The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),
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Revelation 21:21-25 sits inside this longer paragraph.
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb’s bride.” He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal; having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. The city is square, and its length is as great as its width. He measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand twelve stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal. Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Parallel Translations
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The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),
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The xii. gates were xii pearles every gate was of one pearle and the strete of the cite was pure golde as thorowe shynynge glasse.
And there was no temple therin. For the lord god allmyghty and the lambe are the temple of it
and the cite hath no nede of the sonne nether of the mone to lyghten it. For the bryghtnes of God dyd light it: and the lambe was the light of it.
And the people which are saved shall walke in the light of it: and the kynges of the erth shall brynge their glory vnto it.
And the gates of it are not shut by daye. For there shalbe no nyght there.
Show all 3 translations
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And the twelue gates were twelue pearles, and euery gate is of one pearle, and the streete of the citie is pure golde, as shining glasse.
And I sawe no Temple therein: for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it.
And this citie hath no neede of the sunne, neither of the moone to shine in it: for the glorie of God did light it: and the Lambe is the light of it.
And the people which are saued, shall walke in the light of it: and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glorie and honour vnto it.
And the gates of it shall not be shut by day: for there shalbe no night there.
Cross-references (72)
- Isaiah 60:19-20 (v23) The sun will be no more your light by day; nor will the brightness of the moon give light to you, but Yahweh will be your everlasting…
- Revelation 22:5 (vv23, 25) There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.
- Isaiah 60:11 (v25) Your gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and…
- Zechariah 14:7 (v25) It will be a unique day which is known to Yahweh; not day, and not night; but it will come to pass, that at evening time there will be…
- John 1:9 (v23) The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
Show all 70 cross-references
- Revelation 21:11 (v23) having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
- Isaiah 60:20 (v25) Your sun will not go down any more, nor will your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the days of your…
- Revelation 21:18 (v21) The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.
- Isaiah 24:23 (v23) Then the moon will be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and glory will be…
- John 4:23 (v22) But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his…
- Revelation 22:2 (vv21, 24) in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit…
- 1 Kings 8:27 (v22) But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I…
- 2 Chronicles 2:6 (v22) But who is able to build him a house, since heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a…
- Zechariah 8:22-23 (v24) Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Yahweh of Armies in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Yahweh.” Yahweh of Armies…
- Revelation 17:4 (v21) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of…
- Revelation 21:23 (v25) The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
- Revelation 21:26 (v24) and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.
- Isaiah 66:18 (v24) “For I know their works and their thoughts. The time comes that I will gather all nations and languages, and they will come, and will see…
- Zechariah 2:11 (v24) Many nations shall join themselves to Yahweh in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell among you, and you shall know that…
- Romans 15:10-12 (v24) Again he says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” Again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Let all the peoples praise him.” Again,…
- Isaiah 52:15 (v24) so he will cleanse many nations. Kings will shut their mouths at him; for they will see that which had not been told them, and they will…
- Isaiah 55:5 (v24) Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and…
- Isaiah 60:3-10 (v24) Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather…
- Isaiah 60:16 (v24) You will also drink the milk of the nations, and will nurse from royal breasts. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, your…
- Isaiah 66:1 (v22) Yahweh says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest?
- Matthew 13:45-46 (v21) “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, who having found one pearl of great price, he went and…
- Luke 2:32 (v23) a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”
- Revelation 18:1 (v23) After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory.
- Revelation 18:16 (v21) saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and…
- Revelation 21:11-12 (v21) having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal; having a great and high…
- 1 Kings 6:20 (v21) Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it…
- Psalms 22:27 (v24) All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.
- Psalms 72:10-11 (v24) The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down…
- Isaiah 60:17-18 (v21) For bronze I will bring gold; for iron I will bring silver; for wood, bronze, and for stones, iron. I will also make peace your governor,…
- Habakkuk 3:3 (v23) God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth.
- John 1:4 (v23) In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
- John 1:14 (v23) The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 1:18 (v23) No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.
- John 4:21 (v22) Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.
- John 5:23 (v23) that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.
- Romans 15:16 (v24) that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the…
- Revelation 21:25 (v23) Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),
- 2 Chronicles 6:18 (v22) “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house…
- Isaiah 2:2 (v24) It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be…
- Jeremiah 4:2 (v24) and you will swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will…
- Matthew 16:27 (v23) For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
- Mark 8:38 (v23) For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him,…
- Acts 22:11 (v23) When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
- Romans 15:26 (v24) For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are at Jerusalem.
