God at the Center

Week 39

In the book of Revelation, the author, John, speaks of the new heaven and the new earth. In describing the Holy City, Jerusalem, he puts his vision into words that have always intrigued me.

“One of the 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.’ 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. It shone with the glory of God and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as a crystal.” Revelation 21:9-11

Can we even imagine the brilliance that John described? It had to be a remarkable thing to behold. Earthly words can never describe heavenly things completely. Yet we need to get an idea of what John was telling us. This is our future home that he is describing. 

“The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 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. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man’s measurement, which the angel was using.” In Revelation 21:15-21 John further describes the city. 

But the amazing part to me is the size of the city. In my Bible, the New International Version, it explains that 12,000 stadia are equal to 1,400 miles. Think about it, that is halfway across the United States. A city that is 1,400 miles square. That is one huge city. We think of New York and Chicago as big, but the new Jerusalem will be as big as half of the continental U.S.

Now keep in mind a city that is 1,400 square miles and then listen to the rest of the scripture. “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 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.” God shines bright enough to illuminate a city which is the size of half the United States - we won’t need the sun or the moon because God himself is going to provide all the light we need while in the city.

“The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will the gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and the honor of the nations will be brought into it. 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 earth is going to be ruled from this city. When we think back to Genesis and the time that God put man on the earth, his intention was to dwell among men and lead us and guide us. He wanted to commune with us from the beginning and when his kingdom is established on the earth that will finally be possible. 

It is hard to envision a city on earth with the God of the universe living and ruling among us. There is a song that says better is one day in your court than a thousand elsewhere. And Psalm 84:10-11 explains it this way, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Just thinking about God being in the center of his Holy City, shining for the entire world to see and being available for us to come to is overwhelming. If our names are written in the Lamb’s book, we will be permitted into his presence. 

Now I don’t know too much about the universe, I am not an astrologer, but I do know that God has centered around the nation of Israel on this earth. He chose the Jewish people to be his inheritance and he promised to give the land around Jerusalem to his people. His temple was established in Jerusalem and I am almost certain that is where it will continue. 

God doesn’t change. He is eternal, his will is everlasting. He wants to be at the center of everyone’s heart. He wants to be the one that we come to when we have hurts, problems, unforgiveness and fears. He wants to be the temple that we run to.

We can only imagine what the new Jerusalem will be like. John the revelator gives us an idea, but he is speaking in terms that are relevant to his day and they may be a little different for us. 

But this much is true. “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3b-4.

What a wonderful promise God has given us through this last book in the new testament. And what does he require of us to live with him? A belief in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. A belief in his blood as the cleansing agent that brings us into a right relationship with God. A desire to live our lives for him and a desire to be obedient and do the things that God asks us to do.

Heavenly Father,

We look forward to the day when we will be in your presence for eternity. Our finite minds cannot envision all that you have in store for us. It seems far fetched and incomprehensible and yet we know that you are a God of the impossible. We want to spend eternity with you and walk on the streets of pure gold, but it seems like something that will happen far into the future. Your word doesn’t tell us when to expect this time. We only know that we are to live our lives as Jesus taught us. 

We want to be more like Christ and bring more and more people into the kingdom. We don’t want anyone to be left out, looking into the city, but not able to enter. Your city is going to be big enough to hold a lot of people.

Help us everyday to seek your face so that when that glorious day arrives and we see you, we will know you and you will know us. Amen.