COMMENTARY

And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled, and a place was not found for them.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and scrolls were opened; and another scroll was opened, which is the scroll of life; and the dead were judged by the things written in the scrolls, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and they were judged each one according to their works.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice out of the throne saying,

'See, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them,
and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them,
and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death will be no more;
neither sorrow, nor clamour, nor pain, any more;
because first things passed away.'

And the One sitting on the throne said,

See, I make all things new.

And He said,

'Write: because these words are faithful and true.'

And He said to me,

'It has occurred.
I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.
I will give to him that is thirsty out of the spring of the water of life freely.
The one overcoming shall inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.
But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and defiled, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.'

And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying,

'Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the little Lamb.'

And he bore me away in the Spirit onto a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, having the glory of God; her light was like a most precious stone, as a jasper stone, clear as crystal; having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names inscribed thereon, which are the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the little Lamb.

And one speaking with me had for a measure a golden reed measure in order to measure the city, and its gates, and its wall.

And the city lies square, and its length is as much as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed at twelve thousand furlongs, its length and breadth and height are equal.

And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits [12x12], a measure of a man, which is of an angel.

And the coping of its wall was jasper: and the city was clean gold, like clean glass.
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone.

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon, to shine on it; for the glory of God illumines it, and its lamp is the little Lamb.
And the nations shall walk in its light; and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.

And its gates shall not be shut by day (for there shall be no night there); and they will bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it.
And nothing profane shall enter into it or anything making an abomination and a lie; except only those who are written in the scroll of life of the little Lamb.

And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the little Lamb. In the midst of its street, and on this side of the river and on that, was the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, according to each month rendering its fruit: and the leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no curse any longer.
And the throne of God and of the little Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him, and they will see His face; and His name will be on their foreheads.
And there will be night no more night; and they have no need of the light of a lamp, neither the light of sun, for the Lord God will shed light on them, and they will reign forever and ever.

And he said to me,

'These words are faithful and true, and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets,
sent His angel to show to His slaves the things which must occur quickly.'

'And see, I come quickly!

Blessed is the one keeping the words of the prophecy of this scroll.'

And I John am the one hearing and seeing these things.
And when I heard and saw, I fell to worship before the feet of the angel showing me these things. And he says to me,

'See you do it not; I am a your fellow-slave and of your brothers the prophets,
and of those keeping the words of this scroll: worship God.'

And he says to me,

'Seal not the words of the prophecy of this scroll; for the time is near;
The one acting unjustly, let him act unjustly still; and the filthy one, let him act filthily still;
and the righteous one, let him do righteousness still; and the holy one, let him be hallowed still.'

Behold, I am coming quickly,
and My reward is with Me, to render to each man as his work is.

I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the authority over the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
Outside are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one loving and making a lie.

I Jesus have sent My angel to witness to you these things in the congregations.
I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.

And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'
And let the one hearing say, 'Come.'

And the one thirsting, let him come,
let the one wishing, take the water of life freely.

I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this scroll: 

if anyone adds to them, God will add upon him the plagues written in this scroll,
and if anyone takes away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy,
God will take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city,
of the things written in this scroll.

'Yes,'
says the One who witnesses to these things,
'I come quickly.'

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.