In this week’s study, I continue in Chapter 21 with verses 10 to 12. Before I get into the study, I talk about Joe Biden nominating his 12th LBGTQ judge to the Philadelphia Federal Court. Also I talk about an article title “Has God Changed His Mind on Homosexuality?” A book written by Richard Hays, professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity and his son Christopher who is professor of Old Testament at Fuller Seminary. Then I talk about Kamala Harris where she once boasted of 'behind the scenes' work to get 'every' trans inmate access to gender surgeries during her bid for the 2019 Democratic President campaign
In our last study we finished up with verse 9, where John is visited once again by one of the angels of bowl judgments showing John the bride, the Lambs wife. We see this angel come to John and begin to show his that Yahweh has finally and completely dealt with the devil and all his evil forces. And Yahweh has even created a new world for his people.
10. And he carried me away in the spirit = Gave him a vision of the city; seemed to place him where he could have a clear view of it as it came down from heaven.
To a great and high mountain = The elevation, and the unobstructed range of view, gave him an opportunity to behold it in its glory
11 John’s description of the New Jerusalem seems to be in three parts. First, in Revelation 21:11-14, he describes the city as he saw it from a distance).
Then he approached the city and the angel measured it. That gave John the opportunity to examine the city’s walls and gates more closely. Finally, it seems that John entered the city. Revelation 21:22 to 22:5 describes what John saw inside the city.
Everything that John saw there was beautiful, precious and wonderful. It shone with the glory of Yahweh, which was like a bright light. John could recognize Yahweh’s glory; he had a previous experience of that glory.
Having the glory of Yahweh = A glory or splendor such as became the dwelling place of Yahweh.
And her light = In verse 23 it is said that “the glory of Yahweh did lighten it.” That is, it was made light by the visible symbol of the Deity - the “Shekinah.” The word here rendered “light” - φωστὴρ phōstēr - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except in Philp. 2:15. It means, properly, a light, a lightgiver, and means commonly a “window.” It is used here to denote the brightness or shining of the divine glory, as supplying the place of the sun, or of a window.
Like unto a stone most precious = A stone of the richest or most costly nature.
Even like a jasper stone = On the jasper. It is used there for the same purpose as here, to illustrate the majesty and glory of Yahweh.
Clear as crystal = Pellucid (allowing the maximum passage of light, as glass) or stunning like crystal. The stone is essentially quartz, and the word “crystal” here is used to show that the form of it referred to by John was clear and bright
12. And had a wall great and high = Ancient cities were always surrounded with walls for protection, and John represents this as enclosed in the usual manner. The word “great” means that it was thick and strong.
And had twelve gates = Three on each side. The number of the gates corresponds to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and to the number of the apostles.
Twelve = Denotes Governmental perfection. It is the number of factor of all numbers connected with government: whether by Tribes or Apostles, or in measurements of time, or in things which have to do with government in the heavens and the earth.
And at the gates twelve angels = Stationed there as guards to the New Jerusalem.
And names written thereon = On the gates.
Have any questions? Feel free to email me; keitner2024@outlook.com
