2 And I saw the holy town, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, like a bride made beautiful for her husband.
For he was looking for the strong town, whose builder and maker is God.
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the house of my God, and he will go out no more: and I will put on him the name of my God, and the name of the town of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.
I will be full of joy in the Lord, my soul will be glad in my God; for he has put on me the clothing of salvation, covering me with the robe of righteousness, as the husband puts on a fair head-dress, and the bride makes herself beautiful with jewels.
Let us be glad with delight, and let us give glory to him: because the time is come for the Lamb to be married, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her it was given to be clothed in delicate linen, clean and shining: for the clean linen is the righteousness of the saints.
He who has the bride is the husband: but the husband's friend, whose place is by his side and whose ears are open to him, is full of joy because of the husband's voice: such is my joy, and it is complete.
And if any man takes away from the words of this book, God will take away from him his part in the tree of life and the holy town, even the things which are in this book.
Husbands, have love for your wives, even as Christ had love for the church, and gave himself for it; So that he might make it holy, having made it clean with the washing of water by the word, And might take it for himself, a church full of glory, not having one mark or fold or any such thing; but that it might be holy and complete.
For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and was and is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his high seat;
Because we are parts of his body. For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a great secret: but my words are about Christ and the church.
Kings' daughters are among your noble women: on your right is the queen in gold of Ophir. O daughter, give thought and attention, and let your ear be open; no longer keep in mind your people, and your father's house; So will the king have a great desire for you, seeing how beautiful you are; because he is your lord, give him honour. And the daughters of Tyre will be there with an offering; those who have wealth among the people will be looking for your approval. In the great house the king's daughter is all shining: her clothing is worked with gold. She will come before the king in robes of needlework; the virgins in her train will come before you.
<A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah.> Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the town of our God, in his holy mountain. Beautiful in its high position, the joy of all the earth, is the mountain of Zion, the mountain of God, the town of the great King. In its buildings God is seen to be a high tower.
You will not now be named, She who is given up; and your land will no longer be named, The waste land: but you will have the name, My pleasure is in her, and your land will be named, Married: for the Lord has pleasure in you, and your land will be married.
Awake! awake! put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful robes, O Jerusalem, the holy town: for from now there will never again come into you the unclean and those without circumcision.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Revelation 21
Commentary on Revelation 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
Hitherto the prophecy of this book has presented to us a very remarkable mixture of light and shade, prosperity and adversity, mercy and judgment, in the conduct of divine Providence towards the church in the world: now, at the close of all, the day breaks, and the shadows flee away; a new world now appears, the former having passed away. Some are willing to understand all that is said in these last two chapters of the state of the church even here on earth, in the glory of the latter days; but others, more probably, take it as a representation of the perfect and triumphant state of the church in heaven. Let but the faithful saints and servants of God wait awhile, and they shall not only see, but enjoy, the perfect holiness and happiness of that world. In this chapter you have,
Rev 21:1-8
We have here a more general account of the happiness of the church of God in the future state, by which it seems most safe to understand the heavenly state.
Rev 21:9-27
We have already considered the introduction to the vision of the new Jerusalem in a more general idea of the heavenly state; we now come to the vision itself, where observe,