More than a million people every year visit a home nestled in the North Carolina foothills. It was built by George Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a businessman who made a fortune in railroads and shipping.

The house is called The Biltmore Estate, and it was patterned after a French chateau—a really big one with 250 rooms in all.

Vanderbilt spared no expense. Dining-room chairs were modeled after royal thrones. Private bedrooms and sitting rooms were outfitted as if for royalty. In fact, as my wife and I toured this home, we noticed a table and chess set that belonged to Napoleon.

Built in the 1800s, this mansion had every modern convenience: an indoor swimming pool, an elevator, indoor hot and cold running water, a bowling alley, and a two-story library—that is the only room I would have wanted. Dozens of landscapers and household servants kept it all manicured and clean.

In comparison to your house and mine, the Biltmore is a really big house—175,000 square feet. But compared to your future home, it will look like a little lean-to out in the backyard.

John’s Gospel records that Jesus promised His disciples He was going to the Father’s house to prepare a place for all who believe in Him. And He promised He would return and take us to our new residence (John 14:1-3).

Revelation 21 describes for us some of that house. It is also called the new Jerusalem and, most commonly, heaven. This is where the spirits of believers immediately go after dying. They are ushered into this glorious place to live there forever. In his vision John has seen this house descend to the new earth.

As we sail into chapter 21 again, I must tell you that much about this amazing house still remains a mystery. God is the architect and builder, but He has kept most of it a secret. We are literally going to have to wait and see. But I can tell you this: you will never have to vacuum or dust or paint or cut the grass again.

John writes in verse 9 that an angel comes to him and says, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” As earlier in verse 2, the city is referred to as the Bride, the faithful wife to the Lamb, Jesus Christ, because it is inhabited by all the redeemed people of God.

With that, John begins to describe our future home:

He carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (verses 10-11)

John is struck by the glory of God’s light permeating the city. Jasper is a precious gem that reflects light like a crystal. And the source of this brilliant light is the “glory of God” (verse 11).

This is the brilliance of God’s immediate presence in all His majesty and perfection. You might remember how the glory of God filled the tabernacle and then later Solomon’s temple. That same brilliant glory lit up the sky above Bethlehem when Jesus was born and the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:9, 14).

What John sees here is the glory of God in its fullest and now eternal expression in the city of gold, sparkling and shimmering like a diamond.

The apostle then gives us some details on the exterior of the Father’s house in verse 12: 

It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed.

So, there really are gates into heaven—twelve of them. And contrary to popular ideas, Peter is not standing at any of these gates. God has assigned angels to serve as eternal greeters, not to keep people out, but to welcome them in. John tells us that on each of these twelve gates is inscribed the name of one of Israel’s twelve tribes, a reminder of the central role Israel plays in God’s eternal plan.

Verse 14 tells us, “The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” We know Judas’s name is not there. So, who is number twelve? Well, that is one of those things the Bible does not clearly reveal to us. It could be Matthias, the one selected to fill Judas’s position, or it might be the apostle Paul. We will have to wait and see.

What is significant is that these two groups—the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve apostles of the church—are distinguished here.[1] As we have said before, the church has not replaced Israel in God’s plan. God has His distinctive purposes for Israel and the church. So, with these names built into the construction of heaven, we are all going to be reminded that we were drawn to Him by grace out of every dispensation of time, whether through the nation of Israel or through the church.

The description of the city’s size continues in verse 15. John witnesses an angel measuring the width, length, and height of the city at 12,000 stadia, or at least 1,300 miles. Some take this as meaning each of the width, length, and height measurements is 1,300 miles. I think it more likely means that 1,300 is the total cubic measurement, meaning each side and the height is about 11 to 12 miles in length, which multiplied together equals about 1,300 cubic miles. Now I have never been very good at math, but I know this much: this is a really big house. In fact, the roof on this house would reach five miles higher than Mount Everest.

I also think it is probable this house is not cube-shaped but rather shaped like a ziggurat or pyramid, with the four sides angling up to a point. Each floor could be a mile high, with the throne of God on the top floor. The river John describes later in chapter 22 flows from God’s throne. Imagine it cascading down each floor, a mile-high waterfall. That alone would be an amazing sight.

The city’s wall is 144 cubits, or about 250 feet (verse 17). This probably refers to its thickness.

Verse 19 adds, “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel.” These twelve gigantic foundation stones are crafted from solid gemstones! The list here includes sapphire (deep blue), agate (greenish-blue), carnelian (deep red) and jacinth (violet), among others. Imagine these gemstones, the size of train cars, serving as foundation stones for each floor of this house. The brilliant light of God’s glory will pass through these different colored stones, and it will be breathtaking.[2] Beloved, God has lavishly decorated your future home with beauty and color.

John now mentions two more features of the city:

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. (verse 21)

Gold is so common that God is going to use it for sidewalks and streets. And these gates, each made of a single pearl, are like nothing we have ever seen! Based on the language here and the thickness of the wall, each pearl would have a diameter of 250 feet![3]

How long do you think it would take for an oyster to evolve to such a size that it could produce a pearl this large? Well, there is no evolution here—and never has been. This is created by the powerful word of God.

And here is the good news: because of the grace of God, through Christ, your Redeemer, you will have a house key forever. In fact, these gates will swing open for you as you enter your future home, your heavenly home, where you have been given a place in the Father’s house.