Vision Seven - The Consummation
Revelation 19:6 - 22:6
Wall identifies more uses of the first century literary device of the chiasmus, the crossing, to emphasize
the most important points in this final section of the seventh vision . The letters to the churches similarly used a chiasmus
to emphasize the three middle churches, suffering from lethargy, as the most important focus of John's message.
For the prologue, the crossing appears as this:
- A: the promised new creation
- B: the negation of the old creation
- C: the passing away of the sea
- D: the coming of the new Jerusalem
- E: the bride beautifully dressed for her husband
- D': the divine confirmation of God's new dwelling
- C': there will be no effects of evil
- B': God has transformed the old things
- A': into new things
So the emphasis of this passage is not the city of the new Jerusalem, as might be understood from the descriptions
that follow, but that the new Jerusalem represents the people of the church, which is the bride of Christ. The story is not about
where, it is about who.
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Let's divert into a first century Greek lesson on "heaven." There is only one word used in the New Testament
to describe both the sky, where birds fly and clouds float, and heaven, where God and the angels live. As a result of this limited
vocabulary, the writers are not at all clear when they differentiate what happens with the earthly sky or with heaven. However, this
lack of vocabulary words clearly didn't bother them!
Our view of heaven is shaped by Greek philosophy, which differs from the Asian philosophy expressed in Revelation. We see heaven
as permanent and timeless, with earth as changing and temporary, so we have a real problem with throwing the old heaven away for a
new one, and want to read this as the "earth and sky" are thrown away. However, John desires to throw away the old heaven, the
one that in Revelation 4:6 has a sea of glass that separates us from God's throne. He wants to replace the whole thing with a
new heaven and new earth that are now one in the same, because God dwells with his followers there.
The idea of all things new is seen in the promise in
Isaiah 65:17 and
66:22 that God will create
a new heaven and a new earth. These are "new" in the meaning there has never been anything like them before. These are "new"
because there is no more separation, "new" because God has designed heaven and earth as a home for his faithful followers.
That the sea is gone doesn't mean much to us. However, the sea represented in the first century a risky and hostile environment.
Isaiah 57:20-21 implies
this negative interpretation as it states that "the wicked are like the tossing sea, they cannot keep still; the waters toss
up mire and mud; there is no peace, says my God, for the wicked."
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
This is THE Holy City, finally, not the one that had fallen short so many times. This Holy City is the perfect
contrast to the evil city of Babylon. Here the city is the Bride, just as the faithful are the Bride in 19:7. There is a continuity of God's
presence shown by continuing to call this city Jerusalem, but there is also a transformation into what is new and different and
perfect. The image of bridal attire is what
Isaiah 61:10 referenced
in describing how God blesses us with forgiveness. The image of a holy city is similar to what Paul reminds us in
Philippians 3:20, that
our citizenship is not in Israel or in Rome, but in heaven.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle [or "dwelling place"] of God is with men, and he will dwell with
them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
John has throughout Revelation distinguished between the sinful "inhabitants" of the earth and the faithful "sojourners"
on the earth. Here, he continues that image in describing God erecting a tent, a tabernacle, to live with humanity. In this case, however,
John is using words in Greek that his listeners will immediately relate to the Hebrew word we transliterate as Shekinah, the
visible presence of God. This word was used to describe the pillar of fire and of smoke that was God's presence with the Israelites in
the wilderness on the way from Egypt to Canaan, and that later occupied the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, recorded in
1 Kings 8:10-11. John
isn't holding on to a temporary expression in the permanent New Heaven, he is referencing to the most memorable expression of
God's visible presence in Old Testament literature. This closeness of God was promised in the prophets, as in
Ezekiel 37:27,
Zechariah 2:10, and
Zechariah 8:8.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. ...
God will care for all the faithful with the same promise he made to the 144,000 in Revelation 7:17. The curse in
Genesis 3:16-19, resulting
from the first sin by Adam and Eve, is reversed here in the New Creation God has made. Although these passages describe the New
Creation in many ways, God reinforces what He has done in declaring that all things are now recreated as God intends them to be.
