CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

I said at the beginning that this book would mainly be concentrated on Revelation 6 - 20. But also included was the text of the first five chapters, basically without commentary, as we shall now do with chapters 21 and 22.

ALL THINGS MADE NEW

1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And there was no more sea.

2 And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

5 And He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'

6 And He said to me, 'It is done'! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

8 'But the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

THE NEW JERUSALEM

9 "And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, 'Come! I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.'

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 having the glory of God. And her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

12 And she had a great and high wall, and had twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he who talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16 And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth and height are equal.

17 And he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

18 And the construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass."

THE GLORY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

22 "And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

23 And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light.

24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

25 And its gates shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

27 And there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life."

When you are down-and-out and feel the need for spiritual encouragement, as most of us do occasionally, read this chapter a few times. Thinking on the things God has prepared for those who love and expect Him will lift your spirit. There is no better medicine for the weary soul in today's sin-laden world than to meditate on God's promises that will someday belong to His Own in a new, sin-free world. Praise His Holy Name!