Revelation Chapter 21

The New Heaven and The New Earth

Rev 21:1-8 Review of the first 8 verses

John sees\hears:

v1) a new heaven and new earth for the first heaven and earth have passed away

v2) the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride

v3) the announcement that God will dwell with man

v4) and that the former things (corruption) have passed away - tears, death, mourning, crying, pain

v5)God said “Behold, I am making all things new” and he commanded John to write His words are “Trustworthy & True”

v6) God said “it is done!”, “I am the beginning and the end” and I freely give the water of life

v7) God declares the overcomers are His sons

v8) God declares those who reject Him are destined for the lake of fire - the 2nd death

The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:9–11 “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.”

John was taken to a great high mountain to see the city - Why?

Throughout scripture God reveals Himself to men on mountains - Abraham, Moses, Ezekiel, Daniel

Daniel 2:35 “35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

The angel that carried John away in the spirit should remind you of Rev 17 & 18:

Revelation 17:3 “3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.”

Notice the contrast to the Bride, the Holy City

Revelation 18:1–2 “1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.”

The Glory of the City

Revelation 21:11 “11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”

What is the significance of Jasper? 7X

Revelation 4:3 “3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.”

The 12 tribes, 12 sons of Jacob, each had an association with a jewel, stone of remembrance

What tribe is connected Jasper?

Reuben - Behold the Son

His appearance, the city, the foundation, the walls

The Description of the City

Revelation 21:12–14 “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.”

The Shift from 7 to 12 - God’s Government

12 Gates with 12 angels - named after each of the 12 tribes, 3 in each direction

If you recall all the sons were named by the bride except the last son, Benjamin

Genesis 35:18 “18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.”

Do you know where he was born?

12 foundations with the names of the 12 apostles

The Measurement of the City

Revelation 21:15–17 “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. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.”

12,000 stadia - 1,380 miles X 1,380 X 1,380 X 1,380

The city itself is gargantuan; it is a cube of 12,000 stadia. Now, the base of the city is staggering enough, for its area is 63% of that of the forty-eight contiguous states of the USA, yet it is 1,380 miles high as well.

144 cubits - 216 feet wide walls

The Materials of the City

Revelation 21:18–21 “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.”

Again there is a connection to the 12 stones of the tribes and breastplate of the high priest

The 12 gates - named after the 12 tribes are each a single pearl

This imagery reinforces the new order - no separation

Not in Eternity

Revelation 21:22–27 “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.”

No Temple

Throughout man’s earthly existence there have always been temples, except one brief period

The prefect union, like in the garden, makes the temple obsolete

No need of sun or moon for light - no night

The Glory of God gives light, its lamp = the lamb

Full access for the nations and kings of the earth

Nothing unclean, detestable or false