Revelation

21:9-21

The revelation of Christ, 19:11-22:5

vii] The new Jerusalem

In John's vision of the Holy City, 21:9-22:5, he symbolically describes the "new Jerusalem", "the bride, the wife of the Lamb." In symbolic language, John pictures the assembled people of God, the gathered children of God in the heavenlies. By the use of descriptive metaphors, John reminds his readers of the inevitable glorification of those who stand with Christ.

The messianic judgments, 6:1-16:21, are visions of the present dilemma facing the church. Evil is apparently victorious. The powers of darkness, often seen in the secular State, are triumphant. John then sees the time when God acts to cast down the powers of darkness and to bring low their authority. In that day, no one prevails against God's might. Finally, John sees the vision of the new heavens and the new earth.

The vision of the new heavens and the new earth found in chapters 20 and 21 should not be taken literally. John describes a spiritual state, a picture which fires the whole book. The present state of sin has moved on to judgment and now we finally come to blessing. The kingdom of God is established in power. It is the blessing for which we yearn and it is this blessing which fires our determination to stand against the powers of darkness, a darkness often entrenched in the secular State. It may seem that all power and glory rests with the "whore of Babylon" (the secular city, well illustrated in John's time by the Roman Empire), but its apparent glory and power is short-lived, for in the age to come all glory and power will rest with the "Bride of Christ", (The new Jerusalem, the city of God, the heavenly assembly, the holy city, ie. the church universal, all believers). Black's New Testament commentary puts it this way, "Here is the real source of John's prophetic certainty, for only in comparison with the 'New Jerusalem' can the queenly splendors of Babylon be recognized as the seductive gauds of an old and raddled whore."

It is difficult to draw definite conclusions from the pictures painted by John. There are those who would take the description of the Holy City literally. Here is the heavenly city of God in which all his people reside. The city is 1,500 miles long, wide and high, and it is possibly in heaven, but more likely has come down somewhere in Palestine. Just as prophets like Ezekiel did not want us to take their description of the new temple in a literal way, even less so does John want us to take his vision literally. So, it is metaphorical, but then how do we rightly understand the metaphors?

It is not easy to understand the images in Revelation. We are best to generalize the pictures rather than become too specific in our interpretation. For example, in v19-20 we are given the description of the foundations of the walls of the city, foundations which are covered in precious stones. The stones are listed for us - twelve types. Now what do we make of this? If it is a metaphor, what is it a description of? We know that there is some link in the list of stones with the signs of the Zodiac. They are given in the reverse order as the sun passes by the star signs. What do we make of this? We could say something like: the city of God reverses all known human reasoning. We also know that the stones are very similar to the ones on the High Priest's breastplate, Exodus 27:17-20. So, we could reason that here is the fulfillment of the high-priestly dress which would indicate something like: the High Priest is now caught up in the city - ie. access to God is open to all who are part of the new community in the heavenlies. Clearly it is not easy to understand the images of the book and therefore it is best to generalize rather than be too specific.

John's initial view of the Holy City, v9-14. Morris notes the similarity between this description of the new Jerusalem and that of Babylon, 17:1-6a, the point being that we have to choose which city we intend to live in.

twn eJpta aggelwn "[one of] the seven angels" - [one from/out of] the seven angels. Referring to one of the angels in the vision of the judgment of the seven bowls. We don't know if this is the same angel as 17:1, but it probably doesn't matter.

twn econtwn (ecw) pres. part. "who had" - the one having. The participle is adjectival, limiting "angels", as NIV.

twn gemontwn (gemw) pres. part. "full" - being full. The participle is adjectival, limiting "bowels"; "bowels which were full of the seven last plagues."

thn gunaika (h) "[the bride], the wife [of the lamb]" - In Western thinking a bride can't be a wife since she is the wife to be, but in Eastern thinking the betrothed, the wife to be, is all but married. The image of God's people as a wife to the Lord has both Old and New Testament precedents.

aphnegken (apoferw) aor. "he carried [me] away" - We might say: "I was possessed and saw as in a vision."

