Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary NT649: Exegesis of Revelation Dr.

Sean McDonough

An Exegesis Of Revelation 21:15-21

Jessica Shao Box 454-B May 9th, 2011

Translation requirement: I have translated 100% of the Greek text of Revelation.

Introduction The book of Revelation, written by John near the end of the first century, was a message of encouragement for believers who needed to see a purpose for maintaining a faithful witness in the face of persecution and for resisting the enticement that worldly kingdoms offered. It speaks of the greatness and sovereignty of God over all the affairs of the world. It is the culmination and final destination of all of history as well as of all Scriptural revelation. Far from the evolutionary theory of order from chaos, Revelation vividly portrays a failing world in need of judgment and restoration. It also reveals the kingdoms and establishments of this world for what they are, symbolized by Babylon, as the judgments coming from the throne room of heaven easily destroy the old order of creation and human achievement. In the last few chapters, the vision of the New Jerusalem is the final image of Gods glory trumping everything on earth. However, rather than abolishing the world and everything familiar to it, the description of the new city contains parallels with earthly splendors and OT symbols of worship. The New Jerusalem represents the consummate reality of all that creation and history foreshadows. John gives a detailed description of how the city looks and what materials were used. Although at the surface level these details seem minor or even extraneous, they actually speak volumes of the glory and final triumph of God.

Coherence and Boundaries The entire description of the New Jerusalem starts at 21:2 and extends to 22:5. The city doesnt go through a construction process like one would expect when a new city is built but comes down from heaven as a whole (21:2). Then John is taken to a high mountain where he sees the details of this new city as it is coming down (21:10). The section from 21:9-14 describes

the radiance of the city and the names written on its twelve gates. The description then becomes more detailed as John records the measurements of the city and the types of jewels used to make the walls, gates, and streets (21:15-21). The last two sections (21:22-27 and 22:1-5) reveal what is inside the city -- the kings of the earth, the river, the tree of life, and God himself. This paper will explore the middle section that deals with the measurements and make-up of the city (21:15-21). Since almost every other sentence in this chapter begins with the word , it is of little help to look to the conjunctions in delimiting the text. What brings this section together as a unit is its subject material. Verse 14 finishes the section concerned with the overall appearance of the city as well as the names of its gates. Beginning with verse 15, the text moves from a grand overview to a closer and more technical look at the citys parts. The technical description is completed at verse 21 and the text then turns to an examination of what is inside the temple. While exploring the pericope from 21:15-21, however, it will also be necessary to see the allusions to other parts of Revelation as well as to narratives in the OT.

Translation
15

And the one speaking with me held a golden measuring rod in order to measure the city

and its gateways. 16And the city is laid square and its length is as much as its width. And he measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia, its length and width and height are equal. 17And he measured its wall [at] 144 cubits, a measure of man which is [a measure] of an angel. 18And the material of its wall [was] jasper, and the city was pure gold like pure glass. 19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysalite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth

chyrsoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21And the twelve gateways were twelve pearls, each one of the gateways was out of one pearl apiece. And the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass.

Commentary (21:15) 1 , . The angels measuring of the city in this part of Johns vision parallels several other OT visions that also involve measurement. The most significant parallel is from Ezek. 40:1-5. This passage marks the beginning of the part of the vision where a new temple in Jerusalem is described in detail (chapters 40-48). The old temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar fourteen years earlier. Ezekiel is taken up to a high mountain where he sees an angel described as a man using a measuring reed to measure the walls and gates of the new temple. Also, in Zech. 1:16, God announces that he will stretch a measuring line over Jerusalem and build his house in it. In both passages, the act of measuring happens within the context of the vision of the new temple. Similarly, Rev. 21:15 takes place atop a high mountain in Johns vision of the New Jerusalem. The angel also uses a measuring reed to measure the walls and gates. The parallel measuring symbolism in these passages is the first piece of evidence that the New Jerusalem is the ultimate and perfected representation of the temple where God dwells. Measuring language also occurs in Rev. 11:1-2 along with its OT allusion in Zech. 2. This time John is given a measuring rod to measure the temple. However, he is instructed only to measure the temple proper and those worshipping inside, excluding the outer courts which are given over to the nations. The trampling by the nations suggests that only the measured portion
1

This is most likely a transitional given the change of focus in this scene.

