Revelation 21:9-27
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
If you have your bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Revelation chapter 21.
If human beings are simply the product of evolutionary process…,
humans are strange mammals….,
If survival is our primary instinct…,
then how strange it is that we appreciate things like music and art..
how strange it is that we marvel at a mountain range,
or the grand canyon…,
What is this thing we feel inside of us when we gaze upon the truely beautiful?
Why do we feel something like awe…,
Why does beautiful music move us….
Furthermore…,
why do we feel welling up inside of them us this unquenchable sense of ambition…,
We feel as though we should be making progress toward something…,
we want to advance technology,
build great big cities,
and buildings,
and companies,
and legacies,
When LeBron James moves to the 76ers, what is his driving motivation?
It’s not survival…, I don’t think he’s afraid of where his next meal will come from.
It’s greatness…,
He wants yet another championship in another place…,
we want to create,
to steward,
to rule,
to bring order to chaos for the purpose of human flourishing…,
We are not content just to exist…,
we are not content just to survive…,
These are strange enjoyments,
and strange ambitions,
and strange longings…,
if we are just instinctual mammals.
In fact,
they are strange unquenchable unsatisfiable longings…,
they are like grasping for the wind as Ecclesiastes says.,
In light of this reality…, C.S. Lewis famously reasons it this way:
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." - C.S. Lewis
The Roman Empire was magnificent…,
It was the peak of human rule, architecture, art, imperial power…,
It was the result of human ambition,
the desire to build something,
to rule something,
to accomplish something…,
but according to Revelation…,
it was a city on its way to ruin.
The book of Revelation presents for its readers two ways they can live their lives…,
It does this through multiple word pictures.
First it gives these options through the imagery of two very different ladies…,
We can go the way of the great prostitute from Revelation 17.
OR
We can go the way of the beautiful bride introduced in Revelation 19.
When it gives us another set of word pictures…,
We can go the way of the collapsing city of Babylon symbolic for Rome and all human kingdoms from Revelation 18…
OR
we can go the way of the lasting city now presented to us in Revelation 21.
chapter 18 described for us a city called Babylon,
it was a place of
wealth,
sexual immorality,
a place where all the people put all their trust in the luxuries of the city,
but in a single moment all their investments come to nothing.
listen to just an excerpt from a few weeks ago.
14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!”
15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off
you can choose to live for the city of this world…,
OR
you can choose to labor for and hope in the lasting city…,
hebrews says it this way…
14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Revelation 21 is in our Bibles to remind us that the lasting city is right choice…,
You were made for a lasting city…..
You were made to pursue, to long for, to build, to rule, to prepare for an eternal city…,
so lets read and lets pray for understanding.
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.”
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,
11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
12 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—
13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.
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.
17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.
18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
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,
20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
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.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
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.
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,
25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.
26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
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.
Lets Pray
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.”
John is told that he is about to see the Bride, the wife of the Lamb…
We know from the testimony of all of Scripture, that the church, is the bride of Christ.
God’s people are the bride betrothed to Christ Jesus,
waiting for his return
and for the final marriage celebration…,
but then the imagery overlaps with new imagery…,
the imagery of a city….
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 people themselves and the place they will inhabit are now wrapped up into one vision…,
What we are going to say about the city,
we also say about the people who inhabit the city,
This city symbolizes our eternal future….,
the lasting city toward which we persevere…,
the reason we find in ourselves desire, and longing, that nothing this side of heaven will fully satisfy.
Four Attributes of the Lasting City
#1 Beauty
#1 Beauty
The first and most obvious attribute of this eternal city descending from heaven...,
is its beauty.
Look at verse 11…
11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
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,
20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
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.
at the very least,
we are to imagine the lasting city of our eternal dwelling to be beautiful beyond all comparison…,
beauty is such an interesting reality in our world today…,
It is something we appreciate,
it is something we long to look at,
it is something we will pay money to see,
we will pay extra money for the hotel room with the Mountain View or the beach side view.
by our very nature, we appreciate beautiful things…,
there is something about our senses so that our joy increases through our senses,
when we smell,
feel,
hear,
or see
beauty…,
beautiful music does something to our souls…,
a majestic mountain range….,
or a rushing water fall…,
or a colorful sunrise…,
increases our immediate happiness for at least a fleeting moment…,
we can’t really capture it on our iphones…,
though we try.
