Golden Street Between Crystal Buildings in the Holy Cityby CBPepper
21:22Revelation 21:22
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
The holy city has no separate temple building, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb themselves are its temple and fill that place. This belongs to the time after the thousand years following the second advent, when the holy city comes down from heaven to settle on the earth as the New Earth and the redeemed enter it. It means open communion with the Father and the Son, seeing God face to face without a dimming veil and standing in His presence beholding the glory of His countenance, in contrast to the present dim and indirect sight as through a glass darkly. The Lamb is the light of the New Jerusalem, lighting the city with His countenance in the brightness of the Redeemer's glory, and the heavenly church has no light of its own but receives it from God and the Lamb through eternity. Therefore the vision calls for deep and thorough humbling and cleansing of the soul now, for none enter through the pearly gates without loyalty to God's law and government, which selfishness that rejects Christ's way could not endure in that purity and glory.
No Temple in City
The holy city has no separate temple building, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb themselves are its temple, filling that place. This is the New Jerusalem in which God Himself and the Lamb take the place of any made structure. The setting is after the thousand years following the second advent, when the holy city descends from heaven and settles on the earth as the New Earth, and the resurrected and raised righteous enter it.
The absence of a temple implies a temple had been there before. The heavenly New Jerusalem had a sanctuary for New Covenant worship while Christ ministered in it, but after His ministry is finished and His people are redeemed it is no longer needed. Then the gathered, raised saints serve God in the Holy City itself as the Tabernacle and Temple of God. The sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is this New Jerusalem temple where Christ ministers.
The surrounding vision is the city that has foundations whose builder and maker is God. It turns attention away from earthly attractiveness with beautiful public grounds, lakes, and grand safe convenient broad streets to that heavenly city. There the broad streets are paved with gold and nothing that defiles enters.
Presence, Light and Communion
The absence of a separate temple means open communion of the people of God with the Father and the Son, for God and the Lamb themselves are its temple. The redeemed will see God face to face without a veil, with no veil dimming their view. They shall stand in His presence and behold the glory of His countenance. Now they see through a glass darkly, beholding the image of God reflected as in a mirror in nature and in His dealings, but then they shall see Him face to face without a dimming veil between.
The brightness of heaven is the glory of the Redeemer, the same glory before which angels cover their faces. The Lamb is the light of the New Jerusalem, and Jesus Himself lights the glorious city with His countenance. This is the glory Christ prayed that those given Him would behold by being with Him where He is. The heavenly church receives its light from the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, whose presence is its temple and light. It is the perfect, higher counterpart of the church on earth, and this divine illumination continues through eternity. No church has light of its own, for its light comes from Christ and it must pass on the glory it receives from God, and receiving light without sharing it as God requires leads to darkness.
In the golden city with pearly gates Christ leads His redeemed children, purchased by His blood, and presents them without spot or wrinkle. He looks on them and sees the travail of His soul and is satisfied. There angels adore Him, bowing and casting their glittering crowns before Him and touching their golden harps and filling heaven with rich music in songs to the Lamb. The streets of the city and the praises offered to God and the Lamb are heavenly realities for the mind to contemplate. Their glory is pictured as light from the heavenly home shining through its gates, pointing beyond earthly beauty to the glory of God's presence and giving hope of a heavenly home and rest for the faithful.
Call to Be Ready
The closing chapters of Revelation, the last four, are to be read with close care because the work that ought to have been done long ago must be done now. They press for an individual, deep and thorough work and for thorough humbling of the soul before God, especially upon those carrying responsibility in the office and in the church. What is required is deep searching of heart and a cleansing, refining and transforming of the soul temple as preparation for helping others, with most diligent cultivation of the soil of the individual heart so that fruit is seen in the life of every teacher and worker in proportion to the light given. The chapter therefore summons each person to a solemn review of life in view of the final outcome, for its heavenly setting is full of God's purity and glory, which those who cling to selfishness and refuse Christ's way could not endure.
No one passes through the pearly gates of the city of God without the faithful sign of God's government. Entrance requires loyalty to God's law and everlasting covenant and the cherishing of pure principles, and no outward strength or learning or influence can secure it. The portrayal of the beautiful new earth is given to urge working for one another and training the youth in a right manner. That labor is that they may become overcomers and receive the crown of life.
