22 And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

24 And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

25 And its gates will never be closed by day, for there will be no night there;

26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

27 And nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

— Revelation 21:22-27

The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.

— Isaiah 60:19

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

— Philippians 2:10-11

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

Revelation 21 shows us in the New Jerusalem, there is no temple and no sun! Ezekiel’s vision of Israel’s restoration included a new, unique temple that some interpret as the millennial temple. But John’s vision contains no temple. Historically, the temple served to connect the people with God through sacrifice and worship. Because of Jesuss completed sacrifice and God’s unending presence with His people, the need for a temple has passed in the new heaven and new earth. Instead, “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb” are the temple.

Neither does the eternal city need the sun or moon because “the glory of God gives it light,” as Isaiah predicted. The light of God’s own presence, His Shekinah glory, provides light for the city. The glory of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb outshines any light known to humankind. His light will never yield to darkness. All nations will walk in the light of God and the Lamb. Kings of the earth who have believed in Jesus Christ will enter into God’s city in full submission to Him. God will re-create the world, without the decay and disruption of sin. The world will honor the Lamb, every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father.