Best City Ever (Rev. 21:9-22:5)
Hear
In our last message from Revelation 21 we focused on the fact that God is making all things new. Whatever we may imagine the new heaven, earth and the New Jerusalem to be still doesn’t come close to what it actually is (J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, 297). If you were to take the tens best cities in the world and combined them into one mega, unimaginable city, it still wouldn’t be able to touch what we will experience in the new creation.
Just to give you an example. Here are the 10 best cities in the world according to the travel media brand, AFAR. Obviously, this list will vary based upon the source, but I think this gives us a good idea.
AFAR ranked these best 10 cities by using three different criteria. What they call, livability, lovability, and prosperity. Livability, has to do with the quality of a place’s environment, both natural and man-made. Lovability, considers the vibrancy and quality of a city, as well as how much it inspires residents, businesses, and visitors to promote it. And lastly, prosperity measures the strength of a city’s human capital.
10 best cities in the world.
London, England
New York City, United States
Paris, France
Tokyo, Japan
Singapore
Rome, Italy
Madrid, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Berlin, Germany
Sydney, Australia[1]
Now, I have never been to any of these cities, but they are all on my list of places to visit. However, if I never make it to any of those places before leaving this earth, that’s fine with me so long as I have a place in the New Jerusalem!
The Lamb’s Wife (Rev. 21:9-21)
In John’s record of the Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples,
John 14:3 NKJV
3 if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
In the pages of the revelation we get a glimpse of that “place”. The holy city. The New Jerusalem. The Lamb’s Wife.
In Rev. 21:9-11, John tells us that
...one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal (Rev. 21:9-11).
What we have here in chapter 21, parallels an earlier invitation John received from, what many believe to be the same angel.
In Rev. 17:1-2, John is invited to witness a great event. The invitation, we are told, comes from one of the seven angels who had one of the seven bowls of God’s wrath which was poured out on the earth and all of its inhabitants. There, in chapter 17, John was taken into the wilderness to see the great harlot, the city of Babylon with all of its defilements. She is dressed in “purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls...” (Rev. 17:3-4). But, in chapter 21, John is taken up to a very high mountain where he can see the Bride of the Lamb beautifully adorned for her husband.
J. Scott Duvall brilliantly points out that,
Although the two eschatological women are dressed similarly, the prostitute’s garments are never described as ‘pure.’ Her adornment comes from her violent seizure of wealth, whereas the bride’s beauty comes as a gift from God...and not human accomplishment. [2]
The fact that these two events parallel each other is not by happenstance. Robert Mounce tells us that,
“When the great prostitute with all her seductive allurements is exposed and destroyed, then the Bride of Christ will be seen in all her beauty and true worth.” [3]
Her beauty and worth, according to John, is the glory of God (v11a). This resembles what Paul said about wives in his letter to the church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 11:7–9 NKJV
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man.
9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.
Remember that the Bible is always painting a picture of who God is and who we are in relation to Him. In the same way, what Paul is getting at in 1 Cor. 11 is this, the Church didn’t create God. As folks like Richard Dawkins argues in his book, The God Delusion. God created the Church and gave Himself up for her, to sanctify, cleanse and wash her. In order to present her to Himself as glorious, without stain or spot or wrinkle, but holy and blameless (Eph. 5:25-27).
We see the fullest expression of that in the New Jerusalem, the Lamb’s Wife. John goes on to describe what he was invited to see, beginning in verse 11.
Revelation 21:11–21 NKJV
11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation 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, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Talk about beautiful! Again, in the words of J. Vernon McGee, “I have never seen an ugly bride.”[4] Jerry Bennett is an incredible artist, but he couldn’t draw anything close to what this really is like. Piper Bridwell is a talented painter, but even if she had an unlimited supply of materials, she couldn’t begin to capture the glory of this city. Tim Johnson, who has helped to design much of downtown, Bricktown, and the canal, even he couldn’t come up with a concept of the New Jerusalem that would do justice to what God has made. That’s no shade at them, it’s just to say that,
1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV
9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
If you notice, jasper is mentioned several times in these verses. The light of the Lamb’s Wife is like jasper (v11). The walls of the city or like jasper (v18). And the first foundation of the wall was jasper (v19). Jasper is very significant in this book, perhaps because it represents God Himself. Listen to how John describes the One seated on the throne in Rev. 4:2-3.
Revelation 4:2–3 NKJV
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
Again, Duvall rightly cautions us about having too literal of an interpretation of passages like this.
When we try to take every detail of theses texts literally, we not only miss the point; we also risk confusing people with an illogical, contradictory portrait of the new creation.[5]
So then, what can we learn? Well, to put it simply, we are looking at purity and perfection. The way in which this city is described highlights the faithfulness of God in accomplishing what we read in Eph. 5:25-27. God has indeed sanctified, washed, cleansed, purified, and presented as holy and blameless those who have been faithful to the Lamb. Also, we see perfection. There is symmetry and order to this New City. The twelve patriarchs (gates) and the twelve apostles (foundations) shows the complete, harmonious and perfect work of God in building His Church (Eph. 2:19-20).
Ephesians 2:19–20 NKJV
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
Swindoll sums this up with these words,
Thus the city will be the dwelling place of the united people of God - Old and New Testament believers - whose salvation rests on the completed work of Jesus Christ.[6]
The New Jerusalem, the Lamb’s wife, is the reflection of God’s glory! And His glory will light up the entire city!
The Lamb’s Light (Rev. 21:22-27)
Revelation 21:22–27 NKJV
22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
So, the first thing John notices in these verses is that there was no temple. But then he continues by saying that there actually was a temple - God Himself. What John means, I’m sure, is that there was not a man-made temple where the people went to meet with God, because they are now in a place where God is always present and they are always in His presence. Repeatedly, the Bible records that Jesus is the “cornerstone” of the temple (Jn. 2:19-22; Mk. 14:58; 15:29; Mt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10-11; Lk. 20:17-18; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:32-33; Eph. 2:20). But, not only is Jesus the temple of God for all of God’s people, He is also the Light that illumines the entire temple city.
