Scripture reading: Revelation 21:1-8.

Sermon text: Revelation 21:9-27.

This is the last Sunday of Pentecost, the Sunday of Christ the King. On this day, we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and His reign over all creation.

Few passages in Scripture speak to Jesus’ rule like this chapter in Revelation. Last week, we read of Jesus’ millennial reign on the earth and of His final defeat of Satan at the judgment before the great white throne. In this chapter, we read of the arrival of the “holy city,” known as the “Bride of Christ.” The descent of New Jerusalem onto a newly re-created earth signals the beginning of a glorious eternity for Jesus and His saints.

In verse 1, St. John tells us that he 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.” At this point in the canon of Scripture, we see the final erasure of the sin that marred the first creation in Genesis 3. Every historical passage of Scripture testifies to the disastrous effects of sin on humanity. Even worse, our own lives tell us of the effects of sin. Without sin, we would never experience death. The book of the Revelation tells us of Satan’s final fury on earth the wreck it left behind.

Therefore, God will complete recreate His creation. This new creation will never suffer from sin. This new creation will have no “sea.” In Revelation 13, the beast Satan used to rule the world arose from the sea. In the Old Testament, the sea represented chaos among the Gentile nations. In the new creation, chaos and sin will never appear to ruin what God creates.

Next, St. John saw the “new Jerusalem” descend “from God” to dwell on the new earth. This “new Jerusalem” resembled a “ bride adorned for her husband.” In chapter 19, St. John first referred to the Church as the “Bride” of Christ (19:7). This passage will introduce the rich imagery of verse 9 and chapter 22.

Two things should be said about this imagery.

First, this imagery tells us why marriage is so important to God. Throughout Scripture, idolatry is referred to as “adultery” against God. God created us for relationship, and the greatest relationship between humans is the marriage relationship. Loving marriages reflect Jesus’ love for His Church.

Secondly, this imagery reminds us that God has chosen Israel as His people and Jerusalem as the place where His name dwells on earth in a unique way. We are told in the Psalms to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122). God said that He would put “his name” in Jerusalem (2 Kings 21:4). It is no mystery that all three religions based in some way on Old Testament events holds Jerusalem dear to their beliefs. In the millennial reign, Jesus will rule from Jerusalem. God will defend Jerusalem in chapter 20. In chapter 21, Jerusalem serves as the image of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

St. John then heard the voice of God Himself speak: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” The word for “dwelling place” literally means “tabernacle.” In the wilderness wanderings and in the time of the First Temple, the Shikinah glory of God dwelled in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle and then in the Temple. “He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” All those who dwell in this city will experience relationship with God as Adam and Eve in the Garden. This “dwelling place” will allow us to experience the pure presence of God in a way unknown to us today.

“He 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.” When the old creation disappears, the effects of sin will disappear with it. We will never again have reason to grieve; we’ll never again experience pain. What a glorious blessing!

Then comes one of the greatest promises of Scripture: “Behold, I am making all things new.” Everything that has weighted us in this life will fade away. New life; new creation; new relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. If you’ve ever wanted to erase everything you’ve done, this will be the greatest blessing of your life.

Then, St. John heard, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” This creation began with Jesus Christ (John 1; Colossians 1); this creation will end in the new life that will last for eternity.

Given this new creation, this new life with Jesus, can anything go wrong in this creation? Only for those who will miss it. “The cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars” will miss the blessings of this joyous life. The word for “cowardly” refers to those who fail to confess their allegiance to Christ out of fear of persecution. The others in this list demonstrate by their actions that they never confessed Jesus as Lord and accepted His standards for life. These will experience eternal punishment in the lake of fire as told in chapter 20.

Next comes one of the greatest descriptions of glory in Scripture. Beginning in verse 9, an angel takes St. John to see the great city, the New Jerusalem, coming down. The vision contrasts directly with the last “woman” we saw in chapter 17. In that chapter, St. John traveled to the desert to see a “prostitute;” this time, he goes to a mountaintop to see a Bride. The prostitute of chapter 17 is depicted by the city of Babylon; the Bride of chapter 21 is depicted by Jerusalem. The prostitute of chapter 17 represented the false religious system to which the world willingly surrendered; the Bride of chapter 21 represents the faithful Church that worshiped its Lord in spite of persecution and hardship. The prostitute of chapter 17 suffered sudden and complete destruction; the Bride will has enjoyed the protection of her Lord and will spend eternity in blissful relationship with Jesus Christ.

The new city of St. John’s description completely dwarfs any city in human experience in beauty and joy. The city’s size demonstrates its ability to contain all the faithful of all ages (it’s 1,500 miles square). Its perfect dimensions remind us of the dimensions of the Holy of Holies, which also resembled a square. Its gates are named after the tribes of Israel, again reminding us of God’s special tie to His chosen people. Its foundations are named for the Apostles. These names remind us of our spiritual foundation in the faith of Israel and the teachings of the Apostles after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The beauty of this city — pearls for gates, expensive stones for foundation, and pure gold for streets — defies the imagination. This is the city God has prepared for our eternity.

Notice that although the city has gates, the gates never close. Following His defense of Jerusalem in chapter 20, God will never have to defend this city. The gates never shut. Instead, all who worship Jesus will enjoy the safety of Almighty God.

This city has a unique feature unknown to human cities: This city will have no place of worship. Instead, “its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” God Himself will dwell here, as will His Son, Jesus Christ. The entire city will serve as the Holy of Holies, and all who dwell there will experience the joy heretofore unknown to any but the high priests of ancient Israel. Jesus will reign over all creation from a capital city beyond our imagination.

This description of our eternal dwelling place should lift our spirits beyond anything this world can provide. This city will provide for us beyond anything we can imagine. This city will be our reward for our acceptance of Jesus as Lord of our lives and our faithful service in that allegiance.

Can this vision help us in our lives today? Of course it can! Today, we celebrate the reign of Christ in our lives. While His reign rightfully brings obligations, His Spirit helps us live righteously before Him. His Church, the Bride of this chapter, provides us fellowship with others who understand our trials and pains as well as the joy of our salvation. These benefits give us strength in our lives, peace in our trials, and comfort in our losses.

The Christ we worship and serve today will bring us to a place beyond our wildest dreams. Everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord in this life will find eternal joy and bliss in His righteous reign that will never end.