The Bride of Christ

The first entry in this series can be found here.
The previous entry can be found here.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he told them to pray:

“Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

This means that the Christian should pray that God’s intention for the world would be made a reality on earth. In other words, that heaven would invade earth.

But this is not to happen like an alien invasion. Or even like the storming of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Rather, the overwhelming of earth by heaven is to happen as Christians live their lives and walk in the good works God planned for them (cf. Ephesians 2:10). The next thing John sees is the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. What is this if not heaven invading earth?

John continues his Revelation of Jesus Christ by describing the Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride of the Lamb, the New Jerusalem:

Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed with God’s glory. Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal. The city had a massive high wall, with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the 12 tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. The city wall had 12 foundations, and the 12 names of the Lamb’s 12 apostles were on the foundations.

The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used. The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold like clear glass.

The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone:

the first foundation jasper,
the second sapphire,
the third chalcedony,
the fourth emerald,
the fifth sardonyx,
the sixth carnelian,
the seventh chrysolite,
the eighth beryl,
the ninth topaz,
the tenth chrysoprase,
the eleventh jacinth,
the twelfth amethyst.

The 12 gates are 12 pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The broad street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there. They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Nothing profane will ever enter it: no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation‬ ‭21:9-27 ‭HCSB‬‬

Again, it is worth reiterating that this passage does not necessarily occur chronologically after the previous one, or even after Revelation 20.

John sees the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, “coming down out of heaven from God” (21:10). However, this is odd, because back in 19:7, the marriage of the Lamb had already come to pass.

This implies that believers are wed to Christ when their rebellion is killed by the Word of God (Revelation 19:11-21). Whereas the marriage supper in Revelation 19:1-10 is heavenly, in Revelation 21, the Bride of Christ comes down to earth. This will happen ultimately when Christ returns, but it progresses every day as Christians fulfill their calling on earth, helping to make all things new.

The focus in today’s post is on the New Jerusalem. What is it like? What even is it?

What is the New Jerusalem?

The New Jerusalem is the people of God.

This text is not describing an actual city. There are several reasons for this declaration. First, we already noted that Babylon is not referring to an actual city, but to the world powers opposed to God.¹ If Babylon is not referring to a literal city, then there is good reason to believe that Jerusalem here is also not a literal city.

Additionally, if you were to insist on pressing the literal understanding of the city, let’s take a look at the dimensions of this city: “He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal” (21:16). This measurement converts to 1,380 miles wide, by 1,380 miles long, by 1,380 miles high. That is ridiculously high. If we were to compare those “building instructions” with the building instructions for Noah’s Ark, we would quickly note that while the ark was structurally sound and of reasonable dimensions for its purpose (Genesis 6:14-16), this city’s dimensions make no structural sense.

The structural sense is increasingly confused when we read the next verse: “Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used” (21:17).

It is possible the “wall” refers to an additional border wall (see next paragraph), but there would be no need for a guard wall–all the enemies have been taken care of at this point. So if this refers to the city’s wall–the thickness of the wall that rises 1,380 miles into the sky–this wall (144 cubits thick = 216 feet) would be flimsy. The city would crumble faster than Jericho. Walls are recommended to be no taller than 20 times their thickness: 4,320 feet tall is nowhere close to 1,380 miles.

Now it is possible this refers to the height of an external, guard wall (since nowhere does this wall specify height or thickness with the measurement of 144 cubits). But what good is a 216 foot tall wall when the city just on the other side rises to 1,380 miles high? If there were enemies to worry about still, catapults and other siege weapons would have a field day with this city.

But no. We have to pay attention to the numbers throughout this text. The city is 12,000 stadia (we don’t need to convert this). The wall is 144 cubits (again, no conversion necessary). And from 21:12-21 we find nine references to the number “twelve.” Do these numbers look familiar from an earlier portion of Revelation?

I hope they do. I mentioned several years ago when working through Revelation 7 that these passages were connected. There we saw 12,000 sealed from 12 tribes. 12,000 times 12 is 144,000. Here we have 12,000 stadia, multiple references to “12” and a wall thickness of 144 cubits.² Is it a perfect match? No. But in a highly symbolic book, does it make more sense than a literal city? I believe so.

Revelation 7 referred to the 12,000 as people, and I argued then that the number 144,000 referred to the fact that God knows all who are his (7:1-8); the innumerable multitude (7:9-17) is believers throughout the ages; but both groups represent the same reality: the Church of Jesus Christ, the New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb. When we remember that this City is described as the Bride of the Lamb (21:9-10), and that the Bride of the Lamb is clothed in the righteous acts of the saints (19:8b), then it should be clearly understood that the Bride of Christ is the Church, not some mystical city in which the Church lives at some point in the future.

Because this city is said to be “coming down out of heaven from God” (21:10), it is best to understand this city as the Church, still being formed in this world. We will see her in all her splendor someday, but until that day, we walk by faith, not by sight.

As such, I will explain the description of this City as it relates to the Church today, with only minor comment on what this might look like after Christ returns.

What is the New Jerusalem like?