For the longest time, Paris, France has been crowned the “City of Light”. There are a few different beliefs about how it got its name, but one source claims that its name originated during the 17th century.
“The real reason for the city’s name actually stems from the mid-17th century, when Louis XIV, otherwise known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (Roi Soleil), was on the throne. After a prolonged period of war and domestic civil strife, the king was committed to restoring the public’s faith in law and order.
On March 15, 1667, Louis XIV made Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie the Lieutenant General of Police, entrusting him with the task of making Paris more safe. In addition to quadrupling the number of policemen in the city, one of the measures was to install more lighting. Lanterns were placed on almost every main street and residents were asked to light their windows with candles and oil lamps. The idea was to prevent lawbreakers from dodging the police or hiding in dark alleys, therefore reducing the crime rate. From here on, the city gained the nickname La Ville-Lumière.”[7]
In the New Jerusalem we won’t have to light candles and lanterns to ward of criminals. We won’t need to beef up our police force or parade our military through the streets. There will be no need for the second amendment or house alarm systems. Prisons will not exist and I.C.E. will be irrelevant because nothing that defiles, nothing abominable, no liars, nothing ungodly will ever have a place in the holy city (Rev. 21:27). Its only residents will be those whose names are permanently recorded in the Lambs Book of Life. Folks, this is one of the many reason the Word of God tells us to seize the opportunity for salvation today (2 Cor. 6:2). This is why we are told, not to harden our hearts to the Lord’s gracious invitation of redemption (Heb. 3:15). This will be an exclusive gathering of the faithful followers of the Lamb and if your name is not on the guest list, you will be left out in the dark.
600 years before Jesus was ever born, the prophet Isaiah made this statement,
Isaiah 60:1–3 NKJV
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
What we later discover, in the pages of the New Testament, is that this light is actually talking about Jesus. The Light of the world that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. The True Light that gives light to everybody (Jn. 1:5-9; Rev. 22:16; Num. 24:17; Luke 1:78; 2 Pet. 1:19; Jn. 8:12). And those who have fellowship with Him will never walk in darkness (1 Jn. 1:6-7).
Let me try to give you a better understanding of why John would say that there was no need for the light of the sun or the moon.
The sun produces light right across the spectrum of light, only some of which is visible light. Visible light is measured in lumens, and electricity is measured in wattage. The solar constant, that is, the average amount of wattage that hits the Earth within a given square meter is about 1366 watts. That means that the sun puts out 93 lumens of visible light per square meter, as measured at the Earth’s surface.[8]
That is incredibly bright and this is why we are always told not to stare directly into the sun. It could blind you. You may have wondered, “Is there anything brighter than our sun?” The answer is, yes!
Sirius, the brightest star in the Earth’s sky, lies only 8.60 light years away and is one of the nearest stars to the Sun. With twice the Sun’s mass, it is 25.4 times more luminous than the Sun.[9]
Even more fascinating is that,
Scientists have created a source of light from diamonds that are reported to be 10,000 times brighter than the sun.[10]
You could take all three of these light sources and combine them into one and they still would not be able to outshine the Light of the Lamb.
2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV
6 it is...God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The glory of God will light up the holy city with the greatest brilliance ever known. This light is not artificial. It’s not man-made. You can’t buy it at Lowes or Home Depot. This Light is the Lamb of God.
The Lamb’s Throne (Rev. 22:1-5)
John’s tour of the holy city isn’t done just yet. The angel has more to show him.
Revelation 22:1–5 NKJV
1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
This is one of the most hope-filled passages in the book of Revelation. If you look at the structure of these five verses you might notice how verse three stands at the center. I think, the reason for that is because this is the focal point. The throne of God and the Lamb is the most essential part of this passage. We have talked about the throne a lot as we’ve gone through this book. You can’t escape it.
From the throne, because God and the Lamb are there, the faithful followers get to enjoy the abundant life. Everything that John describes in these verses has to do with eternal life and is a complete undoing of the Fall in Genesis. Because there is no more curse, Jesus has become a curse for us (Gal. 3:13), we may enjoy the fruit of every tree in the Garden. Because there is no more sin, Jesus has become sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21), the people of God will no longer foolishly attempt to hide from His presence. We will see His face! This is the place that our Lord has gone to prepare for those who bare His name. The Holy City. Best city ever!
Respond
Again, AFAR ranks the ten best cities by livability, lovability, and prosperity. Livability, is about the natural and man-made quality of a place’s environment. In the New Jerusalem, there will be nothing artificial. Only the best of everything will be there. Lovability, is about how much a city inspires people to promote it. This is our job church. We are ambassadors of this great city. We must boldly proclaim the reason for our hope in Jesus that others might be influenced to join us there. And lastly, prosperity is about the strength of a city’s human capital.
Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
In his famous book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said this,
Exalting Jesus in Revelation What Will Eternity Be like? (Revelation 21:1–8)
A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in:” aim at earth and you will get neither.[11]
Tre Clark
June 19, 2025
[1] (https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-cities-in-the-world)
[2] (J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, pp303, 301)
[3] Robert Mounce, Revelation, pp307-08.
[4] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible: Revelation, 1064
[5] (J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, p304).
[6] (Charles Swindoll, Revelation, p312)
[7] https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/paris/articles/real-reason-paris-called-city-lights
[8] (https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-bright-is-the-sun/)
[9] (https://www.star-facts.com/brightest-stars/)
[10] (https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-bright-is-the-sun/)
[11] (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p119.)
