2023

GOD’S VISION FOR CITIES

Robert Ntuli

Durban, South Africa

 Robert Ntuli

Pastor, LivingStones Agency

Visionary, Kingdom Humanity Fellowship
Vice Chair, Movement Day Africa

Durban, South Africa

God’s Vision for Ci�es. Robert Ntuli © 2023 All Rights Reserved. 1
ISBN 978-0-7961-2367-1

Contact Details

robert.ntuli@kingdomhumanity.com

robert.ntuli@gmail.com

Resources

www.livingstonesagency.com

www.kingdomhumanity.com

Podcast: htps://podcasters.spo�fy.com/pod/show/robert-ntuli

Facebook pages: @robertntulilsa / @livingstonesagency / @kingdomhumanity

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 Introduc�on

"Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile.
Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare."
(Jer. 29:7, NLT)

Ci�es are a significant component in the architecture of modern socie�es. For the
masses and the elite, job seekers and entrepreneurs, youth and adults, ci�es
represent opportunity. As a result, urban migra�on has become a real social
phenomenon as people leave rural areas in search for livelihood in urban
economies. Migration is an expression of the human aspiration for dignity, safety,
and a better future” (Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations, 2007-2016).

Historically, the city has always played a significant role as the epicenter of poli�cs,
economics, and culture in society. However, the shi� from ancient, manual-based
agricultural economies, to concentrated, industrial-revolu�on economies, has been
a major cause for urban migra�on. This shi� has also had another knock-on effect
– the disintegra�on of independent & rural, farming economic communi�es, and
the forma�on of job-market based, urban economic communi�es. All of this means
that the city is a place of popula�on density. With this comes complexi�es of
poli�cal government, economic satura�on, and of social order. The modern-day city
is the agora of global society.

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The city has been placed by God as a beneficiary of the gospel movement of the
church.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for
generations (Isa 61:4, NIV)

Luke chapter four narrates the return of the Lord back to his hometown, Nazareth.
It is a�er a �me of 40 days fas�ng and Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit. On the sabbath
day, he goes to the synagogue and a scroll is handed to him for public reading.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he reads from Isaiah 61 and declares, “today this
scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). By so doing, Jesus uses Isaiah 61 as
the reference point for his mission and ministry. If Isaiah 61 defined the ministry of
Jesus, then it equally defines the ministry of the church, his body.

Isaiah 61 outlines the gospel mandate for the church. This mandate involves the
following processes:

1) Preaching the gospel to people so that church can be established.

2) Administrating spiritual transformation in the church so that people can
become “oaks of righteousness” (which symbolizes spiritual maturity).
3) Commissioning people as builders of life – builders of cities, among other
things.

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The realiza�on that the city is the beneficiary of the gospel movement must
produce a prophetic stirring and a renewal of spiritual interest in the ministry of the
church in ci�es. It must also trigger a desire to understand the way in which ci�es
func�on. Ci�es are complex spaces that are cons�tuted by diverse and o�en
conflic�ng elements.

“For indeed any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the
city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at war with one another.”
(Plato, Greek Philosopher)

From a spiritual point of view, we understand that there is purpose behind

everything that God creates. We can beter administer life when we understand
God’s design of crea�on. God created life (e.g. human beings), structures of life
(e.g. family) and administra�ve processes of life (e.g. parenting). In crea�on, we see
the interplay of the three components: life, structure & process. A healthy
rela�onship of these components produces well-being (shalom).

God created life, structures & processes.

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O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is
full of Your possessions (Ps. 104:24, NASU). We can itemize some of the crea�on
works – God created:

• The individual human being: “let us make man in our image”, (Gen. 1:26).

• The family: “it is not good for the man to be alone, I will make him a suitable
helper”, (Gen. 2:18).

• Gender iden��es or groups: “so God created man in his own image, in the image
of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27, NIV).

• People-groups: “from one man God made every nation of man”, (Acts 17:26).

• Global humanity and globaliza�on: the word “man” In Gen. 1:26 defines both
an individual human and people (or mankind). In Gen. 1:28, God commissioned
the man “to increase and fill the earth”. God created global humanity.

• Co-crea�on and childbearing: “be fruitful and increase in number” (Gen. 1:28).

• Inhabita�on, ci�zenship, and spaces of life: we see the man inhabi�ng a space
for the first �me in Gen. 2:8&15. God created us as inhabitants of the earth (Acts
17:26).

• Produc�vity, livelihood, and economics: the man was created to work the land
in order to eat and sustain himself (Gen. 2:15, Gen. 1:29-30). The cycle of
economic ac�vity is a crea�on phenomenon (then man goes out to his work, to
his labor until evening, Ps. 104:23, NIV).
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• Poli�cal government: the earth has been given to man for stewardship (Ps.
115:16, Gen.2:15). God said, “fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish…”
(Gen. 1:28). “You made (man) ruler over the works of your hands; you put
everything under his feet” (Ps. 8:6, NIV). Poli�cal structures like thrones, powers,
rulers and authori�es were created by God. Political systems are a product of
creation:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all
things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones (thronos: political powers authorities) or powers (kureotes:
dominion, civil authority, magistracy) or rulers (arche: the idea of spiritual and
political rank, principality) or authorities (exousia: spiritual political and legal
authorities); all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together (Col. 1:15-17, NIV).

