Revelation 21:18 kjv
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Revelation 21:18 nkjv
The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
Revelation 21:18 niv
The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
Revelation 21:18 esv
The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
Revelation 21:18 nlt
The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.
Revelation 21 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 4:3 | And He who sat there was like a jasper stone and a ruby in appearance... | God's appearance radiant like jasper. |
| Rev 21:11 | having the glory of God. Her radiance was like a very costly stone, as a jasper stone, clear as crystal. | New Jerusalem's glory and radiance. |
| Isa 60:1 | Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. | Prophecy of God's glory on Zion. |
| Isa 60:19-20 | The sun will no longer be your light by day, Nor will the moon shine on you for brightness... | God is the everlasting light. |
| Zech 14:7 | But it will be a day which is known to the Lord, Neither day nor night; but it will be at evening time there will be light. | Eternal light of the new creation. |
| Mal 3:3 | He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them... | God's purification process. |
| 1 Pet 1:7 | so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes, though tested by fire... | Faith's value greater than gold. |
| Hag 2:8 | ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts. | God's ultimate ownership of all wealth. |
| Rev 3:12 | ‘I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem... | Believer's connection to New Jerusalem. |
| Rev 21:2 | And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... | New Jerusalem's divine origin. |
| Heb 11:10 | for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. | God is the builder of the heavenly city. |
| Heb 11:16 | But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one; therefore God is not ashamed... | Believers desiring the heavenly city. |
| Heb 12:22 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... | Spiritual reality of the heavenly city. |
| Gal 4:26 | But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. | Heavenly Jerusalem as the mother of believers. |
| Isa 26:1 | In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; He sets up walls and bulwarks for salvation." | God provides salvation as walls. |
| Isa 60:18 | You will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. | Walls representing salvation. |
| Zech 2:5 | ‘For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ | God as protective wall and indwelling glory. |
| Isa 54:11-12 | O afflicted city... I will set your stones in antimony and your foundations in sapphires... your entire wall of precious stones. | Prophetic vision of Zion's adornment. |
| Exod 28:17-20 | And you shall mount on it four rows of stones: the first row shall be a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; the second row, a turquoise... | High priest's breastplate, including jasper. |
| Ezek 28:13 | You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering... | Primeval beauty lost from Eden. |
| Rev 21:19-20 | The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. | List of the New Jerusalem's foundation stones. |
| Job 28:17 | Gold and glass cannot equal wisdom, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. | Wisdom's surpassing value over material riches. |
Revelation 21 verses
Revelation 21 18 Meaning
Revelation 21:18 describes two essential components of the New Jerusalem: its wall and its primary building material for the city itself. The wall's material is specified as jasper, and the city itself is pure gold. Critically, this pure gold is qualified as being "like clear glass," indicating an otherworldly transparency and luminescence that surpasses any earthly understanding of gold, emphasizing divine purity, brilliance, and value.
Revelation 21 18 Context
Revelation 21:18 appears within John's vision of the new heavens and new earth, specifically detailing the glorious attributes of the New Jerusalem that descends from God. This chapter contrasts the previous temporary order with an eternal reality, where God dwells permanently with humanity. Verses 15-27 specifically describe the city's structure, dimensions, gates, and walls, presenting a detailed, albeit symbolic, picture of perfection, security, and divine presence. The imagery is drawn from Old Testament prophecies about a rebuilt, glorious Zion, but surpasses them by describing a city of unprecedented preciousness and purity, not made with human hands, nor reliant on sun or temple for its light and glory because God Himself illuminates it. For John's original audience facing persecution and seeking hope, this vision provided comfort and assurance of an ultimate, glorious dwelling place built by God, impervious to earthly decay and defilement.
Revelation 21 18 Word analysis
- The material of its wall: (οικοδομη - oikodomē - building, structure, edification, composition). This term speaks to the very composition and nature of the wall's substance, not just its construction. It implies its fundamental make-up is of divine origin and perfection.
- was jasper, (ιασπις - iaspis - jasper). In Revelation (4:3, 21:11, 21:18, 21:19), jasper is depicted as supremely brilliant, like a crystal or diamond. It is associated with the radiance of God Himself (Rev 4:3) and the glory of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:11). This suggests a stone of unparalleled clarity and light-refracting ability, conveying divine purity and magnificence. It symbolizes the inviolable, holy nature of God's dwelling, a defensive structure that radiates light and glory.
- and the city was pure gold, (πολις - polis - city; χρυσιον καθαρον - chrycion katharon - gold, clean, pure, unalloyed, unadulterated). "Polis" refers to the New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God and His people. "Pure gold" signifies ultimate value, wealth, preciousness, and freedom from all imperfection or contamination. In biblical imagery, gold often represents divine glory, royalty, and incorruptibility. This is not just gold as decoration but as the very substance of the city.
- like clear glass. (ομοιον υαλω καθαρως - homoion hyalō katharōs - like glass, clean, pure, clear). This phrase is profoundly paradoxical. Gold is known for its opacity and density, while glass is known for its transparency and often fragility. The fusion of these qualities – the unyielding value and solidity of gold with the absolute purity, translucence, and light-transmitting properties of clear glass – points to a supernatural reality. This "gold like clear glass" signifies the city's absolute, unblemished purity, its complete permeation by divine light and glory, and its perfect spiritual transparency. There is no hiddenness, no shadow, no corruption, as it reflects the very nature of God who indwells it.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- The material of its wall was jasper: This phrase speaks to the impenetrable holiness and radiant security of God’s dwelling. The wall’s essence is derived from divine brilliance, protecting by virtue of its very nature, which mirrors God’s glory.
- and the city was pure gold, like clear glass: This powerful oxymoron describes the entire city's substance. It means the city embodies unimaginable value and sacred purity, but also complete transparency and an infusion with divine light. It is not just adorned with gold but is gold, yet light passes through it entirely, revealing perfect holiness and illuminating everything within. This highlights the complete absence of imperfection, opaqueness, or anything that could dim God's glory within the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 21 18 Bonus section
The seemingly contradictory image of "gold like clear glass" points beyond a mere description of beauty to a theological statement about divine glory and the nature of the New Jerusalem. Unlike any earthly city that accumulates dust and shows age, this city remains pristine, absorbing and emitting divine light. It highlights God's transcendence over physical limitations, creating a substance that possesses the ultimate value (gold) and the ultimate transparency (clear glass). This implies a pervasive divine presence within the city, so intense and pure that the very fabric of the city is permeated and made transparent by it, revealing no imperfection and casting no shadow. This contrasts sharply with human efforts to create lasting monuments, which inevitably decay. The materials chosen also relate to the high priest's breastplate, linking the priestly and mediatorial roles with the eschatological city where God tabernacles with His people.
Revelation 21 18 Commentary
Revelation 21:18 presents the New Jerusalem as a marvel of divine architecture, using materials of the highest earthly value and transforming them to express an otherworldly perfection. The wall of jasper emphasizes its impenetrable, glorious holiness, reflecting the very brilliance of God. The description of the city as "pure gold, like clear glass" transcends material properties, indicating that this is a city fully infused with God's radiant light and absolute purity. It suggests an eternal dwelling place utterly free from blemish, darkness, or obstruction, where divine glory illuminates every part. This vision assures believers of an ultimate, incorruptible dwelling place of perfect security, value, and radiant purity, mirroring the divine character of its Builder and Resident, Jesus Christ.