Seeing the city that has foundations

The seven letters of Revelation 2:1 – 3:22 were all sent to churches in cities (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and so on). Every indication is that the churches—including these seven—at that time were small (for example, 1 Corinthians 16:19) and hence easily swallowed up by the multitudes around them. Yet the Lord would compare his bride to a city. A city implies a dense concentration of people (and hence fulfillment of Genesis 1:28; Revelation 7:9). Aged Abraham lived in tents with his son Isaac and grandson Jacob (and Esau), a small and insignificant family among the population of Canaan. But with the eye of faith he foresaw the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God (Hebrews 11:9–10), and so anticipated offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven. New Testament saints, though we may feel outnumbered in megacities of unbelief, may share Abraham’s vision. In fact, the holy city—the church!—outsizes every megacity (Revelation 21:15–17).

Due to humanity’s fall into sin, togetherness of (crowds of) people provides expressions of depravity (Babel, Genesis 11:4; Sodom, Genesis 18:20). The renewing work of the Lord’s Holy Spirit is so wonderful that the coming heavenly city reflects the glory of God himself, with no longer any stain of sin anywhere. The renewing work of the Holy Spirit in the present dispensation provides a beginning of that glory in the church.