Pre-Introduction

The Old Testament reading for today is from Hosea 2:14-23. The sermon text is again Revelation 21:9-27 where we will again consider the bride of Christ in all her glory.

The book of Hosea is interesting. In it the prophet uses a number of images from family life and from nature to depict Israel’s unfaithfulness and stubbornness towards God, and God’s faithfulness to fulfill his promises to Israel. The most well known image in this book is that of the prophet’s unfaithful and promiscuous wife. She represents Israel’s idolatry. But the prophet is gracious to her and continues to pursue her to win her over. He represents the faithfulness of God. Let us read now from Hosea 2:14-23.

Old Testament Reading: Hosea 2:14–23

God speaks concerning his people when he says, “‘Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.’ ‘And in that day I will answer’, declares the Lord, ‘I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God’” (Hosea 2:14–23, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 21:9-27

“Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 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. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 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. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:9–27, ESV).

Introduction

As many of you know, I preached through this same text last Sunday. We are back to it again because after I was finished I continued to reflect upon it and it seemed to me that there was so much more to consider than what we were able to consider in that one sermon.

This vision that was shown to John is truly magnificent.

It paints a picture of the end result of the redemption accomplished by Jesus the Christ.

Indeed we do, even now, enjoy the benefits of the redemption accomplished by Christ through his life, death, resurrection and ascension. We, having been graciously and effectually called to faith enjoy the forgiveness of sins. We have been adopted by God as sons and daughters. And we have been and are being sanctified daily, being made more and more into the image of Christ. Add to this the assurance we have of God’s love, the peace of conscience, the joy in the Holy Spirit, the continual increase of grace, and the promise that God will indeed preserve us to the end, and it is clear that we are rich in Christ Jesus. Truly, we do enjoy the benefits of Christ’s finished work of redemption even now! But we should never forget that these are but a foretaste of much better things yet to come.

This is what Paul spoke of in his letter to the Romans when he said,

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:18–25, ESV)

Have we benefitted from Christ’s finished work on the cross? Have we tasted the heavenly gift? Have we seen something of the glory of God? Have we experienced the rest that is found in Christ Jesus? Indeed, we have! But is this all? No! For “according to [the] promise [of God] we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV).

So marvelous will the new heavens and new earth be that this current order of things will hardly be remembered! For the word of the Lords says, “behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness” (Isaiah 65:17–18, ESV).

The text here in Revelation 21 provides us with a glimpse of what we will experience in the new heavens and new earth, and it is most glorious. As we consider it, it should whet our appetite for the world to come. It should help us to say, along with Paul, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us [or in us].”

Brother and sisters, I’m convinced of it – you will not begin to live well as a Christ follower in this world until you come to truly believe what God’s word says to us concerning the glory of the new heavens and earth, and to set your heart and your hope there. For the Christian is to live, not for this world, but for the world to come. And so long as you make much of this world and little of the world to come you will not live well as a follower of Christ in this world. We must live in this world, but not for it. We must sojourn in this land, but store our treasure elsewhere.

The book of Revelation helps us greatly in cultivating this heavenly mindset. One, it shows us the true character of the world as it now is. The world is like a harlot who, on the surface, may look look beautiful and appealing, but inwardly is filled with all manner of filth, darkness and death. Two, the book does also provide us with a glimpse of the true and everlasting glory of the world to come.

Brothers and sisters, my prayer is that our appetites and affections would change. May the Spirit of God use the word of God to transform our minds and hearts so that our love for the world and things of this world is diminished while our love for God and this things of God does grow.

You Are The Bride Of Christ

In the previous sermon on Revelation 21:9-27 I provided an overview of the passage. I attempted to demonstrate that the vision John saw of the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven with walls and gates, roads and a foundation is not to be taken as a literal description of the place where those in Christ will dwell for all eternity, but as symbolic for the people of God who for all eternity will enjoy God and Christ dwelling in the midst of them in a most intimate, immediate and glorious way.

Why this symbolic interpretation is difficult for people to except, I do not know.

