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Revelation 21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

VI. The New Creation[a]

Chapter 21

The New Heaven and the New Earth. 1 (A)Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.[b] 2 I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,[c] coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.(B) 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.(C) He will dwell with them and they will be his people[d] and God himself will always be with them [as their God].[e] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.”(D)

5 The one who sat on the throne[f] said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.”(E) 6 He said to me, “They are accomplished.[g] I [am] the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water.(F) 7 The victor[h] will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son.(G) 8 But as for cowards,[i] the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”(H)

The New Jerusalem.[j] 9 One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”[k] 10 He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.(I) 11 It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal.(J) 12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, [the names] of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. 13 There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west.(K) 14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles[l] of the Lamb.(L)

15 [m]The one who spoke to me held a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city was square, its length the same as [also] its width. He measured the city with the rod and found it fifteen hundred miles[n] in length and width and height. 17 He also measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits[o] according to the standard unit of measurement the angel used. 18 [p]The wall was constructed of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every precious stone; the first course of stones was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,(M) 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl; and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.

22 [q](N)I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb. 23 [r]The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,(O) for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light,[s] and to it the kings of the earth will bring their treasure.(P) 25 During the day its gates will never be shut, and there will be no night there. 26 The treasure and wealth of the nations will be brought there, 27 but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any[one] who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(Q)

Footnotes

  1. 21:1–22:5 A description of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven under the symbols of a new heaven and a new earth; cf. Is 65:17–25; 66:22; Mt 19:28.
  2. 21:1 Sea…no more: because as home of the dragon it was doomed to disappear; cf. Jb 7:12.
  3. 21:2 New Jerusalem…bride: symbol of the church (Gal 4:26); see note on Rev 19:7.
  4. 21:3–4 Language taken from Ez 37:27; Is 25:8; 35:10; cf. Rev 7:17.
  5. 21:3 People: other ancient manuscripts read a plural, “peoples.”
  6. 21:5 The one…on the throne: God himself; cf. Rev 4:1–11.
  7. 21:6 They are accomplished: God’s reign has already begun; see note on Rev 20:1–6. Alpha…Omega: see note on Rev 1:8. Life-giving water: see note on Rev 7:17.
  8. 21:7 The victor: over the forces of evil; see the conclusions of the seven letters (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). He will be my son: the victorious Christian enjoys divine affiliation by adoption (Gal 4:4–7; Rom 8:14–17); see note on Rev 2:26–28.
  9. 21:8 Cowards: their conviction is so weak that they deny Christ in time of trial and become traitors. Second death: see note on Rev 2:11.
  10. 21:9–22:5 Symbolic descriptions of the new Jerusalem, the church. Most of the images are borrowed from Ez 40–48.
  11. 21:9 The bride, the wife of the Lamb: the church (Rev 21:2), the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:10); cf. 2 Cor 11:2.
  12. 21:14 Courses of stones…apostles: literally, “twelve foundations”; cf. Eph 2:19–20.
  13. 21:15–17 The city is shaped like a gigantic cube, a symbol of perfection (cf. 1 Kgs 6:19–20). The measurements of the city and its wall are multiples of the symbolic number twelve; see note on Rev 7:4–9.
  14. 21:16 Fifteen hundred miles: literally, twelve thousand stades, about 12,000 furlongs (see note on Rev 14:20); the number is symbolic: twelve (the apostles as leaders of the new Israel) multiplied by 1,000 (the immensity of Christians); cf. Introduction. In length and width and height: literally, “its length and width and height are the same.”
  15. 21:17 One hundred and forty-four cubits: the cubit was about eighteen inches in length. Standard unit of measurement the angel used: literally, “by a human measure, i.e., an angel’s.”
  16. 21:18–21 The gold and precious gems symbolize the beauty and excellence of the church; cf. Ex 28:15–21; Tb 13:16–17; Is 54:11–12.
  17. 21:22 Christ is present throughout the church; hence, no temple is needed as an earthly dwelling for God; cf. Mt 18:20; 28:20; Jn 4:21.
  18. 21:23 Lamp…Lamb: cf. Jn 8:12.
  19. 21:24–27 All men and women of good will are welcome in the church; cf. Is 60:1, 3, 5, 11. The…book of life: see note on Rev 3:5.
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Revelation 21
Legacy Standard Bible

The New Heaven and Earth

21 Then I saw (A)a new heaven and a new earth; for (B)the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw (C)the holy city, (D)new Jerusalem, (E)coming down out of heaven from God, (F)made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, (G)the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will [a](H)dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among [b]them, 4 and He will (I)wipe away every tear from their eyes; and (J)there will no longer be any death; (K)there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. (L)The first things passed away.”

5 And (M)He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am (N)making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for (O)these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “(P)They are done. I am the (Q)Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (R)I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the (S)water of life without cost. 7 (T)He who overcomes will inherit these things, and (U)I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 (V)But for the cowardly and [c]unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in (W)the lake that burns with fire and [d]brimstone, which is the (X)second death.”

9 (Y)Then one of the seven angels who have the (Z)seven bowls [e]full of the (AA)seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “(AB)Come here, I will show you the (AC)bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

New Jerusalem, the Holy City

10 And (AD)he carried me away [f](AE)in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me (AF)the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having (AG)the glory of God. Her [g]brilliance was like precious stone, as a (AH)stone of (AI)crystal-clear jasper. 12 [h]It had a great and high wall. [i]It had (AJ)twelve (AK)gates and at those gates, twelve angels; and names [j]have been written on those gates, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had (AL)twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the (AM)twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a [k]gold measuring (AN)rod to measure the city and its (AO)gates and its wall. 16 And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the [l]rod, [m]12,000 stadia; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, [n]144 cubits, according to (AP)human [o]measurements, which are also (AQ)angelic measurements. 18 And the material of the wall was (AR)jasper, and the city was (AS)pure gold, like pure (AT)glass. 19 (AU)The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was (AV)jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, (AW)emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, (AX)sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve (AY)gates were twelve (AZ)pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was (BA)pure gold, like transparent (BB)glass.

22 And I saw (BC)no sanctuary in it, for the (BD)Lord God the Almighty and the (BE)Lamb are its sanctuary. 23 And the city (BF)has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for (BG)the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the (BH)Lamb. 24 (BI)And the nations will walk by its light, and the (BJ)kings of the earth [p]will bring their glory into it. 25 (BK)And its gates (BL)will never be closed by day, for (BM)there will be no night there; 26 and (BN)they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 And (BO)nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those [q]whose names are (BP)written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:3 Or tabernacle
  2. Revelation 21:3 One early ms adds and be their God
  3. Revelation 21:8 Or untrustworthy
  4. Revelation 21:8 Burning sulfur
  5. Revelation 21:9 Lit who were full
  6. Revelation 21:10 Or in spirit
  7. Revelation 21:11 Lit luminary
  8. Revelation 21:12 Lit Having
  9. Revelation 21:12 Lit Having
  10. Revelation 21:12 Lit having been
  11. Revelation 21:15 Lit measure, a gold reed
  12. Revelation 21:16 Lit reed
  13. Revelation 21:16 Approx. 1,380 mi. or 2,220 km, a stadion was approx. 607 ft. or 185 m
  14. Revelation 21:17 Approx. 216 ft. or 66 m, a cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm
  15. Revelation 21:17 Lit measure
  16. Revelation 21:24 Lit bring
  17. Revelation 21:27 Lit who have been
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Revelation 20
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

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Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

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