UNROLL
At the first light of dawn, a wide fresh land of green hills and clear winding streams glistens with dew under a calm, clear sky.

The Book of

Revelation 21

The old world passes away. John sees God come to live with His people for good, every tear wiped away, and a holy city coming down like a bride.

27 verses≈ 5 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1–3Seven churchesChrist among His lampstands
  2. 4–11Seals & trumpetsThe Lamb opens the scroll
  3. 12–16The great conflictThe dragon, the beasts, the bowls
  4. 17–20The King comesBabylon falls; the Lamb wins
  5. 21–22All things newA new heaven and a new earthChapter 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

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And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:3–4

The Lord God

The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

Reflect

Every tear

The voice from the throne promises, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,” and “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” What grief or pain are you carrying right now? Write it down, and then write beside it the words God says over His people: “Behold, I make all things new.”

The New Jerusalem

Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

From a high, bare mountain ridge at dawn, a vast glow of clear golden-white light rests on the far horizon, the faint line of a long, plain wall within it.

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal. The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

0:39

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height. And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

The city as John saw it

The holy citycoming down from GodTwelve gatesnamed for the twelvetribesTwelvefoundationsnamed for the twelveapostlesA wall ofjaspera city of pure goldFoursquarelength, width, heightequalGates of pearleach gate a singlepearl

Whiteboard

The city in the order John describes it: twelve gates with “the names of the twelve tribes of Israel,” twelve foundations with “the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,” equal on every side, and “each gate consisting of a single pearl.” God’s people of old and new, one city.

Question

Quick question

John describes the gates of the holy city.

What was each of the city’s twelve gates made of?

the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple

Revelation 21:22–23

By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory. Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there.

And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Pray

Its lamp is the Lamb

Thank God that one day “the dwelling place of God is with man,” and that the city “has no need of sun or moon to shine on it,” because “the Lamb is its lamp.” Thank Jesus that by His grace names are written in “the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Ask Him for a thirst for Him now, and pray for someone you love to come to the spring of the water of life.

You’ve experienced

Revelation 21

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A verse to carry with you

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:3–4

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