epi oroV mega kai uJyhlon "to a great mountain" - onto a mountain great and high. Note the parallel with Ezekiel 40:2. The bride-city is built (believers gather) on a high hill, typically the place where God meets his people.

thn aJgian adj. "holy" - pertaining, belonging to God

katabainousan (katabainw) part. "coming down" - descending. The participle is possibly adjectival, descriptive of "Holy City / Jerusalem", forming an adjectival phrase; "[which was] coming down out of heaven from God". Possibly also adverbial, temporal; "he showed me the holy city of Jerusalem as she was coming down out of heaven from God", Cassirer, Knox. The sense is: proceeds from God, therefore, it is of God's design.

ecousan (ecw) pres. part. "it shone" - having. The participle is adjectival, describing "Holy City / Jerusalem", v10; "coming down from heaven and shining with the glory of God." "With the sheen of God's splendor", Barclay, Moffatt.

fwsthr (hr hroV) "brilliance" - radiance, a light-giving body. "Glory" is again intended, imaging the radiance of the Lord's Shekinah glory - "shining with his brilliant presence".

timiwtatw/ (timioV) surp. adj. "very precious" - "Precious", but in the superlative, as here, "rare". Note, jasper represents the divine appearance, 4:3, so the city reflects divine glory.

krustallizonti (krustalizw) pres. part. "clear as crystal" - being clear as crystal. The participle is adjectival, describing/limiting "jasper"; "like jasper which is crystal clear", "crystal clear jasper".

ecousa (ecw) pres. part. "It had" - having. The participles continue to describe the "Holy City / Jerusalem", although there is a shift from the accusative to the nominative. So "Holy City / Jerusalem" has become the subject and this shift and so although technically adjectival they now virtually function as finite verbs, cf. Porter; "It had a wall great in extent and it had twelve gates", Cassirer.

teicoV mega kai uJyhlon "a great high wall" - a wall great and high. The sense is probably "a very high wall", ie. it is secure. The high wall, as with the twelve angels and the tower-gates, images God's protection of his people, or as Zechariah put it, there is no wall, for the Lord is a wall of protection for his people. Note how the imagery reflects both Zechariah and Ezekiel's description of the new Jerusalem.

aggelouV dwdeka "twelve angels" - A possible allusion to Isa.62:6, "watchmen / guards", Mounce.

pulwnaV (wn wnoV) "gates" - gates, towers, porches. The word is used for a tower entrance, not just gates, "gate-towers".

epigegrammena (epigrafw) perf. pas. part. "[on the gates] were written [the names]" - having been written upon. The participle is adjectival, descriptive; "[he showed me the Holy City / Jerusalem] .... which had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels and names which had been written on [them] which is (collective = "are") the names of the twelve tribes", cf. Ezk.48:31-34.

The order of the compass points is not significant as they are different in different cultures. All the tribes are covered, covering all the corners of the world. The city is open to all.

ecwn (ecw) pres. part. "it had" - having. As noted in v12 the string of adjectival participles describing "Holy City / Jerusalem" now virtually function as finite verbs, as NIV.

qemeliouV (oV) "foundations" - Probably "foundation stones" are intended, great stones upon which the wall is built, although like the temple, these great stones are visible. When we speak of a foundation we are speaking of something that is buried under the ground. So, the wall of protection rests, no longer on Israel's patriarchs, but upon the apostles. Is this about building on the apostolic tradition of Christ's words? "The integration of the apostles together with the tribes of Israel .... confirms that ... the multiracial Christian church will be the redeemed group who, together with Christ, will fulfill Ezekiel's prophecy of the future temple and city", Beale.

ep autwn "on them" - The Greek is not explicit, but the intention probably is that each stone carries the name of one of the apostles.

oJ lalwn pres. part. "the angel who talked [with me]" - the one speaking. The participle functions as a substantive. "Angel" is intended.

iJna + subj. "to [measure the city, its gates and its walls]" - Here forming a purpose clause, "in order to obtain the dimensions of the city from the outside."

