Revelation 21:18-27

(c) The Character of the City.

Revelation 21:19 f. This list of stones should be compared with the stones of the high priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:17 ff. Exodus 39:10 ff.) and the description of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:13 ff.). There is considerable difficulty in identifying these stones, but probably, as C. A. Scott (Cent.B) says, the sapphire is our lapis-lazuli, the chalcedony is our onyx, the emerald our emerald, the sardonyx our onyx, the sardius our cornelian, the chrysolite is a golden-yellow stone probably amber or topaz, the beryl is our beryl, the topaz our chrysolite but of a paler yellow, the jacinth is our sapphire, the amethyst our amethyst (see also Precious Stones in HDB).

Revelation 21:22. no temple: The city possesses no sanctuary, for it is itself a Holy of Holies.. The Eternal Presence renders the New Jerusalem one vast temple (Swete).

Revelation 21:23. This description is suggested by Isaiah 60:19. In fact the whole of Revelation 21:23 is practically borrowed from Isaiah 60.