The New Jerusalem Descends

21:9 Then21 one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me,22 saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 21:10 So23 he took me away in the Spirit24 to a huge, majestic mountain25 and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 21:11 The city possesses26 the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.27 21:12 It has28 a massive, high wall29 with twelve gates,30 with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel31 are written on the gates.32 21:13 There are33 three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side and three gates on the west side.34 21:14 The35 wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21:15 The angel36 who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. 21:16 Now37 the city is laid out as a square,38 its length and width the same. He39 measured the city with the measuring rod40 at fourteen hundred miles41 (its length and width and height are equal). 21:17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits42 according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s.43 21:18 The city’s44 wall is made45 of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.46 21:19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated47 with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate,48 the fourth emerald, 21:20 the fifth onyx,49 the sixth carnelian,50 the seventh chrysolite,51 the eighth beryl,52 the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase,53 the eleventh jacinth,54 and the twelfth amethyst. 21:21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls—each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The55 main street56 of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

21:22 Now57 I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God—the All-Powerful58—and the Lamb are its temple. 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 21:24 The nations59 will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur60 into it. 21:25 Its gates will never be closed during the day61 (and62 there will be no night there).63 21:26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth64 of the nations65 into it, 21:27 but66 nothing ritually unclean67 will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable68 or practices falsehood,69 but only those whose names70 are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

22:1 Then1 the angel2 showed me the river of the water of life—water as clear as crystal—pouring out3 from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 22:2 flowing down the middle of the city’s4 main street.5 On each side6 of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds7 of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year.8 Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. 22:3 And there will no longer be any curse,9 and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city.10 His11 servants12 will worship13 him, 22:4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 22:5 Night will be no more, and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.