The Meaning of Revelation 21:18 Explained

Revelation 21:18

KJV: And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

YLT: and the building of its wall was jasper, and the city is pure gold -- like to pure glass;

Darby: And the building of its wall was jasper; and the city pure gold, like pure glass:

ASV: And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass.

Discover Revelation 21:18

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Revelation 21:18?

MEANING: What does Revelation 21:18 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Revelation 21:18 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Revelation 21:18?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the building  of the wall  of it  was  [of] jasper:  and  the city  [was] pure  gold,  like  unto clear  glass. 

What does Revelation 21:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The walls appeared to be glistening (cf. Revelation 21:11; Revelation 4:3). The word "material" (Gr. endomesis) means "building in" and suggests that the material on the wall was jasper, not that the wall was solid jasper. Perhaps John meant that the walls were overlaid with this brilliant material, suggesting further the radiance of God"s holy presence. The whole city appeared to shine as a mass of pure gold. The many limestone buildings of old Jerusalem today take on a beautiful golden color in the light of the rising or setting sun, but this is a pale shadow of what the New Jerusalem will look like. Clear glass was the best quality glass in John"s day, so when he compared the gold to clear glass he probably meant that there was no impurity in the city. [1] John apparently described the New Jerusalem by using similes and metaphors to communicate its ineffable glory.

Context Summary

Revelation 21:9-27 - "the Holy City"
The "new Jerusalem" is the redeemed Church united with her Lord in the act of governing the whole world. A city is obviously the seat of imperial rule. In that blessed condition the saints will rule the earth as the powers of darkness rule it now. We shall enjoy the fellowship of the good and great of every age. In a literal sense we shall be fellow-citizens with the saints. All ages and dispensations will blend there. Angels at the gates; the names of the twelve tribes and twelve Apostles engraved in imperishable characters to indicate the blending of the dispensations; the differing stones, representing variety of character and function but all blending in the light of the Lamb on the throne.
The happy throngs pour through the gates with never-ending rapture. Those gates, facing every quarter, stand always open; but none desire to go forth, except commissioned on some errand by the King. All the glory and honor of the world are gathered within those walls, because Jesus will be king over every department of human life. There will be room for all beauty, art, and culture in the city of eternal light and love. [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 21

1  A new heaven and a new earth
10  The heavenly Jerusalem, with a full description thereof
23  She needs no sun, the glory of God being her light
24  The kings of the earth bring their riches unto her

Greek Commentary for Revelation 21:18

The building of the wall [η ενδωμησις του τειχους]
Or ενδομησις — endomēsis elsewhere so far only in Josephus (Ant. XV. 9. 6, a mole or breakwater) and in an inscription (Syll. 583 31), apparently from ενδομεω — endomeō to build in, and so the fact of building in. The wall had jasper (Revelation 21:11) built into it. [source]
Was pure gold [χρυσιον καταρον]
No copula ην — ēn (was) expressed. The city shone like a mass of gold in contrast with the jasper lustre of the wall.Pure glass (υαλωι καταρωι — hualōi katharōi). Associative instrumental case after ομοιον — homoion υαλος — Hualos (apparently from υει — huei it rains, and so raindrop) in N.T. only Revelation 21:18, Revelation 21:21. [source]
Pure glass [υαλωι καταρωι]
Associative instrumental case after ομοιον — homoion υαλος — Hualos (apparently from υει — huei it rains, and so raindrop) in N.T. only Revelation 21:18, Revelation 21:21. [source]
The building [ἐνδόμησις]
Only here in the New Testament. From ἐν inand δωμάω tobuild. Lit., that which is built in. Hence the building of the wall is the material built into the wall; of which the wall was composed. [source]
Glass [ὑάλῳ]
Only here and Revelation 21:21. For the kindred adjective ὑάλινος ofglass, see on Revelation 4:6. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 21:18

