Descent of New Jerusalem by Patricia Wagner
New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:10-16 HCSB He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, (11) arrayed with God's glory. Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal. (12) The city had a massive high wall, with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; on the gates, names were inscribed, the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel. (13) There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. (14) The city wall had 12 foundations, and on them were the 12 names of the Lamb's 12 apostles. (15) The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. (16) The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal.
New Jerusalem is the capital city that Jesus is constructing for us in heaven as we speak. As He told us:
Like Abraham, we Adonaists are looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10) and which will some day come down out of heaven (Revelation 3:12; 21:1-2).
However, due to the incredible dimensions the Apostle John was given in the book of Revelation, a lot of atheists have chosen to ridicule the notion of New Jerusalem. Before I answer those challenges, let’s look at New Jerusalem’s size and the problems that size seems to engender, shall we?
- John 14:1-3 HCSB "Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. (2) In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. (3) If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.
Like Abraham, we Adonaists are looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10) and which will some day come down out of heaven (Revelation 3:12; 21:1-2).
However, due to the incredible dimensions the Apostle John was given in the book of Revelation, a lot of atheists have chosen to ridicule the notion of New Jerusalem. Before I answer those challenges, let’s look at New Jerusalem’s size and the problems that size seems to engender, shall we?
Cubits and Stadia
Before we go on, let’s have a brief discussion of the biblical measurements and their conversion rates. A cubit is the distance between the elbow and the tip of the middle finger of the average man. Over time it has meant different lengths at different times ranging from 18” up to 27”. I’m going to go conservative and use the oldest measurement that also happens to be the shortest measurement. For the purposes of this discussion I’m going to define a cubit as being 18”.
On the other hand, though I will again use the oldest measuring standard that a Jew would likely use for a “stadia”, this time it will result, not in the shorter but in the longer measurement. I’ll be using the Babylonian/Persian standard stadia which is about 196 meters (a little over 643 feet).
Using those standards, we are told that New Jerusalem will be a square 1,500 miles wide each way. Even more amazing to me however, it will be just as high as it is wide, making it 1,500 miles high!
On the other hand, though I will again use the oldest measuring standard that a Jew would likely use for a “stadia”, this time it will result, not in the shorter but in the longer measurement. I’ll be using the Babylonian/Persian standard stadia which is about 196 meters (a little over 643 feet).
Using those standards, we are told that New Jerusalem will be a square 1,500 miles wide each way. Even more amazing to me however, it will be just as high as it is wide, making it 1,500 miles high!
- Revelation 21:16 HCSB The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal.
Thickness of the walls
The wall of New Jerusalem (at 144 cubits in thickness) would be 216 feet thick. To give you an idea of what that would be like imagine kicking off in the end zone and running past the mid field and got down to the 28 yard line before being tackled. That’s 216 feet.
Mass
This brings the issue of mass. A 1,500 mile cube made apparently mostly of gold would weigh so much that with our knowledge and control of physics it would not be able to hold its shape. It would sink in on itself and be deformed.
That’s not to mention the wobble in the Earth’s rotation and the massive, catastrophic, earthquakes that would result from the combination of that wobble and the pressure on the continental plate.
That’s not to mention the wobble in the Earth’s rotation and the massive, catastrophic, earthquakes that would result from the combination of that wobble and the pressure on the continental plate.
Population Possibilities
New Jerusalem is 1,500 miles on a side; that’s length, width and height. If you put this city in the middle of the United States, it would stretch from Canada to Mexico. If you put it right in the center of the United States, it would stretch from the Appalachian Mountains on the east all the way to California on the west.
This city is 15,000 times larger than London. It’s 40 times larger than all of England. It’s ten times larger than either France or Germany.
Let’s say that the current population of the world is 6 billion, 500 million people. It’s a little more than that, but let’s round it out so the math is easy. If each story were 15 feet high, there would be 500,000 stories, each 1,500 miles on a side. Ten billion people would easily fit inside such a building. Think about it, there are a total of about 6 billion, 500 million alive today. Even if everyone alive today were to move into New Jerusalem there would be more than enough room and to spare.
This city is 15,000 times larger than London. It’s 40 times larger than all of England. It’s ten times larger than either France or Germany.
Let’s say that the current population of the world is 6 billion, 500 million people. It’s a little more than that, but let’s round it out so the math is easy. If each story were 15 feet high, there would be 500,000 stories, each 1,500 miles on a side. Ten billion people would easily fit inside such a building. Think about it, there are a total of about 6 billion, 500 million alive today. Even if everyone alive today were to move into New Jerusalem there would be more than enough room and to spare.
