The OrchardExemplo

Faithfulness: Revelation 21:1–7; 22:1–5

Read through the poem twice. After taking time on the first reading to familiarize yourself with the passage, on the second, take time to ponder and notice.

New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem

1 I saw a brand new heaven and earth—
the former earth, heaven, and sea were no more.

2 I saw the sacred city, new Jerusalem, descending from heaven
adorned as a beautiful bride for her husband.

3 I heard a loud voice from the throne proclaim:
God is living with his people and they with him.
He himself will always be with them—
Immanuel come to dwell with his people!

4 God will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and kill all pain, grief, and death.

5 All this will come to pass by the One
who turns the past into something new,

6 for he is the Alpha through Omega,
the Beginning to the very End.

7 Those who conquer will be his children.

Chapter 22

1 They will drink of the living waters flowing
from the throne of the God-Man, Lamb divine.

2 They will eat everlasting fruit from the living Tree
and be healed forever from all disease.

3 The illumined God beaming through the Lamb
will be their light brighter than the sun.

4 They will see God’s grace and goodness
shining in the face of their beloved Jesus Christ.

Philip Comfort, The Poems and Hymns of the New Testament. Used by permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers. www.wipfandstock.com

Like in Romans 8 looking at goodness, we have a larger eternal perspective and a focus on the goodness of God. It also shows the faithfulness of God “he himself will always be with them” and his desire is for a loving relationship with us.

This is a grand vision of the culmination of time and heaven and earth. A vision also of an ideal ending, an end to all injustice, pain, illness and suffering and death. Aspiring to such a grand vision, there is reference to Debussy’s La cathédrale engloutie at the beginning.

There is a dualism in the last four lines; drink and eat, light and shining. It leads from sustenance to looking to God and seeing His grace and goodness and ultimately His love.

The poem also has a joyous quality to it, so the theme and texture from Joy is sprinkled throughout. The main melody is derived from the carol melody referenced in Joy which recalls the concept of Immanuel (God with us), a key focus of the poem. The harmony sequence used is the same in Love and there are references to Love throughout also.