Revelation 21:1-27
John describes a new heaven and new earth, the holy city, New Jerusalem, with its dazzling beauty, God’s presence, and the blessings for those who inherit it.
- A New Heaven and a New Earth:
- John describes seeing a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
- He sees the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
- God’s Dwelling with Humanity:
- A loud voice from the throne announces that God’s dwelling is now among the people, and He will live with them.
- They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
- God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
- God’s Proclamation:
- He who was seated on the throne declares, “I am making everything new!” and instructs John to write these words down for they are trustworthy and true.
- He announces that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty, He will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.
- The Fate of the Unrighteous:
- Those who overcome will inherit all this, and God will be their God, and they will be His children.
- However, the cowardly, unbelieving, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, idolaters, and all liars will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
- Description of the New Jerusalem:
- An angel carries John away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high to show him the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
- The city shines with the glory of God, and its brilliance is like that of a very precious jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.
- It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Measurements and Foundations:
- The wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
- The city is laid out like a square, as long as it is wide. He measures the city with the rod and finds it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.
- The wall is 144 cubits thick, according to human measurements, which the angel was using.
- Materials and Purity:
- The wall is made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
- The foundations of the city walls are decorated with every kind of precious stone. The twelve gates are twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl.
- The great street of the city is also made of pure gold, like transparent glass.
- Presence of God and the Lamb:
- There is no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
- The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
- Open Gates and Universal Kingship:
- The gates of the city will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there.
- The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.
- Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.
The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
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.
21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.