The holy city has no separate temple building, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb themselves are its temple and fill that place. This belongs to the time after the thousand years following the second advent, when the holy city comes down from heaven to settle on the earth as the New Earth and the redeemed enter it. It means open communion with the Father and the Son, seeing God face to face without a dimming veil and standing in His presence beholding the glory of His countenance, in contrast to the present dim and indirect sight as through a glass darkly. The Lamb is the light of the New Jerusalem, lighting the city with His countenance in the brightness of the Redeemer's glory, and the heavenly church has no light of its own but receives it from God and the Lamb through eternity. Therefore the vision calls for deep and thorough humbling and cleansing of the soul now, for none enter through the pearly gates without loyalty to God's law and government, which selfishness that rejects Christ's way could not endure in that purity and glory.
No Temple in City
The holy city has no separate temple building, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb themselves are its temple, filling that place. This is the New Jerusalem in which God Himself and the Lamb take the place of any made structure. The setting is after the thousand years following the second advent, when the holy city descends from heaven and settles on the earth as the New Earth, and the resurrected and raised righteous enter it.
The absence of a temple implies a temple had been there before. The heavenly New Jerusalem had a sanctuary for New Covenant worship while Christ ministered in it, but after His ministry is finished and His people are redeemed it is no longer needed. Then the gathered, raised saints serve God in the Holy City itself as the Tabernacle and Temple of God. The sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is this New Jerusalem temple where Christ ministers.
The surrounding vision is the city that has foundations whose builder and maker is God. It turns attention away from earthly attractiveness with beautiful public grounds, lakes, and grand safe convenient broad streets to that heavenly city. There the broad streets are paved with gold and nothing that defiles enters.
Presence, Light and Communion
The absence of a separate temple means open communion of the people of God with the Father and the Son, for God and the Lamb themselves are its temple. The redeemed will see God face to face without a veil, with no veil dimming their view. They shall stand in His presence and behold the glory of His countenance. Now they see through a glass darkly, beholding the image of God reflected as in a mirror in nature and in His dealings, but then they shall see Him face to face without a dimming veil between.
The brightness of heaven is the glory of the Redeemer, the same glory before which angels cover their faces. The Lamb is the light of the New Jerusalem, and Jesus Himself lights the glorious city with His countenance. This is the glory Christ prayed that those given Him would behold by being with Him where He is. The heavenly church receives its light from the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, whose presence is its temple and light. It is the perfect, higher counterpart of the church on earth, and this divine illumination continues through eternity. No church has light of its own, for its light comes from Christ and it must pass on the glory it receives from God, and receiving light without sharing it as God requires leads to darkness.
In the golden city with pearly gates Christ leads His redeemed children, purchased by His blood, and presents them without spot or wrinkle. He looks on them and sees the travail of His soul and is satisfied. There angels adore Him, bowing and casting their glittering crowns before Him and touching their golden harps and filling heaven with rich music in songs to the Lamb. The streets of the city and the praises offered to God and the Lamb are heavenly realities for the mind to contemplate. Their glory is pictured as light from the heavenly home shining through its gates, pointing beyond earthly beauty to the glory of God's presence and giving hope of a heavenly home and rest for the faithful.
Call to Be Ready
The closing chapters of Revelation, the last four, are to be read with close care because the work that ought to have been done long ago must be done now. They press for an individual, deep and thorough work and for thorough humbling of the soul before God, especially upon those carrying responsibility in the office and in the church. What is required is deep searching of heart and a cleansing, refining and transforming of the soul temple as preparation for helping others, with most diligent cultivation of the soil of the individual heart so that fruit is seen in the life of every teacher and worker in proportion to the light given. The chapter therefore summons each person to a solemn review of life in view of the final outcome, for its heavenly setting is full of God's purity and glory, which those who cling to selfishness and refuse Christ's way could not endure.
No one passes through the pearly gates of the city of God without the faithful sign of God's government. Entrance requires loyalty to God's law and everlasting covenant and the cherishing of pure principles, and no outward strength or learning or influence can secure it. The portrayal of the beautiful new earth is given to urge working for one another and training the youth in a right manner. That labor is that they may become overcomers and receive the crown of life.