Revelation 21:9-22:5 - The Nations are Welcomed into the New Jerusalem

In the previous blog post we discovered that God's ultimate plan for the universe is to redeem, cleanse, and renew the created order, not abandon or destroy it.  But there's still more to say about life in the age to come.  John sees further visions which symbolically paint a picture of eternal life.  

The Bride of the Lamb

In Revelation 17, Rome (Babylon) is described as a great whore.  In chapters 21 and 22, the new Jerusalem is described as Rome's counterpoint.  We learn that the holy city is a pure bride, the wife of the Lamb.  In verse 10 of chapter 21, John sees Jerusalem coming down out of heaven and resting on a high mountain on earth.  This is no ordinary city.  It's constructed with rare jewels and minerals and in appearance it is almost indescribable.  The city lies four square and is so large that it would cover the entirety of what was then the Roman Empire.  It is shaped like a cube which reaches 1,500 miles into the sky.  It's clear we are dealing with hyperbolic symbolism here.  A 1,500-mile-high city would reach far into outer space.  But the fact that the city is a perfect cube reminds us of the Holy of Holies - it is filled with God's unmediated presence!   We learn that there is no temple in the city as all of creation is filled with God's imminent glory so there's no longer a need for a temple.  Nor is there a need for the sun or moon for God's presence (both the Father and the Son) illuminates all of creation.  The metropolis represents the people of God, both past and present as the 12 tribes of Israel are inscribed on the 12 gates and the names of the 12 apostles are written on the 12 foundations of the city. 

Echoing the garden stories of Genesis 2-3 and Ezekiel's visions in Ezekiel 47, John sees a river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb.  The water fuels the tree of life which seems to form an arch over the river.  This tree produces 12 different kinds of fruit every month.  It's like the Garden of Eden on steroids!  We are told that the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations, which brings us to our next point.

The Conversion of the Nations 

"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.  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life...The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." Revelation 21:24-27 & 22:2b.  

Throughout the book of Revelation, we have sensed a tension.  On one hand we have the Lamb, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and on the other hand we have the Satan with Rome and its imperial propaganda.  Caught in the middle are the 7 churches of Asia, who John consistently exhorts to remain faithful to Jesus.  But also caught in the middle are the nations who have been deceived by the beasts of Rome and the dragon (the Satan).  Will the 7 churches remain faithful to Jesus?  Will the nations remain under the sway of the beasts and of the dragon, or will they be converted to the victorious side of Jesus?

In chapter 7 we already received a glimpse of the possibilities.  In one vision, John sees 144,000 (representing the people of God as a whole) sealed for salvation.  But then, John does a double take and sees another set of people who have embraced Jesus.  "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the Lamb, clothed in white robes..." Revelation 7:9.  Later in the book we learn that it would be the faithful witness of God's people that would lead the nations of the world to Christ.  But yet, a tension in the book continues as the overall numbers of those from the nations who embrace Jesus in this age pales in comparison from the vision we get in chapter 7 and chapters 21 and 22.  It's an uncountable number who have embraced Jesus in the age to come.  What changes?

Once the source of the deception of the nations, the Satan, has been annihilated in chapter 20 by Jesus the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the nations are now able, and seemingly willing to bow their knee to the Lamb and confess his name before God the Father.  "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11.  So, does this mean that every single individual in all of history will be saved in the end?  Though that is a possibility (who are we to say whom God will or will not finally save in the end), Revelation seems to paint a slightly different picture.  Revelation sketches the vision of a post-Parousia conversion of the nations, but God will not force anyone to bow their knee to his Son.  There will be those who choose the lie (the Satan) over the Truth (Jesus) and those who choose death over life (Revelation 20:13-15 & 21:8).  But remember, the numbers of those finally saved is uncountable - those who will share eternal life with God the Father and Jesus the Son is more than any of us can imagine!

Eternal Life in the Age to Come 

But what will that eternal life actually be like?  I have written about this previously in some blog posts based on Genesis 1-11.  You can read the three posts here The Goal and Destination of Creation Part One  Part Two Part Three .  But in general, the key points to remember are that life in the age to come will be lived in transformed resurrected bodies (not disembodied souls), that the place where this life will occur is in the renewed creation as heaven and earth are united, and that this life will be experienced in the unmediated direct presence of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Beyond that we can't say too much, but it will be even better and far more dramatic than any of us can imagine.  And the healing that we all need will be experienced as the longings of our hearts will be fulfilled as only God can fulfill them.  God will not only come to dwell with us, but he will also share his reign over creation with us (22:5).  We won't just live in the new creation, but we will reign with God over it!  

