Revelation 21:27
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
But nothing unclean
The phrase "nothing unclean" refers to anything that is morally or spiritually impure. The Greek word used here is "koinon," which denotes something common or defiled. In the context of the New Jerusalem, this signifies the absolute purity and holiness of God's eternal kingdom. Historically, the concept of cleanliness was deeply rooted in Jewish law, where ceremonial purity was essential for worship. This imagery underscores the complete separation from sin that will characterize the eternal state.

will ever enter it
The phrase "will ever enter it" emphasizes the eternal security and sanctity of the New Jerusalem. The Greek word "eiselthē" is used here, indicating a definitive action of entering. This highlights the permanence of God's kingdom, where no sin or impurity can breach its gates. The historical context of ancient cities with guarded entrances serves as a metaphor for the divine protection and holiness of the heavenly city.

nor anyone who practices an abomination
The term "abomination" is translated from the Greek word "bdelygma," which refers to something detestable or loathsome, often associated with idolatry and moral corruption. In the biblical context, abominations are actions or practices that are utterly offensive to God. This phrase serves as a warning against persistent sinful behavior and underscores the necessity of repentance and holiness.

or a lie
The word "lie" comes from the Greek "pseudos," meaning falsehood or deception. In the biblical narrative, lying is consistently condemned as contrary to God's nature, who is truth. This phrase highlights the incompatibility of deceit with the kingdom of God, where truth reigns supreme. It serves as a reminder of the call to integrity and honesty for believers.

but only those whose names are written
This phrase refers to the divine record of those who belong to God. The concept of names being "written" is rooted in the ancient practice of keeping records or registers, signifying ownership or citizenship. In the biblical context, it represents God's sovereign election and the assurance of salvation for believers. It is a source of comfort and hope, affirming that God knows and claims His own.

in the Lamb’s Book of Life
The "Lamb’s Book of Life" is a symbolic register of those who have received eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. The imagery of the Lamb is central to the Christian faith, representing Christ's sacrificial death and victory over sin. The Book of Life is mentioned throughout Scripture as the record of those who are saved. This phrase encapsulates the promise of eternal life and the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. It is a powerful assurance of the believer's eternal destiny in the presence of God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The New Jerusalem
This is the holy city described in Revelation 21, representing the eternal dwelling place of God with His people. It is a place of purity and holiness, where God’s presence is fully realized.

2. The Lamb
Refers to Jesus Christ, who is often depicted as the Lamb in Revelation. He is central to the salvation account and the one who has the authority over the Book of Life.

3. The Book of Life
A symbolic book that contains the names of those who have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. It signifies divine election and assurance of salvation.

4. Those who practice abomination or a lie
This refers to individuals who live in persistent sin and deception, rejecting God’s truth and holiness.

5. The Unclean
Symbolizes anything or anyone that is morally or spiritually impure, which cannot coexist with the holiness of God.
Teaching Points
The Necessity of Holiness
Believers are called to live lives that reflect the holiness of God, as nothing unclean can enter His presence.

The Assurance of Salvation
The Lamb’s Book of Life provides assurance to believers that their salvation is secure in Christ.

The Reality of Judgment
There is a clear distinction between those who are saved and those who are not, underscoring the importance of living in truth and righteousness.

The Call to Repentance
This verse serves as a warning to turn away from sin and deception, urging individuals to seek purity through Christ.

The Hope of Eternal Life
The promise of entering the New Jerusalem is a source of hope and motivation for believers to persevere in their faith.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the concept of "nothing unclean" entering the New Jerusalem teach us about the nature of God and His kingdom?

2. How does the assurance of having one's name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life impact your daily walk with Christ?

3. In what ways can believers strive to live lives that are free from "abomination or a lie"?

4. How do the themes of holiness and purity in Revelation 21:27 connect with other biblical teachings on sanctification?

5. Reflect on a time when the hope of eternal life encouraged you to persevere in your faith. How can this hope continue to motivate you today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 32:32-33
This passage introduces the concept of a book where names are written, relating to God’s knowledge and remembrance of His people.

