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Apocalyptic · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Revelation 21

Visions unveil the Lamb's victory, faithful witness, judgment, and renewed creation.

New Testament

Revelation 21

1I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.

2I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

3I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4He 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 first things have passed away.”

5He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.”

6He said to me, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.

7He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.

8But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls which were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

10He 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,

11having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12having a great and high wall with 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.

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

14The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

15He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.

16The city is square. 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.

17Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

18The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.

19The 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,

20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21The 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.

22I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

23The 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.

24The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.

25Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),

26and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.

27There 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.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Visions unveil the Lamb's victory, faithful witness, judgment, and renewed creation. Read Revelation 21 within the complete Revelation overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Revelation 21

Revelation 21 contains 27 verses and about 662 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 27 closes: “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.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, twelve, gates, city, heaven, like. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Revelation 21

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Revelation 21:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer