21
John saw a new heaven, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem, the city where God will dwell permanently with his people.
Revelation 21:1-4
1 Then in the vision I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the oceans no longer existed. 2 I saw God’s holy city, which is the new city of Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. The city had been prepared and decorated {God had prepared and decorated the city} as [SIM] a bride is decorated {decorates herself} beautifully in order to marry her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice that spoke from the throne of God. It said, “Listen to this! Now God will live with people. He will live right in the midst of them [DOU]! They will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 As a result, he will cause them to no longer be sad. It will be as though he will [MTY] wipe every tear from their eyes. None of them will ever again die or mourn or cry [DOU] or suffer pain, because the former things that make us sad will have disappeared.”
God declares that he has made everything new and has accomplished everything he intended to do. He declares himself to be the beginning and the end, and so he will give abundant eternal life to all who seek him, but will punish all the wicked in the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:5-8
5 Then God, who sits on the throne, said, “Listen to this! I am now making everything new!” He said to me: “Write these things that I have told you, because you can trust that I will certainly cause them to happen.” 6 He said to me, “I have finished doing all the things I needed to do. I am the one who began all things [MET] and the one who will cause all things to end [MET]. To everyone who is spiritually thirsty [MET], I will ◄freely give/give as a free gift► water from the spring that causes people to live forever. 7 I will give this to every person who is victorious over the evil powers (OR, over Satan). I will be their God, and they will be my children. 8 But those who are cowardly, those who do not believe in me, those who do detestable things, those who are murderers, those who sin sexually, those who commit sorcery, those who worship idols, and every liar, will all suffer in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. Anyone who suffers in that lake will be dying the second time.”
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls offered to show John the Bride of the Lamb.
Revelation 21:9
9 One of the seven angels who had one of the seven bowls that had been full of the wine/liquid causing [MTY] the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me and I will show you the people who have permanently united with Christ, the one who is like a lamb! They will be like [MET] a bride for him.”
An angel showed John the city of God, the New Jerusalem, that was coming down out of heaven from God, shining with his glory, having a huge wall with twelve gates and twelve huge foundation stones.
Revelation 21:10-14
10 Then, while God’s Spirit controlled me, the angel took/carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me God’s holy city, the New Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It was shining with his glory. The city was shining like a very precious jasper stone shines, and it was clear like crystal. 12 Around the city was a very high wall. The wall had twelve gates. An angel was at each gate. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written {God had written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel} over the gates. Each gate had the name of one tribe. 13 Three gates were on the east side, three gates were on the north side, three gates were on the south side, and three gates were on the west side. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones. On each foundation stone was the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, the one who is like a lamb.
The angel guide measured the city and its wall.
Revelation 21:15-17
15 The angel who was speaking to me carried a golden measuring rod, in order to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city was square in shape; it was as long as it was wide. After the angel measured the city with his rod, he reported that it was ◄1,500 miles/2,400 kilometers► long, and that its height was the same as its length and width. 17 He measured its wall and reported that it was ◄216 ft./70 meters► thick (OR, high). The angel used the measure that people normally use.
John described the composition of the city, its wall, its foundations, its gates, and its street, emphasizing the great value of each part.
Revelation 21:18-27
18 The city wall was made of something like the green stone that we call jasper. The city itself was made of something like pure gold that looked like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were beautifully made with wonderful stones that are like precious stones on earth. The first foundation stone was a crystalline stone like jasper, the second foundation stone was a blue stone like sapphire, the third foundation stone was a green stone like agate, the fourth foundation stone was a green stone like emerald, 20 the fifth foundation stone was a brown and white layered stone like sardonyx, the sixth foundation stone was a red stone like carnelian, the seventh foundation stone was a yellow stone like chrysolite, the eighth foundation stone was a green stone like beryl, the ninth foundation stone was a yellow stone like topaz, the tenth foundation stone was a green stone like chrysoprase, the eleventh foundation stone was a blue stone like hyacinth, and the twelfth foundation stone was a purple stone like amethyst. 21 The twelve gates of the city were something like huge pearls. Each gate was like it was a single pearl. The ground of the main plaza of the city (OR, The streets of the city) appeared to be pure gold that looked like clear glass.
22 There was no temple in the city. The Lord God Almighty himself, and the one who is like a lamb, are there, so there was no need for [MET] a temple. 23 The city will not need the sun or the moon to light the city, because the glory of God will illuminate the city, and Jesus, the one who is like a lamb, will also be its light. 24 The people of [MTY] the nations will live with the light of the city shining upon them. And the kings of the earth will bring their wealth into the city to honor God and the one who is like a lamb. 25 The gates of the city will not be shut {No one will shut the gates of the city} at the end of each day as they usually are shut, because there will be no night there. 26 The people of the world will also bring their wealth into the city to honor God and the one who is like a lamb. 27 No one who is morally impure, no one who does things that God considers detestable, and no one who tells lies, will ever enter that city. Only those people whose names are written in the book of the one who is like a lamb {whose names the one who is like a lamb has written in his book}, the names of people who have eternal life, will be there.