Sometimes, when we speak of a city, we are referring to a place – a set of buildings and streets: “I am going to New Orleans.” Other times, we are referring to the people who live there: “New Orleans loves jazz music and good food.” In today’s passage, John seems mainly to be speaking of the people of God, using the imagery of walls, streets and buildings to describe the Church, whom He calls “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb” (v. 9).

And the first thing we notice is its “radiance” (v. 11). Light comes from every direction, refracted from the precious stones on its foundations (vv. 19-20), reflected from its golden walls and streets, but also shining through them like clear glass (vv. 18, 21). And in verse 23, John explains the all-consuming illumination: “the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

But he goes on to explain the result of such all-pervasive light: it will direct the steps of all the nations (v. 24). Simply put, in the glorified Church, the Church as she will appear on the day when Christ returns, there will be no more room either for confusion or sin. God’s perfect light and truth will drive out all darkness, leaving those who trust in Christ as pure as gold, as clear as glass, and reflecting His glory as brilliantly as gemstones.

And everyone will be included, both Old and New Testament believers. For while the gates are inscribed with the names of the sons of Israel, the foundations of the city are the “apostles of the Lamb” (vv. 12, 14). And the gates are always open so that Jew and Gentile, so that the glory and honor of all the nations will be able to come into it (vv. 25-26).

So, knowing that all believers will spend eternity reflecting God’s perfect light, why not get a head start on heaven today? Why not take every opportunity to join with other believers in worshipping Him? Why not reflect God’s purity and shine the light of His truth into the darkness of our increasingly confused world? Why not reflect the love of God in our deeds of mercy and justice? Why not give our sin-soaked world a little glimpse of God’s glory? Maybe that’s what others need to see, so that they too might become part of that great city, the Bride of Christ.

Revelation 21:9-27 (ESV)

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed–
13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.
16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.
17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.
18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
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 on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,
25 and its gates will never be shut by day– and there will be no night there.
26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.