Revelation Sermon - 56

Lars Janssen

Revelation Series • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Revelation: The Holy City

Revelation 21:9-14

1. Introduction – There’s a saying that goes something like this…”The journey is better than the destination.”

a. And sadly, many times this statement is proven to be true. People believe this, maybe you believe this.

i. Think about it, if you have ever worked towards a goal, when you finally reach that goal, you accomplish what you set out to do…

1. Often the accomplishment is met not with satisfaction, but disappointment.

a. The destination wasn’t as exciting or fulfilling as the journey.

ii. Or, remember when you were young and you longed to be a grown up.

1. And…when you finally became a grown up, you found out that it’s not really all it’s cracked up to be.

a. You have responsibilities, the freedom you thought you would have is now taken up by other things.

i. You have to spend your hard-earned money on groceries, pay bills, keep up with the work around the house…it turns out that how we got there was more exciting then actually getting there.

b. Well, for the last few weeks of our study in the book of Revelation, we are going to be studying a destination. It’s the second of two destinations in the book.

i. We’ve spent a lot of weeks looking at the destination of unbelievers, but today, and in the weeks that follow, we are going to be looking at the destination of God’s people.

c. Often when we study heaven, there’s this ‘journey is better than the destination’ feeling about it.

i. Most kids, teenagers, and maybe even adults…think that heaven is going to be boring.

1. And it’s probably because we have this “we’re going to sit on clouds and play harps all day” attitude towards heaven.

a. Or maybe it’s because we love this world too much.

i. However, as we’ll hopefully see over the course of the next few weeks, living eternally in the glorious presence of God isn’t going to be boring.

1. It will be the most exciting life we will ever experience.

a. Believe me, in this case, the destination far surpasses the journey.

d. As we have done throughout out time in Revelation, this morning we are going to ask and answer the question “What did John see?”

i. We’ll carefully look at his description of the holy city and the significance of each part described.

1. Then we’ll ask an important question, and its one that I don’t I’ve ever asked.

a. “Why did John see this?” Why did he see the holy city descending from God?

i. What’s the importance and significance of it?

2. Literary Connections – But before we look where John was looking, I want to draw your attention to some very important literary markers… markers that connect with passage with some that have come before.

a. First, this is another time when John is summoned by a voice.

i. In chapter 4, John is summoned to God’s throne room.

1. In chapter 16, summoned by the voice of an angel to see Babylon in the desert.

a. And here, summoned by another angel to see the holy city.

b. And each time John is called by a voice, he is taken “in the Spirit”.

i. In 1:10, John writes that he was ‘in the Spirit’ worshipping on the Lord’s Day, he saw not only a glorious vision of Jesus, but was given this whole Revelation.

1. In ch. 4, John is taken in the Spirit to God’s throne room, and there he sees the always already in progress worship service around God’s throne.

a. In ch.16, John is taken out into the desert ‘in the Spirit’ to see Babylon the harlot.

i. Each time John is summoned and taken in the Spirit; he sees something monumental.

c. The other literary connection I want to point out is the similarities between this passage and 17:1-6.

i. Look at how these passages mirror each other. There is an obvious connection and comparison being made here.

1. In each scene John is summoned by one of the angels who poured out the 7 bowls.

a. John is taken in the Spirit, to the desert and to a high mountain.

i. Each time, John is shown a city…Babylon and Jerusalem.

1. And each time that city is described in detail.

d. And when we studied ch.17, we learned that Babylon doesn’t refer to the ancient city or Empire, but it refers to the world that is in rebellion to God.

i. It refers to people…people who have not repented…people who have not accepted God’s plan of salvation.

1. And here in ch21, in stark contrast to Babylon the harlot, John sees the Bride of the Lamb.

a. It’s called the holy city, the new Jerusalem.

i. It stands in stark contrast to what we’ve seen before.

e. So, if Babylon represented people, not an actual city…so too does the holy city represents people, not a literal city.

i. John is told, I will show you’re the Bride of the Lamb, and when we studied this phrase previously we defined the Bride of the Lamb and all those who belong to the Lamb, those who have been betrothed to him…those who have had their sins washed in his blood.