Why do we naturally enjoy beauty…,
Why does it soothe us and pull us in…,
I think, in part, it is because God is beautiful…,
Jonathan Edwards said it this way:
"God is the foundation and fountain of all being and all beauty." - Jonathan Edwards
he is the source of every pleasing experience,
every pleasing color,
and sound,
and feeling…,
the psalmist says it this way:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
the beauties of our natural world remind us of the beauty of our creator…,
its no wonder that the heavenly lasting city described in Revelation…,
is a beautiful one…,
At least one of the reasons we will enjoy heaven on earth forever…,
is that beauty will be perfected
and it will be experienced to the fullest.,
every where we go…,
we will be surrounded by this beauty…,
even the streets upon which we walk are pure gold..,
This is a symbolic vision…,
but it is symbolic for the reality of our eternal future.…,
nothing will be average or normal or boring about our heavenly existence…,
it will be thrilling,
and detailed,
and beautiful down to the rarest
and the most colorful of stones that make up the walls and the gates and the foundations and the streets of the city of God…,
I think that this attribute of our lasting city has a couple immediate implications for us.
First, I think we should be free to enjoy the beauties of God’s created world
and to glorify God in that enjoyment…,
I think it is good and right for you to appreciate beautiful buildings,
beautiful art,
beautiful music,
and beautiful creation…,
Beautifully created things in this world speak to the reality of a beautiful creator…,
And that is good and right for us to worship God in beholding and creating beautiful things…,
BUT implication #2…, I think we should not idolize beautiful things so that they receive our worship or keep us from obeying God…,
if everyone always made all of their decisions so as to satisfy their appetite for beauty…,
no one would serve as missionaries in some of the most difficult places,
no one would make the sacrifices necessary to spread the gospel throughout the world…,
gold is a good thing to coat the streets of God’s lasting city…,
but when it coats a golden calf that we worship…,
its deserves God’s judgment.
Idolatry is the elevating a good gift above the gift giver.
So we appreciate beauty in this world only in as much as it points to the most beautiful one…,
who has promised us a lasting city full of beauty for our eternal enjoyment…,
The lasting city will be marked by:
#1 Beauty
#2 Security
#2 Security
Look back at verse 12.
12 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—
13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
We will talk about all the numbers in just a moment…, but for now…, I just want you to see the picture…,
This city is surrounded by a great high wall with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels .
It is a fortified city.
and its fortification serves symbolic purpose…,
Ancient cities could not exist without walls.
Walls were a necessity for their safety,
their security, and
their continued existence as a city…,
Its why Nehemiah broke down in tears when he heard that the walls around Jerusalem had not yet been re-built…,
This heavenly city though…, is described as having great high walls
with gates
Gates force people to enter or exit the city at particular check points..,
In ancient cities…, the gates would be open during the day…,
but closed during the night so as to stay protected from enemy attack that may come under the cover of darkness…,
This heavenly city is portrayed as being secured with high walls…,
but its also described as being a place without the danger of night…,
so the gates are left open all the time…,
there is no threat of invasion..,
there is no threat even of corruption..,
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.
so what is all of this saying about the city we have been promised…,
Our final dwelling place will be a place totally absent of
fear…,
no more anxiety…,
no more uncertainty…,
It will be a place of total security…,
no threats,
no danger,
no worrying about possible futures…,
Think about how much mental energy you give to anxiety over the unknown, or the potential danger lurking around every corner…,
In heaven, all of that will be over…,
you will never fear whats about to happen..,
or whether God loves you…,
or whether you could be snatched from his hand...,
or whether you could fall from his presence...,
this week, in the youth vbs lesson, Kenneth pointed out that the Bible commands us not to fear 365 times…,
our heavenly city will be a place where that command won’t even have to be given any more…,
you will be totally and entirely secure…,
secure from physical or spiritual danger…,
AND secure in your relationship to God..,
and in your relationship to others…,
The lasting city is marked by:
#1 Beauty
#2 Security
and
#3 Unity
#3 Unity
now lets consider some of these numbers scattered throughout the text
Owen and I actually read this chapter together one morning this week during a morning quiet time…,
We took the time and we googled each stone that made up the foundations of the wall of the city.
We marveled at their colors and imagined the beauty of massive stones like this making up foundations for walls… ,
but we also took note of the fact that there were 12 stones mentioned…,
and then we took note of every reference to 12
or a multiple of 12 in this description of the lasting city…,
There are
12 gates
12 angels
12 tribes
12 foundations
12 names
of 12 apostles
12,000 stadia
144 cubits (which is 12x12)
12 stones
12 pearls
and if you go thorugh and draw a circle around each reference to the number 12 or a multiple of 12…,
ill give you one guess on how many references there are?????