If God created life in its totality, then he must have a design and a vision for ci�es.
It is in understanding this vision that the church can be an effec�ve steward of God’s
redemp�on agenda for the city.

Tracing the City in the Bible

The earliest reference of the word city in the Bible is in Genesis chapter 4:

Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called
the name of the city after the name of his son — Enoch (Gen. 4:17, NKJV).

In this biblical narra�ve, Cain has just commited murder by killing his brother, Abel,
in what is clearly a crime of passion rooted in insecurity and jealousy. God
intervenes by pronouncing judgment against Cain. At the centre of God’s judgment,

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is that Cain is going to have difficulty working the ground (economic hardship) and
that he will also be a restless wanderer (social insecurity). Cain moves on to
establish his family amidst a great sense of fear in his heart. It is in the process of
establishing his family that Cain pioneers the city, naming it a�er his son, Enoch
(Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son. Gen. 4:17, NLT).

The Hebrew word for city is iyr. The word means a place guarded by waking or
watching; an encampment; a place of gathering and human activity; a fortified
place1. The word carries the root meaning of opening the eyes, of stirring and
waking someone to action.

The city is a place of awakening and fortification.

In reflec�ng on these defini�ons, we get the idea that the concept of the city came
upon Cain as a redemp�ve mechanism to provide a sense of security for him and
his family. It was a place in which Cain would protect his family against hos�le
environmental elements. The Hebrew word iyr clearly carries some powerful ideas
and principles:

• The city is a place of awakening – it represents an environment of inspiration,

activation, and stimulation of communities.
• The city is a place of “opening of the eyes” – it is a place of knowledge,
education, and illumination of the mind. A place where we should find
dynamic communities that are equipped and empowered to meaningfully
engage life.
• The city is an encampment – a place of protection. The city must provide
physical, social, and economic protection for its people.

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The New Testament Greek equivalent of the word city carries similar meaning as
that of the Hebrew word. The Greek uses the word polis. The word describes a town
enclosed with a wall, which carries meanings of protec�on and a defined
geopoli�cal space.

We can clearly see a very strong common theme of protec�on and safety in the
Hebrew and Greek words. This takes us to Jeremiah chapter 29 - the city must be
very closely linked with the principle of shalom (peace).

Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.
Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." (Jer. 29:7, NIV).
Shalom means welfare, safety, prosperity, health, completeness. The idea of shalom
is not necessarily one of excessive wealth and materialism. Rather, it is one of
crea�ng an environment and condi�ons that promote human well-being.

These defini�ons therefore mean that a func�onal city is one in which people
(especially vulnerable groups) feel safe, enjoy welfare, and are empowered to
engage human enterprise in all its diversity.

Safety Engagement Well-being

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 The Garden of Eden: Origins of the Concept of the City

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the
man he had formed (Gen. 2:8, NIV).

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it (Gen. 2:15, NIV).

The word garden is the Hebrew word gan - it means a fenced garden, an enclosure;
to hedge about, to protect, to defend, and to shield. The word carries two basic
principles, it describes (a) a place of protec�on, (b) and a well-defined sphere.

The Garden of Eden reveals an architectural se�ng that resembles that of a city.
Perhaps, this may have been the historical context behind Cain’s inspira�on for
building a city. Based on the aforemen�oned defini�ons, the concept of Eden does
not leave us thinking about a mere physical garden with beau�ful flowers.

The Garden of Eden was a type of a city – an enclosure and a defined sphere – that
was meant to provide a place of protec�on and flourishing for humanity. It was not
an arbitrary space, it had arrangements and boundaries. It was a place of God’s
command, a place where God exercised his government. It had as moral framework
and a “rule of law” which if violated, warranted judgment from God.

The Garden of Eden is the architectural prototype of the city.

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 The Bible and Polity

Polity describes the form of political organization of a society, its form and its
process of government. Just as it is important to understand the cultural systems
through which God revealed himself in Biblical �mes, it is equally important to
understand the polity or the poli�cal system of Biblical �mes.