of the temple will be safe from persecution. In Zech. 2:1-5, a man is about to measure Jerusalem when Zechariah is told that Jerusalem will not need walls because the Lord would be a wall of fire. The implication is that the measurement is required in order to build walls. Since the walls of a city are built for the protection of its inhabitants, the wall of fire in Zechariahs vision means that God would be the one protecting the city. In the same way, the measuring of the walls of the temple in Rev. 11:1 signifies the protection of those who worship God. Thus, it is significant that John begins by mentioning the act of measuring in his vision. It reveals that this temple is not simply a symbol of some spiritual place but, rather, is the perfected and surpassing reality of the Jewish temple and OT temple visions. There is also the promise that the New Jerusalem will have protection from all suffering, destruction, or invasion of enemies. Following the regular rules of grammar, the gender of is feminine in agreement with its antecedent . However, it could also be referencing a second feminine noun, that of the bride mentioned in 21:2. John describes the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven as a Bride adorned for her husband. While the names of cities are usually referred to with a feminine pronoun, the cities in Revelation are often symbolized by women. The New Jerusalem is called the Bride or the wife in 21:2, 21:9, and 22:17. The prostitute in Rev. 17 has the name Babylon written on her forehead (17:5) and, John writes, is the metaphor for the city of Babylon (17:18). The feminine pronoun in 21:15 is used not simply to refer to the city but to say that the city, made up of those living in it, is the wife of the Lamb. It is necessary to add that the city is the dwelling place for those who belong to God so that the bride of the Lamb is not just the city itself but the people of God, those whose names are written in the book of life (21:27).

(21:16) [] . 2 3, . The description that the city lies square resembles Ezekiels temple as well as Herodotus description of Babylon. In Ezekiels vision, the area of land to be sectioned off for the sanctuary is 500 cubits squared, and the entire holy portion of the land is 25,000 cubits square (Ezek. 45:2, 48:20). Additionally, Caird notes that Herodotus describes Babylon as being square and then raises the possibility that John may have had Babylon in mind as well, since, if we were comparing his description with a passage from the Old Testament or Jewish literature, such resemblances would be taken as demonstrative proof of literary dependence.4 The square dimensions of the New Jerusalem reveal that this city will be the new temple or holy place where God will dwell. Even if John had only OT passages in mind, the fact that Babylon was square further shows the similarities between the New Jerusalem and Babylon, the symbolic earthly city which, on many accounts, seems to imitate the New Jerusalem but falls far short of its glory and eventually goes to utter ruin (Rev. 18). Not only is the New Jerusalem square, its height and width and length are equal, making the city a cube. This is a significant detail given the fact that the most holy place, where Gods presence stayed with Israel, was also a cube. This cubic dimension is given for the most holy place in Solomons temple in 1 Kings 6:20. Although it is possible that the city is a literal cube, at the very least, it is functioning symbolically to show that it is the place where God is. The
2

NA27 lists the variants (supported by Avid P 1006 1611 1841 1854 2030 2050 2329 2377 MK t) and (supported by .)2External evidence is slightly in favor of the NA27 choice. However, it is easier to see how may have been a scribal change to assimilate with than to explain the origin of the other variants. John uses in Rev. 14:20 as well, although the preposition there is . I have chosen to go with the NA27 choice based on external evidence. See Appendix A: TC Chart 3 : The here is a marker of measure, used with an accusative of space, . The other two words are partitive genitives. 4 Caird, A Commentary on the Revelation of St. John the Divine, 274 (Footnote 1)

square and cube shapes each serve its own purpose: to show that the New Jerusalem is not just the ultimate realization of Ezekiels temple but is also the most holy place. It is the temple where Gods people worship as well as the place where God dwells. While the old temple separated the most holy place from the rest of the temple, the New Jerusalem makes no distinction. As for the actual numeric dimensions of the city, some commentators have calculated that if the numbers were taken literally, it would be completely out of proportion according to architectural laws.5 According to earthly construction criteria, these dimensions do not seem likely to be literal, although it does not automatically dismiss the possibility that the new earth could operate under its own architectural laws. In either case, it is more probable that Johns numbers are symbolic rather than literal since the numbers commonly appear throughout Scripture. The number 12 appears so frequently that one may think of it as the default number in Scripture, similar to our use of the number 10: There are 12 tribes of Israel, 12 disciples, and 12 leftover baskets of bread; The woman who touched Jesus garment to be healed was sick for 12 years (Matt. 9:20); Jesus says that his Father could send 12 legions of angels at his appeal (Matt. 26:53); There are 12 hours in a day (John 11:9). The number 12 seems to indicate fullness, based on the beginning societal structure of the nation of Israel. Scripture also uses the word thousand () to indicate a vast quantity that is often uncountable. God shows steadfast love to thousands (Ex. 20:6). Peter writes that with the Lord, a thousand years are like a day (2 Pet. 3:8). The psalmist writes that a day in Gods courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:10). One thousand is often used to make a large contrast with a small number or to simply indicate a

Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 381. Osborne compares the height of the city to the size of its wall: The wall... is either 144 cubits thick (the more likely since 21:12 portrays it as a great high wall...) or 144 cubits high. Either way, the wall is terribly small for a city 1,500 miles high (an argument for taking the description as more symbolic than literal). Osborne, Revelation, 753
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large quantity. These numbers, which are so prevalent in Scripture, most likely carry symbolic meaning. Revelation is replete with the usage of the numbers 12 and 1,000. In Rev. 7, John hears 12,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel, but when he looks at the source of the sound, he sees a great multitude that no one could number. John at first believes that all the nation of Israel are sealed but then realizes the number of the saved has grown to include people from every nation and tribe. The 12,000 men turn out to be a multitude too numerous to count. John may be using the 12,000-stadia size of the New Jerusalem to symbolize the fact that there will be a space for not only the tribes of Israel but for all the saved from every nation and tribe. Furthermore, the vastness of this city extends equally in length, depth, and height. In addition to indicating its cube shape, this three-dimensional formula usually occurs in Scripture to convey the greatness of God. Job 11:8-9 describes the limitless nature of God, that it is higher than heaven... deeper than Sheol... longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. David writes in Psalm 103:11-12 that Gods love and mercy is as high as the heavens are above the earth and as far as the east is from the west. Paul also describes the unbounded love of God using three-dimensional terms (Rom. 8:39, Eph. 3:18). The number 12,000 coupled with the three-dimensional aspect of the city cannot but convey the magnitude of the city. Since God is limitless and will dwell in the New Jerusalem, it does not make sense to confine him or the number of the saved to a literal understanding of the measurements of the city. Thus, Beckwith writes, The Apocalyptist, regardless of architectural reality, is struggling to express by symbols the vastness, the perfect symmetry, and the splendor of the new Jerusalem.6

Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John, 760

(21:17) 7 , .

The number 144 only appears in Rev. 7:4 and 14:1-3. Multiplied by a thousand, it is the sum total of 12,000 men from the 12 tribes of Israel. Mounce writes, The significance of the measurement lies in the fact that it is a multiple of twelve and has to do with the people of God in their eternal sanctuary.8 The connection with the people of God comes from the context of Rev. 7 where the 144,000 men are actually the uncountable multitude of those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb (verse 14). The following three verses describe the protection they will receive from the one who sits on the throne. The fact that city walls are for protection and that the walls of the New Jerusalem have a size of 144 cubits is reminiscent of the number of those slain and given eternal protection in Gods presence. Taken symbolically, the walls of the New Jerusalem reinforce the idea of eternal protection from suffering for all those who have persevered in their faith. It is interesting to ponder why the walls are not 144,000 cubits instead of just 144. Perhaps adding to the number, even though the unit of measurement is smaller, would make it larger than 12,000 and make the city seem small compared to its wall. John adds at the end of this verse that the cubit which the angel used to measure the wall is the human cubit. The Greek text is particularly difficult to decipher since it is so sparse. There are no definite articles to help determine if the nouns are referencing someone specific. Both and are attributive genitives working off of . Most commentators take this to mean that the angel measured the wall based on the cubit of human standards. Since a
7 8