Flat Surface on a Ball
If we apply the Pythagorean Theorem and find the hypotenuse between its opposing base corners we find that it’s 2,121.322 miles. Again, rounding things down for simplicity’s sake we make it 2,121 miles from corner to corner.
If that’s the case and its center is touching the Earth, then the corners of New Jerusalem are some 15 miles up in the sky. Even if we were able to squish half the area flat, destroying everything within a 750 square mile radius, the corners would still be 7 ½ miles up.
If that’s the case and its center is touching the Earth, then the corners of New Jerusalem are some 15 miles up in the sky. Even if we were able to squish half the area flat, destroying everything within a 750 square mile radius, the corners would still be 7 ½ miles up.
Temperature and Pressure at the Bottom
The other option is to have the outside edges flush to the ground, in which case the center is fifteen miles into the Earth’s crust! The crust lies above the mantle and is the earth's hard outer shell, the surface on which we are living. There is an Oceanic crust and a Continental crust. The first one is about 4-7 miles thick and consists of heavy rocks, like basalt. The Continental crust, upon which New Jerusalem would be sitting, is thicker than the Oceanic crust, and is about 19 miles (30 km) thick. It is mainly made up of light material, like granite. If New Jerusalem’s outer base edges were flush to the surface of the planet, its center would be a mere four miles from the mantle of the earth. To give you an idea of what that means, the deepest mines we have are just over 2 miles deep. The deepest ocean is 6.78 miles deep, to give you some idea. At that depth the pressure on the rock is enormous; so much so that when we open up a tunnel the rock face tends to explode. It actually causes around 250 deaths per year in South Africa. The temperature at a mere 2 miles down is 158o F. It’s believed that the average temperature of the mantle is 5,400o F so you can imagine the temperatures of the basement levels of New Jerusalem deal with 7 times closer to the mantle than our current deepest mines!
Straight Vertical Lines on a Ball
Verrazano Narrows Bridge, New York City
Going from the depths to the heights involves completely different issues. First, consider the difficulty of building a perfect cube of that size on a cube. Do you know of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York City? Look at how puny those towers are in comparison to the dimensions we’re discussing. Yet those towers are tall enough and far enough apart that the curvature of the Earth is a relevant engineering issue.
The towers are 693 feet up, so the tops of the towers are 1 5/8” farther apart than their bases are because of the 4,260 foot distance between them. It’s like gluing two tacks inches apart on a tennis ball. Obviously the points will point in different directions. Imagine the technical difficulties of walls that are 1,500 miles apart and 1,500 miles high each! Even if you ignored the fact that the building is 16,160 times higher than the Verazzano bridge, the fact that the corners are 2,121 miles apart makes the level of engineering complexity 2,629 times greater than the problems the bridge’s engineers had to face.
Just to keep these heights in perspective, remember that Mount Everest is merely 29,035 feet high. That’s 5.5 miles. New Jerusalem is 272 times higher than Mount Everest.
The towers are 693 feet up, so the tops of the towers are 1 5/8” farther apart than their bases are because of the 4,260 foot distance between them. It’s like gluing two tacks inches apart on a tennis ball. Obviously the points will point in different directions. Imagine the technical difficulties of walls that are 1,500 miles apart and 1,500 miles high each! Even if you ignored the fact that the building is 16,160 times higher than the Verazzano bridge, the fact that the corners are 2,121 miles apart makes the level of engineering complexity 2,629 times greater than the problems the bridge’s engineers had to face.
Just to keep these heights in perspective, remember that Mount Everest is merely 29,035 feet high. That’s 5.5 miles. New Jerusalem is 272 times higher than Mount Everest.
Temperature and Vacuum at the Top
You also have to consider the ramifications of the sheer height of this structure. It’s described as a cube of equal length, width and height so the top of the structure will be 1,500 miles above the ground. This represents certain challenges.
The lower boundary of Earth’s exosphere is out around the 310 mile range. The top of New Jerusalem would thus penetrate well into the exosphere – where our satellites fly. When on the sun-side of the planet the temperatures there would reach well over 1,832o F. Then at night the temperature would plunge to within a few degrees of absolute zero. In fact, an object of that size would actually have to deal with both temperatures at the same time. The sunny side would be extremely hot while the shady side would be unbelievably cold. Think of the energy sheer issues this structure has to deal with.
The “basement” could be within four miles from the mantle of the earth, dealing with phenomenal pressures and temperatures approaching 5,000o F. Its top floor would be in the vacuum of space, enduring variations ranging from 1,832o F to nearly absolute zero!
