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Posted on CCPC's website 2025
Again. This study is verse by verse, IMAGE by Image, IDEA by Idea, and concept by concept. Which means it is a Marathon.
We are using sources that John the Apostle and those mentioned as the recipients of the letter, the Seven Churches and other First Century Christians, the majority of which were Jews, would / should / could have been familiar with. We will also reference newer translations and versions of the book, beginning with the 1560 Geneva Bible (the bulk source for the 1611 KJV, which we also use) all the way up to much more current publications, and examinations of the text from various scholars, as well as beginning the analysis of the text from the Greek.
It should be said here, as we are beginning with the Greek, we are going in remembering that John was writing in an 'apocalyptic' style. It seems many translations have forgotten that and 'moderated' the language.
1
There is an implied break in the action from the end of 20. We do not know how long it is, only that John then continues his narration:
And I saw heaven "kainon" (fresh / unused / new) and "gen" (earth (as the planet)) 'new', "gar" (the reason being) the "protos" (first / original) heaven and earth had "apelthan" (gone away), and the sea "ouk estin eti" ('does't exist any longer').
2
And the "polis" (city) "ten hagian" ('that is' set apart for God / holy), "Ierousalem" (Jerusalem) "kainen" (fresh / new), "katabainousan" (controlled descent) out of heaven from God, "hetoimasmenen" (made ready / prepared) as a "nymphen" (a young woman (but not necessarily, a virgin)) "kekosmemenen" (decorated / made ready) for her husband.
We first saw this town in Revelation 3 : 12. It is mentioned in Hebrews 12, and is compared to the current city in Galatians 4.
We need to mention that at the time John wrote this, give or take 90 AD, most of the original edition of the city in Judea, and especially the temple and palace complex, was a smoldering ruin after Rome crushed the last Jewish revolt in the summer of 70 led by the man that was to become the Emperor Titus.
3
John hears a great voice from the Throne itself:
"Idou" (Behold!) the "skene tou Theou" (habitation / dwelling of GOD) is with "anthropon" (humans) and He will "skenoo" (encamp / reside) with them, and they "laos Autos eimi" (people of Him will be), and "Autos Theos" (Himself GOD) will be their God.
4
And "exaleipsei" (obliterate 'as if it never was') every tear from the eyes of them, and "thanatos" (death (this is the same term that was used as a proper name in chapter 6, as well as when it was 'thrown into the lake of fire in chapter 20)) will not "eimi" (be / exist / happen) any longer, nor "penthos" (sorrow / grief), nor "krauge" (clamor 'loud irrational disagreements'), nor "ponos" (hard labor / toil) because what had been no longer is.
5
And "eipen" (commanded) the One sitting on the Throne, Behold, new I make "panta" (all / the whole). And He "legei" (said) "Grapson" (Write) because these words are "pistoi kai alethinoi" (trustworthy and genuine / real).
6
And HE (the term is not in the Greek, but is implied by the words used) said to me, "Gegonan!" (it is caused to be / it has become).....
This is different from what Christ said on the cross before dying, which was "Tetelestai" (it is ended / accomplished, fulfilled (also 'paid')). Which is discussed in Hebrews 9 : 26 in reference to animal sacrifices.
I am the 'Alpha kai to Omaga' the "arche" (beginning / commencement) and the "telos" (purpose / end). I to one "dipsonti" (earnestly thirsting) I will give "ek" (from) the "peges" (fountain / spring) of the water of life "dorean" (as a gift / freely).
The terms "Alpha and Omega" were first used in chapter one, and is used again in chapter 22. The English terms "first and last / beginning and ending" are appropriate.
7
The one "nikon" (victorious / conquering) will "kleronomesei" (will acquire / inherit) "tauta" (this) "esomai" (I Am) 'their' "Theos" (God) and they will be My "huios" (son).
That last phrase confirms Ephesians 1 : 5, as well as verses in Galatians 4 and Romans 8.
8
But the "deilois" (timid / fearful / cowardly) and "apistois" (untrustworthy) "ebdelygmenois" (detestable / loathsome / to find something abominable (the root involves 'a stench' (think: skunk or rotting corpse)))....
