12 having a wall great and high; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written thereon, which are `the names' of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 on the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, `according to' the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
18 And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass.
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Revelation 21
Commentary on Revelation 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
Hitherto the prophecy of this book has presented to us a very remarkable mixture of light and shade, prosperity and adversity, mercy and judgment, in the conduct of divine Providence towards the church in the world: now, at the close of all, the day breaks, and the shadows flee away; a new world now appears, the former having passed away. Some are willing to understand all that is said in these last two chapters of the state of the church even here on earth, in the glory of the latter days; but others, more probably, take it as a representation of the perfect and triumphant state of the church in heaven. Let but the faithful saints and servants of God wait awhile, and they shall not only see, but enjoy, the perfect holiness and happiness of that world. In this chapter you have,
Rev 21:1-8
We have here a more general account of the happiness of the church of God in the future state, by which it seems most safe to understand the heavenly state.
Rev 21:9-27
We have already considered the introduction to the vision of the new Jerusalem in a more general idea of the heavenly state; we now come to the vision itself, where observe,