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"And the city hath no need of the sun, neither the moon, that they should shine on her;
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Rev. 21: 23).
Future blessedness in the minds of many is somewhat nebulous. They imagine an
immaterial state, with nothing much to do except to sing and to praise. The new earth at
least presents a very different aspect. There are nations there and kings, "and the nations
shall walk by means of her light', which is but following out the anticipation of the
millennial city:--
"Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee . . . . .
and Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising"
(Isa. 60: 1-3).
"Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night;
that men may bring unto thee the wealth of the nations, and that their kings may be
conducted through" (Isa. 60: 11).
The kings of the earth were ruined by Babylon, the nations were made drunk by the
harlot, but the nations shall walk by the light of Jerusalem earthly and heavenly, and
kings shall be blessed by her.
No defilement, no more sacrifice.
The concluding words regarding this city are those which repeat the solemn witness of
verse 8:--
"And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever
worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of
life" (Rev. 21: 27).
The city is likened to the tabernacle. The ritual of the tabernacle impresses us with the
need for cleansing. The leper, being unclean, or any who had contracted defilement, was
not allowed to come near until their defilement had been removed. The provision for the
removal of sin and uncleanness is found in the blood of Christ. This had been rejected by
those who were cast into the second death. There remaineth no more offering for sin.
Christ dieth no more.
Throughout the record of chapter 21: illumination is found in the story of Israel.
This principle of interpretation which looks to the typical people of Israel to supply the
correct grounds for interpreting the unfolding of the purpose of the ages we commend to
our readers, who will find much more than we have brought forward here that will make
the vision plain.
Paradise restored.
We now arrive at the last members of the great structure which comprises the purpose
of the ages, and are brought not to Israel nor Jerusalem, but back to Eden and paradise.
Rev. 2: 7 gives us warrant to use the word paradise of Rev. 22: 1-5. Genesis speaks of
the garden planted by the Lord with its rivers and its trees of fruit and its tree of life. The