When sin entered the human race via Adam and Eve, all creation – which includes the universe – was contaminated or corrupted. It’s just that it continues on this “new earth.” The glory and beauty of this Heaven on earth is so wonderful and so beyond our comprehension, that I don’t believe there is any description that would do justice to it. These “words are faithful and true.” We can count on it, for God Himself is faithful and true. They cannot be separated. Sardis – (Rev 3:5) – 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. It’s called the “holy” city because we are holy in Christ. This continues the scene in Heaven from chapter 4. Polyvalent symbolism, in which symbols have more than one meaning, also is part of Revelation’s imagery. --- The first heaven and first earth was passed away: being changed, not as to their substance, but in their qualities. Everywhere we walk, it’s absolutely pure, without sin or pain or hardship of any kind. This allows us to visualize what’s being conveyed in measuring terms we can understand. Everything will be perfect. Christ the king appears. Such is the Church and our eternal dwelling place. If the world of the old Adam has appeared so beautiful, so magnificent, good God, what will be the riches of that which is made for Jesus Christ, the second Adam, and for his members! Thus this world and all creation has to be purified, and this will be done by way of, Heaven is the throne and dwelling place of God. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. Jesus Himself was an Israelite, who came through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, it is God who is “raptured” down to earth to take up residence among us. Revelation (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) - Kindle edition by Williamson, Peter S., Williamson, Peter, Healy, Mary. ), NET – (John 4:13-14) – 4:13 Jesus replied, “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. The Catholic party appears to have felt itself the superior. Never again will we have anything to fear. However, what they (Jesus) do teach is that true faith will produce the fruit of faith, which is an enduring devotion to the One we profess to believe in. I believe these refer to “guardian angels” (He 1:14), which are involved in the lives of God’s people in the world now. Spirit. “him that sat on the throne” (God the Father) This seven-seal book is a book of revelation. The sixth, sardius. Therefore, the Church, the “bride, the wife of the Lamb,” is presented in all of her glory. That God will dwell among us forever and ever, in a place where there will be no more sin or pain or suffering or hardship or disappointment or frustrations, etc., is glorious beyond our comprehension. (Witham). Thus these “twelve foundations” are symbolic of the Church, whose “foundation” is Christ Himself (1 Cor 3:11). Perfect in glory and beauty and completeness. Pearls have great value. Nowhere in these last two chapters of Revelation is there a mention of going out of the gates. God’s people are the center of New Jerusalem. Behold the tabernacle of God with men, inasmuch as God's elect shall there dwell with him for ever and ever. Faithfulness is the by-product of faith. Those who do, and believe that the, In regard to the comparison between the measurement of a. By the city we must understand its citizens, the Angels and saints. God’s promise to mankind is that those who are “thirsty” (spiritual need), He will give “of the fountain of the water of life freely.” Those who are spiritually thirsty will receive the water of everlasting life, which is through faith in His Son, Jesus. Jesus ended His address to each of the seven churches with an encouragement to “overcome,” with a promise for those who do: Ephesus – (Rev 2:7) – 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. As already discussed, the physical and eternal city is a reflection of the Church. The crowd praises God in heaven. NET – 21:24 The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur into it. The nation of Israel continues in Christ and His Church as a spiritual nation—which is composed of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles. As Sovereign God, all things are subject to Him. The mention of a “street” or streets, essentially completes the picture of a city. (Witham), There shall not enter it any thing defiled. All Scripture quotations are from the 1901 American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. This short first part of the Book of Revelation is extraordinarily rich in warnings about how we minimize our Faith, and the dire consequences of doing so. This wall symbolizes protection, eternal protection provided by our God and King. Resources » Commentaries » Revelation » Chapter 21 » exegesis. So primarily, New Jerusalem is the Church, composed of all believers throughout history. The Church of Christ is the temple of God. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. * 1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis, * write this: “‘The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this: “I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. George Leo Haydock. 