Weddings are easy. Marriage is hard. You know why it’s hard. You know that when two sinners say, “I do,” there will be days ahead when they don’t know if they want to; and many marriage covenants get broken. Marriage isn’t the problem. We are. So when we read in this Scripture that the love of God with His people in Heaven is described as a marriage, it should make you wonder. How do we know we won’t ruin it?

In verse 9, John was taken to see the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb—the Church of Jesus Christ—and she was portrayed in his vision as a City coming down from God in Heaven, into the new world He will make for her. The King will bring His beloved into His everlasting Kingdom. And we saw last week, from verses 9-14, that she will be beautiful. Glorious. Radiant in her love and devotion to her husband. It’s like a wedding photo of the happiest couple ever, and this prophecy means the happiness and love will last. But how? You can walk into any church, in any city on Earth, and you will find people who don’t love Jesus like that. You will find some who don’t even know Jesus. And you will find many who love Him truly but keep failing Him in so many ways. And that’s the problem. Look around you. If these are who will be the Lord’s Bride in Heaven, something needs to change. That’s what I want to show you this morning from Rev 21:15-27. I thought it might be helpful to think about this in terms of “what’s missing in the Church right now?”

John makes three predictions about the Church in Heaven that show you what’s missing in the Church on Earth. If you look at our text, you can see that in verses 15-17, John describes the dimensions of the City; in verses 18-21, what the City is made of; and in verses 22-27, all peoples streaming into the City to worship the King. But what you need to learn from this is that the Church in Heaven will be, first…

A people fit for God (15-17)

The Church right now is not fit for God. What’s missing is holiness. In 1 Peter 1, Peter tells those churches, “do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’,” (1 Pet. 1:14-16). Do you know why he had to tell those Christians to be holy? Because Christians need to be told to be holy. Holiness is the most unnatural thing in the world. And even in churches it is too often missing. But not in Heaven.

This is the meaning of the dimensions of the City. In these verses, notice that this angel measures two things: the whole city, and then the walls. “And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls,” (Rev. 21:15 ESV). But first, look at this angel. John says he has a measuring rod of gold. What John sees at this point in his vision is an echo from Ezekiel 40:3, where that prophet saw an angel with a measuring reed. But now this angel’s measuring rod is made of gold! It’s like in Ex 25 when God gives Moses instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. The Ark is overlaid with gold, its rings and poles are overlaid with gold. The tables for the Tabernacle are covered in gold and even the poles used for carrying the tables are covered in gold. Not just everything inside the Holy of Holies, but everything that touches what’s inside the Holy of Holies, is also covered with gold. “Holy” means set apart, distinct, different, special—that’s why God could only be in Israel in a room totally set apart from Israel, walled-off behind walls within walls inside the Tabernacle and Temple. So this measuring rod—it’s gold because what the angel is about to measure is that holy. That’s a big clue about what all this means. So now look what the angel measures with his golden measuring rod.

First, look at the dimensions of the City. “The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal,” (Rev. 21:16 ESV). You know how long a stadia is? 607 feet.[i] You know how long 12,000 stadia is? Just under 1380 miles. But look what John says at the end of verse 16: that’s the length and width and height! 1380 miles long, wide, and high! That means the International Space Station, as it orbits the Earth, would collide with this City! Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites would all crash into this city! It’s a giant cube taller than the sky. If this was a description of a physical city in the future, it would be confusing. But as a symbol it is amazing. Because the perfect, cube-shaped, gold-covered city is an echo of the perfect, cube-shaped, gold-covered Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and in the Temple, in the Old Testament. 1 Kings 6 says, “The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold,” (1 Ki. 6:20). The city is a cosmic-sized version of the place where God’s presence dwelt in Israel. And 12, like the twelve tribes, suggests the full and complete number of all God’s holy people.[ii] So 12,000 implies that this complete number of all God’s people, represented by the City, will be a truly massive multitude. “…From very tribe and language and people and nation,” (Rev 5:9b). “…A great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…,” (Rev. 7:9 ESV). In chapter 7, that massive multitude was symbolized by the multiplication of 12 x 12, resulting in the symbolic number, 144,000. This prepares us for the next measurement.

Second, look at the dimensions of the walls. “He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement,” (Rev. 21:17 ESV). When John wrote this people knew what a cubit was. In Israel, it was the length from the elbow to the finger-tip.[iii] Now to get what John describes here, about human cubits and angel cubits, I need to remind you about the angel Ezekiel saw. In Eze 40:5, that angel used a measuring rod that used longer cubits than normal. 20” instead of 18”. John says in verse 17, this angel used normal cubits. Let’s come back to that in a moment. Ezekiel’s angel measured both how tall and how thick the wall was. So John just says this wall is 144 cubits (meaning tall and thick). 12x12. Symbolizing how perfect the walls are. Now back to John’s comment about the angel’s cubits. The reason it matters is that the symbolism of the measurement is really affected by which cubit you use. In Eze 40:5 that angel measured six “long cubits.”[iv] But if he had used normal cubits it would have been 6.66 cubits. 666! John makes sure his readers know this wall is symbolically perfect. Not 666 but 144! Not man’s number, not man-made, but perfect because its builder is God.

