Read Revelation 21:22-27 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. How did the writer describe the city that he saw?
2. Who will walk in its light?
3. What will the nations bring?
Reflect
Revelation records a brief glimpse of heaven. In it, multiple Bible translations include the phrase, “the glory and honor of the nations.” This reveals that in God’s Kingdom, there will be diversity in ethnicity, yet we’ll be united into ONE through Jesus Christ. God’s aim isn’t homogeny but unity in and through our diversity as His people!
The over-arching narrative of Scripture is extremely clear: God is out to destroy the dividing wall of hostility and create a new kingdom from among every nation of men under our brown-skinned, Middle Eastern Savior. Jesus came for people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to establish the most diverse, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic movement in history. He unites us together.
Whatever our ethnicity, that’s not what makes us right with God. Our faith does. But, our ethnicity can be a way to illuminate His light into our dark world. When we bring who we are and link arms with those beside us, regardless of their background, story, or ethnicity, we experience a foretaste of heaven. We show a watching world that the Lamb of God is worth worshiping.
Respond
• What do you most look forward to about heaven? Did anything particular stand out in your reading today?
• What role do you think you could play in helping bring that taste of heaven to earth right now? Is there anything you could do or change to reflect God’s Kingdom better to those around you?
• What step could you take to link arms with someone different from you? What could worshiping God together look like in a practical sense?
Pray through these questions, and write down what God is prompting you to do next. Share with a friend, and take a step to apply it.
Want to go deeper? Visit the Traders Point app or this link to see our recommended resources for this week’s topic. If you want to catch Sunday’s message again, you can find it here.