Revelation 21

Revelation · Chapter 21

Revelation 21:12

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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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:The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates.having a wall great and high; having 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:

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Revelation 21:9-21The holy Jerusalem

About Revelation 21John sees "a new heaven and a new earth" and "the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband," and hears, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them," and "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death." He that sat on the throne says, "Behold, I make all things new," and offers the water of life freely, but the unbelieving and the wicked have their part in "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." An angel shows John "the bride, the Lamb's wife," the holy Jerusalem with twelve gates and twelve foundations, where there is no temple, "for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it," and only those "written in the Lamb's book of life" enter. Revelation 21:1Revelation 21:2Revelation 21:3Revelation 21:4Revelation 21:5Revelation 21:6Revelation 21:8Revelation 21:9Revelation 21:10Revelation 21:12Revelation 21:14Revelation 21:22Revelation 21:27

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
havingἔχουσαechousaG2192
to have/be

ἔχω (echō) ἔχω, [in LXX for אָצֵל (ἐχόμενος), יֵשׁ,בַּעַל, etc., 59 words in all ;] (on the Aktionsart of the various tenses, see M, Pr., 110, 145, 150, 183), to have, as in cl., in various senses and constructions. I. Trans.; 1. 1. to have, hold, hold fast, etc.; (a) to hold, as, in the hand: Rev.5:8 14:6, al.; ἐν τ. χειρί, Rev.1:16 10:2, al.; (b) of arms and clothing, = φέρω, φορέω, to bear, wear: Mat.3:4 22:12, al.; so frequently present ptcp. (LS, see word, A, I, 6; Bl., 74, 2), Mrk.11:13, Jhn.18:10, Rev.9:17, al.; (with) of a woman, ἐν γαστρὶ ἔ, to be with child: Mrk.13:17, Rom.9:10; …

thenτεteG5037
and/both

τε (te) τέ, enclitic copulative particle (= Lat. -que as καί = and, ac, atque, not very frequently in NT, more than two-thirds of the occurrences being in Ac. 1. τέ solitarium, and, denoting a closer affinity than καί between words and sentences which it connects (BL, §77, 8): Mat.28:12, Jhn.4:42, Act.2:33, 37 40 10:22 11:21, al. 2. Denoting a closer connection than simple καί, τὲ . . . καί, τὲ καί, τὲ . . . τέ (Act.26:16 Rom.14:8), as well . . . as also, both . . . and: Luk.12:45, Act.1:1 15:9, 21:30, al.; τὲ . . . δέ, and . . . and, Act.19:2; τὲ γάρ . . . ὁμοίως δὲ καί, Rom.1:26, 27. (AS)

a wallτεῖχοςteichosG5038
wall

τεῖχος (teichos) τεῖχος, -ους, τό [in LXX chiefly for חוֹמָה ;] a wall, esp. that about a town: Act.9:25, 2Co.11:33, Heb.11:30, Rev.21:12-19 † (AS)

greatμέγαmegaG3173
great

μέγας (megas) μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα, [in LXX chiefly for גָּדוֹל, also for מַרְבֶּה ,רַב (incl. μείζων), רֹב (μέγιστος) ;] great; 1. of external form, bodily size, measure, extent: λίθος, Mat.2:60; δράκων, Rev.12:3; ἰχθῦς, Jhn.21:11; πόλις, Rev.11:8; μάχαιρα, Rev.6:4, al. 2. Of intensity and degree: δύναμις, Act.4:33; φόβος, Mrk.4:41; ἀγάπη, Jhn.15:13; ἄνεμος, 'ib. 6:18; κραυγή, Act.23:9; φῶς, Mat.4:16; πυρετός, Luk.4:38; θλίψις, Mat.24:21. 3. Of rank; …

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

high,ὑψηλόν,hupsēlonG5308
high

ὑψηλός (hupsēlos) ὑψηλός, -ή, -όν [in LXX chiefly for בָּמָה, also for בָּמָה, רוּם, etc. ;] high, lofty: ὄρος, Mat.4:8 17:1, Mrk.9:2, Rev.21:10; τεῖχος, Rev.21:12; μετὰ βραχίονος., figuratively, Act.13:17 (cf. Exo.6:6, al); pl., ὑψηλά, of heaven (Psa.93:4, Isa.33:5, al.), Heb.1:3; compar., ὑψηλότερος τ. οὐρανῶν, Heb.7:26. Metaph: Luk.16:15; ὑψηλὰ ψρσνεῖν, Rom.11:20 12:16, 1Ti.6:17 (WH, txt., ὑψηλοφρονείν).† (AS)

havingἔχουσαechousaG2192
to have/be

ἔχω (echō) ἔχω, [in LXX for אָצֵל (ἐχόμενος), יֵשׁ,בַּעַל, etc., 59 words in all ;] (on the Aktionsart of the various tenses, see M, Pr., 110, 145, 150, 183), to have, as in cl., in various senses and constructions. I. Trans.; 1. 1. to have, hold, hold fast, etc.; (a) to hold, as, in the hand: Rev.5:8 14:6, al.; ἐν τ. χειρί, Rev.1:16 10:2, al.; (b) of arms and clothing, = φέρω, φορέω, to bear, wear: Mat.3:4 22:12, al.; so frequently present ptcp. (LS, see word, A, I, 6; Bl., 74, 2), Mrk.11:13, Jhn.18:10, Rev.9:17, al.; (with) of a woman, ἐν γαστρὶ ἔ, to be with child: Mrk.13:17, Rom.9:10; …

