Revelation 21:2 kjv
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:2 nkjv
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:2 niv
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Revelation 21:2 esv
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:2 nlt
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Revelation 21 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 65:17 | For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth... | New creation where New Jerusalem resides. |
| 2 Pet 3:13 | But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth | God's promised new creation. |
| Rev 21:3 | "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man..." | Direct follow-up, explains the purpose. |
| Gal 4:26 | But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. | The heavenly Jerusalem as spiritual mother. |
| Heb 12:22-24 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... | Christians are already citizens of this heavenly reality. |
| Heb 11:10 | For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. | Heavenly city designed by God. |
| Psa 48:1-2 | Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God... | Jerusalem as the City of God. |
| Isa 60:14 | "The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel." | Prophecy of Jerusalem's future glory. |
| Zec 8:3 | "Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city..." | Jerusalem purified and called holy. |
| Isa 52:1 | Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city... | Jerusalem as "holy city" prepared for God's presence. |
| Rev 3:12 | "and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem..." | New Jerusalem as an identifying mark for believers. |
| Rev 19:7-9 | Let us rejoice and exult... for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready... | The culmination of the Church as Christ's Bride. |
| Eph 5:25-27 | ...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her... making her holy and without blemish... | Christ preparing His Church as a spotless bride. |
| 2 Cor 11:2 | For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. | Believers betrothed to Christ as a pure bride. |
| Isa 61:10 | He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. | Adornment of salvation and righteousness for the covenant union. |
| Jer 31:31-34 | Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant... | The New Jerusalem is a realization of the new covenant promises. |
| Ezek 37:27-28 | My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. | God's tabernacling with His people. |
| Jn 14:2-3 | "In my Father's house are many rooms... I go to prepare a place for you." | Christ's preparation for His people's dwelling. |
| Php 3:20 | But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. | Heavenly origin of believers' true citizenship. |
| Gen 2:22-24 | ...then the Lord God brought her to the man. Therefore a man shall leave his father...and hold fast to his wife... | Biblical precedent for marriage union and new creation. |
| Sg 4:1-15 | Behold, you are beautiful, my love... | Detailed imagery of a beautiful, adorned bride. |
| Hos 2:19-20 | And I will betroth you to me forever... in righteousness and in justice... | God's betrothal covenant with Israel/His people. |
Revelation 21 verses
Revelation 21 2 Meaning
This verse describes a profound prophetic vision: the manifestation of God's perfected dwelling with His people. The "holy city, new Jerusalem" represents the entire body of Christ, the church, redeemed and made holy by God, eternally united with Him. Its descent from heaven signifies its divine origin, absolute purity, and that it is entirely a gift from God, not an achievement of humanity. The imagery of a bride adorned for her husband underscores the beauty, readiness, and intimate covenant relationship between Christ and His people, celebrating the consummation of their union.
Revelation 21 2 Context
Revelation 21:2 stands at a pivotal point in John's apocalyptic vision. It follows the profound declaration of "a new heaven and a new earth" and the definitive end of the old order, marked by the disappearance of the sea, a symbol of chaos and separation in ancient thought. This verse transitions from the cosmic renovation to the establishment of God's new dwelling place with redeemed humanity. Within the broader book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem serves as the ultimate antithesis to the corrupt earthly cities like Babylon (Rev 17-18). It is the final consummation of God's redemptive plan, presenting a picture of perfect communion and an answer to centuries of prophetic expectation for God to dwell with His people. For the original audience facing persecution and uncertainty, this vision offered immense hope and assurance of God's ultimate victory and their secure, eternal inheritance in Him.
Revelation 21 2 Word analysis
- And I saw (καὶ εἶδον - kai eidon): Emphasizes a direct visual experience of divine reality. This phrase consistently introduces significant new visions in Revelation, affirming their objective reality to John. It highlights the authenticity of the revelation.
- the holy city (τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν - tēn polin tēn hagian):
- holy (ἁγίαν - hagian): Denotes separation for God's exclusive use, consecrated, pure, set apart from evil or defilement. It implies moral perfection and divine ownership.
- city (πόλιν - polin): A fundamental unit of social and communal life, symbolizing ordered existence, protection, and civilization. Here, it signifies the collective, unified community of God's people.
- new Jerusalem (Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν - Hierousalēm kainēn):
- new (καινὴν - kainēn): Signifies newness in quality and nature, fresh and superior, rather than merely recent or restored (like neos). It implies a transformation to something fundamentally different and perfected.
