2 and I, John, saw the holy city -- new Jerusalem -- coming down from God out of the heaven, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband;
for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose artificer and constructor `is' God.
He who is overcoming -- I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and without he may not go any more, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, that doth come down out of the heaven from my God -- also my new name.
I greatly rejoice in Jehovah, Joy doth my soul in my God, For He clothed me with garments of salvation, With a robe of righteousness covereth Me, As a bridegroom prepareth ornaments, And as a bride putteth on her jewels.
may we rejoice and exult, and give the glory to Him, because come did the marriage of the Lamb, and his wife did make herself ready; and there was given to her that she may be arrayed with fine linen, pure and shining, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.'
he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled.
and if any one may take away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the scroll of the life, and out of the holy city, and the things that have been written in this scroll;'
The husbands! love your own wives, as also the Christ did love the assembly, and did give himself for it, that he might sanctify it, having cleansed `it' with the bathing of the water in the saying, that he might present it to himself the assembly in glory, not having spot or wrinkle, or any of such things, but that it may be holy and unblemished;
for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,
John to the seven assemblies that `are' in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is coming, and from the Seven Spirits that are before His throne,
because members we are of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones; `for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall be -- the two -- for one flesh;' this secret is great, and I speak in regard to Christ and to the assembly;
Daughters of kings `are' among thy precious ones, A queen hath stood at thy right hand, In pure gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and see, incline thine ear, And forget thy people, and thy father's house, And the king doth desire thy beauty, Because he `is' thy lord -- bow thyself to him, And the daughter of Tyre with a present, The rich of the people do appease thy face. All glory `is' the daughter of the king within, Of gold-embroidered work `is' her clothing. In divers colours she is brought to the king, Virgins -- after her -- her companions, Are brought to thee.
A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah. Great `is' Jehovah, and praised greatly, In the city of our God -- His holy hill. Beautiful `for' elevation, A joy of all the land, `is' Mount Zion, The sides of the north, the city of a great king. God in her high places is known for a tower.
It is not said of thee any more, `Forsaken!' And of thy land it is not said any more, `Desolate,' For to thee is cried, `My delight `is' in her,' And to thy land, `Married,' For Jehovah hath delighted in thee, And thy land is married.
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, Put on the garments of thy beauty, Jerusalem -- the Holy City; For enter no more into thee again, Do the uncircumcised and unclean.
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,