This section also consists of a chiasmus:
- A: John must write
- B: the water of life
- C: the inheritance of the faithful
- D: those who do not belong to the second death
- E: description of the new Jerusalem
- D': the city does not belong to the impure
- C': but to those found in the Lamb's book of Life
- B': they live by the water of life
- A': what John must write is trustworthy and true
... And he [the angel] said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Translations of this passage sometimes get confused on who was speaking, because that identification in Greek is subtle
at best. A different phrasing of "he" leads us to identify the second voice as an angel, similar to the ones in 14:13 and 19:9, although
others consider this command to come from God.
6 And he [God] said unto me, It is done. [literally, "They have come to pass!"] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. ...
What has come to pass are all the events that were required to renew God's creation and redeem it from
evil and sin brought about by Adam and Even in the garden of Eden. God calls himself by the same name He used in
Isaiah 44:6,
the "first and the last."
... I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely [or "without payment"].
What an incredible sermon on God's love there is in this one sentence! God makes available to his faithful
water, but only if they are thirsty. Who wouldn't be thirsty? Who wouldn't be eager to drink from the fountain of the
water of life? Who wouldn't be overwhelmed by the free gift that God makes available? The answer to those questions is the
essence of judgment. Those who are so arrogant as to deny their thirst rather than accept God's gift condemn themselves to
separation from God.
Isaiah refers to God's renewal as water of life in
Isaiah 44:3 and
55:1. Jesus used
this imagery more directly in
John 4:7-15, talking
with the outcast Samaritan woman at the well. This infamously sinful woman saw in Jesus the "living water" of forgiveness that
she needed to accept the gift of eternal life. In contrast, the scribes and the Pharisees in their arrogance refused to accept their
own unworthiness before God -- they denied that they were thirsty.
7 He that overcometh ["conquers"] shall inherit all things ["shall have this inheritance"]; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
The phrase "overcometh" or "conquers" mirrors each of the letters to the churches, which ended with a
promise "to everyone who conquers."
There is a long history of inheritance, going back to God's promise to Abraham in
Genesis 17:7-8 of a
land and a people, and most of all that "I will be their God." The promise of being God's son was given to David in
2 Samuel 7:14, and
repeated here for all believers. The rich young ruler came to Jesus to ask how he might receive the inheritance of eternal life in
Mark 10:17. Paul
teaches that we are no longer slaves, but heirs of God's inheritance through Christ in
Galatians 4:7 and
Romans 8:17.
8 But the fearful ["cowardly"], and unbelieving, and the abominable ["polluted"], and murderers, and whoremongers, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The term translated here as "fearful" or "cowardly" is only used in the New Testament in the parallel passages of
Matthew 8:16 and
Mark 4:40. Jesus has
just calmed a storm that the disciples feared would destroy them, and asks them why they so easily let go of their faith. The
term better translated as "polluted" means defiled by holding to the values of the Roman Empire. I am puzzled by the significance
of eight items, compared to lists in the rest of the book, unless it is the worldly "4" added to itself.
The image of smoke from sulfur is very similar to smoke from burning tires or rubber -- thick, black, choking -- the opposite of
the crystal clarity used to describe so much of the new Jerusalem. This parallel also fits the understanding of those who follow God
compared to those who cloud their minds with falsehood and refuse to see God.
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials ["bowls"] full of the seven last plagues, and talked
with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
One of the seven angels with bowls had shown John the Harlot, so the reference to one of the same seven angels
emphasizes the contrast between the Harlot and the Bride. It is possible that John even meant the same angel was John's guide for both.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending
out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light ["radiance", "luminescence"] was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper
stone, clear as crystal;
Before, the angel had taken him out to a desolate region to see the Harlot. In contrast, the angel takes him to a
mountain, symbolizing power and victory, to see the Bride. This vision clearly refers to the vision starting in
Ezekiel 40, where
on a great high mountain, the prophet saw the city of God. This passage uses the same language as Revelation 17:7 and
Revelation 21:2. The phrase "glory of God" means that God lives there, just as
Ezekiel 43:5 had
God living in the holy city Ezekiel saw.