- Jerusalem (Ἰερουσαλὴμ): A city of immense theological significance in the Bible, representing God's dwelling, a center of worship, and a place of peace. Here, it transcends its earthly, literal counterpart to signify the spiritual reality of God's gathered people.
- coming down (καταβαίνουσαν - katabainousan): Present participle, indicating an ongoing action or an act with immediate significance. This movement "down" underscores its divine initiative and grace. It's a gift from above, not an earthly construction or human endeavor.
- out of heaven (ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ - ek tou ouranou): Explicitly states its celestial origin. This guarantees its perfect, unblemished nature and spiritual reality, distinct from anything human or fallen.
- from God (ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ - apo tou theou): Identifies the ultimate source and originator of the New Jerusalem, reaffirming its divine perfection and purity. It's solely a work of God.
- prepared (ἡτοιμασμένην - hētoimasmenēn): Perfect passive participle, meaning it has been fully prepared and is now in a state of readiness. It points to a complete, pre-planned divine work, meticulously made ready for its purpose.
- as a bride (ὡς νύμφην - hōs nymphēn): A powerful simile symbolizing purity, beauty, covenant loyalty, and anticipated joyful union.
- adorned (κεκοσμημένην - kekosmēmenēn): Perfect passive participle of kosmeō. Signifies being perfectly ordered, decorated, or made beautiful. It implies readiness and external splendor, not just internal purity, prepared for a celebratory event.
- for her husband (τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς - tō andri autēs): Clearly identifies the recipient of this magnificent preparation – Christ, the Lamb (as referenced elsewhere in Revelation), highlighting the consummation of the ultimate divine marriage.
Words-group analysis
- the holy city, new Jerusalem: This phrase brings together key theological concepts. "Holy" stresses its absolute consecration and purity by God. "New" emphasizes its qualitative superiority and divine origin, not merely a renovated earthly city. "Jerusalem" signifies God's dwelling place with His covenant people, transforming the historical earthly city into an eschatological, spiritual reality—the redeemed community itself. It's not primarily a physical place, but the perfected people of God.
- coming down out of heaven from God: This entire phrase emphasizes the celestial, divine origin and nature of the New Jerusalem. It's a unilateral act of God, underscoring that this glorious future is God's initiative and gift, completely distinct from any human construct or effort. Its perfection derives entirely from its source in God.
- prepared as a bride adorned for her husband: This extended simile is central to the verse's meaning. The "preparation" denotes careful divine artistry and intentionality. The "bride" imagery universally symbolizes beauty, purity, loyalty, and the culmination of an intimate relationship. Her "adornment" signifies exquisite beauty and readiness for the marriage covenant, culminating in perfect union with Christ, her "husband" (the Lamb). This image vividly portrays the church, perfected by God's grace, ready for eternal fellowship.
Revelation 21 2 Bonus section
The imagery of the "New Jerusalem" is a theological antithesis to "Babylon the Great" (Rev 17-18). While Babylon represents a worldly system of corruption, pride, and opposition to God, the New Jerusalem stands for purity, divine order, and eternal communion. It also resolves a long-standing biblical tension, transitioning from a historical, often unfaithful, earthly Jerusalem to a spiritual, unblemished, and eternal city—the people of God purified and sanctified. This concept assures believers that God's plans culminate not in destruction alone, but in ultimate renewal and an enduring, glorious presence with His children.
Revelation 21 2 Commentary
Revelation 21:2 offers a magnificent glimpse into the ultimate reality of God's redemptive plan: the "holy city, new Jerusalem," descending directly from God out of heaven. This city is not merely a geographic location but represents the perfected, redeemed community of God's people—the church made whole and pure. Its divine origin, highlighted by its descent "from God," emphasizes that its purity, holiness, and readiness are entirely the work of God's grace, not human effort or earthly accomplishment.
The potent imagery of "a bride adorned for her husband" profoundly communicates the nature of this final state. It speaks of the church’s inherent purity, a result of Christ's sacrificial love (Eph 5:25-27), and its stunning beauty, reflecting the glory of its Groom. This depiction underscores the ultimate intimacy and unbreakable covenant union between Christ and His people, consummating the divine marriage introduced earlier in Revelation (Rev 19:7-9). The preparedness and adornment of the bride signify a state of readiness for joyful communion and eternal fellowship, signaling the fulfillment of all prophetic hopes and the ushering in of God’s complete dwelling with humanity. It is the culmination of redemption, a perfected community ready for everlasting oneness with God.