A Stinking Note:
This term is somewhat vague, it does not directly involve sexual immorality, that is coming up soon, as is idolatry, and liars, and the word does not directly translate into homosexual. So what sort of person John is referring to with the term that only occurs in the New Testament in Romans 2 : 22 and is referring to people that hate idols. The best we can do is take the laundry list of possible definitions, including ideas such as 'polluted' and 'corrupted' and combine them with the central concept of being 'detestable', stir well with the related ideas presented here and elsewhere (including that Social Justice thing that runs through the Minor Prophets), and bake up something that comes out as: those who habitually do, or take pleasure when others do, evil, which may include some of the other things, or even most of the other things, included in the verse....
...Which we might translate into something more meaningful to us today, such as: Career Politician / criminal.
End Stink
.... "pharmakois" (sorcerer), and "eidololatrais (worshipers of idols (includes general idolatry), and all who are "pseudesin" (routinely deceitful / liars), their "meros" (share) is in the lake of fire....
9
One of the seven angels with the bowls comes to John, "ton eschaton" (at the end / the final / last), and he invites John to go see something else, the bride, the "gynaika" (lady / woman / wife) of the Lamb.
And now we have another change of location... John gets around while stuck on that island!
10 and 11
And he "apenenken" (carried / bore away) in the "Pneumati" (Spirit) to a mountain great and "hypselon" (... see tangent ...
A Summit Tangent
This is the same word used in Matthew 4 :8 when the Devil takes Christ on a sight seeing tour, "hypselon" means (lofty / very high). It is also the same word to describe the mountain in Matthew 17 and Mark 9 where the Transfiguration occurred. Luke doesn't describe the mountain, and John doesn't mention the incident.
There is another high mountain mentioned in the prophets that has some bearing on the idea of a very tall mountain. Isaiah 40 verse 9. Whoever is bringing the 'good news' needs to start climbing.
The mountain in the Holy Land where vendors sell "Mount of Transfiguration" T shirts and mugs is Mount Tabor just west of the Sea of Galilee at the eastern end of Jezreel valley. The hill is unusual in that it rises from an otherwise featureless plain like a mixing bowl upside down on a table, and the hill is not known to be an extinct volcano. But it is only 1,900 feet tall, so it doesn't exactly fit the bill of an "high mountain" even though Joshua thought it was important and used it as a landmark in 19: 22.
So is the high mountain that John visits the same one that the others were at? There is no way to know. We don't even know for certain that it was on This Planet!
End Tangent
... "hagian" (set apart for God / holy) "Ierousalem" (Jerusalem), descending out of heaven from God...
This is the same city seen in verse 2. Evidently wherever the city is descending from is either a long way away, or it's not moving very fast.
... having the "doxan" (glory) of God. The "phoster" (light / illumination / brilliance / radiance) was like a precious stone, "iaspidi" (jasper (see rocks in chapter 4)) "krystallizonti" (clear and bright as crystal),
There are only three places in the NT where any form of the word 'crystal' is used in the NT, all three are in the Apocalypse. Chapter 4 in front of the throne, here, and in 22 describing the river. In the OT, crystals are mentioned in Job, and Exodus (see the breastplate in ch 28), and a few other places, but, as in the NT, they are not the focus of the text.
12 and 13
having a "teichos mega kai hypselon" (wall great and high), having twelve gates, and at the gates angels twelve...
... and names "epigegrammena" (inscribed / written / marked upon), which are the names of the twelve tribes of the "huion" (descendents) of Israel.
The tribes are not listed here, there is a list of those that 'made it' in chapter 7.
14
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The names are not listed. One would think that that would include Mathias (the 'spare') instead of the one that had betrayed Him, but it doesn't say. There is also the "least of the Apostles" (Paul), is he listed? We don't know. See link below for a discussion of the 14 Apostles. - and, yes, there were 14!
For that matter, we could was poetic about the importance of the counting number twelve... the Twelve Tribes, as well as Apostles, and so on. But we won't. Biblically, 12 is an important number, and even comes up as the number of baskets of bread and fish at the feeding of the multitude, see Matthew 14.
15 Summary.
And the one speaking with John had a "metron kalamon chrysoun" (measuring rod / reed golden) so that he could measure the city, something already done in Zechariah, although the measurements are somewhat different.
16 Summary.
And the city "tetragonos keitai" (four -cornered / -square set / laid out) and the length is the same as the width and the height, twelve thousand stadia (1,400 miles / 2,200 kilometers).
The size of this city makes the point that it is going to be installed on the "New Earth" instead of the current one.