We are in the book of Revelation, are we not? This book communicates truth vie symbol from beginning to end,

Also, remember that the people of God – that is to say, the church – has already been symbolized by physical objects. Indeed, we encored symbolism of this kind in the opening vision when Christ was seen walking in the midst of seven lamp stands. The seven lamp stands symbolized churches who were and are filled with the people of God. The meaning there was clear. It is not that Christ walks in the midst of lamp stands, but that he walks in the midst of his people – this was the truth that we were take away from the text! And we could only get at that truth if we interpret the text symbolically, as was clearly intended to be interpreted. The same is true here in Revelation 21. The new heavens and earth will not look like the city that John saw coming down out of heaven just as churches do not look like lamp stands. But lamp stands the new Jerusalem do function as wonderful symbols for the church. The church, just like lamp stands, are to shine forth as lights in the darkness. And the church, just like the new Jerusalem that John saw coming down from heaven, will, in the new heavens and earth, be filled with the glory of God and of Christ, will enjoy his glory, and will reflect it, just as she was created and redeemed to do.

That this city is symbolic for the church in glory is clear for before John was shown the vision the angel said to him, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:9, ESV). The bride of Christ is not the city of Jerusalem, but it is the church. The bride of Christ is the total number of the elect whom Christ did redeem by his shed blood.

To the church in Corinth Paul wrote, “For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2, ESV). This is how Paul viewed his ministry. He proclaimed the gospel so as to unite men and women to Christ. He proclaimed the gospel and when one believed he viewed is as the start of an engagement or betrothed. The job was not done, for the marriage would need to be consummated. Christian ministry, therefore, is about preparing the bride of Christ for her wedding day. The minister of the gospel labors to present the bride of Christ – that is, the church – to Christ pure and mature when he returns.

The same concept is communicated in Colossians 1:28 but without the marriage metaphor. There Pauls says, “[Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28, ESV).

It is in Ephesians 5 that Paul spells things out most clearly. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:25–32, ESV)

Christ is the groom. The church is his bride.

Christ gave himself up for her.

Christ is now sanctifying her, “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.” He “nourishes and cherishes” her.

And Christ will one day, “present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

This is the event that is here symbolized in Revelation 21 by the sight of the “holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:10, ESV). In Paul we are told of a day when the church will be presented to Christ in radiant glory. In Revelation it is shown to us, for John saw “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb… coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:9–11, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, do you understand that the thing symbolized here by the “holy city Jerusalem” is you. And by “you”, I do not mean “you” in the singular, but “you” in the plural. And by “you” in the plural, I do not mean “you” only, but all of the elect from Adam onward to the end of time. It is they that Christ redeemed! He shed his blood for all who ever did or ever will believe upon him. They are the church of the Old and New Covenant. They are the true Israel. They belong to the Jerusalem from above. They are the true temple of God. They are the bride of Christ, given to the Son by the Father from before the creation of the world (see John 17).

Friends, if you are in Christ, then you are his bride. If you have turned from your sins and beloved upon him, then you are betrothed to him, united to him by faith and seated with him in the heavenly places. He is sanctifying you now. He is cleansing you “by the washing of water with the word.” He “nourishes and cherishes” you so that he might present you ”to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that [you] might be holy and without blemish” before him. That is the event symbolized here in Revelation 21. The consummation. The wedding day where Christ is united to his bride made glorious for all eternality.

You are the bride of Christ. Have you thought much about that?

You are precious to him. He laid down his life for you. He washed you. He is sanctifying you.  And he has gone “to prepare a place for you” in his Fathers house. And he “will come again and will take you to [himself], that where [he is] you may be also” (John 14:2–3, ESV).

I hope that this brings comfort to you. But may it never cause you to be puffed up with pride, thinking to yourself, “how lovely I must be that God and Christ would take me as their own.” For the love of God shown to us in Christ Jesus is unmerited and unconditional. He did not love you and I because he found us lovely. He loved us to make us lovely. His love bestowed upon us was an act of free grace. He determined to love us by his grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). Remember, brother and sisters, that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, ESV). “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, ESV).

God and Christ did not love us because we were by nature lovely. Their love for us was a sheer act of grace. And having loved us, Christ does then make us lovely. He gave himself up for us. He washed us. And he is now sanctifying us to “present the [us] to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that [we] might be holy and without blemish”, before him.