We are getting close to the end of the book (and the Bible for that matter).  We'll look at the epilogue next time and then we'll have a final blog to tie it all together. - Shay 

Revelation 21:1-8 - The New Heaven and the New Earth

Most of us raised in western Christianity grew up thinking the goal of this life was to "go to heaven" when you die.  We were raised on a neo-platonic spirituality which had the unintended consequence of denying the goodness of God's creation and the goodness of the human body.  The Biblical story is quite different and here in Revelation 21:1-8, we see this "fleshed out".  

Renewal Not Replacement

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." - Rev 21:1 (NRSV).  At first glance it might seem that John is telling us that God's plan for the future is to replace the current heaven and earth with a brand-new heaven and earth.  But the way John uses the Greek word kainos (new) is more in line with the idea of renewal not replacement.  Just as a refurbished house or car has a "new" quality without being brand-spanking-new, so the new creation will share continuity with the old, but also discontinuity as God will transform the world, making it even better (and possibly bigger) than what we experience in the present.  Notice verse 5.  God doesn't say that he is making all new things, but rather he is making all things new!  

But why will the sea be no more?  In much of the Biblical narrative, the sea represents chaos and destruction.  Now that God's people have passed through these chaotic waters, they are safe and sound on the "other side", never to fear those dangers again.  John's vision should not be pressed too literally here.  He is not saying that when God makes all things new that there will no longer be oceans, rivers, lakes, and seas, but that the chaos and destruction of this life will have passed away.   

God's Creational Plan is Realized 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and in the end, John sees a new heaven and earth where God has come to dwell with his people, rather than his people going to be with him.  This brings to completion the whole Biblical narrative.  In Genesis 2, God freely and intimately "walked" with humans in the garden.  But after sin and rebellion alienated humanity from God, the rest of the Bible's story is about God making a way to once again be with his people.  The story climaxes with the incarnation where God the Son becomes the man Jesus and dwells (literally tabernacles) with humankind.  With Jesus having won the victory over sin and death, in Revelation 21, God not only dwells with humanity, but he gets up close and personal.  Just as he forms humanity from the dust of the earth and breathes the breath of life into humankind in the garden story of Genesis 2, here in Revelation 21 God himself wipes every tear from each person's eyes. And that leads us to the next point.  

Death Will Be No More

"...Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." Rev 21:4b.  Plato's version of life after death was defined by a disembodied form of bliss where the soul escapes the body, but the Biblical view of eternal life is bodily resurrection.  If you are unfamiliar with this concept, take a look at Isaiah 26:19, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Daniel 12:1-2, John 5:25-29, Rom 6:5, 8:9-11, 1 Cor 15:1-58, and Revelation 20:4-6.  The Christian hope of life after death features resurrected human beings with physical bodies who enjoy eternal life in the renewed creation.  John sees a vision of this new existence in Revelation 21-22.

Absent from the New Creation 

 As well as the sea (chaos and destruction) being no more, we read in verse 8 that the cowardly, faithless, polluted, murders, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars will suffer the second death (annihilation or non-existence - eternal death).  This does not mean that anyone who has ever committed any of these sins will miss out on life in the age to come.  The whole reason that Christ died was to free humanity from these and other destructive vices.  But, if individuals wish to persist in these behaviors rather than to embrace the abundant life on offer from Jesus, then they will receive the opposite of life - death.  The fact that God will not force anyone to bow their knee to Jesus not only allows them to have the freedom to choose, but it also prevents these kinds of destructive behaviors from polluting the renewed and cleansed creation.  

Heaven and Earth Coming Together 

In verse 2, John sees the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.  Essentially, this is the marriage of heaven and earth where God's will is finally done on earth as it is in heaven.  We'll explore the new Jerusalem and its symbolism in the next blog.  Until then. - Shay

The Last Battle - Revelation 19-20

We are nearing the end of the Apocalypse and though we know the final outcome is victory for the Lamb and his people, and destruction of Rome (Babylon as John calls her) and of those who align themselves with the empire, John sees further visions that graphically illustrate the differing fates of these two sets of people.

Revelation 19:1-10 - Rejoice!

