The Cube

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. (Psalm 46:4)

Ask most Christians where they’ll live after resurrection, and they’ll answer “heaven.” This sounds wonderfully spiritual—spending eternity in the heavenly realm. But Scripture tells a different story. The Bible clearly teaches that we will live on earth at the end of history.

Consider how the Bible concludes. Revelation gives us the final chapter of history and the opening of eternity:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:1–3)

The present world—which began with the creation described in Genesis 1:1—will end and be replaced by a new heaven and new earth. In this renewed world stands a new city: the new Jerusalem, our eternal home. But this isn’t some “castle in the sky.” Notice that it comes “down out of heaven from God,” meaning it descends to earth. This city is where we dwell with God for eternity.

The popular notion that we’ll spend eternity floating around heaven isn’t biblical. Neither is the idea that our only eternal activity will be singing praise songs (despite what worship songs might suggest). After resurrection, we will have physical bodies—real bodies that require real activities. Cooking, cleaning, washing, and countless other pursuits will be part of our existence. We only imagine otherwise because we mistakenly think we’ll be disembodied spirits. But if we truly believe in “the resurrection of the body,” as we confess in The Apostle’s Creed, then clearly we’ll engage in far more than worship alone.

The Inheritance

The new Jerusalem isn’t some random happy ending tacked onto Scripture like a movie that ran out of budget. It represents the fulfillment of God’s vision for humanity that threads throughout the entire Bible. God’s plan has always been this: his image-bearers should rule the world as his representatives. We see this in Genesis 1, where God creates humans in his image and commands them to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). The Garden of Eden wasn’t a place where naked Adam and Eve simply wandered around sampling fruits. The garden served as their headquarters—a beachhead from which they would spread across the world and exercise dominion over it. This mandate wasn’t canceled by sin. After the flood, God gave the same command to Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:1). But humanity disobeyed. Instead of filling the earth, they wanted to settle in fertile Mesopotamia and, for that, they built a tower to avoid spreading. Then God called Abraham. This time, instead of saying “Fill the earth and rule,” he said “Leave”:

Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (Genesis 12:1)

From that moment forward, following God has meant leaving comfort zones, abandoning mere tradition, and stepping away from cultural conformity. You must separate from your old identity and become part of God’s people first. Yet God didn’t forget to promise Abraham an inheritance:

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:18)

Here we see a man who left his homeland and lived as a perpetual foreigner, yet received a promise of land. While Adam and Eve were given the whole world, Abraham received the promise of a specific region. But Paul reveals that God actually promised Abraham he would be “heir of the world” (Romans 4:13). Though Abraham’s immediate promise seemed geographically limited, God’s ultimate plan was to give him the entire world.

This worldwide inheritance appears again in connection with the Messiah:

I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” (Psalm 2:7–8)

From the beginning, God intended his people to rule the world, and this inheritance has been promised repeatedly throughout Scripture.

Jesus continued this theme in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Here Jesus not only promises the earth as inheritance but explains how to receive it: through meekness. We often think leadership requires aggression and ambition. But when you are meek—when you surrender your rights and trust God’s plan even when no one recognizes your leadership—you become heir to the world.

Importance of Raising Leaders

God works through people in leadership positions to accomplish his will. When leaders are absent, the world becomes barren. Genesis 2:5 describes this reality: “When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground.”

When Jesus saw the crowds, he “had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). To address this leadership vacuum, he told his disciples: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38). Then he appointed the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:1). This principle applies to us today. When we see people suffering, we must recognize that absent leadership often lies at the root. To address such problems, we need to pray for God to send more leaders and actively work to develop them ourselves.

Paul exemplified this approach throughout his ministry. Though we often think of him as an evangelist, he never stopped raising leaders. He frequently traveled with young leaders because observing an experienced leader in action provides the best education. But Paul went beyond training individuals—he equipped young leaders to raise other leaders in turn. He instructed Timothy:

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Paul even entrusted entire regions to his proteges. He told Titus: “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). Crete, the largest Greek island, contained around fifty significant cities. Titus received the massive assignment of visiting all these cities and raising leaders for each local congregation. Through the process, he became a better leader, and churches were established, and leaders were appointed.

