Sermon notes from May 9, 2010
Text: Revelation 21:10, 22 – 22:5
A heavenly vision: the New Jerusalem is God’s dwelling [tabernacle] (v 2-3). It is the church of God, descending from heaven to earth.
Evidence that this is the church: it is the Bride: 21:9-10 (see Ephesians 5:25-33). It is the city with foundations, which is to come. Hebrews 11:10,16; 12:22-23; 13:14.
The description of this heavenly Jerusalem, which is the bride, the church, draws heavily from the description of a restored Jerusalem given in Ezekiel chapters 40-48. One clue that this vision of John is a re-presentation of Ezekiel’s vision is the guiding angel who carries a measuring rod (Revelation 21:15; Ezekiel 40:2-5).
It is also Ezekiel who gives us the original vision of the “river of the water of life.” John can use this shorthand because his scripture-savvy readers will understand that he is talking about the same vision which we find extensively described in Ezekiel 47:1-12.
The vision of life-giving water flowing from the place of God’s dwelling is much older, however; you see it in Genesis 2:10-14, where all the great rivers known to the ancient world are said to have first flowed from Paradise: so we have in this vision a sense of the restoration, at long last, of God’s original plan (although we should note that the benefits of Paradise 2.0, given here, include many enhancements over the original version: most especially the prominent place now given to the Tree of Life [22:2], which is no longer off limits).
This vision of the church is comprehensive and inclusive; the gates are the twelve patriarchs, representing the Old Covenant and God’s working in the physical, historical realm.
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