Tyndale Open Study NotesRevelation 21

The final scenes of the new heaven and earth show a new community and home for God's people, created and given by God. These scenes uplift persecuted Christians. John shares his main vision (Revelation 21:1–8) and expands on it in two parts:

1. In Revelation 21:9–27, he describes the new Jerusalem as a place of holy perfection;

2. in Revelation 22:1–5, he portrays the new Jerusalem as the ultimate garden of Eden, which Adam and Eve could have experienced if they had not sinned.

• The vision describes God's creation of a new heaven and earth (compare Genesis 1:1 with Isaiah 65:17; 66:22). The old creation has vanished because it was subject to decay (see Romans 8:20–21; 2 Peter 3:7, 10).

• the sea was no more: The sea symbolized chaos or the abyss (see study note on Revelation 9:1–12) and was sometimes depicted as a roaring monster (see Psalms 46:3; 74:14; see also Job 3:8; 41:1–34; Luke 21:25). The new creation will be free from all such evil.

• coming down … from God: The new creation is a gift from God. At first, God created everything good. In the end, God will create a new, perfect world.

• This image of Jerusalem as a beautiful bride (see Isaiah 61:10) contrasts sharply with the vision of Babylon (or Rome) as the prostitute (Revelation 17:4–5; 18:2–3; see study note on Revelation 21:9–22:9).

The dwelling place of God is with man: The hopes of the Old and New Testaments are fully realized. Since humanity sinned (Genesis 3), separation from God has been humanity's biggest problem (Genesis 3:23). God has called his people to him through the prophets, Jesus his Son, and the Spirit's presence (see Genesis 17:8; Exodus 29:45–46; Psalms 46:4–5; 95:7; Jeremiah 7:23; 31:33; Ezekiel 34:14; 37:27; Zechariah 8:8; John 14:2–3; 17:24). In the new heaven and earth, God's people will finally enjoy ultimate and everlasting fellowship with God.

no more death or mourning or crying or pain: See Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 15:54. God's people will experience the complete healing and salvation that Christ brings (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).

• God repeats Jesus’s final words from the cross, It is done! (John 19:30; see also Revelation 16:17), linking Christ’s death to the promise of eternal life.

• I am the Alpha and the Omega: Using the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, John shows God as the source of all reality and truth. God existed from the Beginning (see Genesis 1:1; see also John 1:1–2) and is also the End (see Revelation 1:8; 22:13).  

• Since Christ is supreme and controls everything (see Romans 9:5; 1 Corinthians 15:28; Ephesians 1:22–23; 4:5–6), he provides the water of life to all who seek it (see study note on Revelation 7:16–17; see also Isaiah 55:1; John 4:10; 7:37–38).

The one who overcomes: God's children who persevere in life will receive his blessings. Adoption is a covenant relationship. The language of adoption confirms their privileges and responsibilities (compare Genesis 17:8; 2 Samuel 7:14–16; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 34:24).

• This list summarizes sins described in Revelation. These sins mark those not adopted by God; their fate is the fiery lake (see Romans 1:29–32; Galatians 5:19–21; 2 Timothy 3:2–5; compare Exodus 20:13–17; see also study note on Revelation 20:10).

• all liars: John saw deception as the root of sin; he describes Satan as the father of lies elsewhere (John 8:44; 1 John 2:4; see Revelation 14:5; 21:27; 22:15; compare Matthew 12:34).

This symbolic vision of the new Jerusalem uses vivid imagery to describe the bride, the wife of the Lamb. It represents all who accept Christ's message of salvation (see Revelation 21:2; 22:17; Ephesians 5:22–32).

• a mountain great and high: In Scripture, people often experience God on mountains (compare Ezekiel 40:2; see also Exodus 3:1; 19:10–25; Deuteronomy 34:1–4; 1 Kings 18:20–40; 19:8–18; Matthew 5:1; 15:29; 17:1; 24:3; 28:16).

• the holy city … coming down out of heaven from God: People cannot reach God's presence and eternal life by their own efforts. They receive it as a gift (Ephesians 2:8–9; compare 2 Corinthians 5:1).

• Like God's true people, the city's glory reflects God's glory (compare Exodus 34:29–35; 2 Corinthians 3:7–11).

• On earth, jasper is not transparent. But in heaven, the jasper is clear like crystal. Its perfect transparency shows God’s purity and integrity (see also Revelation 4:3; 21:11, 18).

In this vision, the twelve tribes of Israel symbolize God's redeemed people (see Revelation 7:4–8; see also Romans 9:6–7). The twelve apostles of the Lamb form the foundation for this community of God's redeemed. Through Jesus, God has fully fulfilled his promise to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

measure the city: Measuring sets accepted boundaries. This contrasts with the unmeasured section of the temple (see Revelation 11:2 and Ezekiel 40:3–42:20).

The city is a perfect cube. Each side measures 2253 kilometers (Greek 12,000 stadia). The number 12,000 symbolically represents the people of God (see “Symbolic Numbers” Theme Note).

In the ancient world, walls were important for a city's defense, boundaries, and status. These walls, 65.8 meters thick (Greek 144 cubits), show the strength of God's redeemed people. The measurement of 144 cubits uses a multiple of 12 to symbolize God's people. A cubit was the length of a man's forearm, typically about 45.8 centimeters.

The wall is made of jasper (see study note on Revelation 21:11; compare Revelation 4:3). The city is crafted from gold, which is not opaque like earthly gold. Instead, like God's transformed people, the heavenly gold is clear and pure.

The twelve precious stones on the city's wall foundation remind us of the twelve stones on the high priest's breastplate. These stones represented God's people (see Exodus 28:17–20).

In heaven, common building materials are the things we consider precious and luxurious on earth.

I saw no temple: This seems to conflict with earlier visions (Revelation 11:19; 14:15–17). However, each vision in Revelation symbolically represents God's presence. There is no need for a temple in heaven because God is with his people.

• The city's vitality, energy, and life come from the glory of God and the Lamb, not from institutions or physical sources of power and light. The sun and moon were part of the first creation (Genesis 1:14–19; see Isaiah 60:19–20).

• The Lamb is its lamp: Jesus is the light of the world (see John 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36).

• the nations: God’s promise to Abraham comes true (Genesis 12:3; see Isaiah 2:3).

• In Revelation, the kings of the world often represent God’s enemies (Revelation 6:15; 17:18; 18:3, 9). Now that these enemies are destroyed (Revelation 16:9, 11; 19:1–2, 19–21), the image is of God’s glory shown in those who have repented (Revelation 14:6–7; compare 11:13) and walk with God (5:9; 15:4).

• The gates that are never closed contrast with ancient times when closed gates protected cities from enemies, especially at night. The people experience peace and security under God’s rule (see Isaiah 60:11). God’s enemies are gone, and fear and failure have ended (see Zechariah 14:7; John 11:8–10; 12:35–36).

unclean: Spiritual impurity is a key concern in Revelation (see Revelation 21:8). Here, evil includes idolatry and dishonesty (see Revelation 14:5; 21:8; 22:15). Those not listed in the Book of Life cannot enter the city of God. Only those with names in the Book of Life, the pure of heart (Matthew 5:8), will see God.