The new heaven and new earth (Ch. 21-22)

Chapter 21 and 22.

We have finally arrived at our destiny: The New Jerusalem. It is the place where we spend eternity. And this has some features that are very interesting:

• It is full of precious elements (pearls as big as gate, precious stones, gold used even to plaster the streets) and a river and the tree of life like in the garden Eden.
• It has elements of a city (the place humans looked for shelter and identity after loosing their relationship to God)
• It is personal as we are the bride.

These are all elements refering to the temple. But there will be no temple, because the temple is based on distance (whoever you are you can come closer and closer to God - pagan, Jew, Levite, Priest, High Priest) and only the High Priest can go once a year in the real presence of God - the Holy of Holies.

But this is now ending as the New Jerusalem has the shape of the Holy of Holies. But directly outside this is what we would call hell. This describes the purpose of the New Jerusalem. It is about being in relationship with God: You are either all in or all out - the main message of the book.

And hell is nothing else but being separated from God, the source of life - for ever.