I particularly enjoy working with college students because they’re naturally prepared for leadership. In YWAM Korea, most leaders joined YWAM through Campus Ministry, demonstrating its effectiveness in developing leaders. Throughout missions history, college students have consistently played leadership roles. From the Haystack Prayer Meeting to the Student Volunteer Movement, students initiated and sustained numerous missionary efforts. Count Zinzendorf, who led the Moravian Brethren at Herrnhut, founded the Order of the Mustard Seed as a university student at Halle. John Wesley established the Holy Club while studying at Oxford before founding the Methodist Church. College students are natural leaders seeking opportunities to exercise their gifts, and my vision is to provide those opportunities.

Leadership the Jesus Way

Anyone involved in developing leaders understands the value of someone willing to step into leadership. So many people avoid responsibility by claiming, “I’m not qualified!” or “I have other priorities!” That’s why Paul declared: “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1). The Greek word for “noble task” is identical to “good works” in Titus 2:14:

Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:14)

Christians are called to be zealous for good works, and becoming a leader represents one such good work. Yet we often consider it un-Christian to aspire to leadership. We’ve witnessed too many bad examples, and when we encounter people seeking leadership positions, we automatically assume selfish motives. But we shouldn’t begin with negative examples—we should start with Jesus’s teaching on leadership:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:25-28)

Jesus described Gentile (non-believer) leadership as “lording it over others”—privileged rulers imposing their will on people. But kingdom leadership operates differently. Kingdom leaders serve people, just as Jesus came to give his life for many. Therefore, desiring leadership means desiring to serve people through personal sacrifice.

If being a leader means being a servant, then God’s command to exercise leadership doesn’t mean that Christians should hold an official leadership position. Whenever we serve others with the meekness of Jesus, we are fulfilling God’s commandment to rule. Moreover, Christian leadership should never involve oppressing those who disagree with us. We will rule over nations when Jesus returns, but until then, we should lead by serving others.

The Meaning of Life

If we’re called to be leaders, how do we prepare for this destiny? The Bible says David “shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them” (Psalm 78:72). This verse reveals two leadership requirements: good character and practical skills. To reign with Christ in the city of God, we must grow in both areas.

How do we develop character and skills? Through life experiences. Paul wrote: “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:11-12). Here’s a crucial truth: our suffering and eventual death in this world are all part of becoming leaders with Christ. Additionally, effective leadership requires numerous practical skills—people skills, financial management, and administration. We learn these through our work.

Whatever your job, doing it well prepares you for leadership. When people observe someone excelling at their work, they recognize leadership potential and offer positions accordingly. Many national leaders had other careers before being elected. Volodymyr Zelensky was a comedian and filmmaker. Donald Trump was a businessman. Charles de Gaulle was a general. Angela Merkel was a physicist. They became leaders because they were ready through the jobs they performed.

Therefore, everything we do on earth—not just Christian activities, but education, career, even hobbies—prepares us for eternity. Through these experiences, we develop character and build leadership skills. This is life’s ultimate meaning.

From Garden to City

As Jacques Ellul famously observed, human history begins in a garden and ends in a city. A garden represents nature under human care, while a city is an artificial world where human technology dominates. Interestingly, Ellul, technology’s most penetrating critic, acknowledged that technology forms part of God’s vision for the world.

If technology had no place in God’s plan, we should abandon it entirely, as the Amish attempt. But even the Amish don’t reject technology completely—they reject innovations developed after the 16th-century founding of the Anabaptist church from which they descended. This exemplifies Douglas Adams’s observation about technology:

• Anything existing when you’re born seems normal and natural
• Anything invented between ages fifteen and thirty-five appears new, exciting, and revolutionary
• Anything invented after thirty-five seems against the natural order

The Amish are farmers using horses for transportation, yet agriculture and horsemanship were revolutionary technologies that transformed human history. We see the conflict between agriculturalists and pastoralists reflected in Cain and Abel’s story (then, Cain killing Abel means the victory of agriculture over animal husbandry). The usage of horses was so new to Israel (it was imported from Egypt) that Scripture often condemns it as relying on human ability: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). The Amish essentially reject new technology while embracing old technology.

