The Glory of God Lights the City
.
Revelation 21:22-27
22. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24. By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, 25. and its gates shall never be shut by day -- and there shall be no night there; 26. they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27. But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 22:10-13
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, to repay every one for what he has done. 13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
The book of Revelation is so exciting! It really reads like an adventure novel—if you can get past all the symbolism! I think because we’ve read the “Left Behind” series, where the latest book describes what it will be like on earth at the second coming – and after – that I especially enjoy reading these verses. Of course, that book is an interpretation – the opinion of the authors. No one can know exactly what it will be like when the world as we know it comes to an end!
There will be no need for temples or churches, because God Himself will be the source and the destination for us. All light will be absorbed and displayed in and through Him. Some other verses talk about the oceans giving up their dead and go on to explain that the world – the earth – as we know it will be no more. We will assume the form of our “resurrection bodies.” We won’t exist in the three dimensional earthly realm any more. We will become multi-dimensional beings—existing as new creatures – finally like Christ.
I think 22:11 is saying that at the instant when all this takes place – the blink of an eye – it will be too late to repent! Go ahead and keep on doing what you’ve been doing – because you just missed your last chance to change your life! Now each of you must accept the consequences of your choices. Good, bad. Right, wrong. Now is when it all comes to fruition.
Behold, He is coming soon! We don’t know if that means today or in a hundred years, or in a million years! But we know that God expects and demands our praise, our worship, and our lives. He wants to be the center of our lives. He wants to be the reason we try our hardest to be like Christ. He wants to be our city; our ocean; our source; our Alpha and our Omega. Our first and our last.
I really hope my name is written in the Lamb’s book of life! I so long to walk by the light of God in heaven! I can’t wait to see Him face-to-face! I really just can’t wait! But I’m also really hoping that I’ll have today as yet another day in which to change my life! I hope I’ll have time to be kinder, to be more loving, to speak His truth, to declare His glory, to become more like Christ. I hope it comes soon – but please, not today!
I hope today you turn away from life in this world with all its sin and pain. And that you strive to achieve your “kingdom existence” with Christ, where the Light of God is all you need to show you the way.
Mary
