When preaching, it is definitely meaningful to draw spiritual significance for the Church of today from the images of the future that are sketched here. A pastor can preach today from these prophetic images of the future. And every personal Christian believer can do the same, and derive or apply a meaning from them somehow to their personal lives. That is quite alright. As long as you do not loose sight on the first and literal meaning of prophecies in the Bible, often referring to Israel in the first place. So enjoy and be blessed also by these prophetic pictures about everything the New Jerusalem and the Holy City will hold one-day. Read the Bible as a personal letter to you! That goes for the whole of Scripture, also for the history of Israel as described in the Old Testament. But we should never forget: Israel = Israel, meaning that where the Bible says: ‘Israel’, it means ‘Israel’ in the first place – and not ‘the Church’ or ‘us’ or ‘me’ or whatever. We should not start ‘spiritualize’ or ‘allegorize’ the Bible for that has led to ‘replacement theology’ claiming that the ‘church’ replaced Israel as the chosen people of God. Yes, there are ‘types’ in the Bible. One can derive spiritual lessons from these stories, persons, histories of the Bible and Israel. But leave its first and literal meaning to what the text says. So, when is says: Israel, it means Israel, when mentioned in the Bible. We should interpret the passages correctly and not apply the promises to us personally or to the Church, when ‘Israel’ is mentioned in the first place. In the same way, where Scriptures address the ‘Church’, we should interpret these correctly and apply these to the ‘Church’. So: the Church = the Church, when mentioned in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 10: 1 – 12, Paul appropriately drew spiritual warnings for the Church from Israel’s history. But again: Israel = Israel, and the Church = the Church! We should not try to make a kind of un-holy theological mix of the two – as so often happened in church history.
That has lead very early on in Christianity to ‘replacement theology’, or ‘expansion theology’, or fulfilment theology, creating an atmosphere in the lands of Christianity in which hundreds and thousands and ultimately millions of Jews could be killed – and sometimes the Christianity was actively involved in that, or stood by watching what was happening without lifting a finger. Rivers of Jewish blood have been shed during the last 2000 years of history in the lands of Christendom. Of course, there were exceptions; my parents who were good friend with Corrie Ten Boom, and like the Ten Boom family and many other Dutch families, they have been involved in hiding Jews in WWII. Corrie ten Boom came to the home of my parents often, after the Second World War. My personal roots for my love for the Bible and for the Jewish people lie there!
The ‘throne of God and of the Lamb’ stood in the Holy City.1 The City itself had become a ‘Temple’ so that a separate Temple to worship or to glorify God in a spiritual manner, is no longer necessary. No ‘separate place’ where He would be able to dwell in all His holiness is needed. God will live among us human beings, and we do not have to be afraid to be consumed by His Presence, but we can be basking in the glow of His Majesty.
Today the Lord is looking for worshippers ‘in Spirit and in truth’. The Samaritan woman began a theological discussion with Jesus as to whether the Temple in Jerusalem or the one on Mount Gerizim was the real one2—a discussion about which is the true church?, you could say. Where is the best church for me? What is the best place for me to pray and worship? What denomination should I prefer? Which one is really true to the Bible? Etcetera. By asking this ‘theological’ question the Samaritan ‘woman at the well’, she avoids the personal appeal of the Lord Jesus, who then makes it clear to her that she has to make a personal decision about her life. His invitation to her is to believe Him. But this is about matter of a ‘theological debate’ but about her heart and about Him. “Believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem…. God is Spirit, and His worshippers must worship in ‘spirit and truth’.”3 We all are often very good at avoiding the personal call, the personal appeal directed at us. Instead, we like to start a theological or philosophical discussion, as a diversion. This is about worshipping with our ‘heart and mind’ in the first place. It is not yet about the ‘true church or the true temple’.
The ‘river of life’ flows from the Holy City. In the City in the form of a cube the throne is at the centre; in the City in the form of a pyramid the throne is thought to be on the top, so that the ‘light and the water’ come from there and flow out over the City and the world. This is life-giving water, the ‘water of life’, John 4:1-29, 7:37-39. It is always given by the Holy Spirit, as a spiritual yet very real blessing. It is absolutely life-changing. The nations will find healing through the leaves of the tree, and through the fruit of the ‘tree of life’, each month anew.4 Healing of damaged memories at first, maintenance of eternal life thereafter, always depending upon God, upon the Lamb and upon the Holy Spirit. ‘Living and working’ in the New World, the kings bring the glory and the firstfruits of their labour into the Holy City. And what about the inhabitants of the Holy City? They are all servants. Humans and angels together. Priests and kings. Whereas the ‘celestial beings’ initially took care of the Heavenly liturgy,5 now the liturgy is extended to everyone who lives in the City—indeed, to everyone living in the New Heavens and on the New Earth. This is God’s dwelling- place, and God’s Tabernacle with the people forever,6 as the Church now is already a dwelling-place for God, in the Spirit, His holy Temple.7 What is involved in this worship? It is serving God’s purpose with your whole being – body, soul and spirit, which is love in its highest form. And that also means: creativity in its highest form. Just look at our Creation to observe how endlessly creative the Creator went to work. How much more will He do so in the Coming Future when He reaches the climax of His Creative activity. And we will do too, along with Him! You yourself may quietly reflect what that means to you—provided you are there! What incredible works of Creation will He perform in that glorious future, in whatever dimensions? What are you hoping for to be involved in? There will no longer be anything accursed there. He longs for you, for us. Do we long for Him? If yes, that by His Grace in our hearts!
• The ‘blessing’ had to be pronounced by six tribes on Mount Gerizim (868 metres high), and the ‘curse’ on Mount Ebal8 (941 metres high), which was situated opposite it, by the other six tribes. The Samaritans considered Mount Gerizim to be the place where Abraham was to sacrifice his son, Isaac,9 whereas the Jews thought Mount Moriah to be the place – which was later the Temple Mount: Mount Moriah = Mount Zion, in Jerusalem – 2 Chronicles 3:1, Psalm 132:13-14.
• Although nearly extinct, a small Samaritan community still exists. They still hold on to their own Samaritan Pentateuch, their own books of the Law/Torah, handed down over the centuries, with their version of the ‘five books of Moses’, written in the Samaritan alphabet and used as Scripture by the Samaritans. It constitutes their entire Biblical canon. It became known to the Western world in 1631 AD, proving the first example of the Samaritan alphabet.
Bible References:
1.Revelation 21:22 2.John 4:19–20 3.John 4:21–24 4.Revelation 22:2 5.Revelation 4:8–11 6.Revelation 21:3 7.Ephesians 2:22, 3:17 8.Deuteronomy 11:29, 27:11–13 9.Genesis 22:1–19
