Revelation 21

The New Creation

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;  * 21:1 Is 65:17; 66:22; 2Pt 3:13 for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,  * 21:1 Lk 21:33; 1Co 7:31; 2Pt 3:10 and the sea was no more.  * 21:1 Is 57:20; Rv 13:1,6–72 I also saw the holy city,  * 21:2 Neh 11:1; Is 48:2; 52:1; Dn 9:24; Mt 4:5; 27:53; Rv 11:2; 22:19 the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,  * 21:2 Gl 4:26; Php 3:20; Heb 11:10; 12:22; 13:14; Rv 3:12 prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.  * 21:2 Is 61:10; Rv 19:7

3 Then I heard a loud voice  * 21:3 Dt 5:22; Ezk 9:1; Mt 27:46,50; Jn 11:43; Rv 1:10; 11:12; 16:1 from the throne:  * 21:3 Other mss read from heaven,* 21:3 Mt 19:28 Look, God’s dwelling  * 21:3 Or tent, ortabernacle is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,  * 21:3 Other mss read people,* 21:3 Lv 26:11–12; Jr 7:23; 30:22; 31:33; Ezk 37:27; Hs 2:23; Zch 8:8 and God himself will be with them and will be their God.  * 21:3 Other mss omit and will be their God4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  * 21:4 Is 25:8; 30:19; 35:10; 51:11; 65:19; Rv 7:16–17 Death will be no more;  * 21:4 Hs 13:14; 1Co 15:54 grief, crying, and pain will be no more,  * 21:4 Is 60:20 because the previous things  * 21:4 Or the first things have passed away.  * 21:4 Is 42:9; 2Co 5:17

5 Then the one seated on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new." He also said, "Write, because these words  * 21:5 Other mss add of God are faithful and true."  * 21:5 Rv 3:14; 19:11; 22:66 Then he said to me, "It is done!  * 21:6 Rv 16:17 I am the Alpha and the Omega,  * 21:6 Rv 1:8; 22:13 the beginning and the end.  * 21:6 Is 44:6; 48:12 I will freely give to the thirsty  * 21:6 Ps 42:1–2; Is 41:17; 44:3; 55:1; Jn 4:14; 7:37 from the spring of the water of life.  * 21:6 Ps 36:9; Jr 2:13; Jn 4:147 The one who conquers  * 21:7 Rv 2:7 will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.  * 21:7 2Sm 7:148 But the cowards, faithless,  * 21:8 Other mss add the sinful, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars  * 21:8 Rm 1:28–32; 1Co 6:9–10; Rv 22:15  — their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,  * 21:8 Rv 19:20 which is the second death."  * 21:8 Rv 20:6

The New Jerusalem

9 Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues,  * 21:9 Rv 16:1 came and spoke with me: "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 He then carried me away in the Spirit  * 21:10 Or in spirit,* 21:10 Rv 1:10; 4:2; 17:3 to a great, high mountain  * 21:10 Ezk 40:2 and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 arrayed with God’s glory.  * 21:11 Is 60:1–2 Her radiance was like a precious jewel, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 The city had a massive high wall, with twelve gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.  * 21:13 Ezk 48:30–3414 The city wall had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb were on the foundations.

15 The one who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod  * 21:15 Rv 11:1 to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.  * 21:15 Ezk 40:316 The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia.  * 21:16 A stadion (sg) = about 600 feet; 12,000 stadia = 1,400 miles. Its length, width, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used. 18 The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of jewel:  * 21:19 Ex 28:15–21; Is 54:11 the first foundation is 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, the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates are twelve pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The main street  * 21:21 Or The public square of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

22 I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  * 21:23 Is 24:23; 30:26; 60:19–20; Zch 14:6–7; Rv 22:524 The nations will walk by its light,  * 21:24 Is 42:6; 49:6; 60:3,5 and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  * 21:24 Other mss read will bring to him the nations’ glory and honor,* 21:24 Is 49:7,23; 60:1025 Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.  * 21:25 Neh 7:326 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.  * 21:26 Other mss add in order that they might go in,* 21:26 Is 60:1127 Nothing unclean will ever enter it,  * 21:27 Is 35:8; 52:1 nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.  * 21:27 Rv 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15