But technology isn’t merely a neutral tool we can use freely. Ellul’s critique emphasizes that technology develops its own momentum—whenever we use technology, we grant it more authority over human lives. Consider nuclear energy. When Einstein formulated E=mc², he was simply trying to understand why light speed remains constant for all observers. But people soon observed that uranium fission resulted in less mass and tremendous energy, as Einstein’s equation predicted. Nuclear technology was born, soon used to kill many people, and now threatens to end human history—none of which Einstein intended.

The same applies to AI. We’re witnessing tremendous AI advancement, developing rapidly because we produce vast amounts of text that AI uses for learning. When you post online content, you’re inadvertently advancing AI technology. Imagine a future where people complain, “How did AI become so powerful?” The answer: because we wrote extensively online. Technology resembles a living organism—you cannot predict its development. It has its own trajectory, and once you engage even a small part, it eventually reaches its destiny without your consent.

Sociologists Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch compared science to the golem, an artificial creature from Jewish folklore. The golem is powerful but clumsy and not fully intelligent. Similarly, they argue, science is powerful and capable of tremendous feats but also error-prone and imperfect. Technology seems similar—a powerful but unintelligent creature that might cause significant harm. Once it exists, we can only work together to prevent damage.

Goethe’s poem about the sorcerer’s apprentice illustrates this perfectly. An apprentice uses magic to enchant a broom for chores but cannot control it, creating chaos until the sorcerer returns to restore order (it was later adapted for Disney’s Fantasia). Like the golem or enchanted broom, technology increasingly escapes our control and might destroy our lives. We should pay attention without worshipping it as our savior.

God and Technology

From history’s beginning, technology has been integral to human life. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they “sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7). You might not consider sewing technology, but it is. Anthropologists believe early humans survived the cold European winter only because they could sew clothing to stay warm. Of course, early Europeans didn’t sew leaves like Adam and Eve, but animal skins. Where did skin clothing originate? From God: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). Both Adam and Eve and God used technology, but God’s was far superior. Imagine how frequently Adam and Eve had to sew new leaf clothing! I believe God was teaching them to develop technology for survival in the fallen world, just as he permitted eating animals for survival in a fallen world.

But technology’s origin traces back to Eden itself. When God said, “Take care of the garden,” Adam and Eve needed to develop efficient methods. For example, to sweep fallen leaves, they could collect them individually—time-consuming and exhausting—or bundle branches to make a broom. Even for basic living, they needed technology. How did they transport water? Without technology, moving water from river to home was nearly impossible. Making a bucket required wood cut by a saw, but making a saw required knowing how to extract iron ore and smelt it with fire to create tools. Even simple tasks for us were enormous undertakings for them. By placing them in the garden, God expected technological development.

And they delivered. Even after leaving the garden, they continued developing technology:

• City Building and Urbanization: After Cain’s exile, he built a city named after his son Enoch (Genesis 4:17)—the first mention of urban settlement and basic architecture.
• Livestock Industry: Jabal, Cain’s descendant, became “the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock” (Genesis 4:20), representing nomadic herding and tent-dwelling innovations.
• Musical Instruments: Jubal, Jabal’s brother, was “the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe” (Genesis 4:21), marking musical instrument invention and music’s development as art.
• Metallurgy: Tubal-cain was “the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron” (Genesis 4:22). Tradition connects Tubal-cain to Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and master blacksmith.

