The Glorious Church

THE GLORIOUS CHURCH

Rev. 21:9-27

When you get to chapter 21 of Revelation the world of the wicked which existed in the Roman Empire has been destroyed…the world of those who have served the beast has completely been dismantled.

But prior to this judgment that is coming on Rome…as well as in the midst of this judgment, the Lord’s church has suffered and had to endure a lot.
The saints have been persecuted…they have been made sport of…they have died.
But the fact that the “church” has remained faithful through out has made them a beautiful bride in the eyes of God…and that is what we are going to now see in the last 18 verses of chapter 21.

So, let’s look at this. Now keep in mind, this is language of blessing…it is a vision…and this is not something that is going to literally take place.

Also, it is not a description of heaven.
This is a description of the beauty of the “bride of Christ” or the church…or those who remained faithful through out their fiery ordeal.
Look at verse 9:

Rev 21:9

And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

There is no reason to doubt or speculate about what we are about to see.
The angel tells John he is going to be shown “the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
And we know from Eph. 5: 22-33 that the “bride of Christ…or the wife of the Lamb” is the Church.

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God.

The angel said he was going to show John the “bride of Christ”…and now he is showing him the “holy city, Jerusalem”…they two are one and the same.

And notice where the “holy city, Jerusalem” comes from…it comes “out of heaven from God.
The Roman Empire had its origin with men…the church has its origin in heaven.

He says that the “holy city, Jerusalem” had the “glory of God.’

Just as Jesus came down from heaven and reflected the glory of His Father (Jn 1:14), so now does the “wife of the Lamb.”
That is to be our purpose…and a characteristic that we possess as the Lord’s church…that we reflect His glory.

Rev 21:11-13

Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.

Notice the gates…there are 12 of them…12 which is the number of the people of God.
And notice that the names on the gates are the names of the 12 tribes.
Everything about this city marks it out as the city of God’s people.
All of God’s redeemed.

Rev 21:13-14

13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Here again we are assured that we are seeing an image of the church of God.

In Eph. 2:19-22 we find these words: So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

The Christians in the book of Ephesians “were built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets”…or what the apostles and prophets taught.

Christ Jesus was their cornerstone…He is the one they stood on.
They were they dwelling of God in the Spirit.
They were referred to as the “church.”
And that is what is being referred to here in Rev. 21:14.
We are seeing a glorious image of the church of God.

Rev 21:15-16

15 And the one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. 16 And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.

I want you to notice verse 16 as recorded in the KJV:

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

Notice, the city is “foursquare.”

That means it is cubed just like a big “holy of holies.”

And notice, in the KJV it is 12 furlongs…notice the number 12 again which is the number of God’s people.

This city is 12 high…12 long…12 wide…everything about the measurement of this thing says that this is the city of God’s people.

Look at verse 17: And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.

72 yards is 6 x 12…there is the 12 again.

The King James Version says: And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

144 equals 12 x 12…again, notice the number 12.
All these measurements indicate that this is the “city of God’s people…or the church.”

Now, I put a pencil to it…if you take 12 thousand furlongs…a furlong by today’s measure is 1/8 of a mile…that makes 12 thousand furlongs 1500 miles.

You take 1500 cubed and you have 3, 375, 000, 000 cubic feet.
The highest mountain in the world is about 6 mile high which means this structure would be 250 times taller than Mt. Everest.
This is a city that will never be conquered.
And that in part is what the measurements are suppose to symbolize…this is a holy, glorious, and secure dwelling of the people of God.
No one will crash its gates…no one will climb its walls.
And those who dwell inside have nothing to fear.

Rome just thought it was strong and powerful.

It can never compare to the church…or the people of God.

Now, as we go through the 3 verses you are going to see a staggering picture of preciousness.

The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; 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 one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

If people fully understood just how precious the church is in the sight of God…I would suspect that more people would want to be added to it.
And if we, as God’s people, fully understood just how precious the church is in the sight of God…I suspect it would affect our willingness to work in the church…to serve in the church…
And I suspect it would affect the way we work and serve…I would think that we would be more careful about doing damage to or causing division to the Lord’s church.

Now, look at verse 22: I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

If there had been a temple in this city that would have spoken of separation between God and His people.

Remember in the O.T., the temple had a “holy place” in it where the people could not go.
The only one who could go into that “holy place” was the High Priest and he could only go once a year.
Therefore, the temple reminded the people that there was a separation between them and God.

But in this city there is no temple with a holy place of separation. In this city the people are always in the presence of God and He is always with His people.

This is a privilege that those who are citizens of the church possess.

23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Others may stumble in darkness…but not the church.
And because the church is so well lit…it will always be a shining light that others will hopefully see.

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

Before, the nations thought that Rome was the hope of the world.
But that is not true.
In the church lies the hope of the nations.
If they walk in the light…they walk in her light.
The church they hated, despised and beat is now the city set on a hill…a beacon by which the nations are led to safety.

Rev 21:25

And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; 26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

In chapter 22:14 and 15 we find a brief commentary on these verses. Notice what it says: Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Many people claim to be a member of the church.

But no one who is unclean…no one who practices abomination and lying.
No one who is a “dog” or a sorcerer…or who is immoral…or a murderer…or idolater or a practicing liar…is a member of the church.

You cannot be a member of the church…or the precious city of God if you are unclean.

That is why it is essential for you to be washed and made holy.
1 John 1:7 tells us that “the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin.”
You can be washed as white and pure as snow by and only by the blood of Christ.
The blood of bulls and goats can’t do it…it is only the blood of Christ that can cleanse.

And Acts 22:16 tells us when that cleansing takes place when it says: Acts 22:16

And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’

Won’t you come to Christ and be cleansed by His blood…and thus become a citizen of His city…the church.