Revelation 4:3 Jasper stone []
The last of the twelve stones in the High Priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:20; Exodus 39:13), and the first of the twelve enumerated in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19). Also the stone employed in the superstructure of the wall of the Heavenly City (Revelation 21:18). The stone itself was of different colors, the best being purple. According to Revelation 21:11, it represents a crystalline brightness. [source]
Revelation 21:18 Was pure gold [χρυσιον καταρον]
No copula ην — ēn (was) expressed. The city shone like a mass of gold in contrast with the jasper lustre of the wall.Pure glass (υαλωι καταρωι — hualōi katharōi). Associative instrumental case after ομοιον — homoion υαλος — Hualos (apparently from υει — huei it rains, and so raindrop) in N.T. only Revelation 21:18, Revelation 21:21. [source]
Revelation 21:18 Pure glass [υαλωι καταρωι]
Associative instrumental case after ομοιον — homoion υαλος — Hualos (apparently from υει — huei it rains, and so raindrop) in N.T. only Revelation 21:18, Revelation 21:21. [source]
Revelation 21:19 With all manner of precious stones [παντι λιτωι τιμιωι]
“With every precious stone.” The list of the twelve stones in Revelation 21:19, Revelation 21:20 has no necessary mystical meaning. “The writer is simply trying to convey the impression of a radiant and superb structure” (Moffatt). The twelve gems do correspond closely (only eight in common) with the twelve stones on the high priest‘s breastplate (Exodus 28:17-20; Exodus 39:10.; Ezekiel 28:13; Isaiah 54:11.). Charles identifies them with the signs of zodiac in reverse order, a needless performance here. See the stones in Revelation 4:3. These foundation stones are visible. For jasper (ιασπις — iaspis) see Revelation 4:3; Revelation 21:11, Revelation 21:18; Isaiah 54:12; sapphire (σαππειρος — sappheiros) see Exodus 24:10;. Isaiah 54:11 (possibly the λαπις λαζυλι — lapis lazuli of Turkestan); chalcedony (χαλκηδων — chalkēdōn) we have no other reference in N.T. or lxx (described by Pliny, H.N. XXXIII.21), possibly a green silicate of copper from near Chalcedon; emerald (σμαραγδος — smaragdos) here only in N.T., see Revelation 4:3 σμαραγδινος — smaragdinos and like it a green stone. [source]
Revelation 4:3 Like a jasper stone [ομοιος ιασπιδι]
Associative-instrumental case of ιασπις — iaspis old word (Persian), used for stones of different colors, one opaque like opal, one translucent (Revelation 21:11, Revelation 21:18., possibly here, only N.T. examples), one a red or yellow stone (Isaiah 54:12). Some even take it for the diamond. Certainly not our cheap modern jasper.A sardius (σαρδιωι — sardiōi). Old word, in N.T. only here and Revelation 21:20. The carnelian or other red stone, derived from Sardis (Pliny).Rainbow Old word, in N.T. only here and Revelation 10:1. From Ezekiel 1:28.An emerald (σμαραγδινωι — smaragdinōi). Adjective (from σμαραγδος — smaragdos Revelation 21:19), of emerald (supply λιτωι — lithōi), in associative instrumental case after ομοιος — homoios John sees no form for God (Exodus 24:10), but only the brilliant flashing gems. “In the vision the flashing lustre of the ιασπις — iaspis and the fiery red of the σαρδ — sard are relieved by the halo (ιρις — iris) of emerald which encircled the Throne” (Swete). A complete circle. [source]
Revelation 4:6 As it were a glassy sea [ως ταλασσα υαλινη]
Old adjective (from υαλος — hualos glass, Revelation 21:18, Revelation 21:21), in N.T. only here and Revelation 15:2. Possibly from υει — huei (it rains), like a raindrop. At any rate here it is the appearance, not the material. Glass was made in Egypt 4,000 years ago. In Exodus 24:10 the elders see under the feet of God in the theophany a paved work of sapphire stone (cf. Ezekiel 1:26). The likeness of the appearance of sky to sea suggests the metaphor here (Beckwith). [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 21:18 mean?

And the structure of the wall of it [was] jasper city gold pure like glass clear
Καὶ ἡ ἐνδώμησις τοῦ τείχους αὐτῆς ἴασπις πόλις χρυσίον καθαρὸν ὅμοιον ὑάλῳ καθαρῷ

ἐνδώμησις  structure 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐνδόμησις 
Sense: that which is build in.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: ὁ  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τείχους  wall 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: τεῖχος  
Sense: the wall around a city, town wall.
αὐτῆς  of  it 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἴασπις  [was]  jasper 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἴασπις  
Sense: jasper, a precious stone of various colours (for some are purple, others blue, others green, and others the colour of brass).
πόλις  city 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: πόλις  
Sense: a city.
χρυσίον  gold 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: χρυσίον  
Sense: gold, both that which lies imbedded in the earth and is dug out of it.
καθαρὸν  pure 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: καθαρός  
Sense: clean, pure.
ὅμοιον  like 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ὅμοιος  
Sense: like, similar, resembling.
ὑάλῳ  glass 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ὕαλος  
Sense: any stone transparent like glass.
καθαρῷ  clear 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: καθαρός  
Sense: clean, pure.

What are the major concepts related to Revelation 21:18?

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Similar Scriptures for Revelation 21:18

Revelation 21:11 [7]
Revelation 21:21 [4]
Revelation 21:19 [2]