Day 1,164: Revelation 22- A Tale Of Two Cities

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 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming
6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
 
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
 
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
 
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
 
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
 
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
 
Meditation
Fueled by faith, Christians live for the city of God. Formed by God’s forever promises to redeem His design and comprehensively renew the world, Christians join Abraham in seeking the city to come (Hebrews 11:10), “straining forward” in faith by celebrating our citizenship in Heaven (Philippians 3:13; 4:11).
 
John’s vision of the New Jerusalem is set in contrast with the vision of the city of Babylon (chapters 17-22). Dressed with the same expensive accessories (gold, precious stones, pearls), Babylon works to oppose God and oppress His people. Distinctly different, Christians living in Babylon are marked by works of God to reconcile humanity to Himself, characterized by holiness and fidelity of worship.
 
The Bride of Christ (17) is set against the harlot of Babylon, purity contrasting the practice of sexual immorality. Babylon seeks to slaughter saints, full of death and despair. The Heavenly city is marked with life, healing, light, and love.
 
Celebrating the same imagery of Jeremiah, Zachariah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, John’s vision sources material from the Garden of Eden. The rivers, trees, the presence of God, and service celebrating God’s rule is more than a reminder of God’s design. The New City is a redemption of God’s design, a restoration and renewal of the cosmos.
 
The book of Revelation finishes with five separate exhortations for holiness, pleading for Christians to keep God’s word while trusting God’s promises and living for God’s glory (6-7, 8-10, 11-12, 13-17, & 18-20). Today believers live in Babylon, buoyed by a surety of what we hope for, certainty of what we do not (yet) fully see.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the final details of the New Jerusalem that will come from Heaven?
 
-How does certainty of God’s promises fuel fidelity to God, a life marked by holiness and obedience?
 
-What does it look like for you to find peace in the surety of God’s promises, to be shaped today by what will come to completion when Christ returns?
 
Key verse
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 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.