The lower boundary of Earth’s exosphere is out around the 310 mile range. The top of New Jerusalem would thus penetrate well into the exosphere – where our satellites fly. When on the sun-side of the planet the temperatures there would reach well over 1,832o F. Then at night the temperature would plunge to within a few degrees of absolute zero. In fact, an object of that size would actually have to deal with both temperatures at the same time. The sunny side would be extremely hot while the shady side would be unbelievably cold. Think of the energy sheer issues this structure has to deal with.
The “basement” could be within four miles from the mantle of the earth, dealing with phenomenal pressures and temperatures approaching 5,000o F. Its top floor would be in the vacuum of space, enduring variations ranging from 1,832o F to nearly absolute zero!
Weather
A building that size and height, penetrating deep into the exosphere, would wreak havoc on the weather patterns of the earth without some serious weather control apparatus. On the other hand, the one who controls the surface of such a cube and the tremendous energy available due to the energy sheers, would be able to easily control world-wide weather patterns.
Gravity
This is just the temperature and pressure differences. Consider going from the basement where you are closer to the bottom of the gravity well than any human has ever been, to the top floor where there would be hardly any gravity at all. How much would you weigh on the top floor? Who knows but how much would you weigh in space if there’s no artificial gravity in the top floors? Well all you have to do take how much you weigh and divide it by 6. So if I weigh 175 pounds now and I travelled to the top floor and there was no artificial gravity, I would weigh only 29 pounds. I would be floating around the rooms and have almost no mass to push anything around with.
Meanwhile, back down in the basement you have a completely different problem. As you begin to move down towards the center of the Earth, the g force will increase, but as you continue down, it will begin to eventually decrease until it reaches zero at the center. This is mainly because as you move closer to the center, the decreasing percentage of the Earth's mass contributing to the force becomes a larger factor than your decreasing distance from the center. All told, the pressure at fifteen miles down (presuming the building sinks to the point that the outer edges of its base are flush to the surface) would actually be higher than at the surface of the Earth.
Meanwhile, back down in the basement you have a completely different problem. As you begin to move down towards the center of the Earth, the g force will increase, but as you continue down, it will begin to eventually decrease until it reaches zero at the center. This is mainly because as you move closer to the center, the decreasing percentage of the Earth's mass contributing to the force becomes a larger factor than your decreasing distance from the center. All told, the pressure at fifteen miles down (presuming the building sinks to the point that the outer edges of its base are flush to the surface) would actually be higher than at the surface of the Earth.
The Gates Compared to the US
There will be twelve gates spread over the four sides of the city which means three gates to a side. If the gates are spaced evenly, they’ll be 375 miles apart. If we were blessed to have a gate here in Aledo, Illinois, and the edge of the building ran north-south, the corner would be near Lake Superior, close to Duluth, Minnesota. The next nearest gate south of us would be near Memphis, Tennessee. The next one after that would be near New Orleans, and the southernmost corner would be out in the Gulf of Mexico.
Compared to the Middle East
This building would be so vast that if you were to drive toward the middle gate on any side, you would not be able to see neither the edges of the city nor the topmost levels. You would be driving toward a vast, unending wall that covered the full extent of the horizon. In fact, it’s likely that pretty much anybody on the same hemisphere of the planet as New Jerusalem, would likely be able to see it.
Of course the placement of New Jerusalem would be far more appropriate over…well…Old Jerusalem in the land of Canaan in the Middle East. Were we to place it there, it would cover the area seen to the left.
Of course the placement of New Jerusalem would be far more appropriate over…well…Old Jerusalem in the land of Canaan in the Middle East. Were we to place it there, it would cover the area seen to the left.
Value
The mineral wealth represented by the city is incalculable. If you took all the gold that has ever been mined from the Earth combined it would be insufficient to pave the streets of one level of the city. We are told twice (Revelation 21:18, 21) that the gold is so pure that it is transparent, clear like glass.
Gold conducts electricity and does not tarnish. The most important industrial use of gold is in the manufacture of electronics. Solid state electronic devices use very low voltages and currents which are easily interrupted by corrosion or tarnish at the contact points. Gold is the highly efficient conductor that can carry these tiny currents and remain free of corrosion. Electronic components made with gold are highly reliable. Gold is used in connectors, switch and relay contacts, soldered joints, connecting wires and connection strips. Gold is also used in many places in the standard desktop or laptop computer. The rapid and accurate transmission of digital information through the computer and from one component to another requires an efficient and reliable conductor. Gold meets these requirements better than any other metal.