So what does all this tell you the Church will be like in Heaven? It tells us two things. And it’s good news. It means there won’t be any separate Holy of Holies in Heaven: wherever God’s people go, no matter how far they travel—climbing the highest mountains or exploring far away lands—it will all be the Holy of Holies because the new Holy of Holies will be God’s people! And as we learned last Sunday, from the meaning of the “great, high wall,” in verse 12, the walls aren’t there to keep danger out, they are a symbol for the holiness of this City. They define the City. They mark it off. And the perfect, 144-cubit walls show you that God’s people in Heaven will be holy because God will make them holy.

In other words, the dimensions of the City and its walls show a City fit for God, designed and built by God, and what it predicts is that the Church in Heaven will never again lack in holiness because your holiness in Heaven won’t be the result of your own works and effort but the final outcome of what God will do in you. John makes three predictions about the Church in Heaven that show you what’s missing in the Church on Earth. First, we’ve seen that verses 15-17 predict that one day, the entire Church will be a people fit for God, and second, the Church in Heaven will be…

A people prepared by God (18-21)

The Church right now is not ready for Heaven. I’m not. You’re not. We aren’t yet beautiful and pure like that bride in verse 9. Three centuries ago, Matthew Henry made the observation that even good congregations are what he called mixed “communions”—with roots of bitterness like weeds that sprout and cause trouble and defile churches that are supposed to be holy.[v] Verse 2 says that when the last day comes, the Church will be “prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.” As beautiful inside as outside.

That’s why the next four verses are about what the City is made of. Notice the walls, their foundations, and the gates of the City. First, notice what the walls are made of. “The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass,” (Rev. 21:18 ESV). The word for “built” means this is how the walls are constructed—the material they are made from.[vi] Look at verse 11: it looks like jasper, and it’s made of jasper! It’s looks are not deceiving: it is what it appears to be! And what it appears to be is ho God on His throne is described first in Rev 4:3. The walls of the City are solid jasper because in Heaven, the people of God will be holy like God. Then John says the whole city is gold, but pure and clear like glass. Like verse 11 where the jasper is “clear as crystal,” it means you can see what the City is made of; you can see what’s inside. In Heaven you can see what is in the heart of all God’s people. What’s on the inside is the same as what’s on the outside. Integrity. Purity. Holy all the way through. Like God.

Second, notice how the foundations of the wall are adorned.

19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,  20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. (Rev. 21:19-20 ESV).

The word “adorned” means they are made to be beautiful. Verse 14 says the 12 foundation stones are inscribed with the names of the Lam’s 12 apostles. The holiness of God’s people in Heaven stands on the teaching of the apostles of Jesus—on the Gospel of Jesus Christ preserved and passed down in the Scriptures of the New Testament. And verse 19 says each is adorned with a precious stone. The same word in verse 2—the City is like a bride “adorned for her husband.” The 12 precious stones make the Bride beautiful. The stones allude to Ex 28 and Ex 39. God told Moses to make a breastpiece for the High Priest to wear when he served God in the Tabernacle. The breastpiece had four rows of three stones, each stone representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The High Priest represented all twelve tribes before God. So when John sees God’s people, the Church of Jesus Christ in Heaven, under the emblem of this City; and the foundations of the City’s walls made beautiful just like the breastpiece of the High Priest, it means all of God’s people will serve God like priests. Everyone in Heaven will be a priest to God. Like it says in Rev 1:5—"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen,” (Rev. 1:5-6).

Third, notice what the gates are made of. “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass,” (Rev. 21:21 ESV).  Now in Greek there is no verb in verse 21—the verb is carried all the way forward from verse 19—so it means the gates were made beautiful, each being made of a single pearl. Why pearls? They were expensive. Job 28:18 says wisdom is more valuable than pearls. 1 Tim 2:9 talks about gold and pearls and expensive clothing. But in Matthew 13:45-46, the Lord Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant who found a priceless pearl and sold everything in order to buy that one pearl. So what does this mean? I see two profound truths here. God will make His people worthy. Priceless. A treasure. But there’s something else here. We saw last Sunday that the gates of the City are not to keep people out but to welcome people in. It’s a picture from Ezekiel 48, where the gates are there for pilgrims to come into the city and worship God. So if Christians in Heaven were just like Christians on Earth, and the gates are made of pearls, some of them would try to steal the gates! But this prophecy shows that what right now is a priceless treasure won’t even get a second look from Christians in Heaven. Why? Because of where that road leads to as it enters the City through those gates. “…And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass,” (Rev. 21:21b ESV). Each gate leads into one street—a street of pure gold—a holy path for a holy people way more interested in God than gold.

