Introduction

John’s final vision in the book of Revelation (21:1-2) merges Isaiah’s vision of a new heaven and earth with Ezekiel’s vision of the holy city Jerusalem. John draws on many themes from Ezekiel, but there are also some significant differences. Ezekiel’s temple becomes John’s city without a temple in Revelation. The city is the temple, the place where God dwells in his glory with his people. Ezekiel saw a restored temple in the land of Israel, but John’s city is open to people of to all nations.

Context of each vision

Both visions come as the final climax of their respective books, following a great conflict. The book of Ezekiel ends with a great vision of Yahweh returning to his temple and re-establishing his presence in the midst of his people after the catastrophe of the destruction of Jerusalem and exile to Babylon (ch 40-48). His vision follows directly after the description of Gog from the land of Magog attacking God’s people, and being dramatically defeated (ch 38-39). The temple forms the centre of the restored nation, which is ruled by the promised prince. Land for each of the tribes is allocated within the boundaries for the restored Israel.

The book of Revelation has been described as ‘the tale of two cities’. The two cities are also described as contrasting women. It portrays a great contrast between great evil city Babylon, the prostitute (17:1), and the holy and pure heavenly city Jerusalem, the bride (21:9). Both are introduced with the similar wording of John being ;in the Spirit’ and taken by an angel to a high mountain. John’s heavenly city is more clearly eschatological as it is described following the appearance of Christ and the final judgement, where Gog and Magog is also mentioned (20:8).

The message of both visions

The heart of both visions is that God is present with his people. Ezekiel’s city is named “The LORD is There” (48:35) and his dwelling place will be with his people (37:27). In Revelation, a loud voice from heaven declares that the dwelling of God is among men (21:3). This theme runs through the whole Bible, beginning from God walking in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:8), showing that the whole aim of God’s plan of salvation is for that relationship with his people to be restored, so we can be his people, and he can be our God.

A high mountain

In both Ezekiel (40:1-2) and in Revelation (21:10), the prophet is carried in a vision to a high mountain and shown a city. This is probably an allusion to the tradition of God’s holy mountain Zion / Jerusalem, where his presence was to be found, which had replaced Sinai, the mountain where he had appeared to Moses and where the covenant was made.

The temple or city is square

The outer dimensions of Ezekiel’s temple formed a square with each side measuring 500 cubits (approx 260m or 850 feet) (42:15-20). The sides are measured in the order: east, north, south, west, the same order as Revelation (21:13). The residence of Yahweh is therefore perfectly proportioned. Josephus noted that Herod’s temple was a square with each side measuring one furlong (Josephus Ant 15:11:3), which is confirmed by the present Temple Mount in Jerusalem being also about this size. The city in Ezekiel’s vision was also a square, each side measuring 4500 cubits (approx 2km or 1.5 miles) (48:16). At first sight, the heavenly city in Revelation is also square (21:16), but when measured it formed a perfect cube of a huge size. Each side was 12000 stadia, or 1500 miles. When all twelve sides of the cube are added together, it comes to 144,000, the number for God’s sealed people (7:4, 14:3). For a Jew, a cube would be immediately associated with the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and temple (1 Kg 6:20, 2 Chron 3:8f), which was twenty cubits in each dimension, and also covered with gold.

Elsewhere, John notes that the heavenly Jerusalem does not have a temple (21:22). This is because the entire city is a temple, a huge Holy of Holies, the place where God dwells in his glory. In the earthly temple, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, so the ordinary person could not come into the presence of God. However, in the heavenly Jerusalem, all believers can see God face to face and enjoy his presence forever (22:4).

Twelve Gates - three on each side

Ezekiel’s city had three gates on each side, making a total of twelve, named after the twelve tribes of Israel (48:30-34). Unusually Levi is included, so Ephraim and Manasseh are joined together as the sons of Joseph. John’s heavenly Jerusalem also has twelve gates, also named after the twelve tribes of Israel (21:13), but the gates are not individually named. In John’s city, each gate is also a single pearl (21:21), something not included by Ezekiel. Many scholars see a link with Jesus’ parable of the merchant selling everything to buy a pearl, to show the great value of finding the kingdom of God (Mt 13:45).

