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Report a TypoRevelation ◦ Chapter 21
1Then, after all sin and sinners had been consumed, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth–that had been marred by Satan's rebellion–were no more, and the vast oceans were gone.2I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. It was prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband–symbolic of the city filled with the beautiful, healed people of God.3And I heard a voice from the throne say, "Now God will live with people and govern from planet earth. They are his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.4He will tenderly wipe every tear from their eyes; and there will be no more death, or sorrow, or heartache, or sickness, or suffering or pain, for the old, sinful order of things, in which good and evil operated together, is gone forever."5He who sat on the throne said, "I am restoring everything to perfection: I am making all things new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are accurate and true."6He said to me, "It is finished. I am the Origin and Summation, the Beginning and the End of all things. To anyone who is thirsty, I will freely give the water of life to drink.7Whoever partakes of the Remedy and overcomes sin and selfishness will inherit all of this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.8But those who are controlled by fear, and fight to protect self, those who don't believe in my methods of love, those who pervert the truth, the murderers, the hedonists, those who practice mysticism and magic, those who worship gods that must punish or be appeased, and all liars–they will find themselves consumed in the lake of eternal fire. This is the second, eternal, death."9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls holding the seven last plagues came to me and said, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."10And he carried me away in vision to a huge mountain and showed me the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.11It shone with the glory of God, because it was inhabited by all the healed from earth who now possessed God’s glorious character. Its radiance was more brilliant than a precious jewel, like jasper–without blemish, clear as crystal–because God’s character radiated through the people.12It had a high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel–symbolizing that the city will be composed of the saved from all peoples of the earth.13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west–further symbolizing that the city will be composed of peoples from all corners of the earth.14The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve ambassadors of Jesus the Lamb–symbolizing that the city is founded upon the truth about God which Jesus revealed and the twelve ambassadors championed.15The angel who talked with me had a gold rod with which to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.16The footprint of the city was a perfect square, as long as it was wide: 12,000 stadia (about 1461 miles or 2352 kilometers) on each side. Amazingly, it was also the same 12,000 stadia in height, making it a perfect cube — the same shape as the Most Holy Place of God's temple.17The angel measured its wall and it was 144 cubits (about 216 feet or 65 meters) thick by human measurement, which the angel was using.18The wall was made of a brilliant, shining stone-like material which looked like jasper, and the city was of pure gold, just like the Most Holy Place of God’s temple. It was pure–almost translucent–like glass.19The foundations of the city walls were beautiful–a full array of precious stones. The first foundation looked like jasper, the second like sapphire, the third like chalcedony, the fourth like emerald,20the fifth like sardonyx, the sixth like carnelian, the seventh like chrysolite, the eighth like beryl, the ninth like topaz, the tenth like chrysoprase, the eleventh like jacinth, and the twelfth like amethyst.21The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each gate was made of a single pearl of great price–symbolic of Jesus, the way into the city. The streets of the city were of pure gold, translucent like glass.22I did not see a "holy place" in the city, because the presence of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb make the entire city a holy place.23The city does not need the sun or moon to provide it with light, for the fiery presence of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its guiding light.24The nations will live in accord with the light of truth and love emanating from the city, and the leaders of the earth will give all their splendor to it.25There will never be a day when its gates will shut, and there will be no night there.26The glory and honor of all the nations will be attributed to it.27Nothing that deviates from God’s design–his character of love–will enter it: none who holds to the shameful pagan views of God, or any liar, but only those whose characters are like that of Jesus’ and whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.