Revealing Hope in our Midst: God With Us

Prayer

Lord God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ triumphed over the powers of death and prepared for us our place in the new Jerusalem: Grant that we, who [are] this day [giving] thanks for the resurrection, may praise you in the City in which he is the light, and where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

(ACNA BCP 2019, A Collect for Resurrection Hope)

Introduction

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In a little over a month, Sue and I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of our marriage. Reading our passage this morning, I couldn’t help but think back to that very day.

It was a gloomy day in Pittsburgh. Clouds filled the skies and rain pelted us on and off throughout the morning. The last couple of months had been chaos: food tastings, coordinating with the church, preparing the service booklets, arranging for music and all the bridesmaids and groomsmen to show up on time. Sue and I were both exhausted mentally and physically.

Yet, that morning, the day loomed ahead of me like a giant mass of uncertainty. We had done what we could to prepare, and it was up to the grace of God how the ceremony and reception would go afterwards. To be honest, for me, most of what happened next was sort of a blur. Preparations were made, last minute details ironed out, nervous flower girls (and a nervous groom) were comforted, and all was made ready.

Soon the opening notes of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” resounded throughout the church and the bridal party began its march down the aisle. And then, we waited - or, more particularly *I* waited.

It seemed like an eternity. As I stood at the front of the church, I couldn’t help but stare at the closed doors in the rear. My mind raced. My pulse quickened. My beloved, the woman I would pledge my life to ... was standing just outside those doors. Every part of my being yearned for her, to embrace her, to love her, to live the rest of my days in her presence, to share in our joys and our struggles, helpmates one to another.

Finally, the organ faded and the trumpets sounded - literally!

The doors parted and there stood my beloved,

[SLIDE - SUE PROCESSING]

adorned in white,

like a pure beam of sunlight piercing the clouds and darkness,

my beautiful bride, with her father at her side.

As she walked down the aisle, my eyes filled with tears.

[SLIDE - ME WATCHING]

All my years of waiting, all the years of yearning to share my life with another, all culminated in this single moment.

In the eternity of her approach, I realized that I was about to enter an entirely new life — a new way of living — with new responsibilities, new joys, new trials. She and I would mutually learn how to serve and be served in the bond of matrimony.

[SLIDE - PHOTO WITH RAINBOW]

My expectations did not disappoint. We’ve had an amazing 10 years - filled with joys and trials, laughter and tears. But even on that morning 10 years ago, I could not have imagined what this journey would be like, nor would I trade it for anything.

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Now, did I tell this story just to butter myself up to my wife on our impending anniversary?

No, thought it can’t hurt!

I can’t help but think that my memories of that day was a meager foretaste of what to come. Likewise, the image that John saw in our reading this morning:

this city, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2) coming down to earth;

a renewed Creation, heaven and earth reunited as God originally intended;

and God dwelling with us throughout eternity.

This marvelous and glorious image, as spectacular as it was, is nothing compared to the reality that awaits us at Christ’s return. Words simply fail when trying to express God’s glory.

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This morning, as we conclude our series, “Revealing God in Our Midst,” we will parse through John’s vision and consider these images one by one. I pray that the Holy Spirit will impart the true depth of majesty from this final chapter in Redemption history into our hearts and mind. I also pray that we, like I did that morning 10 years ago, have a foretaste of what lies in store.

Exegesis

As we dig into our passage for this morning, I want to look at three things in particular: John’s vision of

The Bride

The New Creation

God dwelling with us

Let us begin.

The Bride

The first image that really struck me this morning was that of the Bride in verse 2. It obviously got me thinking about my own wedding. Let’s see what the Scripture says about her.

Beginning with the second verse: Rev 21:2

[SLIDE - REV 21:2]

Revelation 21:2 ESV

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

At first glance, it’s hard to picture this image in our mind — a city, which is a bride, which is a city. What on earth was John trying to get at here?

