The Holy City - Eden Restored (preaching resource for 5/25/25, Easter 6)
This post exegetes Revelation 21:9--22:5, providing context for one of the RCL readings on the sixth Sunday of Eastertide (5/25/25). Insights are drawn from Grant Osborne ("Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament") and George R. Beasley-Murray ("New Bible Commentary").
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| "A New Heaven and New Earth" (Wikimedia Commons, public domain, Medhurst Collection) |
Introduction
In Revelation 21:9-27 John provides additional detail concerning the Holy City. This revelation is really a tale of two cities, for it contrasts Rome/Babylon (the city of the beast, now desolate); with the city of God, now and forever the glorious habitation of God with his people in a new heaven/earth. Then in Revelation 22:1-5, John continues his description of the Holy City utilizing the familiar symbolism of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3), coupled with the symbolism of the River of Life (a feature of the Garden of Eden in Genesis, and of the restored temple in Ezek. 47). Together, these passages tell us about the commitment of God to the evangelization of the nations.
Angelic tour
Revelation 21:9-10
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
These verses point back to Revelation 16 and 17 where the angel poured out the seventh bowl judgment declaring, “It is done!” (Rev. 16:17). That declaration is repeated in Rev. 21:6 with the arrival of the new heaven and new earth. Thus we understand that the end of this age involves both judgment and re-creation. In this we see an intentional contrast between Babylon the Great (which is destroyed in judgment) and the Holy City (the new creation in which the saints dwell with God). In the revelation of both, an angel says to John, “Come, I will show you…” In Rev. 17:1b he is shown the great prostitute, and then in Rev. 21:9b he is shown the Lamb’s bride. In both instances, John says that an angel “carried” him “in the Spirit,” highlighting the Holy Spirit’s direct role in these revelations.
It is often asked whether the Holy City is the bride or the bride’s dwelling place. Both ideas are probably intended, though the former predominates. Most important is that the church is shown to be the bride/wife of Jesus. This imagery builds on the Old Testament idea of Israel as Yahweh’s bride. And here, the bride’s husband Jesus, is “the Lamb.” Of the 29 times in Revelation that Jesus is called the Lamb, seven occur here (in Rev. 21:9-22:5). This frequency emphasizes that it is only the lamb-like self-offering of Jesus that makes the marriage of the church to Jesus possible. It’s all about Jesus and his grace.
In Rev. 17:3, John was carried by the angel into the desert, but now he is carried to a “mountain great and high” (Rev. 21:10). This echoes Ezek. 40:1-2, where God gave the prophet a vision of the new temple on “a very high mountain.” This and other Old Testament prophecies place the final eschatological city itself on a mountain (Isa. 2:2; 4:1-5; Micah 4:1-2). In the New Testament, Matthew in particular emphasizes mountains in the ministry of Jesus (Mat. 5:1; 8:1; 14:23; 15:29; 17:1, 9; 21:1; 24:3; 26:30; 28:16), and Jesus frequently uses mountains as object-lessons (Mat. 5:14; 17:20; 18:12; 21:21; 24:16)—particularly having to do with God’s revelation. Here in the book of Revelation, mountains have this revelatory function. Now John is shown “The Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:10b). The emphasis here (as in Rev. 21:2) is that the City of God is not the result of human effort/works (Rev. 19:8), but has its origin in God. The Holy City is God’s free gift to his people (see Rev. 21:6), “the wife of the Lamb.”
The city’s appearance
Revelation 21:11-21
Now John describes identifying characteristics of the new/restored Jerusalem:
1. Its glory (v11)
11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
The major characteristic of the Holy City is that it contains the Shekinah – the glorious presence of God as seen beffore in the temple in heaven (Rev. 15:8), and now it has come to earth. The city’s beauty is its “brilliance” (which means “radiance”). This echoes Ezek. 43:2 (“I saw the glory of God coming from the east…and the land was radiant with his glory”) and Isa. 60:1 (“Arise, shine, for your light has come”). This brilliant beauty is now likened to “jasper,” a precious, shining jewel (probably diamond).