This is not a sermon on marriage so I do not want to get too far off on this subject. But husbands and wives would be wise to think about the marriage relationship in light of what has just been said. According to Paul the marriage relationship exists, in part, to reflect something of this relationship between Christ and the church. Much can be said about this, but for now I want to emphasize that the marriage relationship should be accentuated by unconditional love.

Husband, do not say in your heart, “I will love my wife when she is lovely.” But instead say, “I will loving lead my wife so as to be used by God to make her more lovely. I will lay down my life for her good.” And wife, do not say, “I will love my husband when he is lovely.” But instead say, “I will loving submit to my husband so as to be used by God to make him more lovely” I will lay down my life for his good.” When Christian husbands and wives live with one another in this way, God and Christ are honored in the marriage relationship, and the man and woman are blessed, as are the children. This kind of love is possible if we know the love of God in Christ Jesus, for this is how he loved us.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:7–11, ESV)

You, brothers and sisters, are the bride of Christ. He loves you, not because you were by nature lovely, but to make you lovely by his love. He “gave himself up for [you], that he might sanctify [you], having cleansed [you] by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present [you] the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that [you] might be holy and without blemish.”

This is what we see portrayed in Revelation 21:9-27 –  You – the church, the bride of Christ in glory –  finally ready to be presented to Christ the groom, so that you might dwell together for all eternity.

Consider two things about the bride of Christ in glory.

Consider How Protected You Will Be

First of all, consider how protected you will be.

The high walls of the city symbolizes this reality. You will be kept perfectly secure by God.

Notice also that angels stand guard continuously at the twelve gates. No evil thing will pass by them (vs. 12).

Indeed, “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27, ESV).

In this way the new heavens and earth will be far better than what Adam and Eve experienced in Eden. That place was left vulnerable to attack for it was a place of testing. Adam was to guard it, but he proved unreliable. The serpent slithered in unchecked. Adam fell and the couple were expelled from that place, an angel being set to guard the way to the tree of live. In the new heavens and earth paradise will be secure, having been made secure by the second Adam, who is Jesus the Christ.

Indeed, if you are in Christ you are protected even now, but not in the same way that you will be protected in the new heavens and earth.

In this present evil age the people of God do suffer tribulation.

This age is marked by battle. The kingdom of light is intruding upon the kingdom of darkness, and darkness does fight back.

And remember that in this age the people of God are being prepared for glory. God refined his people. This he often does through trial and tribulation. James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, ESV)

But in this present evil age the people of God are spiritually protected and preserved. Remember, they are sealed by God. If you are in Christ – if you have faith in him – then you have “his name and his Father’s name written on [your forehead]” (Revelation 14:1, ESV). God knows who are his. He sees them and promises to preserve them spiritually in the midst of the battle.

This simultaneous vulnerability and security of the church in this present evil age was symbolized by the measuring of the temple in Revelation 11. There we read,

“Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:1–3, ESV)

Here is a picture of the church in this present evil age. She is measured and secure, and yet she is left vulnerable to “the nations” who will “trample” her “for forty-two months”, which symbolized the time between Christ’s first and second coming.

But in the new heavens and earth all is temple. All is city. All is measured. All will be kept secure. “Death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things [will] have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, ESV).

Christ will protect his bride for all eternity.

Consider How Radiant You Will Be

Secondly, consider how radiant you will be.

John was struck by the radiance of the bride. In verse 10 we read, “And he [the angel] carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:10–11, ESV). The city, which symbolizes the bride of Christ, will be radiant.

She will be radiant because she will be holy. No more sin.

Indeed, you are holy now. You have been made holy by the shed blood of Christ. Your sins have been forgiven. They have been washed away. God sees you as righteous because Christ has clothed you with his righteousness. But you do still sin. You and I still “fall short of the glory of God.” “When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he doth not perfectly, nor only will, that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil” (LBC 9.1). This is the state that we are now in. We have been forgiven by God and adopted as his children, but we still struggle with sin. We are being sanctified.

But in the new heavens and new earth there will be no more sin. For then the “will of man [will be] made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory…”

The church will be radiant because she will be holy. But she will also be radiant because she will perfectly reflect the glory of God as God intended.

