New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-22:5)

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God's temple is one of the great stories throughout Bible (Gen 1-3; Ex 25-42; 1 Kings 6-9; Ez 40-48; John 1; 15; Rev 21-22). Therefore it is natural that we are encountering it in the end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation 21:1-22:5.

Here again, as in the whole book of Revelation, John is meeting angel and this time he shows him the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:9). John starts to describe it. The description unequivocally depicts something unordinary. However important is what is concluding his description: "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." (Rev 21:22-23)

In fact the whole city is the Holy of Holies. According to description of the Holy of Holies at Salomon's temple it should has length, width and height all the same (1 Kings 6:20). It is a regular cube.

In history the entrance to the temple or the Holy of Holies was always forbidden. But now everybody has unlimited access in order to be with God.

Radiating God's glory (Rev 21:11a) is a sign of God's presence, which is totally glaring and immediate. Gates from every side are symbol of complete openness of the city in order that everybody could enter, because there is no danger (Rev 21:25.27) (Gates was closed for night, because of impending danger).

God longed for all the history of mankind for contact. Communion with humans was his original design unfortunately destroyed by sin (Gen 3:8). Throughout history God was trying to establish this contact anew (Ex 25:8). Man was not always responding in the same way. However, despite all of this, God will finish His plan. And those, who also desire for immediate God's presence, will taste it. This is God's desire and offer for all people.

Vocabulary

Word Meaning
ὁ, ἡ, τό the
καί and
αὐτός, ή, ὁ he; self
εἰμί I am; be
θεός, οῦ, ὁ God
οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ no
πόλις, εως, ἡ city
πυλών, ω̑νος, ὁ gateway, entrance
δώδεκα twelve
ἐγώ I
ἐκ, ἐξ from, out of (with G)
ἔχω have
ἐπί on (with G, D, A); on the account of (with D); against (with A)
ἀρνίον, ου, τό lamb, sheep
ἀπό from, away from (with G)
πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν all

