah's vision and the Book of Revelation. I personally think, just like the constellations once told the story of creation and the Gospel before Satan / Pagan's corrupted it; the pyramids are telling a prophetic story. 

I have a very interesting small book on the subject that makes perfect biblical sense by the late N. W. Hutchings titled: The Great Pyramid, Prophecy in Stone. I haven't read it in awhile and want to read it again soon. It's one of those books where you don't want to put it down once you start reading it. 

 

[Retrobyter]

10 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Hi retrobyter,

Yes it's very interesting! I think Zechariah is describing the pyramid also. There seems to be a correlation with the symbology (candlesticks, gold, bowl, seven lamps and olive trees) between Zechariah's vision and the Book of Revelation. I personally think, just like the constellations once told the story of creation and the Gospel before Satan / Pagan's corrupted it; the pyramids are telling a prophetic story. 

I have a very interesting small book on the subject that makes perfect biblical sense by the late N. W. Hutchings titled: The Great Pyramid, Prophecy in Stone. I haven't read it in awhile and want to read it again soon. It's one of those books where you don't want to put it down once you start reading it. 

Shalom, Dennis1209.

I had a similar book from Dr. Herbert Pugmire titled Your Amazing Bible. He had all sorts of interesting facts from Scripture, archaeology, history, and science.

You talked about the constellations. I believe that the Zodiac or rather the stars of Mazzarot do indeed talk about the redemption. But, I noticed a longitudinal line that passes through the sting of Scorpio that I call the "Death Line." It passes through the sting of Scorpio and the heel of Ophiuchus (and Ophiuchus, the chained servant, has a spear directed to Antares, the heart of Scorpio, through the head of Draco biting the heel of Hercules who is striking three heads of the Hydra with a club, and the body of Draco that separates Ursa Major from Ursa Minor, ending in Polaris, the North Star. In the southern hemisphere, it passes through Ara the Altar where Corvus (the Crow) is turned into Aquilla (the Eagle). It also passes through the Southern Cross. (I'm saying all this from memory; so, I hope I'm correct. I'll look it up in my Encyclopedia set.)

Here's what I had written down:

R.A. = 17.5 days. Draco separates Ursa Minor from Ursa Major.
Hercules, half man and half god, is bitten in the heel by Draco, the Dragon, while he smashes the three heads of Serpens, the Snake. 
Ophiuchus, the chained servant, wrapped by Serpens, the Snake, is stung in the heel by Scorpius, the Scorpion.
Scorpius is stabbed in the heart, Antares, by Ophiuchus.
And, Ara the Altar is in that line in the Southern Hemisphere.

I'm not as sure about the rest.

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, all.

Time to get back to the mathematics of the New Jerusalem. I believe that the 144 cubits (or 72 yards) is the THICKNESS of the wall at the gates. In other words, it takes that long for someone to go through the gateway once past the sentry and the huge pearl that is permanently rolled away from the gateway, commemorating the Resurrection of our Lord Yeshua`.

Wikipedia says this:

Quote

Although walking speeds can vary greatly depending on many factors such as height, weight, age, terrain, surface, load, culture, effort, and fitness, the average human walking speed at crosswalks is about 5.0 kilometres per hour (km/h), or about 1.4 meters per second (m/s), or about 3.1 miles per hour (mph).

Therefore, 

72 yards x (3 ft / 1 yd) x (12 in / 1 ft) x (2.54 cm / 1 in) x (1 m / 100 cm) x (1 s / 1.4 m) = 

47 seconds to pass through the gate walking at the constant rate of 3.1 miles per hour.

Now, we're also told that each gate has one of the names of the 12 tribes of Israel written upon it (and I would venture to say that they are probably written in Hebrew).

We're also told that there are twelve foundations to the city of gold, but they are called "foundations of the wall." I've come to believe that they are foundational LEVELS to the city and connect to the jasper walls, and I would assume that they are equally spaced as one ascends through the city. This would mean that the top surface of one foundation would be 12,000 furlongs or 1380 (1379.868687) miles divided by twelve or 115 (114.989057) miles from the top surface of the next foundation. Now, how much building space would THAT provide?

Most people would take that as a rhetorical question and stop with that thought, but I treat it as a real question and look for a solution. We build skyscrapers and mega skyscrapers with floors usually spaced with about 15 feet (or more) between floors. How many of those floors would fit in 115 miles?! Answer COULD be as much as 40,476 floors! City buildings could be hung from the foundation above as well as built on the foundation beneath. This is true for at least 11 of the 12 foundations!

I believe that a large part of the city will be made into parks. Certainly, we are talking about parks all along the street of the city where the Tree of Life will grow. After all, that's what the word "paradise" means.

More later....

[Retrobyter]

Shabbat shalom, everyone.

I don't know if anyone remembers, but we discussed the word "paradise" in the past. I think this would be a good time to re-visit the few (6) verses that use this Greek word and its Hebrew predecessor:

"Paradise" is a transliteration of the Greek word "paradeisos." Here's the entry in Strong's Greek Dictionary of the New Testament:

3857 paradeisos (par-ad'-i-sos). Of Oriental origin (compare pardeec); a park, i.e. (specially), an Eden (place of future happiness, "paradise")
-- paradise.

Therefore, its TRANSLATION is a "PARK." This word is found in three places in the NT:

Luke 23:39-43 (KJV)

39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying,

"If thou be Christ (the Messiah), save thyself and us."

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying,

"Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss."

42 And he said unto Jesus,

"Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."

43 And Jesus said unto him,

"Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (KJV)

2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Revelation 2:1-7 (KJV)

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

There's a link suggested in the words "compare pardeec" in the Greek entry above. Following it into Strong's Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary gives us ... 

