Revelation 21

Revelation 21, part of the Book of Revelation, written around AD 70 by the apostle John while exiled on Patmos, to churches in Asia Minor facing persecution, presents the vision of a new heaven, new earth, and the New Jerusalem. It describes the complete renewal of creation, God’s intimate dwelling with His people, the elimination of suffering, and the exclusion of evil, emphasizing the eternal blessedness of those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Key Sections
New Heaven and New Earth (21:1–4): John sees a new heaven and new earth, the first having passed away, with no sea. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. A voice declares God’s dwelling is with man; He will be their God, wiping away tears, eliminating death, mourning, and pain, as the former things have passed. God on the throne says, “Behold, I make all things new,” affirming His words are trustworthy.
God’s Promise and Judgment (21:5–8): The One on the throne says, “It is done! I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” He gives the water of life freely to the thirsty, promising the overcomer an inheritance as His son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars face the second death in the lake of fire.
The New Jerusalem Described (21:9–21): An angel shows John the bride, the Lamb’s wife, the New Jerusalem, descending from heaven, radiant with God’s glory, like a jasper stone. It has a great wall with twelve gates, named for Israel’s tribes, guarded by twelve angels, and twelve foundations with the apostles’ names. The city is a cube, 12,000 stadia (1,400 miles) in length, width, and height, with walls 144 cubits thick. The wall is jasper, the city pure gold like glass, foundations adorned with precious stones, gates of single pearls, and streets of transparent gold.
God’s Presence and Glory (21:22–27): The city has no temple, as the Lord God and the Lamb are its temple. No sun or moon is needed, as God’s glory and the Lamb’s light illuminate it. Nations walk by its light, kings bring glory, gates never shut, with no night. Nothing unclean, abominable, or false enters, only those in the Lamb’s book of life.
Cross-References
New Heaven, Earth: 
Isaiah 65:17: New heavens, earth.

2 Peter 3:13: Righteousness dwells.

Romans 8:19–21: Creation’s renewal.
God Dwells with Man: 
Ezekiel 37:27: My dwelling with them.

John 1:14: Word dwelt among us.

Leviticus 26:11–12: Walk among you.
No More Tears: 
Isaiah 25:8: Swallow up death.

Revelation 7:17: Wipe away tears.

Psalm 30:5: Joy in morning.
Alpha and Omega: 
Revelation 1:8: God’s title.

Isaiah 44:6: First and Last.

Revelation 22:13: Jesus’ title.
Water of Life: 
John 4:14: Never thirst.

Revelation 22:17: Drink freely.

Jeremiah 2:13: Living waters.
New Jerusalem’s Glory: 
Ezekiel 40–48: Restored city.

Hebrews 12:22: Heavenly Jerusalem.

Isaiah 60:1–3: Arise, shine.
No Temple: 
Jeremiah 3:16: No ark needed.

John 4:21–24: Worship in spirit.

Revelation 22:3–4: Direct worship.
Theological Meaning
Creation’s Renewal: The new heaven and earth fulfill God’s promise to restore creation, free from sin’s curse (vv. 1–4; Romans 8:21).

God’s Intimacy: His dwelling with humanity signifies ultimate fellowship, ending suffering (v. 3; 1 Corinthians 15:28).

Final Judgment: The second death excludes evildoers, affirming God’s justice (v. 8; Matthew 25:46).

New Jerusalem’s Glory: The city symbolizes God’s perfected people, radiant with His presence (vv. 9–11; Ephesians 2:19–22).

Universal Worship: Nations and kings honor God, with only the redeemed entering (vv. 24–27; Psalm 86:9).

Eternal Security: The Lamb’s book of life ensures believers’ place in God’s city (v. 27; John 10:28–29).
Questions and Answers
What is the new heaven and earth (v. 1)?
A renewed creation, free from sin, replacing the old order (v. 1; Isaiah 66:22).

Why no sea (v. 1)?
Likely symbolizes chaos or separation removed, ensuring peace (v. 1; Genesis 1:2).

What does God’s dwelling mean (v. 3)?
Direct, unhindered fellowship with humanity, like a marriage (v. 3; Hosea 2:19–20).

Who are the overcomers (v. 7)?
Believers who endure in faith, inheriting God’s promises (v. 7; Revelation 2:7).

Why no temple in the city (v. 22)?
God and the Lamb’s presence replace the need for a physical temple (v. 22; John 2:19–21).

Who enters the New Jerusalem (v. 27)?
Only those in the Lamb’s book of life, excluding the impure (v. 27; Philippians 4:3).

