Revelation 21

Revelation 21 is the twenty-first of the twenty-two chapters of the Book of Revelation, and it opens the book's final vision. After Satan is cast into the lake of fire and the judgment takes place before the great white throne in Revelation 20, this chapter presents the new heaven, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem.

Outline

• Verses 1–8 The first heaven and the first earth pass away, and a new heaven and a new earth appear. The New Jerusalem comes down, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. A voice from the throne declares that the tabernacle of God is with men. He who sits on the throne says that He makes all things new and promises to give the water of life freely to whoever is thirsty. The one who overcomes will inherit these things, while the fearful, the unbelieving, and others will have their part in the second death.
• Verses 9–14 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls carries John away to a high mountain and shows him the city, the wife of the Lamb. The city has twelve gates and twelve foundations. The names of the twelve tribes are written on the gates, and the names of the twelve apostles on the foundations.
• Verses 15–21 The angel measures the city with a golden reed. The city's length, breadth, and height are each 12,000 stadia, and its wall measures 144 cubits. The wall is of jasper, and the city is of pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations are adorned with twelve kinds of precious stones, and each of the twelve gates is made of a single pearl.
• Verses 22–27 There is no temple in the city, for God and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need of the sun or the moon, and because there is no night, its gates are never shut. The nations walk in its light. Only those written in the Lamb's book of life may enter.

Key Verses

• Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth" — a declaration of new creation that carries forward the promise of Isaiah 65.
• Revelation 21:4 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" — speaks of the end of death and suffering and is linked to Isaiah 25:8.
• Revelation 21:22 "For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" — the heart of the chapter: because God Himself is present, no separate temple is needed.

Figures and Places

• John — the "I" who sees and records the vision.
• He who sits on the throne — God, who identifies Himself as the Alpha and Omega.
• One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls — shows John the city and measures it. This angel appears in the vision of the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls.
• The Lamb — a title referring to Christ. See Lamb of God.
• The New Jerusalem — portrayed as the holy city and as the bride of the Lamb.
• The twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles — their names are inscribed on the city's gates and foundations.

Interpretive Considerations

• The new heaven and the new earth: Some interpreters hold that the present world will pass away entirely and be created anew. Others hold that the old creation will be renewed and restored. Both views appeal to verse 5 together with Romans 8:19–23 and 2 Peter 3:10–13.
• Measurements and numbers: 12,000 stadia converts to a distance of more than 2,000 kilometers. Some read this measurement as the city's literal size, while others read it symbolically, with twelve and its multiples expressing the completeness of God's people. The city's equal length, breadth, and height are often linked to the Most Holy Place of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:20). Views on the millennium also shape how the chronological relationship between chapter 20 and this chapter is understood.
• The city and the bride: In verses 9–10, the bride is presented as the city itself. For this reason, some interpreters see the New Jerusalem as a picture of the community of the redeemed, while others see it as an actual dwelling place.
• What the text does not say: The popular story of Peter greeting people at the pearly gates does not appear in the text. Nor is the city described as a place to which people go immediately after death; rather, it is portrayed as a city "coming down" from heaven at the new creation.
• Connections to the Old Testament: The city with a tribal name on each gate resembles the vision of the city at the end of Ezekiel 48.

In the Korean Church

Verses 1–4 are frequently read at funeral services and memorial services. Hymns and gospel songs about heaven also commonly draw on this chapter's imagery, such as the pearly gates, the streets of pure gold, and a place without tears.