gatesπυλῶναςpulōnasG4440
gate

πυλών (pulōn) πυλών, -ῶνος, ὁ (πύλη), [in LXX chiefly for פֶּתַח, שַׁעַר ;] 1. the porch or vestibule of a house or palace: Mat.26:71, Luk.16:20, Act.10:17 12:13-14 2. The gate-way or gate-tower of a walled town: Act.14:13, Rev.21:12-13, 15 21:21, 25 22:14.† (AS)

twelveδώδεκαdōdekaG1427
twelve

δώδεκα (dōdeka) δώδεκα, οἱ, αἱ, τά indecl. numeral, twelve: Mat.9:20 10:1, al.; οἱ δ., the apostles, Mat.10:5, Mrk.4:10, al.; in Act.19:7 24:11, for Rec. δεκαδύο. (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

atἐπὶepiG1909
upon/to/against

ἐπί (epi) ἐπί (before a smooth breathing ἐπ᾽, before a rough breathing ἐφ᾽), prep. with genitive, dative, accusative (accusative most frequently in NT), with primary sense of superposition, on, upon. I. C. genitive, 1. of place, answering the question, where? …

gatesπυλῶσινpulōsinG4440
gate

πυλών (pulōn) πυλών, -ῶνος, ὁ (πύλη), [in LXX chiefly for פֶּתַח, שַׁעַר ;] 1. the porch or vestibule of a house or palace: Mat.26:71, Luk.16:20, Act.10:17 12:13-14 2. The gate-way or gate-tower of a walled town: Act.14:13, Rev.21:12-13, 15 21:21, 25 22:14.† (AS)

angelsἀγγέλουςangelousG0032G
angel

ἄγγελος (angelos) ἄγγελος, -ου, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for מַלְאָךְ ;] 1. a messenger, one sent: Mat.11:10, Jas.22:25. 2. As in LXX, in the special sense of angel, a spiritual, heavenly being, attendant upon God and employed as his messenger to men, to make known his purposes, as Luk.1:11, or to execute them, as Mat.4:6. The ἄ. in Rev.1:20-2:1, al., is variously understood as (1) a messenger or delegate, (2) a bishop or ruler, (3) a guardian angel, (4) the prevailing spirit of each church, i.e. the Church itself. (Cf. Swete, Ap)., in l.; DB, iv, 991; Thayer, see word; Cremer, 18; MM, VGT, see word) (AS)

twelve,δώδεκα,dōdekaG1427
twelve

δώδεκα (dōdeka) δώδεκα, οἱ, αἱ, τά indecl. numeral, twelve: Mat.9:20 10:1, al.; οἱ δ., the apostles, Mat.10:5, Mrk.4:10, al.; in Act.19:7 24:11, for Rec. δεκαδύο. (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

namesὀνόματαonomataG3686
name

ὄνομα (onoma) ὄνομα, -τος, τό, [in LXX chiefly for שֵׁם ;] 1. in general, the name by which a person or thing is called: Mat.10:2, Mrk.3:16, Luk.1:63, Jhn.18:10, al.; ἄνθρωπος (etc.), ᾧ (οὗ) ὄ. (τ. ὄ), sc. ἦν or ἐστίν (BL, §30, 3), Mrk.14:32, Luk.1:26, 27; with same ellipsis, καὶ τ. ὄ. αὐτοῦ, Luk.1:5, Jhn.1:6, al.; ὀνόματι, before nom. prop., Mat.27:32, Mrk.5:22, Luk.1:5, Act.5:1, al.; accusative absol. (Bl., §34, 7), τοὔνομα (= τ. ὄνομα), Mat.27:57; ὄ. μοι (sc. ἐστίν; cf. Hom., Od., ix, 366), Mrk.5:9 (cf. Luk.8:30); ἔξειν ὄ., Rev.9:11; καλεῖν (ἐπιτιθέναι) ὄ. (Bl., §33, 1), Mat.1:21, Mrk.3:16; τ. ὄ. ἐν (τ …

inscribed,ἐπιγεγραμμένα,epigegrammenaG1924
to write on

ἐπιγράφω (epigraphō) ἐπι-γράφω [in LXX for כָּתַב, Num.17:2; fig., Jer.31:33, al. ;] to write upon, inscribe: Mrk.15:26, Act.17:23, Rev.21:12; figuratively, Heb.8:10 (LXX) Heb.10:16.† (AS)

