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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



Laying aside the previous challenging thought regarding the physical or allegorical nature of New Jerusalem -- I cannot provide a definitive answer anyway -- some people may argue that if God is God, then it really doesn't matter what shape the Heavenly City has. Even if it is cube-shaped, this would not pose a problem for the Creator of the Universe. I agree with this thought. However, at the same time, if God observes His own natural laws of physics -- we obviously don't know if He does or not -- then it still seems plausible that He would choose a pyramidal design over a cubic design. If the City of Gold can be tipped so that its apex points forward, it would in fact move through Space similar to a spacecraft.

No doubt, some of you science fiction fans will be reminded of the popular movie "Stargate", in which a fictitious alien race did in fact utilize spacecraft which were pyramidal in design. In contrast, I am also reminded of another old, very popular sci-fi television program that aired during the late 1980's and early 1990's. It is in that show -- Star Trek: The Next Generation -- that viewers are introduced to a sinister and very violent race who were collectively known as the Borg.

The Borg were composed of cybernetically-enhanced drones which were assimilated from a variety of humanoid species. The Borg clearly represented transhumanism at its very worst. With the Borg, everything was either black or white. They offered only one option: either be assimilated, or else be destroyed. The option was given to targeted races with the dark threat that "Resistance is futile". At any rate, unlike the spacecraft in Stargate which were pyramidal in design, the spaceships of the Borg were technological -- and deadly -- wonders in the shape of perfect cubes.

While I have offered my personal musings and speculations in the previous paragraphs for your consideration, as I pointed out earlier, you are obviously under no obligation to accept them or agree with them if you do not want to. They are just a few interesting ideas which have occurred to me as I have thought about this issue. The fact of the matter is that we honestly don't know -- and won't know -- until that glorious day in which we each arrive in that Beautiful Place, due to our faith in the saving Grace of Jesus Christ.

While we have veered off into the world of science fiction, allow me to inform you that in reality, there actually is a very dark and sinister threat on the Earth today, in which a cube plays an important role. While some foolish politicians have strived to cloak this threat under the guise of peace, the truth of the matter is that the threat is clearly marked by both violence and extremism. As some of you may suppose, I am referring to the religion of Islam, which I discuss in more detail in the series "Holy Quran and Islam: A Doctrine of Devils?". So what is this cube that I am talking about? Read on, my friend.

The Kaaba -- that is, "The Cube", which is also known as the Sacred House -- is a granite, cuboid building which measures about forty-three feet high, and about 36.2 feet by 42.2 feet on its sides. The Kaaba is surrounded by the Masjid al-Haram, which is the most sacred mosque in the religion of Islam. The mosque is located in the center of Mecca -- or Makkah -- in Saudi Arabia. No matter where they are located in the world, Muslims are expected to face the Kaaba during personal prayer times. Furthermore, one of the so-called "Five Pillars" of the Islamic faith requires that Muslims perform a pilgrimage to the Kaaba -- referred to as the Hajj -- at least one time during their lifetime, if it is at all possible. Part of the Hajj ritual requires Muslims to walk seven times around the perimeter of the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction.

One interesting aspect of the Kaaba is the Black Stone. This Stone -- which actually predates Islam itself -- is embedded in the exterior eastern corner of the Kaaba. It consists of a number of now-fragmented stones which are held together by a silver band, silver nails, and a type of mortar or cement. Muslims believe that the Black Stone was placed in the wall by Muhammad himself. Regarding the Stone's origin, Islamic tradition teaches that it fell from Heaven in order to show Adam and Eve where to build an altar. Later, following the Flood, the Angel Gabriel supposedly instructed the Patriarch Abraham where to find the Stone. Abraham instructed Ishmael -- his son by the Egyptian Hagar -- to build a new temple in which to place the Black Stone. This was the Kaaba. Muslims highly revere the Black Stone, and endeavor to kiss it each time that they circle the Kaaba, as required during the Hajj. If they are unable to kiss it due to the crowd, they simply point to it instead.

As I noted a moment ago, this mosque, -- and the Kaaba within it -- is regarded by Muslims as the most sacred place in the Islamic faith. I find it very interesting that Satan has made a cube-shaped building the very center of this false religion which vehemently denies the Divinity and Messiahship of Jesus Christ. If I were to embrace the same mentality as the person who pointed to the pyramids as being evil, I could easily say that the Kaaba is one very good reason regarding why the New Jerusalem would not be in the shape of a cube. However, as I explain in other articles, Christian doctrine cannot be based simply on personal theories and conjectures. It should only be based squarely on the truth of the Scriptures, and what God's Word explicitly tells us, or at the very least suggests.