11:15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Again, it’s a mistake to interpret this as a literal wall that is literally 144,000 cubits in length. The Old Testament temple was a type and shadow of the temple to come in the New Covenant. (Read about the Shekinah glory here and here). Only those whose names are written in the “Lamb’s book of life” are allowed entrance, which is through faith in the Lamb. True salvation is characterized by a life that is sincerely and genuinely devoted to Christ and the Christian faith—which involves the Christian way of living our lives in a sinful world that is hostile to Christ. Therefore, what’s actually being described in this chapter of Revelation is the Church. The antichristian generation repented not … Commentary on Revelation 9:13-21 (Read Revelation 9:13-21) The sixth angel sounded, and here the power of the Turks seems the subject. Commentary on Revelation 21:1-8 (Read Revelation 21:1-8) The new heaven and the new earth will not be separate from each other; the earth of the saints, their glorified, bodies, will be heavenly. These are special “gates,” for they are one-directional. 3 However, that’s a kingdom that only lasts for a 1000 years. View Bible Text. The land promises were never earthly. Revelation 19:1-5 . I don’t believe that this number 144,000 is a merely a coincidence that it’s the same number that’s given in Rev 7:3-9 and Rev 14:1. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made of a single pearl, and the main street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. This is what we ought always to remember and have in our minds. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. The Church is both the light and truth of Christ, and both will continue in the Eternal Kingdom, for the Church is the Kingdom of Christ. The mention of “nations” and “kings” refers to the people of Christ who lived among the nations of the world, and of the leaders who ruled among the nations of the world. I don’t believe that Heaven is part of the universe, but is in a whole different sphere or dimension, completely separated from the corrupted universe. In other words, by overcoming, we reveal true faith in Christ. Except these stones are absolutely perfect and pure, without any flaws at all, of highest grade. (Rev 21:7) – 7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. He is the eternal Creator of the universe. It doesn’t teach an earthly, Jewish millennial kingdom. The Church of Christ is the temple of God. (Rev 21:23) – 23 And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb. To gain a proper understanding of God’s Word, we must begin with a proper understanding of the NT, and then interpret the OT according to that understanding. As I’ve been saying throughout this chapter, what’s primarily in view here is, I think the idea that our eternal dwelling place is one giant square box, is really really far-fetched. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well. … For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The Woman in Revelation 12 is part of the fusion imagery/polyvalent symbolism that is found in the book. NET – (He 13:14) – 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. When the psalmist said to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Ps 122:6), it was surely with all of Israel in view (Ps 122:4). 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Darkness and falsehood will not have a place in this kingdom. 1 a Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Again, this refers to the purity of the Church of Christ, and of the actual city itself. Interpreting the NT according to an OT understanding, results in mass confusion. O Jesus! Overcoming is the fruit of true salvation. The end of tears is a longtime promise of God (Isaiah 25:8ff, and so many other passages). The whole eternal kingdom of God will be illuminated by His glory. And as I’ve already mentioned, the current Heaven where God rules from His glorious throne, may be completely duplicated (or transferred) in this eternal city of the “new earth.”. (Witham), The kings of the earth shall bring their glory; the elect, of all states and conditions, shall now be exalted like kings, or rather infinitely above the glory that we can imagine of any kings in this world. 11:9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. Notice how closely Paul’s words match the words of John in the verses 2-3: (Rev 21:2-3) – 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. We are a kingdom. That’s why I believe the focus is on the quality and character of it. The funeral of Babylon. I don’t believe that this new creation will be merely a renovation of the old. We, as the Church, are the holy temple of God. 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility – not willingly but because of God who subjected it – in hope 8:21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. In quadro, Greek: tetragonos, quadrangularis. Can you image giant oysters producing giant pearly gates for our eternal city? Our salvation is forever secure and nothing within this kingdom (city) can ever ever harm us, for it’s a “wall great and high.”