Biblical text

21:1Καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶ γῆν καινήν· γὰρ πρῶτος οὐρανὸς καὶ πρώτη γῆ ἀπῆλθαν, καὶ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι.2καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς.3καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου λεγούσης Ἰδοὺ σκηνὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ σκηνώσει μετ’ αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐτοὶ λαοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται, καὶ αὐτὸς Θεὸς μετ’ αὐτῶν ἔσται,4καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι, οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· ὅτι τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν.5καὶ εἶπεν καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ Ἰδοὺ καινὰ ποιῶ πάντα. καὶ λέγει Γράψον, ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί εἰσιν.6καὶ εἶπέν μοι Γέγοναν. ἐγὼ τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ, ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος. ἐγὼ τῷ διψῶντι δώσω ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος τῆς ζωῆς δωρεάν.7 νικῶν κληρονομήσει ταῦτα, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ Θεὸς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι υἱός.8τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις καὶ φονεῦσιν καὶ πόρνοις καὶ φαρμάκοις καὶ εἰδωλολάτραις καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ψευδέσιν τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ, ἐστιν θάνατος δεύτερος.9Καὶ ἦλθεν εἷς ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐχόντων τὰς ἑπτὰ φιάλας, τῶν γεμόντων τῶν ἑπτὰ πληγῶν τῶν ἐσχάτων, καὶ ἐλάλησεν μετ’ ἐμοῦ λέγων Δεῦρο, δείξω σοι τὴν νύμφην τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀρνίου.10καὶ ἀπήνεγκέν με ἐν Πνεύματι ἐπὶ ὄρος μέγα καὶ ὑψηλόν, καὶ ἔδειξέν μοι τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ,11ἔχουσαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· φωστὴρ αὐτῆς ὅμοιος λίθῳ τιμιωτάτῳ, ὡς λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι κρυσταλλίζοντι·12ἔχουσα τεῖχος μέγα καὶ ὑψηλόν, ἔχουσα πυλῶνας δώδεκα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς πυλῶσιν ἀγγέλους δώδεκα, καὶ ὀνόματα ἐπιγεγραμμένα, ἐστιν τῶν δώδεκα φυλῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ.13ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς πυλῶνες τρεῖς, καὶ ἀπὸ βορρᾶ πυλῶνες τρεῖς, καὶ ἀπὸ νότου πυλῶνες τρεῖς, καὶ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν πυλῶνες τρεῖς.14καὶ τὸ τεῖχος τῆς πόλεως ἔχων θεμελίους δώδεκα, καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτῶν δώδεκα ὀνόματα τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῦ Ἀρνίου.15Καὶ λαλῶν μετ’ ἐμοῦ εἶχεν μέτρον κάλαμον χρυσοῦν, ἵνα μετρήσῃ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς πυλῶνας αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ τεῖχος αὐτῆς.16καὶ πόλις τετράγωνος κεῖται, καὶ τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς ὅσον τὸ πλάτος. καὶ ἐμέτρησεν τὴν πόλιν τῷ καλάμῳ ἐπὶ σταδίων δώδεκα χιλιάδων· τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὸ πλάτος καὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτῆς ἴσα ἐστίν.17καὶ ἐμέτρησεν τὸ τεῖχος αὐτῆς ἑκατὸν τεσσεράκοντα τεσσάρων πηχῶν, μέτρον ἀνθρώπου, ἐστιν ἀγγέλου.18καὶ ἐνδώμησις τοῦ τείχους αὐτῆς ἴασπις, καὶ πόλις χρυσίον καθαρὸν ὅμοιον ὑάλῳ καθαρῷ.19οἱ θεμέλιοι τοῦ τείχους τῆς πόλεως παντὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ κεκοσμημένοι· θεμέλιος πρῶτος ἴασπις, δεύτερος σάπφειρος, τρίτος χαλκηδών, τέταρτος σμάραγδος,20 πέμπτος σαρδόνυξ, ἕκτος σάρδιον, ἕβδομος χρυσόλιθος, ὄγδοος βήρυλλος, ἔνατος τοπάζιον, δέκατος χρυσόπρασος, ἑνδέκατος ὑάκινθος, δωδέκατος ἀμέθυστος.21καὶ οἱ δώδεκα πυλῶνες δώδεκα μαργαρῖται· ἀνὰ εἷς ἕκαστος τῶν πυλώνων ἦν ἐξ ἑνὸς μαργαρίτου. καὶ πλατεῖα τῆς πόλεως χρυσίον καθαρὸν ὡς ὕαλος διαυγής.22Καὶ ναὸν οὐκ εἶδον ἐν αὐτῇ· γὰρ Κύριος Θεὸς Παντοκράτωρ ναὸς αὐτῆς ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ Ἀρνίον.23καὶ πόλις οὐ χρείαν ἔχει τοῦ ἡλίου οὐδὲ τῆς σελήνης, ἵνα φαίνωσιν αὐτῇ· γὰρ δόξα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐφώτισεν αὐτήν, καὶ λύχνος αὐτῆς τὸ Ἀρνίον.24καὶ περιπατήσουσιν τὰ ἔθνη διὰ τοῦ φωτὸς αὐτῆς, καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς φέρουσιν τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν εἰς αὐτήν·25καὶ οἱ πυλῶνες αὐτῆς οὐ μὴ κλεισθῶσιν ἡμέρας, νὺξ γὰρ οὐκ ἔσται ἐκεῖ·26καὶ οἴσουσιν τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς αὐτήν.27καὶ οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτὴν πᾶν κοινὸν καὶ ποιῶν βδέλυγμα καὶ ψεῦδος, εἰ μὴ οἱ γεγραμμένοι ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Ἀρνίου.1καὶ ἔδειξέν μοι ποταμὸν ὕδατος ζωῆς λαμπρὸν ὡς κρύσταλλον, ἐκπορευόμενον ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἀρνίου.2ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πλατείας αὐτῆς καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ξύλον ζωῆς ποιοῦν καρποὺς δώδεκα, κατὰ μῆνα ἕκαστον ἀποδιδοῦν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ φύλλα τοῦ ξύλου εἰς θεραπείαν τῶν ἐθνῶν.3καὶ πᾶν κατάθεμα οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι. καὶ θρόνος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἀρνίου ἐν αὐτῇ ἔσται, καὶ οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ λατρεύσουσιν αὐτῷ,4καὶ ὄψονται τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπων αὐτῶν.5καὶ νὺξ οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι, καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσιν χρείαν φωτὸς λύχνου καὶ φωτὸς ἡλίου, ὅτι Κύριος Θεὸς φωτίσει ἐπ’ αὐτούς, καὶ βασιλεύσουσιν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.