THE LORD AND THE LAMB ARE THE TEMPLE

Passage: Revelation 21:9-27

Key verse: 22

NIV

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues(A) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,(B) the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away(C) in the Spirit(D) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.(E) 11 It shone with the glory of God,(F) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,(G) clear as crystal.(H) 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,(I) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.(J) 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations,(K) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles(L) of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod(M) of gold to measure the city, its gates(N) and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human(O) measurement, and it was 144 cubits[b] thick.[c] 18 The wall was made of jasper,(P) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.(Q) 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.(R) The first foundation was jasper,(S) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,(T) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[d] 21 The twelve gates(U) were twelve pearls,(V) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.(W)

22 I did not see a temple(X) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty(Y) and the Lamb(Z) are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God(AA) gives it light,(AB) and the Lamb(AC) is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.(AD) 25 On no day will its gates(AE) ever be shut,(AF) for there will be no night there.(AG) 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.(AH) 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,(AI) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(AJ)

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 21:16 That is, about 1,400 miles or about 2,200 kilometers
  2. Revelation 21:17 That is, about 200 feet or about 65 meters
  3. Revelation 21:17 Or high
  4. Revelation 21:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The New Jerusalem

9 Then came (A)one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of (B)the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you (C)the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And (D)he carried me away in the Spirit to (E)a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 (F)having the glory of God, (G)its radiance (H)like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, (I)with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve (J)foundations, and (K)on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me (L)had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.[a] Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits[b] by (M)human measurement, which is also (N)an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of (O)jasper, while the city was pure gold, like (P)clear glass. 19 (Q)The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and (R)the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 And (S)I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city (T)has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for (U)the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light (V)will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth (W)will bring their glory into it, 25 and (X)its gates will never be shut by day—and (Y)there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But (Z)nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's (AA)book of life.

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
  2. Revelation 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. The New Jerusalem (9-21) An angel carried John away in his spirit to show him the Bride of the Lamb, the New Jerusalem. The old temple in Jerusalem was said to be very brilliant and marvelous to look at. The New Jerusalem will be much more so. It will shine with the glory of God. We can only describe it in human terms, like brilliant gems. Each of the four walls will have three gates with three angels at each. 2. God is the temple and the light (22-27) The New Jerusalem will have no temple and there will be no sun. The Lord God Almighty and Jesus the Lamb are the temple and the sun and the lamp. And the city will be glorious. All the nations of the earth will walk by the light of God. They will bow down and worship Him. There will be no need to ever shut the gates of the city, as all will be welcomed at all times, except those whose names are not written in the Book of Life, for no impure things can enter the New Jerusalem.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, who makes us clean and pure so that we can enter the New Jerusalem.

One Word: The Lord and Jesus are the temple