1. This is like a tale of two cities…one seductive and alluring…full of temptation.

a. The other city…pure, holy, set apart by God for God.

i. So, let’s look where John was looking. Let’s try to see what John saw when he was given this vision on the holy city, the holy people of God.

3. The City – First, I want you to notice the location of this city. Previously John was taken to the desert to see Babylon the Harlot…

a. Here, John is taken in the Spirit up a high mountain…and the holy city is still descending.

i. What’s the significance here? Well, this city doesn’t represent the glorious achievement of man, this city that John sees is one not built by human hands.

1. This is the city that Hebrews 11 says Abraham looked forward to in faith.

a. Unlike previous attempts in history to build up to God, the holy descends from God…even though John is up on a high mountain.

b. From there, John goes on to describe what he sees in detail, details that will be picked up next week.

i. Please, don’t lose sight of the fact that the primary description of this city is that it is holy.

1. 21:2, I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem.

a. 21:10 – the angel showed john the holy city, Jerusalem.

i. The city is holy, the city represents the people of God, so that means the people who make up the city are holy, set apart by God for God.

1. And most of all, the city is holy because it is the place where God dwells…dwells among his people.

c. And after the initial statement about the holiness of the city, John goes on the describe its features using a repeated phrase.

i. 4 times John uses the participle ‘having’ –

1. Having the glory of God, having great and high walls, having 12 gates, having 12 foundation stones.

a. A brief description that will be elaborated on later, but here – no word, no phrase is waster – every descriptor is significant.

d. First, having the glory of God. God’s glory is a central theme throughout the Bible.

i. The Israelites were led out of Egypt by God’s glory – a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

1. At Sinai, God’s glory rested on the mountain as he gave Moses the 10 Commandments.

a. God’s glory filled the tabernacle in the desert, God’s glory filled the Holy of Holies at the dedication of the temple.

i. In Jesus the Word who became flesh, in him we beheld the glory of God.

ii. And here, in the holy city, the New Jerusalem, the whole place radiates with God’s glory, reflecting off of the holy people of God who fill the city.

1. The Lord lives with his people and floods his new community with the beauty of his holiness.

e. John says the city, was pure, bright and radiant…shining like jasper.

i. Perhaps a modern translation would be sparkling like a diamond.

1. The emphasis is on this brilliance.

f. Next, John writes that the city had great and high walls.

i. In the ancient world, cities had walls to protect it from invading armies.

1. Here, however, the walls aren’t there to keep enemies out because previously we’ve seen all of God’s enemies punished to the lake of fire.

a. High walls and a solid foundation were desirable characteristics of a city in the ancient world.

i. John is appealing to his 1st century readers by describing the city in terms they would understand and relate to.

ii. If this was written today, it would say things like…

1. A great arts culture, fantastic restaurants, great pro sports teams, a caring community atmosphere, great golf courses

a. Walls were an important feature of cities in the ancient world.

g. And John says that each of the 4 walls are 3 gates, totaling 12 gates in all.

i. These gates had the names of the 12 tribes on Israel.

1. There’s an allusion here to a vision in Ezekiel, where the prophet is also given a vision on the new Jerusalem, and that city also had 12 gates.

a. But in Zeke’s vision, 1 name was written on each of the 12 gates.

i. Also, in Zeke’s vision, the gates were there so that the 12 tribes of Israel could go out of the city and claim the land around the city as their possession.

ii. But here in Revelation 21, the gates aren’t there so that people could go out, but come in. 3 gates on each side, 12 gates in total means that there is ample access to the city for all of God’s people – no matter which direction you are coming from.

h. And the final description of the city we’ll look at this morning is this…John says the city had 12 foundation stones, and on those stones were written the names of the 12 apostles.

i. In the ancient world, those who contributed financially to a building project had their names engraved on the foundation.

