Bible Commentaries
Revelation 21

Verses 1-27

The Heavenly Jerusalem Revelation 21:1 to Revelation 22:5 describes the Heavenly Jerusalem. If the book of Revelation gives us a breathtaking description of the new Jerusalem falling from heaven and dwelling upon a new earth, how much more when we see it with our eyes.

Revelation 21:1 Comments - The Scriptures tell us that the first heaven and earth will be consumed with a fervent heat. See:

2 Peter 3:10-12, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” Comments - In his book Heaven: Close Encounters of the God Kind, Jesse Duplantis was speaking with Jesus about this verse. Jesus Christ said that the worst day of His life is yet to come. He then explained that on the Great Judgment Day all tears will be wiped away. Jesus said that this included His tears because once judgment is set there will be no more opportunity for the lost. Jesus was broken and sorrowful because He knew the day was coming when some of God’s creation would be eternally damned to Hell, and those in Hell are souls for whom Christ died. [119]

[119] Jesse Duplantis, Heaven Close Encounters of the God Kind (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, 1996), 125-7.

Scripture References - Note similar verses:

Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces ; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”

Revelation 7:17, “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes .”

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful” - Comments - Why would it be sinful to be fearful? Is not fear a natural human characteristic? Here is an example to explain how it becomes sinful. As I am now managing a group of marketing agents in Lighthouse Television, I am evaluating the performance of each agent. Some of the agents are confident enough to continually call me, or come to my office and keep me briefed on the status of potential clients. However, other marketing agents are too fearful to call me. I have to pull information out of them. This timidity makes for an unproductive performance for this agent. In fact, I get angry when information is not given to me quickly enough to avoid problems. This timidity is not fitting for the position of a marketing agent. Rather, boldness and confidence are needed to perform well. I want to replace these timid, fearful agents with those who are confident, who take the initiative to communicate with me on a regular basis. (January 2001)

Note:

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Revelation 21:10 Comments - The Book of Jubilees (4.26-27) tells us that this Mount Zion will be sanctified in the new creation for a sanctification of the earth; through it will the earth be sanctified from all (its) guilt and its uncleanness throughout the generations of the world. [120]

[120] The Book of Jubilees, translated by R. H. Charles, in The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English With Introductions and Critical and Explanatory Notes to the Several Books, vol. 2, ed. R. H. Charles, 1-82 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), 19.

Revelation 21:12 “and had twelve gates” Comments - In the Tabernacle of Moses' time, there was only one gate into the courtyard. The tribe of Judah encamped before this gate and Moses’ family encamped directly in front of this gate. These twelve gates show that in heaven, all nations and tribes will all have access to fellowship of God.

Revelation 21:12 “and at the gates twelve angels” Comments - These twelve angels guarded these twelve gates. Note also that in the Garden of Eden, there were two angels who guarded the entrance.

Genesis 3:24, “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

Revelation 21:14 Comments - In his book Heaven: Close Encounters of the God Kind Jesse Duplantis tells how he stopped at this wall to read the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He read the names of Peter, Paul, James and John before the angel took him by the hand and pulled him into the City of God. [121]

[121] Jesse Duplantis, Heaven Close Encounters of the God Kind (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, 1996), 85-7.

Revelation 21:27 Comments - We read in Revelation 21:27 that “there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth.” The word “anything” is found in the neuter gender, so that its meaning not only refers to people, but to all things, animate and inanimate, living and non-living. So we read the account of Rebecca Springer’s visit to Heaven in the book Within Heaven’s Gates where she ate the fruit of the trees and the juice fell down upon her white garment. But as she looked for a defiling stain on her white role, she found none. After eating she looked at her hands and they were as fresh as if they had just been washed. Then she noticed that there was no rotten fruit on the ground under these trees, because as soon as it falls it evaporates so as not to defile the beautiful garden. [122]

[122] Rebecca Springer, Within Heaven’s Gates (Springdale, Pennsylvania: Whitaker House, 1984), 26-8.

Revelation 22:1 Comments - Mary K. Baxter, in her heavenly vision, describes the river of life as “a sea of glass, like a sea of crystal, but it was flowing.” [123] This description matches that given earlier in the book of Revelation:

[123] Mary K. Baxter, A Divine Revelation of Heaven (New Kensington, Pennsylvania: Whitaker House, 1998), 126.

Revelation 4:6, “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal : and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.”

In his book I Saw Heaven Roberts Lairdon mentions the River of Life, “The River of Life is quite different from anything on earth. When you walk into it, it purifies you. It cleanses you of anything remaining from your earthlife and gives you life from its source, the Throne of God.” [124]

[124] Roberts Lairdon, I Saw Heaven (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Albury Publishing, 1991), 39.

Revelation 22:1-2 Comments - Every major book written by those who have been to Heaven describe the river of life and the tree of life. Jesse Duplantis makes a special note about the purpose of the fruit on the tree of life. He and others were told to eat the fruit and to smell its leaves in order to gain strength for their journey to the throne of God. It helped people to stay in the glory of God. When Jesse began to feel weak, his angel went over to this tree, picked its fruit and had him eat it to gain his strength back. [125]

[125] Jesse Duplantis, Heaven Close Encounters of the God Kind (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, 1996), 73, 76, 113.

Revelation 22:3 “and his servants shall serve him” Comments - People often ask what we will be doing in Heaven. God’s Word gives us a general idea in Revelation 22:3 by saying that “His servants shall serve Him.” I believe that every person will use his unique talents and gifts to serve the Lord just as believers do in this life.