As Rome receives her just deserts, there is rejoicing in heaven.  This is not a celebration of retribution but rather praise and worship in light of God's justice having been realized.  For those oppressed and on the wrong end of persecution and exploitation, God's deliverance is welcome indeed.  

Where John described Rome as a harlot, God's people are described as the bride of the Lamb.  Rather than displaying the disgusting trappings of prostitution, the bride is decked out in fine linen, bright and pure.  We are told that the fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints and that they will receive God's blessing for their endurance.

In verse 10, John falls down to worship at the feet of an angel, but is told not to do so, but to worship God!  This is a reminder for John and his audience that idolatry must be avoided at all costs.

Revelation 19:11-16 - A Description of the King 

Like much of Revelation, the description here of Jesus is not literal, but symbolic.  He is called Faithful and True and unlike most other kings in human history, he only engages in war through righteous judgment.  His robe is dipped in blood (most likely his own - he won victory on the cross through self-sacrifice).  Though the armies of heaven follow him, it is only the King who participates in this holy war.  The sword protruding from his mouth represents true pronouncements of justice and his rule is complete and unhindered as he is the "King of kings and Lord of lords."

Revelation 19:17-21 - The Defeat of the Enemies of the King

As Jesus goes to do battle with the beast (Rome) and the false prophet (those within the empire promoting emperor worship) there is no contest.  The beast and the false prophet are simply captured and thrown into a lake of fire (remember this is symbolic).  Those who follow the beast are killed and their bodies are consumed by vultures.  

Revelation 20:1-6 - The Millennial Reign 

Revelation 20:1-6 is probably the most controversial and contested passage in the entire book.  First of all, one must decide if the 1,000 years described are literal or symbolic.  For those who take the literal perspective, they can't decide amongst themselves exactly when or how the 1,000 years will progress.  Spoiler alert - the 1,000 years of Revelation 20 are clearly symbolic, so there's no need to debate this other question.  There will be no actual millennial reign.  But symbolically speaking, the 1,000 years are powerful.

The 1,000 years serve as a kind of victory lap for Jesus, the King and his followers.  Rome has already been defeated, but the power behind Rome must also be subdued.  The dragon, or the Satan, or the Devil is shown to be impotent and confined to a "bottomless pit" for 1,000 years.  While the Satan is in solitary confinement, those beheaded by Rome for their faithful witness are resurrected to reign with Jesus.  Again, the 1,000 years are symbolic - in other words, Christ's victory is complete and total!  

Revelation 20:7-10 - The Destruction of the Satan 

In the book of Ezekiel, Gog represents nations to the far north of the ancient near east, whereas in Revelation Gog and Magog represent nations at the four corners of the earth.  These nations are deceived by the Satan after its release from the bottomless pit and they march on God's people and Jerusalem.  However, there is no battle - the armies are simply destroyed by a fireball from heaven.  The devil suffers the fate of the beast and the false prophet - eternal destruction in the lake of fire.  It should be obvious by now that these verses do not refer to any actual events in history (or the future), but rather symbolically describe the defeat of the Satan and all who would align themselves with this evil.

Revelation 20:11-15 - The Final Judgment 

Though Revelation is clearly referring to the religio/political context of the late first century, we do at various times throughout the Apocalypse get a glimpse of God's final plan for creation.  Here in 20:11-15 John relates to us a vision of the final judgment.  All the dead stand before God and are judged according to their life's work.  This we expect, but then John sees something unexpected.  Let's just read the text word for word from the NRSV.  "Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire; and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev 20:14-15).  In the next chapter we will discover what eternal life in God's renewed creation will be like, but here we see its opposite.  Those whose names are absent from the book of life don't "go to hell" for all eternity but rather experience the second death.  In other words, the loving, gracious, and merciful God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ simply allows those who have chosen to reject him to die, never to live again.  This is the view that some call annihilation.  But John's words are better - they experience a second and final death.  In other words, they cease to be.  But what of those who live?  What will eternal life be like in the age to come.  We'll find out in Revelation 21 and 22. - Shay   

Revelation 17-18 - The Whore of Babylon

With the threat of judgment on Babylon (Rome) now complete at the end of Revelation 16, one of the seven angels who had dealt those crucial blows upon the empire now shows the prophet John further visions which continue to elucidate the message of the apocalypse.  Let's jump into Revelation 17.