Primarily, understanding the polity of Biblical �mes is crucial in empowering us to

understand the theology of a State. For instance, the Scripture uses the word
kingdom to refer to geo-poli�cal systems or poli�cally organized socie�es. It then
uses the word nation to refer to people-groups or ethnic groups. We now loosely
use words like “na�ons” or “countries” to refer to geopoli�cal systems. The
modern-day equivalent of the kingdom is a republic. The kingdom was the en�ty of
the king. The republic is the en�ty of the people. Although the words “kingdom”
and “republic” are framed as opposi�onal poli�cal systems, with the former being
perceived as primi�ve and the later progressive, it is important to recognize that
Biblical text maintains the usage of the word “kingdom”, right through from the Old
to the New Testament, from Genesis to Revela�on. In other words, God recognizes
that poli�cal socie�es have a form of government with an ul�mate authority – “the
king”. For ancient poli�cal socie�es, “the king” was a human being with hereditary
poli�cal authority (the King was the Law). In the modem-day republic, “the king” is
the cons�tu�on (a collec�on of documented laws) (in some cases, the king is the
parliament, a body of legislators) - (the Law is the King).

The word republic literally means a people’s entity. In a republic, “the king” is the
set of laws, the custodians of the laws and the ins�tu�onal processes by which laws
are administrated. The modern-day republican state has three branches: 1) the
legislature (parliament or law makers), 2) the execu�ve (governors or the president
and his cabinet), 3) judiciary (judges and the courts who are custodians of the law).
Hebrew prophets like Moses, Jeremiah or Esther went to a human king to deal with

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any of the three components in the kingdom. Modern-day prophets must discern
and distinguish the matter they seek to address, to understand the direction of
their prophetic mandate. If it is about the kind of laws being passed, then the
mater must be directed to parliament. If it is about the nature, way or quality of
government, then the mater requires the aten�on of the execu�ve. And if it is
about the administra�on and interpreta�on of the laws, then the mater must be
directed to a cons�tu�onal court or lower courts, depending on jurisdic�onal
issues.

In the context of the mater of God’s vision for ci�es, it is important to understand
the significance of the city in the polity of Biblical �mes. The dominant polity of the
Old Testament was one of kingdoms with a capital city, from which the king ruled.
The kingdom of Egypt was governed from Memphis. In some cases, the name of
the kingdom and the name of the capital city were the same thing, e.g. Babylon. In
both instances, the city was a significant pla�orm of government, culture, and
economic ac�vity.

In the New Testament, the city takes on a more significant role with the rise of the
Greco-Roman world, this is par�cularly true in classical Greek poli�cal organiza�on.
The Greeks played a significant role in the development of the republic as we know
it, and in shaping a poli�cal society with democra�c rule and ac�ve ci�zenship. The
city-state was developed as a republic that was governed by a set of laws, with a
senate and a poli�cally ac�ve ci�zenry. A city like ancient Athens is one such
example. This is crucial in understanding the unfolding architecture of the Purpose
of God. For example, our Lord Jesus adopts the word ekklesia in Mat. 16:18, to
reveal the nature and func�on of the Church (“I will build my ekklesia”). The concept
came from heaven, it was not revealed by flesh and blood. However, the concept
had been prac�ced by the Greeks almost as a “prophe�c parable” of the Church of
Jesus Christ. The ekklesia was a body of ci�zens of a free city-state; it was the
governing body of the city, made up of ordinary ci�zens.

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 The city features prominently in Biblical polity.

Therefore, both in the Old and New Testaments, the city was central in the polity of
ancient poli�cal socie�es. This reveals the architecture of any society – the city will
always be the core that defines the nature of life in a society. For this reason, in
ancient socie�es, if a city was besieged and captured, then the war had been
decided. This carries the following prophe�c meanings: 1) if the Church can flood
cities with the gospel of Jesus Christ, it can make significant advance in a nation. 2)
Church must contend for the culture and morality of cities to redeem the destiny of
nations.

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 The City, Ci�zenship and Poli�cs

The following defini�ons help us appreciate the deep connec�ons between the
words - city, citizenship, and politics.

1) The word city is the etymological root for words, citizenship (politeuo in Greek),
and politics (politeia or politika in Greek).

2) The word citizen (polites in Greek) defines the inhabitant of a city (polis in Greek).

3) Ci�zenship defines membership in a political community; the conduct of a

citizen in accordance with the rule of law; public life.

4) The word poli�cs defines that which pertains to public affairs; that which
concerns the affairs of the city-state; public life.

So, from the founda�onal word city (polis), we get the words citizenship (politeuo)
and politics (politika or politeia).

What do the above defini�ons point to? The city is the seedbed of the concepts of
citizenship and politics. This is further illustrated by the nature and func�on of the
ekklesia, (which is the Greek word for church):

In Matt 16:18 Jesus declared, “I will build my church”. The Lord used the word
“church”, which is the word “ekklesia”. This word is derived from Greek political life
and public administration. Ekklesia was the assembly of citizens called out by a
herald or a messenger to a gathering with the specific purpose of administrating

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the affairs of the city-state. “Ekklesia” comes from the word “ekkaleo” which means
“to call out”.

The process of establishing ekklesia started with the training of boys (ephebes)
through the ephebic college. This training allowed young men to qualify as
competent citizens with rights and duties to engage in public administration. Once
citizenship qualification was attained, public duty followed. For the Greeks,
citizenship and public duty were inseparable. Citizenship was qualified by active
public life.