1. Well, here, the apostles didn’t contribute financially to the holy city, but their contributed with the witness and testimony to the saving work of Jesus.

a. Its recognizing that it was through the work and ministry of the apostles the church was built.

i. While Jesus is the firm foundation of the church, it is also true that the church was built through the labours of the apostles.

i. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:19-20…

1. Now, notice the continuity here. OT tribes, NT apostles.

a. The unity between OT Israel and the NT church is proved.

i. God’s old covenant people who looked forward to Jesus have the same destiny through faith as those who look back in faith to what Jesus has done.

j. That’s the city, that’s the destination. It is glorious and marvelous and wonderful and radiant and active…and any other descriptor you can come up with. We’ll study it more in the weeks to come.

4. Why? – Because now I want to pose a very important question…why?

a. Why did John see this vision? How does a vision of the future city affect our lives in the present?

i. Think about it this way.

1. If our destiny is to dwell in the holy city, to radiate and reflect the light of God’s glory, then our future surely shapes our calling now.

a. If that’s what we will do then…then we must be doing it now.

b. What’s the primary characteristic of the holy city…holiness.

i. So, what should be the primary characteristic of God’s people now? We are to be holy…set part by God for God.

1. Corporately, as a church, we are set apart of God’s use.

a. God doesn’t need us to be his work for him…but he has chosen us to do so.

i. As a church, we are to shine God’s glory to the world around us.

1. We are not to blend in with the dark world, but stand out as a light among the darkness.

a. The church must be a place that shines and radiates God’s glory.

ii. As individuals, since your destiny is to reflect the glory of God in holy beauty for all of eternity…then that must shape your entire life.

1. Since the destination of a Christian is to reflect God’s glory for all of eternity…then the journey through life prepares us for that destination.

a. All of those who will shine with the radiance of a jewel in the holy city are starting to shine now…through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

i. John was given this vision, not so Christians can sit back and wait for it all to happen…

1. he was given this vision to remind him, and us today, that our future dramatically influences our present.

c. Understand this, your journey through life is not about your own personal happiness.

i. God’s purpose in your life is not about liberty and the pursuit of happiness…I believe that’s called the Declaration of Independence…and it’s a farce…not biblical at all.

1. God’s purpose for you is not for happiness, but for holiness.

a. As a Christian, you are being prepared to eternally reflect God’s glory, so the purifying of your character now is a primary task in your life.

d. And understanding that God cares more about your holiness than your happiness will transform the way you look at life, especially your attitude when trials and sorrows come your way.

i. No doubt, we will all experience trials in this life, some may have more than others.

1. But when we realize that God wants us to be holy more than happy, our perspective changes.

e. When we’re focused on happiness, our reaction to trials will be ‘Why me?” “How could God let this happen to me?”

i. However, when we are focused on holiness – when we realize that our journey through life is preparing us for our destination…we can begin to ask different questions.

1. What is God trying to teach me through this? What is being refined I my character through this experience?

a. When we are focused on holiness, when we realize we are being prepared in holiness to reflect God’s glory, we will ask different questions.

f. I say it often, I got cancer because God need to do some serious work on my character. I needed to be broken in order to be refined.

i. Before I got cancer, I was a class A jerk. But God brought me low, burned out the unholy character qualities in me, in order that I might reflect his glory more brightly.

1. Believe, I was not happy to have cancer. It was not a joyous time – 16 weeks of chemotherapy, 4 surgeries in 5 months, I lost all my hair. I’d rather not have gone through that.

a. But even though my happiness was taken away, that experience, that journey., prepared me for my destination. Happiness was gone, but holiness was being refined in me .

i. Do you see how our perspective changes? Do you see how our future radically affects our present?

g. Knowing that God wants us to be holy more than happy will transform the way you view your journey.

i. Are there happy moments along the way??? Absolutely, but there are also trials and sorrows – and just because they come doesn’t mean God has abandoned you.

1. They come to refine; your journey prepares you for your destination.

h. So, what’s better, the journey or the destination? I hope you will agree with me in saying that as good as life is here on earth,

i. As fun and exciting and exhilarating the journey is…the destination far surpasses it.

1. And as God’s people, we must now all the destination we’ve seen to affect and shape our present as we even now reflect God’s glory to the world around us.