. Those who adopt this standpoint rely in the main on two fundamental objec… Father of the world to come, render us worthy of this new and everlasting world, and give us a disgust, a mortal hatred, for that which perishes, and which is the cause of our perdition. The land promises to Israel were to be an “everlasting possession” (Ge 13:15; Ge 17:7-8; Ge 48:4; Ex 32:13). Of course, the symbolic interpretation is obviously still true either way. Revelation 21:1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The New Heaven and the New Earth. We do know, however, that it’s a place of total joy, absent of pain and suffering, absent of all sin, where we will dwell in the glorious presence of God forever and ever. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Light is of the Kingdom of Christ. 11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, 12 looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (Rev 21:18-20) – 18 And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass. So this city is both a people and a glorious dwelling place for God’s people. The Eternal Kingdom is both a people and a literal city. And again, it also depicts God’s dwelling among us (Rev 21:3), as the next verse confirms: (Rev 21:11) – 11 having the glory of God: her light was like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal: The Shekinah glory of the Old Testament (the visible manifestation of God’s presence), which is manifested in the Person of Christ (Col 2:9) and in His Church (Eph 5:23; Col 1:18; 2 Cor 6:16), is ultimately manifested in this eternal city, which is a reflection of “the bride, the wife of the Lamb,” which is His Church. A new heaven, and new earth: the new Jerusalem where God dwells, and banishes all sorrow from his people. New, by their form and qualities, but not by their substance. (Rev 21:6) – 6 And he said unto me, They are come to pass. The universe has been contaminated by sin, and so all traces of it has to be destroyed. according to the standard unit of measure which he was using. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a “free” gift from God—through faith. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. This verifies the interpretation that this “square” city-description symbolizes that which is perfect and complete in every way. The return of Christ: Revelation 19:6-21: The marriage of the *Lamb . Contrary to popular apocalyptic thinking, there is no “rapture” or a future snatching of Christians up from the earth in Revelation. (Challoner), From the seventh verse of the foregoing chapter, begins as it were the third part of the Apocalypse containing the coming of antichrist, the great day of judgment, the punishment of the wicked, and the eternal happiness of God's elect in heaven, or in the celestial Jerusalem, which St. John describes in this chapter as if it were like a large city, beautified and enriched with gold and all manner of precious stones, &c. (Witham). View Revelation . Many believe that the “sea” here is symbolic for the sea of evil or the sea of unrest and anxiety, or the like. “The main street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.”. The OT temple gave way to the NT temple. Jerusalem is the governmental and religious seat of Israel, and is, therefore, representative of all Israel. - The fifth, sardonyx.A variety of agate - a kind of onyx, valued for its use in engraving into cameos.The name onyx appears to be owing to the resemblance in colour to the fingernails. Through Christ, we are made “clean.”, CategoriesCommentary on Revelation, Eschatology/Prophecy, Featured Articles, Fulfillment Theology, Israel and the Church, Kingdom of Christ, True Israel, Therefore, what’s actually being described in this chapter of Revelation is, The land promises to Israel were to be an, The only way that those eternal land promises are fulfilled, are in the Eternal Kingdom of the, When sin entered the human race via Adam and Eve, all creation – which includes the universe – was contaminated or corrupted. We will be speechless, realizing that everything we had pictured about it fell woefully short of reality. Enviable moment, when all the designs of God upon Jesus Christ and upon his Church will be accomplished: but how little thought of now! 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. The seventh, chrysolyte. It’s a “heavenly” city, for it begins in the Heaven that now is, and continues in this eternal kingdom of the “new earth.”, Therefore, just so we’re clear, the description of this “holy city” is a description of the people of Christ—the Church, but it’s used to reveal the nature of the literal city of our eternal dwelling. 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. Rev 21:2; the sea). I think the idea that our eternal dwelling place is one giant square box, is really really far-fetched. in God himself. Therefore, the “purity” and “precious stones” describe the quality and character of God’s people in Christ, which is what the actual city will be like. Therefore, this square is actually symbolic for a kingdom that is perfect! (Rev 21:8) – 8 But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. Revelation 22:16-21;God's Message Today: As we read the book of Revelation, we must carefully consider what Jesus Christ is still saying to churches today--and especially to those who are primary shepherds of God's people. Premillennialism diminishes the glorious nature of those promises. The old world, with all its troubles and tumults, will have passed away. Thus every aspect of this city is made of the highest quality materials (we are a new creation in Christ), a place of indescribable value. The idea that God has a plan for the nation of Israel that is separate from the Church – as dispensationalism teaches – is an Old Testament notion, based on an OT understanding. 