- Revelation 1:8 (v22) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- Deuteronomy 32:43 (v24) Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his adversaries, and will…
- Isaiah 2:5 (v24) House of Jacob, come, and let’s walk in the light of Yahweh.
- Isaiah 2:10 (v23) Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty.
- Isaiah 2:19 (v23) Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his…
- Isaiah 2:21 (v23) to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his…
- Isaiah 55:10 (v24) For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it grow and bud, and gives…
- Isaiah 60:13 (v24) “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress tree, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and…
- Isaiah 66:11-12 (v24) that you may nurse and be satisfied at the comforting breasts; that you may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her…
- John 2:19-21 (v22) Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to…
- John 17:24 (v23) Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you…
- Colossians 2:9 (v22) For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,
- Revelation 5:6 (v22) I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been…
- Revelation 16:7 (v22) I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.”
- Revelation 21:4-5 (v22) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The…
- John 10:30 (v22) I and the Father are one.”
- Colossians 1:19 (v22) For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,
- Hebrews 9:1-12 (v22) Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and an earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first…
- Revelation 4:8 (v22) The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying,…
- Revelation 11:17 (v22) saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power and reigned.
- Revelation 15:3 (v22) They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the…
70 distinct cross-references across this passage (72 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (21 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv21, 23 By street, he meaneth the broadest place of the…
By street, he meaneth the broadest place of the city.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv21–25 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every…
21 And 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.
Ver. 21. And the twelve gates] i.e. Gatekeepers, preachers of the righteousness that is by faith.
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Were twelve pearls] All which do receive their lustre and worth from Christ, that pearl of price, Mat 13:45-46, like as the pearl by being often beaten upon by the sunbeams, becometh radiant as the sun.
Was pure gold] Which no dirty dog may ever trample upon.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv21–25 I am not willing to descant further in particulars,…
I am not willing to descant further in particulars, conjecturing (for it is no more) what each metaphorical term signifies in this unusual description of a city. I do think the scope of the whole is no more, than to let us know that the mansions of heaven will be most glorious places, giving the souls of those to whom God shall give to enter into them, an infinite satisfaction, beyond what the most rich and glorious things in the world can give our outward senses.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On v22 Observe here, 1. St. John declares that the new…
Observe here, 1. St. John declares that the new Jerusalem shall not want either those spiritual supplies or natural advantages which Jerusalem below stood in need of; no need of any temple there for external worship and ordinances which it is our duty to wait upon God in here: What need of an house of prayer for them that want nothing to pray for? What need of ministers and ordinances, to teach them whose knowledge is perfected? What need of sacraments to remember Christ in and by, when they shall always see Christ face to face?
Again, what need of the natural light of the sun and moon, where the sun of righteousness for ever shineth, and where God is all in all? Happy they that enjoy him, for they enjoy all good in him and by him, he being the fountain of all goodness!
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Observe, 2. Having thus described the city, St. John next declares who shall be the citizens, namely, the nations that are saved, all believing Jews and converted Gentiles, called elsewhere the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are a great multitude; these shall be admitted into it, and partake of the glory and happiness of it; and whereas it is added, that kings do bring their glory and honour into it, this is not to be so understood as if there would be a distinction in heaven between kings and subjects; no, all the saints there are kings and priests unto God; neither is it meant that kings shall carry their earthly glory and honour with them into heaven; but that kings who shall be so happy as to go thither, shall see all their honour and glory swallowed up in the glory and happiness of that place and state, and shall confess that all their crowns are infinitely short of the corwn of glory, and that their thrones are dunghills compared with the dignity of this throne.
Observe, 3. It is declared what perfect security and peace the saints enjoy in the New Jerusalem, together with their glory, riches, and happiness; this is signified, Rev 21:25 The gates shall not be shut at all by day, and there is no night to shut them in; the gates shall be open, to show their peaceable state and secure tranquility, without fear of any hostile invasion or entry of enemies, either by force or fraud; it is added, there shall be no night there, either in a literal or a metaphorical sense, no darkness, no interruption of happiness, nor fear of danger, nothing that can either disturb or disquiet.
