1.
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.
saw. App-133 .
heaven, &c. See Isaiah 51:16 (plant, &c); Rev 65:17 ; Rev 66:22 . 2 Peter 3:7 .
new. See Matthew 9:17 .
heaven. See Revelation 3:12 .
earth. App-129 .
first. Greek. former, as Revelation 21:4 .
there . . . sea = the sea is no more (longer). A proof that this belongs to the post-millennial period. See Psalms 72:8 , Zechariah 9:10 .
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.
John. The texts omit.
new Jerusalem. See Revelation 3:12 . The city "above" (Galatians 1:4 , Gal 1:26 ); "which hath the foundations" (Hebrews 11:10 ); "the heavenly Jerusalem" (Hebrews 12:22 ).
bride. Greek. numphe. See v. 9; Revelation 22:17 , and App-197 .
husband. App-123 .
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 shall be with them, and be their God.
heaven. The texts read "the throne".
Behold. App-133 .
dwell = tabernacle. Greek. skenoo. See John 1:14 .
with them. Compare Exodus 29:46 , &c, for God's promise to dwell among His People in the Land. For the promise to dwell among His People, restored Israel, in the millennial Land, see Zechariah 2:10 , Zechariah 2:11 ; Zechariah 8:3 , &c. Here we have the final and glorious fulfillment of the promise in Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23 IMMANUEL, God with us.
people = peoples. Greek. laos. Whereas it was people, Israel, it is now peoples, called "the nations" in Revelation 21:24 .
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 are passed away.
from. The texts read Greek. ek. App-104 .
there shall, &c. Read "death shall be no ( App-105 .) more" (longer).
neither, nor. Greek. oute.
any more = no more, as above.
for. The texts omit.
former things. Compare Isaiah 25:7 , Isaiah 25:8 ; Isaiah 35:10 . Jeremiah 31:16 .
5.
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.
sat = sitteth. Literally the ( One ) sitting.
upon. App-104 . with texts.
said = saith.
unto me. The texts omit.
words. App-121 .
true, &c. The texts read "faithful and true". Compare Revelation 19:11 .
true. App-175 .
faithful. App-150 and App-175
6.
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.
unto = to.
It is done. The texts read "They are come to pass". Compare Revelation 16:17 .
Alpha, &c. See Revelation 1:8 .
Beginning. App-172 .
End. Compare App-125 .
life. App-170 .
freely. See John 15:25 .
7.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
overcometh. Last of seventeen occurances in Rev. See Revelation 2:7 and App-197 .
inherit. Greek. kleronomeo. Only here in Rev.
all. The texts read "these".
son. App-108 .
8.
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.
fearful. Greek. deilos. Only here; Matthew 8:26 , and Mark 4:40 . In Septuagint Deuteronomy 20:8 . Judges 7:3 , Judges 7:10 .
unbelieving. Greek. apiatoa. First occurance: Matthew 17:17 (faithless).
abominable. Greek. bdelussomai. Only here and Romans 2:22 . Frequently in Septuagint. See the noun in Revelation 17:4 .
sorcerers. Greek. pharmakos. Only here and Revelation 22:15 ( pharmakos ). See Revelation 9:21 ; Revelation 18:23 and Galatians 1:5 , Galatians 1:20 (witchcraft). Those who have commerce with evil spirits, as modern "Spiritists". Occurs in Septuagint
all liars = all the false (Greek. pseudes) . Here; Revelation 2:2 .Acts 6:13 (false).
9.
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.
unto me. The texts omit.
seven . . . plagues. See Revelation 16:1 .
talked. App-121 .
bride. Greek. numphe. See Revelation 21:2 .Matthew 10:35 . 3 John 1:3; 3 John 1:3 :29 . John 18:23 ; Joh 22:17 . The "wife" and the "bride" here must not be confused with "the wife" of Revelation 19:7 . The wife of Revelation 19:7 is Israel, called out from all the nations for blessing in the Land, the earthly consort of "the great King" (compare Psalms 45 .Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 3:14 ). The "bride, the Lamb's wife" here is still of Israel, but that Israel of the "heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1 ); all those connected with the "heavenly" country and "the city which hath the foundations", for which "they looked" (Hebrews 11:13-16 ). See App-197 .
wife. Greek. gune, always rend. "wife", or "woman". The wife of Revelation 19:7 is not called numphe. Here she is both numphe and gune (first occurrence Matthew 1:20 ). See App-197 .
