“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 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. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 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.” (Revelation 21:22-27)
All the metaphors and symbols John uses to depict the details of the heavenly Kingdom are human and earthly images and terms that symbolize theological truths and the ultimate reality the like of which John had never seen. The city is perfect in its dimensions, a perfect cube in shape unlike any human architecture. This symbolizes God’s perfection. The walls of the city are not needed for defense because all of God’s enemies have been defeated. Rather they symbolize God’s awesome power and strength. They also symbolize His and our separation from all that is unholy and sinful. Those who reject faith in Jesus, who rebel against God by embracing their sinfulness and self-sufficiency, cannot enter that Kingdom. The wall of God’s holiness will keep them out.
John’s description of the Heavenly Kingdom tells us that the basic building materials are those material things which we humans value most, what we consider to be most precious and beautiful: gold, pearls and precious gems. In the midst of this beautiful vision we find a warning (21:7-8). This warning is designed to help we who read this to look at the lives we are leading and all that we value and pursue in life. What in life is of more value than what we see here in John’s vision of hevn? Nothing the world values is worth the loss of the glories of heaven.
God’s Kingdom is worth infinitely more than all that we strive for in life and all that we hold on to so dearly. Therefore it is worth all of our life, time, effort, sacrifice and suffering. In His kingdom we find peace, joy, solace, comfort, and healing from all the hurts we have endured in this life. We will never want for anything. We will never need to be afraid of anything. The ancients feared the darkness and the sea symbols of evil, chaos, the unknown and all that which was beyond human control. We fear that as well. Yet in the eternal Kingdom there is no darkness, no chaos, nothing to fear. The Lord Almighty is in control. And we are one with Him in eternal relationship.