A New Heaven and a New Earth
(Isaiah 65:17–25)

1I saw the new heaven and the new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more. 2And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: “Behold the tabernacle of God with men. And he will dwell with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be their God with them. 4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more. And neither mourning, nor crying out, nor grief shall be anymore. For the first things have passed away.”

5And the One who was sitting upon the throne, said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And he said to me, “Write, for these words are entirely faithful and true.” 6And he said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To those who thirst, I will give freely from the fountain of the water of life. 7Whoever prevails shall possess these things. And I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and drug users, and idolaters, and all liars, these shall be a part of the pool burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9And one of the seven Angels, those holding the bowls filled with the seven last afflictions, approached and spoke with me, saying: “Come, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10And he took me up in spirit to a great and high mountain. And he showed me the Holy City Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11having the glory of God. And its light was like that of a precious stone, even like that of the jasper stone or like crystal. 12And it had a wall, great and high, having twelve gates. And at the gates were twelve Angels. And names were written upon them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13On the East were three gates, and on the North were three gates, and on the South were three gates, and on the West were three gates. 14And the wall of the City had twelve foundations. And upon them were the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

15And he who was speaking with me was holding a golden measuring reed, in order to measure the City, and its gates and wall. 16And the city is laid out as a square, and so its length is as great as the width. And he measured the city with the golden reed for twelve thousand stadia, and its length and height and breadth were equal. 17And he measured its wall as one hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, which is of an Angel. 18And the structure of its wall was of jasper stone. Yet truly, the city itself was of pure gold, similar to pure glass. 19And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was of jasper, the second was of sapphire, the third was of chalcedony, the fourth was of emerald, 20the fifth was of sardonyx, the sixth was of sardius, the seventh was of chrysolite, the eighth was of beryl, the ninth was of topaz, the tenth was of chrysoprasus, the eleventh was of jacinth, the twelfth was of amethyst. 21And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, one for each, so that each gate was made from a single pearl. And the main street of the city was of pure gold, similar to transparent glass.

22And I saw no temple in it. For the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb. 23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine in it. For the glory of God has illuminated it, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24And the nations shall walk by its light. And the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it. 25And its gates shall not be closed throughout the day, for there shall be no night in that place. 26And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27There shall not enter into it anything defiled, nor anything causing an abomination, nor anything false, but only those who have been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.