RevelationStudy Guide

Chapter 21

Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.

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Scripture

KJV

1And 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.

2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3And 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.

4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5And 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.

6And he said unto me, 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.

7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

9And 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.

10And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16And the city lieth 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.

17And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23And 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.

24And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Key VerseRevelation 21:4

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Overview

John sees a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth have passed away. The holy city, New Jerusalem, descends from heaven like a bride adorned for her husband. God declares that He will dwell with His people, wipe away every tear, and make all things new. The city is described in breathtaking detail — walls of jasper, foundations of precious stones, gates of pearl, and streets of pure gold — with no need for sun or moon because the glory of God and the Lamb are its light.

Key Themes

1

All Things Made New

God's promise to make all things new is not merely a repair of the old creation but a complete renewal — no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain, as the former things have passed away.

2

God Dwelling with Humanity

The tabernacle of God is with men — the entire biblical story of God seeking to dwell with His people reaches its fulfillment as God Himself lives among them without any barrier.

3

The New Jerusalem

The holy city is both a place and a people — the bride of Christ — whose dazzling beauty reflects the glory of God and the perfection of eternal life in His presence.

Study Questions

1.

How does the promise 'Behold, I make all things new' differ from simply making 'all new things,' and why is this distinction important?

2.

What does it mean that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem because God and the Lamb are its temple?

3.

How does the New Jerusalem as a 'bride adorned for her husband' connect the themes of marriage and covenant throughout the Bible?

4.

Why does John emphasize that there will be no more sea, death, sorrow, crying, or pain — what do these absences tell us about the new creation?

5.

How should the vision of the new heaven and new earth shape how believers view suffering, loss, and disappointment in the present life?

Connection to Christ

The Lamb is at the center of the new creation. He is the temple, the light, and the bridegroom of the holy city. The promise 'I will be his God, and he shall be my son' echoes throughout Scripture and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, who makes this relationship possible. Everything the new creation offers — life, light, joy, God's presence — flows from the Lamb who was slain.

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Revelation 21. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

Revelation

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