Mount Zion (Sion), New Jerusalem (Bride), New Heavens, New Earth (Paradise), and Hell.

I am a retired pastor of the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India.

Email: Pastor True Gospel

If video stops, you may watch this video by a click on this link: You-tube video.

A correction: In section 5, "Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels .., and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." So, New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ, but she was here described as a city. (I missed this verse when I was teaching, it is the vital important verse.)

Mount Zion (Sion), New Jerusalem (Bride), New Heaven, New Earth (Paradise), and Hell.

The old Garden of Eden is renewed and opened as paradise, which is garden of God. God is presenting it as the New Earth. God says that he is preparing a place for his Sons; and God calls it as New Heavens; it is plural, so, they may be few. Jesus Christ dwells in heaven in spiritual Mount Sion. The bride of the Lamb, that is bride of Christ, is described as New Jerusalem, will also live in Mount Sion with Jesus Christ. Please notice; New Jerusalem is not a place, but it is the name given to the bride of Christ.

1. What is Heaven and How to inherit Heaven?

If we remain as evil people, God will punish us in hell. If we obey the basic commandments of God, we will do good and go to heaven. If we are led of the spirit, we will go to new heaven, or Mount Sion. Jesus Christ says that we must be born of the spirit and of water to enter heaven. What is born of the Spirit? First, we must understand that the real person is the soul, but not the body. When a baby is born, the soul receives the flesh body. But we see the flesh body, but not the soul. So, we think that the body is the person. No! the soul is the person. This is a very important basic fact that we must understand to know the things of the Spirit. It is; we are the Soul, but not the body. When we are born again, or born of the spirit, we the Souls, receive another body which is Spirit. So, it is spirit birth. First, we were born of the flesh, and now we are born of the spirit, or born again of the spirit. As our flesh bodies grow, our spirit bodies will also grow; provided if we feed our spirit. Growth is a process. Spirit grow in measure, as well as, in stages. Let us see the three stages, or levels in spirit growth. First, a believer is born of the spirit, and he is called the child of God. Second, he is born of water, which is by the word of God, and he is called the son of God. Third, he is born of God and he is called the bride of Christ. Heaven is also given to them according to their ranks, that is, according to what they have done. Children of God go to New Earth. Servants of God go to the Tabernacle in New Earth. Sons of God will go to New Heavens. Bride of Christ, who is described as New Jerusalem, go to Mount Sion. I have two lessons about heaven; 1, what are they? 2, how to receive heaven? Let me give the links for them below.

Please click on them. Link 1: "What is heaven?" 2: "How can we inherit heaven?"

2. New Earth is Paradise; it was Garden of Eden.

Our earth and heaven are going to be destroyed, and God will replace them with new earth and new heavens. The new earth is the old garden of Eden. It was given to Adam and Eve. But they were chased out from it when they have committed sin. Since then, it is being protected from the access of men. "Genesis 2:9 says, ... the tree of life also is in the midst of the garden, ..." Watch for the tree of life. "Revelation 2:7 says, ... To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Here, the tree of life is in the middle of the paradise of God. But we saw it in the midst of the Garden of Eden. now, God opens the Garden of Eden again to men, as new earth or as Paradise; it is heaven. "In Luke 23:43, Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." The malefactor, we generally call him as thief on the cross, was converted while he was on the cross. In "verse 42, he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Immediately Jesus Christ told him that he will be in paradise, which is New Earth, which is part of heaven. How come, he was qualified for paradise, but not for New Heaven?  "Revelation 20:13 ... they were judged every man according to their works. 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." So, heaven and hell are given according to what we have done. The thief was converted and he must go to heaven. But he could not do any works to go to any other place, other than paradise.

3. The Temple or Tabernacle of God in New Earth

John says in Revelation 7: "13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." These people were killed in the great tribulation for the name of the Lord. It is not said that they lived a holy righteous life. But they were martyrs. Their glory in heaven is their white robe, but not the brightness of the sun. They will serve day and night in the tabernacle in new earth. The description was the same as the old Garden of Eden, and people will live as Adam and Eve lived, with all the comforts. There will be no devil to tempt any people there. The servants of God will serve Jesus Christ in the tabernacle. People will worship God in the tabernacle. I have a lesson about New Earth; let me give the links for them below, so that you may look at them.

Please click on this link to study the details. Link is: "Paradise".

4. In New Heaven, our Glory will be as of Jesus Christ.

"2 Peter 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." We refer our world and heavens we have, as the solar system, which are sun, moon, planets, etc. All these will be burned into one ball of fire, which will be called the lake of fire. God says that we will have new heavens, which will be a few, and one new earth. New earth is the renewed garden of Eden, which is paradise, the garden of God. Sons of God will be in the new heavens with the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father. New earth, new heaven, and Mount Sion, all are considered heaven. Righteousness will be throughout in heaven. However, their glory will be different. God is directly visible in new heavens, he lives in Mount Sion, and there will be no temple there. New earth has temple and people worship God in the temple. The glory of those in new heavens will be as bright as the sun; but the glory in new earth is as a pure white robe. "1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Matthew 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." So, new heaven people shall be like Jesus Christ in all his glory. I have a video and transcript made on new heaven, let me give the links and they are below.

Links for New Heaven study: "Video and Transcript."

