Hi gallenwalsh,
No, "heavenly Jerusalem" is not a literal place. It is a spiritual state of being. Christ tells us He will make us "a pillar in the temple of My God." This is a spiritual temple - heavenly Jerusalem - New Jerusalem where God has His abode and where the Elect will join Him and become pillars (a strong upright support) in the temple, to rule the earth with Christ.
Rev 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
Here is a couple of excerpts where Ray speaks on these things.
http://bible-truths.com/lake6.html ---------------------
The one True Church of the Living God has a "Father" and a "Mediator—Jesus Christ." But does God’s Church have a "Mother?" Ah, Yes, it surely does:
"For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory [a representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters] for these are the TWO COVENANTS; the one from the mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar IS [now a metaphor—‘is like, in certain ways’] mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to JERUSALEM which NOW IS [at the time Paul wrote this and continues to this day] and is in BONDAGE with her children. But Jerusalem which is ABOVE ["The HEAVENLY JERUSALEM" Heb. 12:22] is free, which is THE MOTHER OF US ALL" (Gal. 4:22-26).
What amazing Scriptures these are. The New Covenant Church of the Living God has a MOTHER—HEAVENLY JERUSALEM ABOVE. And the giant Old Covenant Whore Church also has a mother—EARTHLY JERUSALEM BELOW. The New is FREE, whereas the Old is in BONDAGE.
v
Let’s be sure that we are perfectly clear on these Scriptural facts:
Paul said that there ARE RIGHT NOW, TWO Jerusalem's in existence.
One answers to the New Covenant, which is HEAVENLY JERUSALEM ABOVE.
One answers to the Old Covenant, which is EARTHLY JERUSALEM IN ISRAEL.
If you think that you can spiritually keep the physical laws of Moses, then your mother is the Old Covenant which answers to "Jerusalem which now is—IN BONDAGE."
But if you are keeping God’s spiritual laws through the spirit of God, then your mother is "Heavenly Jerusalem ABOVE which is—FREE."
v
Remember that there are two administrations of God’s purging fire: The first is on the House of God consisting of those whom God is calling to be overcomers and sons of God. The second will be at the second resurrection and white throne judgment in the lake of God’s divine purging fire. All the children of the bondwoman, the Old Covenant, the Mother Whore with her harlot daughters, will one day be the children of Heavenly Jerusalem Above, which is the MOTHER OF US ALL!
http://bible-truths.com/lake11.html -------------------
We are not asked by God to "leave His Church," but rather to move from the carnal Jerusalem church under bondage to the spiritual Jerusalem church which is free. We certainly make every effort to fellowship with believers of like mind, but let us never forget where our true fellowship is.
"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3).
And we fellowship with God by assembling ourselves in the HIGHEST assembly, in a spiritual, heavenly assembly:
"But we are come unto [heavenly] mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of the NEW COVENANT, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel" (Heb. 12:22-24).
v
A TALE OF TWO JERUSALEM'S
"Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is NEW JERUSALEM…" (Rev. 3:12).
What is this "New Jerusalem?" It is a "Mother." Mothers are women who have given birth to children. We have all been birthed by a physical woman—a mother. In order to be "born again," we must be birthed by a spiritual mother. And just who is that spiritual mother?
"For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage [through the DEPTHS of Satan] with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is THE MOTHER OF US ALL" (Gal. 4:25-26).
Our spiritual mother is Jerusalem above.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat