Scripture Text (NRSV)
Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
21:10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high
mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of
heaven from God.
21:22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God
the Almighty and the Lamb.
21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for
the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
21:24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the
earth will bring their glory into it.
21:25 Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no
night there.
21:26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the
nations.
21:27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices
abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's
book of life.
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,
bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
22:2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side
of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit,
producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the
healing of the nations.
22:3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne
of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship
him;
22:4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their
foreheads.
22:5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of
lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign
forever and ever.
Comments:
22:5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or
sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever
and ever.
It is difficult for me to think of no more sun. My imagination does
not seem to carry me well into the idea of just living in the light of
God. I think it is somewhat related to our scientific knowledge that
our earthly life can not exsist without our sun. Early thoughts.
Nancy-Wi
John's vision of a new Jerusalem coming out of heaven provides
continuity with God's past actions. Yet in this new city, God's
presence replaces the temple, and the glory of God and the Lamb
supplant sun and moon.
In the closing verses of Revelation, the author paints a verbal
picture of a utopian city. In countries always threatened with
invasion, the context for this book, cities were actual and symbolic
places of safety. The city in this vision is so wonderfully safe and
secure that it shines like a jewel. There is no fear. Day never ends
and night never comes—there is no need for lamps or to close the
gates. A flowing river and fruit trees on its banks sustain life. All
who live in the city have accepted God's gift of life through the
Lamb. There is peace and abundance of life all around. The city is so
radiant with God's presence that it is as if God is the city's sun,
its light and heat for all growth and life. Even the leaves of the
trees will be bursting with the goodness of God.
It is in this environment of safety and glory that the servants of God
will be publicly and visibly identified as God's own people and will
see God's face, and there will no longer be a barrier between the
people and God. The curtain of the temple, torn at Jesus' death (see
Mt 27.51), and the murky mirror in which we perceive God's face only
dimly (see 1 Cor 13.12) are completely removed.
The vision of the city in Revelation has inspired many to work for the
building of the ideal city, to create a just society, and to make the
peaceable kingdom here on earth. Hope in the action of God and belief
in the final outworking of God's desire and plan encourages believers
to work and to watch for the renewal of the world. How does our
working for peace reveal God to us, and reveal us to be faithful
followers of the Lamb?
When we see our faith as the most costly jewel, our lives will sparkle
with the light that never ends. Nancy-Wi.
Initially, it appears that tying in the Prologue and Jesus' words "You
are/I am the light of the world."
Luther in IA
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright
as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
I might be reading too much into the scripture but this sound a lot
like the Holy Spirit that runs thru our lives. Comments? Nancy-Wi
Luther It does sound a lot like that. The focus in on God as the only
light in the darkness. Nancy-Wi
his name will be on their foreheads ... (v. 4)
It was customary to tattoo slaves with the mark of their master on
their foreheads. It's why we mark foreheads with ashes and why we use
the forehead to put oil, why some traditions trace a small cross on
their foreheads while they pray ... The obvious implication is that
we're slaves/servants of the Lamb.
In US history, the "owners" branded slaves like cattle. Similar
principle.
Yet, here again we're shown that God transforms even the most
de-humanizing of practices into something we take on as a springboard
into freedom.
Also, v. 5 - after hearing so many sermons about gold-covered streets,
it's interesting to think that there's no need of night, day, whatever
- including gold-covered streets. To just "BE."
Sally in GA
Bammama: if you read this, I preached Revelation after all yesterday
and it went well. Thanks for your encouragement - it was instrumental
in informing my sermon to "be who I am" with it.
Sally
I so glad! Would you check this article from the text this week page,
and tell me what you think of it. http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/oct1988/v45-3-article4.htm.
I find your reflections on this week ver interesting.
Shalom, Bammamma
I find it interesting that in this scripture, as well as the
accompanying one in John for this week have such emphatic "no"
statements followed by such wonderful words and such deliciously
descriptive visions...yes like the bright crystal, kinda like watching
a mountain stream sparkling in the sun as it is pouring over the rocks
in its path. Quite a different view than "no more night." It isn't
just "no more night" but there is something else so much better to
replace it, even to replace the normal day!!!
Doug in Erie
Nancy,
Random thoughts on our imagination and our ability to conceive of a
world without the sun.
In Genesis, God creates light and darkness before he creates the sun
and moon. The sun and moon are sub-committees of the light of God.
