The New Jerusalem also has its reign with its subjects (Rev. 21:24, 26, 3-4; 22:2b). It has been created, consummated, and furnished for the purpose of reigning.
The New Jerusalem is a divine royal household, as kings under the Father as the King of kings, reigning within this organic building (22:3b-5) over the nations around it as its subjects (21:24, 26). This forms the eternal kingdom of the Lord God and of His Christ (11:15; Eph. 5:5; Gal. 5:21; 2 Pet. 1:11; John 3:3, 5). Their kind of reign began with the God-men as the overcomers in the millennial kingdom (Rev. 2:26-27).
The subjects of the reign of the New Jerusalem are the people who were created by God but fell.
The subjects have been recovered back to their original condition according to God’s creation, that is, redeemed by God with the death of Christ (Heb. 2:9; Col. 1:20) but not regenerated by God with the life of Christ (1 Pet. 1:3; John 3:3, 5, 15).
The subjects are the sheep, the righteous of the nations, justified by Christ at His throne of glory in His coming back. They are justified not according to the gospel of grace but according to the eternal gospel preached by an angel during the great tribulation (Rev. 14:6-7). They have been justified that they may inherit the kingdom prepared by God for them from the foundation of the world, that is, enter into eternal life-to participate in the eternal blessing of the eternal life (Matt. 25:31-40, 46).
During the three and a half years of the great tribulation, Antichrist, the Caesar of the revived Roman Empire, and the false prophet will be instigated by Satan to fight against Christ. Whereas the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit form a divine Trinity, Satan, Antichrist, and the false prophet will form a demonic trinity. The believers who remain on earth after the rapture of the overcomers will suffer persecution under Antichrist. During that time an angel will preach the eternal gospel, telling the people on earth to fear God and worship Him. To persecute the saints is not to fear God, and to worship the image of Antichrist is not to worship God. The angel who preaches the eternal gospel, therefore, will be telling the people not to persecute God’s people. Those who receive this gospel will fear God and love the persecuted people of God. Thus, the Lord Jesus will say that what they did in caring for the least of His brothers, they did to Him (Matt. 25:35-40). Based upon their good conduct and upon their receiving the eternal gospel, He will justify them and regard them as the sheep. However, the Lord Jesus will regard the rest as goats and condemn them, telling them to go into the eternal fire (vv. 41-46a). The righteous, the sheep, on the contrary, will go into eternal life (v. 46b). They will not receive eternal life but will go into the environment, the condition, and the situation of the eternal life. These sheep will become the nations as the subjects of the reign of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth.
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