Sermon Tone Analysis

“All Things New”

Revelation 21

 

Intro – We live in a time as a society where we pursue things that are new.

We love new technology, new fashion, new teachings, new cars.

Doug has noted previously that many would spend much more money on a 2010 vehicle than a 2009 with the same features.

Because we value things that are new.

We want the new iphone with 3G network though our previous phone was sufficient for what we needed.

We want new clothes that are fashionable though our clothes from last year are not yet worn out.

Many flock to Christian book stores and are enamored with new concepts about God.

Largely, we are a discontented people.

We are always striving for things bigger, better, newer.

In most of the things I just mentioned, there is great caution and potential sinful attitudes that need to be challenged.

But I want us to see that “new” isn’t always bad.

In fact, as believers in Christ, we are striving for new – not new clothes or iphones.

We are striving for a new heaven and earth, a New Jerusalem.

“All Things New.” Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation 21.

Our passage will also include the first five verses of chapter 22.

I would encourage you that if you have a Bible at home (and is still there) that you bring it with you.

As you study your Bible you become more familiar with it and write notes in it and such.

Also this allows for visitors and newcomers that may not have one to access the ones that we have in the back.

The book of Revelation is in the back of your Bibles.

We will be “closing the book” so to speak next week.

Follow along in your copy as I read.

READ.

The first we are going to look at in “All Things New” is the city of the New Jerusalem.

Beginning at verse 9, let’s look at the first point which is the City Construction.

We see a ton of fantastic imagery likening the city to exquisite gems.

And I apologize to Roland but the bulk of our time will NOT be analyzing the details of the gems.

Roland is a gemologist.

And the reason we won’t is because I don’t think that the identification of the specifics are the emphasis of the passage.

I find it interesting that one of the angels spoke to John and told him that he would show John the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.

And knowing our Scriptures, we would anticipate seeing “people” right?

We know from Ephesians 5 when Paul tells wives to submit to their husbands and husbands to love their wives that he uses Christ’s relationship to the church as the example.

But that’s not what we get.

“Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 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,” The angel shows John the city of the New Jerusalem.

I believe that the best way to understand this is that the Bride is both the city and its occupants – the church of Jesus Christ, the Lamb.

It is mentioned that the city comes down out of heaven from God.

He is the source of the future celestial city.

We recall the words of John 14 where our Lord Jesus says that he has gone on to prepare a place for believers – a place where we will join him for eternity.

The city has the glory of God!

In fact I think that the rest of the description explains this attribute of God.

“Glory” in itself is difficult to define.

Somebody identifies it as the manifestation of God.

Does that help?

Not so much.

This chapter fleshes it out a bit when we talk of brilliance, radiance, and light.

All husbands-to-be receive a little instruction when they go to purchase an engagement ring for their bride.

I remember learning about color, clarity, cut, and carat.

Impressed?

Now I don’t remember much of the conversation now.

But I do remember the “aha moment” when I saw what the jeweler was telling me.

It made sense.

I saw different diamonds and their flaws.

And I saw diamonds that were not flawed and wondered how anyone ever could afford some of them…

            But I think this is partly what we see in this description of the city and the One who made it.

There are no words that could communicate effectively what John saw.

He wrote in such a way as to provide a picture in our minds where words could not speak with precision.

“Its radiance like a most rare jewel”.

See what I mean?

Have you ever seen a clear jasper?

Or clear gold?

I believe that these gems are nothing that we will experience on earth.

And I believe that they all magnify or reflect the glory of God.

We will see the river that is bright as crystal as well.

All reflect and demonstrate His glory.

The New Jerusalem has a high wall with twelve gates with twelve angels.

They all have the names of the twelve tribes.

The city also has the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

In ancient times, walls were extremely important defenses for the cities.

The survival of the city often depended on these walls.

They would have supervised gates which would be closed at night so that people could not infiltrate the city in the dark.

But we know that at this time, evil and sin will be eradicated and there will be no need for defense.

I believe that this speaks to the character of God.

He is our protection and this radiates the glory of God.

The twelve gates with the names of the tribes represent the nation of Israel.

And the twelve foundations with the names of the prophets represent the church.

We recall the book of Ephesians where Gentiles are included in the body of Christ.

Paul writes in Ephesians 2.19-20, “19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,” Hebrews 11.10 says “For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 “11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Christ is the foundation of the New Jerusalem.

And entry to the celestial city comes through the whole people of God, Israel and the church.

The angel provides John with the measurements of this great city.

The city is measured as a cube similar to the Holy of Holies.

This cube however figures to be 3,375,000,000 cubic miles!

But more important than these specifics is the fact that this measuring communicates God’s ownership and protection of his people.

The city of God is forever guaranteed the presence and protection of God.

John describes the walls built of jasper and the city as pure gold – clear, pure gold.

The foundations adorned with jewels – twelve in all.

This probably alludes to the jewels that were in the breastpiece of the Israelite priests from Exodus 28 and 39.

And it likewise suggests the priestly nature of the people of God in the New Jerusalem.

The gates are pearls which could be 250 feet in diameter.

Ok.

So that is the architecture of the celestial city.

Let’s begin to look at some of the other characteristics.

So we move from City Construction to the Citizens of the City.

We have already seen that the city will be inhabited by both the Jews and the Church by the reference to the gates and the foundation.

The church consists of those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation.

We also see the cross-cultural aspect of the New Jerusalem.

Our text reads in verse 24 that the nations will walk by its light and in verse 26 “they will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations”.

And in chapter 22 verse 2 it says that leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

It does not say citizens of Canada, the US, Europe.