876. REVELATION: CHAPTER 21

1. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And there was no more sea.

2. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3. And I heard a great voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. And He Himself will be with them their God.

4. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more toil (suffering), for the former things have passed away."

5. Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

6. And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

8. But the fearful, faithless, and abominable, and murderers, the sexually licentious, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

9. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."

10. And he carried me away in the spirit onto a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11. having the glory of God; and its light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal.

12. It had a great and high wall, and twelve gates, and over the gates twelve angels, with names written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13. three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed at twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height were equal.

17. Then he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

18. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

19. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

20. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

23. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24. And the nations that are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it.

25. Its gates shall not be shut by day, for there shall be no night there.

26. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

27. But there shall not enter it anything unclean, or that creates an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

This chapter has as its subject the state of heaven and the church following the Last Judgment, that through the New Heaven, a New Church will afterward emerge on earth which will worship the Lord alone (verses 1-8). Its conjunction with the Lord (verses 9, 10). A description of it as regards its intelligence gained from the Word (verse 11); as regards its consequent doctrine (verses 12-21); and as regards its whole character (verses 22-26).

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

THE EXPOSITION

21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. This symbolically means that the Lord formed a new heaven out of Christians, which today is called the Christian heaven and is inhabited by people who worshiped the Lord and lived in accordance with His commandments in the Word, who consequently possess charity and faith. Found in that heaven also are all the little children of Christians.

The new heaven and new earth do not mean the natural heavens that are visible to our eyes or the natural earth inhabited by the human race. Rather they mean a spiritual heaven and the land of that heaven where angels dwell. That that heaven and the land of that heaven are meant is something everyone sees and acknowledges if only he can be drawn away from a purely natural and material idea when he reads the Word.

It is apparent that an angelic heaven is meant because we are told in the very next verse that John saw the holy city Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. This does not mean some Jerusalem coming down, but the church, and the church on earth descends from the Lord out of the angelic heaven, since angels in heaven and people on earth are united in everything having to do with the church (no. 626).

It can be seen from this how naturally and materially some people have thought and continue to think who, from these words and those that follow in this verse, have fabricated for themselves the dogma regarding the destruction of the world and everything's being created anew.

[2] This new heaven was the subject several times before in the book of Revelation, especially in chapters 14, 15. It is called the Christian heaven, because it is apart from the ancient heavens which were constituted of people of the church before the Lord's advent. These ancient heavens are above the Christian heaven, for the heavens are like expanses, one above another. The same is the case with each of the heavens, for every heaven is in itself distinguished into three heavens - an inmost or third heaven, an intermediate or second heaven, and a lowest or first heaven. So with this new heaven. I have seen its inhabitants and spoken with them.

This new Christian heaven is inhabited by all those people who from the first establishment of the Christian Church have worshiped the Lord and lived in accordance with His commandments in the Word, and who consequently possess both charity and faith from the Lord through the Word, thus whose faith is not a lifeless one but a living one.

Regarding this heaven, see various mentions above, in nos. 612, 613, 626, 631, 659, 661, 845, 846, 856.

Found in that heaven likewise are all the little children of Christians, because they are brought up by angels in the two essential elements of the church, namely an acknowledgment of the Lord as God of heaven and earth, and living in accordance with the Ten Commandments.

613. Having His Father's name written on their foreheads. This symbolizes the acknowledgment out of love and faith among them of the Lord's Divinity and of His Divine humanity.

The name of the Father means the Lord in respect to the Divine called the Father from which springs all else, and at the same time in respect to His Divine humanity called the Son, since the two are one and the same person, united like a soul and body. In heaven, therefore, no other father than the Lord is meant by God the Father, and in the new heaven the Lord is also called Father.

We are told here that they had the Father's name on their foreheads because the Father also means the Divine goodness of the Lord's Divine love, which in the Gospels is everywhere meant by the Father when referred to by the Lord, while the Divine truth of His Divine wisdom is meant by the Son. When the Lord glorified His humanity, these two were united like a soul with its body and a body with its soul (see nos. 21, 170).

Because the two are one, therefore we find reference elsewhere to the name of God and of the Lamb being "on their foreheads" (Revelation 22:4). Therefore, with respect to the people who are the subject here, we are told that they had the Father's name written on their foreheads, inasmuch as the 144,000 that were sealed of the twelve tribes of Israel mean angels of the higher heavens, all of whom are prompted by the goodness of celestial love, and that is, as we said, the love meant by the Father.