“We Greeks believe that a man who takes no part in public affairs is not
merely lazy, but good for nothing”. (Thucydides, Greek historian)

In developing His own ekklesia, the Lord was not simply “copying” Greek ideas, He
was in fact taking us back to our created duty of public administration, as reflected
in Genesis 2 vs. 15. The Greek political life was simply adopted by the Lord as a fitting
parable, pointing us back to how humans were designed to exist and function here
on earth. Based on its definition, the philosophy and ethos behind this powerful
word (ekklesia) captures the ideas of inclusive participation, educated and
competent citizenry, public duty, collective responsibility, and public administration.
Within the Greek thinking, to be a citizen was to be political. It was about
participation in the well-being of the city-state or the space of your existence.

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 The city is the seedbed of the concepts of citizenship and politics.

The city cannot be imagined outside of the reality of ac�ve ci�zenship. In other
words, urban apathy produces dysfunc�onal ci�es. As church facilitates kingdom
transforma�on in ci�es, she must work towards a realiza�on of dynamic urban
communi�es and ac�ve ci�zens. The church’s mission in the city, must produce a
prophe�c s�rring in the urban ci�zenry.

Ci�es & Morality

Historical accounts of Sodom and Nineveh give us an idea of the meaning and
significance of public morality (righteousness) for any city to flourish. The story of
Sodom par�cularly reflects the conflict of views between God and man.

Lot saw Sodom as a flourishing city:

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the
garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the
Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company… (Gen. 13:10-
11, NIV).

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Lot (though described in the Scripture as a righteous man) was an ambi�ous
entrepreneur who had clear goals for business expansion. This led him to Sodom,
which he saw as a well-watered city, like the garden of the Lord. However, this same
city was on the verge of divine judgment and destruc�on due to immorality. Ezekiel
outlines the precise nature of the sin of Sodom:

"'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant,
overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty
and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have
seen (Ezek. 16:49&50, NIV).

"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had
arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and
needy. "Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore
I removed them when I saw it (Ezek. 16:49&50, NASU).

Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered
outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out,
as you have seen (Ezek. 16:49&50, NLT).

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and
abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen
the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed
abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good (Ezek. 16:49-50,
KJV).

The sin of Sodom was twofold:

• Immorality (abomination): the word “abomina�on” that is used in verse 50

speaks of moral uncleanness, idolatry, child sacrifice, sexual immorality etc.
• Systemic Injustice: Sodom had “fulness of bread”, and yet the needy suffered
outside her door. The affluent Sodomites were arrogant, overfed, and
unconcerned.

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Babylon

In the Book of Revela�on, we see a contrast between Jerusalem and Babylon. These
are the two metaphors reflec�ng the human condi�on in the world. Jerusalem
represents human righteousness; Babylon represents an unrighteous world system.
Revela�on chapter 18 reveals some reasons behind God’s judgement of Babylon:

"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys
their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine
linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every
kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and
spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and
wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men (Rev.
18:11-13, NIV).

Babylon establishes an economic system in which even human souls are traded. It
is the kind of system that puts economic prosperity before human value. It
therefore puts human life on the altar of economics. For this reason, God judges it.

Nineveh

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh
and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." (Jonah 1:1-
2, NIV).

Nineveh was a great capital city of the Assyrian empire. The word “great” speaks of
significance and size. Nineveh was a city of high ranking. However, God overlooked
its poli�cal and socio-economic profile and almost judged if for its immorality.

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When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his
royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued
a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any
man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man
and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them
give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and
with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." When God
saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion
and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened (Jonah 3:6-10, NIV).

Nineveh engaged in a process of repentance that involved transforma�on of

societal and ins�tu�onal values. In the end, God was pleased, and the city was
spurred from judgment.

The one thing that we learn from God’s interac�on with Sodom, Nineveh and
Babylon - is that public morality is the bedrock for the flourishing and
sustainability of ci�es.

The morality of a city preserves its socio-political and economic future.

God’s view of ci�es must inform and drive the church’s mission in the city. The core
driver of church’s mission in the city is not to simply produce func�onal ci�es, but
righteous ci�es that don’t only have thriving economies but also a moral founda�on
and systemic jus�ce.

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 Church, the City of the Living God

These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants.
One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is
Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present
city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that
is above is free, and she is our mother. Therefore, brothers, we are not children of
the slave woman, but of the free woman (Gal. 4:24-26&31, NIV).

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living
God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to
the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven (Heb. 12:22-23, NIV).

"You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden" (Matt.
5:14, NLT).

Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy
mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost
heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King (Ps. 48:1-2, NIV).

Paul’s leter to the Gala�ans clarifies some important issues pertaining to the
spiritual framework within which church operates. Church is born out of the New
Covenant – her iden�ty is not born out of the Old Covenant of legalism. This is in
line with the Book of Hebrews:

"The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made
with their forefathers… By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one
obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear (Heb. 8:8-9&13, NIV).