An accusative in apposition to . Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 381

cubit equaled the length of ones forearm, John probably needed to clarify that the cubit was based on a mans forearm, not an angels. Caird, however, takes quite the opposite view, by proposing that the angel actually did use its own forearm to measure the wall, since man is often used to refer to angel in apocalyptic vision.9 This would allow the possibility for the wall to have enormous proportions.10 Bauckham interprets the phrase a little more symbolically. He observes that the number of a man in 13:18, which is that of the beast, is parallel to the measure of a man in 21:17, which is that of an angel. This parallel construction suggests, whereas the beast is humanity debased, the new Jerusalem represents humanity exalted to the position of the angels.11 Thus, according to Bauckham, the point is not on the length of the cubit but on the contrast of the quality of humanity. While in 13:18, man bears something in common with the beast, in 21:17, man has something in common with an angel. Although this could be a plausible interpretation, John does not concern himself with commonalities between humans and angels elsewhere in Revelation, nor does the rest of Scripture make mention of it. Its only purpose here would be to further contrast the New Jerusalem with Babylon. Since Johns vision of the New Jerusalem so closely resembles Ezekiels vision of the temple both in measurements and description, a safer interpretation would be to view this clarifying phrase in contrast with Ezekiel 40:5, where the angel uses a long cubit to measure the wall around the temple. Perhaps John is making it clear that the angel in Revelation is not using a long cubit nor a cubit based on the size of the enormous angel in Rev. 11:1-2, but a cubit based on a human forearms length.
Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine, 273-274 In the Bible, an angel could be the size of a normal human, but could also be as large as the one mentioned in Rev. 10:1-3 who could straddle the earth and the sea. 11 Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy, 398
10 9

(21:18) . The distinctive feature of this verse and the next three is a complete lack of verbs (with the exception of in verse 21). The verb that should be supplied is , but John excludes all of them and instead lists items in apposition to its nominative subject. The verb , if present, would serve almost like a conjunction in this long list of materials that constitute the city, so that the omission of all of them gives the effect of asyndeton. The lack of all linking verbs gives the feeling that John is rushing or scrambling to record all the materials he sees in the vision, a city sparkling with so many jewels and precious metals. There is some variation on the translation of the word , because the word only appears once in the NT and never in the LXX. The BDAG and Liddell & Scott lexicons only list four total occurences of this word in extant Greek literature. It appears once in an inscription from Smyrna referring to a building for cultic purposes.12 It is also found in an inscription from Talles which records renovations done on a covered portico.13 Josephus uses the word with a slight variation () to refer to a mole structure in a pier constructed out of large blocks of stone in order to create a haven from the breaking waves.14 The word itself is a combination of the prefix with or (lit. inside structure or the building in) Since John is listing the materials used in the making of the city, the common translation of material or made out of would fit in this context. Mounce interprets the word to be indicating some sort of inlay of precious stone rather than solid jasper as a building material.15 This explanation would
12 13

BDAG, A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.), 334 BCH 28, 1904, 78, ln. 9 14 Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae, 15, 335, ln. 1 15 Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 381

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emphasize the prefix but is unsupported by the other usages. John may have used this word to emphasize the fact that the entire wall structure, inside and out, consisted of jasper rather than simply being overlaid or adorned with it. If Revelation was written after Josephus Antiquities, Johns use of the word could also have been influenced by the idea of the mole blocking the waves from destroying the ships in the harbor. Scripture often uses waves as a metaphor for the wicked or for destruction. The perhaps helps to add to the idea of protection and exclusion of murderers and idolaters (Rev. 22:15), though it is uncertain how likely Johns readers would have thought of that connection with Josephus. The fact that the wall is made of jasper indicates that it radiates with Gods glory. Rev. 4:3 describes the one seated on the throne as having the appearance of jasper. This could mean that the jasper reflects Gods glory or that there is actually no physical structure but that Gods radiant glory is the wall. Jasper often appears in the Bible within a list of other precious jewels, but only appears by itself in the book of Revelation, each time describing Gods radiance (4:3, 21:11, 2:18). According to 21:11, the jasper that John sees is clear as a crystal ( , lit. crystal-ing jasper). Thus, this may not be literal jasper but the radiance of Gods glory itself, which is strong enough to be a wall of protection, since the unredeemed cannot withstand his glory. Gods glory sets the boundaries for the city and keeps out anything that does not belong in it. Not only is the wall transparent, but the city itself, made of pure gold, is clear as glass. If the gold is literal, it is certainly not earthly gold because it appears transparent under Gods glory. Nothing can be hidden in the New Jerusalem if the entire city is transparent. Gold is naturally a symbol of wealth, grandeur, and splendor. Additionally, almost everything inside the tabernacle was overlaid with gold, with the exception of the mercy seat which was completely

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made of gold. The mercy seat was where God would meet with Moses (Ex. 25:22). In the New Jerusalem, Gods presence would be permanently with his people, and so the city of his dwelling would be a more glorious tabernacle, not just overlaid with but completely made out of pure gold.

