Revelationchapter 21

A.A New Heaven, a New Earth, and No More Tearsvv. 1-8

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. 8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

B.The Bride City: Walls of Jasper, Gates of Pearlvv. 9-21

9 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal. 12 The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height. 17 And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

C.No Temple, No Sun, No Night at Allvv. 22-27

22 But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory. 25 Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there. 26 And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

'And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more' (21:1, with Isaiah 65 behind it).

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'And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more' (21:1, with Isaiah 65 behind it). The holy city, new Jerusalem, comes down out of heaven from God, 'made ready as a bride adorned for her husband,' and a great voice says, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men… and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more' (21:3-4). Then he that sitteth on the throne speaks: 'Behold, I make all things new.' An angel measures the city: twelve gates named for the twelve tribes, twelve foundations for the twelve apostles. 'And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament.

Context

Apocalyptic · John — Revelation overview

A. 1–8 A New Heaven, a New Earth, and No More Tears
B. 9–21 The Bride City: Walls of Jasper, Gates of Pearl
C. 22–27 No Temple, No Sun, No Night at All

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Revelation 217 verses
- Revelation 21:2I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
- Revelation 21:10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
- Revelation 21:11shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal.
- Revelation 21:17And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.
- Revelation 21:18The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass.
- Revelation 21:21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.
- Read Revelation 21: 1 more there →
Revelation 224 verses
- Revelation 22:1Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
- Revelation 22:2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
- Revelation 22:5There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.
- Revelation 22:14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
- Read Revelation 22 →
Revelation 72 verses
- Revelation 7:4And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel:
- Revelation 7:17For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- Read Revelation 7 →
2 Corinthians 62 verses
- 2 Corinthians 6:16What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
- 2 Corinthians 6:18And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
- Read 2 Corinthians 6 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

John 42 verses
- John 4:10Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
- John 4:23But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.
- Read John 4 →
Revelation 172 verses
- Revelation 17:1Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
- Revelation 17:4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
- Read Revelation 17 →
Isaiah 602 verses
- Isaiah 60:11Your gates will always stand open; they will never be shut, day or night, so that the wealth of the nations may be brought into you, with their kings being led in procession.
- Isaiah 60:19No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.
- Read Isaiah 60 →
Hebrews 111 verse
- Hebrews 11:10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
- Read Hebrews 11 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.