Did you notice how everything in this city seems to be highly reflective. You almost get the impression that the thing was designed to reflect and refract light. Everything is adorned with precious jewels or is paved with gold so refined that it is clear like glass. The city is constructed this way so that it might most beautifully reflect and refract the glory of God in the midst of her.  The city does not produce it’s own light. God is its light. But it will shine with radiant beauty as it reflects the glory of God that fills her.

This is the end for which you were created. You were created for God. You made in his image to correspond to him. You were made in knowledge, righteousness and holiness to know God, to live in obedience to him, and to reflect his glory. Sin messes all of that up! To sin is fail to give glory to God. But in the new heavens and new earth sin will be know more. And because of this we will be able to glorify God as we were designed to, as we walk forever in perfected knowledge, righteousness and holiness.

We taste a little of this in this world when walk in knowledge, righteousness and holiness. We taste a little of the joy of the Lord and his peace when we obey his commandments. How good it will be to no longer struggle with sin. How good it will be to only obey our God, to have our wills “made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state.” This is called the state of glory for we will be glorified and we will be made suitable to reflect his glory as he intended at creation.

Conclusion

Pre-Introduction

The Old Testament reading for today comes from Ezekiel 40:1-6 and 43:1-12. When we read the sermon text for today, which is Revelation 21:9-27, you will quickly recognize that the Ezekiel passage and the Revelation passage are connected, for the visions that Ezekiel the Prophet and John the Apostle received were similar. The vision of Revelation 21:9-27 shows that the vision of Ezekiel chapters 40-48 will find its ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth.

Ezekiel was a sixth-century B.C. prophet who ministered to Judah during the Babylonian captivity. Judah and Israel were taken away from their city and temple, but Ezekiel was shown a vision of the temple and city of Jerusalem rebuilt with such glory and spender and tremendous size that the message was clear – though Israel and Judah had been taken captive, God was not done with them, but would accomplish his purposes through them. God would accomplish his redemptive purpose, which was to, through Israel, redeem a people from every tongue, tribe and nation, so that he would be their God and they his people. He would dwell in the midst of them for all eternity in a most immediate way. The glory of the Ezekiel 40-48 temple and city pointed to the fact the Lord would do something far greater in the future than anything Israel had seen before.  This vision and prophesy that we are about to read from in Ezekiel 40 and 43 found its original and inaugurated fulfillment in the first coming of Christ. The prophesy will be fulfilled supremely and consummately at Christ’s return, when all things will be made new, and all will be temple, the new heavens and earth being filled with the glory of the Almighty, as Revelation 21:9-27 shows.

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 40:1–6; 43:1–12; 48:35

“In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city. In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. And the man said to me, ‘Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.’ And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep” (Ezekiel 40:1–6, ESV).

The measuring continues through chapter 42. When we come to chapter 43 we read, “Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, and he said to me, ‘Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger. Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.’ As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out. This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple” (Ezekiel 43:1–12, ESV).

In Ezekiel chapter 45 the focus of the vision shifts away from the temple to the land of Israel and to the city of Jerusalem. The last verse of Ezekiel is 48:35 and it says, “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 21:9-27

“Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 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. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 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. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:9–27, ESV).

Introduction

There have been times in our study of the book of Revelation that a passage feels overwhelming to preach. This is because many of the visions shown to John are complex. The visions shown to John and recorded for us in the book of Revelation are interconnected. Many of the visions found early in the book of Revelation anticipate later visions, and visions found later in the book of Revelation harken back to earlier visions, so that the individual visions of the book of Revelation are interwoven. And the same thing can be said concerning the relationship between the book of Revelation and the rest of scripture. The visions shown to John constantly connect with Old Testament texts, showing how the prophecies, types and shadows of Old Testament find their fulfillment in Christ during the church age or at the end of time. When I think of the book of Revelation I think of a rich tapestry. The closer you look at it the more aware you become of the complexity of its parts and its interconnectedness. The further back that you stand from the book the more simple, clear and beautiful the picture appears. Here is one of those passages where the interconnectedness of the book of Revelation is most apparent.