Foundations

John extends this image to include the twelve foundations named after the twelve apostles of the Lamb. This connects with Paul’s description of the church as the household of God built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20). The inclusion of the twelve tribes and twelve apostles shows the continuity between OT Israel and the church, and that there is a place for the saints of both OT Israel and of the church in the presence of God.

John gives a list of the precious jewels adorning the twelve foundations (21:19f), a different jewel decorates each individual foundation. These jewels are probably the same jewels as those decorating the breastplate of the high priest (Ex 28:17), although it is difficult to give an exact translation of the names of the stones. These were arranged in four rows, each containing three jewels, which has similarities with the arrangement here. In his temple vision, Ezekiel makes no mention of foundations or jewels. It is likely that John drew this image from Isaiah’s description of foundations and gates (Is 54:11f). Otherwise, there may be a connection with Ezekiel’s list of nine precious stones decorating the king of Tyre (28:13), especially as the Greek Septuagint gives a list of twelve stones with very similar names.

Measuring the city

Ezekiel is guided through his vision by a man shining like bronze, who also systematically measured each part of the temple in great detail with a measuring reed (40:3-5). This supernatural figure thus acted both as a guide and as a surveyor. John received an invitation from an angel to see the bride, the holy city Jerusalem (21:9f). This angel held a measuring rod of gold to measure the city (21:15). In contrast to the great number of detailed measurements in Ezekiel, John’s angelic guide only measures the outside dimensions and walls of the city. Earlier, John was told the measure the temple and altar (11:2), probably to give it protection, as Gentiles were excluded, but here it demonstrates the huge size of the city, and its magnificent perfect symmetry, as well as showing that there is plenty of room for everyone to come and enter the city and to enjoy God’s presence there (22:17).

The river of life

Ezekiel was shown water flowing from the temple, beginning shallow and becoming dramatically deeper, until it flowed down into the Arabah and turned the salty Dead Sea into fresh water (47:1-9). Ezekiel describes a physically impossible increase in the volume of the flow of the river, which would suggest that this is a symbolic apocalyptic picture of future blessing from God. This picture of the river of life was probably drawn from the description of the Garden of Eden, in which the river waters the garden, flows out and divides into four branches (Gen 2:10-14). Just as the Garden of Eden was the place where God met with his people, so in the theology of Zion, the temple became the source of God’s blessing in a dry land. Zechariah also predicted the day when living waters would flow out of Jerusalem, half to the Mediterranean, and half to the Dead Sea (Zech 14:8). Joel also predicted a fountain from the house of the Lord watering the Wadi Shittim (Joel 2:18). All these prophets are looking forward to the day when the Lord would renew and restore their nation after judgement and exile and bless them once again with his life-giving presence among them.

In John’s city, the river of the water of life flowed from the throne of God through the middle of the street of the city (22:1-2). The water from this living river was offered to those who are thirsty (21:6). During his ministry, Jesus offered people living water (Jn 4:14). He called those who are thirsty to come to him and drink (Jn 7:37), so rivers of living water would flow from the hearts of believers, which John says is a reference to the Holy Spirit. The living water is therefore symbolic of the presence of the Spirit in this age, as well as being a picture of eternal life in the presence of God in the age to come, where there is no more death.

The tree of life

Ezekiel describes the presence of many trees on the banks of the river, whose leaves will not wither but be for healing, and which will bear fresh fruit for food each month (47:7,12). Again this is a reference back to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, which was also permanently green and provided food for life. After Adam and Eve rebelled against God, they were driven out of the Garden so that they could not eat from the tree of life and live forever (Gen 3:22). John gives a very similar description of the tree of life in his vision. It also grows on the banks of the river, producing fruit each month and its leaves are for healing (22:1-2). The plentiful fruit shows the abundant life provided by God, a picture also drawn from elsewhere in the OT (Ps 1:1-3, Jer 17:7).

