Revelation 21:23
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it,.... Which may be understood either literally of these two luminaries, which all earthly cities need; and which, though they may be in being in the new heavens, yet will not have the use with respect to this city they now have. The Jews say {u}, the orb of the sun is in this world; and the gloss adds, but not in the future state, for the lights shall be renewed: and they further say {w}, as here, that
"in the world to come, "Israel hmxh rwal Nykyru Nya, will have no need of the light of the sun, nor of the light of the moon", neither by day nor by night,''
as they say {x}, the Israelites had not in the wilderness. So they represent the Lord speaking to Moses, and saying {y},
"thy days shall cease, but thy light shall not cease; for thou shall have no need for ever of the light of the sun, nor of the light of the moon, and of the stars.''
Or else it may be understood mystically, but not of Christ, the sun of righteousness, whom the saints will always need and enjoy; but of the governors and discipline of the church in its present state; and of the written word, which is a light unto them now, and the ministration of it, and the ordinances of the Gospel, by which light and knowledge are conveyed; but in this state all will be immediately taught of God; nor shall everyone teach his neighbour, but all shall know the Lord perfectly; and also of political governors, who will be no more; see
for the glory of God did lighten it; the Shekinah, or glorious presence of God, which filled the temple of Solomon, and shone round about the shepherds at the incarnation of Christ; with the presence of God, who is light itself, which will be enjoyed in a much more glorious manner, will the church now be enlightened; and this will be an everlasting light unto her: and the Lamb is the light thereof; in whose light they will see the face of God, and see God face to face; they will see Christ as he is, and behold his glory; and look upon the angels, those glorious forms of light, and all the glorified saints, and know and converse with each other; and they will look into, and clearly discern all the mysteries and doctrines of grace, and all the various scenes of Providence, which will all be opened and laid before them. And this light will be always without any change and variation; which is no small part of the commendation of this city, which is the inheritance of the saints in light. So the holy blessed God is said by the Jews {z} to be Mylvwry lv wrwa, "the light of Jerusalem"; he is the light of the new Jerusalem; see Isaiah 60:19 and the light of, the world to come is, by {a} them, called "the great light".
{u} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 101. 1.
{w} Raziel, fol. 17. 2.
{x} Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 57. 2.
{y} Petirat Moseh, fol. 23. 2.
{z} Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 57. 2. & 98. 1.
{a} Ben Gorion apud Aben Ezram in Psal. xlix. 19.