10.
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,
spirit. App-101 .
that great. The texts omit, and read "the holy city Jerusalem".
11.
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
glory. See p. 1611.
and. Omit.
light. App-130 .
12.
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:
And. Omit.
had = having.
twelve gates. Compare Ezekiel 48:31-34 . Both John and Ezekiel wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, and their specific descriptions refer to different cities. See Revelation 21:9 .
at. Greek. epi . App-104 .
children. App-108 .
13.
On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
On. Greek. apo. App-104 .
14.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
foundations. Greek. themelios. See App-146 .
in. The texts read App-104 .
apostles. The twelfth will be Matthias, not Judas, See App-174 and App-189 . Twelve is the basic number of the measurements of the city. See App-197 and App-10 .
15.
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
golden reed, &c. The texts add metron here, as Revelation 21:17 , and read "for a measure".
to = in order that. Greek. hina.
measure = he might measure.
16.
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.
furlongs. Greek. stadion. See Revelation 14:20 and App-51 .
length . . . equal. The "holy city" is presented to us as a perfect cube of 12,000 furlongs. In Solomon's Temple "the Holy of Holies" was a perfect cube of twenty cubits.
17.
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.
hundred . . . cubits. About 300 feet. See Ezekiel 43:13 and App-88 .
according to. Omit.
man. App-123 . the = an.
18.
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
building = fabric, or material. Greek. endomesis. Only here. pure, clear. Same word.
19.
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;
And. Omit.
jasper. Compare this and the other stones here with those in Aaron's breastplate (Exodus 28:17-21 ).
20.
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.
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.
street. Greek. plateia. See Revelation 22:2 and Compare Revelation 11:8 . Figure of speech Heterosis (of Number). App-6 .
as it were. Not that it is glass, but gold of a kind unknown to us.
22.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Temple. Last occurance of the word.
therein = in (Greek. en) it.
Almighty. App-98 .
Temple of it. This shows clearly that the wonders and glories revealed here belong to post-millennial times and ages. Therefore, the city of the great King during the thousand years, with "the sanctuary" of Ezekiel 45:2 , et al ., and its palace-temple, will have "passed away". There cannot be two Jerusalems on the earth at one and the same time. The new Jerusalem comes down on the new earth, thus taking the place of the former city. See App-197 .
23.
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.
had = hath.
need, &c. Compare Isaiah 60:19-20 for the privileges of the millennial reign, foreshadowing the extended ones set forth here.
neither. Greek. oude.
to = in order to. Greek. hina.
shine. App-106 .
in it. The texts omit "in", reading "on (dative case) her".
lighten. Same as Revelation 18:1 .
light. App-130 .
24.
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.
of . . . saved. The texts omit.
light. App-130 .
it. Greek."her", as above. So also verses: Rev 25:27 .
kings, &c. Notice the order in that day.
do. Omit.
and honour. The texts omit.
into. App-104 .
25.
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
not . . . at all. App-105 .
26.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
honour = the honour.
the nations. These are the "sheep" nations of His right hand during the millennial reign. See Matthew 25:31-46 .
27.
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.
in no wise. App-105 .
that defileth = unclean. Greek. koinoo, as the texts.
neither whatsoever. Read "or he that".
worketh . . . lie = worketh (or maketh) a lying abomination, i.e. an idol (Greek. baelugma. See Revelation 17:5 ).
or = and.
but = only. Greek. ei me.
Lamb's book of life. See Revelation 13:8 . Note the Figure of speech. Polysyndeton ( App-6 ) in verses: Revelation 21:22-27 .