Revelation Sermon - 57
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Revelation: The Holy City Part 2
Revelation 21:15-21
1. Introduction – Chapter 21 has a very natural progression to it.
a. John is first given a brief introductory vision of the new creation. In that vision he sees that God dwells among his people.
i. He sees that all the negative things of life are gone – pain, tears, anxiety, even death.
1. John hears from God about the newness of creation.
b. Last week, John was taken up to a high mountain, and he was given a vision of the holy city, the new Jerusalem…
i. The bride and wife of the Lamb.
1. This is a Christian’s destination…the city radiates with God’s glory.
a. The city has great and high walls…though we’ll see today that the walls aren’t in proportion to the rest of the city…
i. 12 gates, 12 angels guarding the gates, 12 foundations – all of this represents the continuity between God’s old and new covenant people.
c. Today, the vision is even more detailed, we zoom in, not too far though, given the enormity of the city.
i. John focuses on the finer details of the holy city…we’ve seen big picture, now, like we have previously done…we zoom in on the details.
1. John details the measurements of the city, he describes the precious materials that the city is made of.
a. He once again shows the continuity of God’s covenants, and he describes for us the purity and magnificence of this holy city.
d. This morning we are simply going to walk through this passage verse by verse.
i. To the best of our ability, we’ll look where John was looking, and we’ll try to see what John saw.
1. Along the way we’ll study the significance of the measurements, the significance of the jewels mentioned…
a. And once again we’ll try to figure out how all of this applies to life on this earth.
2. Verse 15 – Picking up Revelation in chapter 21:15.
a. John says “the one who spoke to me…” This is the same angel who spoke to him at the beginning of v.9.
i. The one who called him to the high mountain, the angel who showed him the holy city descending out of heaven from God.
b. We are told in this verse that now this angel has a measuring rod. Understand that a measuring rod was an ancient measuring instrument and was of a standard length. It was 10’4” long.
i. It is a comically small device given the size of the city.
1. And right off the bat this morning we need a reminder. We are dealing with a lot of numbers this morning, and we have to remember that when we talk about numbers in Revelation, they are symbols, not statistics.
a. The numbers point to a meaning and significance beyond their numerical value.
3. Verse 16 – With that being said, let’s look at the enormous size of this city.
a. There’s going to be some math involved – which is not my strong suit, but I think you’ll the picture and symbolism of the city anyway.
i. John says the city lies foursquare – it’s length and width are equal.
1. Before we look at the significance of the numbers, I want us to understand the significance of foursquare.
b. Going all the way back to the Tabernacle that Moses had built in the desert, the instruments, even the layout of the building itself, was laid out foursquare.
i. The emphasis is on symmetry.
1. The altar of burnt offering, the altar of incense, even the high priest’s breastplate, were all designed to foursquare – to be symmetrical.
a. Both the Tabernacle and later the Temple Solomon has built, were laid out in a series of squares and rectangles.
ii. The holy city is laid out foursquare – reflecting perfect balance, harmony and proportion.
c. So now let’s look at the numbers – symbols not statistics. John writes that the angel measured.
i. This is actually the second time we’ve seen measuring take place in Revelation.
1. Previously in Revelation, in chapter 11, John was given a measuring rod…
a. He was told to measure the temple, which actually represented God’s people.
i. In chapter 11, the measuring was about God sealing and protecting his people during the travails of life.
ii. Here, the measuring is not about protection but it is measuring God’s eternal presence – it stretches clear across the whole thing!
d. Here in Revelation 21 – the angel measures the holy city, and it is enormous. Check it out.
i. John writes that it measured 12,000 stadia.
1. So what? How big is that. Well a stadium was a unit of measurement in the ancient world, but it wasn’t standardized.
a. A Greek stadium was 600 feet, an Attic stadium was 607 feet, and an Olympic stadium was 638 feet. 1 stadium equaled between 600 and 638 feet.
e. So, if the city measured 12,000 stadia in each direction, and one stadium was between 600 and 638 feet, then the city measured somewhere between 7.2 and 7.65 million feet. The numbers are too big…
i. So let’s bring it into more manageable size…about 1500 miles.
1. Or about the size of the know Mediterranean world of the 1st century…from Jerusalem to Spain.
f. However, the emphasis isn’t merely about the enormous size of the city…the numbers are symbols, not stats.
i. This is why we read from the ESV this morning, because the numbers are kept in the original state – they are not transferred into imperial or metric.
1. If we transfer them into imperial or metric, the numbers actually lose their symbolism.
g. 12,000 stadia. As we’ve seen throughout this study, 12 or multiples of 12, represents the people of God.
i. In chapter 7, John saw the 144,000 – a symbol not a statistic…and a multiple of 12.
1. 12 x12 – the number of God’s people, is multiplied by 103 – with both 10 and 3 being numbers of perfection and totality.
a. The vision in chapter 7 wasn’t about an actually congregation literally number 144,000, but about the totality of God’s people for all time.
ii. Well the same symbolism is at work here – driving home the point that this isn’t about an actual city, it’s about people. 12x103 = 12,000.
1. 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles, walls 12,000 stadia in length, people counted 144,000 – all symbols not statistics.
h. The number 12,000 represents this – not only does it symbolize that this city houses God’s people, but the city is God’s people.
i. The last sentence of v.16 expands the city even more…and it is rich symbolism.
1. We’re told that the city is actually a cube. It’s length, width, and height are all equal.
a. Enormous. This gives the city a volume of 3.3 billion cubic metres.
i. What’s the meaning and significance of this?
i. Well, this place is huge. Most people think that a life with god is one where you are hemmed and limited.
