Revelation 21:18-21 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 21:9-27

We have already considered the introduction to the vision of the new Jerusalem in a more general idea of the heavenly state; we now come to the vision itself, where observe, I. The person that opened the vision to the apostle?one of the seven angels, that had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, Rev. 21:9. God has a variety of work and employment for his holy angels. Sometimes they are to sound the trumpet of divine Providence, and give fair warning to a careless world; sometimes... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 21:9-27

It will be better to read the description of the city of God as a whole before we deal with it in detail. 21:9-27 9 There came to me one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and he spoke with me. "Come," he said, "and I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a 10 great and lofty mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and it had the glory of God. 11 Its... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:18

And the building of the wall of it was of jasper ,.... Which is expressive of the impregnableness, duration, brightness, and glory of salvation by Christ, the jasper being a very hard, durable, and bright stone; and salvation can never be made void, and of none effect; it will last for ever, and in this state will come forth as light, and as a lamp that burneth; it is represented by the same precious stone as God and Christ themselves are; see Revelation 4:2 . And the city was pure gold,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:19

And the foundations of the wall of the city ,.... Which were twelve; see Revelation 21:14 were garnished with all manner of precious stones: see Isaiah 54:11 not that there were all manner of precious stones in every foundation, but in them all there were, and each foundation had its stone peculiar to it, as follows; and which are not applicable to the persons of the apostles, who were not the foundations, but on them their names only were written: and besides, the order of them, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:20

The fifth, sardonyx ,.... Which is partly of the sardian, and partly of the onyx stone, which resembles a man's nail, from whence it has its name; it is reddish, bordering on white; it may be thought to answer to the onyx in the breastplate, on which was written the name of Joseph. The sixth, sardius ; the same with the sardine stone, Revelation 4:3 of a blood colour, and what is commonly called a cornelian: it is found in Sardinia, from whence it has its name, and in Bohemia and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:21

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls ,.... Denoting the purity and preciousness of Christ, by whom the saints enter, and of the saints who enter in thereat, as well as of the place into which they enter. Every several gate was of one pearl ; the pearl of great price, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only gate, door, and way into this happy state: this shows that this account cannot be taken literally, but mystically, for no such pearl was ever known, large enough to make a gate of. ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:18

The building of the wall of it was of jasper - The oriental jasper is exceedingly hard, and almost indestructible. Pillars made of this stone have lasted some thousands of years, and appear to have suffered scarcely any thing from the tooth of time. Pure gold, like unto clear glass - Does not this imply that the walls were made of some beautifully bright yellow stone, very highly polished? This description has been most injudiciously applied to heaven; and in some public discourses, for... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:19

The foundations of the wall - Does not this mean the foundations or thresholds of the gates? The gates represented the twelve tribes, Revelation 21:12 ; and these foundations or thresholds, the twelve apostles, Revelation 21:14 . There was no entrance into the city but through those gates, and none through the gates but over these thresholds. The whole of the Mosaic dispensation was the preparation of the Gospel system: without it the Gospel would have no original; without the Gospel, it... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:20

The fifth, sardonyx - The onyx is an accidental variety of the agate kind; it is of a dark horny color, in which is a plate of a bluish white, and sometimes of red. When on one or both sides of the white there happens to lie also a plate of a reddish color, the jewelers call the stone a sardonyx. The sixth, sardius - The sardius, sardel, or sardine stone, is a precious stone of a blood-red color. The seventh, chrysolite - The gold stone. It is of a dusky green with a cast of yellow.... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:21

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... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 21:9-27

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 21:9-27

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:21

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:18

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:19

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:21

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