It’s noteworthy that all these technological pioneers were descendants of Cain. This pattern continues today. From Steve Jobs to Elon Musk, nearly every major technology leader is a non-Christian. This doesn’t mean technology itself is evil, but as Ellul observed, technology can easily become a tool for rebelling against God and oppressing people.

The City in Scripture

History’s first city was founded by Cain after killing his brother. As a murderer, he feared punishment: “My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Genesis 4:13). Building a city expressed his desire for safety. Arthur Custance suggests the name Enoch eventually became “borough” in English and “Burg” in German through the progression: Enoch > Unuk > Uruk > Warka > Perg > Purg > Borough. Today’s cities may trace back to this original biblical city, even in name.

Jacques Ellul, in The Meaning of the City, explores the city’s spiritual significance in Scripture. From the beginning, cities have expressed humanity’s desire for self-reliance. Cain built the first city for murderer’s protection. After the flood, Nimrod (grandson of cursed Ham) built Babel, Nineveh, and other cities. While patriarchs were nomads, Israelites in Egypt built cities as slaves (Exodus 1:11). Israel’s first city-building king was Solomon, who relied on human means by constructing the Millo, a city fortification. Jeroboam, the Millo’s construction chief, received ten tribes from God through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29-32). So, while Solomon built cities, God had already abandoned him and chosen one of his builders. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son who caused the division of Israel through his arrogance, was another city-builder. Eventually, God’s people were conquered by surrounding city-dwelling peoples.

While Scripture depicts cities negatively, it concludes with the city of God vision. This reflects the Christian worldview’s paradox: we must love the world as God loved it and gave his only Son (John 3:16), yet not love the world or things in the world (1 John 2:15). We should be in the world but not of it (John 17:14-15). We should live in tents (Hebrews 11:9), knowing we will inhabit a city forever (Revelation 21:2).

If history ended in a garden, most of our current activities would be meaningless. Engineering, art, literature, and law would have no place in our eternal home—we’d only be doing them temporarily here, making earthly life meaningless. But in the new Jerusalem, everything we do will have its place. Our work, interests, and passions will find validation there, giving meaning to our lives today. Imagine living in a garden—you need little technology, just enjoying nature. City life differs dramatically. You need extensive technology: subways, skyscrapers, stadiums for sports and concerts. All this requires tremendous human ingenuity.

Consider the new Jerusalem. It won’t merely be a worship venue but the fulfillment of all human endeavors. The city’s size is enormous:

The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. (Revelation 21:16)

A stadion equals approximately 185 meters (607 feet). One side of New Jerusalem will be 12,000 × 185m = 2,220,000m or 2,220km, covering 4,928,400 square kilometers. This city’s area nearly equals the Roman Empire. Using modern countries, it is about half of Canada and twice the size of Mexico. This enormous city will be our eternal home, and we will be its rulers.

Life in the City of God

From Paris to Kyiv, my favorite places to live are big cities. I love urban energy. As Samuel Johnson said of London, in a big city, you find all that life can offer. I’m certain the city of God will be a place I’ll enjoy inhabiting. The notion that our only activity there will be singing songs makes little sense and lacks a biblical foundation. What will life in God’s city actually be like?

First, God’s city will be where his presence dwells. As a loving father seeks to be with his children, God desires to be with people. In Eden, God came down in the cool of the day to meet Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8). In the wilderness, God invited people to meet him in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:22). John described the incarnation as the Word becoming flesh and “tabernacled” among humans (John 1:14). Clearly, he understood Jesus as the living tabernacle—the meeting place for God and his people. The concept of God’s tabernacle among his people becomes concrete reality at history’s end when proclaimed: “Lo, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them—their God” (Revelation 21:3, Young’s Literal Translation). The new Jerusalem fulfills God’s desire to dwell among his people. The Bible says its length, width, and height are equal (Revelation 21:16)—making it a cube. A cube was the shape of the Most Holy Place (1 Kings 6:20).  The new Jerusalem is cubic because it’s where people dwell in God’s presence. In this cube, we will worship God and commune with Him. Jesus said, 

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (John 4:23)

God seeks worshippers. And worship is not just songs. True worship is worship in spirit and truth, or spiritually and truly. It is only possible in God’s presence, and the new Jerusalem is the place for true spiritual worship.

