Revelation 21:9-14
The Bride, the Wife of the Lamb
Read the passage
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
One of the seven angels with the seven bowls tells John to come and see the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. The angel carries John away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and shows him the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
The city has the glory of God, its radiance like a rare jewel, clear as crystal. It has a great high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates are twelve angels and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Three gates face each direction.
The city wall has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The city's identity is built from Israel's tribes and the Lamb's apostles, joined in one redeemed people.
The angel promises to show John the Lamb's bride and shows him a city shining with God's glory. The people who belong to the Lamb are pictured together in the holy city. Its beauty and its descent from heaven both direct attention to what God gives.
Israel's tribes are named on the gates, and the Lamb's apostles on the foundations. The names keep this future connected to the history of God's people and the witnesses Jesus appointed. The city is not presented as a new hope detached from His earlier work. His people have a shared home because of His faithfulness.
Questions
1 What does the angel show John?
AnswerHe shows John God's people represented by the holy city Jerusalem. The city comes down from God rather than being built by human ambition.
2 What fills the city with radiance?
AnswerIt has the glory of God and shines like a rare, crystal-clear jewel. Its beauty is received from God's presence.
3 What names are on the gates?
AnswerThe gates carry the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The future city remembers Israel's place in God's people.
4 What names are on the foundations?
AnswerThe foundations carry the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The city is built with the witness of the apostolic community.
What This Means for Us
The names on this city give us a reason to read both Testaments with care. When an Old Testament passage seems remote from your life, remember that Israel's story has not been discarded at the Bible's end. Listen also to the apostles' testimony about the Lamb. Ask God to help your family see His faithfulness across the whole story.
Prayer
God of Israel and the apostles, gather Your people in the city You give. Make our household grateful for its roots, generous in welcome, and faithful to the testimony that leads to the Lamb. Amen.