17:9) and seven kings (17:10). 19:8 She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen”(for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). More Isaiah with the promise of water to the thirsty. NET – (Rev 19:7-9) – 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. In verses 12-13 we see Israel of the Old Covenant, and in this verse we see Israel having its fulfillment in the New Covenant, which is represented by the “twelve apostles of the Lamb.” The Church is build upon the “foundation of the Apostles and prophets”: NET – (Eph 2:19-22) – 2:19 So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 2:20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. Light is always in direct opposition to that which is dark. And how can we hope to be inebriated at this source of God above, if we do not aspire after it whilst we are in this dreary desert here below? 11:16 But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. As discussed in those passages, that number is symbolic for the Church (see commentaries). The idea of God reverting back to a physical temple where animal sacrifices are performed is completely inconceivable, and absent of the glory of God. What this eternal city looks like and what it will really be like there, will remain a mystery until we are actually there. THE PATMOS VISION; 02. When we interpret this book with a strict literalism, we end up with a very distorted view or message. All people are accountable to Him. The fact that this gold is like “transparent glass,” reveals that this is no ordinary gold, but is totally unique and of unusual value. In the book of Revelation, the number seven is used often, which symbolizes perfection and completeness. Others refer to it as our eternal state. The “precious stones” represent great value, since they’ve always had high valued in our world. 1. Smyrna – (Rev 2:11) – 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. Are there more comforting words than this in all of Scripture? The glory of God and the light of Christ (Jn 1:9; 8:12) shines through His people both now and throughout eternity. The Shekinah glory has departed that temple and now dwells within His Church (see verse 11). (Rev 21:1) – 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more. Verse 20. Lest there be a misunderstanding, none of these passages teach that our salvation depends on our faithfulness (works). For those of you who wish to dive into a deeper understanding of Revelation, I recommend the commentaries listed below in the footnotes.4 Now let’s turn to two key words found in the first verse of Revelation: “soon” and “revelation”. Revelation 22 Chapter 21 Hitherto the prophecy of this book has presented to us a very remarkable mixture of light and shade, prosperity and adversity, mercy and judgment, in the conduct of divine Providence towards the church in the world: now, at the close of all, the day breaks, and the shadows flee away; a new world now appears, the former having passed away. (Rev 21:15) – 15 And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. God’s ultimate plan for Israel was never of an earthly, physical nature, but of a spiritual nature, which is realized in Christ and His Church. We are spiritual Israel in Him, a spiritual nation, a spiritual people in Him (1 Pe 2:4-10). We actually have no real idea what this eternal city looks like. Revelation 21 Commentary Summary: Read Revelation 21 KJV along with a helpful commentary. 00. This refers to unbelievers, those who die in their sins (examples mentioned in this verse) without Christ as their Lord and Savior. NET – (He 12:22-23) – 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly 12:23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect. We can’t miss the message that the symbolism of this book actually presents. Throughout this commentary I have referred to this as the Eternal Kingdom. He measured the city with the measuring rod at fourteen hundred miles (its length and width and height are equal). Coming down from God out of heaven. But it serves to reveal the nature of the Eternal Kingdom. It is done. A 1000 years is not the same thing as an everlasting possession. The fact that each gate is “made from just one pearl,” confirms that the description of this city is to be interpreted symbolically, and not literally. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.*. I don’t believe the Heaven that now is, will be destroyed when God creates the new heaven and new earth, for there is no need for it. 22 I could not see any temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple, While it’s not called the Eternal Kingdom in these chapters, what’s described is certainly God’s kingdom that lasts forever (Rev 22:3-5). Revelation 21 - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible . This is one of a great many of the inconsistencies of the premillennial position. Land promises: The land promises to Israel are finally fulfilled in this Eternal Kingdom of the “New Earth” of this chapter. Darkness is associated with that which is false, and light is associated with that which is truth. 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