They do their work and then the Chairperson takes over. Maybe I've had
too much of General Conference language?
The sun and moon are subordinate to God's light. God doesn't need
them, but we have needed them. They have sparked our imagination and
our passions and have given us some inkling of what God's light is
like. Similarly, human love gives us some understanding fo God's love.
When God "takes over" in the New Jerusalem, we have no need of the
created light of the sun and moon. We have God.
I wonder if our churches are subcommittees of the Body of Christ. We
keep having to go back to the words of Christ to figure out what we
are to do and where we are to go. We need the direction of the
committee chair.
Definitely random thoughts here.
Blessings, cm
OK, friends, I admit that I have something of a maverick mindset, but
here's where I am this week: Sermon title, "Who Needs Harry Potter?"
Direction: Like many fantasy stories, Rowling's books are filled with
images of ongoing conflict between forces of good and forces of evil.
It is as if she is filled with her own mystic vision as she writes
these stories. (Mind you, I know nothing about her spiritual/religious
beliefs and I am NOT suggesting that there is actually a legitimate
Christian connection between Harry Potter and The Revelation to John.)
What I see is that there are a few similarities and that when we look
closely at the mystic/visionary imagery of Revelation there is a
promise of what is yet to come that leaves Harry & Co far behind.
What's better? The castle-like Hogwarts in the mist OR the vision of
Jerusalem descending? A place with places that are forbidden to
residents OR a place where the gates are never shut? Piles of food
placed on tables from which spirits emerge OR trees with fruit that
nourishes anytime we need it -- and leaves that have the power to heal
the nations? A lightning bolt scar OR the name of the Lamb on our
foreheads?
Not sure where I'm going to end up with this, but my early musings
this week.
Robbie in KS
To Bammamma,
I loved the article you linked! Beautiful writing, but bringing in all
the contemporary thoughts and art concerning the search for home,
contrasting that to the only place we can find home as God's arms, is
powerful.
Yesterday I was watching Oprah, which was including the Judds, Naomi,
Wynona and Ashley. They too were talking about the struggles and
beauty of home, and it finished off with Wynona singing, "I Want To
Know What Love Is" while her sister and mom sat with tears streaming
down their faces, along with many in the audience. I found myself in a
moment of prayer for her to truly find that sense of home,love and
fulfillment to quench all thirst and satisfy any hunger. We see that
search for home in so many places in our culture and world, as well as
within our own lives. What a beautiful vision of home to know we can
be in a place where our identity is written on our foreheads, where we
are fed with twelve kinds of fruit each month, where there is world
peace and the Lord God is the only light we need.
Susan in Wa.
Bammamma,
Another thought too. Max Lucado's Book, "In the Grip of Grace" begins
with The Parable of the River, and talks about 4 brothers who leave
home, and how they leave home. One leaves to hedonism, one leaves and
becomes a legalist, monitoring how bad everyone else is, one becomes a
rock stacker trying to earn his way back home, and the fourth returns
to the fire to hear the stories of home, and returns to his father, a
portrayal of grace. It is a powerful story.
Susan in Wa.
It's amazing how God brings things together.
I planned this week's bulletin months ago; and had asked the choir to
do a series of songs for next week (the last week for choir before
summer). The choir director asked to bump it up a week and chose
several songs based on water. Neither of us knowing that the baptism
planned for two weeks ago would be this Sunday.
Then as I looked at the text again, "Streets of Gold" didn't fit when
I looked closer at the text. But there it was, the river flowing
through the new Jerusalem with the tree of life on either shore.
It seems important that at the end of Revelation we have this positive
connection with the water of chaos in the beginning of Genesis.
I'm going to focus on the notion of God's immediate presence in the
new Jerusalem for those who would follow the river of life (i.e. our
baptism), and the importance of having the Tree of Life right in front
of us. In our baptism, we have to pass it by if we're going to look of
the Tree of Knowledge that put the Tree of Life outside our reach in
the first place.
Like, Richie, I've thought about Hary Potter. I'm thinking about how
his scar reminds him of who he is. How often do we feel our forehead's
for the mark of our baptism.
HAM in IL
Bammamma
So many thanks for the article you referred to: I found it very moving
and profound. As well as enlightening me for Sunday's service it has
helped me move on personally in my thoughts about my relationship with
my biological family. Thanks again Many Blessings from Bridget (UK)
As the bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem, we could compare "the glory
of God" that adorns us in the new heaven and new earth to what was
revealed at the transfiguration of Christ...here on earth we believers
have this glory of God, but it is veiled from our eyes by sin, but in
the new heaven and new earth, it will be fully revealed, just as the
glory of God was hidden from the disciples until Christ revealed it.