Second, God’s city will be the place where there will be fruits of the nations.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. (Revelation 21:22-26)

The concept of nations remains important throughout the Bible. When God told Adam and Eve to “fill the earth,” he knew people would settle in different areas and form distinct groups. That’s exactly what happened. Some settled where the sun shone brightly and developed dark skin for protection. Some developed smaller noses because large noses disadvantage in cold weather. Some settled where water was plentiful and cultivated rice; others settled in deserts and developed survival strategies for harsh environments. Each group became a nation, developing unique cultures. Those cultures are the fruits of the nations. And they won’t be wasted because “the glory and the honor of the nations” will be brought into God’s city. Italian food, French fashion, German craftsmanship, and American movies will be brought into the city of God. If they are not the glory and the honor of the nations, what can they be?

Finally, God’s city will be a place of healing. Living in a fallen world means being wounded. From childhood trauma to adult disappointments, we constantly suffer hurt. As individuals get wounded, nations do too. They suffer from other nations’ injustice or their own people’s unrighteousness. When nations are wounded, they become aggressive, attacking other nations or oppressing their own people. Hurt nations hurt nations—this is humanity’s greatest source of misery.

Nations suffer from conflicts with other nations. People die, and property is destroyed. I previously lived in Ukraine and worked with the refugee ministry for people fleeing Eastern Ukraine’s conflict zone. Refugee life is difficult. Parents lack adequate time or money to raise children properly, and children often suffer neglect. That was nearly ten years ago. Now Ukraine faces full-scale war with Russia. If partial conflict caused such pain, full-scale war’s misery is unimaginable.

I now live in Germany, a country still struggling with past trauma. Because feelings of superiority once brought disaster, many Germans now believe the safest approach is to avoid national pride entirely. But, as I mentioned, nations emerged from God’s plan for humanity. We are meant to love our nations. Failing to love our countries is unhealthy and could eventually produce another dangerous tendency—swinging back to idolizing the nation just as happened before. 

Outside Europe, situations are often worse. In Africa, nations still carry imperialism’s wounds. Many feel shame about their continent because of its history of exploitation. This sense of shame and failure continues to hold Africa back. The documentary The Act of Killing shows how Indonesian death-squad leaders killed many people and remain unpunished today, with most not even considering their actions wrong. The Jews, oppressed for two millennia, still fight for their right to exist, while Palestinians face oppression by Israel. Does taking sides with either group end the conflict? No. Then, what can we do? We bring healing to nations today, but despite our efforts, we know complete healing is impossible. But we have hope:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. Also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1-2)

We assume the tree of life exists for us, but the Bible says its leaves are “for the healing of the nations.” History concludes with national healing. 

The river imagery from God’s presence appears frequently throughout the Bible. Genesis shows a river flowing from Eden (Genesis 2:10). Ezekiel saw water issuing from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1). This, along with Psalm 46:4’s river (“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God”), cannot refer to a physical river since none exists in Jerusalem. It must symbolize the Holy Spirit flowing from God’s presence. This explains Jesus’s words: “Whoever believes in me, as the the Bible has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38). Though no such exact verse exists in the Bible, it fits perfectly since the river flows from God’s presence, and believers have God’s presence in their hearts. Psalm 1 connects river and tree imagery:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

In the Bible, tree often represents people:

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. (Psalm 52:8)

to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)

Then, the tree of life in Revelation 22 that flourishes along the river from the throne of God must represent us, too. We will bear fruit, and our leaves will bring healing to the nations. So, the new Jerusalem is not just a picture of the future, but also what is going on today. We are in God’s presence, worshipping him, we are bearing fruit, and we are bringing healing to the nations. And when we rise from the dead, we will continue to do what we are doing, but in a much better situation, with the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then, we are already living in the city of God.