The New Jerusalem, the Holy City, is part of the New Heaven and Earth that God will create after the Millennium and the end of Judgment Day. It will be made of pure gold and will contain God’s throne(s), the river of the water of life, the tree of life, 12 jeweled foundations, and will be surrounded by a high wall of jasper with 12 gates, each consisting of a single pearl.
All redeemed and glorified believers will have access to, and freely enter and exit, the New Jerusalem —the Holy City —but the unsaved will be “outside,” according to Revelation 22. This fact leaves many to wonder if unbelievers will be present on the New Earth despite their exclusion from the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 22:14-15 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”
Based on the above text exclusively, it would be easy to assume that unbelievers will be present on the New Earth despite being prohibited from entering the Holy City. However, such an interpretation contradicts numerous Bible passages to the contrary regarding the fate and eternal destination of unbelievers after Judgment Day.
The first biblical truth it contradicts is the fact that unbelievers will never inherit, inhabit, or take possession of God’s Kingdom. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”
It also states in Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
The second biblical truth it contradicts is that unbelievers will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire for eternity at the Great White Throne Judgment, not occupy the New Earth. Revelation 21:8 says, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Additionally, Revelation 20:11-15 says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
The third biblical truth it contradicts is that the New Heaven and Earth, including its Holy City, will be perfect and free of sin, sickness, suffering, evil, pain, death, and tears, which means, in part, that unbelievers are excluded (since their sinful natures are not eradicated after death like believers).
Revelation 21:1-4 states, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’”
Therefore, since unbelievers will not inherit God’s Kingdom but will be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity after Judgment Day, and the New Heaven and Earth (including the Holy City) will not contain anything unholy, the meaning of unbelievers being “outside” the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:14-15 becomes clear: It refers to the unredeemed being outside of, apart from, and beyond the glory of the New Jerusalem—having been permanently and eternally separated from God in the Lake of Fire.
I hope this brief answer clarifies who will be inside the New Jerusalem and who will be “outside.”