I’ve already mentioned that Revelation 21:9-27 shows the ultimate fulfillment of Ezekiel 40-48. In both visions the Prophet and the Apostle were taken in the Spirit to a high mountain and were shown a vision. Ezekiel saw a temple and then a city. John, the city of Jerusalem. Both the Prophet and Apostle were instructed to measure. So much more could be said concerning the meaning of Ezekiel 40-48, but now is not the time. For now it is sufficient to say that the vision recorded for us in the Ezekiel 40-48 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth. This will become even more apparent as we consider Revelation 22:1-5 next week, Lord willing. The imagery of Revelation 21:9-27 is rooted in the Old Testament, particularly Ezekiel chapters 40-48.

But the text that is before us today is also interconnected with other portions of the book of Revelation. Here in Revelation 21 the elect of God are symbolized by “the holy city, new Jerusalem, [which John saw] coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2, ESV).

Notice from the outset that this vision is not about a literal city, but it is about God’s people gathered and kept secure in the new heavens and new earth with the glory of God dwelling in the midst of them. Remember where we are. We are in the book of Revelation which communicates truth via symbol. In this vision John saw the  “holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” and this city, we are told, symbolizes God’s people gathered and kept, with God himself dwelling in the midst of them. Remember what Ezekiel said that the name of this new Jerusalem would be: “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35, ESV). In verse 2 of Revelation 21 we were explicitly told that when John saw the city “coming down out of heaven”, what he was seeing was, the “bride [of Christ] adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2, ESV). Beginning in verse 9 everything comes to focus on this bride: “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb’” (Revelation 21:9, ESV). This new Jerusalem clearly symbolizes the church in her glorified and consummated state. The new Jerusalem represents the bride of Christ.

This should not surprise us to find a physical thing, such as a city, representing people in the book of Revelation. Did not the city of Babylon represent all who were opposed to God and to Christ? The new Jerusalem is to be contrasted, then, with Babylon. Babylon was made desolate, but the Jerusalem from above is eternal. And do you remember how the church was represented by the temple in Revelation 11? The temple and the alter and those who worship there were measured, but the courtyard was left exposed and given to the trampling of the gentiles. Symbolized there was the church, not in her glory, but in present condition. The elect of God are indeed measured and kept secure even now. But there is more to the story. The elect of God are also given to trials, tribulations, persecutions and sufferings. There in Revelation 11 the temple stood for the church of God in this present evil age. Here in Revelation 21 the city of Jerusalem symbolizes the church of God in glory. She is the bride of Christ. She is what Christ redeemed with his blood: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25–27, ESV)

And notice that the bride of Christ of Revelation 21 is meant to be contrasted with another woman in the book of Revelation, namely the harlot of Revelation 17. Just as earthly Babylon and the heavenly Jerusalem are to be contrasted, so too Christ’s bride and the dragon’s woman are to be contrasted.

Listen again to verse 9: “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb’” (Revelation 21:9, ESV). And compare that to what we read in 17:1: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters’” (Revelation 17:1, ESV). In 17:3 we read, “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness [or a desolate place], and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:3, ESV). Where as in 21:10 we read, “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God…” (Revelation 21:10, ESV). The language introducing the vision of the harlot and the vision of Christ’s bride is almost exact.

The meaning of the contrast is hard to miss. Thought the godless pleasures of this world might seem to be so appealing at first, they are rotten to the core and their end is desolation. And though the things of God might on the surface seem so unappealing, to belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ is in the end, most glorious. It is infinitely better to chase after to Christ and to belong to God than to chase after the harlot and  to belong to the Evil One.

Let us consider for a moment the bride of Christ in her glory.

In verse 10 John says, “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:10–11, ESV).

The first thing that John is struck by is the radiant light of the glory of God which fills the whole of the new Jerusalem.

In Revelation 4:3 John describes a vision that he saw of God on his heavenly throne. He said,  “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald” (Revelation 4:3, ESV). Now John says that the whole city is filled with this glory. Indeed, when all is made new heaven and earth will become one and God will dwell in the mist of his people.

In verse 12 John describes this symbolic city as having “a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates” (Revelation 21:12–13, ESV).

