Revelation 21:22-27: a reflection

22I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it and its lamp is the Lamb. 24The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 25Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), 26and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. 27There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

In John's vision of the city to come, there is no temple and no need of sun or moon, for God himself and the Lamb are its temple and its light. I saw no temple in the city, John writes, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or moon to shine, for the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. In the city to come, there is no need of a temple as a special place to meet God, for God himself is fully present, and no need of created lights, for God's own glory is the light. The separations and mediations of the present give way to the immediate presence of God, dwelling fully with his people. This shows the hope of the city to come, where God himself is our light and temple. In the city to come, God himself is our temple and light. No more separation; God is fully present with his people. God's own presence needs no temple or created light. The hope to come is the immediate presence of God.

Notice what is absent from the city, and why. There is no temple; and there is no sun or moon. In the present, the temple was the special place where God's presence was met, a place set apart precisely because God's full presence was not everywhere accessible; and the sun and moon are the created lights we depend on. But in the city to come, neither is needed. There is no temple, because God himself and the Lamb are fully, immediately present throughout the city; there is no need of a special place to meet God, for he is everywhere present with his people. And there is no need of sun or moon, because the glory of God himself is the city's light. This is a picture of the deepest hope: the immediate, unmediated presence of God with his people. In this life, we know God truly but not yet fully; there are still separations, mediations, times when he seems distant, and we walk by faith and not by sight. But in the city to come, God himself will be fully present, our temple and our light, and every separation will be gone. To dwell in the full and immediate presence of God is the hope that awaits us. Our deepest hope is the full, immediate presence of God. In the city to come, no separation remains between us and God. God himself will be our light and our temple. We walk by faith now; then we will dwell in God's full presence.

That is worth resting in, for our deepest hope is the immediate presence of God, who will himself be our temple and our light in the city to come, with every separation gone. We can feel the distances and separations of this life, the times God seems far, the walking by faith and not by sight; but John saw a city with no temple and no sun, for God himself is fully present as its temple and light. God will be fully with us. When you feel God's distance now, remember the hope of the city to come, where God himself will be your temple and light. Rest in the truth that our deepest hope is the immediate presence of God, who in the city to come will himself be our temple and our light, so that no separation remains, as John saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God and the Lamb are its temple, and no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates it and its lamp is the Lamb; for in the present the temple was the special place where God's presence was met, set apart precisely because his full presence was not everywhere accessible, and the sun and moon are the created lights we depend on, but in the city to come neither is needed, because God himself and the Lamb are fully and immediately present throughout, so that there is no need of a special place to meet God or of created light, since his own glory is the light, which is a picture of the deepest hope, the immediate, unmediated presence of God with his people, for in this life we know God truly but not yet fully, with separations and times he seems distant, walking by faith and not by sight, but in the city to come God himself will be fully present, our temple and our light, every separation gone, so that when we feel God's distance now we can rest in the hope of dwelling in his full and immediate presence.

Lord, in John's vision of the city to come, there is no temple and no need of sun or moon, for you yourself and the Lamb are its temple and its light. I saw no temple in the city, John writes, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or moon to shine, for the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. In the city to come, there is no need of a temple as a special place to meet you, for you yourself are fully present, and no need of created lights, for your own glory is the light. The separations and mediations of the present give way to the immediate presence of you, dwelling fully with your people. Show me what is absent from the city, and why. There is no temple, and no sun or moon. In the present, the temple was the special place where your presence was met, set apart precisely because your full presence was not everywhere accessible; and the sun and moon are the created lights we depend on. But in the city to come, neither is needed. There is no temple, because you and the Lamb are fully, immediately present throughout the city; and no need of sun or moon, because your own glory is the light. This is a picture of the deepest hope: your immediate presence with your people. In this life, I know you truly but not yet fully; there are still separations, times you seem distant, and I walk by faith and not by sight. But in the city to come, you will be fully present, my temple and my light, and every separation will be gone. Take that to my heart, for my deepest hope is your immediate presence, when you will yourself be my temple and light. When I feel your distance now, help me remember the hope of the city to come, Lord, where you will be my temple and light, and I will dwell in your full and immediate presence with every separation gone.