Revelation 21:9-27

Jesus said in John 14:1-3 that:
1) He was going away
2) He was going to prepare a place for us
3) He would return
4) He would receive us to himself

Jesus called this "New Jerusalem" the "Father's house."
This is the place we presently call "Heaven."

By this time in the vision of Revelation given to John:
1) time has ended
2) history is over
4) evil, satan, sin, death, unbelievers have been placed in the eternal lake of fire
4) the old earth and universe have been destroyed
5) the eternal state has begun

Recall the verses:
Hebrews 11:10
Hebrews 12:22-24
Hebrew 13:14

This chapter is the best description possible of this city.
To try to read hidden meaning into these verses, or to try to find imagery is baseless and extreme speculation.
Do not abandon the literal meaning.
This descripton of the heavenly city is more than we can understand, but it still means what it says.
This is a real place. It is heaven having come to the new earth.
This is literal but beyond our imagination.
Ephesian 3:20, "more than we can think or imagine."

21:9: One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he
spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb's bride."

This continues the description of the New Earth as heaven (New Jerusalem) comes to it.
Some consider this a millennium verse

The last time this angel was mentioned was 1,000 years earlier in the tribulation

21:10: He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God,

Just like Ezekiel was shown the millennial city and the temple for the Jews in advance of the kingdom age,
Now John is shown the eternal state and the new Jerusalem for the church age believers to understand ahead of time.

John was carried by the Spirit just like Ezekiel was in Ez. 40:1,2

Paul saw this city, the third heaven, in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

John 17:24, "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given
me because you loved me before the creation of the world."

Isaiah 60:19, "The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your
everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. . ."

21:11: having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it was a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

"Her light" or "brillance" in the NIV is the word "phoster" and refers to something from which light radiates.
In otherwords, it was like a giant light bulb with light shining out of the glass bulb.
But, in this case the bulb was not a thin glass but a through the walls of the city which themselves where like jewels.
This city appears then as a giant jewel radiating light from within it.
What is shining is the presence of God within the city.

This city shined like a very large jewel.
The description obviously falls short of what is being described.

21:12: having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them,
which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

This is a large, square city

12 is a prominent number inthe city:
a) 12 gates
b) 12 angels
c) 12 foundations
d) 12 apos tles
e) 12 pearls
f) 12 kinds of fruit
g) the wall is 12 x 12, or 144 cubits
h) 12,000 miles high, wide and long

There are three gates on each side of the city

If the gates correspond with the millennial city in Ezekiel 48:31-34 they would be:
-on the north side . . . . . . Levi. . . . . Judah. . . . . .Reuben
-on the west side. . . . . . .Naphtali. . Asher. . . . .. Gad
-on the south side. . . . . .Simeon. . . .Issachar. . . . Zebulun
-on the east side . . . . . . Joseph. . . .Benjamin. . . . Dan

21:13: On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

21:14: The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

21:15: He who spoke with me had for a measure, a golden reed, to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.

The mention of Israel's tribes and the church's apostles is because this is the home of the righteous men and women from
both of these time periods. (Hebrews 12:22-24)
Notice, there is still a distintion between Israel and the church.
Gates are named for Israel
Foundations are named for the Church.

Measuring by an angel indicates in scripture that the object or place being measured is Gods.
God measured things he planned on using and inhabiting, like:
1) the millennial temple in Ez. 40:3
2) the tribulation temple in Rev. 11:1

21:16: The city lies foursquare, and its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed, Twelve
thousand twelve stadia{12,012 stadia = or 2,221 kilometers or 1,380 miles. TR reads 12,000 stadia instead of 12,012 stadia.}.
Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

The city is 1,400 miles long and wide and an amazing 1,400 miles high

Commentators write as if it where a square or a pyramid.

One thought on this is that pryamids where built with its point toward the sun for pagan worship as in Egypt, Mexico or the ziggurats
like the tower of babel. Worship in high places such as mountains or building structi is forbidden in Leviticus 26;30.

On the other hand the square or a cube is exactly the shape of the Most Holy Place that was the seat of the presence of God in the
Ark of the Covenant

There is no mention of a pyramid in scripture but a square and a cube are not only mentioned but associated with God's presence.

This city could hold a very large number of people. In fact, some have calculated that there could be as many as 75 acres of surface
for each of the redeemed people.

21:17: Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits,{144 cubits is about 65.8 meters or 216 feet}
by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

The walls are 216 feet thick.
The angel is transfering the measurements into that of a men

21:18: The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.

The city walls of jasper are again the transparent jasper material.
In fact, the whole city was clear like golden glass.

21:19: The foundations of the city's wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper;
the second, sapphire{or, lapis lazuli}; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

First - the word jasper is a trasliteration of the Greek work iaspis which describes a translucent stone. So the color would be like a
clear diamond
Second - blue
Third - blue with stips of other colors
Fourth - bright green

21:20: the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus;
the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst.

Fifth - red and white striped
Sixth - deep red (or, amber)
Seventh - transparent gold or yellow-hue
Eighth - sea green
Ninth - transparent yellow-green
Tenth - green
Eleventh - violet
Twelth - purple

21:21: The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold,
like transparent glass.

Each gate was a huge, single pearl.

These gates of pearl are the only gem or stone formed by flesh. The oyster forms a pearl around a wound or a article that has penetrated its shell.
The gates that the redeemed go in and out of for eternity proclaim the Lord's death for their redemption

The symbolism is difficult to interpret.
The point is that this is the real future home of the saints of all time.

21:22: I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.

John is now inside the city

21:23: The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

There is no fuel or burning sun to produce light. That was the way of the old order of things.
Here the presence of God produces the light

21:24: The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.

The reference to nations here does not mean there will be nations in this new earth, but that people from all the nations of the old earth will be
here in this city.

The mention of nations indicates that there will be Gentile believers in the city from all the ages of men.

21:25: Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),

21:26: and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.

21:27: There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written
in the Lamb's book of life.

The book of life is mentioned six times in Revelation. Only here is it called "the Lamb's book of life." (3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; 20:15)

Chapter 22 continues the vision inside the city New Jerusalem.