Observe, 4. Who the persons are that shall be everlastingly debarred the enjoyment of this happiness--all that have defiled themselves by lust and uncleanness, every person that hath not by holiness of heart and life separated himself from sin and wickedness, and dedicated himself to God and his service; nothing that defileth, nothing that worketh abomination; no open scandalous sinner, or he that maketh a lie, shall be admitted; to tell a lie is bad, but to make a lie is much worse, this is the devil’s sin in a special manner, it is his by temptation, it is his by approbation, it is his by practice, he is a liar, and the father of lies and liars; it were well if our customary liars would consider it. The sum of all is, "That without grace and holiness here, there can be no expectation of glory and happiness hereafter; this fits at once for the employment of heaven, and the enjoyments of heaven, it makes meet for the inheritance in light: and if we have not our present fruit unto holiness, our end can never be everlasting life."
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv21–25 And I saw no temple therein,.... No material temple,…
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 administering ordinances. The Jews expect a third temple, but in vain.
For the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it; God will be immediately present with his people, whose face they shall see, and whom they will serve in the most pure and spiritual manner; and Christ in his human nature, in the temple of his body, that tabernacle which God pitched, and not man, which is filled with the train of the divine perfections, and in which the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, will be the only medium of the divine Presence, and of the communications of glory to men, and of the saints' praise to God, which will be the service they will be employed in; and the Lamb being joined with the Lord God Almighty, shows his deity and his equality with his Father.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv22–24 The Lord God and the Lamb are the temple…
The Lord God and the Lamb are the temple of it - He fills the new heaven and the new earth. He surrounds the city and sanctifies it, and all that are therein. He is "all in all."
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv21–25 Verse 21. The twelve gates were twelve pearls] This…
Verse 21. The twelve gates were twelve pearls] This must be merely figurative, for it is out of all the order of nature to produce a pearl large enough to make a gate to such an immense city. But St. John may refer to some relations of this nature among his countrymen, who talk much of most prodigious pearls. I shall give an example: "When Rabbi Juchanan (John) once taught that God would provide jewels and pearls, thirty cubits every way, ten of which should exceed in height twenty cubits, and would place them in the gates of Jerusalem, according to what is said Isa 54:12, I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, one of his disciples ridiculed him, saying, Where can such be found, since at present there is none so large as a pigeon's egg? Afterwards, being at sea in a ship, he saw the ministering angels cutting gems and pearls; and he asked them for what purpose they were preparing those. They answered, to place them in the gates of Jerusalem. On his return he found Rabbi Juchanan teaching as usual; to whom he said, Explain, master, what I have seen. He answered, Thou knave, unless thou hadst seen, thou wouldst not have believed; wilt thou not receive the saying of the wise men? At that moment he fixed his eyes upon him, and he was reduced into a heap of bones."-Bava bathra, fol. 77, 1, and Sanhedrim, fol. 100, 1, page 393. Edit. Cocceii. See Schoettgen.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v22 Rev 21:22-27. And I saw no temple therein —…
Rev 21:22-27. And I saw no temple therein — The whole city being, properly speaking, a temple; the Lord God and the Lamb surrounding, filling, and sanctifying the whole, and being more intimately present in every part of it, and with every individual, saint or angel, than had ever been known on earth. And the city had no need of the sun — To give light to its inhabitants; for the glory of God — Infinitely brighter than the shining of the sun; did lighten it — The illustrious manifestation of his presence rendered every other light unnecessary. It seems the whole city appeared to St. John like a luminous object, sending out rays on every side, which he knew to be the consequence of God’s dwelling there in a peculiar sense. And the nations of them which are saved — From the guilt and pollution of sin before they leave this world; shall walk in the light of it — In a higher degree than they could possibly do on earth: for they shall no longer see through a glass darkly, but face to face; shall no longer know in part, but shall know as they are known. And the kings of the earth — Those of them who have a part there; do bring their glory and honour into it — Not their old glory, which is now supposed to be abolished, but such as becomes the new earth, and receives an immense addition by their entrance into this city. Or the sense may be, as Doddridge thinks, “If you were to conceive all the monarchs upon earth uniting all their treasures to adorn one single place, they could produce nothing comparable to the glory of this city.” And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day — That is, shall never be shut; for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory, &c., of the nations into it — Whatever is most desirable among all nations seemed to meet together to adorn that place, where good men of all nations shall dwell and reign with God for ever. Or all that can contribute to make any city honourable and glorious shall be found in it; as if all that was rich and precious throughout the world was brought into one place. And there shall in nowise enter any thing that defileth — Greek, κοινον, common; that is, unholy; or that worketh abomination — That is impure or vicious; or maketh a lie — Is chargeable with hypocrisy, falsehood, or deceit; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life — Namely, true, holy, persevering believers. This blessedness is enjoyed only by such, and such as these only are registered among them who are to inherit eternal life.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv21–25 And the twelve gates - Rev 21:12.
