INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 21. This chapter contains an account of the happy state of the church, consisting of all the elect, both Jews and Gentiles, which will take place upon the first resurrection, and will continue during the thousand years' reign mentioned in the preceding chapter. The seat o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH,.... This vision relates to a glorious state of the church, not in the times of the apostles, or first dispensation of the Gospel; when the old Jewish church state, with its ordinances, rites, and ceremonies, passed away, and a new church state, a new dispensat... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I JOHN SAW THE HOLY CITY,.... The same with the beloved city in Revelation 20:9 the church of God: sometimes the church militant is called a city, of which the saints are now fellow citizens, governed by wholesome laws, and enjoying many privileges; but here the general assembly and church of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I HEARD A GREAT VOICE OUT OF HEAVEN,.... Either of an angel, or rather of Christ, or God himself; since the Alexandrian copy and Vulgate Latin version read, "out of the throne", SAYING, BEHOLD THE TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN; in allusion to the tabernacle being with the Israelites, and the "S... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM THEIR EYES,.... Occasioned by sin, Satan, the hidings of God's face, and afflictive dispensations of Providence; for these will be no more: AND THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH; natural or violent; there will be no more putting of the saints to death, or persecuti... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT SAT UPON THE THRONE SAID,.... By whom is meant, either God the Father, who is often represented in this book as sitting on the throne, and as distinguished from Christ the Lamb; see Revelation 4:2 Revelation 5:13 and who may seem the more to be intended, since he is by adopting grace the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO ME, IT IS DONE,.... The end of all things is come; it is all over with the first heaven and earth; these are no more, and the new heaven and earth are finished: there seems to be an allusion to the old creation, he spake, and it was done, Psalms 33:9. The whole election of grace is... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT OVERCOMETH,.... All spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, the antichristian beast, his image, mark, and number of his name; who is more than a conqueror through Christ; one that perseveres to the end, notwithstanding all temptations, trials, and difficulties; Revelation 2:7, SHALL... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE FEARFUL,.... Not the timorous sheep and lambs of Christ, the dear children of God, who are sometimes of a fearful heart, on account of sin, temptation, and unbelief; but such who are of cowardly spirits, and are not valiant for the truth, but who, through fear of men, either make no professi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE CAME UNTO ME ONE OF THE SEVEN ANGELS,.... Either the first of them, as one of the four beasts is the first of them, Revelation 6:1 or it may be the last, and very likely the same as in Revelation 17:1 WHICH HAD THE SEVEN VIALS FULL OF THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES; that is, the wrath of God pour... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CARRIED ME AWAY IN THE SPIRIT,.... John was in an ecstasy, as in Revelation 1:10 and in the thoughts and apprehensions of his mind and spirit, it seemed to him as if he was carried away from one place to another; for this was not a corporeal sight, nor were any of the visions he had, but what... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING THE GLORY OF GOD,.... Not only upon their souls, which will lie in the glorious robe of Christ's righteousness, the bride's wedding garment being on them, in the perfect holiness which will be in them, and in that complete knowledge of all spiritual and heavenly things they will be possessed... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAD A WALL GREAT AND HIGH,.... Not the Spirit of God, who separates, sanctifies, and preserves the saints, as Cocceius thinks, for this account respects not the church militant; nor the eternal decree of God, the unpassable gulf between heaven and hell, which everlastingly fixes the state of men... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE EAST THREE GATES,.... On which were written the names of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan: ON THE NORTH THREE GATES; on which were written the names of Reuben, Judah, and Levi: ON THE SOUTH THREE GATES; on which were written the names of Simeon, Issachar, and Zabulon: AND ON THE WEST THREE GATES;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WALL OF THE CITY HAD TWELVE FOUNDATIONS,.... Christ is the one and only foundation of his church and people, of the covenant of grace, and of salvation; and of faith, hope, peace, and joy, and of eternal happiness, and so of this glorious state of the church; he will be the light and temple... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT TALKED WITH ME,.... One of the seven angels, Revelation 21:9 for not a man is the measurer of this city, as in Ezekiel 40:3 nor John, as of the temple, Revelation 11:1 but an angel, the same that showed to John this great sight: HAD A GOLDEN REED; not a common measuring reed, or rod,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CITY LIETH FOUR SQUARE,.... To the four corners of the world, from whence its inhabitants come, and denotes the regularity, uniformity, perfection, and immovableness of it. AND THE LENGTH IS AS LARGE AS THE BREADTH; this church state will be all of a piece, perfect, entire, and wanting noth... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE MEASURED THE WALL THEREOF, AN HUNDRED AND FORTY AND FOUR CUBITS,.... The root of which is twelve, for twelve times twelve is a hundred and forty four; which number is mystical and apostolical, and suited to the perfect state of this church: hence twelve gates, and twelve angels at them, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE BUILDING OF THE WALL OF IT WAS OF JASPER,.... Which is expressive of the impregnableness, duration, brightness, and glory of salvation by Christ, the jasper being a very hard, durable, and bright stone; and salvation can never be made void, and of none effect; it will last for ever, and in t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WALL OF THE CITY,.... Which were twelve; see Revelation 21:14 were garnished with all manner of precious stones: see Isaiah 54:11 not that there were all manner of precious stones in every foundation, but in them all there were, and each foundation had its stone peculiar t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIFTH, SARDONYX,.... Which is partly of the sardian, and partly of the onyx stone, which resembles a man's nail, from whence it has its name; it is reddish, bordering on white; it may be thought to answer to the onyx in the breastplate, on which was written the name of Joseph. THE SIXTH, SARDIU... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE TWELVE GATES WERE TWELVE PEARLS,.... Denoting the purity and preciousness of Christ, by whom the saints enter, and of the saints who enter in thereat, as well as of the place into which they enter. EVERY SEVERAL GATE WAS OF ONE PEARL; the pearl of great price, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW NO TEMPLE THEREIN,.... No material temple, as was in the old Jerusalem, or such as is described in Ezekiel's vision; nor any place of public worship, as under the Gospel dispensation; for in this state there will be no such external form of worship as now, such as preaching the word and ad... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CITY HAD NO NEED OF THE SUN, NEITHER OF THE MOON TO SHINE IN IT,.... Which may be understood either literally of these two luminaries, which all earthly cities need; and which, though they may be in being in the new heavens, yet will not have the use with respect to this city they now have.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE NATIONS OF THEM WHICH ARE SAVED,.... In distinction from them that will be deceived by Satan, Revelation 20:8. These are not all the nations of the world, which will be gathered before Christ, the Judge, for all will not be saved, there is a world that will be condemned; nor the Gentiles onl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GATES OF IT SHALL NOT BE SHUT AT ALL BY DAY,.... Which does not design the free communication between the living saints on the new earth, and the raised ones in the new heaven, as some have thought, for these shall be together, and make up one body; but rather the universal collection, and f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL BRING THE GLORY AND HONOUR OF THE NATIONS INTO IT. The glory of the nations are the people of God, who, though they are reckoned the filth of the world, are the excellent in the earth; these will be brought into this city, and be presented to the King of it, in a glorious manner, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE SHALL IN NO WISE ENTER INTO IT ANYTHING THAT DEFILETH,.... As evil thoughts, words, and actions do; and therefore he that enters into this city must be free from all these: or "that is defiled", as the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read; or "that is unclean", as the Arabic and Ethiopic... [ Continue Reading ]