Will the wicked be able to see the righteous who are inside the New Jerusalem?

Someone once asked Jesus, “Are there few who are saved?” (Luke 13:23). Christ encouraged people to strive to be in His kingdom, and then warned, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out” (v. 28). This verse, along with Psalm 37:34, seems to indicate that the wicked will see the righteous and the righteous will see the wicked before the final destruction of sin and sinners.

You might wonder how people inside a walled city could see out or those on the outside could see in. John gives us a clue when he describes the Holy City as it comes down out of heaven to this earth: “Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:11). And also, “The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass” (v. 18). It’s hard to imagine something so beautiful and transparent!

At the end of the millennium, the Bible tells us Satan will be released to deceive the nations one last time. As he gathers people from all over the earth, it says, “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (Revelation 20:9). We don’t exactly know how long these events will take, but verse three tells us the devil is released for “a little while.”

This does mean there could be some very sad encounters at the walls of the New Jerusalem before fire comes down to destroy the wicked. Perhaps the saved could look through the walls and see outside the sad faces of lost family and friends on the other side looking back at them. Such possible heartache should move us to work and pray earnestly for all those we love to be inside the kingdom, including ourselves.