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Paul goes on to liken the Old Covenant with “the present city of Jerusalem” –
referring to the earthly physical city. In doing so, he calls our aten�on to another
city – “Jerusalem that is above”. Paul says that we are the children of this heavenly
Jerusalem. This is the same city that John sees in the book of Revela�on:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God
Himself will be with them and be their God (Rev. 21:1-3, NKJV).

There are two important things that are addressed in the scriptures above:

Firstly, we are the children of heavenly Jerusalem – we are born out of a spiritual
system that is rooted in the principle of faith in Christ, and not legalism. We have
been saved by grace to be transformed into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).
Whereas the system of Moses was one of legalism or outer performance of the law,
the system of faith is one of salva�on and spiritual transforma�on. The old system
(“the present earthly city of Jerusalem”) was based on legalis�c performance, the
new system (of the heavenly city) is based on internal renewal. The former was
based on man’s ability to “perform”, the later is based on God’s crea�ve ability to
establish the new nature in us (2 Cor. 5:17). Through all this, Paul is clarifying that
when the New Covenant of grace speaks of “a city”, it is not referring to “this
present earthly city”, but rather a heavenly, spiritual city, which is described as our
mother.

Secondly, church is in fact the city of the living God. We are the city that the
patriarch, Abraham was looking for and that he died without discovering.

For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God
(Heb. 11:10, NKJV).

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All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the
things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance… (Heb.
11:13, NIV).

This city would be the divine promise of God expressed in our �me, by a people
redeemed in the earth – the church of Jesus Christ.

The proclama�on that church is the city of the Living God carries the following
implica�ons:

• The church (as a global spiritual community) must represent all that we desire
to see in the cities of the world.

• Our mission of transforming earthly cities must be born out of a transforming

church, the model-city.

• The mission to transform earthly cities must be balanced with the mission to
transform the church unto maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:11-13).

• We cannot expect earthly cities to become anything that the church has not
realized and consummated. To expect earthly cities to be transformed ahead of
the church constitutes a missional crisis.

• The eschatological trigger for the end of all things is a transformed church (Eph.
4:13, Eph. 5:27). Ultimately, nations (including cities of the world) must come to
the church (the holy nation and the city of the living God) to be taught about the
ways of God (Isa. 2:1-4).

ROBERT NTULI 21
 God’s Vision for Ci�es:
The Garden of Eden and the Architecture of the City

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the
man he had formed (Gen. 2:8, NIV).

We established similari�es between words “garden” and “city”. The garden (gan)
was a fenced place, an enclosure, a protected and a well defended territory. The
city, on the other hand, describes an encampment, a guarded and fortified place, a
town enclosed with a wall. The similarity between the concepts of the garden and
the city means that the Garden of Eden was established by God as an architectural
prototype for the nature, architecture, and func�on of ci�es. The Garden of Eden
was the first place in which humans existed within a defined and an orderly sphere.
In studying the architecture of the Garden of Eden, we see God’s vision for ci�es.

God desires to see the following characteris�cs in the ci�es of the world -
principles that must equally be exemplified by the church (the city of God).

Morality

And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the
garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat of it you will surely die" (Gen. 2:16&17, NIV).

The Garden of Eden was a sphere with a clearly defined moral framework. God
dis�nguished the right from wrong for the man, and He outlined consequences for
immorality. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Prov.
14:34, NIV). Morality produces flourishing ci�es; it secures social order. Immorality

ROBERT NTULI 22
on the other hand, does not only destroy people, families, youth, peace & security,
it also corrupts economies and poli�cal processes. The wages of sin is death –
immorality results in poli�cal, social and economic death in society.

When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are
shouts of joy (Prov. 11:10, NIV).

Security

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the
man he had formed (Gen. 2:8, NIV).

The Garden of Eden was a fenced place that provided a place of protec�on. It
provided physical, spiritual, and moral protec�on. Adam and Eve were safe from
physical, emo�onal and spiritual harm as long as they allowed God’s command to
protect their lives. Like broken walls in Jerusalem, unwalled ci�es leave their
communi�es vulnerable: "they said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are
back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is
broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." (Neh. 1:3, NIV). Like a city
whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control (Prov. 25:28, NIV):
though this scripture is addressing dysfunc�onal human character, it does make a
point about unwalled ci�es being a place of lack of rule of law and moral standards.
For a city to flourish, it must build its walls – the walls of family, moral standard,
godly culture, ac�ve ci�zenship and the rule of law.

ROBERT NTULI 23
 Family

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper
suitable for him." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be
united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (Gen. 2:18&24, NIV).

