6 Easter 2025
Revelation 21:10-17; 22-22:5
Last year’s list of the most livable cities in the world put Vienna at the top. It’s a nice city. A bit too spread out for getting around by foot, and a bit prone to flooding when the Danube burst its banks. But a nice place, nonetheless. In second place was Copenhagen. All I can say is that the committee must have visited it in summer. Zurich was third. Not a bad place, and some nice mountain views in the background. The fourth most livable city in the world was deemed to be Melbourne.
The Melbourne city public relations team when into overdrive advertising their ranking as soon as the news came up. They were quick to point out that they were three places above Sydney, which usually is the top city in Australia in these rankings.
The rest of Australia was left scratching our heads. Melbourne? Really. Did the committee try to drive through the city during peak hour? Did they visit during covid, or one of the cities many protest marches? And again, they surely didn’t visit in winter, or on a windy day.
Some years ago the CSIRO did a study of the best and healthiest places to live in Australia looking simply at climate: temperature range, humidity, rainfall, hours of sunshine, etc. They put Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie in first place. Well, that seems more sensible to us. But we might have had a hard time convincing any visitors who were trapped in Port last week when we received 600 millimetres of rain, all access to the city via road, rail and air was blocked, and thousands of residents, including the manse, suddenly had waterfront properties.
So, the perfect city to live in is a matter of taste – and timing!
But in today’s second reading, from the book of Revelation, John tells us he has seen the most perfect city ever, and it is the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, that God will bring down to earth for all children to live it.
The Book of Revelation, for most of us, seems to be about weird images of a rather frightening future. But that is a misreading of the book. It is about hope in times of great trouble. It is a reminder that in the battle over evil, God wins in the end. And so the book appropriately finishes with a vision of the heavenly city where Jesus will rule and where we will all live with him forever. It is one of the greatest passages of hope in the Bible.
John was shown this city in a vision. A vision is more concrete and real than a dream. In a dream we wake up and remember things vaguely. Visions are very vivid. More like watching a movie. God gave John a vision, and sent an angel to show him the city he has prepared for all of us to live in.
It has a number of striking features. It’s very, very big. About two hundred kilometres from one side to the next. Many of us who have tried to drive through Syndney or Melbourne, and in recent years Brisbane, have wondered if we will ever come to the end of it. Well, the heavenly city will dwarf them. The angel measured it out for John as he watched just to make the point of exactly how big it is. If one edge began in Port Macquarie the opposite side would be several kilometres on the other side of Coffs Harbour. But we imagine without the traffic somehow. The size shows the importance of the city. But it also shows that God is not planning a city for a handful of especially holy people, but for great masses of people.
And the city will be very tall. And the buildings all very bright and beautiful. To John it seems they were all made of gold and jewels. So the city will have an amazing wow factor. We will not tire of looking at it.
And there will be no night there. The city will be lit by the glory of God and the Lamb, that is Jesus. So every day will be a bright and cheerful day.
Another feature that stands out is that there will be a river flowing down the middle of the main street of the city. Now, many of you might say, that’s nothing special. We had rivers flowing down many of our streets here in Port last week.
But this is different. This is a river that is more like a giant median strip. And the river is not muddy flood water filled with debris. It is crystal clear water. For this river is the river of life, and it will flow from the heart of the city, from the throne of God, out through the city and to bring life to the surrounding land.
You might recall those with artistic ability were challenged to portray this theme, using this verse, in last year’s visual art challenge. We got some really beautiful paintings, drawings and photos. But all of them will dim in comparison to the real thing.
And on both sides of this river will be the tree of life. Again, I am not sure how this works, but several of our artists last year showed us some ways we might imagine this. But the important thing about the tree of life is that it is symbolic of the restoration of what was lost in the Garden of Eden. Remember, we ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and as a consequence, access to the tree of life was blocked. But now it will be restored. And it will not just be for the people living on side of the city or the other. It will be on both sides of the river and street. And it will bear fruit all year long. And even its leaves will be for the healing of nations. So life everlasting will be restored to us in this city where there will be no tears and no death, and the river of life and the tree of life will be a continual reminder of this.
And with a city that size, and one built by, powered by and illumined by God, there would certainly be some pretty large and spectacular churches or temples in it. But actually no. Not a single one. Not even a small chapel or prayer room.
What? We might ask. Not a single place of worship in the holy city of New Jerusalem?
How can that be?
Well, there is no need for a church or a temple to worship God because God will be dwelling there with us. Jesus will be enthroned in the city and we will not need to go to some special place to talk about him or worship him or see him. He will be present and available to all.
That’s pretty special.
So apart from some pretty spectacular urban features, this city that will one day be our home has some other special features as well.
As we saw, the presence of Christ will light the city and there will be no need for churches or temples because he will be immediately present to us, living, once again, among us.
And next, the river of life and tree of life will be restored to us and available to all, and at all times. So this a place without sickness and death.
There will be no night. The city has gates, but they are to go in and out of. They will not be shut for there is no need. No night. No crime. No wars.
John finishes his description by recapping what struck him as most important.
‘The throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city and his people will worship him and see his face. … And there will be no more night; they will need no lamp or light from the sin, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign with him forever.
In the Old Testament times people believed that one could not look upon God and live. Moses and Elijah saw a glimpse of God. But God came to us in Jesus. We all looked upon him on the cross and have been giving life. And in the heavenly city, we are told that we will see God’s face! And we will have life. And this life will last ‘forever and ever.’
So why does God give John this vision? Why are we given this description in the Book of Revelation?
The vision came to John at a time of great persecution of the church. Many Christians thought surely the end must be near. And much of the book of Revelation reflects these hardships. But the overriding message of the Book of Revelation is one of hope. And that is how the book ends: with this description of the heavenly city.
In times of hardship, pain and suffering, God wants us to know what is coming. What awaits us.
Rember, Jeus told his disciples that they should not be troubled, because he was going to prepare a place for them (John 14). Well, here we are given a vivid picture of what kind of place he has prepared for us.
It is an image to think of in difficult and troubled times. It is a vision of hope, to remind us of who our God is, and of our true home with him forever.
Amen.
Pastor Mark Worthing