¹⁴ For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Hebrews 13:14 (ESVUK)

Over Easter I had some time to read, study, wander and take photos. I had already brought into town some reading materials, with the intention of settling down in a coffee shop and studying for the facilities management course I’m in the middle of. But instead of heading straight there, I went via WH Smith, which was perhaps a mistake because I emerged with two magazines in hand and £12 less in the bank! Covering ancient cities, cities now and looking towards those of the future, the two magazines have kept me occupied for a while.

In National Geographic, SOM’s positive vision of smart, green, clean, efficient and equitable cities of the future, if not quite utopian, does at least aim to envision a better urban world. And such visionary thinking is nothing new: from the democracies of ancient Greece discussed in Ancient History, to the contemporary ‘Science City‘ vision taking shape in my home city of Newcastle, humanity has constantly sought to advance urban life. There’s much for a self-professed city geek like me to be excited about, and I’ve enjoyed reading these articles, but what’s conspicuous by it’s absence in SOM’s and so many other urban visions, is any reference to God.

The Bible also gives us a vision of a future city; a city that’s immense in size, yet green, clean and equitable. A city where there is no crying, mourning or pain. A place where work is truly rewarding and there is no exploitation or injustice. A city of beautiful gardens and safe, liveable streets, literally paved with gold. It offers a picture of a city far beyond our reach; impossible for a God-rejecting humanity so consumed with selfishness, lack of compassion and injustice. And yet, this utopian vision will one day come to pass – not through human ‘progress’, for we can’t build it. Rather, this is a city God himself will build (Hebrews 11:10, 16). And its true splendour will not be its opulence. Streets paved with gold and walls encrusted with precious jewels will be nothing compared to the glory of God, who will himself be its light and life. The very thing left out of SOM’s vision is what will make the new Jerusalem a reality – God himself will be at its centre. But that leaves us with a question: will we will be part of this true utopia? For a humanity that so often leaves God out of the picture entirely, it’s a tough one to answer, since God’s city comes as a package: there is no city without the God who gives it life. The Good news of Easter is that because of Jesus death and resurrection, God who we foolishly pushed out of the picture, had invited us back; the penalty for our rebellion has been paid and we’re offered new life in him. So will we be part of this great city? It all depends on whether we will allow that same God to be at the centre of our lives now, for only those who will accept him as king will be able to live in his kingdom.

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”
⁵ And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. ⁷ The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸ But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

⁹ Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,¹¹ having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. ¹² It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— ¹³ on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
¹⁵ And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. ¹⁶ The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. ¹⁷ He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. ¹⁸ The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
²² And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. ²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, ²⁵ and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. ²⁶ They will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. ²⁷ But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 21 (ESVUK)

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