stadiwn dwdeka ciliadwn "12,000 stadia" - stadia twelve thousand. Literally 1,500 miles, but it is a figurative number, using the base 12 by the cube of 10, the perfect number, representing God's people, and extended indefinitely. The sense "infinitely large" is intended.

to mhkoV kai to platoV kai to uJyoV authV isa estin "as wide and high as it is long" - the length and the breadth and the height of it equal is. In simple terms the city is "a cube" (some have suggested a pyramid), as was the holy of holies in the temple, which of course implies, since there is no temple in the city, that the city is the temple.

tesserakonta tessarwn phcwn "144 cubits" - A symbolic number again expressing the idea that the 144,000, the faithful remnant of God's people, are securely contained within the city.

"thick" - John doesn't actually tell us whether the measurement is for the height, or the thickness of the wall. If height, it is only about 66 metres, which is a very low wall for a very tall city.

metron (on) acc. "by man's measurement" - measurement [of a man]. Accusative of reference. The measurements of a human person; "the measure of a human/man".

o{ estin "which [the angel] was using" - which is [of an angel]. the neuter pronoun here with the verb to-be is likely to be interpretive, "that is". The genitive "of an angel" is probably adjectival, so "an angel's measurement". The RSV, "by a man's measure, that is an angel's", follows adopts this translation, as did the AV, but most modern translation agree with the NIV. It may seem illogical that two types of measurements are being used, but the whole of the book interlaces reality with symbol. The city may be 144 cubits in human measurements, but then of course the angels have their own measurements such that what John sees in a vision is not necessarily the final reality which reality infinite.

John is describes the material used in the construction of the city, v18-21.

hJ endwmhsiV (iV ewV) "the wall [was made]" - the foundation. Sometimes used of "building materials" and that is obviously the meaning here. Lit. "the building materials/construction of the wall of it jasper." Again, this is the divine jewel, giving a red glow. So, like the city, the wall glows with divine radiance and thus divine protection.

oJmoion uJalw/ kaqarw/ "as pure as glass" - like glass pure. Clean or pure, but possibly in this context, clear, ie. it refracts the red glow. It is also possible that the clarity of reflection is intended. The gold is so pure, so highly refined, such that it reflects.

Numerous interpretations have been drawn from the 12 precious stones. It should at least be noted that they represent the jewels on the high priest's breastplate inscribed with the tribes of Israel, Ex.28:17ff, cf Ezk.28:13 LXX. It has also been noted that the order of the jewels aligns with the signs of the Zodiac on Egyptian and Arabian monuments, but with the sun progressing in reverse. The image of the brilliance of the night sky touching the earth, adorning the city, may be in John's mind.

panti "with every" - every. 'With all kinds of / with every different kind of."

timiw/ adj. "precious" - precious. "Beautiful" and "expensive" are other possibilities.

kekosmhmenoi (kosmew) perf. pas. part. "were decorated" - having been adorned. Again we have an adjectival participle describing "the foundations of the wall", but virtually functioning as a finite verb, as NIV etc.

oJ qemelioV oJ protoV iaspiV "The first foundation was jasper" - the foundation first jasper. The NIV implies that the foundation stone is made of jasper. The Greek can certainly be read this way and seems best, but it can be translated "the first foundation stone was adorned with jasper."

pulwneV (wn wnoV) "gates" - gate. Entrance, entrance way/gate-way, even an entrance tower may be intended.

hJ plateia (a) sing. "great street" - The NIV has opted for the "main street", but it could mean "town square", or be taken collectively as "streets." If the main thoroughfare through the city is intended, namely the ceremonial way, it is possible that John is imaging the milky way, the brilliant heavenly highway that links heaven with earth, and upon which the redeemed will travel. Whatever, John's language is symbolic and serves to illustrate the divine presence in the new dwelling-place of the redeemed.

crusion kaqaron "pure gold" - golden pure. The adjective "pure" modifies "golden". Beale suggests that the words are synonymous, taking "gold" to mean "golden / bright". So, "resplendent", a divine characteristic.

Revelation Introduction

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