Philippians 4:3
Paul mentions the Book of Life, affirming the assurance of salvation for those who labor in the gospel.

Revelation 3:5
Jesus promises that those who overcome will not have their names blotted out from the Book of Life, emphasizing perseverance in faith.

Isaiah 52:1
Speaks of the purity required to enter the holy city, paralleling the theme of holiness in Revelation 21:27.
Future Punishment RetributiveT. G. Selby.Revelation 21:27
HeavenT. M. Herbert, M. A.Revelation 21:27
The BarrierC. H. Spurgeon.Revelation 21:27
The Heavenly Church BookHomilistRevelation 21:27
The Heavenly Church BookS. Conway Revelation 21:27
The Heavenly RegisterHomilistRevelation 21:27
The Impassable GulfT. G. Selby.Revelation 21:27
The New JerusalemR. Green Revelation 21:9-27
The Negative Glory of Heaven (No. 1)D. Thomas Revelation 21:22-27
People
John
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abomination, Anyone, Anything, Base, Book, Causes, Common, Conduct, Cursed, Deceitful, Defileth, Defiling, Enter, Falsehood, Guilty, Impure, Lamb, Lamb's, Lie, Lies, Lying, Maketh, Names, Nothing, Practices, Profane, Recorded, Scroll, Shameful, Stand, Tells, Unclean, Whatever, Whatsoever, Wise, Worketh, Works, Written
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 21:27

     4010   creation, renewal
     5255   citizenship
     5484   punishment, by God
     5705   inheritance, spiritual
     6026   sin, judgment on
     6147   deceit, practice
     6201   imperfection, and God's purposes
     8244   ethics, and grace
     8282   intolerance
     8738   evil, victory over
     8776   lies
     9110   after-life
     9413   heaven, inheritance
     9414   heaven, community of redeemed
     9420   book of life

Revelation 21:9-27

     5659   bride
     7241   Jerusalem, significance

Revelation 21:20-27

     5256   city

Revelation 21:22-27

     5006   human race, destiny

Library
November 18. "And He that Sat Upon the Throne Said, it is Done" (Rev. xxi. 5, 6).
"And He that sat upon the throne said, It is done" (Rev. xxi. 5, 6). Great is the difference between action and transaction. We may be constantly acting without accomplishing anything, but a transaction is action that passes beyond the point of return, and becomes a permanent committal. Salvation is a transaction between the soul and Christ in which the matter passes beyond recall. Sanctification is a great transaction in which we are utterly surrendered, irrevocably consecrated and wholly committed
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

July the Twenty-Fifth no Temple Therein
"And I saw no temple therein!" --REVELATION xxi. 22-27. And that because it was all temple! "Every place was hallowed ground." There was no merely localized Presence, because the Presence was universal. God was realized everywhere, and therefore the little meeting-tent had vanished, and in place of the measurable tabernacle there were the immeasurable and God-filled heavens. Even here on earth I can measure my spiritual growth by the corresponding enlargement of my temple. What is the size of
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

He that Overcometh.
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son."--REVELATION xxi. 7. Year by year as at this time, when the week of our Saviour's Passion and Death is just in front of us, and the shadow of His Cross is falling over us, one generation after another of the boys of this school gather here, and in the face of the congregation, young and old, they take upon them the vows of a Christian life. So we met last Thursday, and your vow is still fresh upon a great
John Percival—Sermons at Rugby

A New Creation
MEN GENERALLY venerate antiquity. It were hard to say which has the stronger power over the human mind--antiquity or novelty. While men will frequently dote upon the old, they are most easily dazzled by the new. Anything new has at least one attraction. Restless spirits consider that the new must be better than the old. Though often disappointed, they are still ready to be caught by the same bait, and, like the Athenians of Mars Hill, spend their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 61: 1915

