God's Prepared City.
God's prepared city.
"For he, Abraham looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Heb 11:10
"But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." Heb 11:16
We want to look at several things regarding these verses:
1) The Old Testament era saints were looking to, and going to heaven; they were not thinking of a piece of ground in Palestine.
2) They are now in heaven, the same place to which we New Testament Christians are going.
3) Old Testament era saints, both before the establishment of the Jewish nation and those of the Jewish nation, and we New Testament era saints, all of us, in total, are the Church of Jesus Christ.
4) We are going to a city, meaning it is large and organized.
5) It has foundations, meaning it is physical.
6) God is the builder and maker of this city.
7) It is glorious and eternal.
1) The Old Testament era saints were looking to, and going to heaven, they were not thinking of a piece of ground in Palestine.
Verse 16 clearly states: "they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly"
This is specifically written about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and says that though they were going to live in Palestine, yet they were traveling to heaven; they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them (knew them to be true), and embraced them (lived according to them), and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Heb 11:13
When Enoch was transformed and taken, where did the Lord take him to?
When Michael contended with Satan and took the body of Moses (Jude 1:9), where did he take it to?
When Elijah was taken, where was he taken to? 2Ki 2:1, 11.
When Moses and Elijah came back to earth, to talk with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, from where did they come?
There are not several different places; rather all of God's people, upon death, or in the case of Enoch and Elijah, go to the one same place, heaven, where God is.
2) They are now in heaven, the same place to which we New Testament Christians are going.
David said in Psa 17:15: "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." He said he would "behold God's face;" God is in heaven; David said that upon his death, he would go right to heaven, and be perfected into the likeness of God.
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Heb 12:22-24
- the city of the living God
- the heavenly Jerusalem
- the place of angels
- the place where God is
- the place where all the church of the firstborn, who is Jesus, is assembled: HEAVEN
When New Testament Lazarus dies, he goes to heaven and is with Abraham, and he talks with the Rich Man who is in hell. New Testament Lazarus is in the same place as Old Testament Abraham; and this in not a parable, Jesus says, "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus," Jesus tells us the man's name.
There are four (4) human bodies in heaven right now: Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, are right now, today, bodily in heaven; all the other saints are there in spirit, "the spirits of just men made perfect," who are "naked, desiring to be clothed with their new bodies (2Co 5:1-5), waiting for the last day, when their bodies will be resurrected, and re-united with their spirits.
3) Old Testament era saints, both before the establishment of the Jewish nation and those of the Jewish nation, and we New Testament era saints, all of us, in total, are the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Body of Christ is One. The Church is One. We use the term "The Universal Church," meaning all of those for whom Christ died, regardless of when they lived.
Job, who many believe lived before the Flood, said:
"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." Job 19:25-27
Job's redeemer is our redeemer, the one and only redeemer, Jesus Christ!
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" 1Ti 2:5
4) We are going to a city, meaning it is large and organized.
They did not think of Palestine as their final destination, they were going to heaven, which here is called a "city."
Tribal nomadic people do not live in cities. Think of the Bedouin Tribes. Abraham and Isaac and Jacob knew about cities; they knew about Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of Egypt, but they lived as nomads, pilgrims, because they were going to a heavenly city!
A stranger means foreigner; one not of that area, one whose habits and customs and language and desires are different from the people of that place. Christian, this world is NOT our home, we are strangers here! We don't fit in. These people think differently than we do. They desire different things, their goals are different, they rejoice in different things, and work hard to get different things. It is hard for us to live here, or at least it should be!
A pilgrim is one who is traveling through an area. He lives in a tent, he does not build a permanent house. Owning a house is fine, we are talking about a state-of-mind!
"Their (people of this world) inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish." Psa 49:11-12
"Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. Psa 49:16-20
The un-saved, the worldling thinks only of this world, it is his home, it is all he knows. Because he is spiritually dead, he cannot see afar off, to the city of God, and so he amasses all his wealth here, both possessions and enjoyments.
However, the Christian, the born-again person, having been made spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit, is looking for a city, and this city is large, and organized: a true "planned community."
5) It has foundations, meaning it is physical.
Rev 21 describes those foundations, and the gates, and the street:
"And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 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." Rev 21:19-21
This is a real city! The angel who showed it to John, measured it!
"And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel." Rev 21:15-17
The last phrase, "according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel," is God's way of telling us this is not figurative language. Angels are the same size as we people, so the reed he his holding, is the same size as a reed we would hold, and the measurement is a true physical human measurement.
Right now there is a Throne in Heaven, around which are 4 Living Creatures and 24 Elders and a multitude of angels and the saints.
On the Last Day we will receive our immortal bodies (1Co 15), which will be just like the bodies of Enoch and Moses and Elijah and Jesus.
"For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Php 3:20-21
And we shall walk those golden streets, we see those sights, we shall breath that air, we shall smell those smells, we shall hear those sounds, we shall touch those things.
Some day I will rub my hands upon the foundation stones and touch the gates of pearl!
6) God is the builder and maker of this city.
Jesus said: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" Mat 25:34
Jesus said: "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luk 12:32
Jesus said: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Joh 14:2-3
I have often wondered if Jesus being a carpenter has any significance regarding the statement: I go to prepare a place for you. Now I absolutely DO NOT mean Jesus is up in heaven pounding nails with a hammer, but think, he was a carpenter by the plan of God.
The statement: whose builder and maker is God, tells us that God is both the architect and the builder: heaven was designed by God. Who else could design and build heaven? Think in very concrete terms.
There is a sea of glass suspended on ... what?
A city whose foundation stones rest on ... what?
"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. 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." Rev 22:1-2
Who laid out the street? Who said "make it this long?" Certainly it was the same one who told the oceans, "Thus far, and no farther."
And who planted the tree(s)? Certainly it was he who on day 3 made the trees, and then who himself planted the garden of Eden: "And the LORD God planted a garden." Gen 2:8
While the new heavens and earth will be far beyond the original, yet the original creation shows us what the new, better, and eternal cosmos will be like. Granted what they will be "has not entered into the heart of man," (1Co 2:9), but we are given glimpses!
And all of this capped off with: "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." Rev 22:3-4
NO MORE CURSE, only the full and free and boundless blessing of God flowing out from himself, to his people, who will be forever with him in this place of glory, in close and intimate proximity and fellowship, such that "we shall see his face!"
7) It is glorious and eternal
Rev 21 and Rev 22 clearly speak of the glory of the new heavens and new earth. The glory of the light and splendor and cleanness, wherein dwelleth righteousness, wherein are none who love and make a lie; the physical glory AND the spiritual glory of holiness; NO SIN! No sin from us, no sin from others!
That is the place to which Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were going!
So Christian, why do you, why do I, set our affections on the things of this world? Why, when there are such great and precious promises given to us, do we seek the trinkets of this present evil age, which do not satisfy and are eaten by moth and rust, and not set our affections on the things above, where Christ is?
We are fools! My Christian brother and sister, we are fools!
If you are not a Christian, you are traveling on the broad road that leads to hell. Jesus spoke more about hell than anyone else, calling it a place of darkness and fire and punishment and pain, "where the worm never dies," eternal!
You are with the multitude on the broad road, and so you feel safe; but no, you are going to your destruction. Join us, the small group who is going to heaven, traveling on the little road that leads to life, to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God, prepared for us, his people, from before the foundation of the world.
12 September 2025