5. New Jerusalem is not a City, but Bride of Christ.

New Jerusalem, heaven, and the streets of gold are the same for evangelical Christians. But New Jerusalem is a symbolic name for the bride of Christ. 'Streets of gold' is used to describe the bride. "Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." Three names will be written on them; the name of God, the name New Jerusalem, and the new name of the Son, all will be written on them. They will be the top-class people, and they are the bride of Christ. Jesus Christ will be the temple in new heaven, according to Revelation 21:22. Those who overcome will be the pillars in the temple; but the temple is Jesus Christ, and so, we will be in him. As New Jerusalem, we will come down from heaven. "Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels ..., and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," So, New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ, but she was here described as a city. The entire description of New Jerusalem is in verses 10-23. So, the bride of Christ is described as New Jerusalem, and so it is not a place, and we cannot walk in the streets of gold. And the place will be Mount Sion; and the bride, New Jerusalem, will be there in the top status in heaven. Those who have reached perfection will be the Bride of the Lamb, or bride of Christ. The bride of Christ will be with Jesus Christ all the time.

6. Sion is City of God; and Mountain of Holiness.

"Psalm 48:1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." Much is said about Mount Zion even in the old testament. This is the place of Jesus Christ in heaven, and the bride also will be with him. "Hebrews 12:22 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, 23 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," Resurrected Jesus Christ is the first born, and his bride is declared as born after him, and so they are the church of the first born, they are all made perfect, and Mount Sion is their place in heaven. "Psalm 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." It was the prophecy long side with the prophesy of the begotten Son, that God will set Jesus Christ on the Mount Zion. "Romans 11:26 ... There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:" So, the deliverer comes out of Sion. Acts 3:26 says, "God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." So, Jesus Christ the deliverer lives in Mount Sion, but as God he is omnipresent. "Isaiah 12:6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." If we are the bride, we will be with him in Mount Zion. "Revelation 14:1 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." Again, his bride is with Jesus Christ in Mount Sion. Father's name, City's name, and the new name of Jesus, all written on them. That is, they are one with God. The Bride is special prepared perfected people.

7. Hell is now: Chains, Outer Darkness, Pits, and Fire.

Hell is the holding place for those who did evil until the judgment day, and at the judgment hell will be cast into the lake of fire. There will be torment and it will be caused by four elements. They may be bound in chains, cast into outer darkness, tormented by flames, and be burned in fire. These elements are used even in combination to punish. Hell, or heaven is given according to our works. There are four status and places clearly mentioned in heaven. Such clarity is not given about the status of punishment in hell. A single element could give different degrees of torment; and combination of elements are also used. For example, if we take fire; there are various degree of fire; flaming fire could be lighter, unquenchable fire may be persistent, furnace of fire may be severe, everlasting fire be no end to it,  fire with brimstone may be of the most intense, and so on." Some theologians say that those who are cast into the fire will be burned to nothing and they will be no more, and it will be like another death. That is what they say, and they tell a lot of nonsense, but let us go by what the bible says. The scripture says, "their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." It is not death, but it is permanent suffering. There are also verses like; "there shall be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth" and such. More verses say, "everyone shall be salted with fire, cast them into the fire, they are burned, tormented with fire, tormented day and night for ever and ever." Such terms indicate continued sufferings; it may be for everlasting. There may be four levels of sufferings in hell also. Some are chained; some are cast into outer darkness; some are in flames, which indicates low intensity fire; and others are salted with fire, which is to be pickled in fire, or sandwiched with fire; so the intensity of punishment are in various levels. But there will be torment in all of them. This fire may not be like our fire. The word 'fire' is given to understand the severe painful nature of suffering. The lake of fire will inflict torment to souls, whereas the fire we know burns flesh. We don’t have to be tormented. But the easy methods of false teachers, are fakes. But what I say is scripture based.

I have a lesson and video to show how easily we can escape hell. Link is: "Video & Transcript."

8. It is Easy to Escape Hell and to inherit Heaven.

Hell is a holding place, but with torment, until the judgment day. After the judgment, hell will be thrown into the lake of fire. Degree of torment could be four categories. 1, Outer darkness; 2, Chained and thrown in a pit; 3, Torment in a flame of fire; and 4, Salted in the fire, it is to be sandwiched between fires. Anybody can escape the punishment in hell; it is not that hard if we want to escape the torment; but we must be humble before God and believe what God tells us to do and do what God says. It is wise to trust God than trusting religious preachers.

There are four places in heaven. They are; 1, New Earth or Paradise, which was the Garden of Eden; 2, The tabernacle or temple in New Earth, it is for servants of Jesus Christ, and this may be considered with New Earth. 3, New Heavens, which is plural, this is what Jesus told that he will prepare a place for you in John 14:2; and 4, Mount Sion, where Jesus Christ and his bride will reside. There are four status in the people who will be in heaven. They are; 1, Children of God; 2, Servants of God; (servants from earth and martyrs also) 3, Sons of God; and 4, bride of Christ. I hope that you all will enter heaven. God wants everybody to be saved. It is easy to become a child of God. It is worth, to become the Bride.

Note: If any point needs explanation, OR, if you find an error according to scripture,
Please write to me in the 'Mail Box' below. I will reply promptly. Thanks.

God Bless You

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