God established the structure of family around the man. The man was not to be a
lonely being roaming the earth. He had to exist and grow within the context of
family. “God sets the lonely in families” (Ps. 68:6). The family is the basic unit of
society. It is a place of co-crea�on, nurturing, educa�on, rela�onship, and growth.
It is in the family that ci�zens and socie�es are developed and shaped. The Jewish
exiles were instructed to “build houses and settle down, to marry and have sons and
daughters, and to find wives for their sons and give their daughters in marriage”
(Jer. 29:5&6). In this way, they would increase and become a great society.

Community

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper
suitable for him." (Gen. 2:18, NIV).
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole
earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they
should live (Acts 17:26, NIV).

God established a principle against individualism in the garden (“it is not good for
the man to be alone”). This had mul�-layered meanings, firstly for marriage,
secondly, for community. God’s crea�on plan in Genesis 1:26 was to establish a

ROBERT NTULI 24
community of people (“adam”). Paul confirms this in Acts 17:26 – from one man
God created people-groups (ethnos). God created community groups. Ci�es can be
lonely places without a sense of neighbourliness. However, the principle of
community preserves a city from social instability. And it catalyzes public welfare
and ac�ve ci�zenship.

Genera�onal Succession

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number…” (Gen.
1:28, NIV).
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to
the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a
fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort
and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless (Eccl. 2:18&19, NIV)
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the
hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is
full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in
the gate (Ps. 127:3-5, NIV).

The blessing of the Lord to the man and the woman in the Garden of Eden was
directly linked to the issue of raising the next generation. The city’s ability to
increase is directly determined by its ability to raise, nurture, and equip the next
genera�on to engage in the challenges of the future. This requires ci�es to redefine
their educa�onal framework, from a voca�on based to a ci�zenship based
educa�onal system.

ROBERT NTULI 25
Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the
morning. Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat
at a proper time — for strength and not for drunkenness (Eccl. 10:16&17, NIV).

The “princes” speak of the next genera�on of leaders. The sustainability of a city
depends on the quality of its youth, and the nature of the process of their ascension
to responsibility. For a generation works hard only to handover its work to its
successors (Eccl. 2:18&19). For this reason, God’s strategy for the Jewish exiles was
to “marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your
daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in
number there; do not decrease” (Jer. 29:6, NIV). The word increase is the word
multiply that is used in Genesis 1:28. It describes a process of increasing in volume,
in power and in significance. It also means to shoot an arrow with precision.

Educa�on

“And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the
garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat of it you will surely die." (Gen. 2:16&17, NIV).
The word command that is used in Genesis 2 vs. 16 means to give an authorita�ve
order and to cons�tute life. God gave the law, and the law ac�vated an educa�onal
process that empowered the man to understand his environment. The man knew
how to navigate his environment. He could dis�nguish life from danger. He was
environmentally literate. The intent of the command was to cons�tute (or educate)
man towards godliness and morality. The principle of educa�on is further
embedded in the process of family: “parents must bring up their children in the
training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:2, Deut. 11:19). For ci�es to flourish,
they must engage not only in voca�onal educa�on, but also in ci�zenship

ROBERT NTULI 26
educa�on. Voca�onal educa�on produces professionals and entrepreneurs;
ci�zenship educa�on builds ci�es and na�ons.

Ci�zenship

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it (Gen. 2:15, NIV).
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole
earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they
should live (Acts 17:26, NIV).

The man was placed by God in the garden as an inhabitant. We were created to
inhabit the earth (Acts 17:26). The man had legi�macy, ownership, rights, and
responsibili�es. Inhabita�on and ci�zenship mean the following:
a) We have a relationship with the environment around us.
b) Our livelihood is inextricably linked to the environment around us.
c) We are created to exist in public order.
d) We have stewardship responsibility to contribute towards public order
(shalom) in our environment.
The Jewish exiles were instructed to seek and pray for the prosperity of the city (Jer.
29:7). The word “seek” describes a process of continuous enquiry, searching or
investigation. Embedded in ci�zenship responsibility is the ongoing process of
searching for the well-being of our public environment.

ROBERT NTULI 27
 Economy

Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening (Ps. 104:23, NIV).
Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth
and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food (Gen. 1:29,
NIV).
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it (Gen. 2:15, NIV)

“Going out to work” is part of the process of crea�on (Ps. 104:23). The man was
given a natural desire to be produc�ve, to facilitate growth and expansion (“to be
fruitful and multiply”), and to administer his own livelihood. Equally, Jewish exiles
were instructed to “plant gardens and eat what they produce” (Jer. 29:5, NIV). The
Bible instructs us to do something useful with our own hands, that we may have
something to share with those in need (Eph. 4:28, NIV). For if a man will not work,
he shall not eat. (2 Thes. 3:10, NIV)

Government

And the Lord God commanded the man… " (Gen. 2:16, NIV).