29Th Day. A Nightless Heaven.
"He is Faithful that Promised." "There shall be no night there."--REV. xxi. 25. A Nightless Heaven. My soul! is it night with thee here? Art thou wearied with these midnight tossings on life's tumultuous sea? Be still! the day is breaking! soon shall thy Lord appear. "His going forth is prepared as the morning." That glorious appearing shall disperse every cloud, and usher in an eternal noontide which knows no twilight. "Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

31ST DAY. The Vision and Fruition of God.
"He is Faithful that Promised." "God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."--REV. xxi. 3, 4. The Vision and Fruition of God. Glorious consummation! All the other glories of Heaven are but emanations from this glory that excelleth. Here is the focus and centre to which every ray of light converges. God
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

The Disciple, -- Master, it is Clear to Almost Everyone that to Disobey God And...
The Disciple,--Master, it is clear to almost everyone that to disobey God and to cease to worship Him is sin, and the deadly result is seen in the present state of the world. But what sin really is is not absolutely clear. In the very presence of Almighty God, and in opposition to His will, and in His own world, how did sin come to be? The Master,--1. Sin is to cast aside the will of God and to live according to one's own will, deserting that which is true and lawful in order to satisfy one's own
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet

The Foundation of the Church among the Jews
A.D. 33-A.D. 38 Before entering upon an account of the Foundation and After-History of the Christian Church, it may be well to consider what that Church really is. Section 1. Definition of the Church. [Sidenote: Twofold nature of the Church.] The Church may be regarded in a twofold aspect, as an external Corporation, and as a spiritual Body. [Sidenote: 1. An external Kingdom.] In the first light it is a Kingdom, in the world, though not of the world, extending through different and widely-separated
John Henry Blunt—A Key to the Knowledge of Church History

The City that Hath Foundations
"I ... saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem."-- Rev. xxi. 2. J. M. Meyfart, 1642. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 Jerusalem! thou glorious City-height, Oh might I enter in! My spirit wearieth for thy love and light, Amidst this world of sin-- Far over the dark mountains, The moorlands cold and grey, She looketh with sad longing, And fain would flee away. O fair sweet day! and hour yet more fair When wilt thou come to me? My spirit, safe within my Saviour's care Made glad, and pure, and free-- And calmly,
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series)

The Land of Rest
Gerhard Ter Steegen Rev. xxi. 5 Wanderer, rest thy weary feet; Shapes and sounds forgotten now-- Close thine eyes in stillness sweet, With thy God alone art thou. In the deeps of silence rest, Let Him work His high behest. Silence! reasonings hard and keen, Still--O longings sad and deep-- Waken to the morn serene, Tangled dreams depart with sleep; In the calm eternal day Night's wild visions past away. In the silence of that dawn God shall speak His words of grace, Light that round thy waking
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

The Heritage of the Lord's People. --Rev. xxi. 5-7.
The Heritage of the Lord's People.--Rev. xxi. 5-7. "He that overcomes through me, Shall an heir of all things be, I his God, and he My Son," Saith the True and Holy One. What an heritage were this! An eternity of bliss, Heaven below and heaven above, O the miracle of love! "Abba! Father!" then might I Through the Holy Spirit cry; Heir of God, with Christ joint-heir, Grace and glory call'd to share. Can a worm such gifts receive? Fear not, faint not, but believe, He who gave His Son, shall He
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Whether God Always Loves More the Better Things?
Objection 1: It seems that God does not always love more the better things. For it is manifest that Christ is better than the whole human race, being God and man. But God loved the human race more than He loved Christ; for it is said: "He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" (Rom. 8:32). Therefore God does not always love more the better things. Objection 2: Further, an angel is better than a man. Hence it is said of man: "Thou hast made him a little less than the angels" (Ps.
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Impassibility and Immortality of the Risen Body.
Besides the attributes which immediately flow from the fact that our animal bodies will rise spiritualized, there are two more qualities, which we shall now consider; namely, the impassibility and immortality of our risen bodies. 1. Impassibility implies the total loss of the power of suffering. What an enormous capacity we have for suffering! The power of receiving pleasure through our senses is only as a drop in the ocean, when compared to our manifold capacities for suffering, in every faculty
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

