Revelation – Chapter 21

New Testament27 Verses

Chapter Summary

Revelation 21 opens with the words: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone: and the sea is now no more." John stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 27 verses, two threads run through the text: worship and praise and holiness. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone: and the sea is now no more.

2And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men: and he will dwell with them. And they shall be his people: and God himself with them shall be their God.

4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more. Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.

5And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me: Write. For these words are most faithful and true.

6And he said to me: It is done. I am Alpha and Omega: the Beginning and the End. To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely.

7He that shall overcome shall possess these things. And I will be his God: and he shall be my son.

8But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

9And there came one of the seven angels, who had the vials full of the seven last plagues, and spoke with me, saying: Come and I will shew thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb.

10And he took me up in spirit to a great and high mountain: and he shewed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

11Having the glory of God, and the light thereof was like to a precious stone, as to the jasper stone even as crystal.

12And it had a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and in the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

13On the east, three gates: and on the north, three gates: and on the south, three gates: and on the west, three gates.

14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations: And in them, the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,

15And he that spoke with me had a measure of a reed of gold, to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall.

16And the city lieth in a four-square: and the length thereof is as great as the breadth. And he measured the city with the golden reed for twelve thousand furlongs: and the length and the height and the breadth thereof are equal.

17And he measured the wall thereof an hundred forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, which is of an angel.

18And the building of the wall thereof was of jasper stone: but the city itself pure gold like to clear glass.

19And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper: the second, sapphire: the third; a chalcedony: the fourth, an emerald:

20The fifth, sardonyx: the sixth, sardius: the seventh, chrysolite: the eighth, beryl: the ninth, a topaz: the tenth, a chrysoprasus: the eleventh, a jacinth: the twelfth, an amethyst.

21And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, one to each: and every several gate was of one several pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were, transparent glass.

22And I saw no temple therein. For the Lord God Almighty is the temple thereof, and the Lamb.

23And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God hath enlightened it: and the Lamb is the lamp thereof.

24And the nations shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it.

25And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day: for there shall be no night there.

26And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27There shall not enter into it any thing defiled or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie: but they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb.

Important Verses in Revelation 21

And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2

And he said to me: It is done. I am Alpha and Omega: the Beginning and the End. To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely.

Revelation 21:6

And he took me up in spirit to a great and high mountain: and he shewed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

Revelation 21:10

And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God hath enlightened it: and the Lamb is the lamp thereof.

Revelation 21:23

Historical Context

Revelation addresses persecuted churches, lifted to see Christ's final victory within the broader story of God's covenant people. Chapter 21 of 22 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a apocalyptic vision revealing God's ultimate victory over evil with 27 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on John, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. The chapter begins: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone: and the sea is now no more." The chapter ends with: "There shall not enter into it any thing defiled or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie: but they that are written…" Read against its original backdrop, Written to seven churches of Asia suffering under Rome's demand for emperor worship, Revelation unveils history's hidden meaning through visions of heavenly liturgy: the Lamb who was slain stands victorious, and every… Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: About AD 95, under the persecution of Emperor Domitian.

Who Wrote It

John, exiled on the island of Patmos; tradition identifies him with the Apostle

When It Was Written

About AD 95, under the persecution of Emperor Domitian

Catholic Commentary

Apocalyptic language here speaks of judgment, hope, and the fulfillment of God's promises. A pivotal line is verse 2: "And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." The passage repeatedly touches on worship and praise.

Catholic exegesis reads Revelation 21 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. Revelation reveals the Church's ultimate destiny (CIC 1042-1050). St. Leo the Great and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 1965).

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.
  • 'Be holy, for I am holy': God calls His people to be set apart for Him in every area of life.
  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.

People in This Chapter

John1 mention

Reflection for Today

The Catholic Church understands Revelation Chapter 21 as the fulfillment of God's plan for creation—the new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that this vision describes the "beatific vision," the ultimate happiness of seeing God face to face (CIC 1023-1029).

The New Jerusalem descending as a bride adorned for her husband is understood in Catholic theology as the Church in her final glory. The Church Fathers saw this city as the communion of saints—all the redeemed united with God and each other. The absence of a temple "because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" reveals that the sacramental economy, which mediates God's presence now, will give way to direct communion.

The promise that God "will wipe away every tear" and that "death shall be no more" grounds Catholic hope in the resurrection of the body. The Church teaches that our bodies will be raised and glorified like Christ's risen body (CIC 997-1001). This chapter calls Catholics to live as pilgrims, with our hearts set on our true homeland, while working to build a civilization of love that anticipates the heavenly Jerusalem.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Revelation Chapter 21 about?

Revelation 21 contains 27 verses. It opens with "I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone: and the sea is now no more." and closes with "There shall not enter into it any thing defiled or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie: but they that are written…". The book as a whole is apocalyptic prophecy and epistle.

What is a key verse in Revelation 21?

One of the most significant verses is verse 2: "And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Revelation Chapter 21?

This chapter mentions John.

Who wrote Revelation and when?

John, exiled on the island of Patmos; tradition identifies him with the Apostle. About AD 95, under the persecution of Emperor Domitian.

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