Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 21 before reading the devotional below.
If you have ever seen the Wizard of Oz, you may remember the reaction of Dorothy and her friends when they first spot the Emerald City. They had followed the yellow brick road to get to this place that they had never seen, full of hope that they would be rescued from the Wicked Witch of the West. Sadly, the great Wizard of Oz was just a sham. But the magnificence of the Emerald City is what I think of when I read today’s chapter. God’s ultimate city is full of sparkling gems, gold, and brilliant light.
This chapter also emphasizes what will not be allowed in God’s great city: evil, idolatry, and dishonesty among other things. There is no way to cling to these things and enter God’s presence because they are diametrically opposed to him. This chapter describes what was first established in Genesis 2: total intimacy and connection with God. Psalm 5:3-5 describes that closeness and the way in which evil cannot come into the presence of God. For those who delight in evil, that is a threat. For those who want protection from evil, it is a tremendous gift.
The heart of the Gospel is that it is free to all who want it. Jesus has made a way for you to live eternally with him in the most glorious of cities. If you are looking for a way out of the evil of this world, it’s yours for the taking! If your life has been built on the stuff of this world, then you are probably not interested in what he has to offer. I don’t think scare tactics about the flames of hell are the best way to share the Gospel, though some take passages like this one and use it for that purpose. I’d rather talk about what Jesus has to offer, not just for eternity but for your life right now. Eternal life doesn’t start when you die. You are in the first stages of your life now, and it continues on if you follow Jesus into his city. More adventures await but it starts right here.