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the
names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
This holy city has a wall, gate towers, and angelic guards, all symbols of God's protection and care for his people,
even though there is nothing for them to fear in the New Creation. The word for these gates is pulon, the large gates with
gate towers. The use of twelve gates named for the twelve tribes parallels Ezekiel's vision of the city of God in
Ezekiel 48:31-34. Notice
that the walls face the compass directions, not the "evil" corners.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Here, as with the 24 elders, John unites the Old Covenant with the New Covenant with the gates and the foundation
stones. Similarly, Paul describes in
Ephesians 2:20 the
household of God as built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone. Jesus renames Simon as the Rock in
Matthew 16:18, and
promises that on that rock he will build his church.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed [measuring rod] to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare [literally, "four corner"], and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the
reed, twelve thousand furlongs [or stadia]. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 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.
The measuring rod was gold to symbolize royalty, and measuring was done to indicate security and
protection. Historians tell us that Babylon was square, at 120 stadia per side, so the New Jerusalem is intentionally several orders
of magnitude greater than the size of Babylon. The dimensions of this city are staggering: 1500 miles per side, the distance
between New York City and Houston. The city is built as a cube, a symbol of perfection, with incredibly tall walls, because the Holy of
Holies was also a cube
(1 Kings 6:19). The
walls are 12x12 cubits thick, or 216 feet.
John goes out of his way to continue discussing the similarity of humans and angels, thus emphasizing the value of humanity, in
stating the similarity of a man's cubit measure (length of forearm) and an angel's.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear [literally "a raindrop of"] glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper;
the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony [or "agate"]; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx [or "onyx"]; the sixth, sardius [or "carnelian"]; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz;
the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
There is a great variety of the twelve jewels mentioned, and that inclusiveness may be meaning enough. Scholars
aren't sure if there is a significance to the specific jewels chosen. Some believe that these jewels represent the signs of the zodiac
presented backwards. When compared to the stones on the breastplate of the high priests, as given in
Exodus 28:17-20, eight of
the twelve jewels match, and some scholars assume this was intended to be a perfect match and attribute the differences to
translation errors in the scriptures available in the first century.
If we aren't poetic, this appears to be a very materialistic description of an opulent city. We need to see that the descriptions are of
grandeur and awesome glory, a gift of a new dwelling by the all-powerful God to his faithful followers.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl ["each of the gates made of a single pearl"]:
and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
The pearl was the most common of the jewels at that time, but the size of the pearl needed for these gates
was incredible. The passage identifies the "broad way of the city," but frequently, identifying the major thoroughfare also implied
all the other streets as well.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Here was a surprise, indicated by the variation in John's text -- everything else was "I saw," but this
was "I didn't see." This is a more dramatic absence when compared to the
Ezekiel 40-48 vision
of the city of God, because the major portion of that account describes the new temple.
The fundamental truth of the New Creation is that God will live among us. By shaping the city as a cube, we understand that we will
all live in the Holy of Holies in the presence of God, where on the Old Earth, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, the center
of the temple, and he just once a year.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
This statement fulfills the promise made in
Isaiah 60:19 that
the faithful would have the Lord as their everlasting light. John includes both God and the Lamb in the description of light, emphasizing
that they are indivisible. Recall that in chapter 1, lamps represented the churches, so we see here that those churches were small
samples of the light that God provides in the New Creation.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
The images of walking in the light of God match passages in
Isaiah 60 where all
the nations shall come to the light of God. Because of this parallel to the prophesy, we have here the image of the "kings of the
earth" bringing homage to God in the New Creation. This is also a reinforcement that all the earth's rulers draw their power
from God, so here they are giving back to Him what is His, and demonstrating that they are subject to him. There is also a
key contrast with Rome: all the nations brought goods of all sorts into Rome, now the kings bring glory and honor into the New
Jerusalem. The phrase "the gates shall never be shut" uses an emphatic Greek double negative, again like
Isaiah 60, but also
because there is nothing to fear that would cause the gates to be shut in defense. Notice that the common idiom "by day and
by night" is cut short, since there is no longer any night.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but
they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
The Greek phrase uses a double-negative to emphasize that nothing unclean shall enter the city. The word
for "abomination" is the same word used for Babylon in Revelation 17:4.