As I mentioned in part one, I am convinced by my own studies that New Jerusalem is pyramidal in shape, and not cuboid in shape. While the Book of Revelation does not state this very clearly, when we compare John's description to other verses which we find in the Scriptures, it does suggest this in my view. In the following set of verses, while describing how the unbelieving Jews of Jerusalem are still in bondage, and enslaved to the Old Covenant due to their rejection of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul makes a comparison between the two sons which the Patriarch Abraham fathered by Sarah and Hagar, and between Mount Sinai -- which is located in what we know today as Saudi Arabia, and which he associates with physical Jerusalem -- and New Jerusalem, "which is above". In other words, Paul is comparing the seed of the flesh with the seed of faith:

"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all."


We see the very same comparison being made between Mount Sinai -- in the first half of the verses -- and the New Jerusalem -- or Mount Sion -- in the Epistle to the Hebrews as well, which is described here as "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem":

"For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 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."


Turning to the Book of Revelation, we find another amazing description of Mount Sion -- or New Jerusalem -- in which Jesus Christ, accompanied by the 144,000 redeemed servants of the Lord, are playing on their harps, and singing before the very Throne of God:

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth."


So how do the previous verses reveal more to us regarding the shape of the Heavenly City, New Jerusalem? Quite simply, it is in the fact that it also called Mount Sion, or Mount Zion if you prefer. The word "mount" is derived from the Greek word "oros". This word is used sixty-five times in the New Testament of the King James version of the Bible. Most of the time -- forty-one times -- "oros" is translated as "mountain"; twenty-one times it is translated as "mount"; and three times it is translated as "hill". In other words, New Jerusalem is clearly being described as looking like a mountain.

Now it is quiz time. When you look off in the distance at a mountain, or at a mountain range, or at a volcano, what do you usually -- but not always -- see? I can definitely tell you what you do not see, unless it is a plateau, of course. You do not see a squarish, rectangular or cuboid structure reaching up into the heavens. What you will usually see is a conical, triangular or pyramidal object, or else a group of objects, from your perspective on a three dimensional plane. You will seek a mountain, or a mountain range, or a volcano, with tapered sides and a triangular peak, more or less. Are the pieces of the puzzle starting to come together yet? If the Heavenly City, New Jerusalem, is called Mount Sion, it is for a reason. The word "mount" describes its shape. To reiterate, a mount, or mountain, is usually not flat on the top, unless it is a plateau. Furthermore, I am not aware of any cuboid mountains, are you?

In my article entitled "Focus on the Endtime", I discuss an important short-lived battle which occurs following a period which we refer to as the Millennium. The instigator of this battle, the preparation for this same battle, and the rather quick results of the battle, are all described for us in the following set of verses:

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."


As you can see, this event -- which is the Battle of Gog and Magog -- occurs towards the end, or possibly right at the end of the Millennium. As many of you will already know, this is a period of one thousand years during which the resurrected Saints rule the Earth along with Jesus Christ. This topic is more amply discussed in such articles as "From Armageddon to the New Earth". According to certain Bible teachers, in verse nine above, the words "camp" and "beloved city" are said to be a reference to the city of Jerusalem in the current state of Israel, even though the verse doesn't explicitly say that. As such, I view that interpretation as personal speculation at best; and a very poor one at that.

One reason why I embrace this position is because there is not one single verse in the entire King James Version of the Bible where Jerusalem is called "the beloved city". Using my Online Bible program, I verified this point by looking for the phrase "beloved city", as well as the word "beloved" in which it is associated with Jerusalem. Other than this one verse that is found in the Book of Revelation, this phrase is not found anywhere else. Furthermore, it does not make sense that on one hand, Jesus would say that Jerusalem is full of the blood of the Prophets, that it is run by the children of the Devil, and that it would be destroyed, and then make a u-turn and call it "the beloved city". According to Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, the word "city" is derived from the Greek word "polis". Pronounced pol' is, it has the following definitions:

----- Begin Quote -----

1) a city
  1a) one's native city, the city in which one lives
  1b) the heavenly Jerusalem
    1b1) the abode of the blessed in heaven
    1b2) of the visible capital in the heavenly kingdom, to come down to earth after
           the renovation of the world by fire
  1c) the inhabitants of a city

----- End Of Quote -----

While "polis" can refer to any city, notice the emphasis on the Heavenly Jerusalem, and the fact that there's no mention of the earthly Jerusalem whatsoever. Thus, because of this, and the reasons which I have already stated, I'm inclined to believe that "camp" and "beloved city" are referring to the New Jerusalem which descends from Heaven sometime during, or perhaps sometime after the Millennium. While John describes New Jerusalem "coming down from God out of heaven" after the new heaven and the new Earth have been created, this does not necessarily mean that it was not present prior to that time. Let me share those verses with you again:

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband . . . And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,"


In other words, I have considered the possibility -- please note that this a personal speculation -- that New Jerusalem may hover above the surface of the original Earth throughout the duration of the Millennium. In this way, it will be kept pure from pollution and other contaminants on the Earth.