There are a number of ways John describes the New Jerusalem. He describes its radiance (21:11-21); lack of a temple (21:22); lack of lights (21:23); and a multitude of nations travelling there (21:24-26). We will look at each of these in turn.

Radiance

The radiance of the New Jerusalem (Church) is described in painstaking detail. We already looked at the measurements of the city (21:15-17),³ but here it is worth noting the building materials described. First, though, it says she is “arrayed with God’s glory” (21:11).

Precious stones, jasper stones, bright like crystal.

These descriptions continue throughout 21:11-21, but it’s worth pausing to note the tribes of Israel. If not for Israel, there would be no Church (Romans 9:5); Christ came as a Jew, and the only way to get into the city is through Christ, a descendant of the Patriarchs.

The twelve Apostles represent that the Church is founded on the Apostles (Ephesians 2:20); the Church would have nothing to stand on if the Apostles were removed.⁴

The walls of the city are made of jasper and it was pure gold–as well as its street. The gates of the city are pearls, and the foundations are jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst.⁵ These rocks should probably call to mind the High Priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:17-21), showing that the Church is a Kingdom of Priests herself (Revelation 1:6; cf. 1 Peter 2:9).

If God’s glory is pretty stones and precious jewels, it gives all new meaning to the phrases “Our God is a rock” and “a precious cornerstone” (Psalm 18:31; 1 Peter 2:6).

The Church is a precious entity, even though now it often looks like less than it truly is. It will be revealed in all its glory (which is actually God’s glory) someday!

Lack of a temple

John specifies that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem, because God and the Lamb are the temple.

We don’t need to go somewhere to worship. As believers, we have the Lord in our midst. He will meet us wherever we happen to be.

In the future, God will physically walk with us again.

Lack of lights

The lack of sun or moon and reliance upon God’s glory instead probably refers more to our source of wisdom and knowledge (light) than anything else. This might also refer to the end of idolatry–which forms a nice complement with “the source of knowledge”–since many pagan religions worship the moon and the sun.

It may also refer to the eternal state itself, since the moon and sun were originally created for timekeeping purposes (Genesis 1:14-16).

The sources of wisdom and knowledge concept comes from Jeremiah 31:34, where in the New Covenant all will know the Lord and teaching will no longer be necessary. This is reiterated as likely in the next few verses.

Nations

The nations are said to walk in the light of God’s glory. Since the New Jerusalem represents the Church, this implies that our lifestyle should serve to highlight God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) so that the nations can see how they should live.

As the kings are conquered by the Word of God (19:11-21), they add to the glory of the city by bringing their glory into it.

The gates never close because the city is a worldwide city and it is always working toward God’s purposes.⁶ In fact, this is the whole point of the gates–to highlight the reality that the Church has an open door policy (though cf. Revelation 21:27; 22:15)–and people are constantly streaming into it (another reason it is never dark).

If you think everyone unlike you has no business in America, you might want to reconsider your claim to want to end up in heaven someday. If you think other country’s flags are out of place on American soil, you will be sadly disappointed in eternity. John says, “They will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it” (21:26). Too long the Church has been a white, western church. Other nationalities have been silenced as heretics or unbelievers. The heart of the Church is currently moving more globally south. Whereas it used to be North America and Europe as the leaders of Christendom, the Church is now gaining significant ground in South America and Asia. These nations need not change their customs and heritage in order to fit into the Church as we understand it. Rather, we Westerners need to love those different from us and try to understand the things that make others different, so that we can 1) close the difference gap, and 2) model the unity that Jesus prayed for (John 17:20-21).

You should long to belong there

The passage concludes in verse 27 by saying:

Nothing profane will ever enter it: no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Only those who are Christians will be able to enter this city. But the way this verse is written adds to our understanding of what a Christian is. A Christian is not profane. A Christian is not vile. A Christian does not do false (or “lie” [cf. 21:8]).

The good news here is that the verb “does” is present tense. This means that only those actively practicing what is vile or false will never be able to enter the city. If you repent, if you turn your back on falsehood and what is vile, then you will be eligible to enter the city. You will no longer be profane (the word is actually “common”), but you will be a saint–a set apart one.

Repent and believe today!

In this with you.

Thanks for reading.

The next entry can be found here.

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Notes

1. Revelation 17:1-3 is actually parallel and contrasts with Revelation 21:9-10. ↩︎
2. Is it possible that “144 cubits, according to human measurement,” which is literally “144 cubits measurement of mankind,” refers to the measuring of mankind more than it does a standard of measure? I think this is possible, but as this series tries to not look at commentaries, I cannot verify this understanding at present. ↩︎
3. This is connected to the reference to measurement in Revelation 11. ↩︎
4. Note that there are 12 Apostles, not just Peter. This means the Church is necessarily wider than just the Roman Catholic Church. ↩︎
5. Perhaps the various rocks are to highlight the varieties of people in the new Jerusalem. We’re not all to be identical to each other; that’s not unity. ↩︎
6. This is how we should also understand the Proverbs 31 woman. ↩︎