No Church in Heaven

Revelation 21:22-26

Matthew 24:1-2

November 5, 2017

William G. Carter

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.

As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

Parents, you may wish that you had covered your children's ears when that passage was read. Because the prophet John declares there is no church in heaven. There is no temple in the New Jerusalem.

I say this because if the kids hear there is no church in heaven, they may conclude that they don't have to attend church here and now.

It's like the student who discovers there is no final exam in the course, so she presumes that she doesn't have to study, much less go to class anymore. Some could say that is a perfect analogy. If you find out there's no church in heaven, what's the point of going here and now?

Any reasonable Christian will have a good answer, of course. Here's my answer: how can you know there even is a heaven, if you don't go to a church and have the scriptures opened up to you? And if you do go to a church and the scriptures are opened up, you discover that what the Bible says about heaven is a lot different from what you've always heard.

I think of the Tom and Jerry cartoons from my childhood. Tom the cat was constantly outwitted and attacked by Jerry the mouse. Say, for instance, he falls off a cliff and meets his demise. Suddenly the ghost of Tom floats out of his carcass with newly appointed wings, bearing a halo and playing a harp. There's nothing like that in the Bible at all.

The Bible says we belong to God, body and soul, and we will be given a new body after we die. The Bible doesn't say you going to be given wings, a harp, and a ghostly existence. That's kind of a 1950s popularized fiction. In fact, the Bible doesn't even say there will be cats in the afterlife, although some of you may wish to dispute me on that.

That's an argument from silence. The book of Revelation doesn't mention cats in heaven, or harps, floating ghosts, or halos for the faithful so those inclined not to believe in such things have their argument.

But Revelation does mention some aspects of the ultimate dominion of God. In chapter 21, we are told there will be no more tears, no more crying, no more pain, no more death. Presumably that means there will be no more hunger and thirst, no more fear and anguish, no more consumer debt, no more cancer, no more gunshots, no more war. All of this because it's heaven.

Along the way John also mentions there will be “people from every tribe.” Presumably that means it will be a diverse and inclusive crowd of people. It will be populated by people who know how to get along with their neighbors, who have had all the meanness and evil removed from them. They join in singing an endless doxology, and we have every reason to believe they sing in harmony.

John speaks of a New Jerusalem. It's an image familiar enough to anybody who imagines the old Jerusalem. They will recognize it when it comes. It does come, down from above, which is an important direction to note. None of us will not be flying up, so much as heaven will come down.

And this will be a city. Not a garden, but a city, well populated with a functioning infrastructure, designed for the habitation of a multitude. The streets will be safe, the playgrounds will be full of laughter, and there will be no garbage in anyone's view. It sounds like Disney World without the gift shops, the overpriced food, and the greedy little mouse.

John sees all of this. The spirit of God opens his eyes. It is all an alternative to the horror and terror of the predominant emperor who mistakenly believes he is divine, an overbearing tyrant who can never deliver on the imperial propaganda that “war creates peace” and “domination creates joy."

In fact, did you hear that concluding line of our text, that "nothing unclean shall enter" God's city, including "anyone who practices abomination or falsehood"? I think that's a kick in the shins to the emperor du jour.

One interesting thing about the Book of Revelation is that, as much as people think it's concerned with looking ahead to God's future, it is really an unveiling of God's truth here and now. As early as chapter 4, we're told the door to Heaven opens up and John can hear and see what is ultimately real in his own time, not only at the end of time, but in his own time. This is the Ultimate Reality book.

Is war real? Of course it is, read the book. Are destruction and evil real? Certainly! Does famine destroy life? Do ecological disasters disrupt the beautiful world that God loves? Absolutely. On every other page of the book of Revelation, there is the reminder of how God's beloved creation tries to reject its Creator.

Yet interspersed are visions and hymns and affirmations that the Sovereign God still reigns and will ultimately rule over all. In God’s presence, there are no more tears. This is the truth of the kingdom of God. “The kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdom of Our Lord and of his Christ.” And let everybody and everything say hallelujah!

