Revelation 21:22-22:5 Utopia We may read this passage from the last page of the Bible, and the Old Testament readings (Genesis 1:27-31; Deuteronomy 8:7-10) describing the Garden of Eden and the Promised Land, as perfect dwelling places provided by God: an idyllic home for the first couple, a fertile land for the people of God brought out of slavery, a city of light and glory for those who suffered bearing the name of the Lord. The citizens did nothing to build or create these places, they are gifts of God- even to the point that this city in Revelation, the New Jerusalem, descends out of heaven, ready-made, radiant and shining with the glory of God. We might ask ourselves, what qualities should paradise, or utopia, possess? If we consider our favorite vacation spots, the places we remember from various trips, we may think beaches and sea breezes or mountain views, shady trees and quiet atmosphere. But one difference between our version of paradise and these three blessed places: these are places to live, not places of escape. These are homes for those who trust God, and as homes, all the necessities are provided: abundant water, signified in our readings as springs and flowing streams, the river of life, and in Genesis the river that irrigates the Garden and then flows out as four rivers; these are lush lands where food grows bountifully, so that one might simply
reach up and pluck the fruit off the trees. But the greatest provision in paradise is God s presence among his people. If you recall, God walked in the Garden and visited with the man and the woman, and in the New Jerusalem, God s presence is so real and powerful that the constant light is his own glory shining throughout the city; there is no temple in the city because God s holiness fills all spaces and surrounds every person. Every moment, the inhabitants exist in complete communion with God: they see God s face- they have a close relationship with God, and God s name is on their foreheads- which means that the knowledge and attributes of God are etched upon minds and hearts so that God s nature has become their nature. But I believe we are unprepared to see the perfect place described as a city. Don t we generally think of cities as places of noise and crowds and, perhaps, corruption? We may travel there to see the shows (or to play the slot machines) or to visit museums and historical sites, but not to stay. You can t spend any length of time in cities without seeing the dirty underbelly; it might be the crime- did you know that the number one city in America for child pornography is Orlando, the city of theme parks and Disney World and next year s General Assembly for our church? Or it may be the deals made in corporate boardrooms and government
offices- cities exist for business, and not all business is honest. Cities are the problem, we may think, and not utopia. Our ideal might rather be Mayberry. The people who first read Revelation may have been just as surprised as we are to see this description of a holy city. Their experiences in their own cities had been painful, suffering persecution for so long. And they probably knew the stories in the Bible, of so many cities that had not honored God, and where God s people had suffered. Cain the murderer, we are told, founded the first citycertainly not a good beginning for human civilization; Genesis11 has the city where the people try to create their own utopia- building the Tower of Babel to reach heaven, only to fall into disagreement and segregation; Lot and his family moving to Sodom and Gomorrah before the Lord destroyed those wicked cities, and afterwards Lot decides the best place to live would be Zoar, which means small, we could think of it as the Mayberry of his day; the children of Israel find themselves in the cities of Egypt, slaves to the rich ruling class until God calls them out; finally, they enter the Promised Land where they must battle and defeat established cities so they might live in their own homes; in the time of the judges, the powerful cities of the Philistines constantly threaten the rural confederation of the tribes of Israel; in the time of the kings, when cities in Israel and Judah increase
in population and power, the foreign cities, especially Nineveh and Babylon, are even larger and more powerful, and at last Jerusalem is overrun and destroyed; and five centuries later, Rome is the city- the Eternal City, some called it- that again conquered Jerusalem; and in 70 A.D., Roman armies burned the city and tore down the temple, and God s people were without a spiritual home on earth. The idea of cities is an interesting theme in the Bible, where they are seen as enemies to God and to his chosen people, and where the one good city, blessed Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God, is destroyed once and again. At the end, even Jerusalem had become corrupted like all cities, so that the gospels show it as an enemy to Jesus, and the place he is killed. But in Revelation, here is New Jerusalem: a place where pain cannot exist, a place where nothing unclean or unjust can enter, not liars, nor the immoral or unethical. Here is the point of the utopian city. It is built by God and given to those who believe in him; it is where God is profoundly present, a place of light and beauty and safety, and a place where the tree of life provides food to all. It is a place of intimate relationship with God. But also this: it is a place of happy relationships with others. It s a city, not a private paradise; people abide together in peace, dependent upon the nearness and goodness of God and the Lamb. We
may think this is almost irrelevant to us this day, we may think, Well, this is heaven after all, this is later on; it s an impossible vision, this isn t something for right now. No, we can never create such a peaceful civilization, but we can choose to let God create this place in us and among us, and we can develop kind and loving relationships with other people; where sharing and compassion are the ruling values of each citizen. And even right now we have the opportunity to see and experience just a portion of utopia, of God s perfect presence and our selfless relationships with one another: as we come together at the table, to share this meal and give thanks to our Lord. Let me just say this one more thing about the city of God. It is an inclusive place. 21:3 tells us about God dwelling with his peoples- plural, more than just one tribe or race or tongue or denomination- and verse 25, mentions the open gates- open all day long and it s never night- always open as though welcoming newcomers. The leaves of the tree of life may be used to heal the nations- and nations in the plural is always a term for outsiders, but here, the eternal light- that is God- shines that the nations may enter in; the kings bring their earthly splendor into the city. The New Jerusalem is an inclusive place.
It s true our passage says nothing unclean will enter, nor those who do evil or speak lies- so some things are excluded, and some people- but it also says those whose names are written in the Lamb s book of life may come into the city. Here once again, like every time we seriously confront scripture, we must face our own inability and unworthiness to decide who gets to be God s child: there are obviously many we don t know who will be included and welcomed. It s not for us to judge; it s not our book of life. It is the Lamb s book and every page displays the grace of God, each page filled with names written with the blood of the Lamb. Let us rejoice to enter that city one day, God s city bustling with the glad sound of praise and fellowship, and let s begin today with gratitude to our Lord and love for one another.