This city is perfectly secure. Its walls are great and high. Angels guard its gates. The gates are only for the elect of God to enter in. Remember that earlier in the book of Revelation the twelve tribes of Israel did clearly symbolize all who are in Christ, both Jew and Gentile. These twelve gates have “the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed” on them.

In verse 14 we read, “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:14, ESV). The foundation this city is the Apostles of Christ. Those who belong to this city belong to it because they have built their life upon the testimony of Christ’s Apostles. The word of Christ and his Apostles is their foundation. Entrance into this city depends, therefore, not upon ethnicity, but upon belief in the word of Christ.

Indeed, this is how Paul speaks of the church in Ephesians 2:18 and following: “For through [Christ] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you [Gentiles] are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18–22, ESV).

In verse 15 we read, “And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls” (Revelation 21:15, ESV). The allusion to Ezekiel 40 and following is impossible to miss. What Ezekiel the prophet saw finds it ultimate fulfillment here.

Verse 16: “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, ESV). And so the city that John saw was shaped like a cube.

Here is the size of it in terms that we can understand: 1,365 miles wide from north to south and east to west and also tall. The city is massive.

The number 12,000 is undoubtably significant. It should remind us of the numbering of the twelve tribes of Israel in Revelation 7: “12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad” (Revelation 7:5, ESV), etc., the number totaling 144,000 sealed by God. This city 12,000 stadia cubed because it is the place where all of those sealed by God will dwell for all eternity.

The cubed shape is also significant. Cities are not typically measured like this – length times width times hight. We might describe the length and width of a city, but not the hight. The cubed shape is probably meant to remind us of the most holy place which housed ark of the covenant in the tabernacle and temple (see for example 1 Kings 6:20). The meaning is this: whereas the glory of God was once confined to the most holy place in Israel’s tabernacle and temple, in the new heavens and earth all will be “most holy place” for God’s glory will fill all.

In verse 17 we read that John “also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement” (Revelation 21:17, ESV). Notice again the multiple of 12 with signifies the walls purpose – to create an eternally secure place for the people of God. 144 cubits is roughly 216 feet. Some commentators believe this to be the hight of the wall where as others believe it to be the width. I am of the opinion that it is the width for two reasons. One, in Ezekiel 40 the prophet begins by measuring the width or thickness of the wall of the temple that he saw. Two, a 216 foot high wall hardly seems appropriate for a city that has been described as having a hight of 1,365 miles. Either way, the point is that the place is secure, which signifies that God’s people will be kept secure for all eternity.

In verse 18 we read, “The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass” (Revelation 21:18, ESV). Now that the size and security of the city has overwhelmed us, we are confronted with the beauty of the place. Dr. Johnson remarks, “The gold that John’s hearers and we are familiar with is lovely and can be highly reflective, but it in no way resembles the transparency of glass. The vision stretches and even breaks the paradigm of our experience in order to covey the precious value and purity that distinguishes the bride-church’s beauty in the eyes of her husband” (Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, 313).

Verse 19: “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst” (Revelation 21:19–20, ESV).

It is likely that these stones are the same as the ones that were embedded within the breastplate of the high priest who would enter into the most holy place once per year on the Day of Atonement as a representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. 8 of the stones match the description of the gems on the high priests breastplate in Exodus 28:17-20 as listed in the Septuagint. The other four are probably John’s translation equivalents, given that he is not following the Septuagint exactly.

The meaning is this: Under the Old Covenant one man, the high priest, did enter the most holy place once per year as a representative for all Israel. Under the New Covenant all have access to the throne of grace through faith in Christ Jesus, who is our great High Priest. In the new heavens and new earth all of God’s people will dwell forever in the most holy place which will be filled forever with the glory of God Almighty.

Verse 21: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21, ESV). Again, the beauty and unimaginable spender of the place is emphasized. We should remember that we are encountering visions which communicate truth via symbol. I’m not sure that we should expect literal streets of gold or pearly. But by no means should that diminish the value of the new heavens and earth in our minds. Far from it! Indeed, our desire to enter this world should grow as we see John straining to describe what he saw. So precious will that place be that even the humble pavement will be guided in gold, metaphorically speaking.