Unfortunately, our passage this morning leaves out a lot of detail. If we go back to Rev 19:6-10 or in Rev 21:9-21 (the portion we skipped) we get a more complete picture. John describes it as an enormous cube, measuring about 1,380 miles on each side. It was made of pure gold, shining like clear glass. Its foundations were adored with jewels and its gates each made of a single pearl. It has twelve gates named for each of the tribes of Israel and its foundations named after the twelve apostles.

As we get into our passage for this morning, we see:

[SLIDE - REV 21:23-25]

Revelation 21:23–25 ESV

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. ... its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.

The gates will never be shut and there will be no night. The gates will never shut because there is no need for them - nothing to protect against - no foreign armies, no attacking mobs, nothing to endanger the dwellers peace and safety. There will also be no night for the glory of God will be its light. No night means no terror, no uncertainty, no dark places where evil deeds reign.

At first, it’s tempting to just leave the image there — okay, fine, it’s a city — granted, a strangely shaped city — but a city nonetheless. However, as we’ve explored the book of Revelation in this series, I hope you’ve taken notice that the visions John sees and the words he uses are simply painting a picture for us. He’s really trying to describe the indescribable. This is common with both Old and New Testament prophets — images, parables, stories — all of these convey emotions and ideas rather than hard scientific facts. In fact, if you sat down and tried to draw the image out with pen and paper, it simply wouldn’t add up.

The first measurement — 12,000 stadia (or, like I said about 1,380 miles) — doesn’t match up with the size of the walls later given as 144 cubits (or, about 216 feet). What’s going on here is in the realm of symbology not mathematics. Let me lay it out quickly:

The number 12 — it’s important because it’s the number of the tribes of Israel and the number of apostles Jesus chose in His earthly ministry.

The number 1,000 — reading back throughout Scripture we see this over and over again — it represents an uncountable number — something like thousands upon thousands or millions upon millions.

So, why is this important? And why am I boring you with a math lesson?

The city, the Bride, the New Jerusalem … is the people of God. Let’s look at those numbers again.

144 cubits represent the perfection of both the witness of the 12 Old Testament patriarchs and the 12 New Testament apostles. 12 x 12 = 144.

The measurement of the city (12,000) represents the idea that under God’s chosen witnesses, and especially the witness of the apostles (12). The uncountable numbers (1,000), represent the innumerable saints — people of every tribe and nation and tongue — who will be redeemed on that final day and dwell in God’s presence. 12 x 1000 = 12,000 - the city is the people of God!

Why is this important? In this vision of the city, God brings together all his chosen people — not just the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (those we would know as Israelites or the Jewish people), but their spiritual children as well (us!). The city represents all those who have followed God through the millennia, enduring the trials and persecutions and evil around them. All peoples are gathered together as one, redeemed, purified, and clothed as a bride prepared for her husband to finally dwell eternally with our God.

That city, the Bride, the New Jerusalem comes down to dwell in God’s presence in the New Creation — a redeemed heaven and earth — which have finally been reunited as God intended in the Garden of Eden.

The New Creation

Bear with me … we’re getting to the good stuff!

Now let’s look at this New Creation. Look at verse 1:

[SLIDE - REV 21:1]

Revelation 21:1 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

Back in Revelation 20:11, John described their passing as fleeing away from the great white throne.

[SLIDE - REV 20:11]

Revelation 20:11 ESV

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

This particular verb (ἔφυγεν - ephygen - in the Greek ) evokes the idea that they were running away for fear of their safety.

Brian K. Blount, one of my companions for this week notes that:

Revelation: A Commentary 20:11–15 Witnesses and Everyone Else, Judgment Day

Everything represented by the old earth and heaven, particularly resistance to the lordship of God and the Lamb, has no place in the coming new heaven and new earth. Recognizing this, the old heaven and old earth make a preemptive effort

And yet, though they flee, they indeed pass away … they cease to exist ....

Only to be resurrected

… restored, renewed, revitalized, purified, cleansed and whole — cleansed of the pollution of sin, cleansed of the corruption of death, cleansed of the deceptions and temptations of the devil and the powers of evil. In the place of the old, a new heaven and a new earth replaces. Creation has been restored — not replaced — but restored from all that caused it to flee from the almighty God.