The presence of God in the city

The most significant truth of both visions is that God will be present in his glory in the city or temple so he can be in the midst of his people. Earlier Ezekiel received a vision in which he was shown the idolatry taking place in God’s temple (ch 8), so he witnessed God’s glory departing from the temple (ch 9-10), leaving it open to be destroyed in the judgement on Jerusalem. In the restored temple the glory of God again took up residence and filled the temple (43:4-5), just as it had done originally in the tabernacle (Ex 40), and in Solomon’s temple (1 Kg 8). The temple would be the place of God’s throne, where he will reside with his people forever (43:7,9). The book of Ezekiel ends with the name of the city: “The LORD is there” (48:35).

The heavenly city Jerusalem will also characterised by the presence of God’s throne (22:3), which is also the throne of the lamb. God will be in the midst of his people. The home of God will be among men (21:3), where his people will enjoy his presence and worship him and the lamb forever. In the Old Testament, the temple succeeded the tabernacle as the place where God dwelt in his glory among his people. It was the place of God’s holy presence. John alludes to the promise made in the wilderness, that God will place his dwelling in their midst, and they shall be his people (Lev 26:11-12). Significantly, John uses the word for tabernacle (skene), referring back to the wilderness where God dwelt in his glory among his people, just has he did when he described Jesus as the Word of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us (Jn 1:14).

Major differences between the visions

Although there are overall similarities between the two visions, there are also some marked differences. John has taken a vision set in the context of the old covenant, and has seen its fulfilment in the much wider terms of the new covenant. Ezekiel describes a physical temple with blood sacrifices continuing to be offered by a Levitical priesthood in a restored national Israel. In contrast, John sees a heavenly city built with precious stones with no temple, ruled by the lamb who bears the marks of his sacrifice, to which people of all nations are invited to come.

In Revelation, the city is also the bride, the wife of the lamb (21:9). This description is not found in Ezekiel’s vision. It appears that John is joining together different descriptions of God’s people from the Old Testament into his climactic vision of God dwelling with his people. The common Old Testament picture of God’s love for Israel as his bride is joined together with the Zion tradition of God’s holy city on his holy mountain. John sees a city - the place of God’s glorious presence in the midst of his people, which is also the bride of Christ - showing the intimate relationship God wants with his people.

In his vision Ezekiel was shown a complete working temple, including the altar of burnt offering, upon which the blood sacrifices are offered by the priests (43:13-26). The predicted prince was to provide the regular offerings for the festivals, including the Passover (45:9-46:18). Ezekiel was also shown the kitchens where the sacrifices were to be cooked by the priests (46:19-24). This causes problems for interpreters who insist that Ezekiel is predicting that a literal physical temple will be built in Israel in the last days. After the cross, no blood sacrifices are necessary, as made abundantly clear by the author of Hebrews (9:11 - 10:18), because Jesus was the 'once and for all' sacrifice. Therefore John’s city has no temple, and no sacrifices are performed in it. Instead the sacrificial lamb is on the throne among his people (22:3).

Another significant difference is that the scope of the promise is widened from being exclusively for Israel in Ezekiel, where foreigners were forbidden to enter the temple (44:6-9), to include a great multitude from all nations (Rev 7:9, 21:24-26). The promise of God dwelling with his people in the OT is widened to God dwelling with his peoples in the plural (21:3). In the eternal city, God will dwell with his redeemed people from all nations . This reflects a common pattern between the two testaments, in which promises originally given to the physical nation of Israel are widened to include Gentiles who share the faith of God’s people.

In Ezekiel’s vision, priests are still needed to teach the people the difference between the holy and common, and between the clean and unclean (44:23), just as they did in the Mosaic law (Lev 10:10). However, in John’s vision, nothing that is unclean (21:27), or accursed (22:3) is allowed to enter the city, as the city is holy. Instead of being open only to Israelites, the heavenly city is open to all whose names are in the lamb’s book of life (21:27).

Conclusion

In his final vision, John draws many details from Ezekiel’s vision. However, he also draws from many other themes found throughout the Old Testament, bringing them together to form the climactic vision of God’s presence being with his people. The characteristically Old Testament aspects of Ezekiel’s vision of God and his people Israel are widened to a New Testament perspective of Christ and the redeemed from all nations.

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