Revelation 21 - The City of God

Revelation 21

Some of the previous chapters of Revelation have contained startling images illustrating sad truths about those who reject God’s outstretched and loving hand. In a word, they have illustrated God’s just judgment on His enemies. But here in Revelation chapter twenty-one the images shift to paint a wondrous and comforting picture of the bright future awaiting God’s followers.

In Romans 8:18-25 the apostle Paul tells us that God subjected His creation to the same curse that Adam and Eve brought on themselves. After the fall into sin, man’s heart became poisoned with all sorts of evil and destructive desires. The creation around mankind also became filled with all sorts of evil and destructive things. Things were no longer right in the world, so that mankind would remember that things were no longer right in himself.

In 2 Peter 3:10-13 we are told that God will destroy the present corrupted creation. But this destroying will be a melting down in order to purify and create new, not a total annihilation of the matter which makes up the universe. After the universe as we know it is taken apart, God will put it back together again, new, perfect and free of the effects of sin.

In Revelation 21 God gives John a glimpse of this new creation. It is necessary to keep in mind that this is still a vision. It does not necessarily contain a “camera” shot of the actualities which will exist in the New Creation. Consistent with the way we’ve interpreted the rest of Revelation, here we expect the numbers and images to contain a greater spiritual meaning, not only a physical description of what is to come.

VERSES 1-5

“No Sea?” In his vision of the New Creation John doesn’t see any sea. Why would the recreated world be without ocean? Perhaps this is our first clue that this image is not meant to be a snap-shot of the future world, but a symbolic picture of it. As the Jews were not an ocean going people, the ocean was a symbol of uncertainty and turmoil. A world without the ocean would have suggested peace.

“The Holy City = The Holy Christian Church” The Scripture uses different terms as symbols of God’s people. In this vision of the New Creation John sees the Holy Christian Church descend from the sky into the New Creation in the form of a magnificent city (See Hebrews 12:22-24, Galatians 4:6, Revelation 19:7-8 and 21:9-10).

“God With Us” In verse three, John hears a loud voice declare that now the…

“dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them” (Revelation 21:3 NIV).

The effect of God living with mankind in intimate union (like in the Garden of Eden) is then described in a list of seven blessings:

1. They will be His people

2. He will be with them as their God

3. He will wipe every tear from their eyes

4. There will be no more death

5. nor mourning

6. nor crying

7. nor pain

The tremendous change in the way things are—from a sinful, broken world to a perfect, peaceful experience—is described succinctly with two phrases, “the old order of things has passed away” and God’s Words, “I am making everything new!”

Summary Image: Those who have been taken up on the Last Day (believers in Christ, see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) descend into God’s New Creation as the City where God dwells. A sevenfold description further explains what effect God’s dwelling with His people will have on them.

VERSES 6-8

“Alpha and Omega” God is the beginning and the end. What He began in the six days of creation has now come through so much. It was ruined by sin. It was promised a Savior. It was carried through time to see God’s Son complete it’s redemption. It has been brought through the apostolic age and to what man calls the end. But, He who is eternal is there also. He is the Beginning and End.

“The Freedom of the Gift” God gives complete forgiveness of sins in Jesus His Son. This is a gift, completely free of any charge. It is offered to all sinners. This fact is emphasized by God’s call to “him who is thirsty” to drink without paying from the spring of the Water of Life. The tab has already been picked up by Jesus. He who trusts in Christ and endures in faith to the end will receive an eternal inheritance from God his Heavenly Father.

“The Gift Rejected” Verse eight gives another reminder that those who show their rejection of God’s Son by their evil words and actions will not inherit Heaven, but Hell instead. Having died the first death of spiritual separation from God, they will then also suffer the second death of total and eternal separation from God.

VERSES 9-14

“The Bride, the Wife of the Lamb” The Bride of God is the Holy Christian Church. Here it is represented symbolically as a city that is not built up from the ground up, but instead comes down from the sky! It is given the very glory of God and shines with a brilliance which reminded John of a way a precious jewel might shine.

We are reminded that only through intimate connection to Christ (faith) can a person be one of God’s people. Only those who enter into “marriage” with Christ will be joined together with Him for eternity.

“Church Details” Verses 12-14 describe the Holy City of New Jerusalem in a way that solidifies our interpretation that this City is the Holy Christian Church.

There are twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve names of the tribes of Israel written on the gates, twelve foundations, twelve names of the apostles on the foundations (See Ephesians 2:19-22).

In addition to the number twelve (a number already established as a number associated with God’s Church) there is also the curious fact that there are three doors on each side of the city and four sides of the city. Three plus four is seven, the number of God’s covenant of grace between Himself and mankind (See previous study on Revelation 2).

VERSES 15-27

“A Big City” For reference, 12,000 stadia is roughly equal to 1,400 miles and 144 cubits is roughly equal to 200 feet. In the real world, this City’s footprint would be equal to more than half of the land area of the United States, including Alaska.

I believe the largest skyscraper in Seattle is the Columbia tower at 937 feet tall. The City of this vision would be 7,889 Columbia Towers high. The City’s walls would tower an enormous 616,000 stories high.

“An Architecture Which Exceeds All” The City of God is described as being strong, built out of the most precious materials, huge, solid, spacious and different than any earthly city or palace that has ever been. It is lighted with the radiance which God’s glory emits. It is more pure than anything on our current planet. No evil can enter it. Only those people whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, only the redeemed sinners who trust in Christ alone for entrance into heaven (Ephesians 5:25-27).

References:

Revelation: The Distant Triumph Song, Siegbert W. Becker

Concordia Self-Study Bible