B. The Holy City (21:9-22:5)
The almost identical language of 17:1 and 21:9 implies that the vision of the heavenly bride is an inversion of the earthly harlot of chs. 17-18. Also, whereas the Spirit transported John into a wilderness because the vision of the harlot’s judgment was so gruesome, here the Spirit transports John to a mountain because the vision of the Holy City is so grand. God’s answer to the polluted city of Babylon/Rome is a holy city.
Does the New Jerusalem symbolize an actual city or the perfected church? Most likely, the Holy City symbolizes the sanctified church gathered in heaven, the holy completed church. Symbols of completion saturate the passage. The glory of God is a term for God’s completion and fullness. John’s numbers represent completion. Twelve is a product of the divine number three multiplied by the earthly number four. The 144 cubits and 12,000 stadia are products of twelve times twelve, and one thousand times twelve. The twelve names of the tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles represent a fulfillment of Israel within the church. The coming of kings from the nations symbolizes the universal outreach of the church and a fulfillment of the hopes of Ezekiel and Isaiah.
Cities on earth need light from the sun and moon, but in the heavenly city God’s presence supplies constant light so that there will be no darkness (21:23; 22:5). Such light contrasts with the absence of light in the evil Babylon (18:23). Being in the presence of God and the Lamb constitutes eternal life for all faithful saints. Just as John stood before God and the Lamb (chs. 4-5), so faithful saints will be in the presence of God and the Lamb. At that time all of life’s contradictions will be overcome and understood.
Symbols of purity include the twelve precious stones, the pure gold streets, the twelve pearls, and the fact that no pollutants or perverse persons shall enter the pure city. Whereas Babylon was a dwelling place of demons, unclean spirits, and immoral passions (18:2-3), John depicts the Holy City as a pure place. Although John criticized Babylon/Rome’s misuse of wealth in ch. 18, he employs symbols of wealth to signify the value of the Holy City in ch. 21. Wealth is neutral. The worship and misuse of wealth is sinful. Because heaven will be a pure place, Christians aiming for heaven are to overcome sins on earth and to live pure and holy lives.
The Spirit’s inspiration enabled John to challenge Jewish and pagan belief systems. The vision contains allusions to OT symbols such as the trees and river of life (Eze 47:1-12), and the demise of the sun because God is light and glory (Eze 39:21; Isa 60:19-20). Obviously John knew Ezekiel’s vision for rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple (Eze 40-48). But whereas Ezekiel spent eight chapters diagramming the New Jerusalem, John radically changes Ezekiel’s blueprint. John’s Holy City does not have a temple. Revelation continues the antitemple tradition found in Jesus, Paul, Luke, and the Gospel of John. For Jesus, destruction of the Jerusalem temple needed to occur before the return of the Son of man (Mk 11:12-21; 13:1-2). According to Luke, Stephen was stoned because he spoke against the temple and announced that God does not dwell in houses made by human hands (Ac 6:13-14; 7:48). Paul defined the bodies of Christians as temples of the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16; 6:19). In John, Jesus affirmed the universal nature of Christianity by defining worship as occurring in the Spirit rather than limiting worship to a sacred space in Jerusalem (4:21-24). Throughout Revelation John has announced Jesus as the transcendent Lord of all nations (1:7; 11:15). Here he continues to proclaim a universal message by changing the OT traditions, which imparted special significance to the temple in Jerusalem.
John challenged the worldview of paganism. The twelve foundation stones of the city wall are the twelve stones of the ancient zodiac. Pagans looked to the zodiac to guide their destiny because, supposedly, it reflects the order and purpose of life. Because John listed the twelve stones of the zodiac, he evidently knew of the zodiac and the meaning pagans attached to it. But John turned the tables on the pagan search for purpose and order. He listed the stones in the reverse order of their appearance in the zodiac. This reversal suggests that it is the church as the people of God who truly are in touch with the purpose and order of life. Throughout Revelation martyrs and faithful saints experience victory. But the final victory, earlier anticipated in ch. 7, is being in the presence of God forever (22:3-5).