New Jerusalem includes All God’s OT and NT People
Revelation 21:12, 14 tells us that New Jerusalem “had a great and high wall and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel….And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of 
the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
These two sets of names show that New Jerusalem includes both God’s Old Testament and New Testament people.
This is confirmed by Hebrews 11:39-40 which concludes the chapter about God’s Old Testament people, some named and many unnamed. These verses say, “these all, having obtained a good testimony through their faith, did not obtain the promise, because God has provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”
God has kept all the Old Testament saints waiting; they have not yet obtained that city. He has bid them to wait so that both we and they might go there together. From this we see that both the saints of the Old Testament and the saints of the New Testament will be in the New Jerusalem.*
in Hebrews 11 “these all” includes God’s people from before Abraham and Israel. New Jerusalem will include every one of God’s people from His creation to the time of Christ’s return in glory. In this new creation all are “one new man,” “one Body.”
* From chapter 5 of The Glorious Church by Watchman Nee, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, available at www.ministrybooks.org/ and www.livingstream.com/en/the-church/8012401-glorious-church-the.html.
Posted by Don on May 25, 2022