6508 pardeec (par-dace'). Of foreign origin; a park
-- forest, orchard.

This Hebrew word is found in three places in the OT:

Nehemiah 2:1-8 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (Artachshashta) the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2 Wherefore the king said unto me,

"Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart."

Then I was very sore afraid, 3 And said unto the king,

"Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?"

4 Then the king said unto me,

"For what dost thou make request?"

So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said unto the king,

"If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it." 

6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,)

"For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?"

So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7 Moreover I said unto the king,

"If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into."

And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Song of Songs 4:10-15 (13) (KJV)

10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-5 (KJV)

1 I said in mine heart,

"Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure":

and, behold, this also is vanity (hollow; empty). 2 I said of laughter, 

"It is mad (crazy)":

and of mirth,

"What doeth it?" ("What good is it?") 

3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 

4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: ...

So, this word, too, means a "PARK," specifically a "PARK OF TREES," or an "ORCHARD!"

The key, however, for this study of the New Jerusalem is Revelation 2:7 where Yeshua` said, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." We find the Tree of Life (species) one other place in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 21:10-22:2 (KJV)

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
...

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
...

22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

The cross section of the "street" then would look like this:

street - park w/Tree of Life - river of water of life - park w/Tree of Life - street.

The street of the city has a MEDIAN with a river flowing in the middle of it with a PARK on either side of the river.

HERE is God's Paradise/Paradeisos/Pardeec! 

This would be similar to our Interstate Highway system in some areas of the USA (except our roads aren't made of "pure gold!") This street system will be THROUGHOUT the New Jerusalem, beginning at the throne of God and of the Lamb, interconnecting all the parts of the city, and eventually, leading to all twelve of its gates, discharging its rivers onto the New Earth.

Thus, there would be TWELVE rivers, one per gate, discharged onto the New Earth, and wherever the rivers go, the parks, complete with the Tree of Life species, may be extended onto the New Earth, as well. Adam himself resurrected, the FIRST garden-keeper of Gan-`Eden, may be in charge of their maintenance!

Remember, too, that the length and the width of the city are both 1,379.868687 miles long, laid out as a square. That gives us a perimeter of 4 x 1,379.868687 = 5519.474747 miles! Now, divide that by the twelve gates, assuming that the gates will be evenly dispersed around the perimeter, and we have 459.956229 miles from the center of one gate to the center of the next gate on either side, including around the corners.

People will go into the New Jerusalem at the gate closest to where they may live and work on the New Earth. The next gate is 460 miles away in either direction! We are also told,

Revelation 21:23-27 (KJV)

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

So, there will be all sorts of 24-hour travel and commerce at its gates!

THIS leads to the idea of vehicles. HOW will they "bring the glory and honor (honour) of the nations" into the city? Well, typically, there's only three ways one could bring wealth into the city: They can carry it themselves in their arms or in a cart they can push or pull themselves; they can put things in an animal-drawn cart; or they can have motorized vehicles that can carry these things.

I'm not a "conspiracy theorist," per se, but I DO believe that there have been inventions and innovations that have been SUPPRESSED by those in power (particularly, the oil industry) because it would hurt their own pocketbooks.

I also believe that technologies of the past, lost to us over the ages, existed to perform feats, such as the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza. With those inventors and innovators resurrected, those technologies will be available to us again, as well.

With a righteous God in charge and having the inventors resurrected from the graves, I believe we will have an unprecedented SURGE in new inventions and innovations that will rival and surpass the "golden age" of any previous nation! Therefore, I believe that it will only stand to reason that these new (and old) inventions and innovations will lead us away from vehicles that run on fossil fuels, giving us cleaner and more efficient ways to carry items, in or out of vehicles, into the city.

Assumptions? Speculations? Of course! But, not far from the truth, I think.

Edited May 4, 2019 by Retrobyter
went over into Shabbat

[Retrobyter]

Shabbat shalom to all.

Look. I know that I'm physically minded, but I do NOT think that is wrong at all. I believe that most are "too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good."

To the contrary, I believe that God made us physical at the first and called ALL of His Creation "very good!" ("TowV m'od", Gen. 1:31.) According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, we shall STILL be physical in the resurrection.

Recognizing that "heaven" (Hebrew: shaamayim; Greek: ouranos) means "the sky," particularly the "atmosphere," and that the atmosphere is simply another part of our planet Earth, the gaseous portion that is typically lighter than the liquid or solid portions, then even our planet, although receiving a "make-over" after the Fire that shall purge the planet, will still be physical.

Even the word "spirit" (Hebrew: ruwach; Greek: pneuma) has as its PRIMARY definition, a "wind!" So, it should not come as a shock to learn that when Paul used the word in 1 Corinthians 15 in its adjective form "pneumatikos," he was NOT telling us that we'll have bodies that were other than physical; he was telling us that they would be bodies that no longer just breathed but physical bodies that could generate a WIND! He even alluded to how Yeshua` was made a "pneuma zoo-opoioun," a "life-giving wind," suggesting that we might be so made in the resurrection, as well!

Maybe we'll be responsible for bringing back the animal life, particularly well-loved pets! (I don't know that I particularly believe that; I'm just throwing it out there as a possibility.) Regardless, I DO believe that the animals will be re-created/resurrected with and for the New Earth. Why not? They did nothing wrong in the Fall (except, of course, for the "original snake")! And, if one of God's children that He loves so much deeply desired to have a particular pet back to life, wouldn't He grant that desire? In less than a heartbeat He would!

Yeah, more speculation, but isn't there at least the ring of truth in these thoughts?