Revelation 21:15-27
The New Jerusalem's Glory
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.
Berean Standard Bible
The angel carries a golden measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city lies foursquare, with equal length, width, and height. Its measurements are immense, and its wall is built of jasper while the city is pure gold, like clear glass.
The foundations of the wall are adorned with precious stones, and the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each gate made from a single pearl. The street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. John sees no temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.
The city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. Its gates never close because there is no night there. Nothing unclean enters it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood; only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life enter.
The measurements, jewels, light, and open gates all point to a life centered on God's presence. This is not a blueprint for human construction or a promise that created beauty will replace God; the city has no temple because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The nations bring their glory into a place where no ruler's splendor can compete with the Lamb's light.
The open gates do not mean that truth and holiness no longer matter. They never close because night and danger are gone, while falsehood is still named as incompatible with the city's life. Let the vision unsettle both our fear of outsiders and our trust in wealth: belonging is God's gift, and the life He gives is clean, truthful, and shared.
Questions
1 What does the angel measure?
AnswerHe measures the city, its gates, and its wall. The careful measurements present the dwelling place as real, ordered, and secure rather than vague or temporary.
2 What is absent from the city?
AnswerThere is no temple, sun, or moon. God's presence and glory supply what the old arrangement required buildings and lights to represent.
3 Who brings glory into the city?
AnswerThe nations walk by the city's light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. Human authority is not erased from the vision, but it is gathered under God's radiance.
4 Who may enter?
AnswerNothing unclean and no one devoted to falsehood may enter. Those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life enter, so the city's welcome is holy rather than indiscriminate.
What This Means for Us
The city's beauty is inseparable from God's presence. Gold, stones, and pearls are not there to invite envy; they make visible the worth of a home where God is no longer hidden behind distance, fear, or a separate sacred room.
The open gates and the guarded holiness belong together. God's future is generous, but it is not morally empty. The household can speak honestly about both welcome and truth: grace brings people near, and the Lamb's life changes what they bring with them.
When the world feels unstable, picture the kind of security this vision promises—not the security of wealth or control, but the security of belonging to God. Let that hope loosen the grip of possessions and make room for faithful, truthful living now.
Prayer
Lord God, You are the light and the home of Your people. Keep our hope fixed on Your presence, make us truthful and clean in our lives, and free us from trusting wealth or control to save us. Amen.