And the twelve gates - Rev 21:12.
Were twelve pearls - See the Rev 17:4 note; Mat 13:46 note.
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Every several gate was of one pearl - Each gate. Of course, this is not to be understood literally. The idea is that of ornament and beauty, and nothing could give a more striking view of the magnificence of the future abode of the saints.
And the street of the city was pure gold - Was paved with gold; that is, all the vacant space that was not occupied with buildings was of pure gold. See the notes on Rev 21:18.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv22–24 No temple in it. No need of a temple…
No temple in it. No need of a temple for divine worship, where God is in such a perfect manner present to all the blessed, where nothing can distract or divert their souls from endless adorations, praises, &c. (Witham)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv21–25 every several--Greek, "each one severally."
every several--Greek, "each one severally."
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv21–25 21. Twelve pearls—The material of each gate was a…
21. Twelve pearls—The material of each gate was a solid pearl. This gave variety to the aspect.
The street—Πλατεια, would include any regular spacing, as street, public square, or city park. You trod on transparent gold in walking its pavement; and you beheld structures of the same transparent gold as you looked around you.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv21–25 21. pearls] Contrast Isa_54:12, where they are carbuncles.
21. pearls] Contrast Isa_54:12, where they are carbuncles.
the street] Or “square:” see on Rev_11:8. The City has one great space in the midst of it, like an Agora or Forum: but the word Agora would have associations, commercial or political, that would be incongruous with the repose of this city. It is probably the pavement of the street which, like the walls of the houses, is of transparent gold.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv21–25 (21) And the twelve gates . . .—Or, gate-towers.…
(21) And the twelve gates . . .—Or, gate-towers. Each gate was of one pearl—i.e., made out of one pearl. The foundations are diverse; the gates are alike. There is one way, though there are many roads; one mode of entrance, through twelve gates. All find entrance through one new and living Way (Joh_14:6; Act_4:11-12; 1Co_3:11; Heb_10:20). The pearl was esteemed of the greatest value among the ancients; it is an appropriate emblem of the highest truth, and so of Him who is the Truth as well as the Way of Life. Lord Bacon compared truth to a pearl “that showeth best by day.” Another feature may be added. It is the only precious stone which the art and skill of man cannot improve. The tools of the artificer may give fresh lustre to the emerald and the sapphire; but he must lift no tool upon the pearl. So is it with the truth, which sets men free (1Co_3:10). Through truth, and Him who is Truth, we enter the city; and the street of the city was gold, pure as transparent glass. (See Note on Rev_21:18.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv21–25 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several…
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl. The pearl was known to the ancients from the earliest times, and was always held in high honour by them. (cf. Rev_17:4) And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass (cf. ver. 18). The brilliancy was so far beyond ordinary gold as to make it apparently transparent like glass. "The street" is not merely one street, but the whole collective material of which the streets are composed.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv21, 22, 25 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls.
Rev_21:21
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls.
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The gates of pearl
It was no fantastic vision separated from all earthly associations that the seer of Patmos beheld. On the contrary, it was linked to all that was dear and sacred to himself and to his race. The forms were the same, but the materials were changed. The materials of the earthly city were substances that faded and decayed, for they had only a temporary purpose to serve; those of the heavenly were unchangeable and indestructible, matter in its most sublime and enduring form connected with the unceasing service of bodies and spirits of just men made perfect. Not from his recollections of his own old home could the unique feature of the gates of pearl have been derived. It must have been suggested by the circumstances of his island home, as Peters vision on the housetop at Joppa took shape from the hunger of his body and the occupation of the tanner with whom he lodged. There was nothing to remind him of the gates of pearl in the earthly Jerusalem.
