Revelation, the final book of the Bible, opens with these words:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw.... (Revelation 1:1-2a, NIV)

Revelation is an apocalypse, a type of literature popular in Jewish circles from the 2nd century B.C. through the second century A.D. The two most distinctive features of apocalyptic are its focus on the future and its use of vivid symbolism to communicate God's truth.

John reminds his readers of the nature of apocalyptic in the very first lines of the book (quoted above). First, the phrase "what must soon take place" shows that this book primarily concerns the future. Second, the Greek verb translated "he made it known" literally means "he signed it" (semaino). A "sign" (semeion, discussed in Bare Roots 9.1) points beyond itself to some deeper reality. John is telling his readers that Revelation is a book of "signs," a book of symbols. Accordingly, they should interpret it not literally but symbolically. As we study Revelation, our guiding question will be: What would these symbols mean to John and his first readers -- namely, churches in the Roman province of Asia in about A.D. 95-96? (See Rev 1:4.)

Revelation describes God's coming Kingdom. Like other New Testament writers, John views the Kingdom as both a present and a future reality. The Kingdom begins to appear at Christ's First Coming, and then the Kingdom is consummated -- or comes in its fullness -- at his Second Coming (as discussed in Bare Roots 10.2).

We see the Kingdom as a present reality in Revelation 1:9. Already, in A.D. 95-96, John views himself and his fellow Christians as "companions in the...Kingdom."

We see the Kingdom as a future reality in the climactic vision of Revelation 21:1-22:6. Here John pictures the consummated Kingdom of God as "the Holy City, the New Jerusalem" (Rev 21:2).

In this series of Bare Roots, we will focus on the "New Jerusalem." John will show us what to expect when the Lord returns and we experience God's Kingdom in its fullness.

So what will the "New Jerusalem" be like? First, the consummated Kingdom of God will be just that -- the Kingdom of God. He will be King. He will be Sovereign. He will exercise Rule. He will have the Dominion. He will be Lord. Everything in the universe will be brought into conformity with God's good and beneficent will. John expresses this truth by saying,

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve Him.(Rev 22:3b)

The God who has revealed Himself in the "Lamb," Jesus Christ, will reign forever and ever. He alone will determine the shape of the universe and the course of our eternal future.

Second, many Christians think of our future with God as "going to heaven" -- going far away from this earth. John, however, has a different expectation:

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God...And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men , and He will live with them." (Rev 21:2-3a)

Note that "New Jerusalem" is not located somewhere in the sky on the clouds. Instead, it comes down "from God" to the earthly sphere. We do not go to God; the King comes to us.

Reflect...

1. Read Daniel's apocalyptic vision in Daniel 2. How does Daniel's conception of the Kingdom in 2:44-45 compare with John's conception in Revelation 22:3?
   
   
2. Read Jesus' description of the Kingdom in Matthew 6:10. How does it compare to John's description in Revelation 22:3?
   
   
3. Does the Kingdom include only heaven, or both heaven and earth? Read Romans 8:18-25 in light of Revelation 21:1-3.

Christopher A. Davis, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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