Verse 22: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22, ESV). Here again is the principle that we have encountered time and time again. In the new heavens and new earth God’s glory will fill all. God will dwell in the midst of his people immediately, that is, without mediation or barrier. Under the Old Covenant the temple “housed” God. There the people would go to worship God and to have fellowship with him. Also, the temple did “veil” God so that the people would not be consumed by his glory. In the new heavens and earth the people of God will enjoy God’s glory having been made suitable for it by he shed blood of Christ. Indeed, the people of God will enjoy what Adam and Eve did enjoy in the garden. Better yet, they will enjoy the kind of consummate and eternal life that was offered to them, but was forfeited when they chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil over the tree of life. Christ succeeded where the first Adam failed. And if we are in him we will enjoy the fruit of his labor. We will dwell with God and he with us by virtue of Christ’s work for us and in us.

Verse 23: “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” (Revelation 21:23, ESV). Notice that the text does not say, there will be no sun or moon, but that their light will not be needed within the city given the glory of God. Notice also that is God the Father who is the source of the light, and Jesus the Christ the Lamb of God who is the lamp or agent who mediates the light. This has been the relationship between Father and Son throughout the history of redemption. The Father is the source, and the Son does reveal the Father.

Verse 24: “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 21:24–26, ESV). This is the end goal of God’s redemption, to redeem a people for himself from every tongue, tribe and nation. The earliest chapters of Genesis reveal it. The rest of the Old Testament makes it plain. God’s purpose was to bring salvation to the nations through the Christ. Listen, for example, to Isaiah 49:6 where God speaks to his servant saying, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6, ESV). The book of Revelation has provided multiple perspectives on the end result. In Revelation 7 John saw “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…” (Revelation 7:9, ESV). Here in 21:24 people and kings from all nations are present in the new heavens and earth and they do flock to the city of God to offer up gifts to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Verse 27: “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27, ESV).

Brothers and Sisters, it is the grace of God that makes the difference. It is those who are holy and pure who enter into this city, and none other. And these are holy and pure because they have believed upon Jesus the Christ who died to cover their sins. And these are able to believe because God has made the able and willing by the working of the Holy Spirit. This he determined to do from before creation having written their names in the Lamb’s book of life.

Conclusion

Friends, as we conclude we must remember that the image shown to John of “the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God”, is not about a place, but it is about God and his people.

This vision, like most everything else in this book of Revelation, is not to be interpreted in a strictly literal fashion, but as symbolic, for this is clearly the intent of the author. What it says is real and true. What it describes will certainly come to pass. But the description is symbolic so that what we see stands for something else.

When John saw “the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God”, it was not so that we might understand something of what the place will look like, but so that we might understand something about the relationship between God and his people.

This entire vision, remember, was from the beginning said to be a description of “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” For the angel did first say to John, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb”, and then what did John see except, “the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” – the city symbolizes the bride, who is the church, with God in the mist of her.

If after reading or hearing this text your mind goes only to the “pearly gates” and “streets of good” then I’m afraid you’ve missed the point, for the point is not the place, but God dwelling in the midst of his people. Here is what makes the new heavens and earth heavenly – it is the enjoyment of communion with the God who made us and the Christ who redeemed us. He is the groom, we the bride. Just as the you would expect a bride and groom to look forward to life together more than the place where they dwell, so to our supreme longing should be for communion with God and Christ, and not the place.

Christ himself did speak about the place which the book of Revelation here portrays. But listen also to his emphasis – it is not about the place, but it is about the relationship between he and his people. To his disciples he said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1–3, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, I do hope that you long for heaven. I hope that you long for the new heavens and new earth. And while it is true that there is much to look forward to in that place, may your love for God be such that communing with him and the Christ whom he has sent be thing that you anticipate the most.

After Christ told his disciple about the place that he would prepare for them so that he might be with them and they with him, he did also tell them how to get there. One of his disciples named “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:4–6, ESV).

Friends, it is only those who have faith in Christ who will come into the new heavens and new earth, the new Jerusalem and into the house that God has prepared for his people. Let us be found trusting only in him.