22:1 And he [the angel] shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of [from] the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits,
and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Images of rivers and fountains of God are prevalent in the prophets, including
Zechariah 14:8,
Ezekiel 47:1-12,
Joel 3:18, and
Jeremiah 2:13. The Tree
of Life is particularly poignant in its reference back to
Genesis 1:11 and the garden
of Eden. In this image, the angel shows John that the paradise that was lost has now been regained. Twelve kinds of fruit is symbolic
of completeness, but also amazing, just as amazing as producing fruit twelve months each year. Since tree leaves were often
medicinal in the first century, the leaves of the Tree of Life heal the nations, probably from the effects of sin.
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 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
The first of the passage reminds of the close of Ezekiel's vision of the city of God, found in
Ezekiel 48:35, where
the name of this city is "The Lord Is There."
The faithful servants on earth will keep on serving God in heaven, in ways never before possible. It will be our blessing in heaven to
serve God, and I believe our work on earth is in preparation for our service to God in heaven.
To see God meant more in the first century than just perceiving a visual image. It meant to comprehend and to understand. We will
be near God, we will know God, and we will rejoice in God. We will have a direct, face-to-face audience with God, just as Jesus promised
the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:21) that we will sit arm in arm beside Him on His throne.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they
shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he [the angel] said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true. ...
Interpretations
The idea of the millennium is brought up in the Bible only in Revelation 20:1-10. Nevertheless, this topic has been
at the root of many bitter arguments among theologians.
One of the keys in how this passage is interpreted is the time line determined for Satan's defeat and the defeat of
the two beasts. Some, the a-millennialists, believe that the defeat of Satan must take place at the same time as the defeat of
the two beasts. They interpret the angel coming down in 20:1 as backing up in time to Christ's resurrection, so that the 1000 years
takes place from the time of Christ's resurrection to the Second Coming. For them, the chains are figurative, representing how the
message of the Gospel spread by Christians on earth binds Satan.
Some, the pre-millennialists, believe that the Rapture, where the dead believers are resurrected and they and living believers meet
Christ in the air
(1 Thessalonians 4:17),
happens as Christ comes to earth before the 1000 years. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is released, defeated, and the rest
of the dead, the unbelievers, are resurrected.
Others, the post-millennialists, believe that the return of Christ takes place after this 1000 years, and at that point is one
resurrection of all the dead. The idea of 1000 years of peace on earth before Christ comes seems to be out of context with the
rest of the story line.
One of the other approaches to this millennial period is the Jewish thought during the first century, as best we can resurrect
it. The rabbis agreed that the Messiah's coming to earth would be the pivotal point to restore the world to how God intended. Many
of the rabbis thought that this transition and restoration would take some time to do, so they had a reign of the Messiah on
earth during a period of purification before the new heaven and the new earth could be formed.
Personally, I believe that the 1000 years is a parable of God's incredible patience and grace with unbelievably rebellious, sinful
man. What John tells us is that even after Jesus locks Satan up, and sets up rule on earth, the sinful on earth are so determined to
oppose him that they leap at the chance to follow the defeated, jailed Satan as soon as he is released from the Abyss. John
wants us to know that God's judgments is restrained for so long that no one can believe that they didn't get a fair chance to follow Him.
Connection to the Letters to the Churches
In the letters to the churches in chapters 2 and 3, each of the letters ended with a promise for those who
overcome. The first six of these included promises from the seventh vision, providing a means for connecting the first part of the
book with the last part. Now that we've covered the seventh vision, let's review these promises and what they reference.
Letter 1: to the church in Ephesus:
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation 22:2, the tree of life in the new Jerusalem
Letter 2: to the church in Smyrna:
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 20:6, for those in the first resurrection, the second death has no power
Letter 3: to the church in Pergamum:
To him that overcometh ... [I] will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Revelation 19:12, the new name for Christ that no one knows
Letter 4: to the church in Thyatira:
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with
a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Revelation 19:15, the rod of iron in Christ's hand
Letter 5: to the church in Sardis:
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will
confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 19:8, white garments of the angels, and Revelation 20:12, white garments of the Bride
Letter 6: to the church in Philadelphia:
Him that overcometh ... I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Revelation 21:2, the new Jerusalem, and Revelation 22:4, God's name on the faithful's foreheads
Letter 7: to the church in Laodicea:
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
There was no exact match for the promise to Laodicea, just as that letter was both more harsh but more personal
than the other letters. The image still fits, and one part of this promise is included with the throne of Jesus and God are given in Revelation 22:3.
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