How does this apply today?
Hope in God’s renewal, live faithfully, and share the gospel for eternal life (v. 17; 1 Peter 1:3–4).
Eschatological Interpretations
Dispensational Premillennial View:
Interpretation: Revelation 21 depicts the eternal state after the millennium (Rev. 20:1–6) and Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11–15). The new heaven and earth replace the old, destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3:10). The New Jerusalem is a literal city, suspended above or on the renewed earth, where glorified saints (church and tribulation martyrs) dwell with God post-rapture and tribulation. The “no sea” (v. 1) and cube-shaped city (v. 16) are literal, with nations (v. 24) as distinct from Israel and the church. The second death (v. 8) is eternal hell for unbelievers.

Timing: Future, post-millennial, after Christ’s literal 1,000-year reign and final judgment.

Key Features: Literal city; distinct dispensations (church, Israel, nations); eternal separation.

Support: Literal measurements (vv. 15–17); continuity with Old Testament promises (Isaiah 65:17).
Historic Premillennial View:
Interpretation: Revelation 21 describes the eternal state following Christ’s second coming and a literal millennial reign (Rev. 20). The new heaven and earth are a renewed creation, possibly literal or glorified, where all redeemed (no separate dispensations) dwell with God. The New Jerusalem symbolizes or is a literal city, God’s perfected people, with no temple due to His presence (v. 22). “No sea” may be literal or symbolic of chaos removed. The second death (v. 8) is eternal punishment. Christ’s return (post-tribulation) ushers in this renewal, with no pretribulational rapture.

Timing: Future, after a literal millennium and final judgment.

Key Features: Unified redeemed; literal or symbolic city; single second coming.

Support: Old Testament renewal imagery (vv. 1–4; Isaiah 66:22); God’s direct presence (Ezekiel 48:35).
Amillennial View:
Interpretation: Revelation 21 symbolizes the eternal state, fully realized at Christ’s single return, with the millennium (Rev. 20) as the current church age. The new heaven and earth represent the glorified church or creation, spiritually present now but consummated later. The New Jerusalem is the church triumphant, with the river and no temple symbolizing God’s presence (vv. 3, 22). “No sea” (v. 1) signifies evil’s absence. The second death (v. 8) is eternal separation from God. Nations and kings (v. 24) symbolize the redeemed, not literal entities. The vision encourages perseverance now.

Timing: Eternal state post-Christ’s return; millennium as present spiritual reign.

Key Features: Symbolic imagery; church as New Jerusalem; single eschatological event.

Support: Symbolic language (vv. 9–10; Galatians 4:26); spiritual fulfillment (John 4:21–24).
Postmillennial View (Including Preterist):
Interpretation: Postmillennial: Revelation 21 envisions the eternal state after a gospel-driven golden age (millennium, Rev. 20), where Christianity transforms society. The New Jerusalem symbolizes the glorified church, with nations (v. 24) reflecting global conversion. The new heaven and earth are the ultimate renewal post-millennium, with “no sea” (v. 1) as evil’s defeat. Preterist: Much of Revelation, including 21:1–8, was fulfilled in AD 70’s fall of Jerusalem, symbolizing the new covenant’s triumph over old Israel. The New Jerusalem is the church under the new covenant, with 21:9–27 as the eternal state or present spiritual reality. “No temple” (v. 22) reflects covenant change (Hebrews 8:13).

Timing: Postmillennial: Future, after gospel millennium. Preterist: Mostly AD 70, eternal state future.

Key Features: Gospel’s triumph; symbolic or covenantal fulfillment; partial (Preterist) present reality.

Support: Universal worship (v. 24; Psalm 72:8–11); AD 70 for Preterists (Matthew 24:34).
Additional Notes for Readers
Historical Context: Written to seven churches in Asia Minor (Rev. 1:4) under Domitian’s persecution (AD 95). John’s exile on Patmos shapes the vision’s hope for persecuted believers, using Jewish apocalyptic imagery (Ezekiel, Isaiah) to assure God’s victory.

Cultural Questions: “New earth” (v. 1) fulfills Jewish restoration hopes, resonant in synagogues (Isaiah 51:16). “No sea” (v. 1) counters Greco-Roman chaos myths, bold in Asia Minor (Psalm 89:9). “Bride” (v. 2) uses Jewish marriage imagery, vivid for readers (Hosea 2:16). “Cube” (v. 16) echoes the Holy of Holies, central in temple culture (1 Kings 6:20). “No temple” (v. 22) shocks Jewish expectations, affirming direct access (Jeremiah 31:33–34). “Nations” (v. 24) reflects Greco-Roman diversity, hopeful for diaspora churches (Isaiah 2:2–4).

Application: Revelation 21 calls believers to hope in God’s renewed creation, live righteously, and invite others to the Lamb’s book of life. It challenges despair, sin, and exclusion, urging faithfulness in a broken world (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 15:58).