That the angels who are the subject here are angels of the higher heavens may be seen in the exposition of chapter 7, especially in no. 369 there.

Having the name written on their foreheads symbolizes an acknowledgment in them out of love and faith - having it written or inscribed symbolizing an acknowledgment in them, and the forehead symbolizing love and the resulting intelligence or faith (nos. 347, 605).

[2] We say that the Divine called the Father and the Divine humanity called the Son are one like a soul and body, consequently that people must approach the Lord in His Divine humanity, and that in this way and in no other is the Divine called the Father approached; and this can be seen from so many passages in the Word that they would fill pages if we were to cite them all. We cited a number of them in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 29-36 38-45, and later, and by way of confirmation we will present only some of them here, as follows:

The angel said to (Mary), ."..behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest...."

But Mary said..., "How shall this be, since I do not know a man?"

The angel answered..., "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore... the Holy One who is to be born of you will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:30-35)

...an angel of the Lord appeared to (Joseph) in a dream, saying, ."..do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit...." ...and (Joseph) did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. (Matthew 1:20, 25)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh..., and we beheld His glory, as though the glory of the only begotten of the Father... (John 1:1-2, 14)

...the Jews sought... to kill (Jesus), because He... said that God was His Father, making Himself equal to God. Jesus answered..., ."..whatever (the Father) does, the Son also does in like manner. ...as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. ...assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming... when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (John 5:18-25)

...as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself... (John 5:26)

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."

Philip said to Him, ."..show us the Father...."

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long a time, and have you not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how then do you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I dwell in the Father, and the Father in Me? ...Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me...." (John 14:6-11)

"I give (My sheep) eternal life... I and My Father are one."

(Then the Jews were angered that He made Himself God. And He said, "I do the works of My Father.") ."..believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." (John 10:28-38)

"He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me." (John 12:45)

"All things that the Father has are Mine." (John 16:15)

...that the Father had given all things into His hands... (John 13:3)

"Father..., ...You have given (Me) authority over all flesh... This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only... God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent... All that is Mine are Yours, and what are Yours are Mine...." (John 17:1-3, 10)

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18)

"Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do...." (And) "I will do it." (John 14:13-14)

."..the Spirit of truth... will not speak on its own, but... will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." (John 16:13-14)

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

[3] And so on. There are still more passages in the Old Testament, some of which we will present also:

...unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

A virgin shall conceive... a Son, and His name shall be called God-With-Us. (Isaiah 7:14)

"Behold, the days are coming... when I will raise to David a righteous offshoot, who shall reign as a King... And this is His name by which He will be called: JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-16)

Then it will be said in that day: "Behold, ...our God, for whom we have waited, for Him to free us, ...Jehovah, for whom we have waited; we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:9)

God is in you only, and... there is no other God. Surely You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior! (Isaiah 45:14-15)

Is it not I, Jehovah? And there is no other God besides Me; a just God and a Savior, there is none besides Me. (Isaiah 45:21-22)

I... am Jehovah, and besides Me there is no savior. (Isaiah 43:11)

I am Jehovah your God... and you shall acknowledge no God but Me; and there is no Savior besides Me. (Hosea 13:4)

...You (Jehovah) are our Father..., our Redeemer from of old Your name. (Isaiah 63:16)

Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth: "I am the First and the Last, and besides Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)

Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer...: "I am Jehovah, who makes all things, ...all alone, ...by Myself." (Isaiah 44:24)

Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am Jehovah your God...." (Isaiah 48:17)

...O Jehovah, my rock, and my Redeemer! (Psalms 19:14)

Their Redeemer is strong, Jehovah Zebaoth His name. (Jeremiah 50:34)

...Jehovah Zebaoth is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He shall be called the God of the whole earth. (Isaiah 54:5)

That all flesh may know that I, Jehovah, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (Isaiah 49:26, cf. 60:16)

As for our Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth is His name... (Isaiah 47:4)

Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer... (Isaiah 43:14, cf. 49:7)

And so elsewhere, as in Luke 1:68; Isaiah 62:11-12; 63:1, 4, 9.

And in Zechariah:

In that day... Jehovah shall become King over all the earth. In that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name one. (Zechariah 14:8-9)

These are but a few of the passages.