REVELATION 21-22

The Structure of Revelation 21:1-22:5

A. Inside the City (21:1-11)

1. The New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ (21:1-3)

2. Promises to Believers (21:4-7)

2'. Sinners Excluded (21:8)

1'. The New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ (21:9-11)

B. Outside the City (21:12-21)

1. Walls and gates described (21:12-14)

2. City and walls measured (21:15-17)

1'. Walls and gates described (21:18-21)

A'. Inside the City (21:22-26)

1. God as Light (21:22-26)

2'. Sinners Excluded (21:27)

2. Promises to Believers (22:1-4)

1'. God as Light (22:5)

Confirming evidence for the above arrangement comes from consideration of the following:

1. The word “city” appears twelve times in this section: three times in A, six times in B, and three times in A'.

2. The word “God” appears four times in A (in His role as new creator), not at all in B, and four times in A' (always associated with the Lamb).

 

The Structure of Revelation 22:6-21

A. Greeting: to God's servants (22:6)

B. “I am coming soon” (22:7a)

C. Blessing (22:7b)

D. “I John...heard and saw...keep the words of this book...worship God” (22:8-9)

E. Contrast (22:10-11)

1. evildoers

2. the holy

F. “I am coming soon” (22:12)

F'. “I am...” (22:13)

E'. Contrast (22:14-15)

2. the holy

1. evildoers

D'. “I Jesus...him who hears...take of the water of life” (22:16-17)

C'. Warning (22:18-19)

B'. “I am coming soon” (22:20)

A'. Concluding Greeting: to the saints (22:21)

Revelation 21

vv. 1-2. This is a parallel to Genesis 1-3. Eden was a particular place for mankind in the midst of the original creation; New Jerusalem is a particular place for mankind in the New Creation. In both cases, mankind is in the presence of God. But there is a vital difference, for our destination is not a mere return to the beginning.

Regarding the transformation of man's creation, the city, Jacques (Meaning of the City, pp. 175-6) says: “All your enormous accumulation of works and power, every bit of it, God takes over for himself, assimilates it into his plan... he adopts it. That is, he takes charge of it. And the immense vanity that man put into it God transforms into a city with gates of pearl. Thus, and only thus, does our work take on meaning, both significance and direction.”

v. 3 Ellul calls “peoples” “a beautiful plural,” indicating that there is no longer only one chosen people. It is a reversal of the curse of Babel.

vv. 10-11 See the parallel in Ezekiel 40:2.

vv. 12-14 Walls in this case are not for defense, but a sign of order. The foundation is built on the apostles because they carried the word of God; the gates (tribes) indicate that we must become true Israelites to enter.

vv. 15-17 This is similar to Ezekiel 37-38 where the city was measured. Notice the symbolic numbers 4 and 12.

v. 17 indicates that in heaven, we will become like angels or that even the angels will adopt our standards.

v. 18 Ellul: “But this gold is no longer the proud, heavy gold of Babylon; it is light and transparent like crystal. It is lit up by the glory of God, and the Lamb is its flame.”

vv. 18-20 The same 12 stones (with one exception) are listed in Exodus 18:15f as being on the high priest's breastplate of judgment with the names of the 12 tribes inscribed on them. In this case, however, the tribes have been replaced by the 12 Apostles.

Nine of these stones are mentioned in Ezekiel 28 as being the clothing of the Prince of Tyre (a type of Satan), who was overthrown for rebelling against God. Thus, the stones were taken from him.

vv. 24, 26   The city is not only the center of the new creation, but also the center of all the nations. The nations bring their glory, their accomplishments, their dreams with them, not to enrich the city, but so that these can themselves become enriched and fulfilled by God.

v. 25 City gates were usually shut at daytime when enemies approached, and at night for security. There will be no enemies to worry about in New Jerusalem.

v. 27 Notice the emphasis on liars, as in verse 8. Remember that Jesus called Satan the father of lies.

Revelation 22

vv. 1-2a Babylon was on many waters; the New City has only one stream: the river of life.

In Genesis 2:9-10 we see a river running through Eden watering its gardens, including the Tree of Life. We next encounter the Tree of Life here.

vv. 2b-5 See Psalm 1:1-3 for similar language (tree, leaves, fruit, yielding in season, no more night).

v. 3 The ultimate fulfillment of John 4:20-21; worship will be on neither mountain.

v. 17b is parallel to John 4:10-15 concerning the woman at the well (spring of water gushing up to eternal life, never thirst).

vv. 18-19 This may apply only to the Book of Revelation. It gave rise to a superstition among Bible scholars caused when several commentators died during the writing of commentaries on this book. On the other hand, it could easily be applied to the whole Bible. If so, one could take it as equivalent to warnings, respectively, to fundamentalist and liberal Christians.