(21:19-20) , , , , , , , , , , , , John uses the word in keeping with his description of the city when he first sees it in 21:2. There he says that the city was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Now John gives a more detailed description of the adornment. The twelve foundations of the wall are each adorned, or decorated, with a precious stone. Like gold, precious stones are often mentioned in Scripture in contexts of royalty, wealth, or religion. Twelve precious stones also appear on the breastplate of the high priest which are each engraved with the name of a tribe of Israel (Ex. 28:17-21). The high priest had the unique role of entering the most holy place where Gods presence resided. When the high priest wore the breastplate into the most holy place, he was representing all of the tribes of Israel whose names were engraved on the stones. In the New Jerusalem, however, God would dwell with his people so that all people would be in his presence, instead of just the priest. The precious stones now decorate the entire city since the city would be filled with Gods presence, and wherever Gods presence is, that is the temple. When Solomon builds the temple, he adorns (LXX: ) the building with precious stones as well (2 Chr. 3:6). In Isaiah 54, God refers to his people as his wife and calls himself their

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husband. Then he says that he will make her out of various precious stones (54:11:12). The New Jerusalem is the fulfillment of this prophecy, where the bride of the Lamb is adorned with all precious stones and whose wall is made of jasper. Although the number twelve refers to the twelve tribes of Israel, it is not only Israel that will be in the presence of God. Verse 14 indicates that the twelve foundation stones are written with the names of the twelve apostles, rather than the twelve tribes. The new city, the bride of Christ, not only represents the nation of Israel but the entire church founded on the twelve apostles. Paul also uses the relationship of a husband and wife as a metaphor of the relationship between Christ and the church (Eph. 5:22-33). The New Jerusalem is, therefore, the place where the bride of Christ, the church, will dwell in Gods presence. While Ezekiel does not mention the adornment of precious stones in his vision of the temple, he does list nine of the twelve stones in his description of the king of Tyre (Ezek. 28:13). The passage is a lament over the king of Tyre, whom God describes as being in the garden of Eden and being covered with every precious strone. Although there is some semantic variation in the names of the stones, Caird points out that some of the Hebrew names of the stones could have more than one Greek equivalent.16 Ezek. 27:1-28:19 paints a picture of the thriving and successful city of Tyre. However, God brings Tyre to an end because of her pride and violence (28:16-17). The similarities between Tyre and the New Jerusalem only show that the New Jerusalem will surpass Tyre who is destined to destruction. Like Tyre, the city of Babylon in Revelation shares a similar and closer description with the New Jerusalem. First, Rev. 17:4 presents the great prostitute who is adorned ( with gold, jewels, and pearls. Verse 18 of the same chapter reveals that the great prostitute is Babylon, which is again described as being clothed with gold, jewels, and pearls. Not only are both
16

Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine, 275

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Babylon and the New Jerusalem adorned with the same precious materials, but they are also referred to as women. However, these two cities could not be contrasted more. Babylon is portrayed as a great postitute, impure and full of sexual immorality, while the New Jerusalem is presented as a radiant bride, made up of those who have washed their robes and made them white (22:14). While, the splendor that adorns the New Jerusalem draws a comparison with the splendor of the kings and cities of the earth, there is also a stark contrast in their blamelessness and purity.

(21:21) , 17 . . The last two items that John describes are the gateways and the street. The expression heavens pearly gates comes from this verse. However, the expression is misleading on two counts: first, John writes that the gates are not merely pearly, as if they were only overlaid or decorated with them, but are, in fact, one pearl each. Furthermore, the word does not simply mean the door that opens to allow admittance, but the entire gateway, or entranceway, of the city. The distinction is made in Acts 12:13, where Paul knocks on the (the door of the gate). In Josephus description of Solomons temple, he writes that nine of the gateways have two doors each ( ), presumably one at the front of the gateway and one at the back or both side-by-side. The Corinthian gateway (), however, was fifty cubits high, while its door () was forty cubits.18 These two descriptions of a present images of an entranceway that has a door built into it, so that the is not
This is a distributive use meaning apiece (Zerwick and Grosvenor, A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, 776), but not completely redundant with the word . It emphasizes the one-to-one ratio of the gateway to the pearl. 18 Josephus, Bellum Judaicum I.5.202
17

