THE HOLY CITY

John’s final vision describes the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, “coming down out of heaven … bright with the glory of God.” His human eyes could only see the radiance as a walled city built of precious jewels. From foundation stones to gates, its measurements repeated the number twelve or its multiples. Vs. 14 states the reason: there is theological significance to the number.

Twelve was the number of the twelve tribes of Israel and of the apostles. John’s whole apocalypse held that the Christian church was the new Israel built on the foundation of the apostles, i.e. as Caird put it, “the apostolic tradition, the revelation of God of which the apostles were eye-witnesses and guarantors.”

We cannot take this description as we would take a photograph or even a replica of the actual city of Jerusalem. It is not intended to be taken literally in any way. John may never have seen Jerusalem before its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE. What he envisions here is the eternal presence of God. It is the holy place – if something spiritual can ever be so described – where no temple is needed because God is there. Everything that can be offered to God is there and all that is unfit for God is excluded.

In the closing segment of John’s vision two primary models from the Old Testament come to the fore again: Ezekiel’s vision of the new Jerusalem and the Garden of Eden. God will not be content with a handful of martyrs. Into the holy city, all peoples and nations and all the treasures of the nations will be welcomed because they have been redeemed by Christ.

The epilogue presents readers with a warning that what John has written is the truth and also a challenge to put their lives in order while the opportunity for change remains.