Revelation 21-22

New International Reader's Version

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 I saw “a new heaven and a new earth.” (Isaiah 65:17) The first heaven and the first earth were completely gone. There was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Look! God now makes his home with the people. He will live with them. They will be his people. And God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death.’ (Isaiah 25:8) And there will be no more sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.”

⁵ He who was sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true.”

⁶ He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water to anyone who is thirsty. The water will come from the spring of the water of life. It doesn’t cost anything! ⁷ Those who have victory will receive all this from me. I will be their God, and they will be my children. ⁸ But others will be thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who make themselves impure will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practice witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. The lake of fire is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. The bowls were filled with the seven last plagues. The angel said, “Come. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal. ¹² The city had a huge, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, one at each of them. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. ¹³ There were three gates on the east and three on the north. There were three gates on the south and three on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had 12 foundations. Written on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring rod. He used it to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with the rod. It was 1,400 miles long. It was as wide and high as it was long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall as human beings measure things. It was 200 feet thick. ¹⁸ The wall was made out of jasper. The city was made out of pure gold, as pure as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was made out of jasper. The second was made out of sapphire. The third was made out of agate. The fourth was made out of emerald. ²⁰ The fifth was made out of onyx. The sixth was made out of ruby. The seventh was made out of chrysolite. The eighth was made out of beryl. The ninth was made out of topaz. The tenth was made out of turquoise. The eleventh was made out of jacinth. The twelfth was made out of amethyst. ²¹ The 12 gates were made from 12 pearls. Each gate was made out of a single pearl. The main street of the city was made out of gold. It was gold as pure as glass that people can see through clearly.

²² I didn’t see a temple in the city. That’s because the Lamb and the Lord God who rules over all are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it. God’s glory is its light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by the light of the city. The kings of the world will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Its gates will never be shut, because there will be no night there. ²⁶ The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷ Only what is pure will enter the city. No one who causes people to believe lies will enter it. No one who does shameful things will enter it either. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the city.

The Earth Is Made Like New Again

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was as clear as crystal. It flowed from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² It flowed down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing 12 crops of fruit. Its fruit was ripe every month. The leaves of the tree bring healing to the nations. ³ There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. God’s servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face. His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun. The Lord God will give them light. They will rule for ever and ever.

John and the Angel

⁶ The angel said to me, “You can trust these words. They are true. The Lord is the God who gives messages to the prophets. He sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look! I am coming soon! Words of prophecy are written in this book. Blessed is the person who obeys them.”

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. After that, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel. He is the one who had been showing me these things. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I serve God, just as you do. I am God’s servant, just like the other prophets. And I serve God along with all who obey the words of this book. Worship God!”

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy in this book. These things are about to happen. ¹¹ Let the person who does wrong keep on doing wrong. Let the evil person continue to be evil. Let the person who does right keep on doing what is right. And let the holy person continue to be holy.”

The Revelation Ends With Warnings and Blessings

¹² “Look! I am coming soon! I bring my rewards with me. I will reward each person for what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End.

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will have the right to come to the tree of life. They will be allowed to go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside the city are those who are impure. These people include those who practice witchcraft. Outside are also those who commit sexual sins and murder. Outside are those who worship statues of gods. And outside is everyone who loves and does what is false.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this witness for the churches. I am the Root and the Son of David. I am the bright Morning Star.”

¹⁷ The Holy Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the person who hears should say, “Come!” Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so.

¹⁸ I am warning everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. Suppose someone adds anything to them. Then God will add to that person the plagues told about in this book. ¹⁹ Suppose someone takes away any words from this book of prophecy. Then God will take away from that person the blessings told about in this book. God will take away their share in the tree of life. God will also take away their place in the Holy City.

²⁰ Jesus is a witness about these things. He says, “Yes. I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.