It makes sense to me that the Lord and His Saints require a headquarters and capital city from which to rule the Earth during the Millennium. On the other hand, it does not make sense that the Lord would choose old, decrepit and war-torn earthly Jerusalem, which is full of not only the blood of the Prophets and Saints, but His own Blood as well. Thus, when He informed the Apostles that He was going to prepare a place for them, He was actually referring to the New Jerusalem that would descend one day from Heaven. Consider these verses:

"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."


There is something else I noticed in the previous verses that are found in the Book of Revelation which offer a small hint that New Jerusalem may possibly hover above the Earth during the Millennium. In those verses, we are told that the ungodly rebels "went up on the breadth of the earth." This phrase is a bit ambiguous. According to Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, the word "breadth is derived from the Greek word "platos". It means breadth, broad or wide, which does not tell us a whole lot. The lexicon also states that "platos" suggests a great extent. You will see why this is important in just a moment.

However, it is the phrase "they went up" that actually caught my attention. It is derived from the Greek "anabaino", which the lexicon defines as meaning to ascend, to go up, to rise, mount, be borne up, or spring up. The question we need to ask ourselves is how far we want to extend the meaning of the word "ascend"? Is it possible that it actually means to rise above the Earth itself, so that one can actually see the breadth of the Earth? What happens when one goes up in a helicopter or an airplane? What if one is an astronaut who works on the Space Station? The higher ones goes, the more he is going to be able to see. He is going to be able to see the breadth or extent of the Earth, exactly as those verses state!

Ahhh . . . now we are getting into some exciting territory! What if those verses are saying that the rebels actually fly up to the Heavenly City -- which is floating in or above the Earth's atmosphere -- and surround it, in preparation for an attack against it? No doubt, some of my critics are going to accuse me of twisting the Scriptures, and really going out on a limb with this thought. They will argue "No, you are really wrong about this. Those verses are just describing an attack against the city of Jerusalem in the nation of Israel." Well, if that is what you want to believe, so be it. However, let me shake you up a little more, before you fall asleep again with your conservative, comfy, cozy interpretation of God's Word which excites no one, and completely close off your mind to my theory.

When I discovered that the Greek word that's translated there as "went up" also means "ascend", I naturally became curious to find out if there are other verses which might confirm my suspicion. It was the verses which confirmed my belief which gave me a "Wow!" moment, because in my view, they leave little doubt that it is quite possible that my understanding of the verses in the Book of Revelation is correct. Please note that in the verses below, the word "ascend" is derived from the same Greek word -- "anabaino" -- that is translated as "they went up" in Revelation. The fact that they are talking about Jesus, and the Two Sackcloth Witnesses, just blows me away:

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."


"What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?"


"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."


"But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)"


"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)"


"And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."


Wow! In every single case, the Greek verb "anabaino" is used to mean to ascend to Heaven itself. So the question we need to ask ourselves is this: Why did the KJV translators choose to translate it as "they went up" in the previous verses we read in the Book of Revelation, instead of as "ascend? I can offer a few different possibilities for your consideration. Similar to a number of Christians today, in the translators' minds, the words "the beloved city" and "camp" were viewed as references to Jerusalem in the nation of Israel. Thus, to the translators, using "they went up on the breadth of the earth" seemed like a better translation than "they ascended on the breadth of the earth." Either way, in my view, the translated phrase still seems very strange and difficult to understand; unless one examines other verses of Scripture as I have done.

Another possibility is that they fully understood what the original Greek meant, but it did not make any sense to them. Thus, they decided to use the Jerusalem approach instead. In other words, if we consider the time in which the KJV Bible was translated and published, we can understand this better. The KJV translators could understand how the Lord ascended to Heaven, being the Resurrected Son of God. They could also understand how the Two Sackcloth Witnesses could ascend to Heaven by a Divine Act of God. However, as far as the rebels ascending from the Earth to the Camp of the Saints which may float in or above the Earth's atmosphere, this would no doubt have made absolutely no sense to them.

Four hundred years ago in England, I doubt that anyone even considered the possibility that man would someday fly. To even suggest such a thing would probably have produced a lot of laughs, and accusations of being crazy. Not only would such a thought have been totally foreign to people of that era, but even the mention of it may have been viewed as some kind of witchcraft. Let's not forget that during those times, people were extremely superstitious, and being burned at the stake was a common affair. We could say then that perhaps it was not meant for the translators to understand, because the events which the Book of Revelation describes did not happen in their day. In contrast, it is a lot easier for us today to consider my theory regarding these verses, because we live in an age of modern technology where flying in the sky is the most common thing in the world.

