December 9, 2014

THE ULTIMATE CITY OF LIGHTS

Revelation 21:9-21

Lucina Thompson
Tuesday's Devo

December 9, 2014

Tuesday's Devo

December 9, 2014

Central Truth

Talk about dream homes -- God has prepared the ultimate place for us to live. It will be unlike any city we've ever seen, and we will live there together forever.

Key Verse | Revelation 21:22–25

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day -- and there will be no night there. (Revelation 21:22-25)

Revelation 21:9-21

The New Jerusalem

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. 1 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits 2 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Footnotes

[1] 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
[2] 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

Dive Deeper | Revelation 21:9-21

I grew up in a traveling family. Every summer, we were transported to another place and time. We'd load up our Nomad travel trailer, and away we'd go, stopping in KOA campgrounds between home and our final destination. It was a great way to see the USA. What I didn't know then was this whetted my appetite for travel and adventure later in life. Raising our children, Kyle and I decided to invest our vacation time doing ministry-oriented trips. These often took us to far away places like Russia or China. Regardless of where we headed, we'd purchase a Fodor's book on the capital city so we could learn about what we were going to see and experience.

In Revelation 21, I love that God gives us His Fodor's version of the New Jerusalem, our final home. Through John, He tells us all about it, leaving just a bit to the imagination. This new city is marked by light, and in it, there is no darkness at all -- can you imagine? As I read about this city, I kept thinking of the earthly City of Lights. You probably know it as Paris, but it's a cheap copy compared to this city (think Gucci knock-off purses).

This city forms a perfect cube, approximately 1,500 miles long on each side (the distance between Dallas and Los Angeles). Its walls are 72 yards deep (that's 2/3 the length of a football field). The city shines with the brilliance of a multifaceted diamond, simply reflecting God's own splendor. Unlike ancient cities, its gates will always be open, signifying freedom for all to pass as they please. This city will literally be a virtual temple, since God will have an intimate relationship with everyone inside (sorry, folks; it's exclusive to believers).

I've seen some awesome palaces and cities across our globe, but this will exceed them all. I don't want to rush my time here on earth, but I can't wait for my tour of this Ultimate City of Lights.

Discussion Questions

1. The Church Universal is described as the Bride of Christ. The Bridegroom (Christ) has prepared a new home for her. Read John 14:2-3, and list specific ways you (the Bride) can prepare now for eternity with your Groom.

2. Jesus described Himself as "the light of the world." How is your response to Him today an indicator of whether you will or won't live in His new city? (See also John 3:19-21 and 1 John 1:5-7). If you know you won't be there, what can you do today to ensure that you are there?

3. What will be the spiritual implications for nations who "walk by its light"?

4. How will having this new source of light make your life different than it is now?