A Spiritual City, Not a Geographical One #

The New Jerusalem is not a future physical city floating down from the sky, nor a literal place on a map. It is a spiritual reality, a divine habitation made up of God’s redeemed people—those who are born from above in Christ and joined in one spirit with Him.

Colossians 1:27 — To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (AMP)

This mystery—Christ in you—is not an idea, not a doctrine alone, but a living union with the risen Christ. This union forms the very essence of the New Jerusalem, which is not made with hands, nor founded on earth, but is heavenly and spiritual in origin and nature.

The Nature of the New Jerusalem: A People, Not a Place #

The New Jerusalem is not a city made of bricks, stones, or earthly materials. It is not a rebuilt physical temple, nor is it located in geographical Jerusalem. Rather, the New Jerusalem is a people—those who are united with Christ in His death, resurrection, and ascension. It is a corporate, spiritual city, built by God Himself, composed of those who have been made one spirit with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 6:17 — “But the one who is united and joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (AMP)

The Greek word for “joined” here is kollaō (κολλάω), which means to glue or bind closely together. This is not a surface-level attachment but a complete inward fusion—a spiritual union that brings about oneness with Christ. Those who are joined to the Lord are not merely followers or believers—they are participants in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), partakers of His resurrection life.

This union is the essence of resurrection life. We are not waiting to enter the New Jerusalem one day in the future; we are becoming it now, as those raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places.

Ephesians 2:6 — “And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places [because we are] in Christ Jesus.” (AMP)

This speaks of our present spiritual position, not merely a future hope. Through Christ’s resurrection, we have been raised into a new realm of life—a heavenly citizenship. The New Jerusalem is the corporate expression of this new creation reality—a city not made by man, but born out of divine life.

The City with Foundations – Built by God #

The New Jerusalem is the fulfilment of what the patriarchs longed for—a city with eternal foundations, not constructed by human hands, but designed and established by God.

Hebrews 11:10 — “For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.” (AMP)

The Greek word for “foundations” is themelios (θεμέλιος), meaning a strong and stable base—something unshakeable. Abraham looked forward not to a plot of land in Canaan, but to a heavenly, spiritual reality—a people fully conformed to the image of Christ, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

This city is not a literal structure, but the redeemed people of God—the Church, the Body, the Bride.

A People Prepared and Adorned for Christ #

The New Jerusalem is portrayed in Revelation not merely as a destination, but as a Bride prepared for her Husband—a people adorned in righteousness, filled with the glory of God, and in whom God Himself dwells.

Revelation 21:2–3 — “And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband… Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them.” (AMP)

The word “tabernacle” (skēnē, σκηνή) means a dwelling place or tent, signifying that God has found His abiding place not in temples made by hands, but in His people. The New Jerusalem is not coming down as a physical structure from outer space, but as a manifestation of God’s dwelling within His people, revealed through their union with Christ.

This is a Bride made ready—not through works or religion, but through union, intimacy, and transformation. Her adornment is not gold or fine linen alone, but the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:8), flowing from the life of Christ within.

The Church as the City of God #

The New Jerusalem is the culmination of God’s eternal purpose—a people in whom He can dwell in fullness. This city is:

• The Church, the ekklesia—called out of the world and gathered into Christ.
• The Body—joined to the Head, Christ, and animated by His Spirit.
• The Bride—deeply loved, fully redeemed, and forever united to her Husband.
• The Temple—not made with hands, but a living sanctuary filled with glory.

2 Corinthians 6:16 — “For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell among them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'” (AMP)

This is the eternal dwelling place of God, not a physical building, but a people made alive in Christ. The New Jerusalem is therefore not something we travel to; it is something we are becoming—a living city built on the foundation of divine life, love, and resurrection power.

Revelation and the Spiritual Descent of the City #

Revelation 3:12 — He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not be forced out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God—the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God—and My own new name. (AMP)

Notice: the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven and does not rise from the earth. This symbolises its divine origin. It is from above, just as those who make it up are born from above (John 3:3). The New Jerusalem is composed of heavenly people, those who have received a new spirit, a new heart, and the indwelling of Christ.

This city is not built by human plans, religious traditions, or denominational structures. It is born of God.

Born of God, Not of Flesh #

John 1:13 — “…who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [human plan], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth].” (AMP)

This verse describes how true believers come into the Kingdom. The word “born” is the Greek gennaō (γεννάω), meaning to be fathered or begotten. It speaks of an origin, a source of life. The Church, therefore, is not created by people, but begotten of God.

• “Not of blood” — It’s not based on family lineage, ethnicity, or ancestry.
• “Nor of the will of the flesh” — It cannot be produced through human passion or religious zeal.
• “Nor of the will of man” — No person or group can declare a church into existence by their authority.
• “But of God” — Only God can birth His Church, because only God can impart His Spirit and life.

The Harlot vs. The Bride: Two Cities, Two People #

God contrasts the true Church with what Revelation calls “Babylon,” the harlot—a counterfeit city, rooted in the flesh and the spirit of this world. A harlot church is formed from a mixture: flesh and spirit, truth and error, heavenly speech and worldly ways. It adopts the form of godliness, but denies the power of Christ’s life within.

But those who are in the New Jerusalem live in another realm. They are in the world but not of it. They are governed from above, not from earthly hierarchies or traditions.

2 Corinthians 6:16 — For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said: “I will dwell among them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (AMP)

Christ the Foundation: “Upon This Rock…” #

Matthew 16:16–18 — Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favoured by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood [mortal man] did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you, that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].” (AMP)

The Church—the New Jerusalem—is built upon the Rock of Revelation: not Peter, but the revealed Christ. The inner unveiling of Jesus as Lord, Saviour, and indwelling Life is the foundation of this city. God does not build on man’s opinions or religious activity, but on the inward reality of Christ formed in His people.

Ephesians 2:20–22 — Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the [chief] Cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together, and it continues to increase, growing into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, set apart, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (AMP)

John’s Vision: The Tabernacle of God with Men #

Revelation 21:2-3 — And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband; and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them [as their God].” (AMP)

This vision is not a future fantasy—it is the culmination of God’s eternal purpose: to dwell in His people. God’s dwelling is not in temples made with hands, but in living hearts filled with His Son. The New Jerusalem is the embodiment of “Christ in you.” The city Abraham saw in the Spirit, the one he searched for, was this: the corporate habitation of God in redeemed humanity.

Christ Formed in a People #

The New Jerusalem is not something we wait for—it is something we are becoming as Christ is formed in us. Every revelation of Jesus that God the Father gives us builds this city. Every life laid down for His glory, every expression of love, obedience, and faith, forms another stone in this eternal dwelling.

Galatians 4:19 — My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labour until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you. (AMP)

Christ in us is the city. The foundation has been laid. The Rock is Christ. The structure is His people. The glory is His presence. The New Jerusalem is not a myth—it is the fulfilment of God’s purpose from Genesis to Revelation.

In Christ,
Shaliach.