You know, oddly enough, as I imagined these rebel forces in the Book of Revelation flying up to and then circling the Heavenly City in order to initiate an attack against it, I was reminded of scenes from the very popular sci-fi alien invasion movie "Independence Day". While normally, I do not like to delve into conspiracy theory, preferring instead to maintain a narrow focus on God's Word in my articles, I must confess -- as I have before -- that I have grown suspicious of the popularity of all of these alien invasion movies. Is it possible that there is a hidden agenda? Is it more than just Hollywood fun and entertainment with special effects?

If you still don't understand where I am going with this, let me make it more clear. Is it possible that people are really being psychologically manipulated so as to implant a certain attitude and world view in their minds concerning visitors from beyond our own planet, even Heavenly Visitors? Stop and think about this for a moment. What could possibly make the evil people of the world think that they could win a battle against Jesus Christ and the glorified Saints? One would have to be crazy to think that way . . . unless they are not aware of the fact that it is Jesus Christ and the Saints. What if they are led to believe by Satan -- who is released from the Bottomless Pit -- and the evil governments of the world, that New Jerusalem is a technologically-advanced, hostile alien force that is hovering above the Earth, and is poised for an imminent attack against the Earth? Wow!

Directly related to this are my suspicions regarding the many powerful telescopes which have been built in recent decades, such as the Hubble Space Telescope. Personally, I have really enjoyed the many amazing images which have been released to the public. They are a testimony to the power and greatness of our Almighty God and His Son, as we read in the following verse:

"[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."


You may be surprised to know that even the Vatican operates an observatory called the Vatican Observatory. While this observatory is headquartered in Castel Gandolfo, Italy near Rome, its actual research center -- the Vatican Observatory Research Group -- is hosted by the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The VORG operates the 1.8 meter Alice P. Lennon Telescope at the Thomas J.Bannan Astrophysics Facility. Known together as the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope -- or VATT -- it is located at the Mount Graham International Observatory in the Pinaleno Mountains of southeastern Arizona.

If you think that I am going off the deep end with this talk of alien invasions and conspiracy theories, you haven't heard the best of it yet. You will be interested to know that the Mount Graham International Observatory is likewise home to the Large Binocular Telescope. At this current time, the LBT, as it is called, is one of the world's most advanced optical telescopes. Similar to a pair of binoculars, it utilizes two primary light-gathering mirrors, each of which is 27.5 feet in diameter. It must be an astronomer's dream. By comparison, the single mirror on the Hubble Space Telescope is less than eight feet in diameter.

But here is where it gets rather strange. The power of this amazing telescope is currently being augmented through the addition of a set of super-cooled, near-infrared cameras, or spectrographs. This integrated system is referred to as the Large Binocular Telescope Near-infrared Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research. However, what is freaky about this is the fact that the acronym for this telescope and near-infrared camera system -- which was chosen by astronomers who work at the Center for Astronomy of Heidelberg University in Germany -- happens to be LUCIFER. The LUCIFER system is used to capture images of extrasolar planets and other distant, faint objects which are located outside of our Solar System. Thus far, one camera -- referred to as LUCIFER I -- has been installed on the telescope. Based on online information, the second camera -- LUCIFER II -- may possibly be installed sometime this year.

So what this all means, I am really not sure, if anything. I am just wondering if they are doing more than just looking at distant astronomical objects in the Universe. Of course, in its online information, the Vatican Observatory denies that it is looking for anything else, and the LBT crew probably would not even bother to address such a question. What do you think? Could they possibly be looking for something or someone which is related to the Scriptures?

Returning to our primary topic regarding the Heavenly City, New Jerusalem, as I explained earlier, in my view, there is a possibility that the Golden City hovers above the Earth during the Millennium, but that it is not until after the Battle of Gog and Magog has occurred, after the wicked have been destroyed, after Satan has been cast into the Lake of Fire, after the Great White Throne Judgment has occurred, and after the new heaven and the Earth are created, that it actually descends to the surface of the new Earth itself. We are told that following this wonderful event, "the nations of them which are saved" are allowed to enter this wonderful City of Light. Not only does the Apostle John talk about it, but so does the Prophet Isaiah as well, as we see by these verses:

"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it."


"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD."


Please notice the phrases "mountain of the LORD's house" and "mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob". We also see another reference to Zion as well. In my view, these phrases are yet more clear indications that New Jerusalem is in the shape of a mountain. It is a huge Golden Pyramid. This is the very same Mount Zion which we saw mentioned in earlier verses; and in those verses, we were clearly told that it is the New Jerusalem. It is not the old city of Jerusalem that is located in Israel. As far as I am concerned, that is just a false Zionist doctrine which is likewise promoted by a lot of misguided Christians. John and Isaiah seem to be writing about the very same thing. Therefore, if John is describing the Heavenly City, New Jerusalem -- which he most definitely is -- then so must be the Prophet Isaiah as well.

Please go to part three for the conclusion of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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