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. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.  - Revelation 21:23-26

Try to imagine living in a world in which people, their art and the important cultural contributions/markers of every nation that has ever existed are brought together and celebrated with unity and joy, all to the glory of God.  Yeah, just try to wrap your head and heart around THAT one!

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. - Revelation 21:22

Ever since I began to understand the implications of this one verse of Scripture I’ve longed for its fulfillment more than any other. Why? Because it promises a Day so chocked full of hope I can barely begin to imagine it. John’s affirmation of the “temple-less” worship of the new heaven and new earth is his declaration that we are destined for an eternity in which EVERYTHING we do will be a revelation of the glory of God, a declaration of the worth of God and a reveling in the goodness of God! The very fact that there was “had” to be a temple in Israel’s worship of God was a testimony to just how broken God’s worshippers and his worship had gotten.

He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man’s measurement, which the angel was using. 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. - Revelation 21:17-21

As we continue to meditate through John’s hope-filled vision of the future of heaven (Rev. 21:1-22:5), we’re focusing for a few days on God’s worship, and what the unbroken and glorified worship of God will be like in the new heaven and new earth. We have to greater calling or privilege in life and eternity than to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength—which is the essence of what is means to worship God. And we can only love God with such consuming delight as we come alive to the way God so passionately loves us in the gospel. Indeed, we love God, or anyone, because God first loved us through the person and work of Jesus.

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 he city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. - Revelation 21:15-16

In this series of gospel-sanity devos, we’re exploring the theme of hope, and we are doing so by taking a look at Revelation 21-22, the last two chapters in the whole Bible. This portion of God’s Word gives us a tantalizing preview of coming attractions—a glimpse of the life we will forever enjoy as those redeemed by trusting in the person and work of Jesus, plus nothing else! For the next couple of days we will consider the hope of God’s perfected worship. What will it be like, at last, for us finally to offer our God the worship of which he alone is worthy? This should be a question we ponder quite seriously, longingly, and with great hope. For the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, and our only hope of doing so is through the provision of the gospel of God’s grace.

“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. 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. 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.  - Revelation 21:9-14

So what does the beloved “wife of the Lamb” look like? She is stunningly beautiful—beautiful with the aesthetic and values of heaven. Ours is a culture that defines beauty so artificially, but today let’s consider a few of the things in this text Jesus greatly celebrates about his City-Bride.

“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” - Revelation 21:9

There’s no way we’re through pondering the riches of Rev. 21:9 yet. Yesterday morning we just scratched the surface of John’s magnificent description of the City-Bride. As stated yesterday, because the gospel is true, we’re destined for a life of perfect relationships in the new heaven and new earth with every single member of our eternal family—the Bride of Jesus. Awesome, eeh? (as our Canadian friends say)

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.” 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.  - Revelation 21:9-10

Talk about the glorious mixing of metaphors! The next part of John’s gospel-hope saturated vision includes an extended description of the Bride of Christ, “the wife of the Lamb.” But this bride is not described in terms of the usual sweet frou-frou images you’d expect accompanying a nuptial celebration. Indeed, this bride is described in terms of a city—the New Jerusalem! How can a bride be a city? Actually, in a most wonderful way!

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. - Revelation 21:7-8

The one word in the book of Revelation that used to either fuel my fear or stoke my pride, depending on my “performance,” is the word “overcomer.” As a young Christian in the late 60’s, I remember many last-night-of-the-retreat talks and fiery sermons prepping me and my friends to work hard to become an “overcomer”, ‘cause only the “overcomers” would survive the last days and finally make it to heaven.

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. - Revelation 21:6

Blessed is the woman or man who has at least one friend in life who says what they mean and who means what they say—whose word is gold and whose timetable is Swiss. When they say, “Consider it done!”, you’re already “going to the bank” ‘cause you can bank on anything they say. Actually, the only friend that completely fills that bill is Jesus, “the friend who sticks closer than a brother.” This is why it is safe to be thirsty with Jesus.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” - Revelation 21:5