Revelation 22:5: How can there be no night in the new creation if day and night cycles are governed by planetary rotation? Context of Revelation 22:5 Revelation 22:5 states, “There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.” This passage appears in John’s vision of the new creation, immediately following his description of the New Jerusalem. It conveys that God’s direct presence will provide a light so complete and unending that no other source is necessary. In our present reality, the cycle of day and night is governed by planetary rotation, dependent upon the sun to distinguish daylight from darkness. Yet, the question arises: “How can there be no night in the new creation if day and night cycles are governed by planetary rotation?” Below is a detailed exploration of Revelation 22:5, focusing on the nature of the new creation, its departure from present cosmological patterns, and the biblical emphasis on God’s glory as the sustaining light. 1. The Biblical Concept of Light and Darkness Throughout Scripture, light often symbolizes God’s presence, purity, and truth, while darkness symbolizes sin, evil, and spiritual separation (John 1:5). From the earliest pages of Genesis, we see God’s power over light and darkness, creating light by pronouncing, “Let there be light...” (Genesis 1:3). In Revelation, the imagery reaches a climactic declaration that God Himself provides the final, eternal light. This does not negate the reality of physical day and night in the present creation but indicates that the future, perfected creation will transcend present limitations. 2. The Nature of the New Creation Scripture prophesies a radical transformation of the cosmos at the culmination of history (2 Peter 3:13). As the apostle John writes, he sees “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). This new order differs qualitatively from the current one. The normal processes we observe—such as planetary rotations that produce day and night—are part of the original created realm. In the new creation, God is not bound by those processes in the same way. Revelation 21:23 declares, “The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.” The principle here is that the presence of the Creator surpasses the need for created luminaries. 3. Transcending Current Physical Laws Some have suggested that the new creation stands outside the constraints of our present physical laws. While Scripture is not a comprehensive physics textbook, it repeatedly shows miracles that supersede natural processes (e.g., the sun standing still in Joshua 10:12–13, or the resurrection of Christ, which defies ordinary biological decay). The new creation can be understood as a realm where the normal cycle of day and night does not apply. Similar to how a candle is rendered unnecessary when a bright floodlight shines, the sun and planetary rotation may become secondary when God’s perpetual presence is the ultimate source of light. 4. God as the Everlasting Light Isaiah 60:19–20 offers a parallel prophecy: • “No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on you by night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.” This promise, also echoed in Revelation 21–22, clarifies that God Himself replaces the created sources of light. Instead of a temporal cycle of light and darkness, there will be continual illumination emanating from Him. Nothing indicates that the new earth must rely on the same mechanics as the present one. 5. The Symbolic and Spiritual Dimensions The phrase “there will be no more night” carries a spiritual dimension. Night symbolizes the absence of God’s manifest glory and often represents sin and calamity. By saying there is “no more night,” Scripture conveys that evil, pain, and separation from God in any form are abolished in the new creation. No matter how literal or figurative one interprets the phrase, the key truth remains: Nothing will obscure or limit the Lamb’s light and God’s presence. As 1 John 1:5 proclaims, “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 6. Addressing Planetary Rotation From an observational standpoint, day and night on today’s earth stem from the earth’s rotation on its axis relative to the sun. One could argue that, in a new creation, the necessity for the solar-lunar system as we know it changes dramatically. The physical restructuring of creation, glimpsed by the apostle John, suggests a perfected existence not subject to the old creation’s fallen conditions and limitations. Whether God chooses to maintain a form of planetary rotation or does away with it altogether, the scriptural emphasis points to the fact that God’s glory outshines and thus nullifies the need for any lesser light. Therefore, the cyclical transitions of day and night are no longer relevant in the new heavens and new earth. 7. Glorification and the Ever-Present Majesty of God God’s glory fills and saturates the new city so completely that the concept of darkness becomes obsolete. This unceasing light can be seen as both literal—God providing the full radiance—and symbolic—forever dispelling the darkness of sin. Throughout Scripture, God’s presence is often visually described as radiant beyond human capacity (Exodus 34:29–30, where Moses’ face shone; Matthew 17:2, at the Transfiguration). In the consummation of all things, that radiant glory becomes the permanent backdrop of existence. 8. Consistency with Other Scriptural Passages • Revelation 21:25 parallels the statement in Revelation 22:5: “On no day will its gates ever be shut, because there will be no night there.” This reinforces the image of a city under the unwavering light of God’s majesty. • Genesis 1:14 affirms that the sun and moon were instituted for signs, seasons, days, and years. These appointments fulfill their purpose in the present world. But in the final state, the direct presence of God fulfills all that those luminaries pointed to. 9. Implications for Believers and Worship The absence of night symbolizes a reality in which worship and communion with God face no hindrance. The passage also speaks to the eternal reign of redeemed believers: “And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). This eternal kingdom is free from the curse of sin and from the cyclical fading of daylight and onset of darkness. Believers look forward to an existence of unobstructed communion, in the same manner that the sun’s light currently provides vital energy for life. God’s presence, infinitely brighter, continually supplies all spiritual, emotional, and even physical needs in ways that surpass current understanding. 10. Conclusion When Revelation 22:5 declares there is no night in the new creation, it describes a realm no longer bound by the cycles of the present cosmos. God’s radiance alone provides unending light, rendering the usual necessity of celestial bodies and rotations unnecessary. The old patterns of creation give way to a perfected order where no form of darkness—literal or spiritual—can exist. From the earliest chapters of Genesis to the final chapters of Revelation, the unifying theme is God’s sovereign authority over creation. He spoke light into being at the start (Genesis 1), and He Himself is the everlasting light in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 22). The scriptural promise stands unchanged: the Creator, who alone sustains all life, culminates His redemption plan by ushering His people into a glorious, eternal reality, where “they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them” (Revelation 22:5). |
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