CHAPTER XXI. _The new heaven and the new earth_, 1. _The new Jerusalem_, 2. _God dwells with men; the happy state of his followers_, 3-7. _The wretched state of the ungodly_, 8. _An angel shows John the holy city, the New Jerusalem_, 9, 10. _Her light, wall, gates, and foundations, described_,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:2. _AND I JOHN_] The writer of this book; whether the evangelist and apostle, or John the Ephesian presbyter, has been long doubted in the Church. _NEW JERUSALEM_] See Clarke's notes on Galatians 4:24. This doubtless means the Christian Church in a state of great prosperity and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:3. _THE TABERNACLE OF GOD_ IS _WITH MEN_] God, in the most especial manner, dwells among his followers, diffusing his light and life everywhere.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:4. _THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH_] Because there shall be a general resurrection. And this is the inference which St Paul makes from his doctrine of a general resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:26, where he says, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." But death cannot be... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:5. _BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW._] As the creation of the world at the beginning was the work of God alone, so this new creation. _THESE WORDS ARE TRUE AND FAITHFUL._] _Truth_ refers to the _promise_ of these changes; _faithfulness_, to the _fulfilment_ of these promises.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:6. _IT IS DONE._] All is determined, and shall be fulfilled in due time. The great drama is finished, and what was intended is now completed; referring to the period alluded to by the angel. _I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA_] Revelation 1:8. _THE FOUNTAIN OF THE WATER OF LIFE_] See on Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:7. _INHERIT ALL THINGS_] Here he had no inheritance; there he shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, and be with God and Christ, and have every possible degree of blessedness.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:8. _BUT THE FEARFUL_] δειλοις Those who, for _fear_ of losing _life_ or their _property_, either refused to receive the Christian religion, though convinced of its truth and importance; or, having received it, in times of persecution fell away, not being willing to risk their liv... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:9. _THE BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE_] The pure and holy Christian Church.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:10. _TO A GREAT AND HIGH MOUNTAIN_] That, being _above_ this city, he might see every street and lane of it. _THE HOLY JERUSALEM_] Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:11. _HAVING THE GLORY OF GOD_] Instead of the sun and moon, it has the splendour of God to enlighten it. _UNTO A STONE MOST PRECIOUS, EVEN LIKE A JASPER STONE, CLEAR AS_ _CRYSTAL__._] Among precious stones there are some even of the same species more valuable than others: for t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:12. _HAD A WALL GREAT AND HIGH_] An almighty defense. _TWELVE GATES_] A gate for every tribe of Israel, in the vicinity of which gate that tribe dwelt; so that in coming in and going out they did not mix with each other. This description of the city is partly taken from Ezekiel... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:13. _ON THE EAST THREE GATES_] The city is here represented as standing to the four cardinal points of heaven, and presenting one side to each of these points.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:14. _THE WALL-HAD TWELVE FOUNDATIONS_] Probably twelve stones, one of which served for a _foundation_ or _threshold_ to each gate; and on these were inscribed the names of the twelve apostles, to intimate that it was by the _doctrine of the apostles_ that souls enter into the Chu... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:15. _HAD A GOLDEN REED_] Several excellent MSS. add μετρον, a _measure_; he had a _measuring rod made of gold_. This account of measuring the city seems to be copied, with variations, from Ezekiel 40:3, c.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:16. _THE CITY LIETH FOURSQUARE_] Each side was equal, consequently the length and breadth were equal; and its _height_ is here said to be equal to its length. It is hard to say how this should be understood. It cannot mean the height of the _buildings_, nor of the _walls_, for ne... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:17. _THE WALL-A HUNDRED_ AND _FORTY_ AND _FOUR CUBITS_] This is _twelve_, the number of the apostles, multiplied by itself: for _twelve times twelve_ make _one hundred and forty-four_. _THE MEASURE OF A MAN, THAT IS, OF THE ANGEL._] The _cubit_, so called from _cubitus_, the _el... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:18. _THE BUILDING OF THE WALL OF IT WAS_ OF _JASPER_] The oriental jasper is exceedingly hard, and almost indestructible. Pillars made of this stone have lasted some thousands of years, and appear to have suffered scarcely any thing from the tooth of time. _PURE GOLD, LIKE UNTO... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:19. _THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WALL_] Does not this mean the foundations or _thresholds_ of the _gates_? The gates represented the twelve tribes, Revelation 21:12; and these foundations or thresholds, the twelve apostles, Revelation 21:14. There was no entrance into the city but _t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:20. _THE FIFTH, SARDONYX_] The onyx is an accidental variety of the agate kind; it is of a dark horny colour, in which is a plate of a bluish white, and sometimes of red. When on one or both sides of the white there happens to lie also a plate of a reddish colour, the jewellers c... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:21. _THE TWELVE GATES_ WERE _TWELVE PEARLS_] This must be merely figurative, for it is out of all the order of nature to produce a _pearl_ large enough to make a _gate_ to such an immense city. But St. John may refer to some relations of this nature among his countrymen, who tal... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:22. _I SAW NO TEMPLE_] There was no need of a _temple_ where God and the Lamb were manifestly present.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _NO NEED OF THE SUN_] This is also one of the traditions of the ancient Jews, that "in _the world to come_ the Israelites shall have no need of the _sun by day_, nor the _moon by_ _night_."-_Yalcut Rubeni_, fol. 7, 3. God's light shines in this city, and in the Lamb that light is concentra... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _THE NATIONS OF THEM WHICH ARE SAVED_] This is an illusion to the promise that the Gentiles should bring their riches, glory, and excellence, to the temple at Jerusalem, after it should be rebuilt. See Revelation 21:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 25. _THE GATES OF IT SHALL NOT BE SHUT AT ALL_] The Christian Church shall ever _stand open_ to receive sinners of all sorts, degrees, and nations. _THERE SHALL BE NO NIGHT THERE._] No more idolatry, no intellectual darkness; the Scriptures shall be everywhere read, the pure word everywhere p... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _THE GLORY AND HONOUR OF THE NATIONS INTO IT._] Still alluding to the declarations of the prophets, (see the passages in the margin, Revelation 21:24, c.,) that the Gentiles would be led to contribute to the riches and glory of the temple by their gifts, c.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 21:27. _THERE SHALL IN NOWISE ENTER INTO IT ANY THING THAT_ _DEFILETH_] See Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 52:1. Neither an _impure person_-he who turns the grace of God into lasciviousness, _nor a liar_-he that holds and propagates false doctrines. _BUT THEY WHICH ARE WRITTEN_] The acknowled... [ Continue Reading ]