Revelation 21
Revelation 21 is the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author remains a point of academic debate. This chapter contains the accounts of "the New Heaven and the New Earth", followed by the appearance of "the New Jerusalem the Bride".
Text
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 27 verses.Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are among others:- Codex Sinaiticus
- Codex Alexandrinus
The New Heaven and the New Earth (21:1-4)
Verse 1
Non-conformist minister Alexander Maclaren interprets "a new heaven and a new earth" as meaning "a renovated condition of humanity" and suggests that "and the sea is no more" is "probably... to be taken in a symbolic sense, as shadowing forth the absence of unruly power, of mysterious and hostile forces, of estranging gulfs of separation". Referring to the island of Patmos where the writer experienced his vision, Maclaren continues, "The sad and solitary and estranging ocean that raged around his little rock sanctuary has passed away for ever".Verse 2
The name John appears in the King James Version and New King James Version but is generally omitted in other English translations.General View of the New Jerusalem (21:9–14)
The beginning part of this section forms a parallel with, which is similar to the parallel between and, indicating a distinct marking of a pair of passages about Babylon and the New Jerusalem with as a transition from the destruction of Babylon to the arrival of the New Jerusalem.| Revelation 17:1-3 | Revelation 21:9-10 |
| Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. | Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. |
| Revelation 19:9-10 | Revelation 22:6-9 |
| Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." | Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." |
| And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." | Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” |