Revelation Chapter 21 Verses 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.

Why is there no temple in the city? In the Old Testament the temple stressed the separation between God and man. God lived in the inner sanctuary where only the High Priest could enter. But in this city, God dwells with his people. In this city, there is no separation between God and man. In this city, every citizen has direct access to God through Jesus.

Why in verse 23 is there no need of the sun or the moon? Because the glory of God and the Lamb provide all of the light. Isaiah 60:19-20 uses this same image to describe the condition of Israel after the restoration of the temple and the holy city —

The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Verse 24 tells us that the nations shall walk by the light of this great city and that the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it. One would expect a huge golden cube 1500 miles long in each direction would reflect some light and attract some attention! It is not God’s desire that his church be obscure and hidden.

God’s view of the church and his mission for the church is to be a beautiful golden city that reflects his glory and gives light to a lost and dying world – and nowhere is that message stated any more clearly than it is here in these verses from Revelation 21. God’s people in his church are the light of the world. The church reflects the glory of God, and all nations flow to the church because of that light.

Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Isaiah 2:2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.

Verse 27 tells us that nothing unclean will enter this city. The city is holy and secure. Only those who have been made clean by the blood of Christ are allowed to enter this city. No one enters this city until he has followed the command of Acts 22:16 — “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

The church is the body of Christ. People are added to the church when they are saved. If you have been saved, then you are in the Lord’s church. If you are not in the Lord’s church, it is because you are not saved. Those outside the Lord’s church are unclean; those inside the Lord’s church have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. The gates of this city are open — but you can enter those gates only after being cleansed by the blood of Christ. (Revelation 1:4-6)

Is it true that only the church of Christ will be saved? Of course it’s true! How could it possibly be otherwise? If God adds you to the church when you are saved, then how could anyone outside the church ever be saved? Everyone who is saved is in the church, and everyone who is lost is outside of the church. If people have trouble with the concept that only those in the church of Christ will be saved, then it tells me they do not understand what the church is. It tells me they think of the church of Christ as a denomination of some sort rather than as what it is — the eternal kingdom of Christ established on the first day of Pentecost following the resurrection. The world has many misconceptions about the church of Christ — let’s make sure we don’t contribute to them! If we use denominational language, sing denominational songs, and see ourselves as just another church on the block, then is it any wonder if the world sees us as a denomination? The church of Christ is not a denomination! It is the body of Christ, and can you think of a more horrible image than a denomination of the body of Christ?

We see in these verses an important clue as to whether these descriptions of the church describe the church then and now, or whether they apply only to the church in Heaven after the end of time. Verse 25 tells us that at the time of this vision, the gates of this great city are open, and verses 24 and 26 show people (kings, in particular) entering through those gates. Isaiah uses this same image in Isaiah 60:11 —

Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

Will this description be true of Heaven after the world ends? Will the gates of Heaven remain open? If so, for whom? Why does the church need an open gate after the end of the world?

Verse 24 tells us that by light of this city shall the nations walk. If this is a description of the church after the end of the world, then who are these nations? If this is a description of the church after the end of the world, then who are these kings of the earth who live outside the city in darkness yet are able to enter? The church on earth is the light of the world. The nations of the world are drawn to the city by the light that it casts out into the world. Recall the description of the church in Isaiah 2:2 —

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it.

So what have we seen in Chapter 21? This chapter has shown us the triumphant and victorious church on earth. The church shines among the nations and brings light to those living outside in darkness. The nations are drawn to it by the light that it casts. The description of the church will continue through the first five verses of Chapter 22.

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