I. The number of the gates. There were twelve of these gates; three on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. What a contrast does this feature of the heavenly city present to the narrowness and exclusiveness of the old Jewish polity! The Jews were the hermits of the human race. They were kept apart from all other nations on the high plateau which had walls of mountain, desert, river-trench, and stormy sea hemming them in on every side. It was considered unlawful for a Jew to keep company with or come in to one of another nation. The people prided themselves on their exclusive privileges as the favourites of heaven, and pushed to an extreme the restrictions of their religion. Even St. John himself could not altogether divest his mind of his Jewish prejudices. He could hardly yet realise the idea that the world was greater in Gods eyes than Judaea. Unlike the little Jewish capital, type of its narrow creed, the heavenly city was vast as the largest thought or hope could compass, a perfect cube of twelve thousand furlongs, capable of containing all the cities of the world within its circuit. Through the earthly Jerusalem no river ran, no highway passed. Its gates were shut for safety and security in its mountain fastness. But through the heavenly Jerusalem the broad full river of life flowed; and through its gates or up the river the nations brought their wealth into it. Through its gates, open to the four quarters of the globe, a multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues had entered in. If there was one thing especially opposed to the whole tenor of Jewish thought, it was Christs command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And to us in the Christian Church, who have been placed on a more elevated standing-point, and have been educated by eighteen centuries of Christian experience, the range of the Divine regard seems as limited as ever. We are accustomed to hear about the strait gate and the narrow way and the few who find it; and we make out of the saying a straitened faith and a narrow gospel. We need, indeed, the vision of the vast heavenly city--with its twelve gates pointing to every part of the compass, and its multitude, which no man can number, out of every nation--to correct our narrow, selfish judgments of men, and to enlarge our hopes of the destiny of the race. That vision is the highest illustration of the teaching of Scripture by precept and example, that God is no respecter of persons. But while there are many modes of entrance into the heavenly city corresponding to the varying conditions and circumstances of men, there is only one way of salvation. The gates of the New Jerusalem, although twelve in number and placed on different sides, are nevertheless composed of the same material. Every several gate is of one pearl. It is the one Cross that draws all men to the Saviour. It is by the rugged, tear-stained path to Calvary that the Good Shepherd finds every lost sheep straying in the wilderness and brings it back to the fold. We are told that the gates are not shut day or night. They are not needed for defence or security like those of the earthly city, for the inhabitants dwell in a peaceful habitation, and in a sure dwelling and in a quiet resting-place. Like the broken sword laid in the grave are the gates of the celestial city. Their existence reminds the inhabitants of a former condition of warfare and insecurity, while their open state shows the contrast between the old guarded fortress, exposed to continual alarms, and the present freedom and enlargement of the quiet habitation, defended only by the glory of God, as the wide border of Canaan was guarded by angel sentinels during the keeping of the solemn feasts. For beauty therefore, not for use, the heavenly city has its twelve gates. All that might cause fear or a feeling of insecurity will be gone for ever; but all that will remind the redeemed of the way by which they had been led in the past, all that will enhance the value of the Saviours love and serve to deepen their own peace, will be kept before their minds by everlasting memorials.