Revelation 17 - The Judgement of the Whore and the Beast

By the 1st century of the common era, the Roman Empire considered the Mediterranean Sea to be its own private lake, as the reference to the great whore who is seated upon many waters (17:1) indicates.  Not only did this great whore (the city/empire of Rome) control the whole of southern Europe, Asia Minor, Palestine, and North Africa, it had also convinced many of the native leaders of these regions to wholeheartedly enter into subservient alliances with it.  John is carried away in an ecstatic vision to the wilderness where he sees the nasty old prostitute riding a seven-headed and ten-horned scarlet beast graffitied with blasphemous names.  The woman is dressed in the finest of clothes while being adorned with the most expensive bling, all acquired through her slutty whoredom.  Instead of "Loser" written on her forehead, John reads "Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth's abominations."  In other words, if you can picture the nastiest slut imaginable and ramp up her disgusting debauchery by a factor of 10, then you have an idea of how the book of Revelation pictures the city of Rome in the late first century. 

The worst thing about this loose lady is that she is highly intoxicated, not on wine, but on the blood of those faithful to Jesus.  Rome is addicted to silencing and destroying all those who stand in her way or who refuse to give into her de-humanizing idolatry.  We next learn that the beast (at this point the two beasts of John's previous visions seem to have amalgamated into one, representing Rome as whole - both its imperial/military might and its insistence on Emperor worship) has a past, is lacking in the present, and has no long-lasting future.  Though many people have been mesmerized by the beast, they would be shocked if they really knew the house of cards that the beast's empire is built upon.  In verse 9, the clearest indication that the beast(s) of Revelation refer to Rome is stated plainly.  Rome was the city on seven hills, here the woman is said to situate herself on seven mountains.  Verses 10-11 have puzzled commentators for centuries.  Exactly who are these seven (or eight) kings?  John may have had an idea, but most likely they are not meant to refer to specific kings but symbolically represent any number of Roman kings (past, present, and future) who oppose the Lamb and his followers.  The ten kings of verse 12 represent the client kings scattered throughout the Roman Empire who have given their allegiance to Rome and who participate in the oppression of God's people.  However, they will go head-to-head with the Lamb, and they will be found wanting.  

Imagine the different peoples scattered across the Roman Empire in the late first century.  From modern day Morocco to today's Azerbaijan.  From what is today, Ukraine to jolly old England.  The Roman Empire ruled over a plethora of nations, languages, and peoples.  Though initially wooed by the seductive spell of the harlot (see verse 18 - "the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth), these various nations would one day be set free from their Roman captivity.  

Revelation 18 - The Fall of and Lament for Babylon (Rome)

It may seem strange that in the midst of the condemnation of Rome, there is also a lament for Rome.  But Rome, is in a sense like most of humanity for most of human history.  The goodness of God's creation has been harnessed by Rome, but God the creator is not only ignored by those in power, but his place in creation has also been usurped by those in charge.  So, as another angel appears on the scene he calls out with a mighty voice, announcing the fall of Rome and the sorrow felt by those far and wide who had aligned themselves with the Empire.

A voice from heaven then declares "Come out of her, my people...".  This reminds us that one of the major messages of Revelation is that it is imperative for the 7 churches of Asia to separate themselves from Rome and its idolatry.  Rome will have to face the consequences of her actions, but God's people can avoid Rome's fate.

The kings of the earth who had colluded with the beast for power and prestige and the merchants of the earth who had sold out to sell their wares all lament Rome's downfall as their power and their bottom line are affected irreversibly.  The most egregious of the items trafficked by these traders are people - slaves - human lives.  But ultimate liberation will come!  In addition to the merchants, the shipmasters, seafarers, and sailors also lament the smoke of the burning of Rome and all it represents.   

God has judged Rome and found her lacking, so all of God's people can rejoice as justice will be served.  John then sees a mighty angel take a stone, similar in size to a great millstone, and he throws it down into the sea with destructive force and violence.  The result is that Babylon (Rome) will cease to produce musicians, artisans, bakers, wedding celebrations, and various other kinds of trades and products.  Why?  Because prophets and saints were slaughtered by the deceptive and dehumanizing scumbags at the heart of the empire.

 Revelation 17-18 is both a lament for Rome and a celebration that its destructive endeavors will come to an end.  Where in our world do we see "Roman" tendencies?  Where in our own hearts and minds are we tempted to compromise? - Shay