July 31
The City
Needs No Sun
Revelation 21:23-25
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splen 1 dor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
Daily Steps
A great source of anxiety about the future is the idea of losing the familiar comforts of the physical world. This passage provides the new believer with the glorious, absolute assurance that the New Home (Day 212) will be filled with eternal, perfect illumination: the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
The peace in this certainty is found in eternal illumination:
The Absence of Need: The New Jerusalem "does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it." This signifies the complete superiority of the new creation over the old. God removes the need for temporary, created sources of light because He is the ultimate, self-sufficient source.
The Source of Light: The eternal light is generated by the glory of God, and the Lamb is its lamp. This means that the unhindered presence and manifest holiness of God (The Pursuit of Holiness, Day 198) will provide perfect, unending illumination. This intimate visibility of God secures the most profound spiritual peace.
The Perpetual Security: Because God is the light, there is no night there, and consequently, its gates will never be shut. Darkness and night represent fear, danger, and separation from God; the eternal light guarantees perpetual security and open, peaceful access to the City for all time.
Your peace in the future is secured by God's manifest glory. Rest in the promise that your eternal home will be perfectly and perpetually illuminated because the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
Reflective Question
What "darkness" or fear in your current life (a shadow of sin, a hidden anxiety) are you hoping to escape? How can you allow the truth that the glory of God will be your eternal light to bring perpetual security and peace to that area today?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess my fear of the unknown and my dependence on the temporary lights of this world. I thank You for the promise that the New City does not need the sun or the moon.
I pray for the spiritual vision to fix my eyes on Your final illumination, trusting that the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Secure my peace today in the certainty of Your radiant, perpetual presence. Amen.
