Revelation 21:9-21 (NIV)
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
Turning points tend to leave a mark.
Baby boomers look at the moon landing as a turning point.
Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. If you wonder where the boomer part comes from, it’s from a baby boom that happened post-World War II, when the birth rates surged in the United States. So, in 2025, boomers are between 61 and 79 years old. That age range includes me. The moon landing occurred on July 16, 1969. I was 17 years old and remember it well. Apollo 11, launched by NASA, became the news of the day. On July 20, 1969, we all watched as astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the Moon. Michael Collins stayed on the command module in lunar orbit. The airwaves were filled with Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon, making him the first person to ever walk on this lunar surface.
I remember sitting in front of our family television wide wide-eyed and mouth agape, as we watched Armstrong put his foot on the Moon and declare, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” And boy was it ever. A turning point for all.
Gen X looks at the fall of the Berlin Wall as a turning point.
Generation Xers were born between 1965 and 1980, making their age range between 45 and 60. The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin, separating it from East Berlin. The wall that divided these two areas was built in August of 1961. On August 13th, in a few hours between midnight and dawn, the barbed wire barrier was completed and the border sealed. Then, within days, it became a concrete block that constrained Germany’s own people. It became the symbol of the Cold War. On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. This brought an end to the Cold War. Both East and West Berliners celebrated the fall of the wall. A pivotal moment, making it a turning point.
Photo by Banibrato Sinha on Unsplash
Another turning point includes Sputnik in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, making it the world’s first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. This began the Space Age and then went on to trigger the Space Race between the United States and the USSR. A turning point that paved the way for future space missions. Turning points. Movies like The Right Stuff were made highlighting the Space Age.
But then, with turning points comes fear. If they can do that, what else can they do? Then it all begs the question: What did or does it matter?
In our scripture, John is talking about our new home and what it will look like with the Lord. Sounds like a turning point, yes? John’s passages describe the New Jerusalem, which is the symbolic representation of our eternal dwelling place. John sees it as a magnificent city that he sees descending from heaven. God is its light, along with its inhabitants who are all dwelling in harmony.
John speaks to the angel as showing him this New Jerusalem. It’s identified as the bride of the Lamb, which is Jesus. It signifies just how intimate the relationship is between Christ and His followers—the Church.
God promised through Jesus to go and prepare a place for us. John writes of the city’s structure. Its twelve foundations, its gates, and walls. Walls that don’t divide. It represents God’s perfect order. It offers security and provisions for His people. There’s not a temple as we know it. God and the Lamb are the temple. All the inhabitants of this place give us direct access to God. The city is adorned with all precious jewels, which show us the beauty and the glory of God.
Can you imagine a place where God’s presence is fully realized? A place so perfect and where God’s people live peacefully with joy and can fellowship with Him. Another turning point for sure. Can you see it? Does it appear to be your ultimate dream home?
Photo by Mahdi Soheili on Unsplash
How do we live between the time of now and the time of then? We must each decide that for ourselves.
If we are to be included in the New Jerusalem, that heavenly city where God lives, we must ask, are we in the camp of the ready or the camp of the not yet?
And that’s what I learned in Church……see ya next time!