So we learn from the walls, the foundations, and the gates of the City, that Christians in Heaven will be made of better stuff than we are right now. God is the Builder, and we are His workmanship. And He wont’ fail to finish what He has started. John makes three predictions about the Church in Heaven that show you what’s missing in the Church on Earth. The Church in Heaven will be a people fit for God, and second, a people prepared by God, and third, the Church in Heaven will be…

A people happy in God (22-27)

The Church right now is not sufficiently happy in God. What’s missing is happiness. Joy. Lasting satisfaction in God. That’s going to change. John has described the City’s measurements and what she’s made of. Next he describes her happiness. This comes out in three ways: Notice her worship, her walk, and her works. First look at the City’s worship. “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb,” (Rev. 21:22 ESV). One of the major themes of the Old Testament was that God provided a Tent of Meeting, a Tabernacle in the Wilderness, a Temple in Jerusalem, so His people could worship Him! But not anymore! The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the City’s Temple (lit. Grk.). God and the Lamb are One. He is the Centre of the City. He is why the City is a cosmic-sized version of the Holy of Holies! So look what’s missing: in this City with no Temple, there is no Curtain, no Altar, no laver or basin to wash in, no High Priest, no sacrifice, no blood. Why? Because God is the Lamb and the Lamb is the Temple. In Christ the Lamb, finally, and through His sacrifice, God’s entire people in Heaven are His Holy dwelling place; the whole City is His priesthood; the entire people, His Church in Heaven, enjoy unceasing, unbroken fellowship with God in person.

Second, look at the City’s walk. “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  24 By its light will the nations walk…” (Rev. 21:23-24a ESV). John’s vision echoes Isaiah’s prophecy:

19 The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.  20 Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.  21 Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isa. 60:19-21 ESV)

Because God is their light, “their days of mourning are ended” and because God is their glory, the people “shall all be righteous.” What makes the people see, and know how to live, and where to walk, is the presence of the glory of God among them in the very presence of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. The “Glory of God” gives the City its light. And another way of saying that, in the parallelism of verse 23, is “its lamp is the Lamb.” Right now this is what we say about the Bible: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” (Ps. 119:105 ESV). In Heaven God Himself will be our lamp and our light.

And third, look at the City’s works.

…And the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,  25 and its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there.  26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  (Rev. 21:24-26 ESV)

The nations were not allowed into the old Tabernacle or Temple. But now look! The nations come right in to the City with no Temple, because of what the Lamb has done! Isaiah 60:3 is fulfilled forever: “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising,” (Isa. 60:3 ESV); Isaiah 60:5, “the wealth of the nations shall come to you. (Isa. 60:5b); Isa 60:11, “Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession,” (Isa. 60:11). What is this? It is the result of what Jesus has done! “…For you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:9-10 ESV) I can only imagine what works of culture, and beauty, and what achievements are implied in the glory and honour of all the nations, of the whole Church, of the multitude of people in Heaven! What activity, what wonders, what great works will be done! But I know who it’s for! All for Jesus. All to Christ. All to the joyful praise of His glorious grace.

Sometimes, now, Christians can taste that happiness in Jesus—there are moments when I get a glimpse of that joy. But then my sin gets in the way; then your heart strays again; then Heaven grows dim and this world comes back into focus. And then we can only see what we’re missing right now on Earth. And that’s how this prophecy helps us. Because what’s missing in Heaven tells us how God is going to change us. “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’,”  (Rev. 21:5a ESV). The Lamb is on the throne. This is what He is doing: making all things new! The Lamb, in chapter 5, is the focal point of God’s plans, and Providence, and power in history and now and forever. And in chapter 21, the Lamb is the focus of His people’s happiness, and holiness, in Heaven.

John predicts the Church in Heaven will be a people fit for God; a people prepared by God; and a people happy in God. Things we don’t yet fully see in the Church on earth. It’s easy to see what’s missing in the Church on Earth. But when we realize what is missing in Heaven, we see a sure and certain promise that because of the Lamb, because of Jesus Christ, everything will be different. You will be different. So what’s missing in Heaven? “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life,” (Rev. 21:27 ESV). Sin is missing. Sinners are missing. But not one man, woman, or child, whose name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be missing. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself made this pledge and promise: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day,” (Jn. 6:40 ESV). When the marriage of the Lamb comes, His Bride will be ready. Her beauty will be inside and out. And nothing will ruin the joy of Heaven. Because, though we don't see it yet, the Lord Jesus Christ will finish what He has started. The marriage between the Lamb and His Bride will be perfect. And as Paul says about marriage in Eph 5, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:32 ESV)