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merely the gate that opens, but actually refers to the entire gateway of the wall into which a door is built. Now, if the gateways in the New Jerusalem consist of one giant pearl, it must take up the entire opening in the wall.19 If is thus taken, this would explain why the exposition of Isaiah 54:12 in the Talmud gives a rabbinic prophecy that God would put a thirty by thirty cubit pearl in the gateway of Jerusalem and cut out a tunnel ten cubits wide by twenty cubits high.20 The in Isaiah 54:12 mustve been understood as filling up the entire gateway, which would require a separate tunnel to be cut through it. The twelve gateways each have a name of a tribe of Israel inscribed on it, and they are set up three to a wall (21:12-14). This arrangement of the gates directly reflects the layout of the Israelite camp, which was set up in a square formation around the tabernacle with three tribes on each side (Num. 2). The gates of the New Jerusalem signify the continuity of Gods presence among his people, now in full glory. Also, whereas in the Israelite camp, the Levites guarded access to the tabernacle (Num. 1:53), now Gods people are allowed full, unhindered access to Gods dwelling place. The pearls do not merely serve the practical function of gates for the city. They are also part of the adornment of the entire city. Just as a citys walls only look complete, strong, and magnificent with its large, solid gates, so also the New Jerusalems gates of pearl add to the final appearance of the city.21 This final piece of adornment, along with the precious stones and the gold, complete the matching adornments on the great prostitute, Babylon, which is also adorned with pearls. This once again establishes that the New Jerusalem has all the splendors that

Osborne appears to understand this meaning of . He writes, Since the walls are 144 cubits in width, the gates must be the same, and that means each pearl is pictured as 250 feet in diameter. Osborne, Revelation, 758 20 Bava Bathra, 75a 21 Hauck observes, A city wall with its gates is like a chain or band adorned at intervals with pearls. (Hauck, , TDNT IV: 472-472)
19

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Babylon had, yet does not simply match it but exceeds it by the fact that the pearls are not ordinary pearls but big enough in size to serve as the gates. Last but not least, John draws attention to the street of the city. The street must bear special significance, since he has already stated that the entire city is made out of gold but emphasizes the street once again. The first interesting point is the fact that the word is singular. This does not necessarily mean that there is only one street in the city. Keener raises the point that since there are twelve gates, there must be more than one street running throughout the city.22 Beale suggests that this word may be a collective singular for streets.23 However, the fact remains that many cities of the Greco-Roman world, including Jerusalem, usually had one main street and one secondary main street that ran through the entire city, the cardo maximus running north-south, and the decumanus running east-west.24 The Bible makes mention of one possible main street in Damascus, the road called Straight, where Ananias is commanded to go and find Saul (Acts 9:11). Other places in the NT use the word in the plural rather than the collective singular (Matt. 6:5, 12:19; Luke 14:21; Acts 5:15). Rev. 22:2 says that the river of life flows through the middle of it, with the tree of life on either side of it, making it likely that only one street is being referred to here. If the singular form refers to one main street of the city, this would serve to show a similarity between the New Jerusalem and the great cities of first century AD, particularly Rome, the capital of the empire in which the early church lived. As always, the similarity only exists for the New Jerusalem to surpass the earthly cities in glory. While Roman roads, one of Romes greatest achievements that added to her grandeur, were paved with stones, the street of the New Jerusalem would be made of pure gold as clear as glass.

22 23

Keener, Revelation, 497 Beale, The Book of Revelation, 1089 24 Scott, J. Julius, Jr., Customs and Controversies, 240

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Gold streets do not appear elsewhere in the Bible, even in prophetic visions. However, 1 Kings 6:30 records that the floor of Solomons temple is overlaid with gold, both the inner and outer rooms. Whereas only the priests serving in the temple could walk on the gold floors, the entire city of the New Jerusalem is now the temple and the main, public street is open to all of its inhabitants.

