#DailyDevotion The Lord Gives His Glory To Those Who Trust Jesus
Rev 21:21-27 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.
The Church, which is the New Jerusalem, is further described in these verses. What many of these descriptions are doing is not necessarily giving us something to interpret individually, but rather to be taken as a whole. So we have pearls, giant ones being used for gates and gold being used for pavement. Such extravagant uses for such precious items is used here to show the glory of the Church which is the glory of God.
In the Church, the city, there is no need for a temple for God and the Lamb which are in the midst of the city are its temple. The temple being again the body of Christ, each member of Christ being a temple of the Holy Spirit, each member of Christ making up the city New Jerusalem; the whole Trinity dwells in each of us and collectively as a whole. This is meant to be the destiny of all people, but many choose the darkness thinking it is freedom instead of the light where true freedom is found.
The text here does not say there won’t be a sun or moon, but it does say we won’t need them for light. God’s glory gives us light. The light the nations of the world, i.e. the Church in the new heavens and new earth, is the glory of God, i.e. the Word of God. God is light and no darkness dwells in him. Even darkness is light to God. Jesus is the light of the world. Those who believe in Jesus for their salvation walk in his light, his truth. They walk by grace and truth. He alone is their salvation.
Now in this city, the Bride of Christ, there is no unclean person or those who do what is detestable and false. Only God’s children can enter it. Only those who live repentant lives, hating and confessing their sin in this life, who are baptized and trust in the one, Jesus Christ, whose blood covers our sins and washes it away can enter this Church. While hypocrites may be in the Church in this age and even its members, because of the flesh, may sin, after the resurrection, only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be in this city. These are those who believed and were baptized into Christ, having his name written upon them in baptism. All who believed on Jesus for their salvation, who confessed his name and persisted until death are those who make up the Church and enter into its eternal glory. Those who continued unrepentant, who loved their lives more than Jesus and rejected his name will not enter it. Pray to God to give you repentant and faithful hearts so you may continue in his grace now and receive his glory on that day.
Heavenly Father, no man may take your glory for himself, but you gladly share it with those who live repentantly and faithfully in your Son Jesus Christ. Grant us the endurance of faith that we may always hate and confess our sin in this life, being faithful to the name of Jesus now, so we may enter into the Holy City on the day of Jesus’ revelation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.