2. Its gates & foundations (vv12-14)
12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The city is enclosed by “a great, high wall.” In the ancient world, walls were essential for protecting a city from invaders. But that is not now the need, for now the enemies of God and of his people have been destroyed. Rather, as noted in Rev. 21:18, this wall is made of jasper, and thus its purpose is to radiate God’s glory. This makes the wall “great.” It has twelve gates, indicating the city’s huge size (ancient Jerusalem had but five gates). With twelve gates, access to the city is plentiful and the names of the twelve tribes written on the gates builds on the symbol of the 144,000 in Rev. 7:1-8 indicating wide open access to all the people of the world. With three gates on each side, access is from every direction, again emphasizing inclusivity. An angel watches over each gate (probably the angels associated with the churches in chapters 2-3) representing God’s new relationship with his people. John also mentions the twelve foundations of the wall, which are inscribed with “the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb”—again symbolizing the church, which Paul says is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph. 2:20). We see represented here the whole people of God encompassing both Israel and the church.
3. Its measurements (vv15-17)
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using.
In Ezek. 40-41 a “man whose appearance was like bronze” (Ezek. 40:3) measures the new temple. Measuring connotes God’s ownership and protection of his people. The city of God is guaranteed the presence and protection of God. This is in keeping with the negatives of this section—no tears, no pain, no sinners, no sun or moon, no night, no impurity, no shame or deceit—God has removed them all! Like the temple in Ezek. 42 and 45, the city is laid out in “a square” (foursquare). In Ezekiel the temple complex was 500 cubits square (about 850 feet each way), representing perfect proportions (befitting God’s presence). Here a similar purpose is intended, but the measurements are far greater. And now instead of a square, the city is a cube. In other words, the perfection of the city is another degree greater than that of Ezekiel’s temple. This cube matches the shape of the Holy of Holies—the residing place of God’s Shekinah glory. It is 12,000 stadia (about 1,500 miles) in each dimension—but more a symbolic number meant to represent an infinite multiple of twelve, signifying both the limitless perfection and sufficiency of size of this city to house all the saints from “every tribe, language, people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9; 7:9, cf. 21:24, 26). The point in all this is the inclusivity of the new heaven/earth. After measuring the city, the angel measures the wall as 144 cubits thick. This number is likely connected with the 144,000 of Rev. 7:4 and Rev. 14:1, 3, again signifying the whole people of God (Israel and the church). John clarifies that the angel measures with “man’s measurement”—this dwelling place embraces us in our humanity—it is not to be thought of as some sort of ethereal, unreal place disconnected from our true humanity.
4. Its materials (vv18-21)
18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
Here John builds on Jewish tradition depicting the celestial city’s majesty. Now that tradition is transformed to speak to the glory that the saints in the presence of God in a new heaven/earth. This echoes Isa. 54:11-12 and Rev. 4:3-6, which describe the majesty of God’s throne in heaven (now come to earth). We see in the saints the reflection of God’s own grandeur. As in Solomon’s temple (1Kings 6:20-22), gold is a key building material. But the gold here is as “as pure as glass.” This is probably something like the sea of glass before God’s throne in Rev. 4:6. The point is that the glory of the gold (like the glass) is not in itself but in what is seen in and through it—God’s incomparable glory.
The city’s foundations are “decorated [adorned] with every kind of precious stone”—representing the church in its diverse beauty, for it is she who is “prepared [adorned] for her husband” (Rev. 21:2). The list of precious stones echoes the twelve jewels representing the tribes of Israel that adorned the breastplate of Israel’s high priest (Ex. 28:17-20). Here the twelve stones represent the church’s apostles, and thus emphasize the priestly nature of the church. The new/restored Jerusalem—the church—is being presented as precious beyond price. There is an ironic contrast here of the bejeweled bride of Christ (the church) with the formerly bejeweled (but now destroyed) great prostitute/Babylon the Great in Rev. 17:4 and Rev. 18:16.
Each gate of the city is “a single [huge] pearl.” Pearls were of great worth in the ancient world (thus Jesus’ use of a “pearl of great price” in Mat. 13:45-46). Then there is a “great street” which like the city as a whole is constructed of “pure gold, like transparent glass.” As in most ancient cities, this refers to the main thoroughfare of the New Jerusalem. In Rev. 22:1-2 the “river of the water of life” flows from the throne down this “great street” in the eternal Eden. This is probably a contrast with the “street of the great city” (Rev. 11:8) in which the bodies of the two witnesses lay. Unlike Babylon/Rome where the streets signified evil, this street signifies glory—the reflected glory of God himself.