The Garden of Eden was a place in which the command of God defined the nature
and way of human existence. We see the principle of the rule of law for the first
�me in Crea�on, as man’s daily choices were circumscribed by divine law. There
was cause and effect as well as consequence behind every decision. There was a
sense of right and wrong, of good and evil, and of life and death, in the process of

ROBERT NTULI 28
choice and decision-making. Evil decisions were dealt with by God’s law. Lack of rule
of law unleashes floods of immorality, evil, corrup�on, crime, and injus�ce. It is not
good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice (Prov. 18:5,
NIV). He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow… (Prov. 22:8, NKJV).

This means that the Garden of Eden was a place of rule of law, government, and
leadership. The man was shepherded by the Lord through his life’s affairs. This
provided protec�on. Communica�on flowed from God to the man with clear
instruc�ons on wise living. This principle shows that good governors (leaders) can
cause their ci�es to flourish:

'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he
is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after
rain that brings the grass from the earth' (2 Sam. 23:3-4, NIV).

When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish,
the righteous thrive (Prov. 28:28, NIV).

ROBERT NTULI 29
Building Blocks for Flourishing Ci�es

ROBERT NTULI 30
 Engaging the City: A Prophe�c Impera�ve

Engaging the city is a kingdom impera�ve that is clearly outlined in scripture. For
the following reasons, the church must engage the ci�es of the world:

God’s Heart and the Gospel Mandate

Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their
right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about
that great city?" (Jonah 4:11, NIV).

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will
renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations (Isa. 61:4, NIV).

God’s words to the prophet Jonah reveal that he is moved by the condi�on of life
in ci�es. Not only so, he has also iden�fied ci�es as beneficiaries of the gospel
movement.

Ci�es need a kingdom renewal process that focuses on spiritual transforma�on of

people, families, and communi�es. This people-centred process preserves systems
and ins�tu�ons of ci�es. When humans lack morality, systems get corrupted - sin
entered the world through one man (Rom. 5:12, NIV). And as we see in the case of
Zacchaeus, when humans get redeemed, systems also get purified (Luke. 19:1-10).

ROBERT NTULI 31
Stewardship of God’s Vision for Ci�es

As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world (John. 17:18, NIV).

Church has been commissioned by the Lord as a custodian of God’s vision for
humanity. This involves our redemp�ve message and ministries to ci�es. Primarily,
we are called to steward the vision of God (the coming of his Kingdom) and to
implement it in various dimensions of life, including the ci�es of the world. Church
is God’s chosen vessel for the execu�on of kingdom agenda.

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be
made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Eph. 3:10, NIV).

Church must be a faithful steward:

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of
the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be
good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. (Matt.
24:45-46, NIV).

The Ques�on of Well-being

"And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray
to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare." (Jer. 29:7, NLT).

God created inhabita�on – the interlink between human beings and their
environment. As long as Adam and Eve were able to take care of the Garden of
Eden, the environment took care of them (Gen. 2:15). Equally, as soon as they
violated the environment by commi�ng sin, the ground was cursed, making the
produc�ve process difficult (Gen. 3:17-19).

ROBERT NTULI 32
When our public environment is in a good condi�on, it equally facilitates human
well-being. When our ci�es are taken care of, they create conducive environments
with opportuni�es, peace, and prosperity.

Kingdom Humanity: The Impera�ve of Ac�ve Ci�zenship in the City

The revela�on of Kingdom Humanity2 is a prophe�c convic�on that God is adorning

the church with the Humanity of Christ in this season. Church is being prepared by
God for the next batle of the faith – the batle of defini�on of life.

Through this revela�on, church is being equipped with a system of faith that
outlines not only the nature of her God but also the nature of her humanity in God.
Kingdom Humanity empowers church with a spiritual framework that allows her to
effec�vely represent Christ beyond the confines of church gatherings, into the
arena of public life. This framework has three components:

1) Devotion: the practice of our faith in Christ through priestly life.

2) Personal Humanity: the practice of our faith in Christ through spiritual
transformation.
3) Citizenship: the practice of our faith in Christ through active citizenship in spaces
of life.

The city is a space of life. It is a space that is contended by different forces. Ac�ve
ci�zenship allows us to contend for the spaces of life that we inhabit (e.g., families,
communities, schools, cities, workplaces, nations etc.). Lot was a righteous man, but
he failed to contend for Sodom: (God) delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed
by the filthy conduct of the wicked (2 Pet. 2:7, NKJV)

The commission from God is that we must increase in the city: “Increase in number
there; do not decrease” (Jer. 29:6, NIV). This suggests the need to contend for our
ci�es:

ROBERT NTULI 33
Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner
worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or
only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together
for the faith, which is the Good News (Phil. 1:27, NLT).

Ac�ve kingdom ci�zenship allows us to contend for the city by standing for
righteousness in the public space (agora) and in public affairs.

Vision & City Transforma�on Process: The Nehemiah Model

"Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it (Hab.
2:2, NKJV).

The revela�on of God’s vision for ci�es is outlined for the sole purpose of catalyzing
kingdom transforma�on. Nehemiah provides an invaluable lesson on how to
effec�vely engage the city transforma�on process. There are four basic steps that
Nehemiah engaged in, and which resulted in a transformed city.

