Kalev Creative

 1/18/26

We’re reading through Revelation along with NT Wright’s Revelation for Everyone. These notes include discussions of topics of additional interest and attempt connections with more Old Testament material.

21

We read from Genesis 2, 8:15-9:17, and 12 – the man and woman in Eden, Noah and his family in the land following the Flood, and Abraham called into Canaan following the Tower of Babel story. In the first twelve chapters of Genesis, there are already three cycles of God bringing a remnant through judgment to relationship with him in a fruitful land.

Then we read from the Prophets – Isaiah 65:17-25, Jeremiah 29:4, Ezekiel 40, and others in which God follows judgment by saying he will make a new heaven and a new earth and describes what life will be like when he restores a remnant in the land and returns to dwell with his people. At times he uses this language even as his people remain in exile, Eden in the midst of judgment. Similarly, the Tabernacle, built in Exodus and in use in Numbers, echoes Eden in the midst of the wilderness.

As we reach Revelation 21, we can see God’s purpose has been consistent from the beginning and through many stories of interaction with his people. Even when they rejected him, he preserved a remnant to dwell in the land, finding ways to make his presence among them known and constant in their lives.

In John 16, Jesus says, “In this world you will have tribulation, but take courage – I have overcome the world.” Here in Revelation 21, we see him fulfilling his promise. He makes all things new. He dwells with us. There will be no more death or mourning. He will bring the faithful to himself and those committed to opposing him to a “second death.”

The precious stones that comprise the foundations of the city recall the High Priest’s breastplate, there on an individual human scale, here on the scale of all humanity.

The city that descends is a cube, recalling the shape of the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle and Temple. Once, the Temple contained only the Ark of the Covenant, a symbol of God’s presence. Now all dwell with God in this new Most Holy Place. There is no more need for the other parts of the temple because all who live there live together with God. The scale of the city is massive – 1400 miles long, wide, and high. 1400 miles is roughly the distance from Dallas to New York or Los Angeles. The Karman Line, a commonly accepted “border” of the atmosphere and space is at 100 km/62 miles of altitude, so this city is impractically large by earthly standards, likely a representation of God’s abundant mercy and desire for relationship with his people.

We spent more time than usual praying for members of the class who are traveling, affected by illness, or with family members and friends in difficulty and, as many in biblical narrative have, crying out against injustice we see in the world and asking God to intervene.

We’ve seen in Scripture and now live through cycles of God’s relationship with his people where increasing corruption leads to the cries of the oppressed, which God hears, comes down, and intervenes to end, while bringing a remnant through to start again in a fruitful land in relationship with him.