Conditions in the City
Revelation 21:22-27
In the rest of this chapter 21, John describes the holiness, glory, joy and inclusiveness that typify life in the eternal city.
1. No temple (v22)
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
Just as the New Jerusalem denotes the community of God’s people, so too the temple denotes the presence of God and the Lamb with God’s people. Thus, when God’s presence among his people is final and eternal, there is no need for a temple. This new reality was hinted at in the Old Testament. In Jer. 3:16-17 God says that in eschatological Zion people “will never say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’…At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord.” Then in John 4:21, Jesus told the Samaritan woman that, “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” The martyr Stephen said that “the Most High does not live in houses made by men” (Acts 7:47). In Heb. 9:1-5, the furniture of the tabernacle has been replaced by the new covenant that Jesus mediated with his blood. In Revelation the temple is heavenly (Rev. 7:15; 11:19; 14:17; 15:5) and in chapter 21 it comes to earth in the form of the New Jerusalem. There is no temple in the eternal city partly because it is the Holy of Holies itself.
The other reason there is no temple is that “The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev. 21:22). Throughout the Old Testament, the glory of God filed the temple. The book of Exodus ends with the tabernacle being set up and the note that, “Then the cloud [symbolizing the Shekinah presence of God] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filed the tabernacle” (Ex. 40:34). When the temple was built and the ark brought into the temple, “The cloud filled the temple of the Lord,” and “the glory of the Lord filled his temple” (1Kings 8:10-11). Finally, as Ezekiel was brought to the final eschatological temple, the glory of the Lord came from the east, entered the temple through the east gate, and “filled the temple” (Ezek. 43:1-5). Now in the final temple city of the New Jerusalem, that glory so permeates the city that God becomes the temple. With God and the Lamb manifestly present with God’s people, there is no need for a temple, for “the dwelling of God is with humankind, and he will live with them” (Rev. 21:3).
Rev. 21:22 is the ninth and final time that God is called “the Lord God Almighty.” This speaks of God’s sovereign omnipotence. God is ruler over all history, and in control of this world and the next, with full authority over earthly and comic forces. And coupled with the Lord God Almighty is “the Lamb” whose presence goes back to Rev. 5:6, where John saw “a Lamb standing as if slain.” Jesus used the imagery of the temple when he predicted his death and resurrection (John 2:19). It was his sacrificial death that made the temple and its religion unnecessary (Heb. 9:1-15). Christ the sacrificial Lamb became the conquering Ram (Rev. 5:6), and took his place alongside the Father as the temple of the eternal city. This also continues the emphasis in Revelation on the unity of God and Jesus on the throne (Rev. 4:2 = Rev. 5:6), as the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8 = Rev. 1:17; 21:6 = Rev. 22:13), as worthy of worship (Rev. 4:8-11 = Rev. 5:9-14), as judge (Rev. 14:17-20 = Rev. 19:11-21), and now as the Holy City’s temple.
2. No sun or moon; all nations present (vv23-24)
23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.
In Isa. 60:19 the glory of eschatological Zion is depicted in these terms: “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” The light of the presence of God and of the Lamb in the new heaven/earth either completely replace or (more likely) outshine the sun and moon. Indeed, the one said to be light itself, Jesus (John 1:5) now dwells in his glorified humanity with humanity. First century Jews associated this light with the Messiah (Mal. 4:2; Luke 1:76-79; 2:32). The New Testament says that Jesus, the Messiah (Christ), is this light (John 1:5, 9; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35-36). Now that he has returned bodily, no other source of light is needed (or outshines him). His glory (light) is so intense that “the nations will walk by its light” (Rev. 21:24a). This seems to hint at an amazing fulfillment of a key theme in Revelation, namely the evangelization of the nations. As we see in Rev. 14:6-7, God sent the “eternal gospel” to the nations, calling them to “fear God and give him glory.” Also note that the seals, trumpets, and bowls all have an evangelistic purpose, namely to call the nations to repentance. Some did repent early on (Rev. 1:7; 11:13; 15:4), but seemingly, most did not. However, now there seems to be a wide-spread response.