Christ's Finished and Unfinished Work
'Jesus ... said, It is finished.'--JOHN xix. 30. 'He said unto me, It is done.'--REV. xxi. 6. One of these sayings was spoken from the Cross, the other from the Throne. The Speaker of both is the same. In the one, His voice 'then shook the earth,' as the rending rocks testified; in the other, His voice 'will shake not the earth only but also heaven'; for 'new heavens and a new earth' accompanied the proclamation. In the one, like some traveller ready to depart, who casts a final glance over his preparations,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

All Fulness in Christ
The text is a great deep, we cannot explore it, but we will voyage over its surface joyously, the Holy Spirit giving us a favorable wind. Here are plenteous provisions far exceeding, those of Solomon, though at the sight of that royal profusion, Sheba's queen felt that there was no more spirit in her, and declared that the half had not been told to her. It may give some sort of order to our thoughts if they fall under four heads. What is here spoken of--"all fullness." Where is it placed--"in him,"
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

A Word for the Persecuted
Remember that this supposition is a very likely one. There are a few Christians so favourably circumstanced that all their friends accompany them in the pilgrimage to heaven. What advances they ought to make in the sacred journey! What excellent Christians they ought to be! They are like plants in a conservatory--they ought to grow and bring forth the loveliest Bowers of divine grace. But there are not very many who are altogether in that case. The large proportion of Christians find themselves opposed
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 20: 1874

Why they Leave Us
"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."--John 17:24. THE PRAYER OF THE SAVIOR rises as it proceeds. He asked for his people that they might be preserved from the world, then that they might be sanctified, and then that they might be made manifestly one; and now he reaches his crowning point--that they may be with him where he is, and behold his
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886

The Apostolate.
"That ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ."--1 John i. 3. The apostolate bears the character of an extraordinary manifestation, not seen before or after it, in which we discover a proper work of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were ambassadors extraordinary -- different from the prophets, different from the present ministers of the Word. In the history of the Church and the world they occupy a unique position and have a peculiar
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

An Impossibility Made Possible
'Can the Ethiopian change his skin?'--JER. xiii. 23. 'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.'--2 COR. v. 17. 'Behold, I make all things new.'--REV. xxi. 5. Put these three texts together. The first is a despairing question to which experience gives only too sad and decisive a negative answer. It is the answer of many people who tell us that character must be eternal, and of many a baffled man who says, 'It is of no use--I have tried and can do nothing.' The second text is the grand Christian
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Three Tabernacles'
'The Word ... dwelt among us.'--JOHN i. 14. '... He that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them.'--REV. vii. 15. '... Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.'--REV. xxi. 3. The word rendered 'dwelt' in these three passages, is a peculiar one. It is only found in the New Testament--in this Gospel and in the Book of Revelation. That fact constitutes one of the many subtle threads of connection between these two books, which at first sight seem so extremely unlike
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Departed Saints Fellowservants with those yet on Earth.
"I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets." The revelation made to St. John in the isle of Patmos, was a comfort to the suffering apostle, and a blessing to the church. "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the word, of this prophecy." The beginning indeed was dark; the prophetic sketch, was for sometime, gloomy: It unfolded a strange scene of declensions and abominations, which were to disgrace the church of Christ and mar its beauty; and dismal series of woes on woes,
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

Greeks Seek Jesus. He Foretells that He Shall Draw all Men unto Him.
(in the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^D John XII. 20-50. ^d 20 Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast [The language indicates that they were Greek converts to Judaism, such as were called proselytes of the gate. It is also noted that as Gentiles came from the east at the beginning of Jesus' life, so they also came from the west at the close of his ministry]: 21 these therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee [See p. 111. They were possibly
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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