II. The material of which the gates were composed. Every several gate was of one pearl. What a beautiful symbol this is! Death is the gate by which every one must enter the heavenly city. And what a dark and gloomy appearance does it present to us on this earthly side! Sin has done everything possible to make the gate unsightly to poor creatures of sense. But how different is the entrance into the heavenly life! We pass through the iron gate of death, and looking back from the other side, from the golden street of the celestial city, we see it transformed into a gate of pearl. All its gloom has disappeared; all its relics of mortality have vanished. It is a triumphal arch for the passage of those who have been made more than conquerors through Him that loved them. How strange will be the transition to many of Gods timid saints who are in bondage all their lifetime to the fear of death, who dread every allusion to it, and keep every object and association connected with it away from their eye and their mind! Through darkness into light, through pain and weeping into everlasting joy, through fear and dread into a bright and blessed assurance for evermore; the gate of iron changed into a gate of pearl; that which was an object of the utmost abhorrence into an object of admiration unbounded! How much do these gates of pearl say to the redeemed souls that have passed through them! To the inner ear these gates of pearl, set up where there is no more sea, speak of the far-off vanished seas of earth, through whose dangers the redeemed escaped safe to land. None, too, can gaze upon the gates of pearl without being reminded of their wonderful deliverances, when the Lord drew them out of great waters and cheered them with a precious promise like a pearl found in the depth--When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. They cannot think of the storm without thinking of Him who came through the storm to their help, and said to the waves within and without, Peace be still. How were these gates of pearl formed? The walls of the heavenly city are formed of jewels, each of which was crystallised in the dark depths of the mine, under the pressure of rocks, by igneous or aqueous agency. From sand and clay and coal, and other worthless or repulsive substances, they were sublimed into their present beautiful forms and hues, as the blossoms of the mineral kingdom. But the truth that what is fairest and most precious is obtained only through sore and long-continued struggle, which the jewelled walls witness to, is attested in a more tender and touching way by the gates of pearl. This substance is not of mineral but of animal formation. A pearl is caused by the irritation of a minute parasite, or by the presence of a particle of sand or other extraneous matter accidentally introduced between the mantle and the shell of a species of mussel. The creature cannot get rid of it, and therefore to allay the irritation, covers it over with a series of layers of nacre or pearly matter. This smooth, round shining object, which feels so soft and pleasant to the touch, which reflects the light in a tender way like snow or moonlight, which is so precious that it is deemed worthy of a place in the crown of a monarch, is caused by a struggle with difficulties, an effort to overcome a trial; subliming by a wonderful alchemy, by the victorious power of life, into enduring patience a source of irritation, turning a worthless grain of sand into a pearl. The fact therefore that the heavenly gates are made of a substance with such a remarkable history as this, irresistibly suggests the trials by which those who pass through them are made meet for their abundant entrance into the city. That gate speaks of temptations vanquished, of degree of excellence reached through suffering, of a Divine beauty destined to supersede every mark of sorrow and be eternal. Who would have thought that out of the rough, broken, coarse-looking shell, as it appears on the outside, and by the labours and sufferings of a creature almost at the lowest point in the scale of life, whose structure is as simple as it can well be, without beauty of form or hue to attract, the glistening loveliness and preciousness of the oriental pearl could be produced! And who could have thought that out of the dark and sorrowful experiences of earth, purified by suffering, could have come the great white-robed multitude within the gates of pearl! (H. Macmillan, D. D.)
Gates of pearl
Thoreau thinks that he can trace the leaf pattern throughout all the kingdoms of nature, and he declares that the Creator, in making this earth, but patented a leaf. One who follows the building art through the centuries, from its first rudimentary principles to its consummate blossom in the medieeval cathedral, is impressed with the idea that the architect has but patented a door. A habitation without some way of getting into it was of course useless. The way of ingress and egress being the most important feature of the domicile, it naturally called forth the first exercise of that architectural skill which distinguishes man from the beaver or bird. This skill was shown by placing a horizontal stick or stone upon two perpendicular posts, and forming what is called a door lintel. This simple principle, multiplied and extended, gives us the common frame building or stone building, with windows and a fiat roof. It is the principle which, under the touch of Grecian genius, resulted in that matchless gem of architecture, the Athenian Parthenon. It has been suggested that this simple door lintel, at some time or other, broke under the heavy weight which was placed upon it, and that the broken halves were set up against each other upon the doorposts in an inclined position. The transition from this arrangement to three or more wedge-shaped stones fitted together, was easy, and thus, in time, the arch sprang into being, out of which have grown the wonders of mediaeval and modern architecture. The entrance way being thus, in a sense, the germ of the building, it is not strange that it should, in time, become the gem of the building. Being a conspicuous feature, and the first to attract critical inspection, it was natural that the architect should employ his subtlest skill in adorning it. Carrying our thought over into another realm, we are reminded that it is a rule of literature to be mindful of beginnings--to beautify the gateway. A preface is the most difficult part of the book to write. If well written, it is the most important part, for it predisposes the reader to a favourable acceptance of what is to follow. The same is true of introductions to speeches and lectures. The success of a discourse, says Gaichies, often depends upon the beginning. From first impressions, whether good or bad, we do not easily recover. And I am tempted