The imagery being used here echoes Isaiah where conquered nations bring their tribute gifts to the conquering Messianic king (Rev. 18:7). John takes this imagery of military conquest/tribute and transforms it to speak of the repentance (conversion) of the nations. Rather than conquered foes bringing physical tribute, these repentant kings/nations bring themselves as offerings—worshippers of God and of the Lamb. This vision comes as quite a surprise to us, for previously we had seen these same “kings of the earth” aligned with the beast (Rev. 17:2, 18; 18:3, 9), fighting against Jesus with their armies at Armageddon (Rev. 16:6; 19:19), and then being destroyed (Rev. 19:21). But now here they are, walking in the light of the triune God in the New Jerusalem. Indeed, in the end, God’s mercy truly does triumph over judgment! Exactly how this turn of events happens we are not told, but we might surmise that the destroyed kings/armies/nations are raised to life in the general resurrection which occurs at Jesus’ return. Standing before Jesus in final judgment, they see Jesus now not as an enemy, but as their true Savior and they turn to him in repentance, and are ushered into the Holy City. We can't be sure of the sequence, but it does seem that in the end, the Holy City is wide open to anyone who will turn to Jesus—giving him their allegiance and worship, even if earlier they fought against him. What we learn is that Jesus truly is omnipotent, and his judgment truly is a tool of his evangelistic, inclusive grace.
3. Open gates (vv25-26)
25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.
Typically city gates were closed at night to keep unwanted visitors out. But here the gates of the Holy City are never shut—they are always wide open to welcome in any who will come—again emphasizing the inclusivity of the Holy City. There is no need now to fear any enemies—all evil has been neutralized; and everyone is invited in. In the gospel of John, “night” is a symbol of sin (John 3:2; 9:4; 11:10; 13:30; 19:39). Now the power of sin has disappeared, as was seen in Rev. 21:1 where “there was no longer any sea,” meaning now more reign of evil. Because the city gates are always open, the nations can freely enter in (Rev. 21:26); and when they do, they bring their “glory and honor” (their fame and reputation) and hand it over to God in worship of the only one who has true glory and honor. Instead of the beast and themselves, they will, for all eternity, glorify and honor God.
4. Nothing impure or shameful (v27)
27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
The eternal city is a pure and sacred place, because those who would defile it do not enter in (despite the gates being wide open). The idea of “entering” the New Jerusalem is the reverse image of Rev. 3:20 where Jesus promises, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter in.” Those who enter the city do so willingly—they are those who have humbly allowed Jesus into the center of their lives—they have given him their trust, allegiance and worship. These faithful ones are then contrasted to the “impure” (“unclean” NASB)—those who do what is “shameful” (he “who practices abomination” NASB) and what is “deceitful” (he “who practices…lying” NASB). In Revelation, that which is unclean characterizes the empire of the unholy trinity (Rev. 16:13; 17:4; 18:2). In the Old Testament that which is unclean is antithetical to the sanctity of the temple and the worship of God. Thus in the eternal city, nothing unclean enters in, nor anyone who “practices abomination” (like the great prostitute in Rev. 17:4-5). Nor will anyone enter who practices lying (falsehood). In Rev. 3:9, the Jews persecuting the saints are “liars” as is the “false prophet” (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10) who is characterized by deceitful lying, in contrast to the victorious saints, who have “no lie found in their mouths (Rev. 14:5). Indeed, the ones in the Holy City are “those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” The image of a book of life is the idea of a book used to record the names of the citizens of a particular city. Now the roll of citizenship in the New Jerusalem is said to exclude any who repudiate Jesus (the Lamb)—any who refuse to come into the city (though all are invited and all are included in Jesus’ love and life). But those who embrace Jesus—those who enter in, dwell forever with Jesus, the one who alone is pure and free of all shame and deceit. His life, love, character, righteousness and joy is theirs forever!
Eden restored
Revelation 22:1-5
We come now to Revelation chapter 22 where the scene changes. Here we are reminded that God had placed Adam and Eve in a “garden of delight” (the meaning of “Eden”) where they enjoyed “face-to-face” fellowship with God, symbolized as partaking of “the tree of life.” But Adam and Eve sinned when they listened to the serpent and partook of the forbidden “tree of knowledge,” which symbolized dependence on self and self-acquired knowledge. As a result, humankind lost its place in Eden and was thrust out into this world of death. In non-canonical Jewish literature, Eden was then taken up into heaven, awaiting a future restoration in a renewed earth at the end of time. We now encounter that restoration in Revelation 22, where Eden is found in the heart of the New Jerusalem. However, Eden is not merely restored—it is transformed, serving now as the eternal home of God with his people.
