A New Heaven and a New Earth
Study note
The first heaven and earth pass away, replaced by a new creation where the sea is no more. The holy city, the new Jerusalem, descends from heaven like a bride prepared for her husband. God himself will dwell among his people, wiping every tear from their eyes. Death, sorrow, crying, and pain cease to exist. God declares 'I am making all things new' and offers the water of life freely. Overcomers will inherit everything, but the cowardly, unbelieving, and wicked face the second death in the lake of fire.
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. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were 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. 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 great voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will 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 all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things have passed away. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 The one sitting on the throne declared, "Look! I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, because these words are trustworthy and true." And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 He told me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty, I will give water from the spring of the water of life, free." And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 "Those who win the victory will receive all of this. I will be their God, and they will be my children." He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 "But cowards, people who refuse to believe, people who do awful things, murderers, and those who commit sexual sin will face judgment. So will people who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and everyone who lies. They will end up in the lake of fire and sulfur. That is the second death." But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The New Jerusalem Revealed
Study note
An angel carries John to a high mountain to show him the bride, the wife of the Lamb: the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven, radiant with God's glory like a crystal-clear jasper stone. It has a great wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of Israel's twelve tribes and twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles. The city is measured as a perfect cube of enormous proportions. Its walls are jasper, the city is pure gold like clear glass, the foundations are adorned with twelve kinds of precious stones, and each gate is a single pearl.
9 Then one of the seven angels who held the bowls came over. He said, "Come with me. I will show you the bride -- the wife of the Lamb." And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 The Spirit carried me to the top of an enormous, towering mountain. There the angel showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 The city blazed with the glory of God. It sparkled like the most precious gemstone -- like crystal-clear jasper. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 It had a massive, tall wall with twelve gates. An angel stood at each gate. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 There were three gates on the east side, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 The city wall sat on twelve foundations, and each foundation had the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 The city was shaped like a perfect cube -- equally long, wide, and tall. When the angel measured it, it was twelve thousand furlongs in each direction. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 He measured the wall. It was 144 cubits thick, using the regular human measure the angel was using. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 The wall was built from jasper, and the city itself was pure gold, as clear and see-through as glass. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth was sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls -- each single gate was carved from one enormous pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, so pure it looked like transparent glass. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
The Glory That Fills the City
Study note
The city has no temple because God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. It needs no sun or moon because God's glory illuminates it and the Lamb is its lamp. Nations walk by its light, and earth's kings bring their glory into it. Its gates never close since there is no night. Nothing unclean or deceitful can enter; only those written in the Lamb's book of life.
22 I did not see any temple in the city. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to light it up. God's glory provides all the light it needs, and the Lamb is its lamp. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their treasures and glory into it. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 Its gates will never be closed during the day -- and there will be no night there. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 The splendor and the treasures of the nations will be brought into it. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 Nothing impure will ever get in, and no one who does shameful or dishonest things will enter. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be allowed inside. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.