Revelation 21:9-11 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Vision 10 The Bride, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5).

‘And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were laden with the seven last plagues, and he spoke with me saying, “Come this way and I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb”. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven, having the glory of God.'

It is fitting that one who poured out the bowl of the wrath of God, and who showed to John the great harlot city (Revelation 17:1), should now also reveal the opposite side of the picture, the glorious privileges of the redeemed and the holy city. Here we have clearly confirmed that the New Jerusalem consists of the people of God. It is they who are the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2).

‘He carried me away in the Spirit.' This is a new vision. Once again John is borne by the Spirit as Ezekiel was before him (compare Revelation 17:3; Revelation 1:10; Ezekiel 3:12; Ezekiel 3:14; Ezekiel 11:1; Ezekiel 11:24; Ezekiel 37:1; Ezekiel 43:5).

‘To a great and high mountain', compare Ezekiel 40:2 where it is the place where Ezekiel will see the new Temple. Here we have in the New Jerusalem the final fulfilment of Ezekiel's vision. The phrase suggests that the watcher will see something special, a glorious panorama.

‘The holy city Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven, having the glory of God.' Compare Ezekiel 21:2. This holy city is the bride of Christ, the people of God. But John is now about to receive more detail about this ‘city of God'. In Ezekiel 43:2; Ezekiel 43:4-5; Ezekiel 44:4 it is the new Temple that has the glory of God, but as John has already told us, it is this city (the new Jerusalem) which is now to be the dwelling place of God (Ezekiel 21:3) (as the Temple and Tabernacle were previously seen as being, if only temporarily. Compare 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chronicles 5:14; Exodus 40:34-35). Thus the glory of God is revealed (Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 60:1) and signals His divine presence.

Related Commentaries of Revelation 21:9

Revelation 21:9-11

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;