12…
There is symbolism here just as their was in earlier visions in Revelation.
The number 12 is a number which symbolizes the fullness of God’s chosen people…,
he chose 12 tribes of Israel in the old testament…,
he chose 12 apostles in the new testament...,
thus 12 functions in a symbolic way for the people of God united to each other
and to God throughout Revelation.
The numbers communicate a Unity Between the Old and New Testament
all believers from all time will enjoy perfect unity with each other
and with their God in the lasting city we have been promised…,
Notice that on the gates the twelve tribes of Israel are inscribed…,
and on the foundation of the walls of the city were the names of the twelve apostles of Jesus…,
There is unity here between old covenant people of God before Jesus came…,
and new covenant people of God dwelling together for eternity…,
the lasting city will be a city where Abrahaam, Moses, king david and Elijah will enjoy the fellowship of the apostle Peter and Paul and James and John…, and all the believers who have gone before us will find unity with one another in the presence of God…..,
not only are people from both testaments united, but people from all nations are united…,
notice how in the midst of all the 12s…, the nations are mentioned…,
Unity Among All Nations
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,
26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
heaven will be a place where the fruit of the great commission to make disciples of all nations is enjoyed forever…
There will be a variety of people from every language,
and tribe,
and tongue,
all incorporated into the fullness of the people of God…,
and its not the first time we have seen this emphasized.
Heaven is frequently portrayed as the full and final fruit of our mission to take the gospel to all the nations.
9 After this I looked, and behold, 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,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
But the greatest unity enjoyed in the lasting city…,
will be our unity with God himself….
All of God’s people will experience the presence of God to the fullest.
The measurements outlined for the heavenly city are intentional beyond just the use of the symbolic number 12.
Look with me at verse 15 now.
15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.
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.
We have seen symbolic measuring in Revelation already back in chapter 11.
you can see a similar vision of a measuring of the visionary temple in Ezekiel…,
the measuring tells us that there is a plan that is being fulfilled that starts in the very heart of God..,
God is carrying out something according to his good design…,
the city is measured with exact measurements…, 12,000 stadia…,
now what in the world is a stadia?
Its an ancient Greek unit of distance.
It is typically equivalent to about 600 Greek feet, This is roughly an eighth of a mile.
so if this is literal measurements of a literal city…,
the base of the city is about 1,904,400 square miles in size….
the point is not literal dimensions…, the point is…, its big…,
but the point is even deeper than that though…,
the measurement isn’t just width and length…,
a measurement is given for its height.
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.
We don’t typically measure cities in height…,
but this city is uniquely described in terms of a cube…,
its length is the same as its width which is the same as its height…,
now why is that significant…,
There is only one other structure in the Bible that is in the perfect shape of a cube.
and that structure is the inner most room of the Old Testament temple…, called
The Holy of Holies,
It is the place of God’s presence fully manifested,
It is the place so holy…, it previously was set apart from the people by a huge curtain
That room in the temple…, was built to be a perfect cube…,
20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold.....
4 And he measured the length of the room, twenty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, across the nave. And he said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.”
so whats the point?
its not the exact measurements of a future building…,
but its that the city itself,
the people of God,
and the final dwelling place of God’s people,
will be in and with the perfect holy, majestic, glorious presence of God forever…,
The new creation itself will be the final temple of our God where God lives in perfect unity with his people…,
again,
this is why the lasting city surprisingly has no temple in it…,
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
Heaven will be a place of unity..,
unity with each other,
all nations,
all peoples,
no war
no conflict
no murder
no arguing
no gossiping
no social anxiety,
perfect love for one another
and it will be a place of
unity with our God,
no shame
no sin
no fear
no confession
no repentance needed,
And all of this is made possible by the ministry of the LAMB who is mentioned three times throughout the description of the city.
The LAMB is symbolic for Jesus Christ…,
Because he was the perfect sacrifice making all this possible.
He died in the place of sinners at the cross.
And when he died the veil in the physical temple tore from top to bottom…, signaling to the world…, that access to God has now been granted through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus.
He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him.
Heaven will be a place of no confusion over who God is or where you stand with God because of the ministry of Jesus on your behalf. …,
and that brings us to our last attribute of the lasting city for this morning.
#1 Beauty
#2 Security
#3 Unity
and
#4 Clarity
#4 Clarity
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
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.
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,
25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.