to add that the same is true of people. From our first impressions of them we do not easily recover. Everything depends upon the gateways of life, and the reason, I think, has been made obvious, because at the portals we get our first impressions of the structure. Now I might turn this truth before you in a great many lights, and apply it in many ways, but I must confine myself to two of them. And, first, I think of the youth-time as the portal which opens into the realities of life, and I think how important it is to make of it a gate of pearl, that the young spirit which passes through may receive only wholesome impressions. What book lies upon the table? What words fall from the lips of parents and friends? Do they possess the pearl quality? Do they foreshadow to the child the grand, true man which he may be? Do they inspire him to be that man? I am just here reminded of three gateways and the impressions which they give of what lies beyond them. Should you take a drive or a walk upon a certain suburban road, you would pass all three of them. At the first you would find a rickety gate swinging askew upon a single hinge, as though making a vain attempt to obtain a bill of divorcement from the tottering post to which it is attached. Beyond the dilapidated gateway you picture to yourself a dilapidated farm, a dilapidated house, and a dilapidated family. The country proverb,A farmer is known by his fences, comes to you, and you pass on, saying, The owner of that place is a thriftless man. You may be mistaken, of course, but that is your first impression. A weary, heart-broken wife and mother, hinged to a thriftless, unfeeling, and perhaps drunken husband, surrounded with the weeds, the nettles, and the briars of domestic infelicities. Scowls and oaths, blows and recriminations, envy, impatience, irreligion--these are the influences through which thousands of the children of the land are looking into the untried future. It is the only gateway to life which they know. Is it any wonder that they make life a cruel, thriftless thing? But this suburban road will bring you to another gateway, an imposing structure, with massive stone posts, and two strong iron gates, which are closed Over them is written, These are private grounds; visitors not allowed. All trespassers will be promptly prosecuted. A magnificent estate evidently--broad, winding avenues, luxuriant shrubbery, and beyond, probably, acres of velvet lawn, with flowers from every clime, and a mansion wherein wealth and taste find rendezvous. But that frowning wall and that inhospitable gate! Strange, you say, that the owner should create so much beauty, and then wall it in to his family and a few friends. How many homes we find like this gateway, beautiful, thrifty homes, but seclusive and exclusive, in the sense of being closed to the outgoing and incoming sympathies and charities of life; homes in which children receive the impression that the great world which lies before them is a selfish world, and that their own lives, to be successful, must be devoted to selfish getting and selfish enjoying! But if you go far enough on that suburban road, you will find a third gateway, as imposing as the second, but it stands open, and from either side of it, around the broad acres, extends a low, rustic fence. Near the entrance is a sign bearing the words, Visitors will kindly refrain from injuring the shrubbery. You notice the inviting seats and vine-covered arbours. As you look upon this vision of beauty, you feel very much as the good woman did, who, dewing her wealthy neighbours well-kept grounds from her humble chamber, exclaimed, How good the Lord is to give me the enjoyment of this paradise without the trouble of taking care of it! You may be wrong in your estimate of the man who owns this estate, but you cannot avoid the impression that he is an open-hearted, public-spirited citizen, one who, in seeking enjoyment himself, is willing that the others should share it. And so you point another moral: Homes there are, yes, thousands of them, which to the young are like this last open gateway, suggesting and opening into a large, unselfish, beneficent life; homes where the young are inspired by Christian example to live Christian lives. But, taking this last thought with us, I am prompted to lead you still farther along the line of our text. There is a material life and there is a moral and spiritual life; two realms adjoining; and there are ways which take us from the one to the other. I suppose there is no experience more familiar to many of us than that of finding in some strong, true character the example and the instruction which leads us to noble striving. Hood, in speaking of Cromwell, says, An age cannot move without its great men. They inspire it, they urge it forward. They are its priests and its prophets and its monarchs. All of which is but saying that the great man is the portal of promise and opportunity to the ago in which he lives. His superior character furnishes the model, his superior genius provides the opportunity, for the development and advancement of the race. The progress of humanity has been continuously through these gates of pearl--these massive, resplendent lives which have sprung, clean-out and beautiful, out of the conditions of their times. Even the unbeliever is one with us here. He admits the power of example, and the influence of the stronger soul. He says, Yes, these are the gateways of character, these strong men and women standing all around us, and they help us to live better lives. Is it not strange that one who can believe all this does not go a step farther, does not stand in loving faith before Him who alone can give us entrance into the highest possible life, who hath said, I am the door; by Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved. Here is the gate of pearl which, swinging back upon its hinges reveals to us, and admits us to a lifo which the world knew nothing of before the Advent. The direct agency of God in bringing a soul through the portal of the new life we cannot explain. Regeneration is a Divine mystery, but it is none the less a Divine fact. But the going through the door, the passing into a higher manhood and womanhood through Jesus Christ, the Elder Brother and Saviour, is something which we can understand. It is through Him that we are made meet for the kingdom of heaven. (C. A. Dickinson, M. A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv21–25 21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each…
21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each gate composed of a single pearl. And the street of the city. The streets were paved with pure gold. As it were transparent. Transparency is the symbol of purity.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On vv21, 24 Rev 22:2, cf: Rev 3:4.
