And (1) I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (1) Now follows the second part of the history prophetic of the future estate of the Church in heaven after the last judgment, to (Revelation 21:2; Revelation 22:5). In t... [ Continue Reading ]
(2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (2) The state of this glorious Church is first described generally to (Revelation 21:3), and then specially and by parts, in the verses following. The general descriptio... [ Continue Reading ]
(3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. (3) The Church is described by the speech, first of an angel, in two verses, then by Go... [ Continue Reading ]
(4) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (4) In the speech of God himself describing the Church, is first an introduction, or entrance. Then follows a magnificent description of the Church, by the pre... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto me, (5) It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (5) The description of the Church is in three parts, by the abolishing of old things, by the being of present things in God, that i... [ Continue Reading ]
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their (a) part in the lake which burneth with fire and (a) Their lot, and inheritance as it were.... [ Continue Reading ]
(6) And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (6) A transition to the describing of the heavenly Church, by the express calling of John in this verse,... [ Continue Reading ]
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and (7) high mountain, and shewed me (8) that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (7) He means the place and stately seat of the Church, foreshadowed in a mountain. (8) A type of that Church which is one, ample, or catho... [ Continue Reading ]
(9) And had a wall great and high, [and] had (10) twelve gates, and at the gates (11) twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: (9) A particular description of the celestial Church, first, by its essential parts, compared to a ci... [ Continue Reading ]
And the wall of the city had (12) twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (12) That is, foundation stones, according to the number of the gates, as is shown in (Revelation 21:19).... [ Continue Reading ]
(13) And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. (13) A transition to a more exquisite description of the parts of the Church, by finding out its size, by the angel that measured them.... [ Continue Reading ]
(14) And the city lieth (b) foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. (14) The measure and form most equal, in two verses. (b) A foursquare figure has equal sid... [ Continue Reading ]
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred [and] forty [and] four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of the (c) angel. (c) He adds this, because the angel had the shape of a man.... [ Continue Reading ]
(15) And the building of the wall of it was [of] jasper: and the city [was] pure gold, like unto clear glass. (15) The matter most precious and glittering, which the presence of God makes most glorious.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the (d) street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass. (d) By street, he means the broadest place of the city.... [ Continue Reading ]
(16) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof. (16) The second form of particular description (as I said) See Revelation 21:12 from exterior and outward actions which are these, light from God... [ Continue Reading ]