And in the middle of it all, in the center of the city whose gates are always open, there is no church. There is no temple. So what is it that John sees and perceives?

John sees a complete relationship between God and God's people. There will be complete union, direct connection, no need for a priesthood to bring together Creator and creation. There will be no need any more for the temple as the meeting place. God will be in the midst of them, says the prophet. And everybody will know it.

That's the spiritual truth behind every religious impulse. The sages would refer to it as “mystic sweet communion.” They point to the peaceful, joyful, and ecstatic fellowship that will no longer be torn or disrupted

So let me tell you what I think this means for us, by telling you first what I think it doesn't mean. This Grand Vision of the Prophet John does not point to some escape hatch for those who presume themselves to be better than everybody else. No, every human being is in the same soup. If one suffers, everybody suffers. If one is lifted up, it is for the benefit of all to be lifted up. It is difficult to keep that straight, In a time of rampant selfishness, somebody is always trying to claw themselves to the top of the heap so they can get in ahead of everybody else.

Sorry, but if some eat and others do not eat, we do not have the kingdom of God. If some are burned out of their houses, and others flooded out of their homes, while the rest sit in luxury and indifference, we do not have the kingdom of heaven. If some sing happy songs that anesthetize them from the suffering of their neighbors, it is not the New Jerusalem. So we dare not believe the lie that anyone is superior. Real life is like a soccer team, in that we are only as good as our weakest player

So when we hear this grand vision of what God is going to do, it should set us ablaze in mission to prepare what God wants to provide for all people. We feed the hungry because one day God is going to feed all of them. We work to reconstruct broken homes, for the day is coming when all people shall dwell in safety. There is no escape hatch, nor any reprieve from the ongoing expression of the love of Jesus Christ. Revelation 21 says at least that.

I think it also says that if we encounter division and animosity here and now, this is not the ultimate reality. If you currently are going through an argument with somebody, settle it somehow, so that you're ready for an eternity of having to get along with your enemy. If you see division between those who look different from one another, stand up and work for harmony because harmony is where everything is headed. If you come across the possibility of unfairness or injustice, work to correct it, because the day is coming when God will judge and make everything the way it was intended to be. Not only is there no escape hatch, there is no reprieve from our ongoing Christian life and mission

And there's another thing that John is saying. If there is no Temple in the ultimate kingdom of God, then this Temple that we are in today is but a way station on to the ultimate destination. That should free us from thinking that this congregation has to be finished or perfected, or that this building this structure has to meet every possible need. What we have here is very special, and I feel the great privilege of being with you in ministry. But it's not the ultimate thing in and of itself. If it's working pretty well now, that's wonderful, but it won't always work so wonderfully. We know that. A church is full of people, subject to all the dynamics that shape every other human institution. We should avoid an idealistic or idyllic view of what we share.

But the church is also a holy institution, breathed into being by God's Spirit, and infused with the life of the Risen Christ. So when truth is spoken or needs are prayed, it is God working through us to speak and pray. Blessed are those who encounter God here again and again.

But there's one other thing that the grand vision of Revelation declares. It is possible to live in complete peace with the God who loves you. You don't need some manufactured strictures or some screwy Hocus Pocus to adjudicate your spiritual life. God wishes to be at peace with you and invites you into the peace that is possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus. I'm talking about complete forgiveness, complete awareness of how deeply we are treasured, and complete hospitality to receive you as you are, as you continue the journey toward what God is preparing for us all.

This is an extraordinary opportunity offered freely to us each day, to live fully in the grace of God. There's nothing to prove, nothing to earn, nothing to do except to open your arms and welcome the spirit of God who brings you into the New Jerusalem. That grace will change us. And it doesn't get any better than that.

I think that is what John sees when he says there is no temple or church, in the city of God. And just think: if we hadn't come to church today, we wouldn't have heard it.

So I will see you back here next week.

(c) William G. Carter. All rights reserved.