Conclusion and Application The exegetical idea of Rev. 21:15-21 is that the details of the New Jerusalem do not show the eradication of creation but the ultimate fulfillment and restoration of every good thing on earth. John took the pains to write out these descriptive details of the New Jerusalem not as an advertisement to entice his readers to believe in Jesus, but so that his readers would have a picture of what awaits those who do not give in to the worlds enticements and are steadfast through suffering. All the details John recorded of the measurements, the precious jewels and gold used to adorn the city, and the layout of the walls and gates are only significant when understood with the backdrop of the Old Testament and the cultural context in which the early church found themselves at the end of the first century. Without these, the entire description of the New Jerusalem would simply sound like a fantastical image of the afterlife at best or a comic book illustration at worst. The many allusions to the Jewish temple -- the measurements, the most holy place, the precious stones, the gold -- all remind the church that Gods people are destined for a place where God will dwell right among them. That there would no longer be a need for a temple since God himself would be there (Rev. 21:22) means that the New Jerusalem surpasses all the Old

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Testament images of temples, both the ones actualized (the tabernacle, Solomons temple, Herods temple) and the ones seen in prophetic visions (Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 2). John also addresses the issues contemporary to the early churches, namely, faithfulness to God in the idolatrous and enticing culture of the Roman Empire. John shows his readers that the New Jerusalem will trump the current world system, which is symbolized by Babylon and the great prostitute. Both the prostitute and Babylon are adorned with the same three materials that adorn the New Jerusalem -- gold, jewels, and pearls (Rev. 17:4, 18:16). There was nothing in their current world system that could outshine the magnificence of the New Jerusalem, because all that symbolic Babylon had, the New Jerusalem would have as well. Not only would the new city match the splendors and achievements of the world, it would so far surpass them that it could only exist in their imaginations. The circumstances that surrounded the early church then are not all that different from what they are now. The world in all its technological advances and increasingly innovative entertainments is as enticing as it ever was, and the persecution of the church is still as intense in many parts of the world as it was in the Roman empire. They beckon the church to draw its eyes away from Gods kingdom purposes and to give in to the lavish comforts, enjoyments, and security it can offer us immediately. The message of Revelation is, first of all, an exhortation for the church to be faithful to the gospel, because Gods kingdom will triumph over all earthly kingdoms. However, after observing the New Jerusalem up close, it is evident that the new city is not going to be one that completely eradicates the world. In fact, it is quite the opposite. There is so much in the new city that is reminiscent of the world as we know it. It is not made up of strange and unknown materials as if they were objects from science fiction, but are materials

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familiar and natural to the world we live in. The new heaven and earth, along with the New Jerusalem will be one in which all of creation is redeemed and restored to the way it ought to be. Those who keep their future dwelling place in view will be encouraged, on the one hand, to resist the temporary benefits that can come from embracing the worlds values and, on the other hand, to embrace all that is good in creation in anticipation for the day when God redeems all that he has made and establishes his dwelling place with his people.

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Bibliography Aune, David. E. Revelation 17-22. (Word Biblical Commentary). Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998. Bauckham, Richard. The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1993. Beale, G. K. Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. (New Century Bible). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1999. Beckwith, Isbon Thaddeus. The Apocalypse of John: Studies in Introduction with a Critical and Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1919. Bey, Edhem. Fouilles de Tralles. Bulletin de Correspondance Hellnique Vol. 28 (BCH) (1904): 78. Caird, G. B. A Commentary on the Revelation of St. John the Divine. (Harpers New Testament Commentaries). New York: Harper & Row, 1966. Danker, Frederick W., Walter Bauer, and William Arndt. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000 Epstein, Rabbi Dr. I., ed. The Babylonian Talmud. Bava Bathra. Translated by Israel W. Slotki. Web: http://www.come-and-hear.com/bababathra/index.html. (Accessed: May 7th, 2011) Josephus, Flavius. Bellum Judaicum. ______________. Antiquitates Judaicae ______________. The Works of Josephus : Complete and Unabridged. Translated by William Whiston. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996.

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Keener, Craig S. Revelation. (NIV Application Commentary). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2000. Kittel, G., and G. Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Translated by G. W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 19641976. Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. (New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977. Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. (Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2002. Scott, J. Julius. Customs and Controversies: Intertestamental Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1995. Zerwick, Maximilian and Mary Grosvenor. A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament. 5th ed. Rome: EPIB, 1996.

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