Revelation 21
Chapter 21
21:1 And 1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
21:2 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(1) Now follows the second part of the history prophetic of the future estate of the Church in heaven after the last judgment, to ( Revelation 21:2 ; Revelation 22:5 ). In this are two things briefly declared. The station, seat, or place of it, ( Revelation 21:1 ). Then her state and condition, in the verses following. Before the state of the Church described, is set down the state of the whole world, that there shall be a new heaven, and a new earth; ( Isaiah 65:17 ; 66:22 ; 2 Peter 3:13 ) and this is the seat or place of the Church, in which righteousness shall dwell.
21:3 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
(2) The state of this glorious Church is first described generally to ( Revelation 21:3-8 ), and then specially and by parts, in the verses following. The general description consists in a vision shown afar off, ( Revelation 21:2 ) and in speech spoken from heaven. In the general these things are common, that the Church is holy, new, the workmanship of God, heavenly, most glorious, the spouse of Christ, and partaker of his glory in this verse.
21:5 4 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
(3) The Church is described by the speech, first of an angel, in two verses, then by God himself, in four verses. The angels speech describes the glory of the Church, by the most intimate communion with God, by giving of all manner of good things according to the covenant, in this verse: and by removing or putting away of all evil things, in the verse following ( Revelation 21:4 ).
21:6 And he said unto me, 5 It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
(4) In the speech of God himself describing the Church, is first an introduction, or entrance. Then follows a magnificent description of the Church, by the present and future good things of the same, in three verses following ( Revelation 21:6-8 ). In the introduction God challenges to himself the restoring of all the creatures, ( Revelation 21:1 ) and witnesses the calling of John to the writing of these things, in this verse.
21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their a part in the lake which burneth with fire and
(5) The description of the Church is in three parts, by the abolishing of old things, by the being of present things in God, that is, of things eternal: and by the giving of all good things with the godly. If so be they shall contend manfully; ( Revelation 21:7 ). But the reprobate are excluded from there; ( Revelation 21:8 ).
(a) Their lot, and inheritance as it were.21:9 6 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lambs wife.
(6) A transition to the describing of the heavenly Church, by the express calling of John in this verse, and his enrapturing by the Spirit, in confirmation of the truth of God in the verse following.21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and 7 high mountain, and shewed me 8 that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
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