Also...why no temple? We, the new Jerusalem, are that temple, (perfect
cube like holy of holies) in which God will have his direct,
unmediated presence.
Luther in IA
Bridget
Thanks for your thanks, and thanks to the hard work the author of "The
Text This Week" does every week.
Shalom, Bammamma
Luther
You ask my exact question in the "rut in the text" that has caught me:
"...why no temple?"
As I maul over this text I have been trying to envision a "God city"
that does not have a temple, a cathedral or a spire. For me, difficult
to do. However, for me it is a very exciting possibility! An "out of
the box" new thing that God will do/is doing!
Unlike you who understands this to mean "We, the new Jerusalem, are
that temple, (perfect cube like holy of holies) in which God will have
his direct, unmediated presence.", I am not in a hurry to replace the
the temple with any "us" or "we". I want to grasp the purpose of the
temple and understand why and what makes the temple no longer
necessary or needed.
In other words "What was the temple for?"
any leads?
Storyteller
Luther
You ask my exact question in the "rut in the text" that has caught me:
"...why no temple?"
As I maul over this text I have been trying to envision a "God city"
that does not have a temple, a cathedral or a spire. For me, difficult
to do. However, for me it is a very exciting possibility! An "out of
the box" new thing that God will do/is doing!
Unlike you who understands this to mean "We, the new Jerusalem, are
that temple, (perfect cube like holy of holies) in which God will have
his direct, unmediated presence.", I am not in a hurry to replace the
the temple with any "us" or "we". I want to grasp the purpose of the
temple and understand why and what makes the temple no longer
necessary or needed.
In other words "What was the temple for?"
any leads?
Storyteller
Storyteller - as I read this interesting statement about there being
no more temple I am thinking inside "you beauty, how wonderful is
that! No need for a physical pointer to God or marker of God in our
communities because everything exudes a sense of God. Because we have
the real thing, if you like. God is just evident in everything.
I am also thinking how having no temple would mean no more distracting
arguments about plaques on walls and furniture and not being able
change things because "they've always been that way". We could truly
focus on being faithful and Godlike ourselves instead. Yes, I often
think having no more church buildings, no temple, would indeed be
heaven!
Rev Chris, Moss Vale, Australia.
Re: Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling is a member of the Church of Scotland. She has done good
works, such as supporting a number of charities, and in her younger
days, worked for two years for Amnesty International researching human
rights issues in Africa. Still, while many have noticed Christian
themes and biblical allusions in her books, there are no explicitly
Christian messages or evangelistic purpose in her stories.
But I love the books and the movies. Can't wait for June 4.
Shalom: Tom in Ontario
Tom in Ontario,
Thanks for the info about J. K. Rowling. I have pretty much assumed
that she has no theological intent with the books -- other than the
"powers of good vs. powers of evil that" that are pretty much of given
in fantasy literature.
Robbie in KS
The article is very good, thanks.
I am toying with the idea of the river of life being the Holy Spirit
that flows with in and through us. The tree bears fruit because its
roots take up the water. I think it goes beyond baptism. Jesus says,
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." The first peace is
that of having the Holy Spirit and knowing the help the Spirit
provides.
The second peace is that of believing by faith in the love Jesus
taught us and living it.
We come home, when our heart and soul are fed by the waters of God.
Rambling and streching, Nancy-Wi
Can someone help me in understanding the conditions that John of
Patmos would have had on his island. Was he like a member of the cast
of survivor, living out in the elements, or was he in a prison on the
island - a relatively (?) more comfortable enviroment. I'm wondering
because of what darkness might have meant to him. For me, a picture of
a city without darkness is less than comforting. We live in a city in
the middle of no where, and it's just beautiful when the stars come
out at night. I preach in a farming community, and I wonder how
they'll like the image of the city! Lisa
Storyteller,
Try this story on for size.
The temple in the Old Testament was where you could always find God's
gracious, forgiving presence with absolute certainty. However, the
temple was destroyed. And prior to that happening, "the glory of the
Lord" departed from it (see Ezekiel) and never returned to it.
