Revelation 21:6-23

Second Temple Section-The Holy City

6 This is written from the standpoint of the time when John wrote, at Patmos, hence all is put in the future tense. This is vital to a true understanding of this section.

6 "The Origin and the Consummation" gives Him His true place in creation and redemption. God begins with Him and He brings all God's purposes to fruition.

10 This is the city for which Abraham looked (Heb_11:10). Since the capture of Zion by David (2Sa. 5), Jerusalem has been God's choice to rule over the nation and over the whole earth. The city descends out of heaven to the earth and seems to be shaped like an enormous mountain.Jerusalem and Zion are almost always described as a mountain. The contrast with Sinai (Gal_4:24-26; Heb_12:18-22) implies as much, while Ezekiel's vision of a very high mountain (Rev_40:2, Rev_43:12) may refer first of all to the millennial city, yet it is suggestive of the shape of the new Jerusalem. No other shape could very well have its length and breadth and its height equal and be surrounded by a wall much lower than the city itself. The millennial city, as measured in Ezekiel, will be about twelve times as great as Jerusalem in the past, while the new Jerusalem of this vision will raise it to the seventh power. Ezekiel's city has twelve gates, named after the twelve tribes (Rev_48:31-34). There is a river, flowing from Jehovah's house, descending about three and a half feet per mile. If the throne be at the summit of this glorious city, such a river could wind about it with no greater descent than that in the millennial scene.

11 The word here used for luminosity, or light bearer, is applied to the sun and the moon (Gen_1:14; Gen_1:16). It is used figuratively of believers (Php_2:15). But the sun and moon are not needed, for the glory of God illuminates the city (Rev_21:23, Rev_22:5) and its Lamp is the Lambkin (Rev_21:23). Natural light was excluded from His habitations.

11 The jasper is probably the most valuable variety, called plasma, a translucent green stone. Like the gold of the city, its luminosity will be crystalline in its translucent radiance. The Enthroned One looks like a jasper gem (Rev_4:3).

Second Temple Section-No Temple

18 Gold, if subjected to intense heat, may be made permanently transparent. When the city has passed through the fiery crucible which introduces the new earth (2Pe_3:10), the gold which now exists in considerable quantities in a diffused state, will be precipitated and refined and emerge with crystalline clarity.

17 A cubit was the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.

18 Josephus applies the term "in-building" to a mole or breakwater.

19 Lapis lazuli, anciently cailed sapphire, is a mixture of minerals, ultramarine in color, with specks of iron which look like gold. Pliny (Nat. Hist.xxxii,9) describes it as sky blue with golden spots.

19 Chalcedony is probably a waxy, translucent gem, from white to bluish grey in color (Plin.xxxvii,8).

20 Sardonyx (a variety of onyx, so-called from its resemblance to the substance of a finger nail or claw) consists of alternate layers of light-colored onyx between reddish layers of camelian or "sard".

20 Carnelian, or sardius, is used for the Hebrew ohdem, red (Exo_28:17; Exo_39:10; Eze_28:13) and for the onyx (Exo_25:7; Exo_35:9).

20 The gold stone, or chrysolite, of the ancient is our topaz, while their topaz is our peridot,

20 The best beryl is of a sea green color,

20 Chrysoprase is the palest of the green beryls of a golden cast.

20 Amethyst, the ancient hyacinth, resembles the flower of this name. It is a transparent gem of violet color (cf. Rev_9:17), The amethyst of the ancients is now called garnet (Rev_9:17).

22 Six temples "made with hands" are indwelt by Jehovah in the eons. The first was the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Exo_25:8). The second was erected by Solomon (2Sa_7:13). It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (2Ki_2:59). The third was built by Ezra at the command of Cyrus (Ezr_6:3), Herod's temple is the fourth. The fifth is called "the temple of God" (2Th_2:4) and is measured in this scroll (Rev_11:1). The sixth is described by Ezekiel (40-43). It is intensely interesting to note the development of the truth in the first, second and sixth. Here we have the true Temple, God Himself, with the true Sacrifice, the Lambkin.