📖 Biblical Definition
The eschatological holy city descending from heaven at the consummation of all things, the eternal dwelling of God with His redeemed people. Revelation 21:1-22:5 gives the most extensive description in Scripture. The city descends out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (21:2). Its dimensions are a perfect cube of fifteen hundred miles (corresponding to the Holy of Holies' cube-shape), made of pure gold transparent as glass, with walls of jasper, twelve foundations named for the apostles, twelve gates named for the tribes, each gate a single pearl. There is no temple, for the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. There is no sun or moon, for the glory of God lightens it. The river of the water of life flows from the throne; the tree of life bears twelve fruits. There is no more curse. The New Jerusalem is the Christian's eternal home and the bride of Christ in her consummated form.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
The eternal city of God descending from heaven.
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The eschatological holy city descending from heaven in Revelation 21-22 — adorned as a bride, walled with twelve foundations of the apostles and twelve gates of the tribes, lit by the glory of God and the Lamb, with the river of life and the tree of life.
📖 Key Scripture
Revelation 21:2 — "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
Revelation 21:22-23 — "I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun... for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
Hebrews 11:10 — "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Reduced to a vague heaven-image; missing the architectural concreteness of Revelation's vision.
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The New Jerusalem is not floating clouds. It is a city — gates, walls, river, tree, throne, bride. The eschaton is urban, not ethereal. Read Revelation 21-22 slowly to recover the city we are heading home to.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek kainē Hierousalēm.
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['Greek', 'G2419', 'Hierousalēm', 'Jerusalem']
['Greek', 'G2537', 'kainos', 'new (in kind)']
Usage
"Read Revelation 21-22 as architecture."
"The eternal city is concrete, not vague."