In the Prologue, John tells us, "we beheld Jesus' glory, glory of the
one and only." So, if you now want to find God's gracious, forgiving
presence with absolute certainty, you don't look for a temple, but for
Jesus. Jesus is the new temple, the new place where God is with His
people.
But Jesus ascends into heaven. So now He is graciously and forgivingly
present with His church with absolute certainty through His Word and
Sacraments.
Moving ahead to the new heaven and new earth, there will be no need
for an intermediary between God and Man, nothing needed to mediate
God's gifts or His presence (no holy of holies, no priest, no Bible,
no Sacraments, no preachers). This is because sin (which separates us
from God) will be forever gone - passed away with the old order of
things.
Therefore, in the new heaven and new earth, God (Father, Son and Holy
Spirit) can and will dwell intimately, graciously and forgivingly in,
among and through His people, (the bride of Christ, the new Jerusalem)
completely uninhibited, directly and unmediated for all eternity.
You are kind when you call it a "rut in the text". I find the "ruts"
*#$@% annoying and irritating. Like trying to put an engine together
with only 3/4 of the parts. And then, you have to burn valuable pulpit
time explaining the "missing context" of the text.
Luther in IA
Thanks Luther!
Great sermon outline. I needed that.
My sermon title is "God's DreamCatcher". I see the community of faith
gathered as the ones who catch God's dream in Genesis that is fulfiled
in Revelation.
Storyteller
LOL Swedonborg didnt read this one, huh when he was putting together
heaven and hell book....GO MYSTIC CHRISTIANS!
Clerically Blonde in West Ohio
Bammamamma--
Add my thanks, too, to the list for the link to the article about
home. What a profound look at the issue.
I've got 3 sermons left in this church, trying not to get caught up in
"what I have done and what I have left undone," after only 2 years.
But the Revelation text spoke to me, too, of journey. I'm always
caught by the fact that the message was to people who were struggling
so hard (most of them) against the idolatries of the day, and getting
it in the neck for their faith. And as I look at us, I see a church
that is generally pretty unwilling to take it in the neck for any
reason at all. There is the little core of people who have always
taken on too much and who are worn out, and there are all the others,
who might be willing to respond, if you don't ask too much, or who are
just at church to have their own decisions and lifestyles blessed.
So I'm feeling like I want to protect this vision of John, to make it
clear that it's not just the natural extension of the comfortable
lives we've constructed for ourselves. Not my job, I know. I don't
want to rail away, and I know there's a good news ending to it for me,
also a lukewarm sinner, on the road, trying to stay pointed in the
direction of that Holy City, trying to let it even find me on the way.
So I may just focus on that. Just preach the text, don't worry about
saying the Right Thing in each of the next sermons. Ha!--as if.
Thanks so much for all of your insight.
Laura in TX
I saw this on the John page and thought it fit right in here,
regarding what it would be like to have no sun or moon.
--------------------- For those of you who are looking for something
on the presence of God and Jesus in the life of the believer, saw this
on the bruderhof.com website, written by Eberhard Arnold in the book
Innerland
"If the mission of Jesus is to be truly apprehended, the nature of the
sun and of fire has to be understood. Our sun is a central fire world
from which our planet gets its life. The sun’s force of attraction
gathers and holds together all the worlds that surround it. Its heat
keeps us from dying of cold. Its warmth awakens life in plants and
animals. Without its light, all life would perish in darkness. The
tiny fraction of light-energy our planet receives from the far distant
sun is enough to engender and maintain the boundless life we know on
the earth. Every manifestation of earth’s power, each breath of wind,
the water-vapor cycle, the movements of deep-sea fish, every beat of
our heart is the work of the sun. What bracing power it gives body and
soul! Without it we fall prey to death."
revgilmer in Texarkana ------------------------------
I also read lots of grace-filled comments that will be helpful as I
seek a word of hope and truth to share on Sunday. Something about a
sermon needing to be 50% grace.
Laura in TX
Revelation. The end of the Biblestory. We began the story in a garden
with no temple. We end the story in a city with no temple. There was
tree of life in the middle of the garden. There is a tree of life in
the middle of the city. We are now back in the story where we started.
But with so much water under the proverbial bridge between Genesis and
Revelation, thank God for the the healing leaves of the tree of life!
When we know what we know of our history as a people and the sorry
relationship between nations, (i.e the Holocaust, the genocide of
Native People, the war, the beheading, the .... etc. etc.) I am truly
grateful there is a tree of life, whose greens bring healing.
Storyteller
