What Old Testament prophecies connect to the imagery in Revelation 21:23? Framing Revelation 21:23 “ ‘The city has no need for sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.’ ” (Revelation 21:23) John paints a picture of the New Jerusalem bathed in divine radiance. That portrayal is rooted in a rich stream of Old Testament prophecy describing a future day when God Himself becomes His people’s everlasting light. Isaiah’s Vision of Everlasting Light • Isaiah 60:19-20: “The sun will no longer be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. Your sun will never set, and your moon will not wane; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.” • Connections – Same promise of no need for sun or moon. – Emphasis on God’s glory as permanent light mirrors “the glory of God illuminates.” – Context of Zion’s future glory parallels John’s New Jerusalem. Isaiah’s Expanding Light Motif • Isaiah 24:23: “Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders—with great glory.” • Isaiah 30:26: “The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter… in the day the Lord binds up the fracture of His people.” These texts intensify the theme: earthly lights fade or pale when God’s glory rises. Zechariah’s “Unique Day” • Zechariah 14:6-7: “On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a day known only to the Lord, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light.” • The prophet foresees a singular day where normal solar cycles halt, anticipating the eternal light reality of Revelation 21:23. Ezekiel and the Glory That Fills the House • Ezekiel 43:2: “I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east… and the land shone with His glory.” Though Ezekiel focuses on the millennial temple, the blazing glory that fills and radiates outward foreshadows the final city where no created lights are needed. Genesis Foundations and the Pattern of Light • Genesis 1:3-5 precedes creation of sun and moon in verses 14-18, showing God’s light existing first. Revelation 21:23 reprises that order: divine light independent of celestial bodies. • Exodus 13:21’s pillar of fire similarly demonstrates God’s capacity to be light for His people. Messianic Center: “The Lamb Is Its Lamp” • Isaiah 60:1-3: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you… Nations will come to your light.” The Messiah is that light source, fulfilled in the Lamb. • Malachi 4:2: “For you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” An Old Testament hint that the coming Messiah radiates light in a way the physical sun merely pictures. Putting It Together • Prophecies from Isaiah 60, Isaiah 24, Isaiah 30, Zechariah 14, and Ezekiel 43 converge on the idea that God’s own glory will outshine and replace created luminaries. • Revelation 21:23 gathers those threads, identifies the glory as emanating from both God and the Lamb, and places the promise in the eternal city. • The Old Testament steadily prepared us for a climactic fulfillment: a redeemed people living forever in unmediated, undimmed light—God Himself. |
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