The one who conquers—I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will by no means go out from it anymore, and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations. Rev 3:12-13
I'd like to chime in if you don't mind. We see here in this verse our Lord assures the faithful that they will serve as a pillar in the true temple of the New Jerusalem. This term pillar signifies being a support, indicating that the faithful will uphold God’s Divine Plan for the coming age. Being made a pillar in God’s temple symbolically indicates our essential role in God’s Plan to assist the world in the next age. A pillar supports the temple, and while being a pillar in the spiritual temple does not imply we will be a physical pillar, it signifies our commitment to supporting God’s Plan and governance. The temple is a crucial element of the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, which symbolizes God’s governance arriving to establish the new heavens and earth. The New Jerusalem's descent to earth is made possible by the salvation that Christ achieved for both the church and the world during the First Advent. This salvation enables the realization of the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant, which brings salvation to both the heavenly and earthly descendants. What Christ achieved on the cross and the shedding of His blood for us is what allows everything we witness regarding both salvations in Revelation to be possible.
"Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." - Gal 4:25-26 NIV
The church members are the living stones that are being constructed into a spiritual house or temple in that city, with Jesus as the valuable cornerstone that forms the foundation of that temple.
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner {stone} in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." - Eph 2:19-22
"Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." - 2 Cor 6:16
The fact that we can no longer go out indicates that once we have confirmed our calling and election, we need not fear losing our crown, as we will be with the Lord eternally. In the era of the apostate church system, the Faithful Church was expelled from the corrupt nominal temple, but we will dwell in the true temple of the Lord forever after the wicked system faces punishment. Those who are part of that evil system will be excluded from the faithful temple, as illustrated in Isaiah 66:5-6. This scripture had a direct meaning for natural Israel during the First Advent, and it also symbolically applies to the apostate church due to the persecution faced during the Gospel Age.
Another example of writing on the forehead is found in Ezekiel 9:4, where a mark is made on the foreheads of those who are distressed by the wrongdoings around them. This vision illustrates the sealing process that the church undergoes, with the faithful receiving the mark or name of Christ on their foreheads, indicating they belong to Him. Those marked for approval in this vision were to be protected, while those without the mark were to be killed, symbolically losing their opportunity for the high calling.
Now, in Revelation 3:12, Jesus tells us that He will write the name of God, the New Jerusalem, and His name on our foreheads. The Old Testament provides more details about the names of God, Christ, and the city. In Jeremiah 23:6, we learn that Christ will be called "The Lord our Righteousness." Isaiah 9:6 states that Christ will also be known as Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Ezekiel 48:35 reveals that the city will be named "The Lord is there." In Exodus 3:13-14, God declares that His name is "I AM THAT I AM." Exodus 6:3 mentions that He appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as “God Almighty,” but not by the name “YAHWEH.”
The name of the "city" on our forehead indicates our role in the new government and our participation in sharing the benefits of the New Covenant with the world. Just like the mark of the beast on the forehead signifies support for the apostate system, the name our Lord will write on us signifies our support for God's new government and salvation through Christ. In the Bible, a city is sometimes called "the mother of her inhabitants." In this way, the New Jerusalem will be the mother of all, symbolizing a unified salvation for both the Gospel Age and the Millennial Age. The heavenly Jerusalem is being built during this time, and once it is complete, it will descend to earth to help restore humanity from the fall in the garden.
Now the question asked is ... is this New Jerusalem, this Heavenly City, literal or symbolic? A careful examination of this chapter, as well as chapter 21 will persuade any student that a literal city was definitely not intended. In symbolic prophecy, a "city" represents a religious government supported by power and authority. Therefore, the "holy city, the New Jerusalem," symbolizes the established Kingdom of God, with the overcomers of the Gospel Church elevated and reigning in glory. The Church is also depicted, in this context, as a woman, "the bride, the Lamb's wife," in power and glory, supported by the authority of Christ, her husband. "And one of the seven angels came to me... saying, Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he... showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem." (Rev. 21:9,10.) It's clear that we should "spiritualize" this narrative because John himself did, as he states, "And he carried me away in spirit." (Rev. 21:10.) This means that he viewed the wonders of this great city in a spiritual sense, not literally. The city's dimensions are given in furlongs, which, when converted to miles, would indicate it measures 1,500 miles in length, width, and height! Certainly, no such literal city will ever be built on this small globe of ours. By understanding the meaning of the symbols, we see a beautiful image representing the gradual establishment of the Divine Kingdom of the Heavens on earth, with the Church, the Lamb's wife, ruling in royal majesty alongside Christ, "the Prince of Peace."
