Connect Psalm 87:3 with Revelation 21:2 about the New Jerusalem. Glorious City Foretold “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah” (Psalm 87:3) • Psalm 87 places the Lord’s delight squarely on a particular city—Zion, the earthly Jerusalem that also foreshadows a greater, eternal reality. • “Glorious things” implies concrete, future blessings, not mere poetic sentiment. The psalmist is affirming real promises God intends to fulfill. • Zion’s glory is God-given; it derives from His presence and covenant, echoing Exodus 15:13 and 2 Chronicles 6:6. The Vision Realized “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2) • John’s vision shows the final, literal fulfillment of Psalm 87’s “glorious things.” • The city descends—heaven and earth unite under God’s direct rule (Revelation 21:1, 10). • “Prepared as a bride” links the city to the redeemed people themselves (Isaiah 62:5; Ephesians 5:27). Thread of Continuity • Same City, Progressive Revelation – Psalm 87: earthly Jerusalem pointing ahead. – Revelation 21: heavenly Jerusalem fully revealed. • Same Builder – Psalm 87:3 implies God’s craftsmanship (cf. Hebrews 11:10). – Revelation 21:2 explicitly states the city comes “from God.” • Same Glory – Psalm 87 celebrates God’s glorious promises. – Revelation 21:11 describes the city “having the glory of God.” Key Characteristics of the New Jerusalem 1. Origin • “Out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2) — divine, not human. 2. Holiness • Called “the holy city” (Revelation 21:2); mirrors Psalm 87’s emphasis on consecration (Psalm 87:1). 3. Beauty • “Adorned” like a bride (Revelation 21:2); answers Psalm 87’s “glorious things.” 4. Permanence • “The city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22) — unshakable, unlike earthly counterparts. Who Belongs to This City? • Citizens recorded in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27). • “Everyone who was born there” (Psalm 87:6) finds fulfillment in those born again by faith in Christ (John 3:3; Galatians 4:26). • A multinational community: Isaiah 2:2-3 foretells nations streaming to Zion; Revelation 21:24 shows the same nations walking by its light. Living in Light of the New Jerusalem • Worship: Praise God now for the “glorious things” still ahead (Psalm 87:3; Revelation 5:9-10). • Holiness: “Since all these things will be destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be?” (2 Peter 3:11). • Hope: “Here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). |
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