whichἅhaG3739
which

ὅς (hos, hē) ὅς, ἥ, ὅ, the postpositive article (ἄρθρον ὑποτακτικόν). I. As demonstr. pron. = οὗτος, ὅδε, this, that, also for αὐτός, chiefly in nom.: ὅς δέ, but he (cf. ἦ δὲ ὅς, frequently in Plat.), Mrk.15:23, Jhn.5:11; ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, the one . . . the other, Mat.21:35, 22:5, 25:15, Luk.23:33, Act.27:14, Rom.14:5, 1Co.11:21, 2Co.2:18, Ju 22; neut., ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δέ, the one . . . the other, some . . . some, Mat.13:8, 23, Rom.9:21; ὃς (ὃ) μὲν . . . (ἄλλος (ἄλλο)) . . . ἕτερος, Mrk.4:4, Luk.8:5, 1Co.12:8-10; οὓς μέν, absol., 1Co.12:28; ὃς μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, Rom.14:2. …

areἐστινestinG1510
you are

εἶ (ei) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

namesὀνόματαonomataG3686
name

ὄνομα (onoma) ὄνομα, -τος, τό, [in LXX chiefly for שֵׁם ;] 1. in general, the name by which a person or thing is called: Mat.10:2, Mrk.3:16, Luk.1:63, Jhn.18:10, al.; ἄνθρωπος (etc.), ᾧ (οὗ) ὄ. (τ. ὄ), sc. ἦν or ἐστίν (BL, §30, 3), Mrk.14:32, Luk.1:26, 27; with same ellipsis, καὶ τ. ὄ. αὐτοῦ, Luk.1:5, Jhn.1:6, al.; ὀνόματι, before nom. prop., Mat.27:32, Mrk.5:22, Luk.1:5, Act.5:1, al.; accusative absol. (Bl., §34, 7), τοὔνομα (= τ. ὄνομα), Mat.27:57; ὄ. μοι (sc. ἐστίν; cf. Hom., Od., ix, 366), Mrk.5:9 (cf. Luk.8:30); ἔξειν ὄ., Rev.9:11; καλεῖν (ἐπιτιθέναι) ὄ. (Bl., §33, 1), Mat.1:21, Mrk.3:16; τ. ὄ. ἐν (τ …

twelveδώδεκαdōdekaG1427
twelve

δώδεκα (dōdeka) δώδεκα, οἱ, αἱ, τά indecl. numeral, twelve: Mat.9:20 10:1, al.; οἱ δ., the apostles, Mat.10:5, Mrk.4:10, al.; in Act.19:7 24:11, for Rec. δεκαδύο. (AS)

tribesφυλῶνphulōnG5443
tribe

φυλή (phulē) φυλή, ῆς, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for; מַטֶּה, also for שֵׁבֶט, מִשְׁפָּחָה, etc. ;] a body of men united by kinship or habitation, a clan or tribe: of the tribes of Israel, Mat.19:28, Luk.2:36 22:30, Act.13:21, Rom.11:1, Php.3:5, Heb.7:13-14, Jas.1:1, Rev.5:5 7:4-8 21:12; of the tribes of the earth, the peoples and nations, Mat.24:30, Rev.1:7 5:9 7:9 11:9 13:7 14:6.† (AS)

of [the] sonsυἱῶνhuiōnG5207
son

υἱός (uhios) υἱός, -οῦ, ὁ, [in LXX very frequently and nearly always for בֵּן, Gen.4:17, al.; for בַּר, Dan LXX TH 7:13, al.; etc. ;], a son; 1. in the ordinary sense: Mat.10:37, Mrk.9:17, Luk.1:13, al. mult.; omitted with the art. of origin (WM, §30, 3; Bl., §35, 2), τὸν τοῦ Ἰεσσαί, Act.13:22 (LXX); also with genitive anarth. (cl.), Σώπατρος Πύρρου Βεροιαῖος, Act.20:4; with adj., προτότοκος, Luk.2:7; μονογένης, Luk.7:12; opposite to νόθος, Heb.12:8; in a wider sense, of posterity: ὁ υἱ. Δαυΐδ, of the Messiah (cf. Dalman, Words, 316ff.; DCG, ii, 653f.), Mat.22:42, 45 Mrk.12:35, 37 Luk.20:41, 44 al.; υἱοὶ …

of Israel;Ἰσραήλ·IsraēlG2474
Israel

Ἰσραήλ (Israēl) Ἰσραήλ (FlJ, Ἰσράηλος, -ου), ὁ indecl. (Heb. יִשְׂרָאֵל, Gen.32:28), Israel: ὁ οἶκος Ἰ., Act.7:42 (LXX), al.; λαός, Act.4:10; υὁοί, Act.5:21, al.; αἱ φυλαὶ τοῦ Ἰ., Mat.19:28, al. By meton., for the Israelites, Mat.2:6, Luk.1:54, Rom.11:2, al.; ὁ λαὸς Ἰ., Act.4:10; γῆ Ἰ., Mat.2:20-21; βασιλεὺς Ἰ., Mat.27:42, Jhn.1:50; ἡ ἐλπὶς τοῦ Ἰ., Act.28:20; ὁ Ἰ. τοῦ θεοῦ (of Christians), Gal.6:16; ὁ Ἰ. κατὰ σάρκα, 1Co.10:18 (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.