Revelation 21
21
The New Heaven and the New Earth
1 #
Is 65.17; 66.22; 2 P 3.13. I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea. 2#Is 52.1; 2 Esd 13.36; Rev 3.12; Is 61.10. Then I saw New Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband.
3 #
Ez 37.27; Lv 26.11,12. I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:
God's home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. 4#Is 25.8; Is 35.10; 65.19. He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.
5Then the one sitting on the throne said:
I am making everything new. Write down what I have said. My words are true and can be trusted. 6#Is 55.1. Everything is finished! I am Alpha and Omega,#21.6 Alpha and Omega: See the note at 1.8. the beginning and the end. I will freely give water from the life-giving fountain to everyone who is thirsty. 7#2 S 7.14; Ps 89.26,27. All who win the victory will be given these blessings. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
8But I will tell you what will happen to cowards and to everyone who is unfaithful or dirty-minded or who murders or is sexually immoral or uses witchcraft or worships idols or tells lies. They will be thrown into that lake of fire and burning sulfur. This is the second death.#21.8 second death: See the note at 2.11.
The New Jerusalem
9I saw one of the seven angels who had the bowls filled with the seven last terrible troubles. The angel came to me and said, “Come on! I will show you the one who will be the bride and wife of the Lamb.” 10#Ez 40.1,2; 2 Esd 10.27. Then with the help of the Spirit, he took me to the top of a very high mountain. There he showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down from God in heaven.
11The glory of God made the city bright. It was dazzling and crystal clear like a precious jasper stone. 12#Ez 48.30-35. The city had a high and thick wall with twelve gates, and each one of them was guarded by an angel. On each of the gates was written the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13Three of these gates were on the east, three were on the north, three more were on the south, and the other three were on the west. 14The city was built on twelve foundation stones. On each of the stones was written the name of one of the Lamb's twelve apostles.
15 #
Ez 40.3. The angel who spoke to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city and its gates and its walls. 16The city was shaped like a cube, because it was just as high as it was wide. When the angel measured the city, it was about 2,400 kilometers high and 2,400 kilometers wide. 17Then the angel measured the wall, and by our measurements it was about 60 meters high.
18 #
Is 54.11,12. #Tb 13.16,17. The wall was built of jasper, and the city was made of pure gold, clear as crystal. 19Each of the twelve foundations was a precious stone. The first was jasper,#21.19 jasper: The precious and semi-precious stones mentioned in verses 19,20 are of different colors. Jasper is usually green or clear; sapphire is blue; agate has circles of brown and white; emerald is green; onyx has different bands of color; carnelian is deep-red or reddish-white; chrysolite is olive-green; beryl is green or bluish-green; topaz is yellow; chrysoprase is apple-green; jacinth is reddish-orange; and amethyst is deep purple. the second was sapphire, the third was agate, the fourth was emerald, 20the fifth was onyx, the sixth was carnelian, the seventh was chrysolite, the eighth was beryl, the ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was jacinth, and the twelfth was amethyst. 21Each of the twelve gates was a solid pearl. The streets of the city were made of pure gold, clear as crystal.
22I did not see a temple there. The Lord God All-Powerful and the Lamb were its temple. 23#Is 60.19,20. And the city did not need the sun or the moon. The glory of God was shining on it, and the Lamb was its light.
24 #
Is 60.3. Nations will walk by the light of that city, and kings will bring their riches there. 25#Is 60.11. Its gates are always open during the day, and night never comes. 26The glorious treasures of nations will be brought into the city. 27#Is 52.1; Ez 44.9. But nothing unworthy will be allowed to enter. No one who is dirty-minded or who tells lies will be there. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life#21.27 book of life: See the note at 3.5. will be in the city.
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Revelation 21: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Revelation 21
21
The New Heaven and the New Earth
1 #
Is 65.17; 66.22; 2 Pet 3.13 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. 2#Is 52.1; 61.10; Rev 3.12And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. 3#Ezek 37.27; Lev 26.11, 12I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God's home is with human beings! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4#Is 25.8; 35.10; 65.19He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.”
5Then the one who sits on the throne said, “And now I make all things new!” He also said to me, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.” 6#Is 55.1And he said, “It is done! I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it. 7#2 Sam 7.14; Ps 89.26–27Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children. 8But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practise magic, those who worship idols, and all liars — the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, “Come, and I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10#Ezek 40.2The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God 11and shining with the glory of God. The city shone like a precious stone, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12#Ezek 48.30–35It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels in charge of the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel. 13There were three gates on each side: three on the east, three on the south, three on the north, and three on the west. 14The city's wall was built on twelve foundation stones, on which were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15#Ezek 40.3The angel who spoke to me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16The city was perfectly square, as wide as it was long. The angel measured the city with his measuring rod: it was 2,400 kilometres long and was as wide and as high as it was long. 17The angel also measured the wall, and it was sixty metres high,#21.17 high; or thick. according to the standard unit of measure which he was using.#21.17 In verses 16 and 17 the Greek text speaks of “12,000 furlongs” and “144 cubits” which may have symbolic significance. 18#Is 54.11–12The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself was made of pure gold, as clear as glass. 19The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation stone was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh yellow quartz, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chalcedony, the eleventh turquoise, the twelfth amethyst. 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls; each gate was made from a single pearl. The street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.
22I did not see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. 23#Is 60.19–20The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God shines on it, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24#Is 60.3The peoples of the world will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their wealth into it. 25#Is 60.11The gates of the city will stand open all day; they will never be closed, because there will be no night there. 26The greatness and the wealth of the nations will be brought into the city. 27#Is 52.1; Ezek 44.9But nothing that is impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of the living will enter the city.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.