The Glorious City | Revelation 21:9-22:5 | Richard Caldwell

Scripture

• Revelation 21:9

About this sermon

Introduction: Our God promises to make all things new. A new heaven and earth. A new capital city. A new communion. A new citizenry. And now, in the verses that follow, He gives us a detailed description of that new capital city — of our future home. It is important for us to recognize that this future is not just mentioned in the book of Revelation. The Lord Jesus promised this place. ESV John 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. Because this city descends from heaven, it seems, as some commentators believe, that what we have in the eternal state, is the merging of the present state of heaven for believers with the future heavens and earth. Heaven will have come to earth. Where believers are right now after death, they will live forever on earth in glorified bodies. This is the place that Abraham believed in. ESV Hebrews 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. This is the place that God has prepared for those who know Him as their God. ESV Hebrews 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. This is what every believer meets with when they come to Christ. ESV Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. This is what we seek after, even as we live our lives out here on earth. ESV Hebrews 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. WHAT OUR GOD IS DOING IN THESE VERSES IS AMAZING LOVE. He is telling us where we’re headed. He is telling us what He has prepared for us. John was being shown WHERE THE BRIDE DWELLS, so that THE BRIDE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO HER HOME. So, what does our God reveal to us here? I. THE TOUR GUIDE (vs.9-10) We haven’t seen the involvement of angels since we were told of the Millennial kingdom, but here we have a return to an angel revealing information to John. Why a reference to the bride, but then a description of a city? It is because the city is the dwelling place for the bride. The city reflects the perfected character of the Lord’s people. The city itself is adorned as a bride would be. John is given a vision from the vantage point of a high mountain. The city comes down out of heaven, its founder and maker is God, and it is prepared for this day. II. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY (vs.11-22:5) And now begins an extended description of our everlasting home. While we recognize the limitations of human language, and while we realize that the reality will be greater than we can envision, we shouldn’t spiritualize this. The way that this is presented to us is that of a description of literal realities.

Topics

• Bible Study
• Prophecy & End Times