17
And the wall of it was 144 cubits (about 216 feet) "metron anthropou" (measure of humans), that is of the angel.
It was the angel that formerly poured out a bowl that gave John the dimensions. Now, we have no idea which of the historic 'cubits' this measurement was taken in. Some were given at about 18 inches (45 cm), others were closer to 21 inches (53 cm), and then there are others from different cultures where the standard length is more guess than science. In any case, the New City is BIG!
18
And the structure of the wall was jasper, and the city gold pure, like "hyalo katharo" (glass / crystal clean),
19
See the "Rocks tangent" in chapter 4.
"chalkedon" (type of chalcedony) a bluish purple crystal, not listed in chapter 4, does not occur elsewhere in the Bible. Modern meaning is disputed.... which we will see again.
"sardonyx" a type of agate, usually red/orange and white, not mentioned elsewhere by this name.
"beryllos" (beryl) closely related to emerald...
"topazion" (topaz) crystal of a variety of colors....
"chrysoprasos"(type of chalcedony) greenish-gold crystal (uncertain modern ID)....
"hyakinthos" (jacinth) zircon, reddish yellow....
"amethystos" (amethyst) violet quartz
21
"margaritai / margaritou" (pearls / pearl)
A pearl of a tangent
Pearls are not mentioned in the old testament. Yes, the KJV has them in Job 28 : 18, but it is mistranslated and should be ruby. The same comes in other places in the OT.
It is only in the New Testament that pearls as the gems from oysters are mentioned. It could be that because oysters are shellfish and they are ceremonially unclean for Jews. Remember what we found about a certain dye made from another shellfish?
But in the NT, Christ Himself talks about pearls, and uses the same word we have in Revelation for them in Matthew 7 and 13 and then Paul mentions them in 1 Timothy 2, and the Greek word means 'pearl', which is the gemstone from the shellfish. Perhaps the ALMIGHTY isn't as squeamish about His gemstones as an Orthodox Jew.
End tangent
and more clear gold.
22
The temple is not in the new city, for the Lord God Almighty is the temple, and the Lamb.
23
The City has no need of the "helios" (sun / the star itself) or the "selene" (moon) for the "doxa" (glory / splendor) of "theos" (GOD) "photizo" (illuminate / makes light) and the "luchnos" (lamp) of it is the "arnion" (Lamb).
It is interesting that while GOD is the Light, the text refers to Christ as the Lamb.
24
The 1611 translated something that isn't there. Again.
And will walk the "ethnos" ('foreign' nations) by the light of it, and the "basileis" (kings / rulers) of earth "pherousin" (bring / carry) the glory and "timen" (honor / value) of the nations.
This implies that at least a few of the "kings of the earth" were believers and are now changing their mailing address to this city....
... instead of the one that was a smoldering cinder and now, no longer exists, at all.
25 Summary.
The gates of the city are not shut by day, "nyx gar ouk estai ekei" (night for not will be there).
The 'night shift' is canceled.
26
And they (this 'they' is not defined, but implies the foreign kings) will bring the "doxan" (glory) and "time" (honor / respect) of the "ethnos" (...nations) into it (the city).
27
And nothing "eiselthe" (shall enter / come in) anything "koinon" (defiling / profane (base/common)) and those "poion bdelygma" (making / causing abomination / accursed things) and "pseudos" (untruth), if not those "gegrammenoi" written in the book of life of the Lamb.
End 21
Selected Sources for this chapter:
"ebdelygmenois" https://biblehub.com/greek/948.htm
-and-
A PDF on the "Abomination of Desolation"
Full URL: http://www.daniel11prophecy.com/uploads/1/1/3/7/113721993/allusions_to_the_abomination_of_desolation_in_the_book_of_revelation_dr_hugo_leon.pdf
Some mathematical calisthenics on the measurements of the new city: https://herald-magazine.com/2019/09/01/the-new-jerusalem/
"A Minor Prophets Study feature focus:
The Ten 'Lost Tribes' of the Northern Kingdom of Israel"
https://centralparkchurchofchrist.org/minorprophets/minorlost.htm
A look at the FOURTEEN Apostles: http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org/files/14apostles.htm
Sources used throughout entire study:
Bible Hub Interlinear pages:
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/revelation/1.htm
the Geneva Bible downloadable https://archive.org/details/TheGenevaBible1560
the 1611 KJV https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611-Bible/
NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.
http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org
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