Revelation 21 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Revelation 21

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, 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 place¹ of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,² and God himself will be with them as their God.³ 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.⁴ Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits⁵ by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Footnotes

[1] 21:3 Or tabernacle
[2] 21:3 Some manuscripts peoples
[3] 21:3 Some manuscripts omit as their God
[4] 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
[5] 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

Commentary

v1: The first earth had passed away, compare 20.11, where earth and the heavens fled from His presence.

v2: The New Jerusalem, sent from God, v10; His work, His creation; the Lamb's wife, a bride adorned for her husband. See 19.7-9, the marriage supper of the Lamb.

v3: The eternal relationship with God. This is "dwelling" for all rebellion is now ended.

'The process is not so much that of God coming to mankind, but rather, ... it is like the rending of the veil, so that the nature of the whole universe as instinct with the divine presence may be made manifest, as also the divine destiny of man as an abiding divine-human relationship. ... Even thouse the consummation of this divine destiny lies 'at the end,' its reality in present existence must as be granted, .. we see evidence for it in the bold expectation with which Christian churches that are alive to their primarl world-view anticipate and do experience 'transcendent' happenings, like visions, prophecies and healings.' (Kwame BediakoJesus and the Gospel in Africa) So, the age to come breaks into the present age - such is the kingdom of God.

v4: All things are made new; the experiences of this world are gone and forgotten; no sorrow over bad times, no regret over personal sins.

v5-7: The certainty of these things;

declared by the one who sat on the throne, having authority and power;
"He said to me," for He is faithful and true, and John's own testimony is true;
I am making everything new, words of renewal;
These words are trustworthy and true, words of certainty;
"It is done," words of accomplishment;
the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, words of eternity;
the water of life, provided without cost, words of satisfaction;
our inheritance is "all this," words of abundance;
"I will be his God and he will be my son," words of relationship.

v8: Outside are liars, counted with murderers and sexually immoral. This is an answer to those who consider lying a less serious sin. God has judged all people, and the lake of fire is the only alternative to glory.

v9-11: The new Jerusalem, holy Jerusalem; prepared by God, coming from God, and having God's glory (see also Ezek 43.1-4, where the glory of God is seen in the city). The city is like Christ Himself, sharing His character and glory, Eph 5.27. Christ has given Himself for His church that He might present it to Himself; here is that 'glorious church.'

v12-13: A wall and gates; wall for security and gates for access. True of the church as well as of Israel; there is a need to be protected from those who would secretly enter in to deceive, yet also welcoming those who through simple faith in Christ have found eternal life in Him.

v14: The foundations have the names of the apostles of the Lamb; in v19-20, each is adorned with a different precious stone; here is unity and diversity. For Israel, each gate is of pearl, demonstrating the unity, and giving no place for pride, for none could be considered greater than another.

v15-17: The angel measured the city; a cube of perfection.

v18-21: The purity and glory of all things, precious stones.

v22-27: The presence of the Lord God and the Lamb; we shall need nothing else. There is the total absence of sin, for that is now history