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10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 NRSV)
There is an indescribable peace in the City of Jerusalem. I've mentioned that my wife, Nellie, loved the city so much during our only visit there, that she wanted to move there. I told her that I doubted there were any Methodist churches there in need of pastors, but such was the peace we felt there we did not want to leave. The city is special. It has thousands of years of historical and religious significance to three world religions; Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. There is a spiritual presence felt there that we've yet to feel in any other city; and for the people of Jesus' day, Jerusalem was the happening place for all things God. For the old disciple to be longing to be in worship at his home church and then to be visited by Jesus, this passage shares what Jesus did for him on that Sunday morning. He was carried off by the Spirit to a great mountain; definitely an E-ticket ride (Kids, google it!) experience; exhilarating and awesome. And for him to see "The Holy City, Jerusalem, " come down from Heaven was part of that same awesomeness. It is interesting to note there was no temple in the city because the realization is that the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple. The ruins of the temple in the city now still represent God and God's court, even though the walls and most of the structure is gone; but the reminder is still powerful. And John notices that the city does not need sun or moon because the glory of God shines on it, and the brilliance of the Lamb is the light as from a lamp. So great will be this light that all nations will do their daily living based on that light, and the kings of the earth will also go towards it with the splendor they bring. The city gates will no longer be shut because there will no longer be night there. Everything impure will be kept out, and all shameful and deceitful things will be kept out. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be allowed in.
The river of life will be a crystal river which will flow from the throne of God and from the throne of the Lamb, and this river will flow through the middle of the great street of the new Jerusalem; each side of the river will have the tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit, a monthly produce; and its leaves will be for the healing of the nations. What we should also note is that Jerusalem as a city will on that day become a city filled with glory, life, and healing. A promise of what is to come thanks to God's gracious love, as well as a direction for how we live today.
This passage doesn’t just point us toward eternity; it is an invitation for us to live now as citizens of the coming city. We are to be truly bearers of that light, ambassadors of that peace, and agents of that healing. In a world often shaped by fear and despair, Revelation reminds us of our calling to live in hope, to shine with love, and to long for a future that is more than wishful thinking—it is God's promised reality.
PRAYER: God of Light and Life, Thank You for the vision of a world made whole, a city where You dwell fully with Your people, where healing flows freely, and where darkness is no more. Give us the courage to live in that light even now. Shape our hearts to long not only for heaven, but to help build glimpses of that city here on earth. Use us to bring Your healing, Your peace, and Your truth to the places You’ve called us to serve.In the name of the Lamb who reigns forever, Amen.
Have a great and blessedd ay in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let your life today reflect the light of that eternal city. Offer healing where there is hurt. Choose truth where there is confusion. And live with hope that the best is not behind us—but ahead.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
