September 7: The city with no sun or moon

I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there. They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Nothing profane will ever enter it: no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.  (Revelation 21:22-27 — Holman Christian Standard Bible)

This passage appears in almost the last chapter of the Bible and describes heaven — the New Jerusalem. There is no temple building or sanctuary in the city because the Father and the Son will be there, and their presence will permeate everything. While on earth Jesus referred to His body as a temple, and the Holy Spirit made our bodies into temples, so there is no need for a temple because everyone and everything in heaven is filled with God and lives for Him.

Notice that the Lord Jesus is called the Lamb, a frequent occurrence in Revelation. He is the sacrificial Lamb that voluntarily gave His life for the world, and destroyed any claim that the devil had on humanity. Not only is His sacrifice undeniable proof of His love for us, it is proof of His total authority over all things. Sacrifice communicates what nothing else can in life. It is not words, it is action in the extreme. And because He has sacrificed for us, he has every right to ask us to do the same for Him.

Imagine living in a city where there is no need for a sun or moon, where God Himself is the light. A place where there is no night, no locked doors, no closed gates, and where nothing profane, vile, or false can enter. There must be so much peace and joy in heaven, like no other place we have ever been. Unlike what some people think, entrance to this place will be reserved for those who chose to follow and have faith in the Lord Jesus while they were still on earth. When they couldn’t see Him, or see heaven, they believed — and they held on to their belief for as long as it took. They are rewarded with an amazing new home, the New Jerusalem. Those who treasured heaven while on earth will enter there, and those who treasured the earth while on earth will be excluded.

Heaven is a perfect place prepared by Jesus for His people. It is a prepared place for a prepared people. Make sure you are welcomed in!