One of the most commonly understood symbols in the world…,
is the symbol of darkness and light…,
In every movie featuring good verses evil…,
you will find a battle between those who dwell in the darkness verses those who dwell in the light…,
darkness is the way of confusion, falsehood, and evil…,
while the light is the way of clarity, truth, and righteousness..,
it is for this reason that Jesus himself identifies with the light…,
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Its why the apostle Paul describes our salvation as the moment we had the eyes of our heart enlightened.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
heaven will be a place of perfect light..,
One of the most glorious things about heaven will not just be our physical healing…,
but it will be our mental and spiritual healing…,
We will see things for what they really are…,
we will know eternal truth with perfect sanctified knowledge…,
we won’t have distorted understandings of God
or of sin,
or of self…,
our mind’s eye will be totally and perfectly and eternally enlightened by the light of life forever…,
Paul says it this way..
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
our deepest theological conundrums,
our doubts,
our concerns,
our frustrations with the providences of God in our life..,
all of the confusion will be cleared by the light of the world in a place where there is no longer the darkness of night..,
Beauty,
security,
unity,
clarity…,
thats what has been promised in the lasting city for those whose names are written in the book of life..,
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.
So what do we do with it all?
This picture isn’t given just to satisfy our curiosities…,
The vision is given to make an impact on our current reality…,
Takeaways:
#1 Don’t Settle for a Lesser City
#1 Don’t Settle for a Lesser City
For many Christians in the Roman Empire…, they certainly could have felt like they were missing out on the glories and the beauties of Roman life because of their faith in Jesus…,
But this picture of the lasting city, is meant to encourage their souls.
No sacrifice they make for Christ’s sake will in the end be counted as sacrifice…,
The reward of following Jesus is greater than the cost..,
The lasting city we labor for,
Is far more glorious than the collapsing cities of this world and all that they have to offer.
So how do we labor for and toward that lasting city?
Well its not that we avoid all good things in this life…
It is rather that we enjoy good things for the glory of the good God who created them.
#2 Give God All the Glory in Every Gift That You Enjoy
#2 Give God All the Glory in Every Gift That You Enjoy
Just because we were made for the lasting city…, doesn’t mean that no Christian person should be an architect or a city builder…,
It doesn’t mean we all become monks never to enjoy a good thing in God’s created world…,
It doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy the good gifts that God offers in this world..,
No it is rather that we do everything and we enjoy everything with the aim of pointing people to the beauty, and glory, and the eternality of God and his promises to us…
as Christians, We can build great big beautiful things…,
But we do so only in our worship of the big beautiful God…,
This is why Paul tells us to work heartily as unto the Lord.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
we were created in the image of God to reflect his glory
through our ruling and dominion on earth..,
We do build beautiful things,
We do seek to accomplish things,
We do create societies for human flourishing in this life as best we can…,
We bring order to its chaos with the gifts that only God provides.
But not like the Tower of Babel so we can make a name for ourselves…,
But rather to make a name for Christ Jesus…,
Among all the nations…,
Our purpose is not just to sit around and wait for heaven…,
Our purpose is to prepare for it,
And to prepare others for it…,
And we do this through the local church.
#3 Prepare for our Future City Through our Church’s Present Ministry
#3 Prepare for our Future City Through our Church’s Present Ministry
Consider all the language from Revelation chapter 21.
John beholds a vision of the future and final bride of Christ..,
Who is the bride of Christ? It’s the church.
We are the church/ the bride preparing for this day where we see Jesus face to face.
Today’s sermon is a day of preparation,
We are washing with the word,
And adorning ourselves with his truth for the day we see him face to face.
John beholds a vision of a full and final temple of God’s presence…, but where is the temple of God’s presence today?
Listen to what Paul says to the Ephesians church.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 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, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
The local church is where the presence of God is manifested today…, we are God’s temple on earth…, the place and the people where the world can behold the glory of God..
The Spirit of God is here among us as we gather,
Showing himself in our unique spiritual gifting5, and communing with us as we worship.
John beholds a city full of light, in which there is no darkness…,
We live in a world full of darkness…, but how will they see the light today so that they can enjoy the light forever?
Jesus says to his disciples..
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
You, the believers in the local church, you are the light of the world…,
You are a picture of the lasting city…, for the world to see.
You are the ones who proclaim the word and bring clarity to those who do not know God.
John beholds a city where all the nations bring their worship to the one true God…,
But how will those nations have ever known the good news of Jesus….,
You are God’s missionary force to the ends of the earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
May we look forward to a lasting city…,
One of beauty,
Security,
Unity,
And clarity..,
may it change everything about what we prioritize, how we preserve, and how we labor today.