1) Convic�on

Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had
put in my heart to do at Jerusalem (Neh. 2:12, NKJV).

When Nehemiah received the news about the state of Jerusalem, he engaged the
process of hearing from God. He discerned divine commission and clarified a
prophe�c direc�ve for himself. It can be very overwhelming to start with the

ROBERT NTULI 34
challenges we see around us. What we see externally must be interpreted through
what we’re hearing internally from the Lord. In this way, we engage that one thing
that God is sending us to do.

2) Inves�ga�on

By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung
Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates,
which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and
the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I
went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered
through the Valley Gate (Neh. 2:13-15, NIV).

Nehemiah did not stop with the prayer room encounter; he went on to inves�gate
the condi�ons that God was calling him to transform. He did not want to rely on
public or “newspaper” opinion, he wanted to make a direct, personal assessment
of the situa�on. Nehemiah conducted research to make sense of the vision through
the findings.

3) Mobiliza�on:

I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-
Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? (Neh.
2:7, NIV)

Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its
gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and
we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my

ROBERT NTULI 35
God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start
rebuilding." So they began this good work (Neh. 2:17-18, NIV).
Nehemiah had a par�cular skill to mobilize various stakeholders in the project. He
started by mobilizing King Artaxerxes to give him a leter of authoriza�on to go to
Jerusalem. He then mobilized the priests, the nobles, and the officials in Jerusalem.
Then he mobilized the most important stakeholder in the project – the Jewish
community. Without the mobiliza�on of the people on the ground, the project
would not take off.

4) Execu�on

Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house
(Neh. 3:28, NKJV).

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height,
for the people had a mind to work (Neh. 4:6, NKJV).

Nehemiah got everybody to start the work of rebuilding the wall. He displayed
excep�onal leadership in the process. He did not allow people to be distracted by
challenges and opposi�on.

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it
happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these
things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that
this work was done by our God (Neh. 6:15-16, NKJV).

ROBERT NTULI 36
 City Transforma�on Process:
The Nehemiah Model

•The rollout •Call &

process Commission
from God

Execution Conviction

Mobilization Investigation

•Relevant •Consultations
stakehold & research
activation

ROBERT NTULI 37
The revela�on of God’s vision for ci�es empowers city gospel movements, or the
church in the city, to effec�vely engage city transforma�on processes. It enlightens
the church with prophe�c signposts and measurable indicators towards godly and
func�onal ci�es. It unifies churches around a common, Bible-inspired, and
pragma�c vision. It has the power to help the church to organize itself and to align
its burdens, talents, ministries, and resources to the building blocks of the city.

This vision equally outlines a clearly defined city developmental path for poli�cal
authori�es and civil society. Basically, this vision has the power to bring role players
and stakeholders to the table, to speak one language as they engage the cause of
city transforma�on.

Church is the custodian of the gospel; she has stewardship responsibility over
God’s vision for ci�es.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will
renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations (Isa. 61:4, NIV).

Church must therefore spend enough �me studying and equipping herself in God’s
vision for ci�es. This will result in effec�ve ministry to ci�es, and it will significantly
benefit urban communi�es, allowing church to fulfil a significant dimension of her
mission in the world.

ROBERT NTULI 38
Notes

1. All Hebrew and Greek definitions were taken from Strong’s dictionary.
2. Kingdom Humanity resources: booklet, web publication, and podcast.

ROBERT NTULI 39
 Robert Ntuli serves as a pastor at LivingStones Agency
(LSA), a church community that is based in Durban, South
Africa. Robert is also the visionary of Kingdom Humanity
Fellowship, a ministry with the mission to equip the
Church in the revela�on of Kingdom Humanity – the
adorning of Church with the Humanity of Christ (Eph.
4:22-24, Rev. 21:2). Robert holds a convic�on that the
next spiritual batle of the faith and of the Kingdom of
God will be centered around ques�ons of human construct and of design of
humanity. Church must therefore be equipped with a system of faith that outlines
not only the nature of her God but also the nature of her humanity in God. This is
the essence of the revela�on of Kingdom Humanity. Robert serves the Body of
Christ through leadership, teaching, equipping, and wri�ng, and he serves society
through thought leadership. Robert also serves as the vice chairman of Movement
Day Africa, a movement of city gospel movements with a mission towards the
flourishing of the ci�es of Africa.

Robert was born and raised in South Africa, in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, in the
village called KwaDlangezwa. He graduated with a Bachelor of Administra�on from
the University of Zululand in 1996, with majors in Public Administra�on, Economics,
Poli�cal Science, Business Economics, and Industrial Psychology. A�er working as a
professional in the marke�ng field, he planted a church in Durban, in 2001, in
response to the call of God.

Robert is married to Zamo and they have two children, Malusi and Khanyiso. Their
family is based in Durban, South Africa.

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