The river of life
Revelation 22:1-2a
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city…
Here the imagery of Eden appears in the form of a “river of the water of life.” In Gen. 2:10 a river “flowed from Eden” to “water the garden.” Then in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezek. 47:1-12) a river flows from the restored temple, giving life to everything it touches (including the Dead Sea). And now this life-giving river is seen flowing “from the throne of God” and it brings healing to all nations. In John 4:10-14, this healing water is associated with Jesus, and in John 7:37-39 with the Holy Spirit. Then in Rev. 7:17, the Lamb leads the victorious saints to “streams of living water,” and in Rev. 21:6 God gives them “the spring of the water of life freely.” Now in Rev. 22:1, this water is said to be “as clear [bright] as crystal”—this reminds us of the crystal-clear sea of glass of Rev. 4:6, the crystal-clear jasper of Rev. 21:11, and the transparent gold (like pure glass) of Rev. 21:18. The image of “brightness” emphasizes the glory of the final Eden which speaks to the purity, holiness and transcendent presence of God in his triune relations with his people. And that river of life now flows “from the throne of God and of the Lamb” out to all nations—all people. We thus understand the source of this water to be God himself (with the Lamb here equated with God—again emphasizing Jesus’ deity). The water flows in a river that cuts through the heart of the eternal “great street.” The point here is the personal, abundant, healing presence of God in the New Jerusalem.
The tree of life
Revelation 22:2b
2b. …On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
The idea of a “tree of life” is prominent in Jewish literature. In Gen. 3:22 the tree of life is the source of eternal life (and thus Adam and Eve must be banished from the garden lest they become immortal in the midst of their sin). Then in Ezek. 47:12, rather than one tree there are multiple fruit-bearing trees that do “not wither nor will their fruit fall” leading to abundant “healing” for the nation. Then in Proverbs, the “tree of life” provides present blessings to those who embrace wisdom (Prov. 3:18; 15:4). And in Rev. 2:7 God gives overcomers “the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” All these images with their promises are now taken up and exceeded in the New Jerusalem. Though John refers to a “tree of life” (singular)—he is probably using the “collective singular” and has in mind many trees lining both banks of the river in accordance with Ezek. 47:12. Here multiple “trees of life,” line the banks of the river of life as it flows down the middle of the main thoroughfare of the New Jerusalem. These life-giving trees bear “twelve crops of fruit…every month.” This astonishing fruitfulness far outshines Ezek. 47:12, where the trees bear fruit every month but not of twelve different kinds. In the eternal Eden, there are no seasons to limit fruit production—abundant fruit of many kinds is always readily available to the city dwellers. This idea continues the imagery of Rev. 21:4 where not only is there no more “death, mourning, crying, or pain,” but also no more hunger. All needs will be met for all eternity. Not only does the tree of life provide food; its “leaves” also provide “the healing of the nations,” another allusion to Ezek. 47:12, where the leaves heal the people of Israel. But here it is “the nations” that are healed—another incidence of the evangelistic theme of Revelation. Those nations who reject God’s offer of repentance are destroyed, but those who repent enter the Holy City (Rev. 21:24, 26) where they are “healed” (Rev. 22:2).
No curse
Revelation 22:3a
3 No longer will there be any curse…
This promise echoes Zechariah 14:11 which says, “And they will live in [Jerusalem], and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell secure.” This is a promise of perpetual peace and safety in the new heaven and new earth. In Zechariah the “curse” refers to the destruction of the apostate nation. There may also be a reference to the “curses” placed on Adam and Eve in Gen. 3:16-19, which extended to all humankind because of sin. Now those curses are completely removed. In the rest of the Old Testament, “the curse” especially referred to judgments of destruction pronounced against the nations and apostate Israelites. Thus, here it could refer also to the removal of these curses on behalf of those who turn to God in repentance and enter the eternal city. As in Rev. 1:5b; 5:9; 12:11, the curse is removed because of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who bore the curse for us all.