This is where the people of God will dwell -- a renewed heaven and a new earth, brought together as God has always intended — as it was in the Garden of Eden — a place where man and God may walk together and dwell.

And now we get to the best part of all! … God will dwell with us!

God With Us

Let’s go to verse 3,

[SLIDE - REV 21:3]

Revelation 21:3 ESV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

In this final act of redemption and resurrection God has prepared a people and a place! The Bride of Christ has been sanctified by the Blood of the Lamb. Creation has been purified by the Blood of the Lamb.

God finally fulfills the one great desire that has been present throughout all of our recorded history … that He might dwell with us! Let’s take a brief survey:

Abraham witnessed the Angel of the Lord who foretold of Isaac’s birth and saved Isaac from being sacrificed by Abraham’s hand.

Jacob wrestled with God and is granted the name Israel - God Contends - he who struggles with God.

Moses encountered God in a burning bush and through thunder and lightning on Mt. Sinai.

The Israelites followed God in the Pillar of cloud and fire through the wilderness.

God met with Moses in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle that traveled with them.

When the Temple was built, God used it as His footstool to dwell amongst the people of Israel.

Jesus was born — fully God and fully man — to dwell among us until His ascension.

And finally — as John recounts the final chapter of God’s redemption history — God … will … dwell … with … us … for ... eternity!

Look at verse 4:

[SLIDE - REV 21:4]

Revelation 21:4 ESV

[“]He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And in verse 4 of Chapter 22:

[SLIDE - REV 22:4-5]

Revelation 22:4–5 ESV

They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

The deepest desire of God — the blessed Trinity — our Father in Heaven, Jesus his beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit our comforter — is to dwell among us … and

we … will … see … His face!

No more tears. No more death. No more mourning or crying or pain. The former things of this broken world — a world full of evil and our temporal flesh that ages and dies —- all will pass away and be resurrected into a New Creation: a New Heaven and a New Earth united together in the presence of God in the city where His redeemed children — us! — will dwell with Him.

There will be no temple or church buildings to worship Him in, the entire creation will be in the eternal presence of God our Creator and Sustainer.

Application

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So, where does this leave us? Did I come here this morning to just give you a pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by sermon?

One day — you won’t suffer pain

One day — you will be redeemed

One day — you won’t mourn

No!

God’s promises are way more amazing than that. What we haven’t talked about yet — is that we already have God dwelling in us! It is a foretaste — a sampling — of that ultimate glory of seeing Him face to face.

Like the story I began with, there are many times in life when we get just a taste of what that is like. As N.T. Wright notes in his commentary, events like marriage, the birth of a child, or coming to Christ for the first time, these are all:

Revelation for Everyone Revelation 21:1–5: New Heaven, New Earth

signposts

God has given us these joys in our life to get a taste of what he is promising us.

He has also given us the Holy Spirit and the Church. He has given us the Comforter and the Counselor. He has given us the Body of Christ — the Church — to walk alongside us as we journey down the dangerous paths of this broken world. He has given us leaders like Pastor Elaine to teach us, remind us of His grace, guide us when we go astray, and stand alongside us in our troubles. He has given us the Sacraments — the very bread and wine we will soon partake of at Holy Communion and the gift of Baptism — to remind us of His sacrifice on the cross and assure us of His forgiveness and presence in our lives.

All of these are present — in the here and now — not just some day in the future.

John has shared with us God’s Revelation vision — not just so we know that in the end “God wins!” but that “God rules in the here and now!” We can have a taste of God’s rule — in our worship, in our fellowship, in our caring for the poor and needy, in the comfort of the Holy Spirit and one another through our trials and tribulations. He has called us to share this one miraculous promise to the world … God dwells with us — in our hearts, in the Church, in our unity with the Holy Spirit — right now! What better news could we possibly share to a world in despair?

And yet, they are just a foretaste … just a sampling … like Bp. Wright put so well … “It’s like this, but much, much more so.” Or, as I like to say, “You ain’t see nothin’ yet!”

Concluding Prayer

Please pray with me.

Holy Spirit, impart into our hearts the reassurance of your reign and empower us to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.