street
Rev 22:2, cf: Rev 3:4.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v22 The wonderful glory of the city:
The wonderful glory of the city:
v. 22. And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
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v. 23. 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.
v. 24. And 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 honor into it.
v. 25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.
v. 26. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
v. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
A few features of the picture, at least, give us an inkling of the ineffable bliss that awaits us in our heavenly home: And a temple I did not see in her; for the Lord God, the Almighty, is her temple, and the Lamb. When we reach the consummation of our hopes in eternal life, we shall no longer be obliged to have any means of grace, the Word and the Sacraments; for we shall see God face to face and shall know Him even as we are known, 1Co 13:12. The same thought is repeated in the next verse: And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to her; for the glory of God illumines her, and her lamp is the Lamb. As we, here on earth, receive the physical light which we need from the sun by day and from the moon by night, but only inasmuch as the sun and the moon are bearers of the light, so we receive our spiritual light through the Gospel and not by the direct revelation of the unclouded glory of God. But in heaven we shall need neither sun nor light nor the Gospel, for there the open glory of God and of our Savior will serve for our eternal enlightenment.
It is a blessed light which will surround us at that time, as John writes: And the nations shall walk by her light, and the kings of the earth will bear their glory to her, and her gates they will not close by day, for night will not be there; and they will bear the glory and the honor of the nations to her. See Isa 60:3. The elect instruments of God in the Church Militant, the patriarchs and prophets and apostles and martyrs and all others that were leaders of God’s Church here on earth, together with those who were mighty ones here on earth, will bring the glory which was given them through their salvation to the holy city of God. There will be a great, happy, eternal communion of saints, of those that accepted the salvation of Christ. The city is secure in the light from the throne and from the Lamb, and the Lord Himself will hold the gates open to those that are bought with the price of the Lamb’s blood and have accepted His merits. Thus will all the glory and honor of all the world and of all the nations be assembled in the city of God, to the praise of the Savior.
Only one class of people is excluded: And there shall not enter into her anything profane and he that commits abomination and lie, but only those that are inscribed in the Book of Life of the Lamb. Those that are not permitted to enter into the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem are such as have excluded themselves by their unbelief and their consequent life of abominations and lies, which was a proof of their unbelief. But those that are written in the book of the Lamb, the true children, the elect of God, will enter the heavenly city, where they will have complete and perfect salvation. Then shall the righteous shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!
Summary
The seer is shown the heavenly Jerusalem, the Church Triumphant, as it descends from God out of heaven, and gives a description of the glory of perfection, as well as that can be done in words of human tongue.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv21, 23 beautiful and valuable white beads. They are formed inside…
pearls
beautiful and valuable white beads. They are formed inside the shell of a certain kind of small animal that lives in the ocean. See how you translated this in Revelation 17:4. (See: Translate Unknowns)
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each of the gates was made from a single pearl
This can be stated in active form. AT: "someone had made each of the gates from a single pearl" (See: Active or Passive)
pure gold, like transparent glass
The gold was so clear that it is spoken of as if it was glass. See how you translated a similar phrase in Revelation 21:18. (See: Simile)
Lord God ... and the Lamb are its temple
The temple represented God's presence. This means the new Jerusalem does not need a temple because God and the Lamb will live there. (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
gate
pure
gold
temple
lord
Almighty
lamb
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv21–24 21:21 Things that are precious and luxurious on earth…
21:21 Things that are precious and luxurious on earth are common building materials in heaven.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.