1. But what does John show here? There is plenty of space to grow and spread out.
a. A life with God is not about being hemmed in, but actually the opposite – the freedom is beyond comprehension…living a city with that kind of volume.
j. There’s one other significant point to mention here. John is deliberate in describing this city as a cube.
i. And he’s deliberate because there is another cubic structure mentioned in the Bible.
1. In 1 Kings 6:20, the Holy of Holies is described as a cube – perfectly symmetrical.
a. The holy of holies was the place where God’s presence resided among Israel.
i. It was a place so holy, so sacred, that only the high present could enter it, and at that…only once a year on the Day of Atonement.
ii. The holy of holies was separated from the daily operation of the Temple by a curtain.
1. And we’re told that on Good Friday, as Jesus died on the cross, that curtain, was torn in two.
a. Atonement was no longer made behind a curtain through the high priest, but is made through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
i. The holy of holies is no longer the place of God’s presence, the place of atonement.
k. But look at this! In eternity – John says the whole thing is cubical…meaning this. Not a literal cube…
i. Meaning…we will always and forever be in the holy of holies…always and forever will be in the presence of god.
1. But more than that…more than being in the holy of holies…as God’s people we make up the holy of holies – the city of God’s dwelling.
a. Speaking about the cubical nature of the holy city is another way to emphasize God’s dwelling among his people.
i. Not restricted access behind the curtain, but all of God’s people living eternally in the radiance of God’s glory.
4. Verse 17 – In v.17, the angel also measures the wall – either it’s height or its thickness…it doesn’t really matter which one.
a. Either way, the wall is comically disproportionate to the rest of the measurements.
i. 144 cubits, a cubit is about 18 inches – so the wall would be just over 200 feet…either thick or high, again doesn’t matter.
1. Again, this number is a symbol, not a stat. the importance doesn’t lie in converting it to a modern measuring unit.
a. 144, again a multiple of 12 – 12x12…again, math.
b. The meaning of the 144 cubits of the wall means that this wall encompasses the entirety of God’s people for all time.
5. Verses 18-20 – And in vv.18-20, John moves on to describe the building materials.
a. He speaks of jasper, pure gold, sapphire, emerald, topaz, amethyst…and a whole bunch of other jewels that are hard to pronounce.
i. Why? Why speak of these materials? A few points of consideration.
b. First, John is struggling to describe what he sees. Remember back in chapter 4, John was in God’s throne room, and he was struggling to describe the beauty and magnificence around him.
i. The best he could do was compare it to the most precious jewels and the most beautiful images on earth.
1. Well, John is doing the same thing here – relating the heavenly beauty he is witnesses to the beautiful and precious things of earth.
a. But here, these jewels are unlike anything here on earth.
i. Gold that is a pure as glass – in the ancient world, even glass wasn’t even all that clear.
2. But in the holy city, gold is refined and purified so that it is clear and pure and radiant.
c. A couple months ago…maybe it was even last year – we sang the hymn, “Simply Trusting Every Day” – and the last verse of the hymns says this – “Trusting him while life has last, trusting him till earth be past…”
i. “Till within the jasper wall, trusting Jesus that is all.”
1. And one of you asked the question, “What’s a jasper wall?” What does that mean?
a. Well, here’s your answer, sorry it took so long! Rev. 21:18 – the walls of the holy city are made of jasper.
i. The hymn speaks about trusting Jesus, until we are safe inside the walls of the holy city.
d. Another point to consider about this list of jewels…
i. The most precious items here on earth…are mere building materials in the holy city.
e. And lastly, that these jewels are being used as foundation stones once against connects God’s OT people with his NT church.
i. Remember last week we saw that the 12 foundation stones have the names of the 12 apostles written on them…
1. Well, the jewels mentioned here in this verse are representative of OT Israel.
a. I have previously mentioned Israel’s high priest, who went into the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement to offer a sacrifice for Israel’s sin.
i. On the day, the priest would wear special clothes, specifically a breastplate that has been previously mentioned as being foursquare.
ii. Well, on that foursquare breastplate were 12 stones, 12 jewels…can you guess which jewels were there?
1. Jasper, sapphire, emerald, topaz, amethyst…and others that are hard to pronounce.
a. On each jewel was written the name of a tribe of Israel.
i. The breastplate represented the fact that, though the high was in the holy of holies alone, he was in there representing all12 tribes.
iii. And here in the holy city, we see a repetition of those 12 stones, written on the foundation stones bearing the names of the 12 apostles – showing God’s faithful to both his OT people and his NT Church.
6. Verse 21 – And finally this morning we come to verse 21.
a. Again, notice that precious things of this earth are mere building materials in the holy city.
i. Not just overlaid with gold like we have seen previously…but the holy city is made of gold.
b. However, I want us to focus on repeated words from our passage…clear – transparent.
i. Gold is stunning, pure gold even more stunning…
1. But in the holy city, gold, jasper, and another other beautiful item…they are all described as clear…as transparent.
a. What does that mean?
c. Well, it means that these things have no beauty in and of themselves, but they are clear, allowing the glory of God to shine through them.
i. Gold, clear as glass – so that God’s glory can reflect and refract and radiant through it.
d. And as we close this morning, think of this…shouldn’t that be our daily prayer?
i. Should we not long to be more transparent? Shouldn’t we not long to have no glory in and of ourselves, but only shine and reflect and refract and radiant with God’s glory?
1. O Lord, help me to be more clear today.
a. Help me to be more transparent. Help me not to take any glory for myself.
i. But God help me to better reflect your glory to everyone I meet today. Amen.