BSB REV Chapter 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

(Isaiah 65:17–25)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,[fn] for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, [the] new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 

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.[fn]

4 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’[fn]

and there will be no more death

[or] mourning [or] crying [or] pain

for the former things have passed away.”

5 

And the [One] seated on the throne said,“Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said,“Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 And He told me,“It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. 7 The [one who] overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

8 

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.”

9 

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.”

10 

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, 11 shining with the glory of God. Its radiance [was] like a most precious jewel, like a jasper as clear as crystal. 12 [The city] had a great and high wall with twelve gates vvv inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. 13 [There were] three gates on [the] east, three on [the] north, three on [the] south, and three on [the] west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations vvv [bearing] [the] names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 

The [angel who] spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 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[fn] in length and width and height 17 And he measured its wall [to be] 144 {} cubits,[fn] by the human measure the angel was [using].

18 

The wall was made of jasper, and the city [itself] of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone:

• The first foundation [was] jasper,
• the second sapphire,
• the third chalcedony,
• the fourth emerald,
20 
• the fifth sardonyx,
• the sixth carnelian,
• the seventh chrysolite,
• the eighth beryl,
• the ninth topaz,
• the tenth chrysoprase,
• the eleventh jacinth,
• [and] the twelfth amethyst.
21 

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

22 

[But] I saw no temple in [the city], because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun [or] moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates [the city], and the Lamb [is] its lamp. 24 By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.[fn] 25 Its gates vvv vvv will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there.

26 

And into [the city] will be brought the glory and honor of the nations. 27 [But] vvv vvv 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.