Today we’re diving deep into one of the most powerful and symbolic passages in the entire Bible—Revelation 21:9–21.
This vision of the New Jerusalem isn’t just a description of a beautiful city coming down out of heaven. It’s a picture of the people of God—the Lamb’s wife, the church, the fulfilment of all God’s covenant promises.
In this study, we’ll connect the New Jerusalem to the Lamb’s wife in Revelation 19, to Paul’s teaching on the church in Ephesians 5 and even to the olive tree imagery in Romans 11.
We’ll also see how the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles together form the very foundation of this city, tying into the 24 elders we read about earlier in Revelation.
And of course, we’ll pull from the Old Testament to show how this vision is the climax of the story God has been telling since the very beginning.
Revelation 21:9–10 says:
Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
Notice that John is told he’s going to see the bride—the Lamb’s wife. But what he actually sees is a city, the New Jerusalem. This immediately tells us that the city is symbolic. It represents the people of God—the bride of Christ.
The Bride of the Lamb
Let’s connect this back to Revelation 19, where we read about the marriage supper of the Lamb. Verse 7 says:
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
The Lamb’s wife is the redeemed community, clothed in fine linen which represents the righteousness of the saints.
Revelation 21 is showing us the same reality from another angle: the people of God, perfected, glorified, and presented as a bride to Christ.
Paul picks up the same imagery in Ephesians 5, where he tells husbands to love their wives, “even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” He says that Christ is cleansing and sanctifying the church so that He may present it to Himself as a glorious bride, without spot or wrinkle.
So Revelation, Ephesians, and the rest of the New Testament are consistent: the bride is not a literal city of gold and pearls—it’s the covenant people of God, the church. The imagery of the city helps us see the permanence, beauty, and glory of that relationship.
The Olive Tree of Romans 11
Now let’s bring in Romans 11. Paul speaks of God’s people as one olive tree. Some branches were broken off—unbelieving Israel—and wild branches, representing Gentile believers, were grafted in.
But the key point is that it’s one tree. There are not two peoples of God. There’s one covenant family, rooted in the promises made to Abraham, fulfilled in Christ, and extended to the nations.
The New Jerusalem vision reflects this same unity. The gates of the city bear the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, while the foundations are inscribed with the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. In other words, both Old Covenant Israel and New Covenant apostleship are part of this one city, one bride, one people.
The Symbolism of 12 and 24
Let’s think about the symbolism here.
- Twelve in Scripture is often associated with covenant people. Israel had twelve tribes. Jesus chose twelve apostles.
- In the New Jerusalem, the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles are brought together. This is the fullness of God’s covenant family—both Old and New Testament witnesses united in Christ.
This duality of 12 plus 12 also connects with the 24 elders mentioned earlier in Revelation, surrounding the throne and casting their crowns before God. Many interpreters understand the 24 elders as representing the unified people of God—twelve from Israel and twelve from the apostolic foundation of the church.
So what Revelation 21 does is give us the architectural image of that unity: gates bearing Israel’s names, foundations bearing the apostles’ names, and the whole city being one glorious dwelling place of God with His people.
Old Testament Foundations
This vision is not new—it’s rooted in the Old Testament promises.
- In Ezekiel 40–48, the prophet sees a visionary temple and city, with carefully measured gates and walls. Revelation draws heavily from that imagery but shows its fulfilment not in a literal temple but in the people themselves.
- Isaiah 54 speaks of Jerusalem as a bride: “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name… O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.” Doesn’t that sound just like Revelation 21, with its jewelled foundations?
- Isaiah 62 also ties this together: “Thou shalt be called Hephzibah… for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.” Again, we see Jerusalem as a bride, married to the Lord.
Revelation 21 is therefore the ultimate fulfilment of what the prophets foresaw: a covenant people adorned as a bride, a holy city where God dwells forever.
The Beauty of the City
Verses 18–21 describe the city’s construction: walls of jasper, a city of pure gold, foundations decorated with every precious stone, gates of pearl, and streets of transparent gold.
We shouldn’t think of this as architectural blueprints for a literal future metropolis. Instead, these details symbolize purity, holiness, and glory. The precious stones echo the high priest’s breastplate in Exodus 28, which bore twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. The connection is clear: the New Jerusalem is a priestly people, bearing God’s presence and reflecting His glory.
The pearls for the gates are also meaningful. Pearls were considered treasures formed through suffering and endurance. They remind us that entrance into the city—into the covenant people of God—comes through participation in Christ’s suffering and endurance- “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).
God Dwelling With His People
The most important aspect of this vision is not the beauty of the materials but the reality they signify: God dwelling with His people. The city is described as having the glory of God, radiating like a precious jewel. Later in the chapter, we’re told that there’s no temple in the city, “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
This is the goal of the entire biblical story. From Eden, where God walked with Adam and Eve, to the tabernacle in the wilderness, to the first and second temple, God’s desire has always been to dwell with His people. Revelation 21 shows the climax: a people perfected, united, and shining with His glory.
Application for Us Today
So what does this mean for us right now?
First, it reminds us of our identity. If you are in Christ, you are not waiting for a city of gold to descend from the sky—you are already part of the New Jerusalem, as Peter said in 1 Peter 2:5 “ye…as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood.…”
Second, it challenges us to unity. The New Jerusalem brings together the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles—the fullness of God’s covenant family. There is no division between Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Finally, it calls us to holiness. Just as the city radiates with God’s glory, we are called to let our light shine, reflecting the character of Christ to the world.
Conclusion
So in Revelation 21:9–21, we don’t just see a beautiful city. We see the bride of Christ. We see the fulfilment of the prophets. We see the unity of Israel and the church, the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles, the fullness of God’s covenant people.
We see ourselves—redeemed, transformed, and made part of a dwelling place for God’s glory.
The New Jerusalem is not a hope for the future—it’s the reality of who we are in Christ today that will shine for all eternity.
And in the comments below, let me know: what part of the New Jerusalem vision inspires you the most?
Until next time, grace and peace to you in the name of the Lamb who makes all things new.
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