A new relationship with God
Revelation 22:3b-4
3b …The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Here we are told that “the throne of God and the Lamb” is located within the Holy City. This means that everything that the city means to the saints—eternal life, abundant provisions, complete healing and absolute security—are theirs because the sovereign God and the Lamb dwell in intimate fellowship with the people of God. The reaction of God’s “servants” (meaning his “slaves”) is to “serve” (which means “worship”) God and the Lamb. We find parallels to this idea in Rev. 19:5, where God’s slaves are called on to “praise our God,” and in Rev. 7:15, where the victorious saints “are before the throne of God, and they serve [worship] him day and night in his temple.” The saints serve/worship God as “priests”(Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). This imagery echoes the account of the Garden of Eden where God placed Adam “to work it and take care of it” (Gen. 2:15)—carrying the idea of “worship and obey” God. Eden then became the prototype for the earthly tabernacle/temple—all pointing to the New Jerusalem as a restored and transformed Eden where the redeemed fulfill God’s original intention for humankind: to serve and worship God (and the Lamb).
In their service and worship of God, the saints will “see his [God’s] face.” We are reminded that Moses could not look on the face of God and live (Ex. 33:20). And then Jesus said in John 1:18 that, “No one has ever seen [the face of ] God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” Jesus was the presentation of the Father’s “face” to humanity as the “incarnate Shekinah” (John 1:14) on earth. The idea of “seeing God” became a catch phrase for a true understanding of who God is and a right relationship with him (Job 33:26; Psa. 17:15; 42:2; 3John 11) and was considered a special eschatological blessing (Num. 6:25; Psa. 84:7; Mat. 5:8; 1John 3:2; Heb. 12:14). Thus, we now see in the New Jerusalem the culmination of all these ideas and hopes. In the transformed Eden, God’s people live eternally in face-to-face communion with God.
The saints also have God’s name “on their foreheads.” In Ex. 28:36-38 Aaron wore a gold plate on the front of his turban and on his forehead inscribed with the words, “Holy to the Lord.” In Rev. 3:12 Christ promises the victorious saints, “I will write on them the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem…and my new name”; in Rev. 7:3 an angel puts “a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God”; and in Rev. 14:1 the 144,000 stand on Mount Zion with “his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.” The name or “mark” affixed on the forehead denotes ownership, status and protection (as in the “mark of the beast”). The saints are marked as “people belonging to God” (1Pet. 2:9; Ex. 19:5; Titus 2:14). In Rev. 2:17 they are promised “a new name” given to them by God, whose name will be on their foreheads. As 1John 3:2 says, “We shall be like him [Christ], for we shall see him as he is.”
Reigning with God
Revelation 22:5
5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Here John repeats images from earlier in Revelation. From Rev. 21:25 he repeats that “there will be no more night,” which means that the effects of sin listed in Rev. 21:23-27 (darkness, closed gates, impurity, shame and deceit) are all gone. In the eternal city, the gates are always open and there is perpetual day. John also repeats the message of Rev. 21:23 (which echoes Isa. 60:19), in here saying that “they will not need the light of the lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” In this present world of darkness, light must come from the sun or from lamps. But in the eternal city, God’s own presence is the source of perpetual light. There in the light of God’s presence, the saints “reign for ever and ever.” In Rev. 2:26-27 the overcomers were promised “authority over the nations”—the same authority that Jesus received from his Father. In Rev. 20:4; 3:21, Jesus promised the saints that they “will sit with me on my throne.” Those promises were partially realized in Rev. 20:4 when the victorious saints “reined with Christ a thousand years” in the present era (in accordance with the amillennial view). But here that millennial reign is transformed into the eternal reign in fulfillment of Dan. 7:18 (“The saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever”) and Dan. 7:27 (“Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High”). In Luke 22:30, Jesus promises the disciples that they will “sit on twelve thrones, judging the tribes of Israel,” and in 1Cor. 6:2 Paul said, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” These verses sum up a major biblical theme, namely the participation of the saints in the eternal reign of Jesus.
Conclusion
The new Jerusalem will be the restored Eden (Rev. 22:1-5). But it will be more than restored—it will be transformed. Within the restored garden is a transformed river of life, which now flows down the center of the main street of the city. The central theme is life, which is symbolized by the many “trees of life” growing on both banks of the river. This goes beyond the single tree of life in the original Eden, and pictures the lavish love of God poured out on all who share the eternal city with him. In the old order, no one could look on the face of God and live, but now the goal of worship throughout the Bible and the church age is finally realized when the saints “see his face” (Rev. 22:4). The reason for this is that the throne of God and of the Lamb is in their midst, and they have total, open access to that throne. In fact, they in some sense share the throne and reign forever with Jesus.