Bible Glide

Revelation 21 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Revelation 21 turns from judgment to hope. John sees God create a new heaven and a new earth, then watches the holy city come down from God. The chapter centers on God living with His people, ending sorrow and death, and giving a secure future to those who belong to the Lamb.

What happens in Revelation 21?

John sees the first heaven and earth pass away and the holy city, the New Jerusalem, descend from God. A voice from the throne announces that God will dwell with His people, remove every tear, and end death, mourning, crying, and pain. The One on the throne declares that all things are made new and that life is freely given to the thirsty. The chapter also warns that the unfaithful face the second death. The second half describes the city in symbolic detail: its gates, foundations, glory, purity, and light. It has no temple, sun, or moon, because God and the Lamb are its light, and only those in the Lamb's Book of Life may enter.

Revelation 21 comes after the final judgment in chapter 20 and before the closing vision of life and worship in chapter 22. It answers the fear left by suffering and judgment with a picture of God's final dwelling with His people. The chapter uses strong images of a city, a bride, and a new creation to show the completed hope of the book.

  • New CreationGod brings a renewed world where the old order has passed away.
  • God With His PeopleThe main promise is direct fellowship, with God dwelling among those who belong to Him.
  • Holy HopeThe city is pure, secure, and full of light for those written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
  • What does the vision of a new heaven and new earth tell us about God's final plan?
  • How do the promises in this chapter shape the way believers think about suffering and death?
  • What stands out to you about the New Jerusalem as a place where God dwells with His people?

Read the full text of Revelation 21 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Revelation 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.2I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man,

and He will dwell with them.

They will be His people,

and God Himself will be with them as their God.

4‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’

and there will be no more death

or mourning or crying or pain,

for the former things have passed away.”

5And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”6And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.7The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.8But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,11shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal.12The 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.13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.14The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.16The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height.17And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.18The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass.

19The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone:

The first foundation was jasper,

the second sapphire,

the third chalcedony,

the fourth emerald,

20the fifth sardonyx,

the sixth carnelian,

the seventh chrysolite,

the eighth beryl,

the ninth topaz,

the tenth chrysoprase,

the eleventh jacinth,

and the twelfth amethyst.

21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

22But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.24By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.25Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there.26And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations.27But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Save notes and ask about Revelation 21

Create a free account to keep highlights and notes across devices, or open Bible Glide Chat with this passage already attached.