Remember how we talked about the difference in temperatures from the sunny to the shady part of the building up in the exosphere? Many parts of every space vehicle are fitted with gold-coated polyester film. This film reflects infrared radiation and helps stabilize the temperature of the spacecraft. Without this coating, dark colored parts of the spacecraft would absorb significant amounts of heat.
So, not only would the structure be beautiful, but the very walls, floors and ceilings would provide phenomenal conductivity for power and communications while simultaneously balancing out the crazy differences in temperature.
The massive walls we’ve discussed will be made of jasper. Jasper is a dark, semi-translucent stone that can be any of several colors including red, yellow, brown or green. Its most common color is brick or brownish red. Often jasper is multicolored. The color in regular jasper stems from the impurities within. What color pure, unadulterated jasper would be is anyone’s guess. It can be polished to an incredible sheen. Jasper is, by the way, a stone in the Jewish High Priest’s breastplate.[1] Also, for thousands of years, black jasper was used to test gold-silver alloys for their gold content. Rubbing the metal with the stone produces a streak of color which determines the gold content within one part in one hundred. So a city made of 100% pure gold is clad in the very stone used to determine gold’s purity. Interesting, don’t you think?
[1] Exodus 28
Gold conducts electricity and does not tarnish. The most important industrial use of gold is in the manufacture of electronics. Solid state electronic devices use very low voltages and currents which are easily interrupted by corrosion or tarnish at the contact points. Gold is the highly efficient conductor that can carry these tiny currents and remain free of corrosion. Electronic components made with gold are highly reliable. Gold is used in connectors, switch and relay contacts, soldered joints, connecting wires and connection strips. Gold is also used in many places in the standard desktop or laptop computer. The rapid and accurate transmission of digital information through the computer and from one component to another requires an efficient and reliable conductor. Gold meets these requirements better than any other metal.
Remember how we talked about the difference in temperatures from the sunny to the shady part of the building up in the exosphere? Many parts of every space vehicle are fitted with gold-coated polyester film. This film reflects infrared radiation and helps stabilize the temperature of the spacecraft. Without this coating, dark colored parts of the spacecraft would absorb significant amounts of heat.
So, not only would the structure be beautiful, but the very walls, floors and ceilings would provide phenomenal conductivity for power and communications while simultaneously balancing out the crazy differences in temperature.
The massive walls we’ve discussed will be made of jasper. Jasper is a dark, semi-translucent stone that can be any of several colors including red, yellow, brown or green. Its most common color is brick or brownish red. Often jasper is multicolored. The color in regular jasper stems from the impurities within. What color pure, unadulterated jasper would be is anyone’s guess. It can be polished to an incredible sheen. Jasper is, by the way, a stone in the Jewish High Priest’s breastplate.[1] Also, for thousands of years, black jasper was used to test gold-silver alloys for their gold content. Rubbing the metal with the stone produces a streak of color which determines the gold content within one part in one hundred. So a city made of 100% pure gold is clad in the very stone used to determine gold’s purity. Interesting, don’t you think?
[1] Exodus 28
So How Do We Answer Atheistic Skepticism?
Most of their questions deal with the problems of the weight of the structure deforming the Earth, or creating a wobble in the Earth’s rotation or sinking into the Earth’s crust – those kinds of questions.
However, upon reading the passages related to New Jerusalem carefully, we see that none of these issues will arise because New Jerusalem will not be on this planet.
New Jerusalem arrives after a new heaven and a new Earth are created, and the old ones have passed away (Revelation 21:1). This is after the Tribulation, after the Day of the Lord’s Wrath, after the Second Coming, after the Millennium and after the Great White Throne of Judgment. This is after all tears are wiped away and death is done away with. We are talking a whole new universe here. Who knows what laws apply? Who knows the properties of that new Earth?
So, the atheists who apply the laws of physics to say that New Jerusalem would be impossible on this Earth are both right and wrong. It WOULD be impossible on this Earth. Fortunately, this Earth is not the one we’ll be dealing with.
However, upon reading the passages related to New Jerusalem carefully, we see that none of these issues will arise because New Jerusalem will not be on this planet.
New Jerusalem arrives after a new heaven and a new Earth are created, and the old ones have passed away (Revelation 21:1). This is after the Tribulation, after the Day of the Lord’s Wrath, after the Second Coming, after the Millennium and after the Great White Throne of Judgment. This is after all tears are wiped away and death is done away with. We are talking a whole new universe here. Who knows what laws apply? Who knows the properties of that new Earth?
So, the atheists who apply the laws of physics to say that New Jerusalem would be impossible on this Earth are both right and wrong. It WOULD be impossible on this Earth. Fortunately, this Earth is not the one we’ll be dealing with.
